Rugged Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek

Next, spend six days trekking the Khumbu Valley. Treks average between three and seven hours over the next few days and include acclimatization stops, ensuring your comfort. Moreover, each night is spent in a comfortable teahouse-style lodge with amenities to help you feel at home in this remote destination. 

Along the way, make stops at some of the valley's most important sites like Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa Culture Museum, Thame Monastery, Tengboche Monastery, and the Himalayan Rescue Association.

On day 10, head out on the next portion of your Rugged Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek with a four to five hour hike to Lobuche Base Camp. From here, you will notice fewer climbers along the way since your path begins to deviate from the main trail.

Lobuche Base Camp offers simple accommodations and limited facilities, including a shared bathroom tent. However, the trek team provides elevated cots with warm bedding to improve comfort. 

The next day, climb three to four hours to Lobuche High Camp for stunning views of this extreme environment. For intrepid travelers who would like to summit Lobuche, a two to three day extension can be included at this point.

Then on day 12, continue to Gorak Shep, a tiny settlement on the edge of a frozen lakebed and the site of the original Everest Base Camp in 1952.

The morning of day 13 begins with a six to seven hour trek to your final destination, Everest Base Camp, arriving in camp in time for a chef-prepared lunch.

The rest of day 13 is at leisure to explore Everest Base Camp. Play table tennis at the highest ping pong table in the world, or indulge in the highest barista-made cappuccino in the world. At night, sleep soundly in your Everest Executive Dome, which features a queen size bed, power points, and a heating system.

Day 14 includes a beginner-friendly ice climbing clinic, where you will practice fixed line climbing, rappelling, cramponing, and rope skills. 

The Rugged Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek wraps up with a specialized high-altitude helicopter flight back to Kathmandu. 

After reaching Kathmandu, continue on to one of the city's high end luxury hotels to relax and recharge post trek.

On the last full day of the journey, enjoy a privately guided tour of some of Kathmandu's most famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Then depart Kathmandu for home on the morning of day 17, bidding farewell to "the Land of the Gods".

Important Considerations for Traveling in Rugged Luxury Style

• This is adventure travel at its finest. Service is kept to the highest standard available, relative to this remote destination. However, this journey is done in a rugged luxury style, meaning some amenities that a high end traveler expects will be unavailable.
• There are no roads, towns, or major infrastructure along the majority of the trekking routes. Everything you see along the way has been carried by hand or by yak. 
• While the accommodations featured during the trekking portion of the itinerary are comfortable, clean, and safe, they only have access to basic amenities. The two base camps used on the itinerary have a public toilet tent with a drop toilet since it is impossible to build a sewerage system at these altitudes. 
• Food will be simple, locally sourced, organic, and fresh, but due to lack of electricity and refrigeration, options will be limited to what is available at the time.
• This itinerary is achievable and accessible to travelers who are healthy, relatively fit, and capable of completing a 9-month training program.
• Potential travelers should speak to their family doctor about the requirements before confirming, especially with regards to high altitude experiences. The highest altitude reached on this itinerary will not exceed 18,000 feet.
• A required gear list and information on the training required will be sent at the time of booking. It is your responsibility to purchase the required gear and complete the training program.
• This is a SHARED departure. If you are interested in a private trekking program, please reach out to your Ker & Downey designer to discuss availability (which cannot be guaranteed) and additional costs.