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During the Classic Everest Base Camp Trek you will follow the footsteps of legendary mountaineers, like Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa. Most people fly into Lukla and start their trek from there. But, if you start from Jiri, you will be much fitter and better acclimatized.
This Classic Everest Base Camp (EBC) Trek takes about 22 days. But, we can customize this itinerary to suit your preferences.
When you take the classic route to EBC, you trek a little longer than the (now) regular trek starting in Lukla. With the classic route, you will skip the flight to Lukla and drive to the lower place Jiri instead.
The part of the route that is skipped by many, is beautiful and definitely worth the extra days. Also, following the Jiri to EBC route supports your body in a proper acclimatization to higher altitude later this trek.
This classic trek to EBC is one of the most popular trekking routes in the world. Once you make it to Base Camp, you will suddenly be filled with a deep respect for the climbers. They have proved human determination and hardiness by making it to the summit.
Trekking for 3 weeks and being away from the modern world is an amazing experience. It is just a great way to “switch off”.
Of course! Actually, we encourage you to do so. Because that would make this EBC trek unique and truly YOURS!
Obviously, you don’t need to figure it all out by yourself. We are here for you. Do you want to speed up and make it more challenging? Or, take it easy and slow? Or, would you love to add a fun side trip, to Gokyo Lake? Just contact us, and let us know what you’d like to do.
We are looking forward to hearing from you.
– Govinda & Lilly
Welcome in Nepal! We will pick you up at the international airport in Kathmandu, and bring you to your hotel in the backpackers area of Thamel.
airport transfer – hotel
After a good night of sleep and hopefully beating the jetlag, we will meet again for a pre-trip meeting. You will be introduced to your mountain guide and we will discuss the itinerary. If you have any questions or requests, please let us know.
Note: please, make sure you bring your passport to the meeting, along with your travel insurance policy. Carry both the original policy and a copy for us. We wil also request you to clear the due balance, if any.
What’s next? You can use this day to adjust to the different timezone, altitude and climate. Also, you can prepare yourself for your trek and do some last shoppings at one of the many outdoor gear shops around your hotel.
breakfast – hotel
A difficult but scenic full-day public bus ride up the Sun-Khosi river valley to the town of Jiri, the trail-head of the Everest trek and our first camp. The ride will take about 8 hours.
breakfast – bus – dinner – mountain lodge
Today marks the beginning of our trek! We begin the trek with a climb to the ridge-top (2,400 m) after which the trail drops down to Shivalaya (1,800 m). After reaching Shivalaya, we make another climb to Sangbadanda (2,150 m), Kosaribas (2,500 m), then to Bhanjyang, a pass at Bhandar (2,200 m). We can possibly take a detour between Sangbadanda and Bhandar to visit Thodung (3,090 m).
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
The trail drops down to the Likhu Khola and crosses the river (1,580 m), and onto Kenja. Now we make the long climb to Lamjura hill. The first part of the climb is quite steep, whence it traverses to Sete, and an abandoned stupa (2,575 m). We continue through the villages inhabited by Sherpas and have both Nepali and Sherpa names.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
The day begins with a long but gradual climb to the Lamjura pass (3,530 m). In winter, we will be rewarded with frost and often snow along the trail. Or, in spring with blooming rhododendrons.
The pass is the highest point between Jiri and Namche Bazaar. We will have a good lunch stop here. From the top, we descend to Tragdobuk (2,860 m), then to the pretty Sherpa village of Junbesi (2,675 m).
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
We climb to a ridge (3,080 m) from where Everest slowly begins to appear before your eyes. From Junbesi the trail leads to the hospital and the airstrip at Phaplu, as well as the district headquarter and a small market at Salleri.
Leaving Salung, we make our way descending to the Ringmo Khola (2,650 m) followed by a small climb to Ringmo. We can see an apple orchard at this spot. The Apple House offers apple juice, pie and rakshi (rice spirit). The trail from Ringmo to Namche Bazaar was built in the 1,980’s and avoids many of the steep descents and ascents of the older route. Then, we reach Trakshindo pass (3,071 m), whereafter the trail drops down pass the monastery of the same name, on to Nunthala (2,220 m/7,283 ft).
