If you’re like me, choosing the best accommodation while traveling can be a bit tricky.
It is every trekkers’ concern what type of accommodation they would be using when trekking to Everest Base Camp (EBC).
Nepal’s tourist industry is growing. And getting the best accommodations on EBC trail is getting a lot easier too.
With the growth of the trekking industry, popular trekking routes of Everest region have an adequate number of lodges. All trailside tea houses offer good food and accommodation.
Along the EBC trail, you’ll find well-maintained and reasonably comfortable tea houses.
If you’re going for a tea house trek, then the tea house arranges your food and accommodation locally. You can schedule your own program and have your own pace.
On the whole trek, you’ll heavily depend on the facilities provided by tea houses. So, you need to choose to trek routes wisely where you can get better service at a reasonable cost.
The trail of Everest region is well established. Almost all teahouses on the popular trail like Gokyo valley trekking or Everest panorama trekking provide good basic standards of comfort and cleanliness.
On the EBC trail, there are plenty of options to choose according to your needs and budget. From 5 star hotels located at Namche to basic accommodation at Tengboche or Dingboche. Also, keep in mind that at high altitude places like Pheriche or Gorakshep, the accommodation will be limited.
To help you out with your EBC accommodation search here is a guide to Everest Base Camp trek accommodation.
Accommodation at tea houses
Teahouse trek is one of the great options for trekking in Nepal. Nowadays in Nepal, tea house trek is gaining popularity in all over the world. Personally, my favorite option for trekking is also tea house trekking. I feel staying in tea houses can be a great way to get a feel for how the locals live.
An added bonus of staying in tea houses while EBC trek is you’ll have cozy accommodation with a feeling of right at home !!!
Tea houses on the trail vary in quality and price, depending on the amenities they feature. Some tea houses on the lower altitude offer fully equipped rooms with electricity, western toilet facility, wi-fi and the best part, a hot shower. Whereas some tea houses, especially at the higher altitude offer very basic kind of services.
Let’s see what are the basic accommodation facilities that can be found on the EBC trail.
Rooms
Basically, you’ll find twin-basis type of accommodation on the EBC trail. Most single rooms have twin beds with some basic furniture like a small table or a chair.
Normally, beds contain pillow and sheets. Almost all tea houses provide blanket as it will be freezing at night. You’ll also find a shelf, coat, hooks, but some teahouses don’t have it.
While sleeping at night you’re usually provided with a padlock for security concern. But it’s better to bring it yourself just in case as you never know what will happen next!!!
Toilets
In the high land of Nepal, you’ll get a very basic kind of toilet facilities. Now let’s take a short look at the toilet facilities, an essential part of the trek in terms of health and hygiene. It’s obvious that going outside in the middle of the night to use them it’s really awkward moment.
Mainly on the lower elevation, most lodges offer western style toilet. As you move higher on the trail you’ll find squat toilet facilities.
In some tea houses, there’ll be small wooden hut outside the lodge with a hole in the floor above a deep pit. Another one thing you should keep in mind that most of the tea houses do not provide toilet roll paper.
Yes! You might find this little weird thing. But it’s really important to know as you’ll be able to maintain hygiene in a proper way. Also, you’ll get the idea of what to bring essential toilet belongings as per your requirements.
Other Amenities at Tea Houses
- On the trail of Everest Base Camp trek, cold showers are free whereas you have to spend few dollars for hot showers. The cost would range from $1-$3 depending on the trekking altitude.
- Another important thing on the trail of EBC trek is charging your electronic devices. Some of the tea house charge $2-$3 per hour to get charge your electronic devices. Luckily, if your room has a plug, then you can charge your device freely.
- If you want to be connected while on the trail then you can purchase a prepaid Data SIM Card. Ncell offers a high-speed 3G internet services for the Everest region. SIM cards are cheap and available in many stores in Kathmandu. Besides this, the teahouses on the EBC trail also provide internet facilities for a surcharge of around $3-$5 per hour.
