Food & Accommodation at Everest Base Camp Trek

Want to have any idea about the meal and accommodation at Everest before trekking? When you visit a place, food and staying are the thoughts that arise in mind. What kind of meals is available? What type of rooms is available? Will it be affordable or within the estimated budget for trekking? A trekker is always concerned about the meals and accommodation during a visit to any place. It is a natural urge to know about the place where you will be staying during the entire trek. Meals and Accommodation are an important part of a trek.

There are different types of accommodation that are well-maintained en route to Everest Base Camp depending upon the budget, availability, location, and choice. Tents, Tea houses, Homestays, Lodges, Guest Houses, and Hotels are the accommodation facilities available with basic amenities. It is also to keep in mind that the amenities might be limited as you go up to the higher elevations. Meals are usually provided at the place where you stay. Since the trekking trail of Everest Base Camp is well-established for ages, all the accommodations provide a good standard of coziness and sanitation.

Namche Bazaar is the busiest place in the Everest region for trade and business. Also, it is the gateway to Mount Everest. So you can even get 5-star hotels, restaurants with a wide menu of different international cuisines and ATMs, banks, communication, and cyber facilities. As you go up higher, At Tengboche or Dingboche, the standard of hotels will be basic but with all the facilities. Then at Pheriche or Gorakshep, the accommodation facilities become limited. Any trekking packages like Everest Panorama trekking, Gokyo Valley Trek, Three High Passes Trek, etc. will be through these villages. So you must be known these basic facts about the meals and accommodation facilities while prompting Everest Base Camp Trek.

Accommodation at Tea Houses

Tea houses are quite similar to the homestay but nowadays due to improvements, tea houses can be considered mini-guest houses or mini-lodges. Tea houses are easily available en route to Everest Base Camp and are becoming famous among trekkers. But the amenities and facilities differ depending on the altitude. At the lower altitude, there are fully furnished rooms with basic facilities like electricity, western type of toilets with attached bathroom and 24-hour service of the hot shower, etc. But as you get near Everest Base Camp, the teahouses sometime provide a bucket of lukewarm water for bathing. Also, the type of toilet might be changed to the squat – type of toilet. It is also a possibility that you might have to share the toilet or bathrooms and even bathe under outdoor taps.

It is always twin-basis accommodation on the EBC Trekking trail but single rooms are also available with additional cost. Normally there are wooden beds with simple mattresses or foam, a pillow, and sheets provided during all the seasons other than winter. Blankets will be given during the cool weather or winter season as it is freezing temperature, especially at night. Some teahouses even provide some basic furniture like tables, chairs, shelves, hooks, etc. As your privacy and security are always the topmost priority, a padlock is always provided while sleeping at night.

Accommodation at Hotels/Lodges

When we say of hotels or lodges, hotels or lodges are a bit luxurious in comparison to tea houses. But still budget plays an important role here too. The rooms are more spacious with comfortable beddings with electric blankets, Wi-Fi or internet services, hot showers, attached bathrooms or toilets, etc. If budget is not a problem, it is always best to stay in luxurious lodges or hotels with exceptional services.

Camping or Tent Accommodation

Want to be adventurous? Camping or Tent accommodation adds some flavor to your trekking to the EBC trail. Generally, such camping accommodation is usually used on remote trekking routes like Kanchenjunga, Dolpo, Dhaulagiri, etc. But it doesn’t mean you can do a camping trek on the EBC route. It is just that tea houses or lodges or hotels facility are easily available on the trail to Everest Base Camp. Anyway, Camping or Tent accommodation is always an extra spice to the extraordinary experience of Everest Base Camp.

Accommodation at Lukla

Lukla is the entry point or the gateway for Everest region trekking. The world-famous most dangerous Lukla airport is situated at such a height that the flight to Lukla is always scary but the sceneries during the mountain flight will ease you and comfort you to forget the fear. The other name of Lukla airport is Tenzing-Hillary Airport. It is a small beautiful hamlet of mainly Sherpa people at the base of giant Himalayas and mountains. The accommodations here are much better facilities than those in the higher elevations, hence sometimes the cost is high to stay in Lukla. That is also one of the reasons why most trekkers prefer straight away to Phakding for an overnight stay.

Accommodation at Phakding

Phakding is another beautiful village after Lukla. Dudh Koshi River is an attraction of Phakding village. There are tea houses, guest houses, or lodges built on both sides of the river. The accommodation is feasible here at Phakding with almost all the basic facilities available. If you want to opt for a bit more cozy and comfortable hotels, there are luxurious ones available. As the flights from Kathmandu arrive at Lukla in the morning hours, many trekkers will come here and stay to cut short the traveling period as well as to minimize the expense of accommodation.

