Everest Base Camp and Cho La Pass Trek
- Duration
- 17 days
- Max altitude
- 5,555 m
- Difficulty
-
Very strenuous
Difficulty scale
- Easy Short walking days on good trails below about 3,000 m. Suitable for anyone in ordinary health, including families.
- Moderate 5 to 6 hours a day with some steep sections, reaching up to about 4,000 m. A reasonable level of fitness and a few weeks of preparation walking recommended.
- Strenuous 6 to 8 hours a day, high passes or altitudes above 5,000 m, and remote stretches. Good fitness, prior trekking experience and proper acclimatisation days are essential.
- Very strenuous Long days, multiple high passes or technical sections, sustained time above 5,000 m. For experienced, well-conditioned trekkers only.
- Best season
- Autumn (Sep–Nov) · Spring (Mar–May)
- Group
- Private
- From
- $1,615.00
Overview
Both sides of the Khumbu in one trek. Base Camp and Kala Patthar, then west over the Cho La at 5,420 m onto the glacier and down to the Gokyo lakes. A serious itinerary that wants previous high-altitude days behind it.
Every departure is private and led by a government-licensed Nepali guide, so the plan flexes to your party and to the mountain. Permits, park fees and local taxes are inside the price you see.
Trip highlights
- Cho La pass at 5,420 m
- Everest Base Camp and the Gokyo lakes in one trip
- Kala Patthar and Gokyo Ri
- A glacier crossing on the pass day
Day by day
The itinerary
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Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu (1,400m) 1,400 m Hotel
Our representative meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfers you to the hotel. We run through the route, check your kit and answer questions over the trek briefing. Nothing else is scheduled, so rest.
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Day 2: Fly to Lukla (2,840m) and trek to Phakding (2,610m) 2,840 m 3-4 hrs Teahouse
An early flight into Lukla, one of the short mountain strips, and the walk begins the same morning. The trail drops gently along the Dudh Koshi through Chheplung and Ghat to Phakding, a deliberately easy first day that loses height rather than gaining it. In peak season the flight often leaves from Ramechhap instead of Kathmandu, which means a pre-dawn drive the night before or that morning. We confirm which applies to your dates.
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Day 3: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,440m) 3,440 m 6-7 hrs Teahouse
The day the trek starts in earnest. Several suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi, the Sagarmatha National Park checkpost at Monjo, then the long climb from the Hillary Bridge up to Namche. Everest appears briefly through the trees on the way up, weather permitting. Namche is the Sherpa capital and the last place with real shops.
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Day 4: Namche: acclimatisation day 3,880 m 4-5 hrs Teahouse
A rest day that is not spent resting. We walk up to the Everest View Hotel at 3,880m for the view over Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam, then across to the villages of Khumjung and Khunde before coming back down to sleep. Climbing high and sleeping low is what makes the rest of the trek possible.
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Day 5: Namche to Tengboche (3,860m) 3,860 m 5-6 hrs Teahouse
A level traverse high above the river with Ama Dablam ahead most of the morning, then a steep descent to the bridge at Phunki Tenga and a long climb through rhododendron forest to Tengboche. The monastery here is the largest in the Khumbu, and the afternoon prayers are open to visitors who arrive in time.
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Day 6: Tengboche to Dingboche (4,410m) 4,410 m 5-6 hrs Teahouse
Down through the forest to Deboche, across the Imja Khola, then up past Pangboche, the oldest settlement in the valley. The treeline is behind you by late morning and the country opens out into scrub and stone. Dingboche sits in a walled patchwork of potato fields under Ama Dablam.
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Day 7: Dingboche: acclimatisation day 5,000 m 4-5 hrs Teahouse
The second built-in acclimatisation day. We climb the ridge above the village towards Nangkartshang, roughly 5,000m, for the view down the Imja valley to Island Peak and Makalu, then descend to Dingboche to sleep. Slow is the point.
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Day 8: Dingboche to Lobuche (4,940m) 4,940 m 5-6 hrs Teahouse
Up the valley to Dughla, then the steep pull onto the terminal moraine of the Khumbu glacier. At the top of that climb is the memorial line, a row of stone chortens for climbers who died on Everest. From there it is a gentler walk alongside the glacier to Lobuche.
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Day 9: Lobuche to Gorak Shep (5,164m) and Everest Base Camp (5,364m) 5,364 m 7-8 hrs Teahouse
The longest and highest day so far. A rough walk over glacial moraine to Gorak Shep, lunch and drop the bags, then out along the glacier to Base Camp itself. In spring the camp is a small city of tents under the Khumbu Icefall; outside the climbing season it is ice, prayer flags and the sound of the glacier moving. Back to Gorak Shep to sleep.
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Day 10: Kala Patthar (5,545m), then to Dzongla (4,830m) 5,545 m 7-8 hrs Teahouse
Up in the dark for Kala Patthar, the black hill above Gorak Shep, and the best view of Everest anywhere on the trek: the whole south-west face, with Nuptse and Pumori either side. Then back down for breakfast and the traverse to Dzongla, a small cluster of lodges below the Cho La. This is the last comfortable night before the pass.
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Day 11: Dzongla to Thagnak (4,700m) over the Cho La (5,420m) 5,420 m 7-8 hrs Teahouse
The crux of the trek, and an early start. A steep rocky climb to the pass, with a short glacier crossing on the far side where crampons are often needed and your guide will rope the party if conditions call for it. The descent to Thagnak is long and loose. A serious mountain day that a bad forecast can postpone, and we would rather lose a day than cross it in poor weather.
