Everest Base Camp - Taste of Nepal
Whenever a group of hikers gather around, the conversation soon turns to food and the Everest Base Camp trekkers are no different. One of the delights of this trek is the variety and abundance of food available particularly when you consider that nearly everything is physically carried in either by porter, yak or mule train.
Everest Base Camp - Journal from the Wild
Everest Base Camp is a demanding trek and the stronger and fitter you are the more you’ll enjoy it however don’t let all that preparation fall by the wayside once you start walking.
Continuing to eat nutritious food while on the trek is going to go a long way to ensuring you stay healthy and have the energy necessary to trek to over 5,000 metres above sea level.
During the traditional trekking seasons of spring and autumn, you’ll walk past many vegetable and herb gardens featuring corn, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, radish, spinach and all sorts of other greens. You’ll later see these vegetables cooked and served with your meals.
Spring vegetables, Everest Base Camp Trek, Nepal
Sherpa Hospitality
After fleeing their homeland in Eastern Tibet, the Khumbu Region was settled by the Sherpa people around six hundred years ago. They brought with them their rich traditions, history and cuisine and a highlight of trekking to Everest Base Camp is to enjoy traditional Sherpa meals with the locals.
If you’re invited, embrace the opportunity to dine with a local family, learning more about their culture while respecting their unique customs.
What Food is Available at the Tea Houses
When trekking to Everest Base Camp, you’ll have breakfast and dinner at your overnight accommodation which is known as a tea house (guest house). This is expected and if you eat elsewhere, your overnight accommodation will be vastly more expensive.
The tea houses offer a variety of food options that include traditional Nepali dishes in addition to international and western style cuisine. If you’re looking for best value, choose the Nepali food options, not only is it budget friendly, it’s also very nutritious.
Additionally, lunch will be served at a tea house in one of the many villages that you pass through each day. You’ll find the usual hot drinks such as tea and coffee plus cold drinks including bottled water, juice (cordial) and carbonated drinks like coke.
My A to Z Everest Base Camp Trek guide discusses everything about the trek and will be helpful if you’re preparing for the trek.
Tea House Lunch Break, Everest Base Camp Trek, Nepal
Food Options and Special Diets
If you follow a diet such as vegetarian or vegan you will find plenty of dishes suitable as the tea houses offer many plant based meals including lentil curry, vegetable stir-fry and tofu dishes. Just check what oil or fat is being used and whether or not curd is an ingredient.
Snacks and Beverages
I’m often asked by first time visitors to Nepal whether they need to bring snacks from home and assuming you’re not on a particularly restrictive diet, I don’t believe it’s necessary.
A limiting factor is the airline weight allowance when flying from Kathmandu or Ramechhap to Lukla, the allowance being only fifteen kilograms per person.
Once when visiting, Andrew and I took Miraka milk powder which was produced from his dairy cows and Whittaker’s chocolate as gifts to our friends in the Khumbu. This added two kilos to each of our bags meaning we had to compromise on what else we took. Not an issue for us as we travel light anyway but it might be for you.
Andrew with his homegrown milk powder, flying to Lukla, Everest Base Camp, Nepal
Aside from the airline weight, the meal portions at the tea houses are more than generous and we never feel the physical need to snack. That doesn’t mean we’ll turn down a chocolate brownie at one of Namche Bazzar’s popular cafes!
If you do want to nibble, you’ll find snacks such as apples, bananas, potato chips, chocolate and cake available in Lukla, Namche Bazaar, Dingboche and many of the villages you’ll pass through. Most of the tea houses offer chips and chocolate over and above the standard menu items. Lukla, Namche Bazaar and Dingboche all have cafes and bakeries if you’re craving that coffee and cake.
Chocolate cake at Namche Bazaar, Everest Base Camp Trek, Nepal
Food to Avoid
Alcohol
It’s widely recommended that you avoid drinking alcohol while at high altitude as it raises the risk of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).
