Gorakshep: The Last Village Before Everest Base Camp
Gorakshep is the last village before reaching Everest Base Camp. By the time I got here, I was too tired to feel excited about actually reaching EBC, but when I finally got there, I did feel a sense of achievement that yeah, I made it!
“Gorakshep” means “dead ravens” symbolizing that the environment is so harsh at such a high altitude that even birds struggle to survive. It’s a small village and there is really not much, only a few teahouses.
Because the accommodation is limited, it’s best if you pre-book a place when you are in Lobuche. The tour groups pre-book the rooms, and it can be difficult for independent trekkers to find a place in peak seasons.
EBC TREK ESSENTIALS:
🏔️ Insurance: World Nomads
⚡️ Charging: Power Bank
💧 Drinking Water: Water Filter Bottle
Gorakshep Village Information
Altitude
Gorakshep is at 5,140 m (16,864 ft) above sea level, and many people start to feel unwell at this altitude.
It’s best to follow an itinerary that includes acclimatization days (in Namche Bazaar and Dingboche), but you might still feel unwell even if you take acclimatization days. If you feel unwell, make sure to let your guide know. If you are trekking independently, let your teahouse owner know, and they can advise on what’s best.
If you are really unwell, you can get evacuated by helicopter. There is also a service to hire a donkey to take you down if you feel unwell but don’t need urgent evacuation.
Best Time to Trek
The best time to trek Everest Base Camp is in the autumn (October-November) and spring (March-May). The weather is generally the best during these times, and you have the best chance for clear views of the mountains. However, these times are also the busiest.
If you are looking for a time when the weather is good and the trails are not crowded, I recommend trekking in late November-early December. During this time, the big trekking groups have already finished their treks, and the weather is still good.
Permits
You need to permits for the EBC trek, the Sagarmatha National Park permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Municipality permit. Each costs Rs. 3,000 (USD 20). You can get the in Kathmandu at the Tourism Board or in Monjo village when you are already on the trek.
There is no specific checkpoint right before Gorakshep, only earlier on the trek, around Namche and Tengboche.
Cell Service
There is no cell service in Gorakshep at all. There are two main Nepali mobile companies (NCell and Nepal Telecom), but none of them work up at this altitude.
To get access to internet, you have to buy wifi cards. They work like a scratch card and you can use it to connect to wifi at your teahouse. They come at 24h or 48h validity.
Still, when you get a Nepali SIM card, I recommend getting one by the Nepal Telecom. Although there is no cell service at Gorakshep, it has slightly better coverage on the trek than the one by NCell. I had my NCell SIM with me, and other trekkers who had one by Nepal Telecom had a slightly better coverage.
Location
Gorakshep is a tiny village in the Everest Region, and it’s the last stop before reaching Everest Base Camp! By the time I reached Gorakshep, I was really ready to get to EBC. I had become so tired after days of walking, that my tiredness was overshadowing my excitement. Nevertheless, when I finally reached EBC, I was pretty amazed that I actually made it.
Things to Do in Gorakshep
Gorakshep is the last village before reaching Everest Base Camp, and there is not much to do here other than relaxing and gathering your energy for the last push to EBC or for a side hike to Kala Patthar.
I loved the views from Gorakshep, the mountains are really close to you. You can’t see Everest from here, but you can see other mountains peaks (Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori) look amazing too!
To get the best view of Mt. Everest, you have to hike to Kala Patthar. The most popular is to hike to Kala Patthar for the sunrise, which means you have to leave Gorakshep around 4 am in the morning. You start walking in complete darkness to reach by sunrise. You’ll need a headlamp for this hike. Usually, there are loads of trekkers going up to see the sunrise, so you just follow everyone else.
Trekking from Gorakshep to Everest Base Camp
If you follow the classic EBC itinerary, then on the last day before reaching EBC, you leave Lobuche early morning, trek to Gorakshep, have a lunch break, then continue on to EBC.
