Food during the Everest Base Camp trek is not just about feeling full; it is required to maintain your energy levels, assist in acclimatization, and stay healthy at high altitude. When trekking in the Himalayas, you will spend long hours navigating through challenging trails. The calories you burn through this activity demand the right portion and meal choices to provide sufficient energy. From sustaining breakfast to a warming dinner, knowing what to eat and when to eat helps ensure your journey to Everest Base Camp is safe and enjoyable.
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The Everest Base Camp trek is an incredible journey that takes you through amazing landscapes from Lukla all the way to Namche Bazaar, Tengboche Monastery, Dingboche, and the foot of Mount Everest. Along the trek, you will stay in tea houses owned and operated mostly by local Sherpa families, providing both accommodation and meals. Trekkers usually have breakfast and dinner at the tea house where they have a room for the night, giving them time to rest and prepare for the next day of the trek.
While trekking, you will have the opportunity to experience both traditional Nepali dishes and Western dishes. Generally, the most common and recommended meal is Dal Bhat, which consists of lentil soup, steamed rice, and vegetable curry. It offers the carbohydrates and protein needed for the long trek, plus all the tea houses give complimentary refills.
For breakfast, you can choose from porridge, Tibetan bread, chapati, pancakes, or eggs done in a different style. Lunch and dinner will usually consist of Sherpa stew, Tibetan noodle soup (Thukpa), momos (dumplings), fried rice, noodles, pasta, and sometimes even pizza, if you're in the lower villages. For beverages, you can choose from black tea, milk tea, lemon-ginger-honey tea, or hot chocolate. If you're at a high altitude, you should drink 3–4 liters of fluid per day to help prevent altitude sickness..jpg)
As you ascend higher in elevation, tea house menus get simpler, and prices for meals will increase because of the difficulty in transporting the supplies. It is essential to know what to eat on your Everest Base Camp trek, ensuring you are eating the right food to support your energy levels, acclimatization, and overall health. Therefore, in this guide, we’ll explore what food is available during the Everest Base Camp trek, how much it costs, what meals to expect in teahouses, and which choices are best for your health and acclimatization.
Daily Meals on EBC Teahouses: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Breakfast During the Everest Base Camp Trek
Breakfast on the Everest Base Camp trek is usually served between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM at the teahouses. Most trekkers pre-order their breakfast the night before so it is ready in the morning, which helps them start the trek earlier. It is best to finish breakfast by around 8:00 AM to give yourself enough time to reach the next destination. You can still order in the morning, but pre-ordering after dinner is common and more convenient.
Typical Breakfast Options on the Everest Base Camp Trek
- Porridge: Oat, Apple, Cinnamon
- Muesli / Cornflakes: Muesli with milk, Apple muesli, Cornflakes with milk, Cornflakes with apple
- Toast: Plain toast, With fried egg, With boiled egg, With omelette, French toast
- Pancakes: With jam, butter, or honey, Chocolate pancake
- Soup: Vegetable, Chicken, Mushroom, Garlic, Tomato, Dal, Veg Rara noodle soup
- Eggs: Vegetable / Masala / Cheese omelette, Scrambled, Fried, Boiled
- Lunch During the Everest Base Camp Trek
Lunch During the Everest Base Camp Trek
Lunch is mostly eaten at a teahouse while walking between 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM. This provides all trekkers time to rest before continuing the hike. Meals will usually be a mix of locally prepared meals and Western cuisine, with lots of high-carbohydrate options to provide energy for the afternoon walk. It is highly recommended for trekkers to choose vegetarian and high-carbohydrate meals. These will be easier to digest and will be more beneficial in terms of acclimatization when at a higher altitude.
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Typical Lunch Options on the Everest Base Camp Trek
- Rice: Plain Rice, Veg/Egg/Mixed Fried Rice, Dal Bhat (Nepali lentil soup with rice), Veg/Egg Curry Rice
- Macaroni / Noodles / Spaghetti: Veg/Egg/Mixed Fried Noodles, Veg Fried Noodles with Cheese, Veg/Fried Macaroni, Veg/Cheese Fried Macaroni, Spaghetti Cheese/Tomato Sauce, Macaroni Cheese/Tomato/Cheese Tomato Sauce
- Pizza: Veg/Mixed/Egg Pizza, Cheese Tomato Pizza
- Stew: Veg/Meat Sherpa Stew
- Sandwich: Cheese/ Egg Sandwich
- Momo (Steamed Dumplings): Veg/Cheese/Mixed/Potato Momo
- Potato Dishes: Veg Fried/Boiled Potato, Veg Cheese Fried Potato, Fried Potato with Fried Egg/Cheese, Mashed Potato/Mashed Potato with Cheese, Hash Brown/Hash Brown with Cheese/Fried Egg
- Dessert: Apple Pie, Snicker Roll, Mars Roll
Dinner During the Everest Base Camp Trek
Dinner will typically be served at the teahouse where you will stay overnight, usually between 7:00-8:00 PM. Teahouse dinners on the Everest Base Camp trek are hot, hearty food designed to refuel you from a long day of trekking. The dinner menu will usually consist of some Nepali food and some Western-style food, similar to what they have on the lunch menu.
