“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” -Seneca
Ever since I began telling people that I was leaving the U.S. to travel back in 2017, I’ve had countless people say this one thing to me that just never sits right in my skin.“You’re so lucky!” On one hand, yes, they are absolutely right! I’m very fortunate to have the great opportunity in life to travel the world. I’m even more fortunate that I have the audacity to BELIEVE in myself, despite others’ opinions, to travel alone. But I’m not lucky. As much as I would love to sit here and congratulate myself all the time for getting on a plane to visit different countries, meeting new people and beginning to feel like a part of their beautiful cultures, I don’t congratulate myself daily for this. Why not? Because it ISN’T some kind of great accomplishment.
Is travel eye-opening, exciting, and bringing the world closer together? I think so. But guess what? For those of us who can be patient and save some hard-earned paychecks, it’s not impossible, and it’s not luck (well maybe a little).
YOU CAN TRAVEL AND HAVE ADVENTURES, TOO!
Whether you are traveling for two weeks in the Himalayas, or two years in Australia, the ingredients for a successful trip are:
- A positive attitude and mindset (fear and doubt is for the weak…meditating helps)
- A plan of what you want to do or see (sometimes I literally wing it)
- Money you’ve saved (personally speaking, I have to work my f*cking ass off)
- A pinch of research (google it)
- A pinch of daily inspiration (I like listening to entrepreneurial podcasts)
- and a f*ckload of just doing the damn thing.
And VIOLA! Congrats! You’ve just cooked up a newer, sexier and more confident version of yourself open to new, vibrant opportunities, grinning through the obstacles as you pursue your wildest dreams. Enjoy.
By the way, just doing the damn thing is 95% of how I live the way I do. That’s my secret ingredient to my . . . . . “success.” So-called. Lol.
With all that said, here’s the info I promised y’all from the title.
14-Day Itinerary (Including Flight Days To And From Kathmandu)
This is the general itinerary used by the vast majority of guides and their host trekking companies. I added a few extra weeks to my Nepal trip. Depending on each individual’s budget and available time, itineraries might be modified. This is the classic itinerary for the complete EBC Trek.
NOTE: The original 1953 Tenzing and Hillary Expedition began from Jiri, not Lukla. Some people still choose to start from Jiri, rather than Lukla. This adds an extra 5 days, and a very bumpy ride to Jiri.
I hired a trekking company before arriving in Nepal, which was a massive help to me! Check them out here:
Day 1: Arrival In Kathmandu
Sightseeing & Trek Prep
- Buy/check gear!!
- Confirm flight details/trip details
- Places to see if you have the time:
- Thamel shops, restaurants, bars, etc.
- Boudhanath Stupa (world’s second largest Buddhist Stupa)
- Monkey Temple
- Pashupatinath Temple (Hindu Temple)
- **Extra days or weeks in Nepal?**
- Yoga/meditation retreats
- Pokhara, Nepal’s second largest city.
- Jungle safaris in Chitwan National Park
- White water rafting
- Trip to Butan
Day 2: Flight From Kathmandu To Lukla
Begin Trekking From Lukla To Phakding
- I recommend an early flight. The earlier the better – many flights to Lukla are delayed or canceled due to serious weather conditions. I’d recommend adding flexibility in your arrival/departure days to Nepal, because the flight from Lukla is not guaranteed to be on time if the weather is bad. 15 kilos is the usual amount allowed on the flight.
- First day of trekking – lots of downhill, but uphill at the end. Phakding has a very scenic bridge over the Dhudkoshi (Milk River).
- First day tips:
- Don’t pass the yak or other animals unless your guide tells you it’s safe to do so.
- Starting your trekking from early in the morning is better for views and pictures, because clouds tend to come in more often in the later parts of the day. Weather changes quickly up there.
- The footbridges are safe and you should move out of the porters’ way.
- Generally always do your best to stay out of the way of porters (they carry very heavy loads but can move faster than you).
- Eat dal bhat for lunch (it’s delicious, a great source of energy and you can be served extra rice and lentals).
- Thukpa (Nepali noodle soup) and momos are other traditional Nepali foods that are very yum! MOMOS ARE THE BEST, but may be better to eat after you finish your trekking for the day.
