EBC and Gokyo Lakes

No, there are no mandatory vaccines for visitors to Nepal.

The Everest Base Camp trek starts in Lukla. This is a small village on the side of a mountain that can only be accessed via plane or by hiking there. There are no roads or trains leading there. Most people catch a small plane from Kathmandu to Lukla. The flight lasts just 25 to 30 minutes. And the scenery as you fly over the mountains is breathtaking!

The good news is that trekking to Everest Base Camp requires no mountaineering experience or technique. A fact that makes it wonderfully open to many, including, most probably, you. That said, it's a tough, multiday, high-altitude trek. Each day you're trekking for around five to eight hours, often over rugged, uneven terrain. It's not for the fainthearted, and requires grit and determination. But it's superbly rewarding!

Learn more details and what to expect in How hard is Everest Base Camp?

Yes and no. Any high-altitude trek involves a level of risk. There's the chance you sprain an ankle, develop altitude sickness, or are pushed off a cliff by a fellow hiker tired of your dad-style jokes. But at the same time, trekkers who take the necessary precautions and act sensibly can undertake the trek without much concern.

One of the main things, in our opinion, is to do the trek with a qualified lead guide who knows the trail intimately and will look after you. These guys and gals know the warning signs of altitude sickness and how to respond and treat them.

Learn more about this important topic in How hard is Everest Base Camp?

Absolutely! We don't think you should ever do a high-altitude trek without traveller's insurance. Also, the Government of Nepal won't grant you a trek permit without proof of insurance.

Learn more about the traveller's insurance (and other precautions) we recommend in Everest Base Camp trek cost.

Altitude sickness is the body reacting badly to being made to go too high too quickly. The higher we climb, the fewer oxygen molecules we breathe in per breath. Our bodies find it hard to function properly with less oxygen, and need adequate time to adapt. Symptoms of altitude sickness include nausea, vertigo, headaches and sleeplessness. Severe altitude sickness can be fatal.

Anything above 3,000 m can lead to altitude sickness, and we climb well above 5,000 m on the Everest Base Camp trek! So this is something to be taken seriously.

Please read more about the sickness and how to try prevent it in How hard is Everest Base Camp?

Nepal's currency is the Nepali rupee, abbreviated to Rs or NPR. Note that the NPR is a closed currency; you cannot get your hands on it outside of Nepal. Fortunately you can exchange major currencies for NPR at Kathmandu Airport, or you can draw some of the local currency from an ATM.

The Everest Base Camp route is a roughly 150 km (93 miles) roundtrip. That at least is the route walked by Follow Alice, which includes a detour to the beautiful Gokyo Lakes. We prefer this route as your return journey isn't the same as the outward journey, so you experience more of the region. The itinerary we follow takes two weeks to complete. The traditional Everest Base Camp route, which takes the most direct route there and back, is 130 km (80 miles).

Those trekking to Everest Base Camp must bring hardy, worn-in hiking boots, a winter jacket made with a quality insulating material like down, thermal under-garments, a four-season sleeping bag, trekking poles, and a daypack. You should also bring a duffel bag for the bulk of your belongings, which a porter and yak transport for you.

For a comprehensive list of what to pack, please read Everest Base Camp packing list.

Peak seasons for Everest Base Camp (EBC) are late September to November, and March to May. These months see little rain, aren't as cold as others, and tend to have good visibility. But given its increased popularity in recent years, the EBC trek route can be quite crowded during peak seasons; as many as 500 individuals can set out on the trek route each day! This is another reason why it's a good idea to do a quieter detour like we do by trekking home via Gokyo Lakes.

Learn more about the different months and their conditions in Best time to trek Everest Base Camp.