9 Mistakes to Avoid on the Everest Base Camp Trek
Everest Base Camp always seemed so mysterious to me. Even though I had done a couple of other treks in Nepal, it took years before I ever went to EBC. I had so much built up in my mind about what it would be like, and I had done so much research beforehand.
Ultimately, the things I thought would be easy turned out to be challenging, and the things I thought would be difficult, didn’t turn out so bad.
Still, there are a couple of things that can make trekking to Everest Base Camp easier, and avoiding these mistakes can help you to successfully complete the trek. I found that going slowly, having acclimatization days, and preparing mentally help you the most when trekking EBC.
3 THINGS I ALWAYS HAVE ON A TREK
🗻 Travel Insurance
⚡️ Power Bank
🔦 Headlamp
9 Mistakes to Avoid on the Everest Base Camp Trek
1. Skipping Acclimatization
Proper acclimatization is key to successfully complete Everest Base Camp trek. So many trekkers try to rush, and complete EBC quick. The issue is that if you don’t acclimatize properly, you’ll have altitude sickness and won’t actually make it to EBC.
A good practice is to have an itinerary that includes an acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar, and another acclimatization day in Dingboche. On the acclimatization day, you hike up to a higher elevation, then come back down to sleep at lower altitude. It helps your body to adjust to altitude and make hiking easier the next day when you continue the trek to the next stop.
You never know how altitude might affect you. I met trekkers who already started to feel unwell at Namche Bazaar due to altitude. Then, I met other trekkers who were fine in Namche, skipped acclimatization days, and many could make it as far as Lobuche, but then they had to turn back and go down as they felt unwell.
I can’t imagine anything worse than coming to trek EBC and not being able to complete it. But it’s important to know when to turn back if you start to feel unwell. Altitude sickness is serious, and if you feel unwell, you should turn back and go down to lower elevation.
Most trekkers are able to complete EBC trek with the acclimatization days. Some even spend 3 nights in Namche to help more with acclimatization.
I noticed on my previous treks in Nepal that my body is slow to adjust to high altitude, so I planned acclimatization days, plus I also took half a tablet of Diamox in the mornings and evenings from Phakding onwards. For taking Diamox, I recommend checking with your doctor.
2. Underestimating the Difficulty of the Trek
When preparing for Everest Base Camp, many people focus on fitness and training. While it is good to be physically fit for the trek, there are also other factors that make the trek difficult.
Altitude, basic conditions, stomach bugs, weather, basic hygiene, heavy backpacks, and limited internet connection can all add up to make the trek difficult, even if you are very fit.
I found that even if you have an average level of fitness, you can complete the trek. It’s good to train for the trek, but your level of fitness may not make that big of a difference. Even if you are fit, if you don’t acclimatize properly, you’ll feel unwell due to altitude, making you to turn back down.
Almost half of the trek is above 4,000 m (13,123 ft) which make it difficult. The higher you go, the less oxygen is in the air. After I got to EBC and started my way back down, I thought that going down would be easier. As we were above 4,000 m (13,123 ft) even on the way down, it went very slowly. It was only around Namche that it started to feel easier to be going down.
3. Ignoring Mental Preparation
The Everest Base Camp trek really challenges you and pushes you out of your comfort zone. Most people can and will make it to the Base Camp, but it is challenging, even if you are physically fit and feel fine at high altitude.
There are things that you can prepare for mentally before going on the trek, and some others, that you’ll have to face on the spot.
Before going on the trek, I thought that I could easily rough it out with limited showers, but the basic hygiene conditions were really getting to me by the end of the two-week trip. Add to it the altitude, cold nights, shared toilets, stomach bugs, and you are there pushing through your limits to complete the trek.
The best way to prepare mentally for EBC, is to prepare for the unexpected. The best is to plan for all scenarios but also know that there may be some things that will be out of your control and you’ll have to adjust.
4. Trekking without Proper Insurance
There can be unexpected emergencies on any trip, especially if you are trekking in the Himalayas, so it is important to have travel insurance.
When getting travel insurance for the Everest Base Camp trek, make sure that the insurance covers trekking up to 6,000 m (19,685 ft) and includes helicopter evacuation.
The highest point on the EBC trek is Kala Patthar at 5,643 m (18,514 ft). If you have to claim insurance, the insurance company usually asks for your itinerary, and even if you are evacuated at a lower altitude, you’ll only get reimbursed if your insurance covers higher than 5,643 m (18,514 ft).
If you book a trek with a trekking company, the trekking agency will also ask you to get travel insurance, as they only run their treks to people who have a valid insurance. If you trek solo, it is even more important that you get insurance.
On my EBC trek, I saw many people who felt so unwell, they were unable to keep walking. People feel the worst due to altitude in the highest villages on the trek, around Lobuche and Gorakshep.
Some of the best travel insurance for Everest Base Camp:
- True Traveller: EU/UK citizens
- Travelex: US citizens
- World Nomads: all citizens
➡️ 16-29 April 2026
➡️ 21 November – 4 December 2026
5. Not Including Buffer Days
The Everest Base Camp trek starts by flying into Lukla, and these flights are very often delayed due to bad weather. When the weather is bad, the planes don’t fly due to safety (fair enough), but it can cause delays in travel plans.
The delays can add up to 2-3 days, so it is good to add 3-4 buffer days to your itinerary before your flight back home. It gives so much ease in case you face delays, and in case everything is on time, then you have a few days to explore Kathmandu and nearby places.
6. Choosing the Wrong Season to Trek
Weather is unpredictable in the mountains but generally autumn and spring are the two best times to trek in Nepal (including Everest Base Camp).
The monsoon season now usually lasts until the end of September, so the best is to plan the trek from mid-October onwards. The end of November and beginning of December is also a good time to trek: the skies are clear and there are less people on the trail.
