The 3 Best Everest Trekking Packages in Nepal

Nepal, the country known for Mt Everest (8849m/29032ft), and the Himalaya is a true trekking paradise! With its many different trekking regions, the one that stands on top of them all is naturally the Everest trekking region. Ambition Himalaya Treks & Expeditions wants to help you choose between the 3 best Everest trekking packages in Nepal. Since the time of legendary mountaineers Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay many trekkers have flocked to this trekking region in Nepal in search for adventure and exploration of the Himalaya! But, with its many different trails and routes, which are the best trekking packages you can book in Nepal?

In our humble opinion, any trek in the Everest region is worth it! And all of them offer different mountain views, cultural experiences, and a great outdoor adventure. But if we were to choose 3 of the best trekking packages you can book in the Everest region we choose the most rewarding and popular ones. The 3 best Everest trekking packages in Nepal are;

The Everest Base Camp trek
The Gokyo Lake trek
The Everest High Passes trek

So what is so special about these treks in the Everest region that makes them the 3 best Everest trekking packages? Well besides being the most popular ones, these 3 treks near Mt Everest also have many variations and can be made shorter or longer even! Besides that these 3 best treks in the Everest region also have the best highlights, they offer the best mountain and Himalayan views and show you the best of the entire Himalayas during a single trek! Ambition Himalaya Treks & Expeditions will give you a detailed explanation about each trek as well as their variations, difficulty, and general info.

What are the main highlights of trekking in the Everest region?

Every trek comes with its set of highlights and places of interest. During a trek to Everest Base Camp, you’ll be able to enjoy multiple of these. And the first highlight occurs actually before the trek even starts! A short flight from Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city takes you to the world’s 38th highest airport at Lukla (2840m/9318ft). Only a few selected pilots are allowed to fly here and the views as well as the landing are just incredible! Once on the trek during your second day, we’ll be entering the Sagarmatha National Park, also known as the Everest National Park. It’s a gateway at Monjo serves also as a trekking permit check post.

For the first part of the trek since it’s still at a lower elevation the trail heads through lush forest along the iconic Dudh Khosi River. Once higher the tree line starts to disappear and the trail takes you to Namche Bazaar village (3440m/11286ft). Located just on the mountains ridge, and shaped as a U form or Horse Shoe shape this famous Sherpa village is another major highlight during the Everest Base Camp trek. Every trek in the Everest region uses this village as an acclimatization point to avoid the risk of getting AMS, or Acute Mountain Sickness. Namche Bazaar has many sightseeing places such as the Sherpa Museum, the viewpoint above the village, countless cozy guesthouses, restaurants and shops, and a pharmacy! There is even a German Bakery serving delicious pastries and donuts!

During the acclimatization day, we go for a day hike and check out some other places of interest. One of them is the world-famous Everest View Hotel in Syangboche. This hotel, known as the world’s highest elevated luxury hotel offers its guests splendid views of the Himalayas from an altitude of 3880m/12730ft! From here you’ll be able to see your first nice views of Mt Everest, Mt Nuptse, Mt Lhotse, Mt Thamserku, and Mt Ama Dablam. Depending on the time another highlight is just a short hike away from Syangboche. At a lower elevation in a small depression between the mountains is a small village called Khumjung. Here Sir Edmund Hillary opened a school to support the local community. Starting with only two classrooms the school is still serving the community today, with a pre-, primary, and secondary school offering a place to study and develop for 350 children! Kumjung also has a special monastery where it is said a real Yeti skull can be seen.

The Everest Base Camp trek has more highlights to offer its trekkers! The Tengboche Monastery, an acclimatization hike up the Nagarjung Peak, and trekking along the mighty Khumbu Glacier are all still to come. But the main highlights of the Everest Base Camp trek are a breathtaking sunrise view over the Himalayas from the black hill known as Kala Patthar (also the highest point of the trek at 5644m/18517ft) and of course a visit to Everest Base Camp itself. Most of these highlights are included in all these 3 best Everest trekking packages. These are the main highlights if you choose to trek the Everest Base Camp trek.

The Everest Base Camp trek:

Undoubtedly the most popular of the 3 best Everest trekking packages in Nepal is the world-famous Everest Base Camp trek! This trek is booked every year by trekkers aiming to reach as close as possible to the highest mountain in the world. Originally the trek started from the village of Salleri or Jiri located in the lower Everest region. Now the Everest Base Camp trek can be done in a shorter duration saving you a lot of budget via flying directly to Lukla and starting the trek from there. With the trails every year being updated the Everest Base Camp trek offers a pleasant and unique experience to all its visitors!

What are the different types of treks you can book for the Everest Base Camp trek?

As mentioned before the Everest Base Camp trek has many different variations to start and complete the trek. You can choose between slightly different routes offering other vantage points, and between trails that take less time to complete the trek. Ambition Himalaya has an option for every type of trekker, whether you are on a tight budget, or short on time but still want to visit Everest Base Camp (EBC)! Check out these variations of the Everest Base Camp trek as one of the 3 best Everest trekking packages in Nepal.