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If you are a trekker who has a sweet tooth, after a day of trekking, there are dessert options on the Everest Base Camp trek, which include Apple Pie, Snicker Roll, Mars Roll, and custard puddings. Most agencies, including us, also provide seasonal fruits as part of the package for dessert options during the trek. Desserts are available at almost all teahouses along the trek, except for Gorakshep. Trekkers typically gather in the dining hall around the central stove, enjoying their meal and sharing stories of their day’s journey on the Everest Base Camp trek.
Cost of Food on the Everest Base Camp Trek
The price of food on the Everest Base Camp trek increases as you go higher. This is because everything, including rice, vegetables, bottled water, etc., has to be carried by either porters, yaks, or flown in by helicopters. The higher you climb, the more expensive it is logistically, and the higher the price of your food.
On average, you will pay USD 5 to 10 per meal at teahouses. As trekkers usually have 3 meals per day, you can expect your average daily food cost to be approximately USD 45 per day. On a 15-day Everest Base Camp trek, you can allocate approximately USD 600 to 700 for food.
Drinking water is another daily expense. A 1-liter bottle of water typically costs around USD 1 to 2 at lower elevations, but the price can rise to USD 3 to 4 near Everest Base Camp. To save money and reduce plastic waste, many trekkers choose to refill their bottles with boiled water provided by teahouses for a small fee or use water purification tablets or filters.
Vegetarian and Vegan Food on the Everest Base Camp Trek
Vegetarian Food Options on Everest Base Camp Trek
You can expect vegetarian food to be widely available along the Everest Base Camp trek. Most of the teahouses serve a wide range of vegetarian options, such as rice, noodles, soups, lentils (dal), and a variety of vegetables on the side. Some of the common vegetarian meals you will find are vegetable fried rice, vegetable momo, and chapati with vegetables. Breakfast usually includes porridge, eggs, toast, and pancakes. If you are a vegetarian trekker, you should have no trouble finding vegetarian meals along the trail.
Vegan Food Options on Everest Base Camp Trek
Vegan food is not as readily available on the Everest Base Camp trek, but it is available in most teahouses. Vegan meals exclude all animal products, such as meat, dairy, and eggs. Normal meals would include vegetable fried rice or noodles, or dal (lentil soup), vegetable curry, boiled potatoes, and simple salads are all available for vegans. It is a good idea to let your trekking agency know in advance if you are a strict vegan, so they can inform the teahouses along the way.
Some breakfast options will be porridge made with water, simple toast with jam or peanut butter, and muesli without milk, as well as dal bhat with vegetables or simple plain macaroni, boiled potatoes, or similar for lunch or dinner. If you plan to have a fully vegan diet, a little planning ahead can help you stick to your food preferences along the trek.
Meat Options on Everest Base Camp Trek
Although eating vegetarian food is typically the safest and most popular option on the Everest Base Camp trek, there is meat available, especially in the lower altitude areas. You can safely eat meat dishes up to Namche Bazaar, but beyond Namche Bazaar, most of the meat is frozen due to the lack of refrigeration and transport options available. When hiking at higher altitudes, the risk of meat spoilage increases, so it is best to stick to vegetarian meals or freshly cooked eggs above Namche for safety and ease of digestion.
Common meat options you will find on the menu
- Chicken: Chicken Curry, Fried Chicken, Grilled Chicken, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Momos (dumplings)
- Yak Meat: Yak Stew, Yak Curry, Yak Momos (dumplings)
- Mutton / Lamb: Mutton Stew, Mutton Curry, Mutton Momos
- Beef: Beef Stew, Beef Curry, Beef Momos
- Eggs: Boiled Eggs, Scrambled Eggs, Omelette (plain, masala, or cheese)
- Snacks and Essentials Cost Along the Everest Trail
As you begin your trek from Lukla toward Everest Base Camp, it is important to remember that prices for almost everything increase steeply at each stop along the way. An item that costs 1 USD in Kathmandu costs 3–5 times more in Lukla, and prices continue to rise as you go higher along the trek. We recommend buying all your essential snacks and items before departing from Kathmandu. If you do not have them with you, there are many things you can still buy in Kathmandu. Some snacks, such as biscuits, chocolate bars, energy bars, instant noodles, and dry fruits, are available at teahouses and small shops along the trek, but they become much more expensive as you go higher.