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
The trail continues descending to the Dudh Khosi river where the trail then climbs through several Sherpa villages, terraced fields and forests to Khari Khola (2,020 m/6,627 ft).
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
We begin the day with a climb towards Puiyan through Sherpa villages and woods, passing through a narrow canyon before arriving at Puiyan (2,700 m/8,858 ft).
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
We continue the climb from Puiyan to a ridge at (2,800 m) before a gradual ascend to the final ridge, where we climb down to Surke following the trail towards Phakding (2,610 m/8,560 ft).
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
We continue trekking along the banks of the Dudh Khosi, crossing this majestic river many times on exciting suspension bridges laden with prayer flags. After entering the Sagamartha National Park, the trail climbs steeply with breathtaking views.
Namche Bazaar, known as the Gateway to Everest, is home to many quality restaurants, hotels, lodges, shops, money exchange, Internet cafes and a bakery. Namche is the largest village (3,440 m/11,290 ft) along the entire Everest trail.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
We will spend the day in Namche Bazaar, in order to acclimatize and adjust to the thinning air.
We can trek a short distance to a museum that is celebrated for its exhibits of the traditional customs of the Sherpa people.
Or, we hike up the Syangboche Airport, near the Everest View Hotel. From this point, we can get rewarding views of the Himalayas with a stunning sunrise and sunset over the panorama of Khumbu peaks.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
The trail climbs steeply out of valley through rhododendron forest, juniper and large conifers start to appear as the elevation increases making the trekking very pristine in springtime. The trail passes through Yak Kharkas and summer settlements. The views of Khumbi La and Tawache are magnificent throughout the day.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
We climb a ridge for an excellent view both down the valley to Kengtega and up towards Cho Oyu and descend to a river and again climbs steep to the terminal moraine of the Ngozumpa glacier. We will reach Machhermo by early noon.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
The trek today takes us at one of our main destinations, Gokyo (4,750 m). We will make this camp our base for 2 nights as we will have couple of sightseeing and hiking trips around Gokyo.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Early morning, we go for a steep climb up to the top of Gokyo Ri (5,360 m/17,575 ft). Here, you can get stunning views of the Gokyo Valley, the massive Ngozumpa Glacier and an incredible panoramic view of the entire Khumbu Himalayas, including the giants Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu and Gychung Kang. This day is mainly for acclimatization.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
We trek to the foot of the Cho La pass (5,420 m/17,782 ft m) for our overnight stay. The accommodation in Tagnag is very basic and you probably need to share a room with other trekkers.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
We start before sunrise at 4 or 5 A.M. to reach the pass by 9-10 A.M. to dodge bad weather conditions of the noontime. We will cross over at an altitude of 5,420 m (17,782 ft) where we could be exposed to strong winds if we crossing too late. We will start to climb steeply that is regularly used and easy to follow. However, problems may arise due to the altitude and snow.
As you reach the top, you are rewarded by the magnificent views, then we descend to the Dzongla at noon. Same as in Tagnag, the accommodation is very basic and you probably need to share a room with other trekkers.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
A rather easier and shorter trekking route will take us to Lobuche (4,940 m/16,210 ft), in about 4 hours of trekking.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Today will be a difficult day, as we walk along the Khumbu Glacier and up to Everest Base Camp (5,364 m/17,598 ft). This is the closest you can get to Mount Everest without mountaineering equipment. There will likely be a team there about to attempt the summit. The view of the Khumbu Icefall from Base Camp is spectacular. Then, we trek to Gorak Shep, a tiny hamlet.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
This will be one of the most difficult yet rewarding days of the trek. Most of the morning will be spent climbing Kala Patthar (5,545 m/18,519 ft), a small peak by the Himalayan standards.
The ascent is demanding but you can get the most magnificent mountain panorama: Everest (8,848 m/29,031 ft), the highest point on the planet, towers directly ahead and on all sides loom the other giants, Nuptse, Pumori, Chagatse, Lhotse and countless others.
We make a quick descent to Gorak Shep (5,164 m/16,942 ft) and then trek down to Periche (4,371 m/14,340 ft).
