The Everest Base Camp Trek is the most popular trek in the Nepal region and one of the most iconic and well-known treks in the world.
After a nerve-racking flight into Lukla airport that is sure to get you pumped up, you will retrace the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay and the countless other brave men and women who have summited Everest after them.
The route takes you through the beautiful Sagarmatha National Park and eventually ends up at Everest Base Camp, where you will feel the buzz and excitement of potential summiteers of the world’s tallest mountain (the main climbing season kicks off in April and culminates in the 3rd or 4th week of May).
Popular questions asked about the Everest Base Camp Trek always seems to follow the similar pattern of ‘how hard?’, ‘how long?’ and ‘how high?’.
This article will cover the raw data behind the trek to answer all those burning question about distance, length and elevation.
To get a better understanding of how challenging the trek is, read our in-depth article on the difficulty of the Everest Base Camp Trek.
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EBC Trek
Distance
The classic Everest Base Camp trek from Lukla to EBC and back is 130km long – 65km each way – which may sound like a lot of trekking!
Fear not, because the typical round trip to Everest Base Camp takes around 12 days, the actual distance you will be covering each day will be about 15km – a much more reasonable and achievable number.
Furthermore, the average walking pace is about 5km/hour, so 15km per day does not sound too bad anymore.
Obviously, you will not be trekking at that pace because of the rocky terrain, gradual ascent and high altitude gains that have to be made.
The point being made is that the distance is very attainable for all people of all ages, shapes and sizes!
If you book through a tour operator, you will likely have the luxury of having your large bags carried for you by porters or by yak / mules. This should further take the strain off your body and allow you to focus on getting yourself safely up and back down the trail.
EBC Trek
Length
The typical length, in terms of time, of the Everest Base Camp trek is around 12 days. There are variations of standard route, like Jiri to Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes trek, which take longer.
The outward route from Lukla to Everest Base Camp is significantly longer, in terms of time, than the return route to allow for proper acclimatization and to minimize the risks of Acute Mountain Sickness and related illnesses.
It should take around 9 days of trekking to reach base camp and just 3 days to return to Lukla.
To get a better idea of the distances and day-by-day break down of the typical Everest Base Camp Trek we have posted a sample itinerary below:
- Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu where you will spend the night.
- Day 2: Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla, then walk to Phakding – 9 km (4 hours)
- Day 3: Trek from Phakding to Namchee Bazaar – 12 km (6 hours)
- Day 4: Acclimatization day. No walking except maybe a quick hike up to the Everest View Hotel.
- Day 5: Trek from Namchee Bazaar to Tengboche – 10 km (6 hours)
- Day 6: Hike from Tengboche to Dingboche – 12 km (6 hours)
- Day 7: Acclimatization day in Dingboche. Explore the area.
- Day 8: Trek from Dingboche to Lobuche – 12 km (7 hours)
- Day 9: Hike from Lobuche to Gorak Shep to EBC and back to Gorak Shep – 15 km (8 hours)
- Day 10: Hike from Gorak Shep up Kala Pathar and then to Pheriche – 13 km (7 hours)
- Day 11: Trek from Pheriche back to Namchee Bazaar – 14 km (8 hours)
- Day 12: Hike from Namchee Bazaar to the airstrip at Lukla – 15 km (8 hours)
- Day 13: Fly back to Kathmandu
- Day 14: Leave Kathmandu
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EBC Trek
Elevation
The most challenging element of the trek is probably elevation. Even at the start of the trek at Lukla airport you will be at an altitude of over 2,600m. As most people’s bodies are not used to these altitudes, the trek involves acclimatization days and the ascent to Everest Base Camp will occur at a much slower pace than the descent to allow for acclimatization and to ensure safety.
Typical elevation gains will be in the range of 400-800m each day. Days when the gain is large and the altitude is significantly high will usually be followed by an acclimatization day that doubles up as time for some sightseeing and exploration of the surrounding areas.