I also planned to go from Lobuche to Gorakshep to EBC in one day, but I only took a short snack break in Gorakshep. After reaching EBC, I went all the way back to Lobuche and didn’t stay in Gorakshep. I was feeling tired, and saw so many people feeling unwell due to the altitude that I didn’t want to risk it. I was still feeling well, but I was trekking solo, and didn’t want to push my limits too far.
The walk takes around two hours from Lobuche to Gorakshep (4.6 km/2.8 miles), and then around another two hours from Gorakshep to EBC (3.4 km/2 miles). So, if you leave from Lobuche in the morning, you can get to EBC in around four hours (plus breaks). The distance is not too big, but due to the high altitude, it is more difficult to trek.
When I was trekking from Gorakshep to EBC, there was snow and ice on the trail, so I had to put on my crampons. Having the crampons and my trekking poles helped me balance the icy trails, so when you are packing for EBC, definitely take crampons and trekking poles.
Gorakshep is the final stop before EBC, and having the right itinerary makes a big difference at this altitude. → Check out my Everest Base Camp trek package: we follow an itinerary that includes acclimatization days, so that your body can adjust to the altitude.
Teahouses
Gorakshep is very small, and there are only around five teahouses in the village. Other villages on the trek have more teahouses, but the number of teahouses start to decrease in Lobuche, and then you have the least options in Gorakshep.
The teahouses in Gorakshep are similar to other teahouses along the trek but they are bit more basic (as in, the toilets are more basic, being squat toilets). Otherwise, the teahouses are pretty much the same, you get a basic room with a bed, and a dining hall where you can have your meals and warm up by the fire.
Electricity
There is only solar electricity at the teahouses in Gorakshep, so the power is limited. In villages in lower altitude on the trek (Phakding, Namche, Tengboche), you have plugs in your room where you can charge your phone, but higher up on the trek (including Dingboche, Lobuche, and Gorakshep), there is no plug in the room, and you have to pay extra to charge your electronics.
Wifi
As electricity is limited, mobile network and connecting to wifi is also limited. The only way to have internet is to buy wifi cards and use it to connect to the wifi at the teahouse.
The wifi cards are like scratch cards, you scratch off the code that you can use to connect to the wifi. The wifi cards have a validity of either 24h or 48h. You can also use it within the teahouse, they don’t work if you go out the teahouse.
I didn’t get a wifi card in Gorakshep because I only passed through the village, and decided not to stay here for the night. After going to EBC, I went back to Lobuche and got a wifi card there.
Food
The food is the same in Gorakshep than on the rest of the EBC trek. I found the selection of menu was a bit more limited here than in other villages, mostly due to Gorakshep being the village at the highest altitude on the trek.
Still, you can get dishes like dal bhat (popular Nepali dish), omelette, pancake, porridge, noodles, pizza, soup, and momo.
Toilets
The toilets are the most basic in Gorakshep. It’s best to prepare mentally for the toilets, as in Gorakshep it’s squat toilets only. In lower altitude, usually, you have Western-style toilets, but in Gorakshep it’s more basic. (To be honest, even the Western-style shared toilets can get really messy, so it’s not that much better)
The teahouse where I stopped for a break in Gorakshep only had squat toilets and you have to pour the water to flush it from a big bucket. The water inside the bucket was partially frozen due to the low temperatures, so the conditions are very basic.
Shower
I don’t recommend taking a shower in Gorakshep because the temperature is so cold that you would get a cold right after taking the shower. From Namche above, the average temperature is so cold that even if the teahouse offers a hot water shower, it’s better not to take one.
I remember one time I made the mistake of taking a shower at around 4,000 m (13,120 ft), and it was a mistake I’ll never make again. The shower was hot but the temperature (even inside the shower) was so cold that I felt cold taking the shower.
From Namche upwards, it’s better to just use baby wipes. It is tough not to take a shower for such a long time, but it’s better than catching a cold.
Should I Book Ahead?
Yes, when it comes to Gorakshep I recommend booking the room ahead. You don’t have to book it too far in advance when you are in Kathmandu, but if you trekking independently, you can ask your teahouse owner in Lobuche to call ahead to a teahouse in Gorakshep and reserve a room for you.
