Is Everest Base Camp Trek Safe for Solo Female Travelers? (+Safety Tips)

After years of visiting and periodically living in Nepal, I finally decided (for real) that I would trek to Everest Base Camp. While my mom back in Hungary was super proud that I would do it, my Nepali friends looked at me questioning why I would go alone, and if it is even safe to trek Everest Base Camp as a solo female traveler.

After completing a 14-day EBC trek, I can say that yes, Everest Base Camp is safe for solo female travelers. The trail is easy to follow, you meet lots of people on the way, and the teahouses are safe and easy to book on the spot.

Nevertheless, you should prepare well for your trek, plan your itinerary, have acclimatization days, pack the essential items, get travel insurance, and let your family know of your itinerary.

Here are my safety tips for trekking EBC as a solo female traveler!

Is Everest Base Camp Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

I have always found Nepal to be very safe as a solo female traveler. You have to remain cautious as you would anywhere else, but ultimately, Nepal is a safe country.

The first time I went trekking in Nepal, I hired a guide. Although afterwards, I only trekked with friends or solo, I still remember some good advice I learnt from my guide on my first trek.

As I have done a few treks in Nepal solo before going on the Everest Base Camp trek, I felt prepared to go on my own.

The EBC trail is easy to follow, the accommodation in the teahouses is safe, and you meet a lot of new people on the way. So, even if you trek solo, you won’t feel alone during the trek.

My advice is that if it’s your first time trekking, it is better to hire a guide than to go all by yourself. The guide can help you advise on what to pack and set up an itinerary that includes acclimatization days to successfully complete the trek.

Safety Tips for Solo Female Trekkers in Nepal

I have found the Everest Base Camp trek totally safe as a solo female traveler but there are a few things you should keep in mind if you are also considering trekking it solo.

You Don’t Have to Do it All by Yourself

Even if you are traveling Nepal solo, you don’t have to trek Everest Base Camp alone. I say this as the only reason I did EBC all by myself is because I have already had experience trekking in Nepal solo. I had experience of how my body adjusts to altitude, knew what to pack, and I was ready for the trail and getting by with basic necessities.

I still found the Everest Base Camp trek more difficult than other treks in Nepal (Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Himal, Langtang). It was more demanding due to the length, altitude, and number of days I had to go without being able to shower.

I met a couple of other solo female trekkers (no guide, no porter) but most of them had prior trekking experience. There are many trekking agencies in Kathmandu, but if you decide to hire a guide through a company, make sure to check their reviews.

There are Facebook groups for trekking in Nepal where you can also ask for advice on trekking agencies and guides. Facebook groups like Backpackers in Nepal and Everest Base Camp Trek are good resources for advice on trekking agencies and trekking tips.

In recent years, there are also more and more female trekking guides that you can hire for trekking in Nepal. It’s still a majority of male trekking guides but they are professional and are totally safe to hire even if you are a solo female trekker.

Find Trekking Buddies

If you don’t want to go with a guide but still want to trek with other people, you can also find trekking buddies. I recommend using the Backpackers in Nepal Facebook group for finding trekking buddies.

Alternatively, if you are staying in a hostel in Kathmandu, it’s also a great place to meet people and plan a trek together.

Once you have a group together, you can also decide to hire a guide as a group. In this case, the guide cost is split within the group, so it is more budget friendly.

Choose the Right Trekking Season

The best time to trek in Nepal is in late autumn (November) and Spring (March-May). During these times, the weather is good, and you have the best chance for clear views. Weather can be unpredictable in the mountains but generally, Autumn and Spring are your best bet.

In recent years, monsoon has lasted well into October, so for trekking in autumn, it is best to plan from November onwards. Even the beginning of December is a good time to go, but it may start snowing from late December onwards. Snow makes trekking more challenging, and I don’t advise trekking solo when it snows.

Spring is the second-best time to go trekking in Nepal. It is also climbing season in the Everest Region in May, so you can see the base camp with expeditions set up around May.

When I trekked EBC in November, there were no expeditions at the Base Camp, nevertheless, the weather was good and I got really nice clear views of the mountains.

Get Travel Insurance

Whenever you travel abroad, especially as a solo traveler, you should always get travel insurance.

