In the teahouses, breakfast will be a choice of bread (a slice of toast, chapatti or Tibetan bread), egg (boiled, fried or omelette), and either muesli or porridge each day. Hot tea/coffee is also served. On some days, there will not be a choice for breakfast and either a trekkers breakfast (egg, hash brown, baked beans and toast) or a pancake with jam/honey will be served. You may also be able to supplement your included breakfast with additional items on the teahouse menu should you wish – additional items not included in the set menu should be ordered and paid for separately.

Please note, some more remote teahouses/lodges are unable to provide an extensive menu due to irregular delivery schedules. During periods of bad weather or a high volume of trekkers, there may be a more limited menu choice. Also, the menus and extras are generally more expensive at higher altitudes.

Lunches are taken at a teahouse en route – sometimes one of your guides will go ahead with the group’s order to make it more expedient. Dinner is in the same teahouse you sleep at (this is custom in Nepal as teahouses base their room rate on it).

Although most lodges have almost identical menus, they are reasonably extensive and offer a varied selection, ranging from traditional Nepalese dhal bhat to pizza and apple pie. Dhal bhat is the staple diet in Nepal and comes in many different forms but generally comprises curried lentils and meat or vegetables, some rice, and a pickle/chutney. Another popular snack is momos: a Nepalese dumpling (fried or steamed) that’s filled with meat or vegetables.

Meat is available in the teahouses but we advise against eating it. Meat is often carried in the heat for several days before reaching the lodges and can cause stomach upsets or illness. Germs can also be spread by handling dirty money – we recommend using hand sanitiser.

Dietary requirements

Gluten-free diets: We strongly recommend you bring extra food and snacks with you to supplement the food on trek as there will be little variety available to you, particularly for breakfast. Even many of the soups are powdered and contain gluten. Gluten-free breakfast options are limited to vegetable fried rice and a choice of egg. On specific days only, a trekkers breakfast (without the toast/with an extra egg) will be served.

Vegan diets: Breakfasts are limited to a choice of muesli/porridge made with water each day, and on specific days only, a trekkers breakfast (without the egg) or vegetable fried rice.

Lactose-free diet: The same will apply although you will also have a choice of egg each day.

If you buy imported food and drink on trek, you will spend more than the suggested amount.

Drinking water

Staying hydrated is important when undertaking any physical activity but particularly so at altitude where it is generally recommended to drink at least 0.7gal to 1gal (three to four litres) per person per day.

We strongly encourage you not to buy bottled water on trek as this contributes to the growing problem of plastic pollution in Nepal.

The teahouses sell boiled water for approximately 150-300 Nepalese rupees (US$1.15-US$2.30) per litre (the price increases the higher you trek), which should not require treating. This is also perfect for a bedtime refill as it can double as a hot-water bottle.

Alternatively, all teahouses provide free cold water. This should not be drunk untreated, so we recommend you bring a reusable bottle/water bladder/CamelBak (ideally two and wide mouth) and use an effective form of water treatment. There are a wide range of products available including Steripens or purification tablets, which are the quickest and easiest options to use on trek – we recommend talking to an outdoor retailer for the latest advice as technologies are improving all the time. Make sure to check the product’s performance in cold/freezing conditions and consider battery life (lithium batteries are best in cold conditions).

Exodus has partnered with Water-to-Go, a filtration system that eliminates more than 99.99 percent of all microbiological contaminants from any non-saltwater source – visit Water-to-Go for more information. Exodus customers can claim 15 percent off their first order and, better still, 15 percent of the purchase value will be donated to the Exodus Travels Foundation. These bottles filter the water as you drink, though the spout may not be the most efficient while moving on trek. Please note, if the water freezes it will clog up the filter. In this event, defrost before use by sitting the filter in lukewarm water for 10-15 minutes.

Traverse glacial moraine and undulating trails to Everest Base Camp, the seasonal village of tents at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall. Crunch over gravel and ancient ice, threading between seracs and boulders in a stark, high-altitude amphitheatre.

Mark the moment at the Base Camp rock, gaze into the shifting maze of the icefall and absorb the hum of expedition history. This is the storied staging ground beneath the world’s highest peaks.

Lift off on a scenic mountain flight along Himalayan foothills to the legendary Tenzing–Hillary Airport (Lukla). Watch valleys unfold from terraced farmland to serrated Himalayan ridgelines, before a thrilling touchdown on the short, cliff-edge runway that clings to a high ridge.

The air is crisp, prayer flags ripple, and stone trails radiate from Lukla into Sherpa country. This is the dramatic, high-altitude threshold where the Everest region begins and the walking world takes over.

