What a teahouse is
A teahouse in the Khumbu is a family lodge: a stone or timber building with a large dining room on the ground floor, a kitchen behind it and small bedrooms above or alongside. The name comes from the old tea shops where porters and traders rested; today most are proper lodges with names like Sherpa Guest House or Yak Lodge, painted signs, solar panels on the roof and the owner's family living in the back rooms.
The dining room is the heart of the place. It has a stove in the middle, usually burning dried yak dung or wood lower down and kerosene or dung higher up, and benches round the walls. In the evening everyone gathers here: trekkers, guides, the family, sometimes a porter or two. It is warm, noisy with card games and stories, and the stove is often lit only from late afternoon to save fuel, so plan to be in the dining room after dark rather than your room.
Rooms and bathrooms
Rooms are small twins with two single beds, a foam mattress, a pillow and often a blanket. Walls are thin plywood or stone, and there is no heating. Below Namche some lodges have rooms with attached bathrooms; above Tengboche they are rare, and above Lobuche you share a toilet block, often a squat toilet with a bucket of water rather than a flush. Bring a sleeping bag; on cold nights the lodge blanket goes on top.
Room prices are low, sometimes only a few hundred rupees, and in some lodges free, on the understanding that you eat dinner and breakfast there. This is the business model of the Khumbu teahouse: the room is a small part of the income and the kitchen pays the bills. If you eat elsewhere, expect the owner to charge more for the room, and fairly so. In peak weeks the best lodges at Namche, Dingboche, Lobuche and Gorak Shep fill by early afternoon, which is one practical reason to trek with a guide who books ahead.
Mornings start early. Lodges serve breakfast from about 6 or 7 am, and your guide will ask the night before what you want and when. Leave your duffel packed and outside the door for the porter before breakfast, so the loads can leave on time.
Food: dal bhat and everything else
Menus in the Khumbu are long and surprisingly similar from lodge to lodge, partly because supplies come up the same trail and lodges learn from each other. Expect porridge, Tibetan bread, pancakes, eggs and muesli for breakfast; noodle soups, fried rice, momos, pasta, potatoes and pizza for lunch and dinner. Sherpa dishes such as shyakpa stew and riki kur potato pancakes appear on some menus and are worth ordering.
Dal bhat is the trekker's fuel and the best value on the menu: rice, lentil soup, a vegetable curry, pickle and often papad, with free refills of rice and dal. Guides eat it twice a day. Meat is carried up from below Lukla, as there is no slaughter of animals in the Khumbu out of Buddhist feeling, so above Namche we suggest a vegetarian diet; it is fresher and kinder to your stomach.
Order dinner early, usually when you arrive, so the kitchen can plan. Lodges cook one dish at a time on a few burners, and big groups take time.
A planner can turn what you are reading into days, nights and a price.
What things cost
Prices rise with altitude because almost everything is carried in by porters or yaks from Lukla, or by helicopter. A chocolate bar that costs NPR 150 in Kathmandu can cost four times that at Gorak Shep. The figures below are approximate ranges we have seen in recent seasons; they change every year and differ between lodges. Use them for budgeting, not as fixed prices.
| Item | Lukla to Namche | Tengboche to Dingboche | Lobuche and Gorak Shep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dal bhat with refills | NPR 700–1,000 | NPR 900–1,300 | NPR 1,100–1,500 |
| Twin room (per room, eating in) | NPR 300–1,500 | NPR 300–1,000 | NPR 500–1,500 |
| Pot of tea for two | NPR 400–700 | NPR 600–900 | NPR 800–1,200 |
| Litre of boiled water | NPR 100–200 | NPR 200–350 | NPR 300–500 |
| Hot shower | NPR 300–500 | NPR 500–800 | Rarely available |
| Charging a phone or battery | NPR 200–300 | NPR 300–500 | NPR 400–700 |
| Snickers or chocolate bar | NPR 250–350 | NPR 350–450 | NPR 450–600 |
Water, power and Wi-Fi
Drinking water is the biggest hidden cost and the easiest to reduce. The Khumbu municipality has restricted single-use plastic bottles in recent years, so bring two one-litre bottles or a bladder and refill them. Most lodges sell boiled water by the litre; some villages have refill stations selling treated water more cheaply. A filter bottle or purification tablets with stream or tap water cost nothing after purchase. Check current status before you travel on the plastic rules.
Electricity comes from small hydro plants lower down and solar panels higher up. Charging is charged per device or per hour, and above Dingboche it is slow and expensive. A 10,000 to 20,000 mAh power bank, kept warm in your sleeping bag at night, solves most of the problem.