The Everest Base Camp trek 17 days

This is the most popular of all Everest Base Camp trekking packages! In this package, you’ll trek the standard trail from Lukla to Base Camp and back, but also has a sightseeing day in Kathmandu and an extra day for leisure included.Click here for more information.

The Everest Base Camp trek 14 days

Similar to the 17-day Everest Base Camp trek this package offers the same except for sightseeing and an extra day in Kathmandu saving you some budget upon booking the Everest Base Camp trek. Do note that flights to Lukla can get delayed especially during the high season. As there is no extra day included within this package we do recommend planning at least one additional day on your trip.

The Everest Base Camp short trek 12 days

Also known as the budget Everest Base Camp short trek, this package starts from Kathmandu and ends back upon your return to Kathmandu from Lukla. By cutting your arrival and departure days, as well as a sightseeing day and extra day, the total package price drastically drops down making the Everest Base Camp trek more affordable to budget trekkers. View more

The Everest Base Camp short trek 10 days

Visit Everest Base Camp without any acclimatization days, and head straight on with a 10-day trek through the Everest region. While acclimatization is important Ambition Himalaya has organized this Everest Base Camp short trek of 10 days with the utmost care. During this short trek to EBC, you’ll still be able to enjoy the views as well as save time and budget!

The classical Jiri to Everest Base Camp trek 20 days

Follow in the footsteps of the first Everest summiteers and take the original trail up to Base Camp. Starting from Jiri this 20 days trek to Everest Base Camp takes the long but scenic route. From the lower hills of the Solu region up to the high Himalayas of the Khumbu region (Everest region), this classical trek offers the full experience of Everest trekking in Nepal!

How difficult is the Everest Base Camp trek?

Depending on which variation you take of the Everest Base Camp trek the difficulty changes a bit. It does not depend on the duration but rather on the trial itself. For the standard trek of 17 days and 14 days, the difficulty is not that hard. If you are new to trekking you’ll find the trek to Everest Base Camp a bit challenging but doable. Ambition Himalaya has successfully guided trekkers from various age groups through the Himalayas up to Everest Base Camp and back. The best way to enjoy this trek to the highest mountain in the world is to physically prepare before undergoing the trek. This can easily be done from your respective home country by doing cardio and fitness training. If there are higher elevations nearby we also recommend making practice hikes to get used to trekking up and down. Being in shape for the trek works only to your benefit! As it will give you more time to focus on the natural views during the trek.

The Gokyo Lake trek:

Considered the most scenic of all treks in the Everest region, the Gokyo Lake trek deserves a spot amongst the 3 best Everest trekking packages. Known as the world’s highest freshwater lakes the 6 Lakes of Gokyo truly are a sight to see while trekking. Fed by the various Himalayan sources the lakes are interconnected with each other. The biggest of them called Gokyo Cho or locally known as Dudh Pokhari is also where the tourist and scenic Gokyo village is built. At 4750m/15584ft, the entire area is always covered in a blanket of snow and the turquoise waters of Gokyo Lake reflecting the nearby Himalayan peaks make this a top destination in the Everest region! Furthermore, just a short hike from the village is a famous peak called Gokyo Ri (5357m/17575ft). From atop the peak, incredible 360 panoramic views can be seen of the surrounding Himalayas. These include views of the famous over 8000m/26247ft; Mt Everest, Mt Lhotse, Mt Makalu, and the mighty Mt Cho Oyu!

The trek to the lakes of Gokyo diverts from the classical Everest Base Camp trail and heads to the northwest of the region. This allows trekkers to experience different views, as well as see a completely different side of the Everest region. The trail follows the Dudh Khosi upstream deep into the mountains and passing the Ngozumpa Glacier. Yaks, river crossings, incredible views, and trekking on one of the best trekking trails in the Everest region are what the Gokyo Lake trek is all about!

What are the different types of treks you can book for the Gokyo Lake trek?

Yes, even this trek has different variations that you can book. While the standard Gokyo Lake trek takes you only up to the lakes and back. You are trekking in the Everest region. Since you are there anyway why not make a visit to Everest Base Camp as well? That’s where the different variations come in. The trail to EBC and Gokyo is connected via a mountain pass called the Cho La (5420m/17782ft) and if you want to trek to the Gokyo Lakes and visit Everest Base Camp you’ll have to cross this one. It’s easier to first go via Base Camp and then head west over the Cho La Pass towards Gokyo. Check out Ambition Himalaya’s 3 different types of treks that you can book for the Gokyo Lake trek.

The Gokyo Lake trek of 13 days

This is the standard and most commonly booked trek. The trail is straight forward and goes west after acclimatizing in Namche Bazaar. From there on it takes about two days of trekking to reach the Gokyo village. An extra day is spend here for exploration and sightseeing before heading back to Lukla along the same trail. Short and sweet, one of the most popular treks in Nepal! Click here for more information.

