Mount Everest Base Camp Trek –
Frequently Asked Questions
In March 2024, I conquered the trek to Mount Everest Base Camp. It was spectacular. My days were full of pristine white snow, endless parades of fluffy yaks and jaw-dropping mountain scenery.
There is nowhere like the Himalayas anywhere else in the world.
And I feel so fortunate to not only have reached Mount Everest base camp but also to have shared it with such amazing people and to have had such perfect weather for the duration of our trek.
You can also watch the highlight of my trip on TikTok here:
1. Did you hike it solo or with a guide/group?
You can do the trek to Everest Base Camp solo and book all your own tea houses, meals etc. However we chose to go with a super highly rated local company, Green Valley Treks Nepal. And we were VERY glad we did.
For a very affordable rate, everything was booked for us, including our flights to Lukla airport for the start of the trek.
Our tour price price included an English speaking guide, 3 hot meals a day + drinks, all accommodation, museum visits and so much more!
We got exceptionally lucky with not only the weather but also with our guide, Bishwa. He was phenomenal. So knowledgeable and professional but still a ton of fun!
Some hikers will chose do the trip solo and book all their own tea houses but this can be tricky especially in peak season as places sell out!
I’ll be hosting a trip in February 2025 in collaboration with Green Valley and Bishwa,
stay tuned if you’re interested in joining!
Along the trail, we met other travelers from other companies who had non-English speaking guides and overall, a less positive experience as communication was difficult.
2. Did you need a visa to enter Nepal? And how did you get yours?
Yes, you will need a visa to enter Nepal. However I highly suggest you get it on arrival in the airport in Kathmandu. It was so fast and easy.
When we got off the plane, we walked toward baggage claim and there were several very modern kiosks with friendly workers to assist you on the quick questionnaire. We then paid $50 for our 30 day visa.
Online we read they only took cash but at the airport they had signs saying they would take Visa or MasterCard as well.
Overall, the visa on arrival was super fast and easy!
3. How does it compare to other high altitude treks like Mount Kilimanjaro?
After reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro twice, Inca Trail four times and Acatanengo, I think Everest Base Camp may have been the easiest of all.
It’s also very historically and culturally interesting. There are many villages and Buddhist temples along the way.
Don’t get me wrong, it was still difficult with some long days of trekking. But the convenience of staying in villages with pharmacies, restaurants and shops made it super convenient. Whereas when you hike Kilimanjaro, you’re on the mountain in a tent with no access to anything if you forget or need something.
Read: MOUNT KILIMANJARO -TIPS FOR CLIMBING THE ROOFTOP OF AFRICA
With EBC, you can go to an Irish pub, visit a bakery, shop for souvenirs or get a massage along the trek, it’s insane ha! The villages are really endearing and make for some unforgettable travel moments.
EBC is higher altitude than the other mentioned treks so there is a greater risk of altitude sickness but if you hike slow, take Diamox and drink a lot water, it’s totally doable! We were fine but there were trekkers who were too exhausted or sick and turned back.
But the views are phenomenal and the price is cheaper than a lot of other high altitude treks.
However, it does take twice as long.
We booked a 14 day trip which included one day in Kathmandu at the start and end of the trip. So it was a total of 12 days on the trail!
4. Did you take Diamox or other high altitude medication?
Yes, we took generic brand altitude medicine that we bought in Kathmandu for a fraction of what it would cost in the USA.
You can easily get altitude pills over the counter in Nepal, you do not need a prescription.
We found that most Nepali guides didn’t push their trekkers to take altitude medicine but every single other high altitude trek I’ve done has highly encouraged (nearly required!) it so I would advise you to do the same. We took the pills and did not get any serious altitude symptoms. Other people who didn’t take the pills got sick and had to take a helicopter back before finishing their trek.
The pills are so inexpensive, they have almost no side effects and can literally save your life if you had a serious altitude reaction. So to me, it’s a no brainer. Just take the pills!
Diamox will make your fingers and toes tingle, that’s totally normal. And because the pills make you lose excessive fluid, you’ll have to pee more often.
Because of this, I recommend you take the Diamox first thing in the morning. If you wait to take it at night, you’ll be getting up to pee frequently in a cold tea house and you’ll really need a good nights sleep for a big trek like this!
5. What hiking gear did you use or recommend?
Kathmandu is outdoor gear shopping paradise!! You can find literally ever single thing you need for the trek at a fraction of the cost you would buy it in other countries.
This is not the case with other high altitude treks like Mount Kilimanjaro where rental gear is super sparse in Tanzania and there are almost no gear shops.
The only thing we brought from home was our own duffel bags, hiking boots, socks and thermals.
In Kathmandu we bought down puffer jackets, knock off North Face summit jackets, yak wool scarves, yak wool mittens, buffs, waterproof hiking pants and more. We got sooo much amazing outdoor gear. It all had designer logos but definitely knock off. However we found the quality to be excellent and I look forward to using the gear we bought on future treks and trips.
For two people, we spent under $400 which is less than what one North Face Summit jacket costs.
For hiking boots, I used my favorite pair of Salomons that have lasted me for years. I’ve worn them on multiple big treks and they have held up SO well. They provide a lot of traction, comfort and support. You can shop them here. They aren’t the cheapest hiking boot I’ve ever owned but they are definitely the best.
