Everest Base Camp Self-Launched Trek

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a prepaid taxi or your hotel's pick-up to Thamel (~£4–5, or free if arranged by the guesthouse). Check into a budget hotel in Thamel. Spend the afternoon sorting logistics: buy your TIMS card at the Nepal Tourism Board office (Exhibition Road, ~£8), get your Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit (also ~£8, sometimes arranged in Lukla/Monjo), and rent or buy a down jacket, sleeping bag and trekking poles from the many shops in Thamel (~£5–8 total for a full rental set for the trek). Load a Nepali eSIM or buy a SIM card (~£3). Cash is king above Namche — withdraw rupees in Kathmandu before flying.

🚌Prepaid airport taxi to Thamel (~£4–5)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Thamel (~£10–15/night, twin share)

• →Collect TIMS card at Nepal Tourism Board office
• →Arrange Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit
• →Rent down jacket, sleeping bag and trekking poles in Thamel
• →Buy a Nepali SIM/eSIM for data

Take the early morning 30-minute scenic flight from Kathmandu (or Manthali/Ramechhap in peak season) to Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla. Book direct with Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines or Tara Air (single ~£110–160, check for weather-delay contingency). From Lukla, trek north along the Dudh Koshi River to Phakding — an easy 3–4 hours of gentle descending trail through Chaurikharka and Ghat. Stay in a teahouse; note that lodges expect you to eat dinner and breakfast with them in exchange for low room rates.

🚌Kathmandu–Lukla domestic flight (~£110–160 one way)

🛏Teahouse in Phakding (~£3–5/night, shared)

• →Scenic mountain flight to Lukla
• →Trek Lukla to Phakding (~3–4 hrs)
• →Dudh Koshi riverside walk

A longer but rewarding day: cross the famous high suspension bridges, pass Monjo where you formally enter Sagarmatha National Park (permit checked here, ~£24 park fee if not already bundled), then climb the steep switchbacks to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m). It's ~6–7 hours. Stop at the park headquarters visitor centre en route for your first good Everest views if the sky is clear. Namche is the trek's biggest hub — banks/ATMs, bakeries, gear shops and the best lodges on the route.

🚌On foot (~6–7 hrs trekking)

🛏Teahouse/lodge in Namche Bazaar (~£5–10/night)

• →Cross the Hillary suspension bridge network
• →Sagarmatha National Park permit check at Monjo
• →Climb to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m)

Rest day at 3,440 m to aid acclimatisation. Do an active acclimatisation hike rather than lying in bed: ascend to the Everest View Hotel (3,880 m) for a panorama of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam, or walk to the villages of Khunde and Khumjung, where you can visit Khumjung Monastery (alleged yeti scalp) and the Hillary school. Alternatively, drop into the Sagarmatha National Park headquarters visitor centre and museum. Namche's Saturday weekly market is also worth timing a visit around. Drink plenty of water, eat well, and watch for AMS symptoms.

🚌On foot (day hikes)

🛏Teahouse/lodge in Namche Bazaar (~£5–10/night)

• →Acclimatisation hike to Everest View Hotel
• →Visit Khumjung Monastery and Hillary School
• →Sagarmatha National Park visitor centre and museum
• →Optional Namche weekly market

Trek ~5–6 hours out of the Namche bowl, traversing high above the Dudh Koshi with classic Everest and Ama Dablam views, descending to Phunki Tenga for lunch before the long climb up through rhododendron forest to Tengboche (3,860 m). Tengboche is home to the largest monastery in Khumbu. Time your arrival for the afternoon puja (prayer ceremony) at Tengboche Monastery — visitors are welcome, though a small donation is appreciated. It can be cold and windy up here, so layer up.

🚌On foot (~5–6 hrs trekking)

🛏Teahouse in Tengboche (~£5–8/night)

• →Trek Namche to Tengboche (~5–6 hrs)
• →Attend afternoon puja at Tengboche Monastery
• →Sunset views of Ama Dablam

A ~5-hour trek above the treeline into the Imja Valley. Descend to Deboche and the nunnery, cross the bridge at Pangboche, then climb gently past Pangboche Monastery (one of the oldest in Khumbu) and Somare to Dingboche (4,410 m). Dingboche sits among stone-walled barley fields and is noticeably colder and more exposed, with fewer facilities. Network coverage is patchy — top up any paid Wi-Fi credits here if needed.

🚌On foot (~5 hrs trekking)

🛏Teahouse in Dingboche (~£5–8/night)

• →Trek Tengboche to Dingboche (~5 hrs)
• →Pass Pangboche Monastery
• →Enter high alpine Imja Valley

A second acclimatisation day at altitude around 4,410 m. A popular and highly effective option is the hike to Nangkartshang Peak (5,083 m) or up to the Chupki Lhara area/memorial ridge for sweeping views over the Khumbu Glacier, Makalu, Island Peak and the Imja Tse valley. Keep it a moderate 3–4 hour walk and descend to sleep low in Dingboche. If you feel any AMS symptoms, this is the day to reassess with your diamox/oxygen plan or descend.