When choosing the insurance for trekking in Nepal, you have to get one that covers trekking and emergency helicopter evacuation up to 6,000 meters.

Some of the insurance companies I recommend for trekking in Nepal:

• True Traveller: best for EU/UK citizens
• Travelex: for USA residents
• World Nomads: for all nationalities

Be Prepared

If you plan to trek Everest Base Camp solo (no guide), then you must prepare well in advance.

Plan your itinerary, know your trek route, and include acclimatization days in Namche and Dingboche to make sure you adjust to the altitude.

Before starting your trek, share your itinerary with your family and let them know that internet connection on the EBC trek may not always be reliable, and you may be out of contact for a few days. I had wifi access all throughout my trek (paid extra in higher altitudes), but if you want to disconnect from internet, then just let your family know in advance.

Also make sure to have enough cash for the whole trek. You should budget minimum Rs. 4,000 (USD 28) per day but this is the bare minimum for accommodation, 3 meals per day and some extras like wifi or hot shower. For extras, snacks, tissues, souvenirs, you need extra. It is better to take more cash, then to fear running out of it.

Being ready mentally for the trek is one of the most crucial parts of preparing. I found the trek a bit challenging due to the altitude and length of the trek. Even though I acclimatized well, I felt the trek was pushing my limits as I couldn’t shower for days.

EBC Preparation Quick Checklist:

• Know the trek route
• Trek slowly and plan acclimatization days in Namche and Dingboche
• Have a map for navigation (the trail is well marked and easy to follow but always have a map just in case). I use apps like mapy.com and maps.me for trekking in Nepal
• Inform your family of your itinerary
• Have enough cash
• Pack only the most essential items

Pack the Essentials

If you are trekking without a porter, only pack the most essential items for the trek and pack as light as possible. If you can, pack everything into a 30L backpack.

It is better to wear the same outfit for multiple days in a row, then to struggle with a heavy backpack during the trek.

I only take a 28L backpack on my treks and here is the list of the items I pack for my treks in Nepal.

Challenges of Trekking EBC

Altitude

Almost half of the EBC trek is above 4,000 meters (13,125 ft) and even if you acclimatize well, it is more difficult to trek in high altitude as there is less oxygen in the air.

On the way up, I recommend to follow an itinerary that takes acclimatization into account. Even if you have energy to walk more, you should stop at your planned destination for the day that takes altitude into consideration.

What happens is that people have a lot of energy to walk (often more than what is planned for the day), but you should stop and not go higher as then your body won’t acclimatize properly.

I met quite a few trekkers who skipped places on their itinerary and didn’t have acclimatization days. They ended up having altitude sickness and had to turn back. Imagine, you finally make it to trek Everest Base Camp and you are not able to make it to the top.

So, my advice is to take time while you go up, and if you are still full of energy when you are on the way down, then you can have longer trek days.

On my EBC trek, I even found the way down more challenging than my other treks in Nepal. On my previous treks, once I reached the highest point (Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Himal) and turned back to come down, I always felt it was easy to come down.

What I found with Everest Base Camp is that even though I turned back to come down, it was more difficult to come down fast as even on the way back, you are above 4,000 meters (13,125 ft) at least for one day. For me, I think it only got easier walking down once I was closer to Namche 3,440 meters (11,286 ft).

Hygiene

When I started my EBC trek, I was mostly worried about altitude sickness. I ended up being totally fine with altitude, and hygiene became my biggest challenge.

I was mentally prepared for basic conditions and not being able to take a shower for days, but it was much harder in reality. On my previous treks in Nepal, I went maybe one or two days without a shower, but as EBC takes longer, I think I went about 5 days without a shower. Yeah, wet wipes becomes your best friends.

Then, I was staying in rooms without attached toilet, and my daily nightmare became the shared toilets and being too cold to take a shower. I was on a budget and it was cheaper to stay in rooms with a shared toilet, but if I went again, I would take a room with attached toilet the whole way.

Honestly, I consider myself lucky that my biggest problem was only the basic living conditions and not about having to turn back down due to altitude sickness. Still, hygiene was very basic, espcially further up (Lobuche, Gorakshep).