Accommodation at Namche Bazar

Namche Bazaar, the popular business center of Khumbu or the Everest region, is also known as the gateway to Everest. The accommodation facilities here are even five-star. Depending upon your budget, you can get here a variety of good food even international cuisines, bakeries, cafes, and rooftop restaurants too. Trekkers stay at Namche Bazaar generally for 2 to 3 days for acclimatization. It is a very relaxing place to spend some real quality time. Everest View Hotel is the world’s highest-altitude 5-star hotel. During your stay here, you can explore the nearby villages by arranging for a short hike.

Accommodation at Tengboche

Tengboche is the next destination after Namche Bazaar which is famous for Tengboche Monastery which lies at 3,867 m. above sea level. Tengboche Monastery is considered to be the largest monastery in the Everest/Khumbu region. Counting on fingers, only a few hotels are here in Tengboche but the trails of teahouses with basic facilities start here onwards. Some teahouses have rooms with attached bathrooms and hot showers. The trekkers prefer here to stay during EBC trekking just to attend the morning prayers at the Tengboche monastery. The view of the mountains and the surrounding Khumbu region is awesome. After attending the prayers, the trekkers will continue their further journey to Everest Base Camp. Some cafes and pizza houses are here but the food will be a little bit expensive.

Accommodation at Dingboche

Sometimes trekkers stay here when the hotels or teahouses are packed at Tengboche. Dingboche is another main stop on the way to Everest for accommodation and acclimatization for at least two days. The stunning view of Mt. Ama Dablam from Dingboche is the highlight of the EBC trek. Here you can find dozens of hotels and especially tea houses that are extensions of the home of the families, quite similar to the homestay. So during the peak season of EBC trekking, the trekkers sometimes share rooms with the family. It is also the residential region of the Khumbu region at the highest altitude. A countable number of shops, a bakery, and an internet café are available here.

Accommodation at Lobuche

Lobuche is a major stop by our last overnight stop at Everest Base Camp Trekking. Several teahouses are available but with basic amenities. It is obvious, that during peak season; there might be situations where you have to share rooms. The teahouses are comfortable but still do not expect more than a bed with a pillow and bed sheet. If you get a woolen blanket, please consider yourself lucky.

Accommodation at Gorak Shep

Gorak Shep is the final stop before arriving at Everest Base Camp. There are only four tea houses with basic facilities. Hence, during the peak season, trekkers need to share rooms or sleep even in the dining room. But the advantage of sleeping in the dining room is that it is warmer until the fire is down.

Some FAQs about Accommodation and Food during Everest Base Camp Trekking

1. What is the range of prices for accommodations in the EBC trek?

? The prices for the teahouses or guesthouses depend on the location, the altitude, and the time of the year of travel. During the peak season i.e. Autumn and Spring you have to make extra cash with you and might have to pay a high rate than that in the off-season. The general price would be $5 to $25 per night. The prices have a maximum fluctuation depending upon the availability too.

2. Are the teahouses on the EBC trail open all year-round?

? The tea houses in some regions of Everest Base Camp are accessible the whole year. But some of them situated at the higher elevations might be closed during the winter as the weather conditions get unfavorable. So, if there are any plans to explore the Everest region during the winter months, please make sure the tea houses are open or not.

3. Is the hot shower available or not?

? Yes, the hot shower is available but it is not so easy. During the trekking to Everest Base Camp, it is advisable to avoid daily showers as you might get flu or catch colds possibly leading to altitude sickness. Hot Showers at Namche Bazaar are free of cost but as you go on, you might have to a little amount for them.

4. What kinds of meals are provided during Everest Base Camp trekking?

? Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner all three standard meals are available en route to EBC. There is usually pancake, egg, mashed potatoes, toast, juice, tea, etc. on the breakfast menu that might cost around $10 - $15.

? Lunch and Dinner include traditional Nepalese food, Mo: Mo, Noodles, Spaghetti, Pizza, Sandwich, Macaroni, Pasta, Fried Rice (Veg or non-veg), Streak, etc. It also might cost around $10 - $15.

? It is always advisable to avoid meats at higher elevations. Vegetarian food items are more hygienic and preferable.

Final Thoughts

Everest Region is as always booming for trekking. Even after the disparaging earthquake of 2015, Everest Trekking has immediately caught up with the safety and accessibility of the trekkers for trekking to Everest. The construction of teahouses, lodges, or hotels is still ongoing with earthquake-resistant technologies for providing maximum safety and almost all the basic facilities to the trekkers. Please keep in mind to respect always the local cultures and traditions. Since you are traveling to higher altitudes, it is better to update yourself with the weather conditions. The weather alteration is very common at this level of elevation. And if you are confused regarding the EBC trek, please hire a guide. Step on Himalaya is always ready to help you out with any kind of assistance, all kinds of EBC packages, and offer various other adventurous packages.