15 Days | Walk among giants, test your limits and discover your strength
Base Camp. Two little syllables that conjure up dreams as immense and powerful as the Himalayan Mountains themselves. This 15-day trekking trip is your chance to make these dreams come true, to challenge yourself and discover both the majesty of the mountains and your own potential. Walk among giants of nature and revel in the sense of freedom that comes from leaving Wi-Fi and Netflix behind for card games in tiny teahouses, learning about Sherpa life and watching the sunrise over Everest. Plus, Intrepid's commitment to the rights and fair treatment of porters and trekking guides means you can rest assured knowing you’re doing the trek of a lifetime the ethical way.
ALTERNATE ITINERARY:
In case of weather conditions leading to cancellations or delays in included flights, this trip will operate on an alternate itinerary. Please see day 1 of the itinerary for more details.
Trip overview
- Start
- Kathmandu, Nepal
- Finish
- Kathmandu, Nepal
- Theme
- Walking & trekking
- Destinations
- Nepal
- Physical rating
- Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
- Style
- Original
- Ages
- Min 15
- Group size
- Min 1 - Max 16
- Trip code
- HNXE
- In addition to immense rugged mountains, witness everything from still alpine lakes and glacial plains to frothy rivers and valleys covered in pink blossoms, depending on the season.
- A trek like this is the bonding experience of a lifetime and the genuine comradery formed between members of your small group will stay with your forever.
- Get your first glimpses of the mighty Himalayan range on the included flight from Kathmandu to Lukla – the famous airport in the sky.
- Hike with an experienced and passionate English-speaking local leader as well as a team of guides and porters who will introduce you to rich Sherpa culture.
- Intrepid partners with local mountaineering and porter welfare programs, so you can trek easier knowing that while our porters are taking care of you, there’s someone looking out for them.
- By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, Sagarmatha Next. Donations help them remove waste responsibly and turn rubbish into art in the Everest region.
- The weather can be unpredictable in the Himalayas and every year a significant number of trips have flights to or from Lukla delayed or cancelled due to weather conditions. See day 1 of the itinerary for the alternative plans should this happen on your trip.
- Hiking the Himalayas is no walk in the park. But seriously, this trip includes 12 days of trekking for up to eight hours per day, reaching altitudes of over 5500 metres. Depending on the time of year, the weather can be harsh. Ask anyone who has done it and they will say the rewards are worth it, but we can’t stress enough that you must be in excellent health to participate. Think you’re up for it? Find our step-by-step training guide here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/trekking-training-guide-tips/.
- The trekking lodges, known as teahouses, that we stay in on the trek are very simple with only basic facilities. Access to electricity points for charging devices will cost extra. Wi-Fi is available at some locations, but connections may be poor.
- The scenery and conditions vary between seasons. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to trek in and consult this packing guide https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/packing-guide-for-trekking-in-nepal/.
- The Everest Base Camp trek is a very popular route and you will encounter many other trekkers and groups on the trail and at the teahouses. If you are after a trek that sees less travellers and spends more time trekking through communities rather than on a more established route, see our Tamang Heritage & Langtang Valley Trek (HNXV).
- This trip includes one or more overnight stays over 3500 metres (11500 ft) where there is a genuine risk of being affected by Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). If left untreated AMS can be life-threatening. While the vast majority will only feel discomfort, it is not uncommon for a small number of people to need extra care which will be provided by our leaders and local staff. All our trips that spend time at high altitude follow our standard altitude safety measures. A number of medical conditions and medications can also reduce your body's ability to acclimatise, and thus will affect your performance at altitude and make you more susceptible to AMS. If you are worried about any pre-existing condition (e.g. heart problems), or unsure of your physical ability, you must seek medical advice prior to booking. You may also wish to discuss medication such as Diamox that may help aid acclimatisation. Read more about AMS here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/altitude-sickness
Itinerary
View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2023 - 31 December 2024
Inclusions
Private vehicle, Plane
Hotel (2 nights), Teahouse (12 nights)
- Everest Base Camp – Porterage of One Bag (10kg/22lbs max)
- Everest Base Camp – 12D/11N Trek
- Namche Bazaar - Acclimatisation Hike
- Dingboche - Acclimatisation Hike
- Gorak Shep - Kala Patthar Sunrise Trek
- Tengboche - Monastery
- Kathmandu - Rickshaw Night Explorer Urban Adventure - USD49
- Kathmandu - Spiritual Nepal Experience Urban Adventure - USD59
- Kathmandu - Home Cooking Class Urban Adventure - USD60
- Kathmandu - Panorama Hike Urban Adventure - USD76
- Kathmandu - In Focus: Handmade Kathmandu - USD93
- Kathmandu - Explore Patan & Bhaktapur Urban Adventure - USD108
Dates and availability
Important notes
1. This trip starts in Kathmandu on Day 1 at 2 pm. This allows time after the joining meeting to explore Kathmandu.
2. Due to the demands of travelling at high altitudes a Passenger Self Assessment Form is required for this trip. You will be trekking on hilly terrain, generally on well-defined paths, walking anywhere between 2–7 hours per day, on average about 5 hours a day. Altitude may exceed 5545 metres.
3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement will only be included on Days 1,14 (Hotel) and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
4. In case of weather conditions leading to cancellations or delays in flights, this trip will operate on an alternate itinerary. Please see day 1 of the itinerary for more details.
5. You must bring an emergency fund of USD 500 in cash with you on this trip, which you may need to use in case of delayed or cancelled flights, as itinerary changes will be at the travellers expense.
6. We advise allowing a few extra days in Kathmandu at the end of your trip should your return flights from Lukla be delayed due to weather conditions.
7. The minimum age for this trip is 15 at time of travel.
8. Your health and safety is our priority. Your leader may delay or stop your ascent based on your medical conditions and AMS symptoms. Please ensure your insurance includes coverage for activities above 3000m, mountain rescue, and helicopter evacuation costs. Without adequate insurance cover, helicopter evacuation requires upfront payment.
9. You may be asked to provide 2 passport size photographs for your trekking permit.
10. Please be aware that in the event of an emergency evacuation, Intrepid does not have control over which helicopter service may be used. Some helicopters are not in regular use with Intrepid and have not passed our internal safety auditing.
Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.
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