Internet in the Khumbu runs mostly on prepaid Wi-Fi cards from Everest Link, a local network that works in most villages up to Gorak Shep, plus some mobile data from Nepal Telecom and Ncell lower down. Cards come in data or time bundles and cost a few thousand rupees. Connections are slow at busy times in the evening. Many trekkers enjoy using it only once a day.
A realistic daily budget
If you trek independently and pay for everything yourself, plan on about USD 35 to 50 a day per person for room and three meals, rising to USD 50 to 60 above Dingboche, plus extras. If you trek on a package with three meals included, as most of our trips are, budget about USD 15 to 30 a day for drinks, snacks, hot showers, charging and Wi-Fi. Carry Nepali rupees in cash: ATMs exist in Lukla and Namche but are unreliable, and cards are rarely accepted above Namche.
Tipping is customary at the end of a trek for guides and porters, usually handed over at a farewell dinner in Namche or Lukla. Your agency can suggest a normal range; it is part of how trail workers earn a living, and it is appreciated.
- Bring enough cash in rupees from Kathmandu for the whole trek, plus a reserve.
- Refill water bottles instead of buying bottled water.
- Carry a power bank and a charging cable that fits all your devices.
- Order dinner on arrival and stick to dal bhat or vegetarian food above Namche.
- Eat where you sleep; it keeps room prices low and is fair to the lodge.
- Put a few snacks from Kathmandu in your bag; they cost much more on the trail.
Lodge manners
Teahouse life works on small courtesies. Take off muddy boots at the door and wear camp shoes inside. Do not dry socks or gloves on the stove without asking; it is often the family's cooking fire too. Turn off lights and do not leave chargers in sockets when you are finished. Keep noise down after about 9 pm, when guides, porters and the family go to bed. Pay your bill the evening before you leave, so the morning is calm. The families who run these lodges carry, cook and clean at altitude for long seasons; a word of thanks in Sherpa, thuche che, goes a long way.
Questions
How much does food cost on the Everest Base Camp trek?
Expect about NPR 2,500 to 4,500 a day for three meals in recent seasons, rising with altitude. Dal bhat costs roughly NPR 700 to 1,000 around Namche and NPR 1,100 to 1,500 at Gorak Shep. Drinks and snacks add more. Prices change every year and vary between lodges.
Do you have to pay for rooms in Everest teahouses?
Usually yes, but rooms are cheap, often a few hundred to about 1,500 rupees, and sometimes free, because lodges expect you to eat dinner and breakfast there. If you eat elsewhere, the owner will charge more for the room. In peak weeks, the cheapest rooms go first, and booking ahead through a guide helps.
Is there Wi-Fi on the Everest Base Camp trek?
Yes, in most villages up to Gorak Shep, mainly through prepaid Everest Link cards bought in Lukla, Namche or at lodges. Some lodges have their own Wi-Fi, and mobile data works lower down. Expect slow speeds in the evenings when everyone is online. It costs a few thousand rupees for a card.
Can I charge my phone in teahouses?
Yes, for a fee per device or per hour that rises with altitude, from about NPR 200 around Namche to NPR 400 to 700 at Gorak Shep. Power is from hydro and solar, so supply can be limited. Carry a power bank and keep batteries warm at night, as cold drains them fast.
Should I eat meat on the Everest trek?
We suggest eating vegetarian above Namche. Out of Buddhist feeling, animals are not slaughtered in the Khumbu, so meat is carried up from lower valleys and may be several days old. Dal bhat, noodle soups, potatoes, eggs and Sherpa dishes give all the energy you need and are much safer for your stomach.
How much cash should I carry for the Everest trek?
If your meals are included, about USD 15 to 30 a day in Nepali rupees for extras, plus tips. If you are paying for everything yourself, about USD 35 to 60 a day. ATMs in Lukla and Namche are unreliable and cards are rarely accepted above Namche, so bring cash from Kathmandu.
Are there hot showers in Everest teahouses?
Usually up to Dingboche, heated by gas or solar, for a fee of about NPR 300 to 800. Above that, showers are rare and often a bucket of hot water. Many trekkers skip showering above Dingboche and use wet wipes. Wash early in the afternoon, when the day is warmest.
What is the toilet situation in Everest teahouses?
Below Namche many lodges have western toilets, some in attached bathrooms. Higher up, shared toilets become the norm, often squat toilets with a bucket of water to flush, and pipes can freeze at night. Bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitiser, and a head torch for night visits.
Can I drink tap water on the Everest trek?
Not untreated. Use boiled water from the lodge, water from refill stations, or treat tap and stream water with a filter bottle, UV pen or tablets. Plastic bottles have been restricted by the Khumbu municipality, so carry refillable bottles. Check current status before you travel.
