Everest Base Camp Trek: 15-Day Self-Launched Version

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and make your own way to Thamel — prepaid airport taxi is around £4-6, or grab an inDrive/Pathao ride. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in Thamel, buy a local SIM (Ncell or NTC, ~£3-5 for data), change money (exchange rates are better in Thamel than at the airport), and pick up any last gear. Evening: wander the backpacker strip, eat dal bhat, and confirm your Lukla flight.

🚌Airport taxi ~£4-6

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Thamel (~£8-12)

• →Thamel orientation walk
• →Buy Ncell/NTC SIM card
• →Gear check and last-minute shopping (down jacket, poles, crampons can be rented in Thamel for ~£1-2/day)

Do the same four sites the tour covers, but on your own timetable. Start early at Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple), then take a taxi or local bus to Pashupatinath and Bouddhanath (they're close together in the east of the city), finishing at Kathmandu Durbar Square. Entry fees total roughly £12-15. A licensed city guide for a half day costs ~£18-25 if you want context; otherwise audio guides and signage are decent.

🚌Taxis between sites ~£6-8 total, or local bus ~£0.50 per ride

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Thamel (~£8-12)

• →Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple)
• →Pashupatinath Temple
• →Bouddhanath Stupa
• →Kathmandu Durbar Square

Book the early Lukla flight yourself (Summit Air/Tara Air/Sita Air, roughly £130-170 one way; book weeks ahead, and carry cash for a buffer in case of weather delays). Luggage limit is 10kg checked plus 5kg hand. From Tenzing-Hillary Airport walk north through Chaurikhang, Kani, Kyangma, Cheplung and Ghat village down to the Dudh Koshi river and on to Phakding. About 3-4 hours, gentle and mostly downhill.

🚌Domestic flight Kathmandu-Lukla ~£130-170

🛏Teahouse in Phakding (~£3-5 twin share, plus meals ~£8-10)

• →Scenic mountain flight to Lukla
• →Trek Lukla to Phakding via Cheplung and the Dudh Koshi

Cross the long suspension bridges above the Dudh Kosi through Tok-Tok, Benkar and Monjo. At Monjo you enter Sagarmatha National Park — buy the park permit at the checkpost (~£25 / NPR 3,000) and the Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality fee (~£16 / NPR 2,000), both payable in cash in NPR. Then the big climb: the high suspension bridge at Larja Dobhan and the long staircase up to Namche Bazaar (3,440m). About 6-7 hours. Namche has ATMs, gear shops and bakeries.

🚌On foot (~7-8 hrs)

🛏Teahouse in Namche Bazaar (~£4-7, meals ~£10-14)

• →Sagarmatha National Park permit purchase at Monjo
• →Suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi
• →Climb to Namche Bazaar

Free day to acclimatise — do not skip it. Walk up to the Sagarmatha National Park Tourist Visitor Centre above town (museum, Everest models, great views on a clear day), then either climb to the Everest View Hotel for your first proper look at Everest and Ama Dablam, or take the trail to Khunde/Thame. Saturday is market day in Namche. If you want a guide or porter for the rest of the trek, Namche is the place to hire one (guide ~£20-25/day, porter ~£15-18/day, often shared between two trekkers).

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Namche Bazaar (~£4-7, meals ~£10-14)

• →Everest View Hotel viewpoint walk
• →Sagarmatha National Park Visitor Centre
• →Optional Khunde or Thame side trip
• →Namche weekly market (Saturdays)

Cliffside trail above the Dudh Kosi with superb views of Ama Dablam, then a descent to Phunki Tenga for lunch before the switchback climb through rhododendron forest to Tengboche (3,860m). Visit Tengboche Monastery — the largest in Khumbu — and catch the late-afternoon puja if the timing works. About 5 hours.

🚌On foot (~5 hrs)

🛏Teahouse in Tengboche (~£4-7, meals ~£10-14)

• →Trail from Namche to Tengboche
• →Tengboche Monastery and evening prayer service

Follow the river through Deboche, cross to Pangboche, then continue via Somare, Orsho and Pheriche across the open valley floor to Dingboche (4,410m). Relatively gentle elevation but the altitude starts to bite — walk slowly, drink water. About 5 hours.