Caffeine and Carbonated Drinks
Caffeine is a mild diuretic (makes you pee) which is not ideal when there’s no public toilets for miles! If you’re a big caffeine consumer, don’t give it up while on the Everest Base Camp trek as the headaches will be crushing.
Due to the caffeine in some carbonated drinks they can also be diuretic and it’s that increased urine production that can lead to dehydration.
Staying hydrated is important at altitude and symptoms of dehydration are similar to Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).
Drink water and if you want to save the planet as well as look after your budget, simply filter and refill your bottle at the tea houses along the way. It’s good for the environment and it’s good for you.
Breakfast at a Dingboche Tea House, Everest Base Camp Trek, Nepal
Fast Food
Many of the tea houses include fast food options such as hot chips, pizza and burgers however as with anywhere, these probably aren’t going to be your most nutritious of choices.
Meat
The Khumbu region which the Everest Base Camp trek goes through is clearly a hard to reach place. If you’re a meat eater, take note that all the food is carried in by the porters, yaks or mules.
The further into the trek you are, the further the meat has been carried from Lukla under what may not be ideal conditions.
I have followed a porter who was carrying red meat (buffalo) which was neither covered nor refrigerated in the basket on his back. Sure, the temperatures are very cold the further up you go, however before reaching Namche Bazaar at 3,440 metres, it can be quite hot.
It takes a hiker about seven days to trek from Lukla to Gorak Shep, even allowing for the faster speed of a porter, it’s a long time for meat to be exposed to the elements.
On the other hand and during our first trek to Everest Base Camp, Andrew and I chose to eat meat the whole way and had no problems. The decision is yours, how risk averse are you?
Traditional Nepali Meals
Dal Bhat
Nepal’s staple meal is Dal Bhat and our guides and porters said they were happy to have it for every meal. Such is it’s popularity, Dal Bhat even has it’s own catch phrase and T-shirts proclaiming "Dal Bhat Power 24 Hour".
The base for Dal Bhat is lentil soup (dal) and rice (bhat) and depending on what’s available it may be served with steamed, sautéed, curried or pickled vegetables, popadoms and curd. No two cooks make it the same and I’ve enjoyed many variations of this dish.
Off trail in Nepal, you’ll find Dal Bhat in many restaurants served with curried chicken or other meat though this is not as common on the Everest Base Camp Trek.
One of the best things about Dal Bhat is that with all those carbs it’s definitely very filling and it almost always comes with free second helpings! It’s little wonder the locals love it and it more than offers Power 24 Hour.
So impressed was I with this humble dish that when in Kathmandu, I attended a private cooking class to learn just how to make it so that I could replicate it back at home.
How Much Does Food Cost on the Everest Base Camp Trek
On the Everest Base Camp Trek, around US$20 to $25 should be enough for three meals a day at around US$8 per meal.
Like all services, the meals become more expensive the higher you go due to the transportation costs. The porters, yaks and mules carry everything up the mountainside on their backs.
When you join our group trip, the meals are included as part of the package.
Menus on Everest Base Camp Trek
The menu below is from the Yeti Resort at Gorak Shep, I’ve chosen this menu as the options become more limited the higher you go however you’ll find plenty of variety here.
Tea houses at lower elevations will include these items and more.
Yeti Resort Menu, Everest Base Camp Trek 1
Yeti Resort Menu, Everest Base Camp Trek 2
Yeti Resort Menu, Everest Base Camp Trek 3
Yeti Resort Menu, Everest Base Camp Trek 4
Yeti Resort Menu, Everest Base Camp Trek 5
Need to Know
Lukla Tea House, Everest Base Camp, Nepal
Where is Everest Base Camp Trek
Where is Everest Base Camp Trek
Best Time to Visit Everest Base Camp
Best Time to Visit Everest Base Camp
The best time to trek to Everest Base Camp is guided by the seasons, spring and autumn being the best season as the weather is neither too hot nor too cold.
