On the Everest Base Camp trek, you sleep in teahouses: small, family-run lodges with twin rooms and a shared dining room. Rooms are simple and unheated, and they get more basic the higher you go. Hot showers, Wi-Fi and device charging cost extra. On our 12-day trek, you spend 11 nights in teahouses, from Phakding to Lukla.
This guide explains what each stop is like, from the comfortable lodges near Lukla to the cold, basic rooms at Gorak Shep.
What’s Inside This Guide
- What is a teahouse?
- Where you sleep, night by night
- Bathrooms and showers
- Staying warm at night
- Food in the teahouses
- Wi-Fi, charging and phone signal
- Twin rooms, single rooms and upgrades
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Planning Guides
What Is a Teahouse?
A teahouse is a small lodge run by a local family, built for trekkers. Each one has a dining room with a stove, where everyone eats and keeps warm in the evening. The bedrooms are usually twin rooms with two single beds, a pillow and blanket, and not much else.
Standard teahouses are the main choice on this route. A few higher-end lodges, with en-suite rooms and electric blankets, operate in the lower valley, up to around Namche and Thame. They cost far more, and above that level there are only standard teahouses.
Where You Sleep, Night by Night
| Night | Where | Altitude | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phakding | 2,610m | Comfortable rooms; some lodges have attached bathrooms |
| 2–3 | Namche Bazaar | 3,440m | The best choice on the route; some rooms with attached bathrooms and hot showers |
| 4 | Debuche | 3,820m | Quieter and simpler; mostly shared bathrooms |
| 5–6 | Dingboche | 4,410m | Basic twin rooms, shared bathrooms, cold nights |
| 7 | Lobuche | 4,940m | Very basic; thin walls, limited water, busy in peak season |
| 8 | Gorak Shep | 5,164m | The most basic and coldest night; rooms fill up in peak weeks |
| 9 | Pheriche | 4,371m | Simple teahouses; it feels warmer after Gorak Shep |
| 10 | Namche Bazaar | 3,440m | Back to hot showers, bakeries and better rooms |
| 11 | Lukla | 2,860m | Comfortable lodges near the airstrip |
Everything above Lukla arrives by porter, yak or helicopter, which is why rooms get simpler as you climb. We book good teahouses at each stop, but even the best room at Gorak Shep is basic.
Bathrooms and Showers
Attached bathrooms are common up to Namche and rare above it. From Debuche onwards, expect a shared toilet down the corridor, often a squat toilet. Water pipes can freeze at night up high, so carry toilet paper and hand sanitiser.
Most teahouses offer hot showers for a fee, heated by gas or solar power. Above Dingboche, showers become unreliable, and many trekkers skip them in the cold. Wet wipes are a practical backup.
Staying Warm at Night
Standard teahouse rooms have no heating. The dining room stove is the only warm place, and it is usually lit in the evening. Spend the evening there, then go to bed warm.
Nights at Lobuche and Gorak Shep drop well below freezing, even in autumn. Teahouses provide blankets, but your sleeping bag does most of the work. Bring one rated to at least −15°C, or rent one in Kathmandu. Our packing list covers the rest of the kit.
Food in the Teahouses
Teahouses serve set menus with Nepali, Tibetan and Western dishes. Dal bhat, rice with lentil soup and vegetables, is the staple, and refills are usually free. You will also see noodles, fried rice, potatoes, pasta, porridge and eggs.
Teahouses cook food to order, and prices rise with altitude. Lodges expect you to eat where you sleep. Our trek includes all three meals a day. Bottled drinks, snacks and alcohol are not.
Wi-Fi, Charging and Phone Signal
Most teahouses sell Wi-Fi, and Everest Link runs a paid data network across the Khumbu. You can buy its prepaid cards in Lukla, Namche and Dingboche. Speeds are fine low down and slower above Dingboche, especially in the evening.
Charging costs extra almost everywhere and gets pricier higher up, because most power is solar or hydro. Bring a power bank and keep batteries warm in your sleeping bag at night. Mobile signal is patchy above Namche.
Twin Rooms, Single Rooms and Upgrades
Our package includes twin-sharing rooms, two trekkers per room, which is how most teahouses lay out their rooms. Solo trekkers can ask for a single room. Availability depends on the stop and the season, so we confirm it for your dates instead of promising it.
At Phakding, Namche and Lukla, better rooms are often available. Above Dingboche, there is usually nothing to upgrade to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Teahouses, which are small family-run lodges with twin rooms and a heated dining room. Rooms are basic and unheated, and they get simpler the higher you go.
A few higher-end lodges operate in the lower valley, up to around Namche and Thame, at much higher prices. Above that, standard teahouses are the only option.
Some do at Phakding, Namche and Lukla. From Debuche upwards, bathrooms are almost always shared, and many are squat toilets.
No. Only the dining room has a stove. Bring a sleeping bag rated to at least −15°C for the nights at Lobuche and Gorak Shep.
Yes, at most teahouses, for a fee. Everest Link sells prepaid data cards in Lukla, Namche and Dingboche. Expect slower speeds above Dingboche.
Eleven nights on our 12-day trek, from Phakding on Night 1 to Lukla on Night 11.
Related Planning Guides
- Everest Base Camp Trek package — twin-sharing teahouses and all meals included, from $1,039
- EBC Packing List — sleeping bag and layers for teahouse nights
- 12-Day EBC Itinerary — where you sleep each night
- Best Time for the EBC Trek — how cold the nights get by month
- Everest Base Camp Trek Cost — including showers, charging and Wi-Fi
Know What to Expect Each Night
Our Everest Base Camp Trek costs $1,039 to $1,379 per person, with twin-sharing teahouses and all meals on the trail included. Showers, charging and Wi-Fi you pay directly. See the full trek details, or ask us on WhatsApp about a single room for your dates.
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