The Jiri to Everest Base Camp Trek is an amazing trail in Nepal and the ‘classic' way to get to EBC (before flying into Lukla became an option).
And while hiking from Jiri to the Everest Base Camp is challenging (frankly, it's the toughest thing I have ever done), it is worth every step.
Hiking from Jiri to EBC will not only help you acclimatize better, but the section between Jiri and Cheplung also offers beautiful scenery and is much quieter than the main EBC trail!
Jiri to Everest Base Camp trek: a complete guide
Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!). We're very grateful when you use our links to make a purchase:-).
I have also written two other posts about our Everest Base Camp trek, if you read all three articles you should be well prepared for your hike!
Jiri to the Everest Base Camp trek: what it's like
I will be honest: hiking from Jiri to the Everest Base Camp is the most challenging thing I have ever done.
The 6-day journey from Jiri to Cheplung is particularly strenuous and some days were downright brutal: climbing 1200 meters and descending 1000…
Hiking for 7,5 hours with a 10kg backpack, hoping that your destination of the day is behind the next corner…
But it’s also an experience I will remember for the rest of my life! Feeling alone in the world, surrounded by nothing but clouds at the misty Lamjura La pass.
Admiring the stunning views over the snowy peaks in the beautiful valley near Dughla.
Walking through little mountain villages like Bupsa, where children wave to you until you are out of sight.
Watching the donkeys carry their loads from Nunthala to Namche Bazaar, as they have done for centuries.
Yes, hiking for 3 weeks and being removed from the modern world was amazing and a great way to switch off. Also, there is no cellphone reception on a large part of the Jiri – EBC trek, more about that further on in the post.
When is the best time to hike from Jiri to the Everest Base Camp
In general, the best time to hike any trail in the Mount Everest area is between February and May or in September and October.
We hiked from Jiri to EBC at the end of March/first half of April and had amazing weather most of the trek. We did have a few drops of rain and cloudy days at the start, but the higher up we got, the bluer the skies!
Important note: during the summer months it's monsoon season and rails are very slippery.
In winter trails are mostly closed by snow (plus: it's very cold!). Therefore, trekking isn't recommended in summer and winter.
Hike to Everest Base Camp: map
The map below is just to give you an impression of our itinerary, please buy a detailed hiking map before setting out on the Jiri – EBC hike!
Besides a map, I also used the Lonely Planet ‘Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya‘ and Maps.Me to navigate during our trek.
It's not that the trail is particularly difficult to find but I like knowing where I am and where I am going (*cough* control freak *cough*).
Click here for the interactive map.
Jiri to Everest Base Camp trek: hiking itinerary
- Day 0: Kathmandu to Jiri
- Day 1: Jiri to Deurali
- Day 2: Deurali to Sete
- Day 3: Sete to Junbesi
- Day 4: Junbesi to Nunthala
- Day 5: Nunthala to Bupsa
- Day 6: Bupsa to Cheplung
- Day 7: Cheplung to Monjo
- Day 8: Monjo to Namche Bazaar
- Day 9: acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar
- Day 10: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
- Day 11: Tengboche to Dingboche
- Day 12: acclimatization day in Dingboche
- Dag 13: Dingboche to Dughla
- Day 14: Dughla to Lobuche
- Day 15: Lobuche to Gorak Shep, Gorak Shep to Kala Patthar, Gorak Shep to EBC
- Day 16: Gorak Shep to Dzhongla
- Day 17: Dzhongla to Gokyo via Cho La Pass
- Day 18: Gokyo to the 5th Lake
- Day 19: Gokyo to Namche Bazaar
- Day 20: Relaxing in Namche Bazaar (optional;-)
- Day 21: Namche Bazaar to Monjo
- Day 22: Monjo to Lukla (and back to Kathmandu)
Day 0: Kathmandu to Jiri
About this day
No hiking yet, today was about getting to the start of the trail. We took a bus from Kathmandu to Jiri, the bus left from Ratna Park bus station at 8 am and we arrived in Jiri around 4 pm.
About halfway we stopped for lunch and a few km before Jiri we briefly stopped at a police checkpoint to register (write down your name, age, passport number, and nationality).
It's a long bus ride but the views were nice and we were excited to get out of Kathmandu and almost start our hike!
About the lodge in Jiri
Where to stay: the Sangrali hotel in Jiri
Price per night: 200 rupees
About the lodge: a simple lodge (like all the lodges along the Jiri – EBC trek) but with friendly and hardworking owners.
There was a squat toilet, no shower (but no hiking = no sweating = no problem), and free charging in our bedroom. We had a plentiful and tasty dinner for 200 rupees per person.
Breakfast was also nice: omelet, 2 chapattis, jam, and coffee for 200 rupees per person.
The bed was not very soft, but there was a pile of blankets in our room, so we put some of those on the mattress to make it softer. There are probably better places to stay in Jiri, but it was fine for a night.
