Everest Base Camp Trek in 8 Days
Do you want to trek to Everest Base Camp and see the mountains that the whole world goes gaga over?
Are you thinking of postponing the trip because you don’t have two weeks to spare?
Or are you starting to look elsewhere for shorter treks?
Stop right there!
We have the Everest Base Camp trek in 8 days.
We offer you the best of both worlds. You trek all the way to Everest Base Camp and take a return helicopter flight from Kala Patthar. This saves you both time and money while you immerse in the mountains. You will not miss anything as you will be trekking all the way to Everest Base Camp. Your body will thank you when you don’t have to trek all the way down.
Walking to the base of the Mt Everest is an amazing experience in itself. You will enjoy the real perks of trekking while traversing through the pathways of the Khumbu region that proceeds through the Sagarmatha National park. And the scenic return helicopter flight at the end of the trek is really soothing experience and the ultimate relaxation after days of the trek.
The short Everest Base Camp trek promises you the stunning mountain landscape, nature, culture, and adventure. You will pass through Sherpa villages that open their doors to experience unique culture and traditions. Nepalese are friendly and welcoming who make you treasure every moment shared with them. Sherpas in the Everest region have their own language, culture, and traditions.
Everest region also has many ancient monasteries that preserve the magical Buddhist culture and traditions. You will feel enlightened to know the lifestyle of peace-loving monks and their tales of mysticism.
Most of the packages to Everest Base camp trek are at least two weeks long. There is an option of taking a helicopter flight up to Everest Base Camp. But it takes only one day and may miss the joy of actual trekking and feeling the mountain atmosphere.
A short Everest Base Camp trek and return by helicopter is a mix of luxury and adventure. The tour offers everything a 12-days long trek provides. Some of the highlights of the trek are below.
Highlights of Short Everest Base Camp Trek
Eye-Popping Mountain Beauty
Albeit short, Everest Base Camp trek takes you to all the major attractions of trekking in this region. Everest region has some of the highest mountains in the world, above 8000 meters. Mount Everest is the tallest mountain of the world at 8848 meters. Other towering mountains like Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Pumori, Cho Oyu appear piercing the sky.
Along with the mountains, you will come across large glaciers, rugged moraines, ice fields, and enchanting forests. Sunrise and sunsets in the mountains are heavenly and magical. Do not miss those moments.
Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar
Both these destinations are the major highlights of Everest Base Camp trek. Everest Base Camp is the starting point of climbers and end point for trekkers. It is a heavenly place. During the climbing seasons, you will see colorful tents of expedition teams over the rocky terrain of the base camp. Here, you can have a glimpse of all those adventures people who are preparing to ascend the top of the world. You will also have close-up views of the Khumbu Icefall, and mountains.
Kala Patthar is a popular viewpoint to watch sunrise, sunset and panoramic views of mountains including Everest. Located at 5643 meters, you see the Everest Base Camp down in the valley. You make an early morning hike to Kala Patthar to catch the first light of the day. If you enjoy photography, this is a photographers paradise that offers some iconic images of the Everest.
People, Culture, and Religion
During the Everest Base Camp trek, you will meet smiling local people who call the mountains their home. Along with other communities, Everest region is inhibited by Sherpa community. They worship the mountains and with the growth of tourism, they are making their living from the industry. Local Sherpas own most of the tea houses and lodges. In Namche Bazaar, Dingboche, Lobuche, Tengboche, and other villages, you can experience their culture and traditions.
Everest region also has many beautiful Buddhist monasteries. Some of them are at the world’s highest altitude. Tengboche and Pangboche monasteries are the gems of this region. These are excellent places to see the mountain culture and rituals up close.
Nature at its Best
During the Everest Base Camp trek, you will trek through the Sagarmatha National Park. The national park is home of rare birds, animals, and plants. During the spring season, entire forest burst in colors with rhododendron and alpine wildflowers. You may also see rare animals like snow leopard, musk deer, blue sheep, Himalayan Black Bear, red panda, monkeys, and colorful birds.
Aerial View of the Everest region
On your return helicopter flight to Lukla and Kathmandu, you will have birds’ eye views of mountains, glaciers, forests, villages, and towns. All the way you trekked a few days earlier will be below your feet now. You will fly over Namche Bajar, Khumjung and Gorakshep. These villages look like tiny dots below the towering mountains. You will also see centuries-old monasteries like Tengboche Monastery from the sky.
Itinerary of 8 days Everest Base Camp trek
Day 01: Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla then trek to Monzo (2804m), 10 KM
You will take an early morning flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. The 45 minutes long flight is scenic and offers excellent views of the mountains you will be walking over in the next few days. Landing in Lukla airport is an amazing experience on its own. After landing at Lukla, you will trek to Monzo, 2804m for around 5-6 hours and stay overnight at a lodge.