Here is an Everest Base Camp trek elevation and altitude profile for the standard trek.
The highest point on most Everest Base Camp Treks tends to be the Kala Patthar viewing point where you will be blessed with some of the best views of Everest and the nearby peaks. Kala Patthar stands at just over 5500m, but not too much time is spent at that altitude as the trek then descends back down to Pheriche and eventually back to Lukla Airport.
Hopefully these facts and figures have convinced you set out on your own trek to Everest Base Camp – if so, happy trekking!
Tags: Everest Base Camp Trek Distance, How long is the Everest Base Camp Trek? Length of the Everest Base Camp trek, Everest Base Camp trek altitude, Everest Base Camp Trek elevation
Really useful post to reflect the daily walking distance , gain elevation and length of track regarding EBC treks thanks for sharing
Hi Mark, just wondering if Island Peak (in November) is do-able for my son who will be 17 years old. We’re both pretty fit but we don’t have any climbing experience. I did EBC in 2014. Cheers.
Hi Anthony, thanks for getting in touch. It is possible to climb Island Peak in November. The hike to Island Peak usually includes a visit to EBC before to help with acclimatisation. The climb itself is a real challenge and not for the faint-hearted. I would highly recommend doing some winter mountaineering courses before embarking on the adventure. You will need to be comfortable using crampons, crossing a glacier with ladder crevasse sections and ascending a tough headwall with a fixed rope jumar. You can read more about Island Peak here: https://www.mountainiq.com/guides/trekking-in-nepal/routes/island-peak/
Thanks Mark, your info was very helpful = )
Thanks for info. It needs to write per day max hgt of destination
on the clair ridge oil platform we climb 17km per day.8.5 up and 8.5 down….how many times do we climb the equivolent of everest per week ?
Hi Donald, I’m not sure the answer to your question. I would estimate that on the average day on the EBC trek, you gain about 800-1500m in altitude and lose about 400-800m. The average elevation gain is about 400-800m per day. Hope this helps.
Hellow ! My name is Jaak, my friends name is Andras and we are from Estonia. We wish to make a little trek, max 10-11 days for max alt. 5500/5600m and to stay overnight 5000+ meters few nights. It mast be an acclimatization trek, because my friend are going to K2 summit expedition in july. My friend have gone earlier on Mount Everest summit .Could You please think about it and say, is it possible to organize trek like this between 08.05 – 21.05. We do not need a guide service and accomondation can be easy. Thanks in adavance, Jaak and Andras
Hi Jaak, we are not a tour oeprator so unfortunately we cannot help organise your trek. For a tour operator recommendation go here: https://ebctrekguide.com/go
Looking over the Everest Trek itinerary (which is similar to other organized Everest treks), it seems a little ambitious for the uninitiated. What I mean (and I’ve done the trek independently as well as extensive mountain climbing and backpacking in the Cdn. Rockies) is that while each day’s trek is reasonable, the day-after-day grind will wear down some people. I would recommend anyone attempting this pace first do some multi-day backpacking in the mountains to see how he or she reacts to what is a fairly relentless pace. A Stairmaster is a poor substitute. Also, people who’ve not trekked high up (above 12,000 feet) should know that altitude brings new challenges.
I love to try EBC from Lukla
please tell distance between first base camp to everest summit
Hi Murali, the distance from EBC on the south side (Nepal side) to the summit is approx. 20 kilometres. The altitude gain is nearly 3,300 meters though.
Thanks for all the information… Inshalah I will be there on the last August
Hi, I would like to do EBC on my own since having a porter or a guide with me all the time does not work for me. I am wondering how safe it is to hike alone for a female. I am also wondering if getting accommodation can be a problem if you dont book in advance. Finally, is the path well marked. Many thanks!