The short EBC and Cho La Pass trek of 14 days

Imagine a combination of the short EBC trek without arrival, departure and sightseeing days and the Gokyo Lake trek. This is the short EBC and Cho La Pass trek of 14 days. Saving some days out of your itinerary and trekking packages will also decrease the package price making this trek more affordable while still enjoying the full experience of both treks!

The Cho La Pass with Everest Base Camp trek of 19 days

The Cho La Pass with Everest Base Camp is basically the full version of both treks. Starting with a scenic trek to Gokyo the trail leads on to the east via the Cho La Pass and hops on the Everest Base Camp trail from Lobuche. After visiting Base Camp and seeing that famous sunrise view from Kala Patthar the trek leads back to Lukla via the traditional way. Read more Information

How difficult is the Gokyo Lake trek?

If you just want to do the Gokyo Lake trek the difficulty is quite easy. There are some steep parts during the trek but most is gradually up and down. Now if you want to book one of the variations of the Gokyo Lake trek which include crossing the Cho La Mountain Pass and visiting Everest Base Camp the difficulty becomes a bit more moderate. The trekking days increase as well as the altitude levels compared to the standard Gokyo Lake trek. And while either of these treks can be done by new trekkers, if you wish to enjoy the best of them you best pre work on your cardio and fitness before undertaking them.

The Everest High Passes trek:

The 3 best Everest trekking packages in Nepal are not complete without a full experience of the entire Everest region. For our last trek claiming a spot in the top 3 best Everest treks is the challenging Everest High Passes trek! As the name suggests this trek takes you across the three high altitude mountain passes spread around the Everest region. The Kongma La (5540m/18176ft), the Cho La (5420m/17782ft), and the Renjo La (5360m/17585ft) respectively can be crossed in that order (clockwise trek) or in reverse (counter-clockwise). It is said that during the Everest High Passes trek in Nepal you can see the most mountains as well as experience the full part of the entire Everest region!

If following the standard route, the trek follows the Everest Base Camp trail up to Dingboche village. From here the path diverts and heads to Chhukung and the Kongma La Pass. Crossing the pass you’ll reach again on the EBC trail at Lobuche and continue on to Everest Base Camp. Once back at Lobuche, the trail heads now to the west where the second pass awaits the Cho La. Crossing this one gives access to the majestic Gokyo Lakes! After spending some time here to sightsee and explore, the trail goes now back southeast along the Dudh Khosi River towards the third and final pass, the Renjo La. Each Pass gives different vantage views over the entire Everest region, and while it is a long trek it is also the most rewarding trek you can book!

The Everest High Passes trek of 21 days

Following the clockwise route, the Everest High Passes trek of 21 days is a full package. It includes a day for sightseeing and preparation as well as an extra day at the end of the trek. The trail leads around the entire Everest region in a circular direction and faces the Kongma La Pass last.

The Everest High Passes short trek of 15 days

Cutting the arrival and departure days as well as any other extra days, the Everest High Passes short trek of just 15 days is the ideal budget-long trek. This trek takes the easier counter-clockwise route and faces the Renjo La Pass at last. Many of our trekkers find that the Everest High Passes trek is the perfect itinerary if you are short on time and budget but still want to make a trek around the Everest region! Read More

How difficult is the Everest High Passes trek?

Considerably more difficult than the other 3 best Everest trekking packages. This trek not only faces the challenge of crossing three high-altitude Himalayan Passes but also many trekking days which can be strenuous for some. It is important to be at an optimal fitness level before undergoing the High Passes trek in Nepal. The risk of AMS is also very real during this trek and Ambition Himalaya takes extra care making sure that you are acclimatized properly before continuing. Crossing the Passes is tough but the views are just so incredible and worth it that once atop each pass you’ll forget about the climb up!

So, when is the best time to book one of the 3 best Everest trekking packages?

Like many touristic destinations, Nepal has a high and low season for trekking. These are determined by trekking conditions such as weather, temperature, and accessibility. For Nepal, the best time to book any trek is either during spring or fall. These two seasons give the best views, clear skies, and open trails. During the months of June to September the monsoon rains turn the skies dark and trails into a slippery mess. Similarly, during the winter season, blizzards can storm cutting your trek short and forcing you to return without being able to complete the trek! Book during March to May or September to November if you want to experience the best weather during one of the three best Everest trekking packages in Nepal!

Trek in Nepal with one of these best Everest trekking packages. Choose between the popular Everest Base Camp trek, the scenic Gokyo Lake trek or the adventurous Everest High Passes trek to experience the splendor of the Everest Himalaya! Do you want to see other treks in the Everest region besides these 3 best Everest trekking packages? Check out our other blogs or packages under Everest to see more available treks in Nepal.