🚌On foot (day hike)

🛏Teahouse in Dingboche (~£5–8/night)

• →Acclimatisation hike to Nangkartshang/Chupki Lhara ridge
• →Views of Khumbu Glacier and Makalu
• →AMS self-check and rest

Trek ~5 hours up the wide valley to Dughla, then ascend the steep Thukla Pass (4,830 m) marked by the moving climbers' memorial chortens, including the Scott Fischer and Rob Hall memorials. Continue along the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier to Lobuche (4,940 m). This is high, cold and often windy — pace yourself, stay hydrated, and expect thin sleep at this altitude. This day is the original tour's 'Dingboche to Everest Base Camp Area' split into the standard, safer staging.

🚌On foot (~5 hrs trekking)

🛏Teahouse in Lobuche (~£6–10/night)

• →Trek Dingboche to Lobuche (~5 hrs)
• →Thukla Pass climbers' memorial chortens
• →Khumbu Glacier moraine views

The big day. Trek 3 hours over glacial rubble to Gorak Shep (5,164 m), the last settlement, drop your bag, then push on to Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) itself — a further 2–3 hours each way across the crumbling Khumbu Glacier. From the EBC marker and the viewpoint area you'll see the Khumbu Icefall and, in spring, the climbers' tent city. Visit the memorial to Indian and other mountaineers near base camp. Return to sleep at Gorak Shep. Check AMS carefully — descending below 5,000 m overnight helps.

🚌On foot (~6–7 hrs trekking total)

🛏Teahouse at Gorak Shep (~£8–12/night)

• →Trek to Gorak Shep (~3 hrs)
• →Trek to Everest Base Camp (5,364 m)
• →Visit the mountaineers' memorial
• →Khumbu Glacier and Icefall views

Get up before dawn and climb Kala Patthar (5,555 m) — about 1.5–2 hours up in the dark — for the classic sunrise panorama of Everest, Nuptse and Pumori. It's the highest point of the trek and the best Everest viewpoint. Descend back to Gorak Shep for breakfast, then retrace your steps down past Lobuche and Thukla to Pheriche (4,371 m) for the night. The drop in altitude gives welcome relief and better sleep.

🚌On foot (~7–8 hrs trekking)

🛏Teahouse in Pheriche (~£5–8/night)

• →Sunrise summit of Kala Patthar (5,555 m)
• →Best Everest/Nuptse panorama
• →Descend via Lobuche to Pheriche

A long but satisfying descent day — roughly 7–8 hours retracing the trail down the Imja and Dudh Koshi valleys via Tengboche and Phunki Tenga back to Namche Bazaar. Oxygen returns and the walk feels easy after the high passes. Reward yourself with a Namche bakery coffee or a hot shower (patchy and usually paid for by the bucket, ~£2–3). If you want to break the day up, Tengboche is a good lunch stop.

🚌On foot (~7–8 hrs trekking)

🛏Teahouse/lodge in Namche Bazaar (~£5–10/night)

• →Trek Pheriche to Namche (~7–8 hrs)
• →Pass Tengboche monastery again
• →Riverside descent through the Dudh Koshi valley

The final trekking day: descend ~5–6 hours from Namche, down the switchbacks, across the suspension bridges and back through Monjo, Phakding and Ghat to Lukla. Savour the last mountain views on the way down. In Lukla, celebrate with your final teahouse meal and explore the village before an early night ahead of the morning flight. If you're building in contingency for flight delays, this is the point where a spare day or two in Lukla or Kathmandu becomes valuable.

🚌On foot (~5–6 hrs trekking)

🛏Teahouse/guesthouse in Lukla (~£5–10/night)

• →Trek Namche to Lukla (~5–6 hrs)
• →Final Everest-region views
• →Explore Lukla village

Take the early morning flight from Lukla back to Kathmandu (book the first departure — weather cancellations build through the day; keep at least one buffer day in your plans). On arrival, transfer to Thamel for last-minute souvenir shopping (pashminas, prayer flags, trekking gear) before your onward international flight. If your flight home is the same day, leave a generous gap given Lukla's notorious weather delays.

🚌Lukla–Kathmandu flight (~£110–160) plus airport transfer (~£4–5)

🛏Optional final night in a Thamel guesthouse (~£10–15) if needed before departing

• →Scenic flight Lukla to Kathmandu
• →Souvenir shopping in Thamel
• →Onward international departure