One of the best ways to see Mt. Everest and the surrounding Himalayan scenery is to take the Everest Base Camp Trek by road, which is unaffected by Lukla flights. This is an alternative, safe way to reach Mt. Everest Base Camp since the regular flight to Lukla might be delayed for a few hours to a few days due to unpredictable weather in the high mountains. Everest Base Camp Trek by Road has completed an exciting package for trekkers who love to have adventurous experiences in the Himalayas. The trip commences at Surke (2,290 m) after a long Jeep drive from Kathmandu, full of curiosity through the beautiful landscape, and concludes at the same point at Surke after exploring Sagarmatha's UNESCO World Heritage Site, unique Sherpa culture, warm hospitality, and wonderful snowcapped mountains, including Mt. Everest (8,848.86 m).
If you are looking for an alternative way to reach Everest Base Camp and to escape a scary thrill ride to Lukla, then we at Nepal Mother House Treks are glad to organize your Everest Base Camp Trek by Jeep drive. This trip does not only make you excited, but it is also a way to save some money while escaping the Lukla flight, and you have much more experience of various landscapes, cultures, and people's livelihoods while driving. Likewise, this is the best way to acclimatize before getting to the base of the mighty peak, Everest. In contrast to a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, your body strengthens its resistance to altitude sickness while you drive a Jeep through the lowlands.
Almost all trekking agencies have introduced the Everest Base Camp Trek, a flight from Kathmandu/Ramechhap to Lukla. However, due to flight delays, you may not always finish the trip on schedule and may even encounter unintended issues while traveling. Thus, Nepal Mother House Treks has offered here a hassle-free road alternative trail to the EBC that accounted for the weather at the Lukla Airport and flights from Kathmandu.
This Everest Base Camp Trek by Drive package has been thoughtfully created based on insightful suggestions and comments from our esteemed guests. Thus, the trek will start with a drive from Kathmandu to Lukla by bus or Jeep and end at the same location in Surke with an exhilarating Jeep drive. You will gain a tremendous deal of experience in the Himalayas, learning about the distinctive culture and religious beliefs of the Sherpas as well as the breathtaking mountain scenery, icefall, glacier marine, and Mother Nature of the Himalayas.
Is it possible to drive to Lukla for the trek to Everest Base Camp?
The road to Everest Base Camp was recently constructed all the way to the Surke (2,290 m), below the Luka "gateway of Mt. Everest." It takes forty-five minutes to an hour to walk to get in Luka. The distance on the road, which runs through the BP Highway and Tourism Highway—also referred to as the Everest Express Highway—between Kathmandu and Lukla is 366.9 km, with a total of 363.9 km of completed road track. According to the local government, "Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality" has announced the completion of the remaining road from Surke to Lukla within the fiscal years. Normally, the drive from Kathmandu to Lukla at Surke takes 17 to 18 hours. However, due to traffic and road conditions, it can take 9 to 10 hours to travel from Kathmandu to Salleri/Phaplu, and then another 7 to 8 hours to travel from Salleri to Surke. If it is too late to drive Surke in one day or not enough passengers, then the jeep might stop overnight at Salleri or Jubing, Kharikhola, according to what time it gets there. Then drive the next early morning drive to the Jeep destination at Surke; you won't be overlapping in your schedule due to getting in Phakding or Manjo on the same day driving to Surke. Please go through the Kathmandu to Lukla Jeep Drive if you require any additional information about the route, the time, or the Jeep.
Ideal Time of Year to Trek to Everest Base Camp Without Flying to Lukla
The best seasons to drive to Everest Base Camp or go without air travel for a 14-day trek are typically spring (March, April, and May) and fall (September, October, and November). These seasons are considered the best due to their perfect weather—no clouds, excellent visibility, a picturesque vista, and a safe path. At a low altitude, it will not be very hot or cold. One of the greatest seasons to hike Mount Everest is now. Driving is possible on the road from Kathmandu to Lukla/Suirke during both the dry season and the winter.
Early December and late February are also considered to be the best times to visit Everest Base Camp if you are traveling there with a group of hikers. However, because of the cold and the higher likelihood of snowfall, winters in the highlands will be difficult. Likewise, summer is challenging and not safe to walk due to a lot of rain and poor weather. Although there is road access nowadays, if you are looking for the best mountain sceneryto avoid the crowds of trekkers, then winter is also perfect to visit Everest Base Camp.
Likewise, the monsoon is also the best way to explore in the Everest region. You will witness the highlander Sherpa's culture, livelihood, animal husbandry, vegetation with colorful flowers, and traditional organic farming methods. Often, you can see the mountain scenery like an open cartoon at the window. Visit Mount Everest in the monsoon; it is ideal to connect to the local people and observe the flora and fauna in the region. This time would be perfect for the researcher and student group. You must prepare gear well for the rain.
What is the difficulty level of the Everest Base Camp Trek?
According to American author, salesman, and inspirational and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar's “Difficult Roads Often Lead to Beautiful Destinations," these quotes match the Everest Base Camp trek too. There are many obstacles present before you get to your destination.
For the past two weeks, the Everest Base Camp trek's difficulty level has been moderate. However, this trek doesn’t require prior trekking experience, but you should be physically fit, have strong determination, and make a list of suitable trekking gear for Everest. The EBC trek is also accessible to novice hikers without any difficulties. Your objective is to arrive at the base of Mount Everest, take in the breathtaking view of the world's highest point, and see the Khumbu Glacier and Khumbu Icefall. The law of attraction states that everything comes to those who focus on it. It is a lengthy drive from Kathmandu to Surke by jeep, taking 17 to 18 hours at the start of the trip, with a bending peach road leading to the Salleri (2,390 m) and the remaining rough road in various terrains. Hence, you are not experiencing any difficulties during this trek.