- If you feel sick eat garlic soup, or ask your guide what’s best.
- Wifi gets really expensive, and charging phones/batteries is really expensive the higher you go. Everest Link is a way to buy Wifi for the region, but can be unreliable the higher you go. I had data connection from Ncell (Nepal’s network) and it stopped working between Tengboche/Dingboche.
- If you are uncertain about anything ask your guide – they know all about trekking and the trail like the back of their hand.
Day 3: Phakding To Namche Bazar
- The first half of the day is not too bad, but the second half is steep. Take it easy, move slow. It’s not a race and you literally have all day to get there. Moving slower also prevents risk of altitude sickness. Don’t be that person who gets sick and needs a helicopter back when it could have been prevented. Unless that’s what you want.
- The very first view of Mt. Everest is along the steep ascent up to Namche. I couldn’t see it because it was cloudy that day, but I had plenty of Everest views later on to make up for that.
- Namche is a breathtakingly beautiful and a unique village. It’s on a hillside with a valley of forests below, and mountains surrounding it. If there really is a heaven, it’s a toss up between Namche Bazar and the upcoming village of Tengboche. This is also the last place for an ATM on your way up – so take everything you’ll need with you.
- Hot showers are also available here. I avoided showering the whole time, and just used baby wipes instead. I didn’t want my hair getting wet because of the cold, dry air. I was afraid to get sick. Maybe I should have taken a shower in Namche, but to be honest I have no regrets.
Day 4: Acclimatization In Namche Bazar
Day Hike To Everest View Hotel
- Waking up in Namche is incredible. That feeling of waking up to fresh mountain air, opening my bedroom window to views of the village stupa against a mountain/valley backdrop first thing in the morning is still blowing my mind. We hiked to the Everest View Hotel (500m gain), and on the way was my first view of Mt. Everest.
- If you go inside you’ll have to buy something from the restaurant (even just a tea is fine), but the view is incredible and it’s worth the experience for $5-10USD. It will probably be the best view while dining that you’ve ever had (Lhotse, Everest and Ama Dablam all clear in sight).
- In Namche you can visit a couple of museums (I visited the Sherpa Museum), cafes, bars, shops – Namche Bazar is the central point of trade “the hub” of the Khumbu Region.
Day 5: Namche Bazar To Tengboche
- This day has some steep downhill and uphill, which was greatly appreciated by my toes and knees.
- Tengboche is the village with a famous monastery – Tengboche Monastery. The EBC Trek was originally a pilgrimage route to this sacred site. 350 years prior, the famous Lama Sangwa Dorje declared that this village would become a sacred site for Buddhism. Now, visitors from all over the world come to this monastery. Legend has it that his footprints are impressed into a rock from deep meditation. This rock is kept inside the monastery, which I was lucky to be able to see, but not photograph.
- Tengboche’s views of Everest, Lhoste, and Ama Dablam are breathtaking and surreal.
- Accommodation in Tengboche was fully booked due to it’s popularity, so I stayed in the nearby village of Pangboche – another quaint village two hours further than Tengboche, near the Ama Dablam Base Camp.
Day 6: Tengboche To Dingboche
- Aside from the high altitude beginning to take effect, this day of trekking shouldn’t be bad at all – of course I had a head start in Pangboche, but it’s mostly flat from Pangboche with uphill at the end. I struggled mentally with the flat area because my body tried to move faster than I should have, considering I was carrying 15kgs on my back, plus the elevation made it harder to breathe.
- Dingboche has an amazing view of Ama Dablam because it’s super close. Wild yet friendly dogs live in packs around here which is really unique, and I thought it was extremely cool. One dog followed us all the way to Dingboche from just past Pangboche, and I named him Woof. Woof is still out there, so if you see him please give him my love.
Day 7: Acclimatization Day In Dingboche
Day Hike To Trekking Peak (Nangkartshang)
- Hike in the morning to the top of the trekking peak named Nangkartshang (I wish I could pronounce it correctly but I just can’t).
