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Everest Base Camp Travel Tips

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Trek from Rongbuk (5154m) to Everest Base Camp (5200m):

The best time to trek to EBC is in April to end of May and September to November. Trek from Rongbuk to EBC (8km) is part of the classic trek from Tingri to Everest Base Camp. The trek takes about 2 or 3 hours. If you stay at a tent guesthouse between the Rongbuk Monastery and EBC, it only takes about one hour to get the EBC as it is only 4 km.

Actually, the full trekking route is from Tingri to EBC. The trek takes around 3 nights and 4 days. It enjoys the best travel route to EBC. To trek in a high altitude area is quite hard. You need all kinds of trekking equipment, and a tour guide. You need to cook and live in the wild. Tibet Vista can provide you all the equipment, experienced tour guide and other supports.

Cycling to EBC from Lhasa (713km) :

It takes about six days to cycle from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp. The journey will pass 8 mountains with an average altitude of above 4000m. And they are Gampala pass (4978m), Karola mountain (5039m), Shimla Mountain (4352m), Nameless Mountain (4058m), Longnongla Pass (4534m), Jiacuola Mountain (5248m), Gawula Pass (5208m), EBC(5200m).

Bus to Everest Base Camp:

In order to protect the environment there, private cars and tourist buses are not allowed to be driven to the Everest Base Camp. Instead, unlike the EBC on Nepal’s side where tourists can only trek to there, tourists in Tibet can trek or use eco-van (120 CNY, upated June 25,2019) to reach EBC, and on the way you will pass Rongbuk Monastery, the world’s highest monastery in the world.The road to Everest is off road about 104km from the main road which is Sino-friendship highway. Though it’s off road but it’s quite broad and also it’s safe to drive.

Four wheel drive vehicles are best to drive to Everest road. There is a parking lot over there at Everest base camp. Parking fees over there is 5yuan per car per night.You have to be well prepared from Tingri for your vehicle gas because there is no gas station up there in Everest base camp.

Travel Documents Needed for Everest Base Camp tour:

To be able to travel Everest Base Camp you need both Tibet Travel Permit, and Alien’s Travel Permit to visit EBC which your guide will go to get it from Shigatse Police Department.

Weather at Everest Base Camp:

The best time to travel to Everest Base Camp is from April to June and Sept to Nov when there is no rain and cloud. August is the best season to travel to Tibet due to the warm climate, but not the best time to visit the Mount Everest. it rains a lot at the Everest region and you cannot see the Everest peak as it might be covered by mist. Winter actually also offers great chance to see the Mt. Everest since there is no much wind and cloud.

Weather at Everest is changeable but there is no snow storm. Almost every season it is cold except in summer, during day time it is a bit warm but you still have to take warm clothes and in winter you must need warm gloves and hat.

Winter Tour in EBC:

Yes, you can travel to EBC in winter. Without much wind and cloud, winter is actually one of the best seasons to see the Everest, ignoring the cold weather. You should pack very warm clothing and warm hat and glove. If you have sleeping bag you should bring it with you. It's very cold up there at night. Besides, actually touring Tibet in winter has many benefits, you can avoid the annoying crowds during high season and enjoy many discounts as to transportation, accommodation, etc.

The best place to take pictures of Everest is a small hill above EBC and best panoramic picture can be taken from Gawula Pass which is on the way from Tingri to Everest Base Camp. If you want to see the sunrise of Himalaya Mountains at the Gyawu la pass, you need to stay at Tingri the day before and get up every early to drive up to the pass. And the best time to get shoot is in spring and autumn. If you go there in summer for photography purpose, you may get disappointed after staying there for many days as it is the rainy season.

The accurate time of the sunrise or sunset is different from seasons. It is best to consult staff of local hotels. For instance, the sunset time in June is around 9:00 pm.Besides, If you are a photographer and you want to stay for few days you don’t need to pay extra for tickets but for hotel and bus you have to pay every time.

If you want to enjoy Mt. Everest without travelling to EBC, you can see Mt. Everest in distance at Shekar and Old Tingri if the weather is good enough. These two places are located by the Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway.

Hotel at Everest Base Camp:

There is only one Hotel up there near Rongbuk monastery which is known as Everest View hotel, offering twin rooms at basic standard, but without shower. And there is a guest house which is under Rongbuk monastery. The guest house only offers very simple beds and food.