Accommodations at Everest Base Camp trek
Accommodation at Lukla
You’ll start your EBC trekking journey by taking a short flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. Most of the people prefer to take a trail straight away and head for the first stop Phakding or Namche.
But Lukla is still a beautiful village there are plenty of very good hotels. Although there are little more expensive than the lodges. Overall, you’ll get much better facilities than tea houses on the trail.
Accommodation at Phakding
After Lukla, your next stop will be at Phakding. It is beautiful small village lies in the Dudh Koshi river valley just north of Lukla and south of Monjo.
Phakding has enough hotels on both sides of a river. The tea houses at Phakding offers you an affordable and accessible accommodation service. If you’re traveling with a bit more budget, then for a bit more comfort there are many options for luxury accommodations too.
Accommodation at Namche Bazaar
Namche Bazaar is one of the main stops on the trail up to Everest Base Camp trek. It is also a great place for acclimatization as many trekkers spend two or three days to get adjusted to the altitude.
This place is worth to explore, as if you visit the viewpoint above the village you’ll get the first view of Mt. Everest. Besides the natural beauty, this place has some of the best tea house with great accommodation facilities.
Also, remember that this is the last place where you can get the moderate accommodation facilities on the trail of EBC. You’ll find wide varieties of tea houses from luxury to basic with wide ranges of prices.
Accommodation at Tengboche
Tengboche is another popular trekking stop during the EBC trekking. It is famous for Tengboche monastery situated at 3,867 m. above the sea level. It is the largest monastery in the Khumbu region.
There is around only 4-5 hotels in Tengboche. From here onward on the trail there will be more basic tea houses with basic facilities. Even though few tea houses provide a room with attached bathrooms and hot shower.
Many people want to spend a night at Tengboche to attend the morning prayers at the monastery. So, it might get crowded during the peak seasons.
Accommodation at Dingboche
Dingboche is Sherpa village and it is much larger than Tengboche. This place has dozens of lodges, a handful of shops, a bakery, and even an internet cafe. Most of the trekkers spend two nights at Dingboche for acclimatization purpose. Yes of course, here all the hotels are open all year round.
Accommodation at Lobuche
Lobuche is the last overnight stops on the trail to the base camp. Basically, there are significant hotels in this village. But the accommodation here is quite basic. During peak trekking season, sometimes it can get hard to find the lodges. So, in this type of situation, you might have to share the rooms with other trekkers of the same gender.
Accommodation at Gorak Shep
Since it is the best launching pad for an ascent of Kala Patthar, almost it is always crowded place. In terms of accommodation, Gorakshep is pretty average. Trekking lodges are basic and even in the peak trekking season, you might have to sleep in a dining room or share a room with trekkers. Luckily, the dining room would be warmer for a little while, until the fire dies down.
What is the price range for tea houses in EBC trek?
The accommodation price of tea houses in EBC trail greatly depends on the altitude and time of year you visit. When trekking EBC during peak season (spring and autumn) be prepared to pay a higher rate than the off-season months.
A general idea for the price of a basic accommodation would be anywhere between $2-$3 per night.
Note: These are just average ranges of prices in EBC trail. Prices quickly changed for availability. During the off-season rates can drop as much as 50% of what the peak rates are.
Also, sometimes you don’t have to pay for accommodations. As some of the teahouses let you sleep in one condition if you eat on that particular tea house.
So, some trekkers typically choose places not based on what the room will look like, but what will be on the menu.
Final Thoughts
No matter if you’re traveling on a budget or opting for luxury, you’ll find the best accommodation to fit your needs during Everest Base Camp trek.
But remember, in peak trekking season booking ahead is often essential.
Lastly, book your accommodation early!!! Of course, as good places will be filled up early!!!
I know, I keep repeating this but it is so important. As soon as you know your dates start looking to book your accommodation. Not only will this lower your stress level but it’ll also help you find better deals on accommodation.
If you don’t have any idea about booking then you can just consult with your trekking agency. They’ll help you with early booking and get you the best one !!
With so many wonderful accommodations to choose, you’ll have no problem tailoring your EBC adventure to exactly your needs !!!!!
Now it’s time to get planning!!!
