Mount Everest Tours

Everest Base Camp Map in Tibet and Nepal Sides

Nepal Tour FAQs & Travel Tips

• The differences of touring EBC in Nepal side and Tibet side

  The altitude of EBC in Nepal side is about 5364m, located in Kathmandu, the capital and largest municipality of Nepal, and we generally call the route to climb the mountain from EBC at this side within the Nepal territory as South Slope. The route at this side is acknowledged as most fit for trekking tour, It is seen as the hottest trekking route within Nepal and is a traditional travelling route indispensable to the whole EBC tour program.

   

  EBC in the Tibetan side is about 5200m high in Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê, a prefecture -level city of the Tibet. The route to climb the mountain from EBC at Tibetan side is generally called the North Slope, and the mountain ridges here are always considered as steeper than at the north side with less clouds and precipitations rendering it relatively harder for the ascent.

   

  Generally speaking, most of our tourists would choose to take bus to the EBC Tibet, and enjoy their stay there for a certain period at their own wish and for those guests who want a trekking , they could choose to trek into the Advance Base Camp of Mount Everest , for your reference please click,
  http://www.tibettravel.org/tibet-trekking/everest-advance-base-camp-trek.html.

  However, many tourists may prefer to start their venture by trekking into Everest Base Camp in Tibet from Old Tingri, another major tourist route for EBC trekking, for further information please click,
  http://www.tibettravel.org/tibet-trekking/tingri-to-everest-base-camp-trek-tour.html for your reference.

• Classic Nepal EBC tour/hike itineraries

  We would suggest a classic 9 days Nepal EBC hiking tour program for your reference:

   

  D1: Katmandu——Lukla(2840m)——Phakding(2610m) ( hiking duration: 2.5 hours)
  D2: Phakding(2610m)——Namche Bazar(3440m)(hiking duration: 5 hours altitude: up 800m)
  D3: Namche(3440m)——Tengpoche(3860m)(hiking duration: 2.5 hours，altitude: up 1000m)
  D4: Tengboche(3860m)——Dingboche(4410m)(hiking duration: 4hours，altitude: up 800m)
  D5: Dingboche(4410m)——Chhukhung(4730m)(hiking duration: 5hours，altitude: up 1000m)
  D6: Chhukhung(4730m)——Chhukhung-Ri(5550m)——Chhukhung(4730m)(hiking duration: 4hours，altitude: up 820m)
  D7: Chhukhung(4730m)——Dingboche(4410m)——Lhobuche(4910m)(hiking duration: 4hours，altitude: up 600m)
  D8: Lobuche(4910m)——Gorap Shep(5140m)——Kala Patthar(5600m)(hiking duration: 5hours，altitude: up 650m)
  D9: Gorak Shep(5140m)——Kala Patthar(5600m)——Gorak Shep——EBC(EBC, 5364m)

• Classic Tibet EBC tour and hike itineraries

  We would suggest a classic 8-day Tibetan EBC hiking tour program for your reference:
  This is the classic tour itinerary to visit Lhasa and Everest Base camp. The route covers all the tourists’ attractions like Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor street, Drepung and sera monastery with Gyantse Kumbum and Shigatse Tashilhunpo Monastery.

   

  The specific itinerary:
  Day 1. Arrival in Lhasa (3650m)
  Day 2. Lhasa Tour - Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street
  Day 3. Lhasa Tour - Drepung monastery, Sera monastery
  Day 4. Lhasa (3650m) to Shigatse (3900m)
  Day 5. Shigatse (3900m) to Everest Base Camp(5200)
  Day 6. EBC (5200m) and return to Shigatse (3900m)
  Day 7. Shigatse (3900m) to Lhasa (3650m)
  Day 8. Depart from Lhasa

• Best time to hike EBC in Nepal

  From September to October is the most popular time of the year for trekkers to hike EBC for it provides the most stable and clear weather. It is also the beginning of the dry season and the tourists can experience the warm weather and clean air.

   

  During the hiking you can enjoy the mountain scenery and it is also a good time to meet people from every part of the world who share the same interest and who attempt to ascent the summit like you do. The tourists can feel the activity and buzz around you during the climbing expeditions. They will have a big possibility to see the mountain top at a clear day.

   

  From December to February is winter in Nepal. High altitude trekking can be unbearable because of the freezing cold. This could also be a good time to visit and do some moderate treks like Annapurna Base Camp, Everest Base Camp Trek, Langtang Trek if a quiet, peaceful and less people on trails is your priority. The weather remains calm, rainfall is rare, and all these provide a favorable condition for trekkers.

