Everest Base Camp Trek - Expedition Departures

What's Included

• All breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners

• Morning bed-tea on trek

• Welcome drink at each overnight lodge

• Three nights standard hotels, 13 nights teahouses and 1 night full-service camping

• All transport and listed activities

• Tour leader throughout, plus local staff (staff to client ratio of 1:4 on trek)

• Free arrival and departure transfers for everyone

• Full porterage throughout trek

• Sleeping mattress while camping

• Exodus kitbag

• Four-season sleeping bag and down jacket hire, available on request

• Trekking permit and national park fees

What's Not Included

• Travel insurance

• Single accommodation (available on request, Kathmandu only)

• Visas and vaccinations

Food

All breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners are included.



In the teahouses, breakfast will be a choice of bread (a slice of toast, chapatti or Tibetan bread), egg (boiled, fried or omelette), and either muesli or porridge each day. Hot tea/coffee is also served. On some days, there will not be a choice for breakfast and either a trekkers breakfast (egg, hash brown, baked beans and toast) or a pancake with jam/honey will be served. You may also be able to supplement your included breakfast with additional items on the teahouse menu should you wish – additional items not included in the set menu should be ordered and paid for separately.



Please note, some more remote teahouses/lodges are unable to provide an extensive menu due to irregular delivery schedules. During periods of bad weather or a high volume of trekkers, there may be a more limited menu choice. Also, the menus and extras are generally more expensive at higher altitudes.



Lunches are taken at a teahouse en route – sometimes one of your guides will go ahead with the group’s order to make it more expedient. Dinner is in the same teahouse you sleep at (this is custom in Nepal as teahouses base their room rate on it).



Although most lodges have almost identical menus, they are reasonably extensive and offer a varied selection, ranging from traditional Nepalese dhal bhat to pizza and apple pie. Dhal bhat is the staple diet in Nepal and comes in many different forms but generally comprises curried lentils and meat or vegetables, some rice, and a pickle/chutney. Another popular snack is momos: a Nepalese dumpling (fried or steamed) that’s filled with meat or vegetables.



Meat is available in the teahouses but we advise against eating it. Meat is often carried in the heat for several days before reaching the lodges and can cause stomach upsets or illness. Germs can also be spread by handling dirty money – we recommend using hand sanitiser.



Dietary requirements



Gluten-free diets: We strongly recommend you bring extra food and snacks with you to supplement the food on trek as there will be little variety available to you, particularly for breakfast. Even many of the soups are powdered and contain gluten. Gluten-free breakfast options are limited to vegetable fried rice and a choice of egg. On specific days only, a trekkers breakfast (without the toast/with an extra egg) will be served.



Vegan diets: Breakfasts are limited to a choice of muesli/porridge made with water each day, and on specific days only, a trekkers breakfast (without the egg) or vegetable fried rice.



Lactose-free diet: The same will apply although you will also have a choice of egg each day.



If you buy imported food and drink on trek, you will spend more than the suggested amount.



Drinking water



Staying hydrated is important when undertaking any physical activity but particularly so at altitude where it is generally recommended to drink at least 0.7gal to 1gal (three to four litres) per person per day.



We strongly encourage you not to buy bottled water on trek as this contributes to the growing problem of plastic pollution in Nepal.



The teahouses sell boiled water for approximately 150-300 Nepalese rupees (US$1.15-US$2.30) per litre (the price increases the higher you trek), which should not require treating. This is also perfect for a bedtime refill as it can double as a hot-water bottle.



Alternatively, all teahouses provide free cold water. This should not be drunk untreated, so we recommend you bring a reusable bottle/water bladder/CamelBak (ideally two and wide mouth) and use an effective form of water treatment. There are a wide range of products available including Steripens or purification tablets, which are the quickest and easiest options to use on trek – we recommend talking to an outdoor retailer for the latest advice as technologies are improving all the time. Make sure to check the product’s performance in cold/freezing conditions and consider battery life (lithium batteries are best in cold conditions).



Exodus has partnered with Water-to-Go, a filtration system that eliminates more than 99.99 percent of all microbiological contaminants from any non-saltwater source – visit Water-to-Go for more information. Exodus customers can claim 15 percent off their first order and, better still, 15 percent of the purchase value will be donated to the Exodus Travels Foundation. These bottles filter the water as you drink, though the spout may not be the most efficient while moving on trek. Please note, if the water freezes it will clog up the filter. In this event, defrost before use by sitting the filter in lukewarm water for 10-15 minutes.