Jiri to Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary
Day 1: Jiri (1995m) to Deurali (2705m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 1300 meters
- Descent: 500 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 6 hours and 45 minutes
About this day: the first part of the hike, Jiri to Shivalaya, took us 3h15min. At Shivalaya you come across the Gaurishankar Conservation Area checkpoint.
We did not buy the Sagarmatha National Park entry permit, you can read more about why we decided against it in my EBC budget post. I'll be honest, the Nepali park official was not happy about it…
Anyway, after Shivalaya it's a very draining and steep ascent to Deurali.
For my husband, this was the heaviest day on the trail, because he burnt through all his energy and was absolutely exhausted when we finally (3h30min) arrived at Deurali.
About the lodge in Deurali
Where to stay: Deurali Highland Sherpa Guest House
Price per night: 200 rupees
About the lodge: a nice and colorful guesthouse with a large common room (unfortunately not heated). Free charging is available in the common room, comfortable bed with very warm blankets.
There's a clean squat toilet, and a sink to brush your teeth. We both took a hot shower (150 rupees per person). The friendly girl who runs the place speaks English very well.
Day 2: Deurali (2705m) to Sete (2520m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 1000 meters
- Descent: 1200 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 7 hours and 30 minutes
About this day: we started the day by descending 600 meters from Deurali to Bandar. The small settlement of Bandar was severely impacted by the earthquake, the stupa and many houses were completely destroyed and not yet rebuilt…
From Bandar, we hiked to Kinja where we registered at the police checkpoint and had lunch. Hiking from Deurali to Kinja took us 4h30min (it's all downhill).
After lunch, we had to ascend 1000 meters to Sete. Combined with my suddenly protesting bowels (and the resulting emergency toilet breaks along the way) this was not my favorite afternoon…
It took us 3 hours of relentless climbing but we eventually made it to Sete, just in time before the rain.
About the lodge in Sete
Where to stay: Sunrise Lodge
Price per night: 300 rupees
About the lodge: very basic guesthouse. Common room with some magazines, books, and pillows (not heated). Good food, no sockets = no more free charging.
There is a Western toilet and a sink to brush your teeth. The bed was okay and blankets were provided. The walls of the room didn't reach the roof, if you have noisy neighbors you will hear them.
Our biggest ‘problem' in this lodge was that it rained so hard during the night, the roof started leaking. We were on the left side of the building (when facing the lodge) and it leaked only a little in our room.
The 2 people sleeping on the right side of the building had to move to other rooms in the middle of the night because it actually rained inside their room!
Day 3: Sete (2520m) to Junbesi (2680m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 1200 meters
- Descent: 1000 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 6 hours and 45 minutes
About this day: we climbed for 4 hours to the Lamjura pass (3530 meters), the highest point on the trail from Jiri to Cheplung.
It's not until Tengboche (day 10) that you reach this high altitude again, which is why the Jiri trail is excellent for acclimatization!
At the pass there was still some snow on the trail, we had to be quite careful as it was very slippery. As you can see in the picture above, we didn't have much of a view from the top…
However, the fog gave the hike a mysterious edge, a bit like when we were hiking the Koyasan Choishi Michi pilgrimage trail in Japan.
A word of advice: have lunch in the restaurant 1 kilometer before the pass, we didn't and found no opened lodges (a.k.a. food) until Junbesi!
Luckily we had instant noodles and our own cooking equipment with us…
The descent from the Lamjura La pass to the small Sherpa village of Junbesi took 2h45min in total, a beautiful trail through moss-covered trees…
About the lodge in Junbesi
Where to stay: Ang Domi Lodge
Price per night: 200 rupees
About the lodge: soft bed and warm blanket, cozy common room, hot shower (200 rupees), western flush toilet and sink to brush teeth.
Charging was 100 rupees per device (but we didn't use this as we have our Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus Solar Panel and Goal Zero Venture 30 Power Pack).
Day 4: Junbesi (2680m) to Nunthala (2220m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 900 meters
- Descent: 1300 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 6 hours and 45 minutes
About this day: we started hiking early in the morning when the sun was still shining.
I really liked this part of the trail, it went through beautiful meadows, and green forests and offered some splendid views over the valleys.
Unfortunately, the sunny weather didn’t last and when we reached the Everest viewpoint after 1h30min there was nothing to see but clouds. We continued our way to the village of Ringmo where we had lunch.
After lunch, we ascended about 400 meters to Tragshindo La pass (3071 meters), from the pass it was a slippery and steep descent to Nunthala.
About the lodge in Nunthala
Where to stay: Hotel Everest
Price per night: 200 rupees
About the lodge: one of my favorite lodges because of the friendly lady who runs this place! The bed was okay, the blankets were nice and warm.
