EBC trek early April: should we book lodges in advance?

Hi everyone,

We’re a group of 5 heading to the Everest Base Camp trek in early April. We won’t have a porter or guide—we’re used to hiking independently and have already done the Langtang trek and the Annapurna Circuit (back in 2003!).

I’d love to know if it’s necessary to book lodges in advance or if we’ll easily find availability during this busy season. Also, will we find lodges all along the route between the main stopover villages, or only in those villages? I remember there were plenty everywhere on the Annapurna Circuit. We want to stay as flexible as possible.

Thanks for your feedback!

Hi there, You’ll probably have no trouble finding a place to stay... as long as you’re flexible about where you sleep (avoid the "classic" stops like Phakding or Tengboche, for example) and set off early—you’ll beat the crowds that way. Between Lukla and Namche, there are plenty of alternatives. Higher up, Devoche is a good option instead of Tengboche. Above that, you’ll have to choose between Pheriche and Dingboche (I prefer the second option for the views, the sunshine, and the acclimatization hikes). Beyond that, it’s hard to skip Lobuche and Gorak Shep...

Dominique

Good evening, If you have enough time, I recommend—on top of Dniorthe’s tips (between Lukla and Namche)—taking the Renjo La pass (Namche, Thame, Lungden) and the Gokyo Lakes before continuing to Everest Base Camp. The Namche-Thame-Lungden-Renjo La route is very quiet. You’ll get a great view of Everest when crossing Renjo La. It’s also worth spending a day along the Ngozumpa Glacier toward the fifth lake once you’re in Gokyo.

Thanks so much for your feedback.

We’re expecting a lot of people in early April, and that confirms our idea to leave early. We’ll probably go up via Dingboche and come down via Pheriche.

Hi Djalma,

Is this variant much longer? The Gokyo Lakes sound tempting, but unfortunately we don’t have a ton of wiggle room. We’ve built in a few extra days (3-4) on the classic route for potential extra acclimatization or in case of bad weather.

Hi Djalma,

Is this variant much longer? The Gokyo Lakes are tempting, but unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of wiggle room. We’ve planned a few extra 3-4 days on the classic route for potential extra acclimatization or in case of bad weather.

Look it up online: Everest Three Passes Trek. You’ll only do 2 of them: Renjo La and Cho La, skipping Kongma La. It *is* longer than going straight to base camp, but first, the Gokyo section is, in my opinion, the most beautiful—especially if you do it clockwise for the views of the 8,000ers (Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Nuptse, etc.). Plus, it’s way less crowded than the base camp–Gorakshep–Kala Patthar stretch. A real procession! Just a heads-up: even if you’re not prone to AMS, make sure to spend a full acclimatization day in Namche! (I’ve seen a lot of people get sick there.) Use the time to make a round trip to Thame… visit the monastery… Check out "Backpacker du Dimanche" online…

You can also do the trek described below "simply"—it won’t be any longer than the one leading to base camp but will be much quieter (less crowded) and just as beautiful. At Gokyo Lakes, depending on the weather and your energy, you can either climb Gokyo Peak in the morning or continue along the Ngozumpa Glacier moraine for the day to the fifth lake—it’s absolutely stunning!

After that, whether or not to go to Everest Base Camp is a matter of preference. You can easily skip it! Personally, I avoid crowds in the mountains and try to steer clear of what everyone else is doing.

I’m not promoting this agency—I just picked it at random to show the map and day-by-day itinerary of the route (which I did without a guide, clockwise up to Gokyo, then added the Cho La + Kala Patthar + Kongma La + Island Peak Base Camp). https://wildyakexpeditions.com/trips/gokyo-trek/?lang=fr

Thanks Djalma for the tips and links. Personally, I would’ve gone for that option, but I’m heading out with my 13-year-old son, for whom base camp is the holy grail. I’ll look into the different routes, check the maps, to see if it’s feasible to combine both, but it seems tight even though we’re pretty good walkers. We’ve got 16 days total + 1 extra day to quickly visit Kathmandu.

We’ve actually planned acclimatization days in Namche and higher up around Dingboche. We don’t seem prone to AMS—a trip to the Bolivian Altiplano in April 2025 between 4,200 and 5,000 meters confirmed that (we took our time acclimatizing)—but we won’t take any risks.

Quick practical question: can we find snacks along the way? Cereal bars, etc.? Or should we stock up in Namche? My son has a pretty good appetite. 😉

Energy bars, etc. Should we stock up in Namche? My son has quite the appetite. 😉

Since I never eat them, I don’t have much of an idea, but in Namche you can stock up on all kinds of supplies—personally, I mostly remember the cooked cheese like Cantal or Emmental. I bought a huge chunk of it! Otherwise, in the whole Sagarmatha region, just like in the Annapurna area, food is super abundant compared to other parts of Nepal!