Day 02: Trek from Monzo to Namche Bazaar (3445m), 4 KM
Today, you will trek for around 1.5 hours to Namche Bazaar (3445m), a beautiful town nestled below the snow-capped mountains. You will walk through rhododendron and pine forest along the roaring rivers. The trail passes through Sagarmatha National Park. The national park is listed under UNESCO world heritage site. Namche Bazaar has surprisingly good eateries and bakery shops targeted at tourists. Do not miss to try them out. You will spend the night in a local lodge.
Day 03: Acclimatization in Namche Bazaar
You will explore the area and take rest in Namche Bazar to acclimatize before you ascend further. The general rule of trekking is you climb higher and come down to sleep. You will explore around the town and take day hikes around Namche. You can make a sunrise hike to the entry point of National park and watch the golden glow on the mountains during sunrise. You can also day hike to Khumjung and Hillary School. And, exploring the alleys of town is amazing. You will spend the night at Namche Bazaar.
Day 04: Trek from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3850m), 9.5 KM
The trail is gentle until Phunki. Then, after a walk of 4-5 hours, you ascend to Tengboche village. This village has popular Tengboche monastery, which is the largest in the region. The monastery is located in a scenic place. If you arrive here at 3 o’clock, you can observe the Buddhist rituals. Overnight at a local lodge.
Day 05: Trek from Tengboche to Dingboche (4350m) 11 KM
Today trail passes through birch, pine and rhododendron forests. Dingboche is located at an elevation of 4350m. You will also walk across a suspension bridge popular for spectacular views of Ama Dablam mountain. After the confluence of Lobuche river, Imja valley opens up after a steep climb. It is a picturesque valley with beautiful mountain scenery. After the trek of around 6-7 hours, you will spend the night in a local lodge.
Day 06: Trek from Dingboche to Lobuche (4950m) 11 KM
You will trek for 6-7 hours through a scenic route with stunning views of Nuptse, Cholatse, Thamserku, and several other magnificent peaks. You will also pass by a number of memorial stones to honor climbers who failed on their attempt to climb Mt. Everest. The trail will drop to the Khumbu Glacier moraine. Today, you will have a close view of Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori and Mahalangur Himal. Overnight at a local lodge.
Day 07: Trek from Lobuche to Ghorakshep (5160 m) and Trek to Everest Base Camp (5364 m) and down to Ghorakshep 15 KM
Today is the most exciting day. You will trek for to Everest Base Camp. You will start from Lobuche and reach after 4-5 hours walk to Gorakshep. Then, you will walk for around an hour to the Everest Base Camp. The trail here is gentle but you ascend and descend the glacial moraines. You will hike up to the spectacular Khumbu icefall. You will spend an hour or so to explore the campsite that is astonishingly beautiful. Then you will trek back to Ghorakshep, and spend the night at a local lodge.
Day 08: Trek from Gorakshep to Kala Patthar (5643m) and down to Gorakshep, pick up by helicopter and fly back to Kathmandu
Kala Patthar (5643 m) is the highest altitude you will climb during this trek. Kala Patthar offers a panoramic view of Mt. Everest and other mountains. It is around 1 km from Gorakshep so you will walk for an hour to reach Kala Patthar. You will make an early morning hike to Kala Patthar and come down for breakfast. The climb is steep and breathtaking due to high altitude. But the views are amazing from the top. After spending some time at Kala Patthar, you come down to Gorakshep.
Then you will be picked up by a helicopter and fly to Kathmandu on the same day. Then, we will pick you up at Kathmandu airport and drop at your hotel in Kathmandu.
Cost of Everest Base Camp trek in 8 days
We offer you the best value for money packages with best services and safety records. Everest Base Camp trek combined with helicopter return flight starts at US$ 2850 per person. This is an all-inclusive price for the entire trekking duration of eight days.
It covers your permits, hiring guides and porters, transportation costs, cost of food and accommodation, etc. But it does not cover the cost of your travel insurance and other personal expenses.
Best Time for Everest Base Camp Trek
You can trek to Everest Base Camp throughout the year. But, spring and autumn season are the best times to trek in Nepal. Spring offers nature at its best with warm and pleasant weather. While, autumn offers clear skies, major festivals of Nepal, greenery and clear views of mountains.
Autumn is the best trekking season in Nepal. September, October, and November have clear skies, less rainfall, and calm weather. The average day-time temperature in these months ranges between 15 to 20-degree Celsius (59 to 68-degrees Fahrenheit). The temperature at night may fall below zero, depending on altitude.
Spring trekking season falls at March, April, and May. The temperature is warm and sunny during these months. The forests are green and come to full bloom with rhododendron and other wildflowers during these months.
Months of June, July, August are quite challenging. Weather during these months are unpredictable and can witness heavy rainfall. These months witness heavy rainfalls and frequent changes in weather. High altitude will witness snowfall and may block high passes.
Winter (December, January, February) offer the clearest views and cloudless skies. But, the temperature goes below minus 15-degree Celsius with chances of snow.
If you can manage with the cold weather or the rainfall and slippery trails, you can still trek during these months.
If you want to know more about this trek, please contact us. We can be reached by any means. You can book your next trek here.