The quickest way to reach Everest base camp is via Helicopter.
But,
Everest Base Camp, a dream place on the Earth, is the camping ground of the world’s tallest peak. To be in this base camp once in a lifetime surely should be the wildest fantasy of the adventurer. It sits at an altitude of 5,364m, which is obviously a high place to stand for a normal lower region person. The view of the surrounding along with the mighty Mount Everest is just surreal and wondrous. This is the point where the climbers have been settling the camps before they actually long for the summit of Everest. This also makes Everest Base Camp(EBC), a historic place to be at. A Hundred Percent, to reach Everest Base Camp is once in a lifetime experience.
As you know, Mt Everest lies in Nepal around 160 km northeast from Kathmandu. Nepal sees a large number of people flooded to the Everest region either to climb Mount Everest or just to be at Everest Base Camp. There is no wrong in saying that Everest solely has crafted Nepal’s tourism business. That is so true. The trail to the Everest Base Camp is flocked with numerous wander around the world.
Normally, the trail starts from Lukla and ends at Everest Base Camp, and this track is known as the standard EBC trek route. There are other routes as well to reach Everest Base Camp but the most followed one is the Lukla-Everest Base Camp Route(Standard Route).
Usually, Standard Everest Base Camp Trek takes 14 days to get complete. But this time can alter depending upon the various factors like acclimatization days, is it helicopter tour, or is it helicopter return. That is the lower number of acclimatization days means a shorter EBC Trek.
Likewise, Helicopter tour to EBC means within 1 day the whole tour is completed. And lastly, the EBC Trek with helicopter return tour means your return trek time is lowered by hours from days. Therefore, how quickly and how slowly you can reach and return from the base camp is dependent on those things discussed just before.
In the article ahead, we will be talking about the 3 quickest way to Everest Base Camp. These will be three fast ways to embrace the beauty of Everest’s base camp and return. Each of them along with their necessary information is drawn below:
Everest Helicopter Tour
Overview
Everest Helicopter Tour ranks itself the quickest way to reach the base camp of Everest by far. We are talking about one single day here, not even the entire 24 hours. The tour starts and fulfills your longing to see Mt Everest from its base camp and ends within the daylight. It’s hardly a day i.e. 12-hour long excursion to the legendary Everest Base Camp(EBC). You have known that it will be a helicopter tour that means you will not walk for a k.m or more. That is why it’s the easiest way to reach EBC as well.
It all starts by hopping inside the helicopter from Kathmandu which is the capital of Nepal and the place you ought to stay until the start of the tour. The helicopter tours to EBC are not run from other places. So, from Kathmandu, you will join the craft which will leave for Lukla- the gateway to Everest. This helicopter air time is quite an enjoyable one as you will fly over the best part of Nepal i.e. Everest region.
That is when you get to see Mt Everest for the first time but from far. Then the aircraft will make a landing at Lukla airport for a short break. And then the helicopter will make you fly over the astonishing Everest or the Khumbu Region. You’ll feel like a bird flying over the beautiful land of various scenic hills, rivers, woods, and villages towards the breathtaking Mt Everest.
Actually, you’ll not land at Everest Base Camp(5,364m) as it doesn’t have a safe place for helicopter landing but you’ll fly just over the Everest Base Camp to make the landing at Kala Patthar(5,643m). The place where you’ll land i.e. Kala Patthar is believed to be the best place to enjoy the Mt Everest view even better than the base camp. Overall, the view from up there is just surreal with Everest clearly glancing at you and so the other neighboring mountains.
But remember, you’ll not have much time more than 10 to 15 minutes to explore at Kala Patthar. Also, that is the weather of the area around Kala Patthar changes regularly so you surely would never want to experience that harsh weather turn around. Therefore, you’ll fly from Kala Patthar to land at Syanboche for lunch and then fly to Kathmandu via Lukla, and that sums up the Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour.
Highlights of Everest Helicopter Tour
- Three and a half-hour of a scenic helicopter flight over the heavenly Khumbu region.
- Touch down at the world’s most dangerous airport twice, Lukla Airport.
- Fly over Everest Base Camp and land at Kala Patthar(5,643m) to celebrate the Everest beauty.
- Have a wondrous dine at one of the world’s highest-placed hotels, Hotel Everest View(3,780m).
- Within one day sum up every bit of the Everest region and its mountains.
- Fly like a boundless bird over the land of Himalayas.
Outline Itinerary of Everest Helicopter Tour
Day Activity 01: You will get picked up from your hotel to drive you to the airport for joining the helicopter ride.