Clean western toilet and hot shower (200 rupees, but not a very good shower). Cozy and heated common room. Excellent food with lots of veggies and homemade chili (warning: hot!).
Day 5: Nunthala (2220m) to Bupsa (2360m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 900 meters
- Descent: 800 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 5 hours and 30 minutes
About this day: according to Lonely Planet this day is the shortest day on the Jiri – Cheplung trail (the trail to EBC starts in Cheplung) and this turned out to be true.
From Nunthala we descended to the Dudh Kosi river, also called the Milk River because of its cloudy color due to lots of sediment. The weather was amazing and the valley looked so pretty (see the picture above)!
After 4 hours of hiking, we had lunch at the sprawling and colorful village Khari Khola, beautifully located amidst the rice terraces.
After lunch, it took us another 1h30min to get to Bupsa. The last part of the trail was pretty steep, but we felt a lot stronger than on days 1 and 2 and didn't have too much trouble with it.
About the lodge in Bupsa
Where to stay: Sundup Lounge
Price per night: 200 rupees
About the lodge: a quiet lodge with beautiful views. Comfortable bed with blankets, squat toilet, hot shower (200 rupees), common room not heated. The food was good, especially the spring rolls!
Day 6: Bupsa (2360m) to Cheplung (2700m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 1000 meters
- Descent: 650 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 7 hours and 30 minutes
About this day: one of the longest days on the Jiri – EBC trail. The first part of the trail went up to the Khari La pass and offered some nice views over Bupsa and the valley.
In the distance, we glimpsed a tall snowy mountain and we felt like we were finally getting closer to the ‘real' mountains in the Everest region.
The path leading down from the pass was very muddy and slippery, we had to be extremely careful not to fall into the donkey poo…
From Paiya the trail was a lot better and we hiked up to Paiya La pass, had lunch at the Khumbu View Lodge, and descended to the village Surkhe.
From Surkhe it took us 2 more hours to get to Cheplung, a very exhausting day! But we made it, we were officially on the Everest Base Camp trail!
About the lodge in Cheplung
Where to stay: Hilltop View Lodge
Price per night: 200 rupees
About the lodge: a newly built lodge with a friendly owner, comfy mattress, and warm blankets. There is a clean western toilet and sink to brush your teeth. From the dining room (not heated) we had an amazing view over the valley.
For the first time in 4 days, we had reception with our NCell SIM card, you can read more details about cellphone reception on the trail further on in the post.
Important note: there were very few hikers on the trail from Jiri to Cheplung. Most of the time we were the only guests in the lodge.
Also, there is still a lot of damage in the local villages along this part of the trail. We talked to some lodge owners and they say it's been very quiet since the earthquake.
Therefore, I highly recommend to start your hike from Jiri. It's a beautiful area, hiking this trail will help with acclimatization AND, most importantly, you will help the people who live along the Jiri – Cheplung trail.
Day 7: Cheplung (2700m) to Monjo (2840m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 250 meters
- Descent: 100 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 3 hours and 30 minutes
About this day: compared to our previous hiking days this day was super easy… The trail is relatively flat, with just a few stairs and a couple of ups & downs.
The path leads through a lovely pine forest and along the river. A major difference with the previous days was the number of hikers on the trail, in one morning we came across more trekkers than we met in total on our 6-day trek from Jiri!
About the lodge in Monjo
Where to stay: Everest Pilgrim Lodge
Price per night: 200 rupees
About the lodge: okay bed with blankets, food was good, western toilet and sink to brush teeth. Nevertheless, I do not recommend this lodge because of the rude owner.
The light was broken in our room and after several attempts to fix it, we decided to change to another room (we were the only ones in the lodge and didn't think this would be a problem).
After a couple of minutes, the lady running the lodge came stomping up the stairs and started shouting at us because we had changed rooms.
We tried to explain why, but she wouldn't listen and kept slamming the doors and muttering angrily at us. So much for hospitality… On our way back we stayed at a different lodge (Namaste Lodge).
Day 8: Monjo (2840m) to Namche Bazaar (3420m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 600 meters
- Descent: 0 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 2 hours and 30 minutes
About this day: the longer we were on the trail, the earlier we woke up… Usually, we had breakfast at 6 am and started hiking around 7 am.
This day was no different and after passing the Sagarmatha National Park checkpoint (just past Monjo), we started our hike to Namche Bazaar.
The first hour was easy, the path was flat, and crossed the river a couple of times. After crossing a vertigo-inducing suspension bridge the steep climb to Namche began, along the way up we caught our first glimpse of Everest and Lhotse!
It took us 1 hour to hike from the suspension bridge to the police checkpoint just before Namche Bazaar. From the checkpoint, it was only a little further to the beautifully situated village of Namche Bazaar.