Accommodation

This tour spends three nights in a hotel in Kathmandu, 13 nights in lodges (teahouses) and one nights full-service camping at Everest Base Camp. Mattresses are provided for the two camping nights and you sleep in tents pitched on the glacial moraine. There is a dining tent with chairs and a basic heater, toilet tents and full camp staff. All food and hot drinks, snacks and water are provided while camping.



Hotel Royal Singi, Kathmandu







The Hotel Royal Singi, a three-star hotel, has been welcoming Exodus travellers for more than two decades. The name is inspired by the Snow Lion, a mythical creature in Tibetan Buddhism, which symbolises immense joy, positivity, delight and comfort. The hotel embraces the name with a restaurant, bar, outdoor courtyard, and complimentary wifi throughout. There’s also an Exodus desk in the lobby and an Exodus representative is usually available daily in the mornings and evenings. The Royal Singi is well located near the Thamel district, close to banks, restaurants, shops and attractions.



Teahouses in the Everest region



Staying in teahouses is a time-honoured tradition for expeditions to Everest Base Camp and, in fact, most hiking trips within the Himalaya. They may be basic, but teahouses become a welcome sight after a day of hiking through the region. The hub of teahouse living is the dining room, which is usually decorated with colourful, traditional rugs, sometimes with a stove or heater (some lodges charge a fee to put the heater on). Most teahouses sell snacks and other essentials such as tissues, soap and toilet paper.



We stay in twin-share bedrooms, which come with foam mattresses, bedsheets and a pillow. Remember to bring (or hire) a sleeping bag, rooms are unheated so can get cold at night.



Below are a couple of the teahouses we typically use en route.



Green Tara Hotel, Namche Bazaar







The Green Tara Hotel is one of our most popular teahouses on the Everest trail, offering cosy accommodation and warm hospitality. The comforts of a hot shower, delicious Sherpa cuisine and a snug dining space allow you to relax during your stay. The restaurant, wifi, charging ports and warm lounge enhance your experience, while the breathtaking views of Namche Bazaar and Himalaya mountains certainly leave a lasting memory.



Ama Dablam Lodge







One of our most-liked lodges in the Everest region, with an amazing view to Ama Dablam (we usually have breakfast on the terrace looking across to this beautiful mountain). You will also enjoy true Sherpa hospitality here thanks to Tashi Sherpa and her family. Tashi also runs a bakery, so make sure you try her famous fresh apple pie and homemade cookies.



Worth knowing



Some teahouses above 9,845ft (3,000m) may not be heated due to local environmental restrictions. Occasionally, kerosene burners can be used to heat common areas if requested. We recommend against using these due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Your leader will not offer this to you.

Almost all teahouses have electricity, but it is not wholly reliable and lighting may not be bright enough to read by – a torch (flashlight) is essential. Charging facilities are generally only available in the dining room (charged at approximately 200-500 Nepalese rupees/US$1.50-US$3.80 per hour per device). Many of the lodges use solar power, so sometimes there is not enough electricity for charging. Many lodges have wifi, though it can be slow and temperamental.

Most lodges have only one or two basic toilets and sometimes these are outside the main building. Toilets are usually squat-style, although many lodges have now installed seated ones. Toilet paper is not provided, so you should bring your own or buy it locally (please dispose of it in the bin provided). If there is not a flush handle, there should be a container of water to pour down – if it is empty (or frozen), please refill it or ask the lodge to.

Some lodges have hot ‘showers’ (charged at approximately 250-500 rupees/US$1.90-US$3.80 per shower). Sometimes this is simply a bucket of hot water.

Standards of cleanliness vary, especially in the peak trekking season and in winter when the water freezes at night. Please report any problems to your leader or the lodge and be vigilant in your personal hygiene regime – use soap or hand sanitiser gel before and after toilet breaks, snacks and mealtimes.

Generally, the higher the altitude, the more basic the lodges and the more expensive food and services.



Extra accommodation



If you require additional accommodation in Kathmandu, either before or after the tour, we can book this for you (subject to availability). Please enquire with your sales representative.



Single accommodation



If you prefer your own room, we offer a single supplement for the hotel nights in Kathmandu only (subject to availability). While in the teahouses, single rooms cannot be guaranteed so these have not been included in the single supplement price paid in advance. However, if a single room is available on arrival to a tea-house, you can pay locally on a day-by-day basis.