Everest Base Camp Trek - Expedition Departures

What's Included

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

• Sleeping mattress whilst camping

• Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)

• Trekking permit and national park fees

• Trekking map (provided locally)

• Exodus kitbag 

• All breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners 

• Morning bed-tea on trek

• Welcome drink at each overnight lodge

• 3 nights standard hotels, 12 nights teahouses and 2 nights full-service camping

• All transport and listed activities

• Arrival and departure transfers

• Full porterage throughout trek

• Meals

  17 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners.

• All breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners Morning bed-tea on trekWelcome drink at each overnight lodge3 nights standard hotels, 12 nights teahouses and 2 nights full-service campingAll transport and listed activitiesTour leader throughout, plus local staff

• — All breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners — Morning bed-tea on trek — Welcome drink at each overnight lodge — 3 nights standard hotels, 12 nights teahouses and 2 nights full-service camping — All transport and listed activities — Tour leader thr

What's Not Included

• Hire package incl. down jacket and sleeping bag from £72

• ) 

• Sleeping bag (hire in advance from £63

• Down jacket (hire in advance from £63

• Travel insurance

• Single accommodation (available on request, Kathmandu only)

• Visas and vaccinations

• )

• Travel insuranceSingle accommodation (available on request, Kathmandu only)Visas and vaccinationsSleeping bag (hire in advance from £63

• )Down jacket (hire in advance from £63

• — Travel insurance — Single accommodation (available on request, Kathmandu only) — Visas and vaccinations — Sleeping bag (hire in advance from £63

• ) — Down jacket (hire in advance from £63

• ) —

Food

All breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners are included.



In the teahouses breakfast will comprise of a choice of bread (a slice of toast, chapatti or Tibetan bread), a choice of egg (boiled, fried or omelette), and a choice between either muesli or porridge each day. Hot tea/coffee will also be served. On specific 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 - these options are not available in all teahouses and so we have only included them in locations where they can be guaranteed.



Lunch will be 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 will be in the same teahouse that 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 some curried lentil dhal and meat or vegetables, some rice, and a pickle/chutney. Another popular snack is momos; a type of Nepalese dumpling, fried or steamed, filled with meat or vegetables.



Although meat is available in the teahouses, we advise against eating it on trek. The meat has often been carried in the heat from lower altitudes 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.



If you have a gluten free diet, then we strongly recommend you bring some extra food and snacks with you to supplement the food on trek as there will be little variety available for you, particularly for breakfast. Even many of the soups are powdered and contain gluten. Gluten free breakfast options will be limited to vegetable fried rice and a choice of egg, and on specific days only, a trekkers breakfast (without the toast / with an extra egg) will be served. Breakfast options for vegans will be limited to a choice of muesli/porridge with water each day, and on specific days only, a trekkers breakfast (without the egg), or vegetable fried rice will be served. If you are lactose intolerant as opposed to vegan then the same will apply although you will also have a choice of egg each day.



If you buy imported food and drink whilst 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 3-4 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 approx. Rs150-300 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 up as a hot water bottle.



Alternatively, all teahouses will provide cold water free of charge, if requested. Although this should not be drunk untreated, we recommend that you bring a reusable bottle with you and use an effective form of water treatment. There are a wide range of products available these days which are more effective than the traditional purification tablets - 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).



Handheld UV filters such as a ‘SteriPEN’ are very effective, can treat 1 litre of water in a couple of minutes and the water is ready immediately – look for lightweight lithium battery models and remember that you will need to bring a wide-mouthed bottle (e.g. Nalgene) for use with these devices.



There are also an array of water filter and purifier bottles on the market but be wary of their weight, bottles with a small capacity and the products performance in freezing conditions. Exodus has partnered with Water-to-Go, a filtration system that eliminates over 99.99% of all microbiological contaminants from any non-salt water source – please visit Water-to-Go for more information. Exodus customers can claim 15% off your first order, and better still, 15% of the purchase value will be donated to the Exodus Travels Foundation. Please note that 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 comfortable hotel in Kathmandu, 12 nights in lodges (teahouses) and two nights full-service camping at Everest Base Camp.



In Kathmandu, we usually stay at the Hotel Royal Singi, a four-star hotel within walking distance of the Thamel district. There is a restaurant, bar, outdoor courtyard and complimentary wifi throughout. There is an Exodus desk in the lobby and an Exodus representative is usually available daily in the mornings and evenings.



Teahouses on this trip are basic but adequate. The hub of teahouse living is the dining room, usually decorated with colourful, traditional rugs, sometimes with a stove or heater (some lodges charge a fee to put the heater on). 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, and your leader will not offer this to you. Most teahouses sell snacks and other essentials such as tissues, soap and toilet paper. Almost all lodges have electricity, but it is not wholly reliable and lighting may not be bright enough to read by – a torch is essential. Charging facilities are generally available only 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.



We book twin-share bedrooms throughout this trek. Beds with foam mattresses, bedsheets and a pillow are provided. Bedrooms are unheated and can get cold at night so you will need to bring or hire a sleeping bag.



Most lodges have only one or two basic toilets and sometimes these are outside the main lodge building. Toilets are usually squat-style toilets, 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 now have hot ‘showers’ (charged at approximately 250-500 rupees/US$1.90-US$3.80 per shower). Sometimes a hot shower 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.



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.



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 teahouse, you can pay locally on a day-by-day basis.