About the lodge in Namche Bazaar
Where to stay: Nirvana Home
Price per night: 200 rupees
About the lodge: a new and modern lodge with a spacious room, well-isolated, double and comfortable bed with nice blankets, a hot shower (450 rupees), the common room is heated in the evening, a clean western toilet and sinks for brushing your teeth.
The only downside about this lodge: the food (and the shower) is seriously overpriced. Prices here were the same as in Lobuche and Gorak Shep, which are both much further up the EBC trail.
In those villages, it's a lot more expensive to get supplies than in Namche. On our way back we stayed at a different lodge (Khumbu Lodge).
Day 9: acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar
About the hike
- Ascent: 450 meters
- Descent: 450 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 3 hours and 15 minutes
About this day: from 3500 meters up the higher altitude can start to be a problem. Therefore it's highly recommended to spend 2 nights in Namche.
There is a beautiful acclimatization hike to Khumjung, Khunde, and Shyangboche so we didn't mind at all.
Also, one more day in Namche meant one more relaxing afternoon in the Himalayan Java Cafe where they sell the most delicious walnut brownies and oatmeal cookies.
And if the cookies can't lure you in, they also have delicious coffee, Wi-Fi, and free charging! Anyway, I am digressing.
About the acclimatization hike: it was a steep but short climb from Namche (1 hour). And, not having to carry our 10kg backpacks made it much easier!
Be sure to walk to the Everest View Hotel, there are some splendid views (of Everest, duh?) when the weather is clear!
From the hotel, the trail leads down to Khumjung, a Sherpa mountain village in a beautiful valley. From Khumjung, it was only 10 minutes to Khunde. We completed our circle via the airstrip at Shyangboche and hiked back down to Namche Bazaar.
About the lodge in Namche Bazaar
We stayed at the same lodge as day 8 (Nirvana Home).
Day 10: Namche Bazaar (3420m) to Tengboche (3870m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 750 meters
- Descent: 350 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 3 hours and 30 minutes
About this day: the steep trail out of Namche will hurt your legs, but from there it's a relatively easy and pleasant walk along a mountain ridge, with only a couple of ups and downs.
After an hour the trail dropped down to the river where we crossed a bridge with colorful prayer flags.
From the bridge it was a 600-meter ascend to Tengboche (3880 meters), it took us a little over an hour but we were quite fast on this day.
Tengboche is a lovely small village, you can see Mount Everest and Mt. Lhotse and there is a beautiful monastery.
At 3 pm we visited the monastery for a daily ceremony where the monks sing and chant for 30 minutes. An interesting insight into Tibetan/Nepali Buddhism!
About the lodge in Tengboche
Where to stay: Tashi Delek Lodge
Price per night: 300 rupees
About the lodge: really nice lodge with friendly owners and amazing views (we had room A101) of the next-door monastery and Everest!
Good bed with (a thin) blanket. Heated common room, Italian coffee available, and good food. Very clean western toilet and a sink for cleaning up & brushing teeth. The terrace is perfect for an afternoon in the sun…
Day 11: Tengboche (3870m) to Dingboche (4360m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 580 meters
- Descent: 70 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 3 hours and 45 minutes
About this day: the trail out of Tengboche led through an alpine forest, the last trees we would see for a while… After crossing the river, it was a gradual climb to Pangboche and Shomare.
After Shomare there were no more trees, only grassland, and rocks. But the views, wow, the views were breathtaking as you can see in the picture above.
It took us 3h45minutes to reach Dingboche where we checked into the Snow Lion Lodge.
After lunch we hiked up to the flagpole on Nangkartshang, a ‘hill' behind the lodge, the return trip took us about 90 minutes. We stayed in Dingboche for 2 nights, as recommended for proper acclimatization.
About the lodge in Dingboche
Where to stay: Snow Lion Lodge
Price per night: 100 rupees
About the lodge: very friendly owner, cozy and heated common room, nice bed, and a warm blanket (though from Dingboche on it was so cold during the night I used my sleeping bag as well).
Western toilet and sink, however, because of the cold everything freezes during the night so you have to be creative when brushing your teeth.
Great food, try the pizza, vegetable mono with cheese, and the vegetable potatoes with cheese (but stay away from the pasta…). The French bakery next door has good coffee and lots of cakes.
Day 12: acclimatization day in Dingboche
About the hike
- Ascent: 490 meters
- Descent: 490 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 3 hours and 15 minutes
About this day: to help us acclimatize we hike to Chukhung, a village at the end of a beautiful valley surrounded by tall mountains like Lhotse, Nuptse, and the beautiful mountain Ama Dablam.
I loved this hike, the slope increases very gently and the valley is breathtaking…
It took us 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to Chukhung, there we relaxed in the sun for a while before hiking back to Dingboche (1h30min). We spent the rest of the day in the warm and cozy French Bakery.
About the lodge in Dingboche
We stayed at the same lodge as day 8 (Snow Lion Lodge).