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
From Periche, we take a slightly different route down to Orsho then to Pangboche Village. Here is the oldest monastery in the region which contains what is said to be the scalp and bones of a Yeti, or abominable snowman.
Leaving mountains behind us, our descent takes us through the Tengboche Monastery (3,867 m/12,687 ft) before continuing back to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m/11,290 ft). We arrive back to Namche Bazaar in the afternoon.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Finally, we return to Lukla, that has a small airstrip. We’ll spend some time enjoying and reflecting on the trek as a group and the personal achievement of all those who took part. We can also have some time to explore this town.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Enjoying your last glimpse of the mountains you have recently visited for one last time on the scenic flight back to Kathmandu. Once we are back in Kathmandu, we we will bring you back to the hotel.
breakfast – domestic flight – airport transfer – hotel
If it’s the final day of your holiday in Nepal, we will bring you back to the international airport. Goodbye friends! We hope that we will meet each other again in the future.
breakfast – airport transfer
Together, we set a goal and we'll do everything we can to make it happen!
Govinda & Lilly tailor these sample trips to your preferences and budget.
With memories that last a lifetime!
Our guests give us 5-star ratings on Tripadvisor.
Merel L07/04/2024Best organisation to book your hike We loved our 4-day trip to the Muldai Viewpoint and Poonhill! By Mountain People suggested to do the Muldai Viewpoint combined with Poonhill in 4 days. The hike to Muldai was a climb but doable for everyone with basic condition. We walked to the Muldai top practically on our own with amazing viewpoints during the hike. From the Poonhill viewpoint there were lots of other tourist but also a little bit more comfort so we loved the combination. Especially our guide Pratap made the trip unforgetable. He knows everything about the nature, birds and animals. By Mountain People helped us with the preparation and fixed everything for us. Permits, food, overnight homestays etc. Would recomment to everyone. Was the best four days of our trip to Nepal
Angela M17/03/2024Crafting Memories with By Mountain People in Annapurna When we decided to go to Nepal for our holidays, we knew we wanted to do a trekking in the Annapurna region, but we didnt know from where to start. That's when we met Govinda, who helped us with everything related to our trip, providing a personalised proposal for the 4 days we had, giving us all the information needed, and being a reliable and helpful point of contact during our whole journey before, during and after our trek. In the end we went for the Mulde peak trek, a less crowded route that exceded all expectations. Our guide Ganesh, was the best guide we could have wished for, always with a smile he knew every little secret of the Annapurna range, explaning not only the different routes, but also about the plants & animals present in the area, and about Nepal and its traditions. He was very caring and he made our experience unforgettable. We can only recommend to do a trekking with By Mountain People, they know what they are doing, accomodation and food was included in the total price and we didn't have to worry about anything. Having a guide in the Annapurnas is really an added value, and we can't wait to be back with a little extra time to do the Annapurna circuit next time. If you're looking to get most out of your experience in the Himalayas, and for a personalised and personal approach, then By Mountain People is the right party to team up with.
Jess M07/03/2024Keep your head in the clouds but your feet on the trail. The hard miles brought big smiles on this trip with By Mountain People. They were flexible, positive, and really just a joy to be with. Made for a fun and easy trip. I continue to recommend By Mountain People to both friends and family if they have a thought of doing a trek in Nepal. Many Thank You Guys!
Sean G18/02/2024Great people for a great adventure! I can't say enough about how well everything was orchestrated. Our guide and porter were wonderful and very friendly. Nepal is a beautiful country with very friendly people. It's been a few months now and I still think of the trekking almost daily. If I ever have another opportunity to hike in Nepal, I would be blessed! Thank you Govinda!