Activity 02: Fly to Lukla from Kathmandu (45 to 50 minutes).
Activity 03: Fly to Kala Patthar over Everest Base Camp from Lukla(25 to 30 minutes).
Day Activity 04: Explore and enjoy the Everest and other mountain views for 10 to 15 minutes.
Activity 05: Fly to Syangboche for Lunch from Kala Patthar (10 to 12 minutes)
Activity 06: Fly back to at first Lukla and then to Kathmandu from Syangboche(45 to 50 minutes)
Day Activity 07: You’ll get a drive back to your hotel for rest.
Short Everest Base Camp Trek
Overview
Short Everest Base Camp Trek is the shorter version of the standard Everest Base Camp Trek. This short plan to trek down Everest Base Camp is 2 to 3 days shorter than the regular itinerary. Well, it does not include any helicopter or anything to shorten the duration. Besides, what this itinerary does is, it removes the acclimatization days from the tour.
This means it will be a rapid Everest Base Camp Trek without altitude adjustment days. But, the normal EBC Trek is around 14 days long and has at least one to two acclimatization days. Thus, no acclimatization days mean this Short EBC Trek is for experienced high altitude trekkers, not the beginners.
The route that this short EBC Trek takes is the same route that the 14 days long standard EBC Trek does. Also, the trek starts after landing at Lukla airport and then you traverse through various EBC Trek stops like Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, Gorakshep and finally in Everest Base Camp.
You’ll cross these stopovers without having an acclimatization day at all. The same is while returning to Lukla from Everest Base Camp. Remember that you need to do the round trek within 10 days. All total, you need to trek around 130km in the Everest Base Camp Trek that means around 15KM in a day. Plus, the trail is not easy though, its steep, bumpy, strenuous, and high altitude above all.
The happenings of this trek are exactly as beautiful as the longer one. You’ll get to explore the most beautiful part of the world i.e. Everest region. You’ll see views you have never seen before, you’ll meet people you’ve never met before, as a whole it will be a whole new beautiful experience for you.
In short, the amazing terrains, lush and vibrant forests, beautiful & lovely locals, traditional settlements, and the towering mountains of the Everest region will make this trek of yours the best of your life. And, upon reaching Everest Base Camp, you’ll take a moment to celebrate the success after all the rapid and strenuous trek done to get there.
If you call yourself an experienced trekker who has done strenuous and high altitude treks before then only you hop in for this Short tour. If sadly not go for the standard and longer Everest Base Camp Trek which is much easier than this trek.
Highlights of Short Everest Base Camp Trek
- Amble on the trail of the world’s most famous trek.
- Meet and greet with the most inspiring Sherpas.
- Admire the limitless beauty of the Everest region.
- Reach out for some of the astonishing villages.
- Trek up to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar and indulge the view of glorious mountains.
- Explore the wood and calm wilderness of Sagarmatha National Park.
- Spend the timeless overnights at various beautiful stops.
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Outline Itinerary of Short Everest Base Camp Trek
Day 01: Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla(2,860m) and Trek up to Phakding (2,562m).
Flight duration: 30 to 45 minutes
Trek Distance: 8 km
Trek Duration: 3-4 hrs
Day 02: Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m)
Trek Distance: 10 km
Trek Duration: 5-6 hrs
Day 03: Trek from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3,870m)
Trek Distance: 10 km
Trek Duration: 5-6 hrs
Day 04: Trek from Tengboche to Dingboche (4,360m)
Trek Distance: 8 km
Trek Duration: 5-6 hrs
Day 05: Trek from Dingboche to Lobuche (4,940m)
Trek Distance: 7 km
Trek Duration: 4-5 hrs
Day 06: Trek from Lobuche to Gorakshep (5,160m) and then to Everest Base Camp (5,364m) return to Gorakshep
Trek Distance: 15km
Trek Duration: 7-8 hrs
Day 07:Trek from Gorakshep to Kala Patthar (5,545m) and then to Pheriche (4,280m)
Trek Distance: 15km
Trek Duration: 7-8 hrs
Day 08: Trek from Pheriche to Namche Bazaar (3,440m)
Trek Distance: 15km
Trek Duration: 6-7hrs
Day 09: Trek from Namche Bazaar to Lukla (2,642m)
Trek Distance: 18km
Trek Duration: 6-7 hrs
Day 10: Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu (1,300m)
Flight Duration: 35 minutes
Everest Base Camp Trek Helicopter Return
Overview
Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter return is the best quickest way to Everest Base Camp. It combines both trek and helicopter ride and makes the EBC Trek a luxurious tour. That is, half of the EBC journey will be done by trekking and the other half will be via a helicopter ride. Similarly, the only time you’ll trek on this trek is the first half up until Everest Base Camp. It means on this trek you will have to cover 65 km only out of 130km. And it saves time and hard work on the return trek by far.