Day 13: Dingboche (4360m) to Dughla (4620m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 250 meters
- Descent: 0 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 1 hour and 45 minutes
About this day: this was an easy and short day, we hiked from Dingboche to Dughla in just 1hour45min! It was also one of my favorite parts of the trail because of the amazing views…
However, when we arrived at Dughla, we were not done hiking for the day. After dropping our bags at the lodge we continued hiking to Lobuche for 2 reasons:
- Acclimatization
- To reserve a room for the next day
Why reserve a room, you may wonder? Well, other trekkers had told us there was a group of 700 hikers one day behind us.
Apparantly, the planes from Kathmandu to Lukla had been delayed for an entire day and all flights had been rescheduled for the next day. This meant that 2 days worth of trekkers were catching up with us…
Why where they catching up? Because we trekked very slow and spent an acclimatization day in Dingboche and stayed the night in Dughla, which not many people do.
Most trekkers continue directly from Dingboche to Lobuche, even though this is not recommended because of the 600 meter increase in altitude and the subsequent risk of altitude sickness.
There are not that many lodges at Loboche and Gorak Shep, which is usually not a problem, but we worried it might be with so many people coming. Turned out: it was.
Making a reservation one day ahead secured us a room in both Lobuche and Gorak Shep, many people had to sleep in the common rooms or even in tents outside!
Anyway, hiking from Dughla to Lobuche took us 1h15min up and 50 minutes down.
About the lodge in Dughla
Where to stay: Dughla Yak Lodge
Price per night: 200 rupees
About the lodge: this lodge has 2 buildings, we stayed in the one that was not attached to the dining room. We were first shown a room in that building, but the beds were very hard.
In our room (103) the mattress was okay and the blankets were warm. Squad toilet and no sink to brush your teeth (but get creative with a water bottle and you'll manage). Heated common room, good food (check the Yak specials), and adjacent bakery.
Not the nicest lodge on the trail not bad either. Also, the only other lodge in Dughla is 500 rupees per night and the rooms looked exactly the same.
The food in that lodge was also more expensive, hence our choice to stay at the Yak Lodge.
Day 14: Dughla (4620m) to Lobuche (4933m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 300 meters
- Descent: 0 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 1 hour and 20 minutes
About this day: since we did this part of the trail the day before we knew what to expect. After leaving Dughla the trail climbs steeply, almost 300 meters until you reach the ridge where there are many memorials for Sherpas and climbers who perished…
From the memorial area, the trail leads into the valley of the Khumbu Glacier and … Everest Base Camp! But first to Lobuche, which we reach in about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
At Lobuche, we dropped our bags at our reserved room and continued hiking to Gorak Shep (2h) to do the same trick again: acclimatization, room reservation, and lunch before heading back down to Lobuche (2h), with a short detour to check out the Italian Pyramid (a research center).
About the lodge in Lobuche
Where to stay: New EBC Guest House
Price per night: 500 rupees (lodges here are ‘expensive' because the Lobuche lodges have created a little cartel together. You must pay 500 rupees for lodging at the small booth at the start of the village, regardless of where you stay)
About the lodge: I liked this lodge a lot! The owner is nice and speaks English very well, western toilet and sink (which didn't freeze overnight!), warm blankets, and a good bed, well isolated as there was double glass in the bedroom window!
A cozy and warm common room that was heated the entire day and not just in the evening. The only downside was that my ‘vegetable' noodles contained exactly 2 pieces of carrot, so it was mostly just noodles to which I added a large amount of ketchup.
But perhaps that was just bad luck, after all, it was extremely busy at the lodge because of the sudden influx of 700 hikers in one day.
Day 15: Lobuche (4933m) to Gorak Shep (5140m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 250 meters
- Descent: 0 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 2 hours
About this day: like the day before we hiked from Lobuche to Gorak Shep. It's a pretty tricky trail with lots of boulders, ups and downs, and loose gravel. You really have to pay attention to where you are going.
We reached Gorak Shep in 2 hours, dropped our bag, and decided what to do next…
This is where we made the slight mistake of hiking both to the top of Kala Patter and to Everest Base Camp.
On the same day. On top of our ascend to Gorak Shep. In hindsight, this was probably not the smartest decision.
After all, we were not in a rush so why do both on the same day… But we were feeling good and the weather was amazing so we went for it.
Hike from Gorak Shep (5140m) to Kala Patthar (5626m)
- Ascent: 500 meters
- Descent: 500 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 2 hours up, 50 minutes down
About the hike: Kala Patthar is torture… It took us 2 hours to reach the windblown top, but the views definitely made up for the relentless ascent.
