Everest Base Camp & Lobuche Peak 18 days

Start your day with breakfast before exploring Kathmandu’s cultural highlights. Visit Swayambhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple) for panoramic city views, then continue to Patan Durbar Square to admire its rich Newar architecture and historic courtyards.

After a traditional Nepali lunch, visit the sacred Pashupatinath Temple and the peaceful Boudhanath Stupa, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world.

Later, relax or shop in Thamel before ending the day at Kathmandu Durbar Square, surrounded by historic temples and palaces.

Everest Base Camp with Lobuche Peak Climbing starts with an early moning flight (around 30 minutes) from Kathmandu or Ramechhap to the famous Lukla airstrip, the gateway to the Everest region. Enjoy stunning views of Himalayan peaks during the flight. After landing, meet the rest of the crew and begin trekking. A gentle 3–4-hour hike through pine forests and along the Dudh Koshi River brings you to the village of Phakding.

Cross several high suspension bridges draped with prayer flags as you follow the Dudh Koshi valley upstream. Enter Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo and tackle a long uphill stretch. After 6–7 hours of trekking, you’ll arrive at Namche Bazaar, the bustling Sherpa town and trading hub of the Khumbu. Weather permitting, you might catch your first glimpse of Everest en route.

To adjust to the altitude, spend an extra day in Namche. Take an acclimatization hike to Everest View Hotel (3,880 m) for panoramic views of Everest, Ama Dablam, and other peaks. Visit the Sherpa Culture Museum or browse the shops and bakeries in Namche. This active rest day helps your body prepare for higher elevations.

Trek along a scenic trail with views of Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam across the valley. Visit the river, have lunch at Phunki Thenga, then ascend through rhododendron and pine forests to Tengboche. Here you will visit the famous Tengboche Monastery, the spiritual center of Khumbu, set against a backdrop of towering mountains. Hiking time ~5 hours.

Continue through forests to Deboche and cross the Imja Khola. Pass quaint Sherpa villages like Pangboche as the landscape gradually becomes more rugged and open. Reach Dingboche, a farming village in a broad valley under Ama Dablam, after about 5 hours of trekking. You’ll notice the treeline has vanished, and yaks graze on the alpine pastures.

Another scheduled rest day for altitude adaptation. Take a moning hike up Nangkartshang Hill (~5,083 m) for spectacular 180u00b0 views of Makalu, Lhotse, and Cho Oyu. Retun to Dingboche for lunch and spend the aftenoon resting. By now, you’ll be feeling the thin air, so proper acclimatization is crucial.

Climb gradually to the windswept memorial area at Thukla Pass, where monuments honor climbers lost on Everest. Then follow the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier to the small settlement of Lobuche. The 4 to 5 hour trek offers emerging views of Pumori, Nuptse, and Lobuche Peak itself looming above. You’re now very close to Everest Base Camp.

An exciting and demanding day. Trek about 2–3 hours from Lobuche to Gorak Shep, the last lodge outpost. After a short rest, continue on a rocky trail following the Khumbu Glacier to reach Everest Base Camp – the iconic site where climbers gather for Everest expeditions. You’ll stand at the foot of the world’s highest mountain among colorful prayer flags and expedition tents. Savor the moment, take photos, and then retun to Gorak Shep for the night. (Distance from Lobuche to EBC via Gorak Shep is 8 km round-trip, taking about 6–7 hours total.)

Wake up before dawn for a steep hike up Kala Patthar, a famous viewpoint at 5,545 m. Reaching the summit around sunrise offers a breathtaking close-up of Mount Everest, Nuptse, Pumori, and the surrounding peaks bathed in golden light. After celebrating your achievement, descend back to Gorak Shep for breakfast. Then retrace your steps down to Lobuche. This is a long day (6+ hours), but your acclimatization and the inspiration of Everest’s view will carry you through.

The climbing phase begins. From Lobuche village, you’ll leave the main EBC trail and hike toward Lobuche Base Camp (around 5,000 m) and further up to High Camp (5,400 m) on a rocky plateau. The terrain is rugged, and you may need to scramble over rocks near the camp. In the aftenoon, your climbing guide will conduct a pre-climb training session. You will practice using crampons, ice axe, haness, and ropes, essential skills for the summit push. Ovenight in a tented camp at High Camp, with an early dinner and rest, as a very early start is planned for summit day.

Summit Day! Wake up around midnight for a quick hot drink and final gear check. By 1 to 2 AM, start ascending the snowy slopes of Lobuche East by headlamp. It i s a steep climb on rock and ice, with fixed ropes in the steeper sections. At Crampon Point” (5,800 m) you will put on crampons for the glacier and snow sections. Using ascenders on fixed lines, you steadily climb the 45u00b0 slope towards the summit ridge. After 5 to 7 hours of tough climbing, reach the Lobuche East summit (6,119 m) at dawn or early moning! From the top, the panorama is unbelievable – you are surrounded by the giants of the Himalaya, including Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Pumori, and countless other peaks. Take time to soak in the 360 view and savor your victory. Congratulations, you have climbed Lobuche East!

An extra day is built into the itinerary as a buffer. If bad weather or any unforeseen event prevented the summit on Day 13, this day gives another chance to attempt Lobuche Peak. If you submitted as planned, you can use the day to rest in Pheriche or explore the area. (If not needed for climbing or rest, this buffer day can also be used at the end in Kathmandu for sightseeing.)

Having completed the climb, you will trek back at a relaxed pace. The route descends through Orsho and Pangboche, then climbs slightly to Tengboche and back to Namche Bazaar. With the bulk of the adventure behind you, you can enjoy the retun jouney and notice how the air feels thicker and the surroundings greener as you lose elevation. Trek ~6 to 7 hours.

The final day of trekking is a long descent of ~7 hours, retracing the route down the Dudh Koshi valley. Pass by Monjo, exit Sagarmatha National Park, and continue through Phakding before the last short climb to Lukla. By the aftenoon, you will arrive in Lukla and toast to a successful trek and climb with your team.

Say goodbye to the Khumbu as you take a moning flight from Lukla back to Kathmandu (weather permitting). Enjoy one last aerial view of the mountains. Back in Kathmandu, you will be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax, enjoy a hot shower, and perhaps celebrate with a team dinner.