Other than the helicopter thing, this tour is exactly the same as the standard EBC Trek. It also starts with a flight to Lukla from Kathmandu. Then, the trek moves ahead through the same trail of EBC. In particular, the same view to look at, the same people to interact with, the whole trip is the same except the helicopter return. On this itinerary, you don’t get to retrace the trek as you could do in the regular trek. Moreover, the stops like Phakding, Namche, Tengboche, Dingboche, Chhukung, Lobuche, Gorak Shep will not be re-trekked again, it’s once only. So make sure you explore everything coming in front as the last time.
However, this tour includes two acclimatization days, one at Namche Bazaar and another at Dingboche. As of that, this is totally for all kinds of trekkers including beginners. The beginners get two acclimatization days to adjust to the new altitude and there is no hurry in this tour like the rapid short EBC trek. It’s more like a luxury standard EBC trek. In addition, do the halfway trek up to Kala Patthar in no rush and make a return to Kathmandu within an hour.
Noticeably, doing this kind of trek enables you to enjoy everything in every way possible. Moreover, you get to do EBC trek and watch the Everest region’s face from the ground and then you watch it over from the sky. EBC Trek with Helicopter return is the best way to make the Everest Base Camp adventure a quick and better one.
Highlights of Everest Base Camp Trek Helicopter Return
- Land at one of the World’s dangerous airstrip, Lukla Airport.
- Trek all the way to Kala Patthar and Everest Base Camp.
- Explore the famous and breathtaking Everest region.
- One full day at Namche Bazaar, the most famous Himalayan town.
- Enjoy the mountain views all day long throughout the trek.
- Gaze at iconic peaks like Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, and many more.
- Interact with Sherpa people to know their lifestyle and wisdom.
- Have a panoramic view of Mt Everest from Kala Patthar.
- Make an adventurous Helicopter return direct from the foothills of Everest.
Outline Itinerary of Everest Base Camp Trek Helicopter Return
Day 01: Fly to Lukla(2,860m) from Kathmandu & Trek to Phakding (2,658m)
Flight duration: 30 to 45 minutes
Trek Distance: 8 km
Trek Duration: 3-4 hrs
Day 02: Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazar(3,440m )
Trek Distance: 10 km
Trek Duration: 5-6 hrs
Day 03: Acclimatization Day at Namche Bazar (3,440m).
Day 04: Trek from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3,870m)Trek Distance: 10 km
Trek Duration: 5-6 hrs
Day 05: Trek from Tengboche to Dingboche (4350m)
Trek Distance: 8 km
Trek Duration: 5-6 hrs
Day 06: Acclimatization day at Dingboche and Trek up to Chhukang(4,710m) for acclimatization hike and return back to Dingboche
Trek Distance: 8 km
Trek Duration: 5-6 hrs
Day 07: Trek from Dingboche to Lobuche (4,910m)
Trek Distance: 8 km
Trek Duration: 5-6 hrs
Day 08: Trek to Gorak Shep (5,180m) and visit Everest Base Camp (5,364m) and return back to Gorak Shep.
Trek Distance: 8 km
Trek Duration: 7- 8 hrs
Day 09: Trek up to Kalapatthar (5,545m) early in the morning & fly straight back to Kathmandu via Helicopter
Trek Distance: 2 km
Trek Duration: 40 minutes
Flight Duration: 1 hour
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Which to choose?
So, the above listed 3 itineraries are the quickest way to Everest Base Camp. You might get confused about which to choose. Well, here is the deal, each of these itineraries has a different plan and duration. The EBC Helicopter Tour is the quickest way to Everest Base Camp. But that won’t come cheap and is expensive of all. If you don’t think money is the real problem for you then the helicopter tour is for you.
Or else, you can pick the more economical but time taking Short EBC Trek and Helicopter return EBC Trek. Furthermore, these will be the best for those who want to explore the entire Everest region other than EBC.
You might have some queries about the quickest way to Everest base camp or all of the above discussed Everest Base Camp tours or want to book one of them. Feel free to contact us, Great Adventure Treks.