The reason is because there are only a few teahouses in Gorakshep, so if there are many tour groups and you arrive late, it might be difficult to find a room on the spot. Booking ahead when you are Lobuche will give you peace of mind that once you arrive in Gorakshep, you have a place booked for you.
Groups that trek with a guide or book with a trekking agency have their rooms pre-booked in the teahouses, so if there are lots of groups in peak season, then it’s more difficult for independent trekkers to find a place.
Prices
The prices for room and food are similar in Gorakshep as in Lobuche. The food prices are higher as it is the highest village on the trek and it costs more to carry the food items up to this point.
What makes a bigger difference on how much you spend in Gorakshep, depends on whether you want to charge your phone/power bank and get a wifi card. If you just pay for food and the room, then I think the prices are okay. Once you start paying for wifi cards and charging electronics, that’s when your bill goes up.
I noticed my EBC costs were not too bad in villages where I could use the wifi and charge my phone for free. Once I got up to higher altitude (Dingboche and above), and I started paying for wifi and charging, that’s when my costs started to increase by a lot. Still, I was trekking solo, and I wanted to have access to wifi to keep my family updated.
They have the following prices in Gorakshep:
- Room: Rs. 1,000 (USD 6.50) per night for a single room with a shared toilet.
- Food: Dal bhat for Rs. 1,300 (USD 8.50), mixed fried rice for Rs. 1,350 (USD 9), an omelette with toast Rs. 1,500 (USD 10), mixed pizza for Rs. 1,650 (USD 11), and a cup of tea for Rs. 400 (USD 2.50).
- Bottled water: Rs. 500 (USD 3) per bottle
- Charging: Phone charging for Rs. 500 (USD 3) for one full charge, power bank 10,000 mAh for Rs. 900 (USD 6), power bank 20,000 mAh for Rs. 1,500 (USD 10)
- Wifi: 24h wifi card for Rs. 1,200 (USD 8), 48h wifi card for Rs. 1,500 (USD 10)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gorakshep known for?
Gorakshep is known as the last village before reaching Everest Base Camp. It’s a tiny village in the Everest Region, and only has a few teahouses where you can relax before reaching EBC.
Can you get altitude sickness in Gorakshep?
Yes, you can get altitude sickness here. The village is at 5,140 m (16,864 ft) above sea level, and many people struggle at this altitude. It’s important to acclimatize during the trek (in Namche, and Dingboche), but you might still feel unwell here. If you feel unwell, make sure to let your trekking guide or teahouse owner know. They can help organize helicopter evacuation or a ride down on a donkey.
How far is Gorakshep from Everest Base Camp?
Gorakshep is 3.4 km (2 miles) from EBC, and it takes around two hours walk to get there. The altitude makes the walk more difficult than it would be at a lower elevation, so go as slow as you need to, don’t rush it.
Can you stay overnight in Gorakshep?
Yes, there are around five teahouses in Gorakshep and you can stay there overnight. It’s worth staying overnight if you are planning to hike to Kala Patthar the next morning. I decided to skip the hike to Kala Patthar, and after reaching EBC, I just walked back to Lobuche.
My Final Tips for Staying in Gorakshep
Before arriving in Gorakshep, make sure to pre-book the accommodation if you are trekking in the peak season. In autumn and spring, the big tour groups pre-book rooms, and if you are trekking independently, it might be difficult to find a place on the spot. I recommend asking your teahouse owner in Lobuche to call ahead a teahouse in Gorakshep to reserve a room for you.
Alternatively, if you feel tired, you can also go up to EBC and walk back to Lobuche the same day. In this case, you’d miss hiking to Kala Patthar (best views of Mt. Everest), but if you are tired, it’s also an option to skip Kala Patthar.
If you feel unwell, let your guide or teahouse owner know, so they can advise you on what’s best, or help call a helicopter if you are really unwell. Before starting the EBC trek, make sure to get travel insurance, so you can use it to cover helicopter evacuation or any medical bills.
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