Food On The Everest Base Camp Trek – Food Guide

Food On The Everest Base Camp Trek

The spectacular Everest Base Camp trek is one of the most loved treks in the world. You will stay at the local tea houses, and lodges while trekking the rugged landscapes of the Everest region. Food is an essential part of the trekking journey as getting the right nutrition will ensure a comfortable trekking experience.

Every trekker must learn about the food on the Everest Base Camp Trek before they start their trek. The energy required for trekking the magical landscapes of the Himalayas depends upon your food intake. The tea houses along the trek offer homely meals and cozy accommodations. You will get a limited variety on the menu but the food is super delicious.

Moreover, these nutritious meals will keep you energized during the trek. The food service and incredible hospitality of the local Sherpa community will make you feel special. A warm meal after a taxing trekking journey in the rugged terrains of the region is essential.

Want to know more about the food facilities in the Everest region? Well, you have arrived at the right place. Read further for the complete description of the food on the Everest Base Camp trek in detail.

Food Facilities Along The Everest Base Camp Trek

Everest Base Camp Trek Difficulty

What to eat during the trek?

The trails of the spectacular trek pass through the remote landscapes. Hence, the food ingredients need to get carried by Yaks and porters to the villages along the trail. The non-perishable ingredients like rice, grains, and cereals are widely used in the Everest region treks. Besides that, the lentil soup commonly known as Dal is also available in the region.

Since, rice is quite common in the region, the menu in the teahouses is rice-based and generally served with a staple side dish. You will get served “Dal Bhat” all along the trail. A limited variety of western cuisine including pizza, burgers, pasta are available along the lower elevation of the trail including Lukla, and Namche. You can find many cafes, pubs, restaurants, and bakeries in the commercial hub of Namche.

Is the food served fresh?

There is no guarantee in the freshness of the food in the Everest region. This stunning trek passes through the remote landscapes. All the food items get transported from outside the region. However, the tea houses that are busy and flocked with tourists ensure fresh food.

Is meat available along the trek?

The meat dishes are available at the tea houses along the region as well. However, you should not eat meat dishes at these high altitudes. Since, the meat products are generally carried on the back of a yak after being flown to Lukla, it is not properly refrigerated.

Hence, the meat products are not fresh or the freshness remains unknown. Since, the slaughtering of animals is not allowed in the region, all the meat products get flown from outside the Everest region.

How many meals get served in a day?

The trekkers will get offered three sit-down meals each day. For breakfast, you can have toast, tea, eggs, and porridge. It gets served at around 8 am which is ideal for the early morning trek. Trekkers can stop at various tea houses along the trail for lunch. Dal Bhat which consists of rice, dal (pulses), lentils, spinach, gundruk, meat, and others is a typical meal offered for lunch.

Garlic soup is a great dish that helps you tackle altitude sickness in the high altitude region. Furthermore, dinner gets served in the dining area around a large stove in the company of fellow trekkers. Dal Bhat gets served twice a day whereas you can drink hot soup just before bed. Trekkers can carry tea bags, milk powders, granola bars, protein bars, energy drinks, and others for quick trekking snacks.

How is the water along the trek?

The tap water along the trail is unsuitable for drinking. The bottled mineral water is quite expensive. You can boil the water from the local stream to drink and make tea, coffee, and others. You can also use various water purification tablets and chlorine solutions to purify the water.

Moreover, boiled water is also available at the teahouse. Regular hydration is essential during the Everest Base Camp Trek as it helps to tackle altitude sickness. You should drink at least 3 to 4 liters of water per day (including hot water drinks like tea, coffee, hot soups, and others).

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Dal Bhat

Dal Bhat is the common dish served in most of the tea houses along the trail. You will get served a generous portion of steamed white rice, lentils, vegetables, spinach, pickles, gundruk, and others. Dal Bhat is a nutritious meal that provides instant energy during the Everest base camp trek.

Yak meat

Yak meats are quite delicious and nutritious. The local guide will help you learn the freshness of the meat. The yak meat steak gets served with some cheese. It will provide you enough protein for the high altitude trek.

Garlic soup

The garlic soup is a popular food on the Everest Base Camp Trek. You can have this soup at various points along the trek and before you go to bed. It will help you to tackle altitude sickness in the region.

Chinese cuisine

Chinese cuisines are easy to make and popular along the tea houses. Momo and chow mein are available at the teahouses as well. You can have these dishes if you get tired of the staple Dal Bhat.

Food at Various Places Along the Everest Base Camp Trek

This food on the Everest Base Camp trek guide will give you an overall idea about the food facilities during the trek.