I’d like to know if it’s necessary to book lodges in advance or if we’ll easily find availability at this time of year, which I know is busy. Also, will we find lodges all along the route between the main stopover villages, or only in those villages? I remember there were plenty everywhere on the Annapurna Circuit. We want to stay as flexible as possible.

Thanks for your feedback.

Hi Laurie,

April is indeed a very busy period. If you arrive at the lodges early, it should still be possible to find rooms without booking. Many lodges have been built along the Everest route. Some even offer a lot of comfort, considering the altitude. If it makes you feel better, you can contact the lodges the day before to reserve. I’d avoid booking all the lodges in advance because you never know when a change in plans might happen.

Now, about the itinerary:

In 16 days, you’ll have time to add one or even two passes, but contrary to what was advised above, I’d recommend starting counterclockwise, unless you’re already used to the altitude. Djalma did it (my husband too), but not everyone reacts to altitude the same way... I’m heading back to the Khumbu next November and will acclimatize gently in the "anti-clockwise" direction. Your reaction to altitude can vary from one year to the next without any clear reason.

Instead of going Namche / Tengboche / Pangboche, you could head to Phortse from Namche before stopping in Pangboche. This route is much less crowded than the previous one and, in my humble opinion, even more beautiful. In Pangboche, you have the option to hike up to Ama Dablam Base Camp to further acclimatize (if you have time). Then Dingboche, and if possible, Chukhung. The landscapes are stunning. You can climb Chukhung Ri (fully or partially) and visit Imja Lake. Unreal scenery. If you feel up to it, there’s Kongma La... It’ll be a very long day, and depending on the weather, the hike could be tough. Besides some steep climbs, the descent is dangerous. There were two deaths last November from a fall. Otherwise, head back down to Dingboche and take the classic route to Lobuche, which is also very beautiful. Plan a night in Gorak Shep if your partner wants to go to base camp. I’ve never been there myself! Don’t miss Kala Patthar... Then head to Dzongla for the night. A beautiful route. The next day, you’ll reach Dragnag via Cho La. In recent years, the trail has fortunately been modified and is now less difficult. You no longer have to climb those big rocks at 5,000m. The descent path to Dragnag now has handrails. Next, you’ll reach Gokyo. A gem... Depending on the time you have left (and the weather), you can decide to visit the fifth lake. This year, I’m planning to stay three nights in Gokyo. It’ll then take you two days to descend to Namche: either via the same valley or via Renjo La. Sure, the "surprise effect" is less in this direction, but the route is still less difficult, and above all, the acclimatization is much better...

There are recent trek reports in the Khumbu on the Nepal Travel Forum. You’ll find some really useful info there...

Hi there,

Thanks to both of you for these tips full of tricks and advice.

When you mention going back down through the valley, do you mean via Dole? I’ll try to find a complete route (if it’s via Dole) to suggest to the others coming with me. This route would save us a round trip on the same paths and maybe let us escape the crowds heading up to base camp for a while.

About the Kalapattar ascent—are you more Team Sunset or Team Sunrise? Apparently, there are two schools of thought... but by the time I have to decide that detail, I’ll already be well on my way! !

When you talk about going back down the valley, do you mean going back down via Dole?

Yes. But on second thought, taking the Renjo La pass takes the same number of days. (two)

About the Kalapatthar ascent, are you more of a sunset or sunrise team? Apparently, there are two schools... but by the time I have to choose that detail, I’ll already be well on my way!

I went there in the afternoon, leaving from Lobuche. After lunch in Gorak Shep. So not sunrise, nor really sunset. 😉... The light was gorgeous, and the photos turned out great. From what I remember, I reached the summit around 2 or 3 PM. Going in the morning is worth it if, depending on the season, the sky gets overcast in the afternoon. (That’s often the case in spring)

Hi there,

We’ll decide based on visibility on the day itself. Either way, it’s going to be amazing! !

Hi there,

I’ve just returned from Nepal. Every day, the sky was clear in the morning and clouded over in the afternoon. So we had no choice but to go for the "sunrise" option for Kala Patthar. No "golden hour," but still magnificent—unbelievably moving.

Mostly, I wanted to thank you for the tip about taking the route via Phortse. That’s what we did from Namche. It’s a fantastic alternative with very few people, and the balcony walk facing Ama Dablam is incredible. Phortse has so much charm. We took the more classic route on the way back, so we didn’t retrace our steps like a simple round trip.

So THANK YOU! !