• Best time to visit and hike EBC in Tibet

  Best time to visit and hike EBC in Tibet would be from May to October when it is warmer, with its average temperature ranging from 15℃ to 25℃, for most of the time during this period the travelers can enjoy blue skies and clear weather.

   

  We suggest tourists to avoid the rainy season between July and August. Landslide easily occurs and cripples the roads during the rainy season. But the mountains are at their greenest and wildflowers strewn among the alpine meadows during this time.

   

  However, If you want to enjoy a unique and unusual EBC trekking tour in Tibetan summer and winter time, due to the weather condition, you may encounter rain fall and heavy snow. Even in a summer day when you start trekking it might snow on the top of the mountain because of its high altitude. So we suggest tourists to just enjoy a short trek in Tibetan summer or winter time.

• Physical condition and experience requirements for Nepal EBC hiking

  The trek into Everest Base Camp in Nepal is strenuous and tourists should be in good physical condition. However, It does not require that you have any previous trekking or mountaineering experience. Hiking in the Nepal EBC is a serious challenge which requires significant preparation. You should be equipped with a spirit of adventure and a willingness to undergo the potential hardships of outdoor living and long days on the trail.

   

  Tourists should start physical training as early as possible before their scheduled trek so as to build strength, fitness and stamina, and physical exercises needed include aerobics and light weight-training. But the best physical preparation is the activity which simulates the demands on your body that will occur during your ascent and descent to EBC Nepal while up and down hills with weighted backpack.

• High altitude sickness suffering for Tibet EBC visit and hiking

  The Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is the biggest medical problem while trekking in Tibet. Altitude sickness means the effect of altitude on those who ascend too rapidly to elevation above 3000 meters. The initial symptoms of AMS are as follows:

   

  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea, Vomiting
  • Insomnia/Sleeplessness
  • Dizziness, Light headiness, Confusion, Disorientation
  • Persistent Headache
  • Weakness, Fatigue, Lassitude, Heavy legs
  • Breathlessness and breathing irregularity
  • Slight swelling of hand and face
  • Reduced urine output

   

  Please consider to stop ascending if any of the above symptoms appears, otherwise more serious problems may occur and even cause death sometimes within just a few hours. The only remedy for the Altitude Sickness is to walk to a lower altitude.

  As the experience of most trekkers, ascending no more than 300-500m per day above 3000 meters and having plenty of rest during trekking are the best methods for prevention of AMS.

• What's accommodation condition for Nepal EBC hiking?

  For Nepal EBC hiking the accommodation there are generally two choices:

   

  The trekking camp
  In a trekking camp you’ll be sleeping on foamed mattresses placed on the ground, and will be assigned a spacious A-frame or dome tent able to accommodate two people and their gear. Meals are served in a family-style on a table when you can sit in a chair inside a dining tent. If there’s no permanent toilet near the camp, the camp staff will dig a hole and set up a toilet tent.

   

  Staying in a village home
  If you are in a particularly remote region around EBC, you can often arrange food and accommodation in private homes. You could also stay in a home if your guide has friends in a particular village. The householder always expects that you will pay for your food and lodging. Prices are flexible, but usually the owner of the house will quote a fair price in the morning when you depart.

• Camping tent and accommodation condition in EBC Tibet

  There is no “real” hotel in Mt. Everest. Travelers have three choices: a. camping by yourself; b. Stay in tent hostel in EBC; c. stay in the Rongbuk Monastery. The tourists could find a unique accommodation way in EBC Tibet as the tent hostel. In a typical tent hostel it provides:

   

  beds: Each tent hostel has 10 beds with extra quilts, but in peak season a tent often sleeps more than 10;
  toilets are outside the tent hostels in small tents or huts;
  hot water is available, but there are no showers;
  keeping warm: Stoves burning yak dung are used to keep warm. Due to the high altitude, it's freezing cold and the wind is strong, especially at night. Bring enough warm clothes to keep warm.

   

  Facilities of Rongbuk Monastery Guesthouse

  Beds: there are about 30 rooms and more than 100 beds are available. It's very hard to get a bed around the monastery in peak season;

  Shops and restaurant: Every guest can have hot noodles, rice, or some instant food. The price is higher than in Lhasa because of the transport fee; Hot water is available, but no showers.