Autumn (September, October, November) follows the monsoon season and the air is clear and mild.
Spring (March, April, May) brings the new growth and the opportunity to view the flowering rhododendron, magnolia and cherry trees alongside the trail.
Time Required for Everest Base Camp Trek
Time Required for Everest Base Camp Trek
Using the standard trail itinerary, your Everest Base Camp Trek will take you eleven days to achieve. Heading up the trail, you’ll spend eight days trekking from Lukla to Everest Base Camp and then overnighting in Gorakshep. Included in these eight days are your two acclimatisation days being at Namche Bazaar at 3,440 metres and Dingboche being 4,410 metres.
It will then take you three days to return from Gorakshep to Lukla, the return trip is faster as you do not stop for acclimatisation days nor do you need to travel as slowly as on the way up. You’ll hike between five and seven hours each day, broken by a lunch break in one of the village Teahouses.
How Long is Everest Base Camp Trek
How Long is Everest Base Camp Trek
The Everest Base Camp trek distance when measured from Lukla all the way to Base Camp and return is around one hundred and thirty kilometres however this excludes any distances walked on acclimatisation hikes in Namche Bazaar and Dingboche.
Refer to the Freewheeling Kiwi Daily Distance Chart for the kilometres and the Daily Itinerary Chart for the overnight elevations.
Total Ascent on Everest Base Camp Trek
Total Ascent on Everest Base Camp Trek
Everest Base Camp Trek is an undulating walk. Including the two acclimatisation days, on the way to Everest Base Camp, we ascended 4,865 metres. Returning down to Lukla we still had 1,461 metres of climbing to do.
Andrew Gash and Sharon Evans, Everest Base Camp, Nepal
Permits for Everest Base Camp Trek
Permits for Everest Base Camp Trek
You will require two permits to Trek for Everest Base Camp
Khumbu Rural Municipality Permit
Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit.
Essential Gear when on the Everest Base Camp Trek
Essential Gear when on the Everest Base Camp Trek
Rain jacket and pants, hiking pants, hiking shirt, merino base layers, gloves, cap, beanie, socks, worn-in hiking footwear, down jacket, sunglasses. day bag, hiking poles, sleeping bag, water bottle and personal toiletries and medications.
For my comprehensive gear list, refer to the Freewheeling Kiwi Nepal Gear List Page.
Currency on Everest Base Camp Trek
Local Currency for Everest Base Camp Trek
Nepalese Rupees.
Nepalese Rupees
Difficulty Level of Everest Base Camp Trek
Difficulty Level of Everest Base Camp Trek
The Everest Base Camp Trek Difficulty level is generally considered to be of moderate to challenging difficulty. It demands good physical fitness due to the long days of walking and the significant altitude gain, reaching up to 5,364 meters at the Base Camp. The trek involves navigating varied terrain, including rough paths, rocky areas, and steep ascents and descents.
The risk of altitude sickness is a key concern, making proper acclimatisation essential. Trekkers typically spend 10-14 days on the trail, with daily trekking times ranging from 4 to 8 hours. Adequate preparation, including cardiovascular and strength training, along with appropriate gear for cold and unpredictable weather, is crucial for a successful trek.
Khumbu Glacier, Gorakshep, Everest Base Camp, Nepal
What is the Cost of Everest Base Camp Trek
What is the Cost of Everest Base Camp Trek
The Everest Base Camp Trek cost ranges from $1,499 to USD 1,600 per person, all-inclusive. This price typically covers permits, accommodations, meals, guide services, and transportation, ensuring a comprehensive trekking experience.
Join Me at Everest Base Camp
Join Me at Everest Base Camp
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Whenever a group of hikers gather around, the conversation soon turns to food and the Everest Base Camp trekkers are no different. One of the delights of this trek is the variety and abundance of food available particularly when you consider that nearly everything is physically carried in either by porter, yak or mule train.