The way down on the other hand was easy, just 50 minutes and more oxygen with every step…
Hike from Gorak Shep (5140m) to EBC (5340m)
- Ascent: 200 meters
- Descent: 200 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 3 hours return
About the hike: the path to EBC goes up and down over the glacier and while you can see the colorful tents of Base Camp quite soon, it takes surprisingly long to get there. But we made it!
We were absolutely exhausted when we came back to the lodge in Gorak Shep and I don't really recommend hiking to Kala Patthar and Everest Base Camp on the same day if you have enough time. Better to enjoy an afternoon in the sun in Gorak Shep!
About the lodge in Gorak Shep
Where to stay: Hotel Snow Land
Price per night: 300 rupees
About the lodge: this was by far the worst room we stayed at, but we were lucky to have a room at all. All the lodges in Gorak Shep were full and had we not hiked up the previous day to make a reservation we would have had to sleep in a tent outside.
That being said, our room was next to the generator (it was actually hazy from all the exhaust fumes inside our room), below the stairs and there was water (at least I hope it was water…) on the floor, leaking into the room from the hallway.
At 9 pm the generator was turned off and after 30 minutes with an open window and an open door, most of the smoke was gone from the room.
The common room was extremely crowded, the toilets were dirty and there were no sinks to brush your teeth. But again, it was very busy so perhaps this lodge is a lot better when there are fewer people.
The food was nice and the staff genuinely made an effort to accommodate as many people as they could.
Day 16: Gorak Shep (5140m) to Dzhongla (4830m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 120 meters
- Descent: 430 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 4 hours
About this day: the upside to our crazy idea to do Kala Patthar and EBC on the same day is we could immediately hike down to Lobuche the next day. After a stop at New EBC Lodge for coffee and hot chocolate, we continued to Dzhongla.
The trail was easy, from Lobuche it went slightly down until we reached a fork in the trail, the left fork led back to Dughla, and the trail on the right was where we needed to go.
We crossed a plain and hiked along the ridge of a mountain for about 1h30min before reaching Dzhongla.
The trail curved around the mountain and offered beautiful views over the valley and the river below. It was a nice and easy day!
About the lodge in Dzhongla
Where to stay: Hotel Green Valley
Price per night: free
About the lodge: friendly owner (who climbed Mt. Everest 10 times!), great food (try the tuna spring roll and the french fries topped with an egg), western toilet (but no seat), and no sink to brush teeth, warm blanket but a thin mattress.
Day 17: Dzhongla (4830m) to Gokyo (4750m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 590 meters
- Descent: 670 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 7 hours and 45 minutes
About this day: an exhausting but amazing day… It's essential to start this day early and reach the top of the Cho La Pass before 9 am. We started at 5.30 and reached the top of the pass at 8.30 am.
The first hour of the hike goes through a valley, nice and easy. After that hour we climbed over large boulders for 1 hour and 30 minutes, this part can be a bit difficult to navigate but as long as you pay attention to the green arrows you should be fine.
The last 30 minutes to the pass, the trail leads over an icy glacier, which is the reason you want to start early.
The ice starts melting as the sun gets warmer and it can get very slippery. In the early morning, everything is still frozen solid and we didn't have any problems.
The glacier is absolutely breathtaking, I couldn't capture the stunning blue color in a picture so you'll have to go see for yourself!
At the top of the Cho La Pass, we took a short break to enjoy the views on both sides and regain our strength for the steep descent.
The trail down is really steep and it's easy to slip because of the loose gravel, we took it very slowly…
The valley leading to the village of Tagnag is stunning (pictured below, definitely one of my favorite travel shots ever).
From the Cho La Pass, it took us 2h30min to reach Tagnag where we had lunch before continuing on our way to Gokyo, our destination of the day. The trail from Tagnag to Gokyo goes over the Ngozumpa Glacier and again the views were overwhelming.
I have to say that while this was one of the heaviest days on the Jiri – Everest trek, it was also one of the most beautiful!
After 2h15min we finally reached our destination: the pretty village of Gokyo, located next to a beautiful lake.
About the lodge in Gokyo
Where to stay: Cho-Oyu View
Price per night: free
About the lodge: one of my favorite lodges! We had an amazing view over the lake from our bedroom and the common room. The common room was heated both in the morning as well as in the evening.
The old lady who runs the place is super friendly and the food is great (try the cinnamon pancake, mixed spring roll, and hash-brown with cheese). There was a western toilet (without a seat) and a sink to brush our teeth.
A good mattress and warm blankets (yes multiple, and I also used my sleeping bag and thermal underwear, it was very cold in Gokyo!).
Day 18: Gokyo to the 5th Lake (return)
About the hike
- Ascent: 200 meters
- Descent: 200 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 5 hours return
About this day: we planned to do only a short hike today and give our tired bodies a chance to recover from the exhausting day before. But that didn't happen as we hiked to the 5th Sacred Lake and the return trip took us 5 hours.