Hi, it is possible to trek solo and if you go during the high seasons (March-May or September-November) then there will be quite a few people on the trail. Getting accommodation each day should not be a problem but you might not get your pick of teahouses. Generally porters run ahead of trekkers to secure the best teahouses. The standard EBC path is not well marked but maps of the region are very detailed and easy to follow. All the best!
I am Ram and 40 year old i would like to know more about Everest trekking , i would like to do and what is the process
Hi Ram, I recommend browsing our site – it provides all the information you need. Start here: https://ebctrekguide.com/
Why is there so little time spent at EBC?
Hi Laurie, There are a few reasons why the time at EBC is limited. Firstly, trekkers cannot actually get all the way into the camp. The stop point is just before the camp, and there isn’t a huge amount to see. 10-20 minutes there is more than enough. Secondly, EBC is a good two hour hike from the last tea house at Gorak Shep. So to hike there and back means hanging around EBC is not recommended. Finally, the best views of Everest, the surrounding mountains and EBC is from Kala Pattar, which is right next to Gorak Shep and if you move fast can be hiked on the same day that you visit EBC. Hope this helps!
I’m planning to trek solo in December – January. I read is the low season, with probably a lot of snow. You consider this dangerous?
Which equipment would you consider?
Your info it’s very clear thank you very much!
Hi Mariano, yes, there is more snow in December. As long as you are trekking the standard route to EBC there is no additional danger. If you plan to cross some big passes, like those on the Gokyo route or Three Passes Trek, I would caution against that. Most passes will be closed in December anyway. In terms of gear, here is what you need: https://ebctrekguide.com/everest-base-camp-trek-packing-list
Thank you for sharing all this information in your blog . Very useful information, it opened my eyes to things i wasn’t aware about. Great way to start preparing for next years climb
Thanks Ebby!
Thanks for the info Mark, helps a lot. Planning to do the trek in December. Would appreciate any pointers to make it comfortable as I am told the Climate is extremely cold.
Hey Ismail, yes, December is pretty cold. Make sure to bring a four season sleeping bag and warm winter jacket / gloves / beanie etc. Layers will be important too, check out our packing list for advice: https://ebctrekguide.com/everest-base-camp-trek-packing-list
Hi, we are a family of 4 and interested in doing EBC in July 2019. Wanted to check what the minimum age is. My two sons are 12 and 10 years old and are physically fit. Thanks
Hi Jeet, there is no official minimum age for the EBC trek, although I wouldn’t take a child younger than 10. In terms of timings I would avoid July – this is the middle of the monsoon season and a terrible time to trek. The best time to go is either Feb-May or Sept-November. Hope this helps.
My other is a smoker and we would like to trek to EBC. Please give her some words of wisdom from your experience with smoking trekkers.
Hi William, words of wisdom… stop smoking. No in all seriousness, one can trek to EBC and smoke but I wouldn’t recommend it. If at all possible, I would encourage your ‘other’ to abstain from smoking, especially on the upper reaches of the trek.
Hello we are 3 friends and want to do EBC, want to know the formalities. Preferable date is 23rd march
We are planning to trekk to Everest base camp in next month . What is your advice for me
Hey, little mistakes on the altitude, Lukla is 2850m and the Kala Patthar is 5643m. 😉 btw I recommend to not hire any porter, that’s too easy with them and you won’t have the same satisfaction. I did it by myself without help and I was so proud to carry my bag in front of all this groups of tired people (but with no bags 😉 ) you’re going for a challenge or not ?
can you hire poter and guide at lukla.
how is the chance if you trek to phaking and try to get a tea house without prior booking
Yes it is possible to hire a guide / porter in Lukla. If you ask at one of the many teahouses they should be able to assist. In terms of teahouse availability, this varies by season and time you arrive. Ideally it is best to send a porter ahead early in the day to make a booking for you, but generally if you arrive at a reasonable time it is usually possible to find a free room in one of the teahouses.
Great informative stuff,
I’m
Planning on 4 old guys 60 +62 to EBC
In Nov 2020
Let you know how it goes