Those who can handle long road trips and are physically fit are the ones we at Nepal Mother House Treks advise. Given the length, we recommend dividing the Kathmandu-Surke, taking two days for the comfortable journey. It takes nine or ten hours to drive from Kathmandu to Salleri, where one spends the night. Drive from Salleri to Surke for six to seven hours the following morning, and then walk to Surke/Chaurikhartka to spend the night.
What Sort of Food Can You Get on the Jeep Trekking Everest Base Camp Trek?
Food is the most important thing for the Everest Base Camp Trek; nourishment is something that you can’t compromise about. There are a variety of food options throughout the entire Everest Base Camp Trek Without Flight To Lukla; you can get typical Nepal Dhal-Bhat, soups, snacks, momos, fried noodles, fried rice, Chinese, and continental dishes like noodles, spaghetti, spring rolls, pizza, and steak, etc. You can pick the food items from menu cards at every tea house. Normally, you will have dinner and breakfast at the hotel/teahouse where you stayed overnight and take lunch at the teahouse on the way to today's trip. The cost of the food escalated with the elevation gain, necessitating transportation by porters, mules, yaks, or helicopter charters from Kathmandu to Lukla. However, the price of the food doesn’t change according to the season. Some places, like Lukla, Phakding, Namche, Tengboche, Dingboche, and Labuche, will also find bakery items in modern restaurants. You may take different tests of Nepalese food on the way while driving from Kathmandu to Lukla.
Accommodation During Everest Base Camp Trek by Road
The tourist industry is growing rapidly in Nepal. The towering snowcapped peak, Mother Nature, people's culture, and religious hormones attract millions of tourists every year. Nepal has eight out of the 10 highest mountains in the world. Nowadays, trekkers have many choices for accommodation during the entire Everest Base Camp Trek Without a Flight to Lukla. There is a basic tea house with dormitory rooms and luxury five-star hotel amenities on the trip. The most popular trekking trails, Gokyo Valley Trek and Everest Renjola Pass Trek, provide basic, comfortable, and clean accommodations. Most tea houses have indoor toilets and bathrooms, but some offer the best room with a heater, an attached bathroom with a hot shower, and a toilet.
Lukla, Phakding, Namche Bazaar, and Labuche have everything from simple accommodations in a tea house to fancy accommodations in luxury hotels. We make reservations for group trekkers a few weeks in advance, as the entire hotel becomes overbooked during the trekking season in spring (March, April, and May) and autumn (September, October, and November). Likewise, in the Tengboche, Lobuche does not have enough accommodation for the peak season. The cost of the room will be different based on its facilities, services, and location. If you are seeing some important tips for the Everest Base Camp Trek, this will be a great support to make your trip successful.
If you have a time limit, although you like to do the Everest Base Camp Trek by road, you can drive from Kathmandu to Lukla (Paiya) at the beginning and fly back to Kathmandu from Lukla at the end of the trek, if possible, in 13 days. Please refer to the itinerary provided below for further details.
Everest Base Camp Trek Suggested Itinerary: 13 Days, One-Way Flight 2024
Day 01: Drive Kathmandu to Salleri (2,390 m) -9 to 10 hours
Day 02: Drive Salleri to Surke (2,290 m) -7 to 8 hours & Trek Surke to Phakding -4 to 5 hours
Day 03: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,430 m) -5 to 6 hours,
Day 04: Acclimatization in Namche Bazaar and visit Khumjung Village (3,790 m) and Everest View Hotel (3,880 m)
Day 05: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3,867 m) -5 to 6 hours
Day 06: Tengboche to Dingboche (4,410 m) -5 to 6 hours
Day 07: Acclimatization and Explore day at Dingboche; visit Nangkartshang peak (5,615 m)
Day 08: Dingboche to Lobuche (4,930 m) -5 to 6 hours
Day 09: Lobuche to Gorakshep (5,140 m) (3 hours) & Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) (2 to 3 hours)
Day 10: Gorakshep to Kalapatthar (5,550 m) in 2 hours & Stroll back to Pheriche (4,240 m) in 4 to 5 hours
Day 11: Pheriche to Namche Bazaar (3430 m): 7 to 8 hours
Day 12: Namche Bazaar to Lukla (2,800 m): 6 to 7 hours
Day 13: Fly back to Kathmandu (1350 m) for 30 minutes and enjoy the rest of the day.
Can You Go from Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp by Road?
As you are aware, the road leads to Mt. Everest's Base Camp, also known as Qomolangma in Tibetan, on the mountain's north side in China. Similarly, construction of the Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp Road has also taken place on the Nepal side. However, the majority of the trail to the Everest Base Camp is located within the Sagarmatha National Park, making it only accessible from Kathmandu to Lukla. Currently, it is possible to drive from Kathmandu to Luka by Jeep or bus at Thamdanda (4 to 5 hours walk below the Lukla) through the Sindhuli Khurkot BP Highway and get to Salleri (2,390 m), the headquarters of the Solukhumbu. Then, further along the Salleri road, cross the Kharikhola and get to Paiya, known as Puiyan Village. Recently, there has not been any planning for road access to Everest Base Camp from Kathmandu; however, it is sure that the road track will join Lukla and Chaurikharka in this fiscal year. You can drive from Kathmandu to Surke (2,290 m), taking almost a whole day by jeep. In response to local demand and tourism, the local government has decided not to extend the road to Everest Base Camp beyond Lukla.
If the Everest Base Camp Trek by Road does not meet your requirements, this alternative Everest region trip itinerary might be of interest to you:
Everest Base Camp Trek With Helicopter Return: 9 Days
Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek: -12 Days
Everest Three Passes Trek: 18 Days