You'd better have mental preparation for the dreadful toilet at Everest Base Camp

You will not able to rent tent up there but there are lots of tent hotels on the way from Rongbuk Monastery to the Everest Base Camp. They are run by local people, offering accommodation and food.There are public toilets available up there but it’s not too clean.

Food Available at Everest Base Camp:

In summer, almost all kind of meals are available but they are not that delicious given the remote location and very basic facilities and food supply. You can also get western food and don’t expect much. In most cases, you can get boiled water. In winter, food is not so sufficient and might be available only at the Rongbuk Monastery as other restaurants are closed in the low season.

Oxygen Supply at Everest Base Camp:

Yes, you can get oxygen supplies mainly through portable oxygen bottles. In fact, our tour guide will prepare oxygen supply bottles and blood oxygen saturation level metering device in advance and throughout the tour, our well-trained guide will follow the health condition of each tourist.

Hospital or Clinic at Everest Base Camp:

There is no doctor and hospital or clinic up there. If you suffer from altitude sickness or other disease there, our guide will help you leave there as soon as possible and go to the nearest town or city for timely treatment. Each year, Tibet Vista will hold Tibet tour safety seminar and invite doctors to give lectures to our guides.

Age limit for Everest Base Camp (EBC) Tour:

For elders it depends on your health and on what altitude you stay usually. Generally speaking, for seniors those who are above 80 it’s not so safe to go up there to Everest base camp. However, there are some exceptional cases. Anne Gentry( wearing red pants in the middle in the photo below), who is humorous and passionate about life, is a 84-year-old lady and the our oldest clients who made it to Everest Base Camp(5200m) with her daughter who is at the age of 60 in May of 2016.

And also those who are too young, let’s say below age of 7, it’s also not so safe because up there its 5200m of altitude, which your lungs couldn’t able to bear it. It is better to consult your doctor before getting there.

Rongbuk Glaciers around Everest Base Camp:

You will not able to see Rongbuk Glaciers from EBC and you need special permits to go to there. It is regarded as mountaineering when one goes to a place higher than the EBC, like Rongbuk glaciers and Advanced Base Camp (ABC), and a mountaineering permit is required.

The permit is issued by Tibet Mountaineering Association. The cost on mountaineering activity in Tibet is quite expensive because you have to pay the permit and the professional support. It takes around 3 days to get to Rongbuk Glaciers from the EBC and 2 days to the ABC. And you will not able to go there with EBC tickets.

People Who Can’t Travel to Everest Base Camp:

Theoretically, All kinds of people can visit Everest, even disabled can also travel up there. However, given the extreme altitude at EBC (5200m) and most part of Tibet, if someone with the follow problems, for their safety concerns, they are not suggest travelling to Tibet, let along to EBC. For example people with heart disease, severe arrhythmia, hypertension, cranial vascular diseases, emphysema, etc. Meanwhile, small children under the age of 7 are not proper for the Everest Base Camp tour.

Post Office at Everest Base Camp:

Yes, there is a post office at Everest Base camp which is china post and also you can get stamp of Everest over there.

Bank or ATM during Everest Base Camp tour:

Since there is no ATM up there, the nearest place where you can withdraw money from an ATM is Shigatse City located on the way from Lhasa to EBC.

Electricity and Electronic Devices Recharge at Everest Base Camp:

At Everest Base Camp, solar power is used, but the power is not enough to charge your phones and cameras so you better be prepared from previous city or town like Tingri or Shigatse or you can prepare spare batteries. Besides, it is best to prepare two prongs adapter when travelling in Tibet.

Phone Use at Everest Base Camp:

If you have your own phone that can make international call then you can use it but the signal is not so good when it’s windy. For pro mountaineers, International Maritime Satellite Telephone Service is also available for Mt. Everest climbing or when emergency occurs.

Entrance Fee to Everest Base Camp:

Ticket to enter Mt. Everest Nature Reserve is at around 90-180 CNY (off season ---high season)

Shopping at Everest Base Camp:

Yes, there are small shops at every tent hotel and some of them accept US dollars.

Smoking at Everest Base Camp:

It’s not so safe to smoke up there on EBC because there is not much oxygen up there.