7 Important Places Not to miss while in Everest Base Camp Trekking

Trekking on the base of the Mighty Everest should be on the Bucket list of every explorer. The majestic trek offers one of the fabulous experiences of adventure trekking in the Khumbu region. Everest Base Camp trek provides once in a lifetime experience for most travelers.

Everest Base Camp is a chance to experience and explore the Khumbu valley's landscapes, culture, and scenery. It is one of the most visited destinations in the world. The trail will walk past various glaciers, scattered villages, and lush alpine vegetation.

Here are seven significant places not to miss on the EBC journey.

1. Namche Bazaar (Sherpa's Capital)

Bustling Sherpa town Namche Bazaar is the economic hub of the Khumbu region. Namche attributes a range of mountain hotels and high-end lodges. The town also is filled with shops of various climbing and trekking gear. It offers various relaxing points like cafes, restaurants, and bakeries. Namche is like a transit point to head deeper into the mountains or return from a trek. It is an excellent point to splurge on a good meal before and after the journey. Sherpa's capital Namche is one of the major attractions of the Everest region.

A weekly market fair is held every Saturday in Namche. The traders come to Namche Bazaar to put up stalls in the weekly market fair. On Saturday different kinds of goods are displayed on the market. The traders sell different Chinese goods from Tibet. The remaining food and goods of Nepali and Indian origin are brought from Lukla. As it is the Sherpa's capital, interacting with them might be something that you would like to take back home as a souvenir.

Acclimatization hike nearby Namche Bazaar like a trek to Hotel Everest viewpoint makes you refreshed. The hike in nearby areas accompaniments you with the panoramic view of mountains like Mt. Everest, Tawache, Ama Dablam, and Khumbu Himal. 

2. Visit Everest View Hotel at 3962.4m (13000ft)

During the trek towards the Everest Base Camp, you should visit the famous Everest View Hotel. The hotel is located at Syangboche at an elevation of 3962.4m. Everest View Hotel is a Guinness Book record holder of Highest Placed Hotel in the world in 2004. The hotel has its helipad as there is no road. From the hotel, you can get an awe-inspiring snow-capped 360-degree mountain view. The eye-appealing beauty of Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam, Khumbu Himal, and Tawache can be spotted from the hotel. It is one of the most popular places in Everest Base Camp Trek.

Takashi Miyahara, a Japanese-born Nepalese tourism entrepreneur, thought of building this hotel after, overlooking the marvelous beauty of snow-capped peaks, including Everest. Japanese architect Yoshinobu Kumagaya designed the hotel. As there was no means of transportation, it was a challenge to build a hotel in the past. In 1960, this challenging task was started with the help of local sherpas. Porters and helicopters carried all the building materials. In 1971, the hotel was fully constructed, and doors were open for visitors.

3. Tengboche Monastery - The Largest Monastery of Khumbu Region

Tengboche Monastery is the largest among all in Khumbu Region. It is the most prominent Tibetan Buddhist Monastery on the route to Everest Base Camp. It is set against the backdrop of the stunning Himalayas. The trekkers can encounter the ecstatic beauty of snow-capped mountains like Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam, and Lhotse from the monastery.

In Tengboche Monastery, one of the biggest festivals of the Himalayas, Manid Rimdu is grandly celebrated by Padmasambhava or Guru Rimpoche. The festival honors the foundation of Buddhism. In the Tibetan Lunar Calendar, it is celebrated in the 10th month, which commonly falls under October or November.

It is a 19-day long festival on which only three days are open for the public. The Monks perform sacred mask dances which attract local devotees and tourists. Sacred mask dance is performed by monks with Buddhist teaching wearing colorful costumes depicting deities.

4. Visit Khumjung and Khune Villages

Khumjung and Khune Villages are the famous neighboring villages of Namche Bazaar. Villages are filled with stunning vistas and stony farms divided by rock walls. You can visit the first school in the Everest region, Khumjung school. In 1960, Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust built the school. Along with this, Kunde VIllage has Kunde Hospital located at the top of the Village. Likewise, it was also built by Sir Edmund Hillary's trust in 1966. The hospital looks after all the treatment of locals and trekkers. Interact with the friendly and warm locals, and experience the daily lifestyle of villagers.

Khumjung Monastery includes the house of a 400 years old scalp of an abominable snowman called Yeti. The scalp of the big-footed Yeti is kept in a glass-fronted box. It looks like scruffy hair dome stuff. In 1960, Journalist Desmond Doig and Sir Edmund Hillary found the scalp on an expedition to find proof of Yeti. Now, the scalp is a tourist attraction on a journey to Everest Base Camp.

5. Kala Patthar 

In the Everest Base Camp Trek, the Kala Patthar is one of the highest points. It is located at the height of 5550m (18208ft). Kala Patthar can be achieved without any climbing permit and technical climbing skills. It is also one of the major attractions on EBC Trek.

Trekkers trek to the vintage point of Kala Patthar as the summit of Everest is not visible from Everest Base Camp. One of the best close-up views of Mt. Everest can be encountered from Kalapatthar. 360-degree panoramic snow-capped mountains can be observed. It is encircled by Mighty peaks, including Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Pumori.

The hike towards Kala Patthar starts early in the morning to catch a mesmerizing sunrise view over Mt. Everest and other neighboring peaks. And in the afternoon it is amazing to view the shining mountains like gold when the sunsets. Clouds commonly start rolling during the afternoon. Having a look over the sunrise is much safer than a sunset over Mt. Everest and other neighboring mountains.

6. Sherpa Cultural Museum

The Sherpa Culture Museum is filled with the culture of Sherpa's. After visiting, you will get into touch with Sherpa's culture. In the Everest Base Camp trek, it is also one of the popular tourist attractions. The whole Museum is constructed with traditional Sherpa design. You can have a holistic view of a traditional Sherpa house. Museum replicates the Sherpa's way of lifestyle and living in the old days. It contains ancient Sherpa Artifacts. Naturally, the Museum house has a family room and a separate chapel on the first floor. The house has a separate storage area below the first floor and has a stable for cows. The main purpose of having a storage area is to keep yak dung, wood, etc.

7. UNESCO Listed Sagarmatha National Park

Sagarmatha National Park is a UNESCO-listed Natural World Heritage Site. Trekkers will be trekking through the park on the Everest Base Camp trek. The park is home to many endangered and rare species of animals. Animals like Himalayan black bears, musk deer, and red pandas are spotted in the National Park. National Park contains a dense forest and is rich in flora. Forests of Pine, Juniper, Birch, Fir, Bamboo, Oak, and Rhododendron can be easily seen. It is also home to more than 118 species of birds. Birds like Yellow-billed cough, Snowcock, Himalayan Monal, and Blood pheasant live here.