I always wear darn tough socks but also bought some warmer winter socks in Kathmandu for the higher altitude days.
For base layers, ideally you’ll want merino wool. I had two sets and would alternate hiking and sleeping in them. One pair I got from Amazon as they were more affordable (although merino wool is expensive in general).
And the second set I got several years ago from Icebreaker. They weren’t cheap but they’ve held up really nicely and I wear them on every trek or winter trip I do. And they still look brand new! The quality of Icebreaker is really top notch. Whereas the Amazon ones were really cute and a lot cheaper but pilled rather quickly.
You can shop a lot of the exact gear I use on my Amazon store front under “Backpacking Gear”!
6. How cold was it?
Everyone talks about how cold the trek can be and yes, the tea houses are cold at night. They are not heated and some will literally have cracks in the walls to outside.
However, if you go with a good company like Green Valley, they will provide you with a highly rated winter sleeping bag.
We found if we slept in warm socks, a beanie, merino wool base layers and used our -25 Celsius sleeping bag provided to us by the company, we were fine!
Some nights I also slept in my puffer.
7. Did you get altitude sickness?
Fortunately I have always faired well at high altitude. But I also learned SO much about high altitude trekking from my friend and super experienced Kilimanjaro guide, Remmy. So I know to take Diamox in the morning and hike slower than you think you need to. As they constantly say in Tanzania “pole, pole” meaning “slowly, slowly”.
I did have a mild headache, stomach ache and loss of appetite at our Gorakshep tea house which is the highest place we slept and the final village before base camp at a whopping 5,164 m (nearly 17,000 feet!) But overall, I was totally okay.
However other groups had people helicopter back to Kathmandu due to altitude sickness or fatigue. And many struggled to sleep at this high of altitude.
8. Did you hire a porter?
A porter is most likely not included automatically in the package you book but I highly recommend getting one!
Not only does not carrying your large 10kh duffel massively increase your chances of success, it gives a job to a local and helps support the mountain economy. We had a wonderful porter named Rewant who always had our duffels ready and waiting at our tea house when we arrived.
When the airline lost my duffel, Rewant ran from Lukla airport to our second village with my bag and always was kind and smiling despite this inconvenience.
9. Could you shower during the trek?
Yes you can shower a few times along the trail for an additional fee. We ended up only showering once in Namche Bazaar on the way back down. We paid 500 rupees each for a nice hot shower. (Roughly $3.80 USD and totally worth it!)
Our guide advised us not to shower at super high altitude because it’s hard to have your hair dry and it’s easy to get sick if you’re wet in the freezing cold. We wouldn’t have wanted to get naked in those cold temperatures anyway so we didn’t want to shower anyway!! Way too cold!
So how did we stay clean you may ask? Pack biodegradable wipes so you can give yourself a wipe down with your clothes on. And if you wear merino wool base layers, they will prevent you from smelling in both hot or cold temperatures.
Because of the cold temperatures outside, we weren’t sweating while hiking most days. So we didn’t smell or feel too gross. I wore a hat every day to hid my unwashed hair and that was it!
That long overdue shower in Namche Bazaar felt glorious when it finally came though!!
10. How much should you tip your porter and guide?
Your guide and porter primarily work for tips. So please, factor this cost into your trip so these hard working locals get paid for all their effort.
If you book with a company, they should provide a recommended tipping guide. Often, it will be 10% of the cost of your tour to your guide.
We loved our guide and felt he really went above and beyond so we tipped more than 10% each.
For your porter, they suggested $10 per day which is shared between 2 people.
11. What did you do for water?
Please skip using bottled water as trash and recycling is really difficult in the Himalayas.
You can have your guide re-fill your camel pack with fresh tap water since it comes right from the glaciers and is super clean. Then to be safe, just add a water purifying tablet. Green Valley trekking provided us with these tablets but you can also buy them for cheap.
I suggest bringing a vitamin supplement if you don’t like the taste of treated water.
12. Would you ever summit?
Truthfully no. Over 330+ people have died on Everest in the last century attempting to summit and the financial and time investment is ENORMOUS. You can expect to spend roughly 3 months and $45,0000- $60,000 on a summit expedition.
Base camp was an incredible trek and it was amazing to see the historic location. I’m perfectly content with just the base camp trek! I will be doing it again with my company Wanderlust Group Trips.
Read: Wanderlust Group Trips: 10 Reasons To Join A Trip
13. Any tips for the Mount Everest Base Camp trek?
- Early to mid March is the best time to go if you can swing it then. April is peak season and can be really crowded. In March, we had less crowds and amazing weather.
- Give yourself extra days in Kathmandu at the start and end of your trek because flights are constantly delayed and cancelled.
- Mount Everest may not be visible for a lot of your trek – we didn’t see her til day 5.
- Be vegetarian on the mountain. The meat comes from Kathmandu and may be past expiration or not fresh at all. But with the super cold temperatures it’s hard to tell it’s spoiled. Some guides claim it’s more common for people to get sick from off-meat than from altitude on the mountain. Our guide also suggested we pass on things like cheese cake at the bakeries as they don’t know how fresh they would be at high altitude
- You’ll get a lot more out of the trip if you read some books or watch some documentaries/movies before you go! I highly suggest watching 14 Peaks, The Wildest Dream and Everest. For books check out Into Thin Air & Everest 1953.