🚌On foot (~5 hrs)

🛏Teahouse in Dingboche (~£4-7, meals ~£11-15)

• →Trek via Pangboche, Somare, Orsho and Pheriche
• →Afternoon rest and hydration at Dingboche

Second acclimatisation day. Hike up to Nangkartshang Gompa (4,730m) for views of Makalu and Ama Dablam, or push on to the ridge at 5,090m if you're feeling strong — then descend back to Dingboche. Strictly a climb-high-sleep-low day. Afternoon: rest, read, drink tea.

🚌On foot

🛏Teahouse in Dingboche (~£4-7, meals ~£11-15)

• →Nangkartshang Gompa hike
• →Optional Nangkartshang summit ridge (5,090m)
• →Makalu and Ama Dablam viewpoints

Climb past the yak pastures to Dughla, then up the steep moraine ridge past the Chupki Lhara memorial cairns (a moving, sobering place) along the edge of the Khumbu Glacier to Lobuche (4,940m). Short but tough — around 4-5 hours. Sleep low, expect a cold night.

🚌On foot (~4-5 hrs)

🛏Teahouse in Lobuche (~£5-8, meals ~£12-16)

• →Dughla climb
• →Chupki Lhara memorial cairns
• →Khumbu Glacier moraine views of Pumori and Lingtren

The big day. Trek over rocky glacial terrain to Gorak Shep (5,164m), drop bags at the teahouse, then continue across the Khumbu Glacier to Everest Base Camp (5,364m) — the spot with the prayer flags, the icefall views and the mountaineers' memorial. Back to Gorak Shep for the night (sleeping lower than base camp is deliberate). About 7-8 hours total; the final section is slow going at this altitude.

🚌On foot (~7-8 hrs)

🛏Teahouse in Gorak Shep (~£6-9, meals ~£13-18)

• →Gorak Shep Lake
• →Everest Base Camp (5,364m)
• →Khumbu Icefall and Nuptse views

Alarm at 4am for the 2-hour pre-dawn climb to Kala Patthar (5,545m) — the best sunrise view of Everest anywhere on the trail. Back down to Gorak Shep for breakfast, then a long descent past Lobuche to Pheriche and on to Pangboche (3,930m). Roughly 8-9 hours of walking; the altitude drop feels fantastic.

🚌On foot (~8-9 hrs)

🛏Teahouse in Pangboche (~£4-7, meals ~£10-14)

• →Pre-dawn ascent of Kala Patthar (5,545m)
• →Sunrise over Everest, Nuptse and Changtse
• →Long descent via Lobuche and Pheriche

Retrace the valley via Tengboche (optional monastery stop), down to Phunki Tenga, then the climb to Sansa and the contour trail back into Namche Bazaar. About 6 hours. First proper bakery coffee and hot shower in days.

🚌On foot (~6 hrs)

🛏Teahouse or guesthouse in Namche (~£4-7, meals ~£10-14)

• →Trek via Tengboche and Sansa
• →Optional Tengboche Monastery visit
• →Bakery stop in Namche

The last long walking day: down the Namche staircase, over the suspension bridges and back through Monjo, Benkar and Phakding to Lukla. About 7 hours. Celebratory dal bhat and a cold beer at a Lukla lodge — and confirm your return flight for tomorrow, remembering weather can delay things.

🚌On foot (~7 hrs)

🛏Lodge in Lukla (~£4-7, meals ~£10-14)

• →Descent via Monjo and Phakding
• →Celebratory evening in Lukla

Morning flight back to Kathmandu (~£130-170, booked alongside your outbound ticket). Check into a Thamel guesthouse, shower properly, and spend the afternoon shopping for souvenirs and eating in Thamel's cafés and bars. A well-earned night out.

🚌Domestic flight Lukla-Kathmandu ~£130-170; taxi from airport ~£4-6

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Thamel (~£8-12)

• →Scenic flight Lukla-Kathmandu
• →Thamel souvenir shopping
• →Cafés and bars in the evening

Breakfast, final packing check, and a taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport. If you have a late flight, drop your bag at the guesthouse and squeeze in one more Thamel breakfast. Costs cover the airport transfer only.

🚌Taxi to airport ~£4-6

🛏N/A

• →Airport transfer