Food on Everest Base Camp Trek

Food and Accommodation are essential parts of every vacation. Their significance is even more prominent for a high-altitude trek like Everest Base Camp Trek. Staying in a remote/hilly area and finding suitable accommodation and meals is always a difficult task for travelers. Every trekker needs to learn about the available local accommodation and food facilities in the Everest region before they begin their trek. You will be spending long hours trekking the rough terrains in the foothills of the Himalayas. Having a great place to stay overnight and a hot meal helps liven up your spirits. And, during your time here you will taste different healthy Food at Everest Base Camp Trek

This Everest Base Camp trek food and accommodation guide will give you an overview of the food and accommodation facilities in the region.

It also includes what you should expect to eat and sleep in while hiking to Everest Base Camp.

Food On Everest Base Camp Trek

Trekking is a physically active experience and a lot of calories are burned. But note, the calories that are lost in the process have to be replenished, too.

So, make sure that your stomach is full of nutritious and comfortable food.

Needless to say, the importance of a well-balanced diet full of nutritious food cannot be overemphasized during the trek.

Your level of performance and degree of fun during the trek is highly dependent on what and how you eat. So, it’s very crucial to know about the food varieties, their availability, and “do’s & don’ts” of eating during Everest Base Camp Trek.

Although you don’t have to stress much about food on the Everest base camp trek, it is not an easy affair like the luxury you enjoy back home. So be prepared and here are a few things you need to know about food during your Everest Base Camp Trek.

Generally, breakfast will be at 8 am. By this time, you also need to pack your bags ready for the porters to leave early.

Lunch will be taken en route in one of the many tea houses you come across during the day.

Dinner is generally at 7 pm.

However, as you go higher and the trails become more remote, the choices for food and drinks will decrease.

Nevertheless, the meals provided at the tea houses are nutritious and keep you energized for the challenging trek. You can expect excellent food service and incredible hospitality from the local people.

Meals and Drinks are available in the EBC Trek.

Most of the tea houses on the trails of Everest Base Camp have varieties of food available within the fixed menu.

Normally trekkers get 3 sit-down meals in their tour package. This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

For breakfast, you may have options in bread (Regular, Tibetan style, Chapati), and eggs (omelet, boiled).

At almost all teahouses, you will find a similar set menu for lunch and dinner.

The local Nepali meal (Dal, Bhat, Tarkari, achar) is quickly and freshly available.

Besides this, the menu will also include pasta, pizza, garlic soup, momos, and other rice and noodle-based dishes.

You may also find soup (Sherpa stew), noodles (chowmein, spaghetti), potato (curried, boiled, and fried); and a range of other items.

Some places even serve desserts, especially at a well-established stop along the route.

For drinks, tea/coffee/ milk, hot chocolate, flavored cold and hot drinks, soft drinks, and bottled and hot water is the common options.

Places like Kathmandu, Lukla, Phakding, and Namche Bazaar may have all the regular international and continental cuisine along with local cuisine.

You may also find places that offer fresh bakeries, Barista coffees, fresh cakes, muffins, and some other renowned baked goodies. They serve vegetarian, vegan meals, and gluten-free meals as well. These are the popular Food in Everest Base Camp Trek

Water

Keeping yourself hydrated is quite important during the trek. Bottled water is available throughout the trail.

You will also have the option of boiled drinking water in most places.

Some Popular Dishes to try on Everest Base Camp Trek:

Dal Bhat

Dal Bhat is the main dish for most trekkers around the Everest region. It is a dish containing dal (lentils), bhat (rice), and tarkari (vegetables). You can also ask for meat options. The meat options cost extra and are not recommended, it is best to stick to the locally available vegetables. It is also considered to be a delicious Food on Everest Base Camp Trek. 

Garlic Soup:

Garlic soup is a common dish that helps tackle altitude sickness in the region. The food is quite tasty.

Chinese Cuisine:

Currently, tea houses are more popular for Asian and Chinese cuisine. This includes popular dishes like Chowmein (fried noodles), momo (dumplings), and thukpa (soup noodles). These dishes are a welcome change from the staple Dal Bhat.

For momos and thukpa, you get options of vegetables, cheese, and potatoes. A lot of people are fund of this Food on Everest Base Camp. 

Yak Meat:

Yaks are the most popular animal in the Himalayas. Yak steaks are amazingly healthy and delicious. Be sure to verify the freshness of the meat with your tour guide before eating it.

Sherpa Stew (Syakpa)

It is traditional Sherpa food. This broth (soup/stew) consists of handmade noodles, meat from sheep or yak, potatoes, radishes, carrots, spinach, onions, and other spices.

Tibetan Bread

It is a flatbread, fried in oil. It is tasty and filling.

Mars Roll

It is a Mars Bar wrapped in dough and deep-fried, so a Springroll with a Mars Bar inside. It is also available as Snicker Rolls.

Cost of Food and Accommodation on the Everest Base Camp Trek

The price range for tea house accommodation greatly depends on the type of accommodation, altitude, and time of the year.

During the peak trekking seasons of spring and autumn, the cost for these is more than the offseason treks.

A basic teahouse accommodation would cost you anywhere between USD3-5 per night on average.

During the off-seasons of monsoon and winter, you can find that the prices drop around 50%.

Some tea houses also allow free accommodation if you have your meals at the same tea house. Hence, browse the menu first before choosing the teahouses for your stay.

A basic vegetarian meal starts around USD 3 in Lukla. The same meal may cost USD 7-9 in Gorak Shep.

For drinks like soft drinks, tea, and coffee it may start at USD 2 at Lukla. The same drinks may cost USD 4-5 in Gorak Shep.

Water starts at 100 NPR ($1) for 1 and is 400 NPR ($ 4.00) when you reach Gorakshep.

You can instead choose to bring your own portable, reusable water bottles. Fill this in the local tea houses or from taps and wells along the way. Be sure to use water purification tablets before drinking to prevent water contamination.

FAQs on Food and Accommodation at EBC

Is meat available along the trek?

The meat dishes are available at the tea houses along the region. However, it is not recommended to eat meat dishes at higher altitudes.

The meat products are generally carried on the back of a yak after being flown to Lukla. It is not properly refrigerated and is not always fresh.

Slaughtering of animals is not allowed in the Everest region. Hence, all the meat products get flown from outside the Everest region.

Are the teahouses on the Everest Base Camp trail open year-round?

Yes, most of the tea houses on the Everest Base Camp trek are open year-round.

However, some teahouses at higher altitudes may not be open during winter. It’ll be dependent on the weather conditions.

If you’re planning the Everest Base Camp trek in winter, be sure to confirm that the location is open and accessible.

What about rubbish on the trek?

There is no recycling throughout the trails in Nepal as yet. There is a recycling unit in Namche Bazaar. A huge number of trekkers and mountaineers go on treks and climb Everest Base Camp and the Everest Region. This does create a huge amount of waste.

Hence, most trek operators do request their clients to keep their rubbish in a container or bag and pack it back to Kathmandu. One person probably generates less than 1 kg of waste during a trek so it would not be a burden. So be conscious and help keep this region clean.

Final Say,

There is hardly any trek that matches the allure of the Everest Region and its trek to Everest Base Camp.

Indeed, the Everest Base Camp is the most popular and traveled path and a trekking destination in the world.

Although the feeling of novelty and excitement is there, being a remote region, you may worry about your dietary and sleeping expectations.

The given information is a guide for trekkers who want to know about EBC Trek Food and Accommodation.

If you have any further inquiries about this incredible trek or any other treks and tours in Nepal, feel free to contact us.