Spring brings good weather and if you trek in April-May, then you can also see the tents set up at base camp.
Winter is also an option for EBC, and some people prefer winter as you get clear views, and it is not crowded. It is the coldest time for the trek, so you must pack warm layers, and prepare for snow and ice.
I don’t recommend trekking in the monsoon season, the skies are cloudy, and getting to Lukla is hindered by flight delays due to bad weather. I would only consider trekking in the monsoon, if it is really the only time I could visit Nepal. The best is to go with a guide as there can be landslides on the trail.
7. Packing Too Much/Wrong Gear
One of the mistakes first time trekkers make is packing too much or packing items that you actually don’t need on the trek. I made the same mistake on my first ever trek in Nepal.
When planning your packing list, it is good to limit your list to the most essential items. If you hire a porter, he will carry most of your stuff (you can pack around 10 kg into a duffel bag), and then you have a small daypack that includes some essentials you may need during the day while trekking from one village to another.
If you don’t have a porter, and you plan to carry your own backpack, then you should really limit the items you pack, and just take the most essentials. I carried my own backpack (28L), and it was just about manageable.
Some essentials to pack are warm thermal layers, quick dry t-shirts, trekking trousers/ yoga pants, trekking shoes, thick socks, warm fleece jumper, wind jacket, beanies, gloves, buff, slippers, crampons, trekking poles, poncho, sunhat, sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, quick dry towel, portable charger, headlamp.
As for sleeping bags, I recommend packing a sleeping bag if you are trekking in a big group and you have porters. If you are trekking solo, then just bring a sleeping bag liner. A sleeping bag liner is easier to carry, and for solo trekkers it is easier to get extra blankets in the teahouses. You can also get an extra blanket in the teahouse if you are trekking in a group, but the teahouse won’t have that many blankets to give an extra to everyone in the group.
8. Going with an Unexperienced Guide
There are so many trekking agencies in Kathmandu, and when you are choosing your trekking agency/guide, it is important to read the reviews and only go with a well-established, trusted company.
You can join a group for the trek or just hire a guide for yourself through the trekking agencies. If you are already in Kathmandu, you can ask to meet the guide before the trek. Some guides don’t speak that good English, so meeting your guide in person helps you to better understand their skills. Bonus if your guide is from the Everest Region.
9. Not Budgeting Properly
If it’s your first time visiting Nepal, it can be hard to know how much to budget for the EBC trek. Your budget depends on whether you book a tour with a trekking agency or if you trek independently.
For treks booked through a trekking agency, the cost you paid to book the trek already covers the guide, porter, permit, transport, accommodation and 3 meals per day. You only have to budget for extras like snacks, drinks, wifi, hot shower, and charging.
If you are trekking independently, you should also budget for accommodation, meals, and all extras you may need, like snacks, wifi and hot shower.
Typically, you can find these costs on the Everest Base Camp Trek:
- Room with shared toilet: Rs. 500-1,000 (USD 3.50-7) per night
- Room with private toilet: Rs. 1,500-3,000 (USD 10-21) per night
- Food: USD 3-10 per meal
- Drinks: USD 1-10 (tea for USD 1, juice for USD 5, beer for USD 10)
- Snacks: USD 2 (energy bars)
- Hot Shower: USD 2-4
- Wifi: USD 8-10 (free wifi until Dingboche)
- Charging (phones): USD 3.50 (free charging until Dingboche)
On my trek to EBC, I trekked independently (no guide, no porter), and I spent around USD 360 on a 13-day EBC trek. It included transport, permits, accommodation, food, snacks, hot shower, drinking water, wifi, and charging. I didn’t drink alcohol during the trek, otherwise, my spending would have been higher.
When preparing your budget, it is best to budget more than what you might need so you have extra money with you, and you don’t have to worry about running out of cash. It’s good to have extra money, in case you want to splurge on snacks or drinks. Even small things like snacks can cheer you up on a trek like EBC.
I recommend bringing the money you budget for your trek with you in cash (Nepali Rupees). There are currency exchange shops and ATMs in Kathmandu where you can get Nepali Rupees. There are also ATMs in Namche Bazaar, but they can be unreliable, so it is better to get all the cash in Nepali Rupees while you are still in Kathmandu.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hardest day on Everest Base Camp Trek?
The hardest day on the Everest Base Camp trek can be specific to individuals, as if you feel unwell, even the days that would otherwise be physically easy can feel difficult.
The day you go from Phakding to Namche Bazaar is pretty exhausting, as just before you’d reach Namche Bazaar, you have to hike uphill for hours. It’s not that high altitude yet but physically tiring.
Another day that I found difficult was the day we went from Lobuche to EBC. It’s high in altitude, there is less oxygen in the air, and by the time I reached EBC, I could have called it a day, but then you still have to go back to Gorakshep.
My Final Tips on Successfully Completing Everest Base Camp Trek
I saw many trekkers who were unable to complete their treks, so my advice is to go slowly and take acclimatization seriously. It is better to go slow and steady as long as you make it healthy up and back down, then to try to be the fastest on the trail, and then get unwell, and not make it to EBC.
I recommend spending 2 nights in Namche Bazaar, and 2 nights in Dingboche to help acclimatization. On the acclimatization days, you should also go on a day hike to higher altitude. Going up high and then sleeping back at lower altitude helps your body adjust to altitude better. Some people also spend 3 nights in Namche to make acclimatization even better.
In case if you feel unwell, let your guide know. If you trek without a guide, then let the teahouse owner know and they will advise you on the next steps. If you feel unwell, however hard it is, the best is to go back down to lower elevation, and if you feel really unwell, then it is better to stop the trek then to push yourself too far.
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