Kathmandu

You will spend a couple of days in Kathmandu before starting on the Everest Base Camp trek. Many accommodation facilities are available in Kathmandu that range from luxurious five-star hotels to budget hotels. You can find a wide range of cuisines at the varied price in these accommodation facilities.

Moreover, there are many hotels, restaurants, pubs, and cafes where you can have western or other world cuisines in and around Kathmandu. Thamel is a tourist hub with a vibrant atmosphere. You can also have a celebration dinner after the completion of the trek in Kathmandu.

Lukla

Lukla is the gateway to the Everest region. The trail of this spectacular trek takes you along the settlements of Phakding or Namche. Lukla has many hotels, guest houses, and lodges. The hotels and lodges cost you more than the teahouses.

Furthermore, the food facilities are better in Lukla as it has a direct supply. The Nepali and western cuisine along the trail are incredibly delicious. The food prices are higher when compared to Kathmandu. This is because all the food ingredients have to be flown by air to Lukla.

Phakding

Phakding is our next destination from Lukla where we arrive after passing through the Dudh Koshi river valley. The village settlement is just north of Lukla and south of Monjo.

Phakding has many hotels, lodges, and guest houses situated on both sides of the pristine Dudh Koshi river. There are various luxury accommodations in the settlement as well. The food choices are also the same as that of Lukla.

Namche

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Namche Bazaar is the famous Sherpa town of the Khumbu region. It is an incredible scenic acclimatization point with many tourist spots. Many trekkers and climbers also spend a couple of days acclimatizing in Namche to adjust to the high altitude weather and conditions.

Namche has a wide range of accommodation facilities that includes basic teahouses to luxury hotels. Namche has many luxury amenities that are not found in any other settlements along the Everest Base Camp. There are restaurants, pubs, hotels, cafes, and others. You will get a wide range of menu choices with varying prices at the accommodation facilities of Namche.

Moreover, meat items are also available in Namche and you should not have any meat items beyond Namche. Namche is the last place with any proper refrigeration along the trail. There is also a bakery at the high altitude settlement where you can have delicious freshly baked items.

Tengboche

Tengboche is a beautiful settlement and is famous for the religious Tengboche monastery. It is the largest monastery in the Khumbu region. There are few hotels and tea houses in Tengboche. The tea houses are basic with twin bed rooms.

Furthermore, there are facilities of attached bathrooms, toilets, and hot showers in some of the teahouses in the region. The food menu gets shrunk significantly in Tengboche. There is a bakery in Tengboche where you can gorge on freshly baked items.

Dingboche

Dingboche is an incredible Sherpa village where many trekkers stop for acclimatization during the Everest Base Camp trek. The tea houses and lodges are few and provide basic facilities.

Moreover, the food facilities are basic and shrink further in Dingboche. The basic food facilities include the staple dish of “dal bhat”. The nutritious meal will give you enough energy for the trek.

Lobuche

Lobuche is a beautiful settlement where we spend the night before arriving at the Everest Base Camp. The settlement has few teahouses that you need to pre-book during the peak seasons. There is a limited variety of food on the menu. However, the food gets made with extra care and is quite delicious in the local teahouses.

Gorakshep

Gorakshep is the last stop before you arrive at the Everest Base Camp. It is also the base of the Kala Patthar and the original Everest Base Camp. They are basic tea houses for accommodation that are few. Hence, it can get quite crowded at peak seasons and you might have to share a room or sleep in the hall.

However, you will get the warm heating from the kitchen in the hall and you will also get to socialize. The food facilities in Gorak shep is basic as it is the highest point of the teahouses. You will get basic dal bhat in the limited food menu.

Cost of Food on the Everest Base Camp Trek

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There is a wide-ranging food and accommodation facilities along this trek in the Everest region. In the peak season (Autumn and Spring), the trails get crowded and will cost you more in comparison to the off-season treks. A basic teahouse will cost you around $3-$5 per night on average.

Furthermore, the cost of accommodation and food on the Everest Base Camp trek drops significantly in the offseason. Some tea houses will offer free accommodation and will only charge you for the meals. Hence, you should book the accommodations facilities based on the menu of the teahouses.

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The Final Say

The Everest Base Camp trek is an incredible adventure in the foothills of the highest mountain in the world, Mt Everest (8848 m). You will stay at the local teahouses and eat delicious meals along the trek. In the peak seasons, the accommodations get filled up early.

Therefore, you should pre-book all your accommodation and meal facilities to be safe from any hassle. This way you can get great deals, in accommodations and meals along the trail and you can enjoy the trek stress-free. I hope the above guide helped you to know more about the food on the Everest Base Camp trek.

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