Everest Trails to Ama Dablam Base Camp

The trekking season runs from September through to May. October and November bring the most stable weather and clearest mountain views; March and April are warmer with rhododendrons in flower; December through February is cold but exceptionally clear. We do not operate treks here between June and August, when the monsoon makes the Nepal Himalaya unsuitable for trekking.

This is a 14-day itinerary from Kathmandu to Kathmandu, including a 10 day trek. It is paced for safe altitude gain rather than speed, which is why it runs longer than some comparable itineraries — the extra days buy better acclimatisation, better sleep and a lower risk of altitude sickness.

The highest point of the trek is Ama Dabla Base Camp at 4,800m m / 15,748 ft. Your travel insurance needs to cover high-altitude trekking and emergency evacuation to at least this elevation.

This trek is graded 5. Days can involve up to 8 hours of walking with steep ascents and descents, so you should already lead an active lifestyle. We recommend training for four to five months beforehand, with regular aerobic exercise and, ideally, hill walking.

The minimum age is 12. Younger trekkers who are fit, active and comfortable with long days of walking are welcome on standard departures. We also run a dedicated Everest family trek designed specifically for family groups with younger children

Groups run with a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 16 travellers, led by an expert local leader and supported by a full trekking crew. Private group departures can also be arranged for families, clubs or groups of friends travelling together.

This itinerary includes 6 nights in our private Eco-Comfort Camps, 5 nights in handpicked eco-lodges in key villages, and 2 nights at a hotel in Kathmandu at either end. The camps are set apart from the main trail, with standing-height tents, raised beds with thick mattresses, a heated dining tent and composting sit-down toilets.

This trek is measured at 402 kg of carbon emissions per person, or 31 kg per person per day. Cooking is done on kerosene rather than firewood inside Sagarmatha National Park, and treated drinking water is supplied daily to remove the need for single-use plastic bottles.

Yes — a Nepal tourist visa is required and arranged by you, and visa fees are not included in the trip. Your Sagarmatha National Park entry fee and TIMS trekking permit, both required to enter the Khumbu region, are included and organised by our team before you arrive.

Yes — travel insurance is compulsory on all our treks and is not included in the trip price. Your policy must cover high-altitude trekking and emergency evacuation to the maximum altitude of the trek you have chosen. Check this specifically before you buy, as many standard travel policies exclude trekking above a set elevation.

There are no vaccinations we can require of you, but we strongly recommend consulting a travel vaccination specialist or travel doctor well before departure, as recommendations change and depend on your own medical history and where else you are travelling.

Yes. Anything you do not need on the trail can be stored securely at the group hotel in Kathmandu until you return. This is worth planning for, since your trek duffel has a weight limit and the clothes you travel in are rarely what you want on the mountain.

Our itineraries are paced for safe altitude gain, with acclimatisation days built in rather than treated as optional — this is the single most important factor in trekking safely at altitude. Guides are trained in remote wilderness first aid and carry a group medical kit, and we carry a portable altitude chamber on all treks above 4,000 m / 13,100 ft. If symptoms do not improve with rest, descent is required.

We do not carry oxygen on standard trekking itineraries. We carry a portable altitude chamber on all treks above 4,000 m / 13,100 ft, which is the appropriate equipment for treating altitude illness in the field, alongside the one treatment that always works — descending.

No technical climbing or mountaineering experience is needed on our Everest region treks. What matters is that you are fit, active and comfortable with sustained days of walking on steep and uneven mountain terrain. Check the grading of the specific trek you are considering, and begin training four to five months before departure.

You carry only a daypack of around 30 to 40 litres with what you need during the day — water, layers, rain jacket, camera, sunscreen and personal items. Your main trek duffel is carried by porters, mules or yak, which means you will not have access to it between camps.

We provide a four-season down sleeping bag, a fleece liner, a down or fibre-fill jacket, a soft-sided trek duffel and a souvenir kit bag — so you are not buying expensive gear you may only use once. You bring your own broken-in walking boots, daypack and clothing layers. A full gear list is issued once you book.

Yes — all meals are included for the duration of the trek, freshly prepared each day by our own dedicated trekking kitchen team using safe food-handling practices. In Kathmandu, breakfast is included and other meals are at your own expense, so you are free to explore the city’s restaurants.

No bottled water is needed. Treated drinking water is supplied daily throughout the trek, hot or cold, and your bottles are filled with boiling water in the dining tent each evening. This is both a health measure and a deliberate one — it keeps single-use plastic out of the Khumbu.

Yes. Our trekking kitchen team caters for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and most other dietary requirements, provided you tell us in advance so the right ingredients can be carried in. Advise us when you book, and confirm again with your guide at the pre-trek briefing in Kathmandu.

Our private Eco-Comfort Camps have composting sit-down toilets and wash basins, and warm washing water is brought to your tent each morning. Facilities in lodges vary by village, though many now offer Western-style toilets. Hot showers are sometimes available on the trail but are not guaranteed

All accommodation is twin-share, in both camps and lodges. A single supplement can be arranged for an additional cost, subject to availability — but it cannot be guaranteed at the highest stops on the route, where accommodation is extremely limited and basic by necessity.

Yes, though not everywhere. Charging is available at lodges in the larger villages, with solar charging at the higher stops. Cold drains batteries quickly at altitude, so carry fully charged spares and a power bank of 10,000 to 20,000 mAh rather than relying on finding a power point each night.

Yes, more than most people expect. Wifi is available at most lodges and free at most of our Eco-Comfort Camps, with a small charge at some. Mobile signal reaches surprising parts of the Khumbu, though it drops out between villages, so treat coverage as a bonus rather than something to rely on.

There are ATMs in Lukla and Namche Bazaar, and many remote lodges now accept EFTPOS. Both depend on a satellite connection, so neither is reliable in bad weather. Bring enough Nepalese rupees from Kathmandu to cover tips, drinks and laundry rather than counting on either.

Every departure includes an expert bilingual local guide trained in remote wilderness first aid, plus porters who carry your main duffel so you walk with only a daypack. These itineraries are not offered as unguided treks — the guide, crew and camp support are built into every departure date. We do offer separate self-guided treks in the Everest region for travellers who want to walk the route at their own pace.

Our porters receive fair wages, insurance, protective clothing, food and shelter, and carry loads within responsible weight limits. Porter welfare is built into the trip cost rather than left to the traveller to arrange or fund, and it has been part of how we operate in Nepal since 1975.