Everest Base Camp Route Map: Stages, Distances & Altitude

The Route in One Paragraph

You fly in to Lukla (2,840 m), walk northeast up the Dudh Kosi valley to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) — the Sherpa capital — then continue past Tengboche monastery (3,860 m) and Dingboche (4,410 m). The trail then climbs the moraine to Lobuche (4,940 m), crosses the Khumbu Glacier lateral moraine to Gorak Shep (5,170 m), and finally reaches Everest Base Camp (5,364 m). The next morning is a dawn climb of Kala Patthar (5,545 m) — the classic viewpoint over the icefall — before dropping straight down to Pheriche and eventually flying back from Lukla.

The standard sensible itinerary is 12 days trekking, with two acclimatisation nights (one at Namche, one at Dingboche). Faster variants exist but skip acclimatisation nights at your own risk — see the altitude sickness guide.

Standard 12-Day Route Table

Total distance walked is roughly 130 km, with about 4,300 m of cumulative ascent and the same descent. Distances feel bigger than they read because of the altitude — by day 8 a 13 km walk takes as long as a 25 km walk would at sea level.

Shorter Variants and Detours

10-day compressed itinerary

Some operators sell a 10-day version that skips the Tengboche night (going Namche → Deboche → Dingboche direct) and drops the Pheriche stop on the descent. It works but cuts acclimatisation and increases altitude sickness risk. Only worth it if you have limited days and prior high-altitude experience.

EBC + Gokyo (three-pass region without the passes)

Add 4–5 days to loop through Gokyo Lakes (4,750 m) either before or after base camp. See the Gokyo Lakes guide. The Cho La pass (5,420 m) links the two, but you can also do them as separate out-and-backs.

Helicopter return from Gorak Shep

Some trekkers save 2–3 days by taking a helicopter from Gorak Shep or Pheriche directly to Lukla or Kathmandu. It is expensive (roughly USD 900–1,500 shared) and skips the descent walk that helps re-acclimatise. See the cost guide for the numbers.

Lukla in / Jiri in

Old-school trekkers still walk the classic 6-day approach from Jiri (2,100 m) to Lukla, which was the original 1953 expedition route before the airport existed. Adds a week of trekking and skips the Lukla flight — a good winter alternative when the airport is unreliable.

Key Landmarks on the Route

• Namche Bazaar (3,440 m): The Sherpa "capital", a natural amphitheatre with bakeries, gear shops and an ATM (the last reliable cash point on the trek). Saturday market day is worth timing for.
• Tengboche Monastery (3,860 m): The largest Buddhist monastery in the Khumbu, sitting on a ridge with a straight-on view of Ama Dablam. Evening prayers are open to visitors.
• Thukla Pass (4,830 m): The moraine ridge above Thukla where stone chortens memorialise climbers who died on Everest. A sober place; most groups stop here to acclimatise for a few minutes.
• Everest Base Camp (5,364 m): A rocky expanse of moraine at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall. Note: outside of the April–May climbing season there are no expedition tents there — the "base camp" is a marker cairn on rock.
• Kala Patthar (5,545 m): The classic dawn viewpoint. This is the highest point most trekkers reach and gives the best straight-on view of Everest, since from EBC itself the summit is hidden behind Nuptse.