• Meals during touring EBC in Nepal and Tibet separately

  Tourists touring EBC in Nepal could always find food supplies in tea house along the route. Nepalese tea houses serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and food is fairly basic. For breakfast, you’ll find some variation of the following:
  Pancakes: Plain, apple, cinnamon, lemon; served with peanut butter or honey
  Porridge: Oat, champa (barley)
  Eggs: Scrambled, boiled, fried, poached, omelet (plain, onion, vegetable, cheese)
  Bread: Toast, Tibetan, Chapati

  For lunch/dinner, the meal of choice is daal baht: a huge plate of white rice with small sides of a vegetable or two (often spinach and potato), and a bowl of lentil soup. Each daal baht is different – some curried, some spicy, some plain, some thicker.

   

  During the EBC Tibet hiking tour tourists can taste the local food with distinct ethnic flavor, where the main food consumed is barley, meat and dairy products. Each and every meal in your everyday appetite consists of dairy food along with meat. Tibet lies in a high altitude and vegetables are rare to find, hence used in minimal amount while cooking.

  The staple food of Tibetan people is Tsampa. Tsampa is actually flour made from dried barley. Yak butter is another favorite food in Tibet. This butter is separated from yak milk by hard churning. Yak cheese and butter has made a special place among the tourist visiting Tibet.

  The dried beef and mutton stripe is also the most popular food in Tibet. The beef and mutton are cut in to long strips and hung in the shaded places to be air dried in the winters. The crispy meat can be eaten raw for the drying process in cold air avoids any chance of bacterial infection and is very safe to eat. Other special foods include Momo (Tibetan dumplings), Thenthuk (Tibetan noodles) and yak tongue. All these unique diet can be found in the Tibet EBC.

• The best spots to view the panorama of Himalaya in Nepal and Tibet

  Top 8 Must-see Tourist Attractions for Tibetan Himalaya tour

   

  1. Mt. Everest(8844.43m) (also known as Mt. Qomolangma)---- the world’s summit
  2. Lhotse(8516m)---- the Guardian of Mt.Everest
  3. Cho Oyu(8201m)----the God of Baldness
  4. Shishapangma(8013m)---- the Place of Saint
  5. Gyachung Kang (7952m)---the 15th Highest Mountain in the World
  6. Chomolhari(7326m)--- the Bride of Kangchenjunga
  7. Pumo Ri (7156m)--- Unmarried Daughter
  8. Ganesh Himal---Majestic Yet Rarely Known

   

  Nepal is home to 8 of the 14 highest peaks in the world. One of the key attractions of traveling to Nepal is to take in stunning views of these Himalayan giants. Here are top 7 tourists’ attractions for a Nepal Himalaya tour:

   

  1.Kala Patthar (also known as Kala Pattar or Kalapatar, 5,164m), near Everest Basecamp, remains the top viewpoint in Nepal. It offers the closest view on Mount Everest one can get to without serious mountaineering skills.

  2.Khopra Ridge (aka Khopra Danda, 3,660m) offers spectacular views of Dhaulagiri (8,167m), the world's 7th highest mountain. It's one of the rare viewpoints with a lodge.

  3. Gokyo Ri, a rocky peak at 5,357m above sea level, Gokyo Ri is slightly lesser known, and slightly farther away view point of Everest compared to its more famous sibling Kala Patthar.

  4. Pikey Peak (4,065m) offers an even farther away, and thus more encompassing view of Everest and the surrounding mountains. In addition to Everest, you can see far west to 8,000m giants Dhaulagiri and east to Kanchenjunga.

  5. Tengboche, a famous buddhist monastery above Sherpa capital Namche Bazaar at 3,867m above seal level, Tengboche offers amazing views of Ama Dablam, by many considered the world's most beautiful mountain.

  6. Nagarkot, if you are short on time and want to stay close to Kathmandu while still enjoying amazing views of the Himalays, Nagarkot is your best bet. This beautiful village is located on top of a hill just outside of Kathmandu, and surrounded by scenic terraced rice paddies.

  7. Poon Hill, located above the village of Ghorepani in the Annapurna region of Nepal. Poon Hill (3,210m) is the most visited viewpoint. It offers spectacular sunrise views of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.

• Travel Visa for EBC visit in Tibet and Nepal

  1. Foreign travelers cannot get into Tibet with only a Chinese Visa but without a Tibet travel Permit. Tibet Local Tourism Bureau is very friendly to tourists with Chinese Visa, and will issue Tibet Permit fast within just 7 to 10 working days once foreign visitors handed in needed materials such as their travel plans and passport copies to the travel agency for application of a permit.

