Everest Base Camp Trek via Jiri

Everest Base Camp Trek via Jiri overview

Before the Lukla airstrip existed, every expedition to Everest walked in over the hills — and the Everest Base Camp Trek via Jiri follows that original approach, the route Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay took with the 1953 British expedition. From the roadhead at Jiri, the trail rolls east across the grain of the land, climbing and dropping over a series of forested ridges and river valleys for a week before it even reaches the Dudh Koshi and the modern trail to Namche Bazaar. Walking in the old way builds superb acclimatization and trail fitness: by the time you start the serious altitude above Namche, your legs and lungs are already a week strong. The lower Solu hills are the quiet heart of this trek. Away from the flight-in crowds, you pass through Rai and Sherpa villages where trekkers are still a novelty, cross the prayer-flag-strung passes of Lamjura La (3,530 m) and Taksindu La (3,071 m), and descend through terraced farmland, rhododendron forest, and millet fields to the roaring Dudh Koshi. Monasteries punctuate the route — Thubten Chholing near Junbesi is one of the largest in Nepal — and from the ridge above Junbesi you catch your first distant glimpse of Everest itself, still a week's walk away. At Chheplung the route joins the classic upper Khumbu trail, and the second half of the trek follows the celebrated line to Base Camp: Namche Bazaar, Tengboche Monastery, Dingboche, and the glacial moraines of Lobuche and Gorak Shep, culminating at Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) and a sunrise ascent of Kala Patthar (5,545 m). At twenty days and roughly 110 km longer than the standard fly-in itinerary, this is a trek for those who want to earn Base Camp the way the pioneers did — fully, gradually, and on foot.

Price includes

• Airport transfers and hotel pick-up/drop-off in Kathmandu
• Overland transport from Kathmandu to Jiri and Bhandar by private vehicle
• One-way Lukla–Kathmandu flight including airport taxes
• All meals during the trek (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
• Teahouse/lodge accommodation for the duration of the trek
• Experienced, government-licensed English-speaking trekking guide
• Porter service (one porter per two trekkers, 15 kg limit per trekker)
• Sagarmatha National Park entry permit, Gaurishankar Conservation Area permit, and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee
• Staff wages, insurance, meals, and accommodation
• Comprehensive first-aid kit carried by the guide, including pulse oximeter
• Arrangement of emergency helicopter evacuation (covered by your travel insurance)

Packing tips

Packing right is half the battle on any Himalayan trek. Keep your main bag under 15 kg — your porter will thank you. Everything in your daypack should be accessible on the trail.

Frequently asked questions