Anouk K10/12/2023Jiri - Everest Base Camp My friend and I booked a 20+ day trek with Lily & Govinda from mid-nov to begin-dec. We loved their personal approach in arranging the trip, from preparations and choosing which trek to go for, to regular check-ins during and a great feedback/debrief session afterwards! We started from Jiri instead of the popular way of flying to Lukla. That was a great experience and an absolute recommend to start lower if you have time!
eliza b19/11/2023Magnificent slow trek and bird watching to Khopra Danda! Magnificent trek!! In October 2023 the two of us did this beautiful trek organized by BMP. It all started 6 months earlier, when I was looking for a company that would put people first in organizing treks in Nepal. What a nice coincidence when I learned that Govinda, a former language student of mine, happened to be the owner of By Mountain People, an organization that had customized and small scale treks as its core business! We had very nice and informative preparative talks about our wishes. Being almost 70 years of age, we wanted to have sufficient possibilities to adapt our journey on the way, in case the altitude would cause problems. Also we wanted to visit places off the beaten track and see something of village life on the way. Govinda suggested the Khopra Danda trek with some extra days so we could shorten the daily walking distance. This was a very good advice and he organized it very well! We met Govinda again in Kathmandu before we started out. He introduced us to our guide Pratap Gurung. Pratap was really a very excellent guide!! His knowledge of the natural surroundings and especially of the birds were truly amazing!! He was very attentive to our wellbeing and patiently answered our many questions. He taught us so much about the different species and habitats of all the birds he would point out to us. His experience made that we always felt safe and well looked after. Also we learnt that Govinda stayed regularly in contact to ensure that everything went well. Following our 2 weeks of trekking, BMP also organized an extra 4 days visit to Chitwan National Park. Here we stayed in the nice Safari Club hotel. Her also we were very happy with our guide Yadav Duwadi He is a nice and calm guide with a lot of knowledge and very attentive. We absolutely recommend this “slow trekking” by BMP! Specially for senior travellers such as us, but also for everybody who wants to fully enjoy the beauty of the Himalayas. A guide such as Pratap Gurung was perfectly suited for this type of trekking. Thank you BMP!! Thijl and Linda
Gira_sv12/09/2023Tilicho Lake and Annapurna Circuit I went on a 19-day trek on the Annapurna Circuit. I had great communication with Lily and Govinda before arriving in Nepal and throughout my trip. They shared with me all the information that I needed. Ganesh, and a porter, Nima. Both of them were incredibly kind. They literally held my hand through the toughest parts of the trek and we also had lots of fun playing cards, sharing anecdotes and trying to learn each other’s languages. The Annapurna circuit itself is incredibly beautiful and diverse. Since I arrived at the end if the monsoon season there were still some rains and landslides which made the days at lower altitudes a little tricky but once we started to ascend the weather changed and we had wonderful views of the mountains on this range and visited several Tibetan towns and Gompas. Overall, I had a great experience with them I would take a trip again with them in a heartbeat. Thanks, Ganesh, Nima, Lily, and Govinda!
Explore5828402007330/07/2023Small but super professional trekking company! Wish we could go back already! Govinda and Lilly just went above and beyond for my friend and I!! Shortly before arriving in Nepal, I started experiencing knee pain. I got so worried about the trek, but they changed our itinerary without any fuss whatsoever. They got us the most caring and knowledgeable trekking guide Ganesh. And they checked in with me frequently during the trek, to check if I was doing ok and enjoying. After the trek they even organized a very nice jungle safari to Chitwan NP for us. Their great tips and flexible attitude before and during our trip made it a HUGE succes!! Govinda and Lily thank you so much for your patience and helpful advice. I will be back for sure!Jonatan D27/02/2020Otrolig resa i Nepal Vi hade en jättebra resa i Nepal! Govinda på By Mountain People var superhjälpsam med att tillgodese våra önskemål och att skräddarsy en resplan som passade oss perfekt. Han såg till att vi fick med alla våra önskemål. Vi hann med vandring i de fantastiska bergen samt en otrolig dag med fågelsådning strax utanför Kathmandu. Jag kan verkligen rekommendera By Mountain People om du vill ha en unik upplevelse!
Gabriel G22/02/2020Father and son Nepal trek By mountain people organised an incredible trip through Gokyo Lake and EBC. Everything ran smoothly, they took care of all the little details and genuinely care about you and your experience throughout. Handled everything with a smile and extreme professionalism - can not recommend them enough! Our amazing guide Ganesh is the reason we can look back on the trek successfully, he helped us at every step and is an all round great guy - be sure to ask for Ganesh he will make your trip unforgettable I cannot wait to book again:)
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