The Khumbu Glacier drains the south side of Mount Everest, and near its head, at about 5,364 m, lies Everest Base Camp. In April and May it becomes a temporary town of tents as expeditions prepare to climb through the Khumbu Icefall; for the rest of the year it is a marked spot on shifting rock and ice. The summit of Everest cannot be seen from Base Camp itself.
For that view, trekkers climb Kala Patthar (about 5,644 m), a dark shoulder of Pumori above the last lodges at Gorak Shep. From its top, Everest (8,848.86 m), Nuptse and the Icefall are laid out in one of the most photographed panoramas on Earth. This is the park’s most popular objective, and the natural climax of a longer journey through its villages and valleys.
What to see and do: Everest Base Camp & Kala Patthar
Walk to Base Camp
From Gorak Shep (about 5,164 m) the trail follows the moraine for two to three hours to the Base Camp marker. In the spring climbing season you see the tents and the route into the Icefall; trekkers are asked to stay at the edge of the camp to limit the spread of illness among climbers.
Climb Kala Patthar
A steep one-and-a-half to two-hour climb from Gorak Shep. Sunrise is traditional but bitterly cold, and the sun rises behind Everest; sunset turns the summit pyramid gold and is often the better photograph.
Pause at the Thukla memorials
On the ridge above Thukla, stone cairns and chortens commemorate climbers and Sherpas who died on Everest and neighbouring peaks — a sobering and beautiful place.
Understand the glacier
The Khumbu Glacier is thinning, and meltwater ponds on its lower part are spreading. Read more about glaciers and climate change in the park.
Getting to Everest Base Camp & Kala Patthar
- On foot: eight to nine days up from Lukla with two acclimatisation days (usually Namche and Dingboche or Pheriche), three to four days down — 12 to 14 days in all.
- Via Gokyo: cross the Cho La to make a circuit rather than an out-and-back.
- By helicopter: day tours from Kathmandu fly over Base Camp and usually land briefly at Kala Patthar or nearby when conditions allow.
Visitor tips
- Sleeping height is what matters: above 3,000 m, raise it by no more than about 300–500 m a night and rest every third day.
- A clinic run by the Himalayan Rescue Association at Pheriche has offered daily altitude talks in season.
- Nights at Lobuche and Gorak Shep are cold and sleep is poor; a good sleeping bag makes a difference.
- If symptoms of altitude sickness worsen, descend. The mountain will still be there.
Treks & tours that include Everest Base Camp & Kala Patthar
These guided experiences are the easiest way to reach Everest Base Camp & Kala Patthar:
Guided trek from €850 From Kathmandu: 12-Day Everest Base Camp Guided Trek
The best-known walk in the park: Lukla to Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche and Gorak Shep, then Everest Base Camp and the sunrise viewpoint of Kala Patthar. A well-paced twelve-day programme with consistently top reviews.
- The park’s classic route with a licensed guide
- Acclimatisation days in Namche Bazaar and Dingboche
- Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar (5,644 m)
Guided trek from €1693 From Lukla: 18-Day Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes Trek
A long trek that joins the park’s two great valleys — Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar on one side, the Gokyo Lakes on the other — instead of walking the same trail up and down. The trek starts and ends in Lukla, so arrange your own flights.
- Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar
- Gokyo Lakes and Gokyo Ri
- Two valleys linked in one long trek
Helicopter tour from €1535 Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour with Kala Patthar Landing
A morning helicopter flight from Kathmandu to Lukla and on over Namche, Tengboche and the Khumbu Glacier, with a short landing near Kala Patthar for a close view of Everest. Landings and routing always depend on weather and on the pilot’s decision.
- Flight from Kathmandu up the length of the park
- Landing at Kala Patthar when conditions allow
- Among the best-reviewed Everest heli tours
Helicopter tour from €1225 Everest Base Camp: 3-Hour Helicopter Sightseeing Tour
A shorter helicopter outing from Kathmandu over the park to the head of the Khumbu valley. As with every heli tour, exactly where you land depends on the weather and on aircraft weight limits on the day.
- A shorter helicopter programme from Kathmandu
- Views of the Khumbu Glacier and Everest
- Back in the city by late morning