- Nangkartshang was one of my favorite parts of the trek. Up there, Ama Dablam feels as close as a stone’s throw. The valleys below have a more rugged look to them than before, and it’s an actual peak (trekking peak). Reaching the top has a bit more of a rush than all the days before of simply reaching the next village for the night.
- Pay attention to your body for possible signs of altitude sickness.
Day 8: Dingboche To Lobuche
Short Hike To View Of Glaciers And Lobuche
- This day has a long flat part to the village of Thukla, and then uphill to Lobuche.
- You’ll pass through a famous memorial site for foreign climbers, and many Sherpas who tragically lost their lives mountaineering in the highest regions of the world.
- Glaciers are visible near Lobuche. My guide took me to a nearby hill that had a bird’s eye view of Lobuche, views of the Lobuche Peaks and also glaciers on the other side of the hill. Unfortunately, the glaciers are rapidly melting now. This recent and rapid increase in the melting of high altitude glaciers is a phenomena being observed by scientists since the 90’s, and it is occurring all over the world, due to climate change.
Day 9: Lobuche To Gorak Shep
Day Hike From Gorak Shep To Everest Base Camp
- There are still some flats on the way to Gorak Shep, but I was definitely feeling the altitude at this point. There are some short, but steep uphills as well. Lots of rocks, boulders, and loose dirt paths. Gorak Shep is the highest village in the Khumbu Region, has no source of water, all the water there is brought in water bottles.
- Gorak Shep is very, very expensive by Nepali standards, so expect to pay what you might pay back home, and sometimes double or triple that, depending on what you are buying. The reason is that everything up there must be carried all the way up there, by the incredibly hard working porters (thank you to them).
- The hike from Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp is not difficult, and the hike itself has a better view of Mt. Everest than the actual destination of base camp (but base camp is still the goal).
Day 10: Hike To Kala Pathar
Gorak Shep To Pheriche
- Kala Pathar is the highest point of the EBC trek. It’s a trekking peak and the unofficial viewpoint of Mt. Everest. Most people go at either sunset, or sunrise the next morning. It’s optional, but incredibly rewarding for those who decide to do it.
- From Gorak Shep you’ll begin your descent down to Pheriche, a village in the valley below Dingboche. Pheriche is in a valley that looks straight out of The Lord Of The Rings – it’s so beautiful. We trekked as far as Pangboche that day, just because my guide and I were making good time on the way down.
- I was disappointed in myself this day, because I didn’t make it all the way up Kala Pathar due to altitude sickness. However, I was still able to see an immaculate site of Everest from just part of the way up. Before sunrise, the big dipper lit up the sky and pointed down over the mountains into Tibet. That morning, I was sick and gasping for breath, yet it was still the #1 highlight of the whole trek for me.
Day 11: Pheriche To Namche Bazar
- This day will have flats, downhill, and uphill. Most of the uphill is before Tengboche, and then again when you’re getting closer to Namche.
- Savor all the views on the way back, you won’t regret it.
Day 12: Namche Bazar To Lukla
- Down the endless staircase you’ll go . . . and then back all the way up to Lukla. Yes, that downhill at the very beginning has finally caught up with you. The final sight of the gate back to Lukla is very bittersweet.
- Enjoy your last night in the Himalayas . . . have a cold beer and dance with your new friends.
Day 13: Flight From Lukla To Kathmandu
- Depending on your flight’s status, you’ll either be able to depart the next day, or the next day . . . Honestly, if you are able to plan a couple of extra cushion days at the end, go ahead and do that just in case. Otherwise you might be really stressed out on your trek, and hopefully then you’ll have an extra day or two in Kathmandu.
- I was super lucky and flew into Lukla and left Lukla on the correct dates of departure, but I met many people who were not as lucky.
Day 14: Sightseeing & Departure From Kathmandu
- Review my suggestions list from Day 1!
As you can see, I didn’t end up following this exact itinerary “to-a-T.” My guide had to adjust a few stops in the middle section of the trek, based on lodging situations (it was a very busy time), and on the descent we decided to go further than necessary each day. What I’ve written is the outline of the classic EBC Trek, which was my own intended itinerary, and the majority of people who trek to the EBC follow this exact itinerary.