Drinks on the Everest Base Camp Trek
Drinking Water on the Everest Base Camp Trek
Water is available along the trek, but the price rises with altitude. In the lower region, you might find water for about 1 USD per bottle, but this price can climb to about 4 USD or more in the upper region, depending on the altitude you reach. Water is available along the trail, and almost all of the teahouses allow you to refill your bottles. Be sure to use purification tablets, drops, or portable water filters before drinking. Unfortunately, it is likely that untreated water could make you sick. The best way to stay hydrated during your trek is to carry a reusable water bottle with a means of purifying your water.
Tea, Coffee, and Hot Beverages
When trekking to Everest Base Camp, hot drinks become a daily comfort and a source of warmth from the cold Himalayan climate. If you're on the standard Everest Base Camp trek package, typically, you'll be offered three tea/coffee drinks and one soup each day. If you are part of an Everest luxury trek, tea, coffee, and hot beverages are usually unlimited and included in the package.
On the trail, the teahouses offer numerous varieties of hot drinks, and hot drinks are offered in 3 sizes i.e., cup, small pot, and medium pot. Hot water, for example, could cost you approximately 100 NPR for a cup, 500 NPR for a small pot, and 700 NPR for a medium pot, and so on, with all hot drinks varying in price by size and choice.
Alcoholic Beverages on the EBC Trek
In general, drinking alcohol is not advisable while hiking to Everest Base Camp. Alcohol can dehydrate the body and is also a risk factor for altitude sickness, which is the most deadly aspect of trekking at high altitudes. Most trekkers avoid alcohol intake until they have made the ascent to base camp.
If you want to stop for a drink while trekking to Everest, there are a few special places on the trail that serve alcohol. Namche Bazaar ,a busy Sherpa town and the main trading center of the Khumbu region. It is also home to some of the highest pubs in the world. The most recognized of the pubs are The Irish Pub, frequently referred to as the highest Irish pub on earth, and some other small, cozy bars where trekkers relax, socialize, and play games. Once you finish your trek, you can return to Namche Bazaar and enjoy the pubs with other trekkers and celebrate your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does high altitude affect appetite?
- At high elevations, lack of oxygen may reduce appetite. Even though you may not feel very hungry, eating well helps keep your energy levels up.
Are teahouse meals filling enough for long trekking days?
- Yes, teahouses provide large portions of rice, noodles, potatoes, soups, and dal bhat, which are all filling foods that provide good energy for trekking.
Can I drink water from streams along the trek?
- No, stream water is not safe. Always buy bottled water, refill bottled water with boiled water at teahouses, or treat the water with purification tablets or filters.
What snacks should I carry for the trek?
- You should carry some light, high-energy snacks (like energy bars, nuts, chocolate, trail mix) when you really need to keep fuelling up during long walks.
Is it safe to eat meat at high altitudes?
- Meat should be avoided above Namche Bazaar because from that point it is transported without refrigeration. Vegetarian meals are the safer and more popular choice.
How expensive is food as I go higher on the trek?
- The cost of food becomes more expensive the higher you go due to transportation difficulties. Expect to spend USD 5 – 10 for each meal or roughly USD 45 each day for food alone.
Can I bring my own food during the Everest Base Camp Trek?
- Yes, you can reasonably bring snacks like bars or dried fruits. You don’t need to pack full meals as there is plenty of food available at teahouses.
Conclusion
Food during the trek to Everest Base Camp is more than just a meal. It is what nourishes your body to provide strength for long days of walking and helps with acclimatization. Along the route, teahouses will offer and provide very filling breakfasts, energizing lunches, and hearty dinners with Nepali and Western food options. The most dependable and nutritious meals will be dal bhat.
The prices for food and water on the Everest Base Camp trek will increase the higher the altitude, so it is reasonable to plan to spend USD 45 a day. Vegetarian meals are safer generally, especially above Namche Bazaar, while meat will be a higher risk due to transportation hardships. Water should always be boiled or disinfected for safety. It is helpful to carry your own light snacks, but full meals will not be necessary. Knowing what food to eat, how to price your meals, and how to hydrate will keep you healthy and strong on your trek to Everest Base Camp.
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