It was worth it though, from the 5th Lake we had a great view of Mount Everest. Also, the 4th (picture above) and 5th (picture below) lakes themselves are very beautiful, although both were still frozen when we were there and I heard it's are even prettier when the lakes are unfrozen and a vivid blue.
Back in Gokyo, we treated ourselves to a massive piece of apple crumble, a vegetable burger with cheese and french fries, and a nice cup of coffee at Gokyo Bakery (adjacent to Gokyo Resort).
About the lodge in Gokyo
We stayed at the same lodge as on day 17 (Cho-Oyu View).
Day 19: Gokyo (4750m) to Namche Bazaar (3420m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 290 meters
- Descent: 1610 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 8 hours
About this day: our plan was to descend to Dole and hike further down the next day. But we arrived in Dole around lunchtime and decided to keep going… and ended up in Namche!
It was a long day, but most of it was downhill and with all the extra oxygen we felt like we were floating down the trail;-).
About the lodge in Namche Bazaar
Where to stay: Khumbu Lodge
Price per night: 300 rupees
About the lodge:
- Large lodge with a nice common room
- Hot showers (400 rupees, but after not having showered for 10 days it was worth the money)
- Our room on the top floor had an okay bed and a warm blanket (I didn't need a sleeping bag anymore at this altitude),
- Nice food (I liked the sandwich with chips),
- Western toilet,
- Sink with running water that didn't freeze at night
- Next to the Himalayan Java Cafe…
Day 20: relaxing in Namche Bazaar
We didn't do anything this day! Well, nothing but relax and eat everything on the menu in the Himalayan Java Cafe!
We could have hiked to Monjo or Lukla, but our flight to Malaysia wouldn't leave for another week and we preferred to spend our time in the beautiful mountains instead of in Kathmandu.
About the lodge in Namche Bazaar
We stayed at the same lodge as day 19 (Khumbu Lodge).
Day 21: Namche Bazaar (3420m) to Monjo (2840m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 0 meters
- Descent: 600 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 2 hours
About this day: when we woke up it was snowing! That made us a little worried about the flights from Lukla, but we decided to wait until the afternoon before hiking down to Monjo and see if the weather would improve.
We spend the morning at the Himalayan Java Cafe (surprise surprise;-) and after lunch the sky was blue again and most of the snow had gone. We hike down to Monjo in 2 easy hours.
About the lodge in Monjo
Where to stay: Namaste Lodge
Price per night: 200 rupees
About the lodge: a friendly owner who cooks excellent fresh food (try the stir-fried vegetables and homemade vegetable pizza). Western toilet and sink with running water.
Sunny terraces for the afternoon and a heated common room in the evening. The only downside was the thin mattress, but we used a blanket to create an extra layer.
Day 22: Monjo (2840m) to Lukla (2860m)
About the hike
- Ascent: 320 meters
- Descent: 300 meters
- Hiking time (without breaks): 3 hours and 45 minutes
About this day: our last day on the Jiri – EBC trail… We left Monjo around 8 am and arrived in Lukla just before noon. We decided to check at the airport if there were any flights to Kathmandu in the afternoon, which turned out to be the case.
However, we had to wait 4 hours for the strong wind to die down. But eventually, our tiny plane took off…
I found the flight quite scary as the runway is extremely short (460 meters) and we flew very closely over the tops of the mountains. But the views were beautiful and it was a nice way to say goodbye to the amazing Himalayas…
Final remarks about our Jiri – EBC trekking itinerary
Internet on the trail from Jiri to Everest Base Camp
We bought a NCell SIM card in Kathmandu before our departure and loaded it with plenty of data (250rupees for 1000MB).
From Jiri to Sete we had reception with our NCell card. However, after the storm and heavy rain during our night in Sete the signal had disappeared in the morning.
This was the start of 4 days with no cell reception whatsoever. We couldn't find a signal anywhere on the trail between Sete and Bupsa. Only when we were near Surke (just before Lukla) our cell reception returned, we could get back online in Cheplung.
In Cheplung, Monjo, Namche Bazaar and Tengboche we had good service (the best in Tengboche, surprisingly enough).
When we reached Dingboche the signal was gone and this remained so until we reached Gorak Shep.
In Gorak Shep the signal was okay for one day but gone the next. Perhaps because there were so many people using the network.
No reception in Dhzongla and Gokyo, only when we reached Phortse Thenga on our way down to Namche Bazaar our NCell SIM card had reception again.
I'm not sure about other providers, but be prepared to spend most of your time offline when you are hiking from Jiri to Everest Base Camp. Just enjoy it and take in the splendid views!
Chances are you'll never set foot in these mountains again, so it would be a shame to waste any time scrolling on your phone anyway…
Jiri EBC trekking itinerary
Congratulations, you've made it all the way to the end of this extensive post about our Jiri – Kala Patthar – Everest Base Camp – Cho La Pass – Gokyo itinerary! We spent 22 days on the trail in total and trekked very slowly.