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Day 12: Thagnak to Gokyo (4,790m) 4,790 m 4-5 hrs Teahouse
A short day, deliberately, after the pass. The route crosses the Ngozumpa glacier, the longest in Nepal, on a shifting trail of rubble and ice, then arrives at the third of the Gokyo lakes with the village on its shore. The colour of that water in afternoon light is the reason people come this way.
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Day 13: Gokyo Ri (5,357m), then descend to Dole (4,200m) 5,357 m 6-7 hrs Teahouse
A pre-dawn climb up Gokyo Ri for a panorama that takes in four eight-thousanders, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu, with the lakes and the glacier below. Back down for breakfast, then the descent along the valley past Machhermo to Dole. Thick air and appetite both return on this stretch.
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Day 14: Dole to Namche Bazaar (3,440m) 3,440 m 5-6 hrs Teahouse
Down through juniper and rhododendron to Phortse Tenga, then the climb back onto the traverse and around to Namche. Trees, birds and the first proper coffee in a fortnight.
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Day 15: Namche to Lukla (2,840m) 2,840 m 7-8 hrs Teahouse
The long last walking day: the steep descent to the Hillary Bridge, back down the Dudh Koshi through Monjo and Phakding, and the final rise into Lukla. The crew usually marks the end of the trek here in the evening.
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Day 16: Fly to Kathmandu (1,400m) 1,400 m Hotel
The morning flight out, weather permitting. Lukla is weather-dependent in both directions and delays happen, which is why the spare day below sits at the end of the itinerary rather than being cut from it. Afternoon free in Kathmandu.
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Day 17: Spare day in Kathmandu, or departure 1,400 m
Held as the buffer for a delayed Lukla flight. If the flight ran on time this is yours: rest, the old city, or a massage for the legs. Our representative takes you to the airport about 3 hours before your onward flight.
Altitude profile
The climb, day by day
Comfort tiers
Choose your level of comfort
| Amenity | Standardfrom $1,940.00 | Comfortfrom $2,289.20 | Luxuryfrom $2,813.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu hotel | 3★ | 4★ | 5★ |
| Trail accommodation | Standard teahouse | Best lodge in each village | Premium lodge where the route has one |
| Porter support | Shared porter | Private porter, lighter load | Extra porter, carry almost nothing |
| Transfers | Shared | Private | Private, throughout |
What's included
Included
- Included: All airport transfers in a private vehicle
- Included: Two nights' twin-sharing accommodation with breakfast at a 3-star hotel in Kathmandu, plus a third if the spare day is used
- Included: Twin-sharing teahouse accommodation for 14 nights on the trek
- Included: All meals on the trek: breakfast, lunch and dinner, with tea or coffee
- Included: Seasonal fruit on the trail
- Included: Return flights Kathmandu to Lukla, including the Ramechhap transfer if your dates fall in the season when flights move there
- Included: Sagarmatha National Park entry fee and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit
- Included: A government-licensed, wilderness first-aid trained, English-speaking guide
- Included: Porters carrying your kit, one porter for every two trekkers
- Included: All wages, meals, accommodation, insurance and equipment for guide and porters
- Included: Crampons and rope for the Cho La crossing, carried by the guide
- Included: Duffel bag, down jacket and sleeping bag on loan for the trek
- Included: A comprehensive first aid kit, including a pulse oximeter used to check oxygen levels daily above 3,500 m
- Included: Trekking map and trip completion certificate
- Included: A farewell dinner in Kathmandu
- Included: All government taxes and official expenses
Not included
- Not included: International airfare and the Nepal entry visa
- Not included: Travel insurance, which must cover helicopter evacuation and medical treatment to at least 5,600 m
- Not included: Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu, apart from the farewell dinner
- Not included: Bottled and boiled drinking water, and all other drinks including tea and coffee taken outside meals
- Not included: Hot showers, battery charging and wifi at the lodges, all of which are charged by the hour or the item above Namche
- Not included: Personal trekking clothing and equipment, including boots suitable for a glacier crossing
- Not included: Tips for the guide, porters and driver
- Not included: Extra costs caused by weather, flight delays, landslides, illness, early departure or any other event beyond our control
- Not included: Anything not listed under what is included
Your team
Led by a licensed guide
Every route is led by a government-licensed guide from our team. Licences are on record with us before departure, and you'll meet your guide once your trip is confirmed.
Guide language(s): English, Nepali
Group-size pricing
Walk together, pay less
Every trip is private, so the guide, permits and transfers cost the same however many walk. Sharing them is why the per-person price falls: arithmetic, not a sale.
| Group size | per person | You save each |
|---|---|---|
| 1 trekker | $1,940.00 | base rate |
| 2 to 3 trekkers | $1,615.00 | $325.00 |
| 4 to 6 trekkers | $1,520.00 | $420.00 |
| 7 or more | $1,420.00 | $520.00 |
Per person, including permits, park fees and taxes. Nothing is added at checkout.
Weather
What to expect, month by month
- Autumn (Sep–Nov)The most reliable trekking season: clear air, stable weather and cold nights, right after the monsoon clears.
- Spring (Mar–May)Warmer than autumn, with rhododendron forests in flower and slightly hazier mountain views as the season goes on.
Traveller reviews
What trekkers say
Why book with us