Explore Namche Bazaar, the bustling amphitheatre town known as the Sherpa capital. Stone lanes climb past gear shops, bakeries and cafés, while yaks clink their bells and mountain views wink between slate-roofed houses.

Browse the lively weekly market when timing aligns, chat with traders and sample local snacks. Namche’s terraced setting and high-mountain energy offer a vivid snapshot of Khumbu life, ideal for photos and people-watching.

Climb to the famed Everest View Hotel for tea on the terrace and crystalline views of Everest and Ama Dablam. Breezes carry the scent of juniper as prayer flags snap along the ridge above the airstrip at Shyangboche.

Continue on foot to Khumjung Monastery to see the village’s storied “yeti” relic, then visit the Sir Edmund Hillary School and Hospital in Khumjung and Kunde. These community projects embody Sherpa resilience and the mountaineering legacy rooted in the Khumbu.

Visit Sagarmatha Next, a thoughtful hub championing cleaner trails in the Everest region. Discover striking waste-to-art installations and learn how local initiatives and trekkers collaborate to protect Everest’s trails through education, innovation and community action.

Exhibits reveal the journey from discarded materials to creative works, reframing the environmental story of the Khumbu. It’s a memorable, purpose-driven stop that adds depth and responsibility to the adventure.

Enter the hilltop sanctuary of Thyangboche Monastery (Tengboche), framed by an immense skyline of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam. Listen for the deep-voiced horns, watch spinning prayer wheels, and breathe in juniper-scented air on this serene ridge.

Rebuilt after the 1989 fire, the monastery radiates quiet resilience and living Tibetan Buddhist practice. Photographers prize the shifting light as clouds comb the ridgelines and the peaks ignite at dawn and dusk.

Undertake a steady acclimatisation hike to Nangkartshang Peak (5,100m/16,730ft), a rocky eyrie above Dingboche. Footpaths wind over alpine tundra and cairn-topped knolls as the air thins and vistas widen.

From the crest, savour commanding Makalu and Lhotse views with Ama Dablam’s sculpted north ridge close at hand. Your leader sets an unhurried pace; participants can turn at intermediate viewpoints, making this a flexible, confidence-building ascent.

Walk among the Chukpo Lari memorials, stone chortens and plaques honouring mountaineers who perished on Everest. Fluttering prayer flags and the sigh of the wind create a natural chapel on a shoulder of moraine.

Set above the snout of the Khumbu Glacier, this poignant place invites you to pause for photos and reflection while tracing the serried peaks along the Nepal–Tibet border. It’s a powerful reminder of the mountains’ beauty and consequence.

Climb the wind-carved slopes of Kala Pattar (5,545m/18,192ft) for the region’s most celebrated panorama: a close-up view of Mount Everest across the Khumbu Glacier, with Nuptse and Pumori standing sentinel.

In clear conditions, sunrise alpenglow paints the ice faces gold before the day hardens to steel-blue clarity. It’s a demanding ascent, rewarded by sweeping depth, scale and silence at the heart of the Himalaya.

Stride across the Hillary Suspension Bridge, a high, prayer-flag-draped span leaping the turquoise torrent of the Dudh Kosi. The deck hums underfoot, yaks pass with tinkling bells, and cliffs crowd the narrow gorge.

This elegant piece of engineering links vital Khumbu trails and offers a thrilling, photogenic crossing. Pause midspan to feel the wind, watch the river roil below, and look up to snow-fringed ridges above the pines.

Explore the valley’s living heritage on a guided city tour taking in Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple), the immense Boudhanath Stupa, and the sacred Pashupatinath Temple by the Bagmati River. Incense curls through courtyards as bells chime and pilgrims circle shrines.

This cultural immersion connects Buddhist and Hindu traditions through architecture, ritual and storytelling. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability and timing in Kathmandu.

Swap peaks for jungle on a wildlife add-on in Chitwan National Park, where sal forests and riverine grasslands shelter the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, deer and abundant birdlife. Venture out on a guided jungle safari and tune into the sounds of the Terai.

Evenings bring quiet riverside sunsets and tales of conservation success. This extension is at additional cost and bookable through our team; availability may require arranging before your trek.

Meet your group and meet your tour leader at the Royal Singi Hotel for a full trek briefing covering altitude, trail etiquette and local customs. Questions are encouraged, gear is checked, and nerves settle as you prepare for the high Himalaya with expert guidance.

Afterwards, share a convivial Nepali group dinner, tasting dishes such as momo dumplings and dhal bhat while absorbing the easy-going buzz of the Thamel district. It’s a relaxed, culture-rich start that sets the tone for camaraderie on the trail.