While I strongly recommend doing the acclimatization days listed in our itinerary, you can obviously skip day 20 (our chill-out day in Namche) if you are pressed for time.
Another option is to fly from Kathmandu to Lukla, which saves you 6 days of hiking. But like I said above, I highly recommend starting your hike from Jiri.
Not only will it help you with acclimatization, you will also help the people living between Jiri and Cheplung by spending your money in the lodges/shops/restaurants along the trail.
Hiking with or without a guide
We hiked the Jiri – EBC trek independently. Besides the fact that this is cheaper (a guide costs about $25 per day) we mostly did this because we like hiking by ourselves.
Hiking the Jiri – EBC trail independently enabled us to could choose our own speed (which was slow), choose our own lodges (usually the guide arranges this) and choose our own itinerary.
I'm not saying this is not possible with a guide, we just felt we didn't need one. And when it comes to navigating, I don't feel you need a guide.
However, it would be been nice to learn more about the area and a guide can obviously share so much information!
In the end, hiking independently or with a guide is up to you and what you feel suits your plans the most.
A friend of mine, Anto of We12Travel, hiked the EBC trek with a guide, you can read about her experiences here.
Plan your trip like a pro with these tools:
✈️ Find the best flight deals on Kiwi.com.
✈️ Get the best car rental deal for your road trip on Rentalcars.com or Localrent.com.
✈️ Find your dream accommodation on Booking.com or Agoda.
✈️ Book the best tours via Get Your Guide, Viator or Klook.
✈️ Travel safely and get reliable travel insurance from Safety Wing.
Free printable Jiri EBC itinerary
Below you can download a table with our itinerary and trekking times. Enjoy the Jiri – Everest Base Camp trail, it's an unforgettable experience!
This post was updated in November 2022.
Jan
Sunday 7th of April 2024
Hi great informations you have posted! I would also like to hike from Jiri. Is the treck from Jiri to Lukla dangerous? You mention steep climbing, muddy and slippery paths? Do you walk on narrow ridges with steep sloping sides? Or is it more standard paths Jan
Ria
Saturday 8th of January 2022
Hi Lotte,
I have read so many blogs on EBC trek but yours is the best... It is so informative and very detailed. Thanks for writing this blogs. You are helping so many trekkers to muster up the courage to do this trek. I will be a solo female trekker and am thinking of just taking a porter with me for this adventure next April.
Lotte
Monday 10th of January 2022
Hi Ria,
Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate them:-) I've put a lot of effort into my EBC guides so it's great to hear they are of use to you. I wish you a wonderful adventure hiking the Everest Base Camp trail and let me know if you decide to take a porter or not.
All the best, Lotte
Karen L
Wednesday 8th of December 2021
I loved your guide to EBC! Honestly, the bathroom commentary you included about the lodges is sooooo helpful as its my #1 criteria. Was looking at flying into Lukla but I like the idea of hiking it in from Jiri.
Lotte
Thursday 9th of December 2021
Hi Karen,
Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm glad you found my guide helpful. Of course it's been a while since we did the trail (April 2017) but I imagine not that many things have changed, especially with Covid giving the lodge owners a very challenging 2020 and 2021...
We really enjoyed the Jiri to Cheplung part of the hike and I recommend this to anyone considering the EBC. Sure it takes an extra week but hiking the EBC is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for most of us so why not make the most of it;-)
Anyway, thanks for reading and safe travels! Lotte
Bijay Shrestha
Monday 30th of December 2019
Hi Lotte, Thank you for sharing the information and your experience on the trip. Every time i read these kind of blog, makes me feel like i was a part of it. Loved it.
Lotte
Tuesday 31st of December 2019
Dear Bijay,
Thank you for reading and for your kind comment:-) I loved Nepal and it was a truly unique experience to hike in your stunning mountains...
All the best, Lotte
josec
Tuesday 22nd of October 2019
Awesome article! I had fun reading it and there is such in-depth information, I just loved it. I'm trying to find out information on accommodation on the Everest region and got all info at one place. Thanks for sharing it out here! But I have one question: people say Everest trek is best either its autumn and spring, but I'm stuck choosing among these seasons. Which one is perfect for the views and all? I do photography and want revealing views of landscapes, can you suggest which month is best for me? Appreciate if anybody could help. Is this true that October is best?
Lotte
Thursday 24th of October 2019
Hi Josec, thank you for reading and I'm glad you found the article helpful to plan your EBC trek:-) Regarding the best month, it is indeed true that both Spring (March-April) and Autumn (October-November) are the best months to trek Everest. In Spring you will find beautiful rhododendrons that have started to bloom but usually the clearest views of the mountains are in October. That being said, we had excellent weather and trekked from the end of March until mid-April. Have a great trip!
Lotte