   

  2. For Nepal borders with Tibet thus a great number of tourists enter Tibet through Kodari Border in Kathmandu by air or by road. According to the Chinese immigration regulation, travelers who enter Tibet from Nepal are required to apply for Group Tourist Visa, a kind of single entry visa, at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

• What to pack for EBC tour in Tibet and Nepal

  From our previous experiences we’d like to suggest tourists to pack the following needed clothing and gear during their EBC tour in Tibet but not limited to them with other choices, the temperature in Tibet varies greatly between the day and night. Though the temperature during daytime is around 10-25°C in Lhasa, the night temperature may reach 0°C and when visit the lake or mountain, down-jacket is needed. Try to dress in black or other heavy color clothes since the road out of Lhasa may be very dusty and dirty. The following are some useful things recommended to bring for your trekking tour in Tibet:

   

  Jacket: a fiber-pile jacket is ideal for evening.
  Sweater: Wool or wool mix with a high neck for extra warmth.
  Headwear: wool or fiber-pile ski-style cap or balaclava for warmth. A lightweight brimmed hat is good for sun protection. Inexpensive broad brimmed straw and welt hats are sold in Tibet's city markets.
  Scarf: wool or silk is best.
  Mittens or gloves: wool, pile, or polypylene are best.
  handkerchief: Bring several.
  Cotton underwear: four or five pairs.
  Socks: at least three pairs.
  Shirts: A long-sleeve shirt made of wool, flannel, or chamois, or a track-suit top. A long-sleeve stay-preen cotton shirt for warmer temperatures. Bring two or three T-shirts as well.
  Pants: For men, one pair of loose-fitting wool pants, wool knickers, or fiber-pile pants, and one pair of light-weight cotton pants. Women should wear a mid-calf dress or skirt, though pants and knee-length knickers with socks are also acceptable. Shorts are not appropriate at any time in Tibet.
  Journal, reading book, writing materials: For quiet moments.
  Camera: You will regret not bring one.
  Binoculars: Good for observing birds, wildlife, and distant scenery.
  Money pouch or belt: Safer than a wallet for keeping your passport, money, and valuable papers.
  Pictures from home: Personal photographs of your children, pet, city, house, and so on are a great way to communicate with local people.
  Snack foods: Nuts, chocolate bars, granola bars, dried fruit, hard candies, beef jerky, and flavored drink mixes are much-appreciated trail treats.

   

  For EBC tour in Nepal the packing is roughly the same as that in Tibet for both places share similar climate.

   

  For clothing we would suggest:
  • 1 quick drying long sleeved base layer shirts
  • 2 trekking shirts short sleeve
  • 2 Thermal underwear – base layer
  • 2 liner socks
  • 3 pair woolen blend trekking socks
  • 2 pair trekking pants with zip off bottoms
  • 2 fleece sweaters – one lightweight, one heavier

   

  For Outer Layer Clothing we suggest:
  • 1 wind/rain proof overlayer– jacket and pants
  • 1 down jacket – (didn’t really need this, layers would have been fine, but it does get quite cold in March)
  • 1 down vest
  • 1 Warm winter hat
  • 1 lightweight thermal layer hat
  • 1 peak hat
  • 1 headband/buff
  • 1 pair gloves
  • 1 Pair trekking boots
  •1 Pair crocks or Birkenstocks
  •1 pair down booties

   

  When tourists are staying in Tea houses in Nepal EBC, they don’t need a lot of extra travel gear. If they want more, they can pick them up at Namche Bazaar. For travel gears we would suggest:
  • 1 headlamp
  • 1 sleeping bag heavy
  • 1 watch with alarm
  • 2 Pairs of sunglasses
  • 1 DSLR camera with 3 extra batteries
  • 1 Point and shoot camera
  • 1 Video Camera
  • 1 solar charger (charging is expensive, if you can charge yourself will save money)
  • 2-3 portable chargers
  • Chargers with belkin mini surge protector and adapter.
  • extra batteries for headlamps

• Safety for traveling EBC in Tibet and Nepal

  For a safe touring in EBC Tibet, we would suggest tourists to follow the advice given by local authorities and our agency guides. Ignoring such advice could put yourselves and other mountaineers in danger.

  The following hazards exist throughout the year around EBC Tibet, including sudden weather changes, snow drifts, landslides, glacial crevasses and hollows, rock falls, thunder storms and lightning, altitude sickness, sun exposure. For your own safety you should:

   

  • Be aware of attack from animals
  • Avoid getting lost in the wild
  • Precaution against luggage tampering
  • Don't carry too much cash and valuables
  • Take note of weather forecasts and conditions
  • Make sure you’re physically fit and have the necessary experience
  • Be in a team of at least 2
  • Inform someone of your trekking plans
  • Take warm clothes and wet weather gear
  • Use sun block and sun glasses.

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