Limited Internet Connection

The internet connection is pretty good in lower altitudes (Phakding, Namche, Tengboche) for both using Nepali SIM cards and having access to free wifi in teahouses.

From Dingboche, it changes a bit. In Dingboche, only Nepal Telecom SIM card users have network – no network for Ncell users. Due to limited network, from Dingboche onwards, teahouses also charge for access to wifi. Then in Lobuche and Gorakshep, you can only use Airlink Wifi Cards for wifi.

If you are trekking solo, make sure to share your itinerary with your family beforehand and let them know that you may be out of contact for a couple of days when you are around Lobuche-Gorakshep-EBC.

Many times, I see posts from family members on Facebook about their loved ones “missing” while on the trek in Nepal. In reality, the trekker is fine but is using the trek to disconnect from social media.

Accommodation in Teahouses as a Solo Traveler

The accommodation on the EBC trek is in typical Nepali teahouses. The teahouses are basic but I found that they are much bigger then the ones on other trekking routes in Nepal.

Before I started my trek, many friends have told me that I should book the teahouses ahead as it is peak season and they could be fully booked. In reality, many villages had loads of teahouses along the trek and they are 2-3 story teahouses with lots of rooms.

The teahouses in the Annapurna region are much smaller (usually only one floor), but I found the teahouses along the EBC trek are built to be able to accommodate the high number of trekkers that visit each season.

Options for accommodation is slightly more limited in Lobuche and Gorakshep, but even in those villages, I could book places for the night after I arrived (without pre-booking).

The teahouses are also safe. You can get a private room: sometimes a single bed, other times a twin room but you don’t have to share it with other people. The best is to go for a room with attached toilet which makes the trek a bit more comfortable.

Everest Base Camp Trek Cost for Solo Travelers

When trekking Everest Base Camp, you should budget at least Rs. 4,000 (USD 28) per day.

In lower altitudes, you spend less per day, and in higher altitudes, you may spend a bit more. With Rs. 4,000 per day, it includes the room price, three meals per day, and some extras like hot shower or wifi. If you really want to splurge on nice drinks and snacks, then it is better to budget USD 40-50 per day.

In addition, if you hire a guide or porter, then you should budget an extra USD 30 per day for hiring a guide, and USD 20 for a porter.

You also have to get two permits for Everest Base Camp Trek: The Sagarmatha National Park Permit, and the Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality permit. Each permit costs Rs. 3,000 (USD 22). You can get them in Kathmandu or on the way in Monjo (before Namche).

FAQs: Is Everest Base Camp Trek Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

How safe are treks in Nepal for solo female travelers?

Nepal is generally a safe country, and foreigners feel safe while visiting the country.

I have done a couple of treks in Nepal as a solo female traveler and have always felt safe. The trekking routes are safe and easy to follow, the accommodation in teahouses are also safe (safe to sleep and keep items), and the people you meet along the way also look out for each other.

Can you go to Everest Base Camp Trek by yourself?

Yes, you can trek Everest Base Camp Trek by yourself without hiring a guide. However, if it is your first time trekking, I recommend hiring a trekking guide.

Having a guide makes trekking easier. They help plan your itinerary, can recommend what to pack, and share their knowledge about interesting facts and culture in the region.

I have trekked by myself in Nepal and have always found it safe. However, I did hire a guide on my first trek in Nepal (way back in 2015!), then I trekked with friends, and only recently, I started trekking alone.

Conclusion

Overall, trekking Everest Base Camp is safe for solo female travelers, but you should prepare well for the trek and remain cautious.

My advice is that if it’s your first time going trekking, then it is better to hire a guide. There are more and more female guides in recent years, but even if you go with a male trekking guide, it is safe. Make sure to only go with a guide from a reputable trekking agency – you can read their reviews online.

In case you plan to trek EBC totally alone, make sure to prepare well for the trekking route, don’t go up too fast and don’t skip acclimatization days. The trail is easy to follow and you’ll meet lots of people on the way, but ultimately, don’t go up faster even if you meet lots of people going up fast. Usually, those who go up too fast and skip acclimatization days, are not able to complete the trek.

I trekked EBC as a solo female traveler, so if you have any questions, feel free to contact me for any extra tips!