The best times of year for an Everest Base Camp trek are March to May, or mid-September to November. These seasons don't have the massive snow dumps of winter, nor do they have the monsoonal rains of summer.

In the winter, the very high Himalayas actually sees little snowfall. However, along the lower Everest Base Camp trek route winter equals fresh dumps of snow and temperatures drop dramatically, making the trek moderately harder. That being said, a winter trek to Everest Base camp is an exciting experience, with options to trek to base camp on Christmas day!

Our Everest Base Camp treks range from moderate difficulty to tough. For all the treks, some level of fitness and trekking experience is expected. To show the relative difficulty of our trekking holidays, each trip is graded on a scale of 1 to 12, with 12 being the most challenging.

There are multiple routes and starting points for an Everest Base Camp trek. Our treks can take between 16 and 22 days.

Our Everest Base Camp treks are led by a professional and qualified Nepalese tour leader, assisted by an experienced team including Sherpa guides and porters.

A trek to Everest Base Camp involves going to very high altitude. During the course of your trip you will be spending at least one night above 4000 metres and/or trekking to 5000 metres or above. This is not something that you should worry about; the human body is quite capable of adapting to a very wide range of altitudes, but it is important that we follow some simple rules in order to acclimatise successfully.

Unless you have previous experience of trekking above 4000 metres you should consult one of our trekking experts before embarking on this holiday.

On this trip we carry a portable altitude chamber (PAC-bag) and/or bottled oxygen for use in emergencies.

You cannot prepare for high altitude other than by being at altitude but a good level of fitness will help and anyone who goes walking regularly in the hills or back country will have the requisite level of fitness for the Classic Everest Base Camp trek. For some of the other options you may need some additional training. If you are not a regular walker then it is a good idea to prepare a programme of regular aerobic exercise (running, cycling, cross training, etc.), which you can gradually increase as you get nearer to the day your holiday starts. Even if you are not a regular hill walker you should aim to spend at least a couple of weekends where you can complete some long walks prior to embarking on the trek.

You will encounter a wide range of temperatures on this holiday. During both the pre and post monsoon seasons daytime temperatures will range from 25C in Kathmandu to around 14C at 3000m (e.g. Namche) and approximately 3C at 5000m (Everest Base Camp). 3C might sound cold but in the sunshine it will feel much warmer than this. At night in the rarefied air the temperatures will plummet and you can expect to experience overnight temperatures below freezing once above approximately 4200m and at the highest overnight stops, outside temperatures can be as low as minus 10C. Inside the lodges, in the main sitting and dining room there will be a stove and it will be quite cosy even on the coldest nights.

The Everest region is justifiably popular and receives many visitors each year. This does have the advantage that the infrastructure to cater for trekkers is very good. If you want to avoid the crowds we suggest you trek to Everest Base Camp during December to February or choose our Ultimate Everest or better still, if you have a good level of fitness, our ‘Everest the Hard Way’ will take you to Everest Base Camp via ‘the road less travelled’.

You will find the trails remarkably clean. These days everyone who uses the trail is very aware of the need to avoid litter and an organisation known as the Sagamartha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) has regular patrols on all the paths within the National Park to ensure that they are kept clean and litter free.

One of the great things about group travel is the opportunity to trek with a group of like-minded travellers. Of course, the group may have a wide range of ages, interests and abilities and our leaders don’t expect everyone to walk at the same pace. Each day is planned to ensure there is plenty of time to take photographs, enjoy refreshment stops and take in the fantastic the scenery and we have enough staff members to keep a watchful eye on everybody. At KE we’ll ask you about your previous trekking experience to ensure you book on the right holiday and grade for you, it is your holiday after all!

Obtaining your visa on arrival in Nepal is routine and simple. The process is automated and includes having your photograph taken. You pay the fee in cash and USD, GBP or Euros are accepted. KE will arrange your trekking permit and the entrance fee to the Sagamartha National Park and these items are included in your holiday price.