Monjo Village, Nepal: Entry Point to the Sagarmatha National Park (EBC Trek) 

Monjo Village Information

Major Ethnicity

The major ethnicity in Monjo village is Sherpa. Many sherpas are known for their mountaineering skills, and in Monjo, most of the inhabitants work in tourism.

Altitude

Monjo is at 2,835 m (9,301 ft) altitude.

Best Time to Visit

Monjo is on the trekking route to Everest Base Camp, and so the best time to go to the village is in autumn and spring, during the main trekking seasons in Nepal. The weather is generally the best during autumn and spring, but weather can be unpredictable in the mountains, so good weather is never 100% guaranteed.

If you are planning Everest Base Camp trek in autumn, then the best time to go is from mid-October onwards. The EBC trek is also nice in early December, in fact, if you want to avoid the crowds, the best time to go is between late November to early December.

Spring is the second best time in the Everest Region, as the weather is good and you get great views of the mountains. In April/May, you also get to see the climbing expeditions set up at the base camp.

Pre-monsoon rains can start in late April, so for trekking in spring, I recommend starting EBC from mid-April the latest. If you start your trek in May, you are likely to experience more rainfall.

Cell Service

There is cell service available in Monjo for both NCell and Nepal Telecom SIM card users. Nepal Telecom works better on the trekking routes in Nepal, so when you are choosing your Nepali SIM, it’s better to get that one.

I have an NCell SIM card, so while its internet connection was less reliable on the EBC trek than Nepal Telecom, it had service in Monjo. The connection was 3G 4 bars, it was a bit slow and spotty, but it worked.

What is Monjo Famous for?

Monjo is famous for being one of the last villages before reaching Namche Bazaar on the Everest Base Camp trek, with the last one being Jorsalle (right after Monjo).

The entry to the Sagarmatha National Park is located in Monjo, where you can get the permits to trek Everest Base Camp. The Sagarmatha National Park is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nepal.

Location

Monjo is located east of Kathmandu in the Solokhumbu district of Nepal, and you pass by the village while trekking to Everest Base Camp.

It is one of the villages at the lower altitude of the trek, after you pass by Lukla and Phakding. Monjo is one of the last villages before you start to trek up to Namche.

How to get to Monjo

If you start your trek from Lukla, you typically reach Monjo on Day 2 of the EBC trek. The route goes through Lukla, Phakding and Namche Bazaar. Monjo is right in-between Phakding and Namche.

It takes around 2.5 hours trek from Lukla to Phakding. Phakding is a good place to take a break for the night to help with acclimatization. Then, the next day, you continue from Phakding to Namche via Monjo. It takes around 2 hours trek from Phakding to Monjo.

Check Point for the Sagarmatha National Park

The entry gate to the Sagarmatha National Park is just outside of Monjo. Once you pass by the entry gate, you officially enter the national park. There is a checkpoint by the gate where you can buy your permits to enter the park.

Permits

You have to get two permits to enter the Sagarmatha National Park and to trek Everest Base Camp. The permits are the Sagarmatha National Park Permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Municipality Permit. Each permit costs Rs. 3,000 (USD 22).

There is also an option to buy the permits in Kathmandu at the Tourism Board, but if you want to save time, you can just get them in Monjo during the trek.

I wanted to save time in Kathmandu, so I just got my permits in Monjo before entering the national park. There were quite a few people there at the time, but I got the permits in around 10 minutes. It was no so bad, plus, it gave me time to take a quick break.

After you buy your permits, you validate your permits with another officer. After that, you are ready to enter the national park. The entry gate to the Sagarmatha National Park is pretty iconic and a lot of people take photos here before entering the park, marking the start of an adventure.

I recommend only stopping in Monjo for a quick break while you pass the permit checkpoint, and walk another 30 minutes to reach Jorsalle village. Once in Jorsalle, it’s the best place to stop for a lunch break as it is the last village before you reach Namche.

After you pass Jorsalle, there is no other village or teahouse to stop for food, so make sure you have your lunch in Jorsalle and gather all the energy you have. Some say they found the trek from Jorsalle to Namche the hardest throughout the whole trek.

Things to Do in Monjo

Most trekkers only pass through Monjo on their way up or down from Everest Base Camp. It is a small, Sherpa village, with traditional teahouses and prayer flags that you can find on the Everest Base Camp trek.

On my way up to EBC, I passed by Monjo and didn’t spend much time in the village. I had a quick tea, then got my entry permits to the national park. On my way down from EBC, I was pretty tired and I stopped here for lunch. After lunch, I felt so exhausted that I decided to stay for the night, so I got to spend a bit more time in the village.

Because I spent most of my time feeling exhausted and recovering from the trek, I didn’t get to explore Monjo that much, but I loved the views from my teahouse.

You get mostly views of the nearby hills, the Dudh Koshi River and the Thamserku (6,623 m/ 21,730 ft) mountain, and there is also a small Buddhist monastery in Monjo. The weather is sunny during the day, but as soon as the sun goes down, it turns cold.  

Teahouses in Monjo

The accommodation in Monjo consists of the typical Nepali teahouses. Most rooms are basic rooms with twin beds, and you can either have a room with a private toilet or a room with a shared toilet.

Where I stayed

I stayed at the Namaste Hotel and Lodge in Monjo, and honestly it was like a heaven sent. On my way down from EBC, my plan was to walk further down that day, but I got hungry and stopped for lunch. After lunch, I realized I was so tired, it’s better if I stay at the lodge for the night, regain my energy, and continue trekking the next day.

The Namaste Hotel and Lodge felt like a luxury after the teahouses in Lobuche and Gorakshep. I could get a room with an attached bathroom with hot water. After 14 days of trekking EBC, it was the best teahouse. It was not luxurious, but having an attached bathroom was more than anything I had during the whole trek.

Electricity

Monjo is at a lower elevation on the EBC trek, so electricity is available in the area and not as limited as higher up on the trek. In the teahouses in Monjo, most rooms have electricity and plugs, so you can charge your phone and power bank in your room for free.

Wifi

As electricity is widely available in Monjo, internet and wifi access is also available. In villages higher up on the trek (Dingboche, Lobuche, Gorakshep), you have to pay extra to use wifi at the teahouses, but at lower altitude, wifi is available for free.

Food

The teahouses in Monjo serve food that is similar to other teahouses throughout the EBC trek. There are options for local, Nepali food, as well as international dishes.

You can choose from different dishes such as omelette, pancake, porridge, soup, burger, pasta, sandwich, and Nepali dishes like dal bhat, momo, thupka, and chowmein.

I was pretty hungry, so I had dal bhat, which is the most popular Nepali dish. It’s made with rice, lentil soup and vegetable curry. It gives you a lot of energy, so it’s a good choice if you are feeling very hungry.

Shower and Toilets

At the teahouses in Monjo, you can choose if you want to have a room with a private shower and toilet or with a shared shower and toilet.

The rooms on the EBC trek usually cost Rs. 500 (USD 3) per night at lower altitude with a shared toilet and shower.

At the Namaste Lodge, I got a room for Rs. 500 with a private bathroom, including hot water for shower. At that point, I was so tired, I probably would have paid even more for a room with a private bathroom, but this way, it worked out even better.

Prices in Monjo

I paid the following prices in Monjo: 

• Room: Rs. 500 (USD 3) per night for a twin room for a single person with attached bathroom
• Food: Rs. 700 (USD 4.50) for dal bhat, Rs. 600 (USD 4) for an omelette with toast, Rs. 100 for a cup of tea.
• Bottled water: Rs. 100 per bottle
• Charging/Wifi: free

Frequently Asked Questions