- Length
- 10 days
- Highest point
- 4,600 m
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Best months
- Oct–Nov, Mar–May
- Starts
- Lukla (fly from Kathmandu)
- Group size
- 2–12 People
- Sleeping
- Tea House
<p>Get up close to Nepal’s most beautiful mountain — Ama Dablam (6,812m). Trek to its base camp at 4,570m through classic Khumbu villages and rhododendron forests.</p>
- Ama Dablam Base Camp (4,570 m) — beneath the world's most photographed Himalayan peak
- Ama Dablam (6,812 m) south face close-up — the iconic 'Mother's Necklace' summit
- Classic Khumbu approach: Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, and Phortse
- Tengboche Monastery (3,867 m) — the Everest region's most revered Buddhist gompa
- Views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Makalu from Dingboche's ridgelines
- Off-the-radar alternative to EBC: same scenery, far fewer trekkers, lower max altitude
- Sherpa villages of Phortse and Pangboche — the least-touristed Khumbu communities
The climb, day by day
Day 1Fly Kathmandu to Lukla (2,860 m) · Trek to Phakding (2,610 m)2,610 m
Morning flight to Lukla and begin trekking south along the Dudh Koshi river. The trail winds through Sherpa villages and pine forest to the peaceful riverside settlement of Phakding.
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 3–4 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 2Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m)3,440 m
Cross the famous Hillary Suspension Bridge, enter Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo, and make the classic 600 m climb to Namche Bazaar. First views of Ama Dablam appear on the ascent — one of the most beautiful mountains on earth.
- Distance
- 11 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 3Acclimatisation Day — Namche Bazaar (3,440 m)3,440 m
Essential rest day. Hike up to the Everest View Hotel (3,962 m) for panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam. Explore the Sherpa museum and the local market.
- Distance
- 4 km
- Walking
- 3 hours hike
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 4Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3,860 m)3,860 m
High traverse above the Dudh Koshi valley with mountain panoramas throughout. Descend to Phunki Thanga and climb through ancient rhododendron forest to Tengboche Monastery — Ama Dablam towers magnificently to the southeast.
- Distance
- 10 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 5Tengboche to Pangboche (3,930 m)3,930 m
Descend through Debuche and cross the Imja Khola. The short climb to Pangboche reveals one of the finest close-up views of Ama Dablam in the entire Khumbu. Explore the ancient Pangboche Monastery, the oldest in the region.
- Distance
- 6 km
- Walking
- 3–4 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 6Pangboche to Ama Dablam Base Camp (4,600 m)4,600 m
Leave the main trail and climb steeply up the ridge through rhododendron and juniper scrub to Ama Dablam Base Camp at 4,600 m. Stand directly beneath the iconic southwest ridge of Ama Dablam — a mountain regarded by many as the most beautiful in the world. Views of Everest, Lhotse, and the Khumbu valley are extraordinary.
- Distance
- 6 km
- Walking
- 4–5 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 7Ama Dablam Base Camp to Dingboche (4,360 m)4,360 m
Descend from base camp and continue up the Imja valley to Dingboche. The wide, open valley allows sweeping views of Lhotse, Island Peak, and Makalu on a clear day.
- Distance
- 9 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 8Dingboche to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m)3,440 m
Long descent through Tengboche and down to Namche Bazaar, retracing the classic Khumbu trail. The rapid altitude loss is welcome relief. Final night in Namche.
- Distance
- 22 km
- Walking
- 7–8 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 9Namche Bazaar to Lukla (2,860 m)2,860 m
Descend through Jorsalle and Phakding back to Lukla. Farewell dinner with your guides and porters. Reflect on an incredible week in the shadow of Ama Dablam.
- Distance
- 18 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 10Fly Lukla to Kathmandu · Departure1,400 m
Early morning flight to Kathmandu. Transfer to hotel or international airport. Your Ama Dablam Base Camp trek concludes — a journey to one of the Himalaya most magnificent peaks.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- Flight
- Meals
- B
- Night
- Hotel
The price includes
- Government-certified English-speaking senior trek guide
- Porter (1 per 2 trekkers)
- Sagarmatha National Park entry permit
- Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit
- Kathmandu–Lukla–Kathmandu round-trip flights (scheduled)
- All teahouse accommodation on trek
- 3 meals per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Altitude illness kit and pulse oximeter
- All government taxes and service charges
You pay separately
- International airfare to/from Kathmandu
- Nepal entry visa fee ($30–$50 on arrival)
- Comprehensive travel insurance with emergency evacuation
- Meals not listed in daily itinerary
- Personal trekking gear and equipment
- Tips for guides and porters
- Beverages, hot showers, and battery charging at teahouses (payable direct)
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Any costs arising from illness, injury, or early departure
Ama Dablam Base Camp Trek brings you to the foot of Nepal's most photographed peak. Called the 'Matterhorn of the Himalayas,' Ama Dablam (6,812 m) towers over the Khumbu Valley with a silhouette so perfect it appears on postcards, posters and prayer flags across Nepal. This 10-day itinerary reaches base camp at 4,570 m and delivers extraordinary close-up views that trekkers on the standard Everest Base Camp trail never see.
Why trek to Ama Dablam Base Camp?
While thousands queue for Everest Base Camp each season, the Ama Dablam Base Camp spur stays blissfully quiet. You still walk the classic Khumbu — Namche Bazaar, Tengboche Monastery, Sherpa villages and rhododendron forest — but you peel off toward a base camp that sits directly beneath one of the most beautiful mountains on earth. It is the single best vantage point for photographing Ama Dablam, and at 4,570 m it is gentler on the body than the 5,364 m EBC trail.
Trek Highlights
- Ama Dablam Base Camp at 4,570 m — a rarely visited gem
- Namche Bazaar, the bustling heart of Sherpa country
- Tengboche Monastery, the spiritual centre of the Khumbu
- Panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Thamserku
- Authentic Sherpa culture and warm teahouse hospitality
Itinerary at a glance
Fly Kathmandu–Lukla, then trek to Phakding and up to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) with an acclimatisation day. Continue past Tengboche Monastery (3,860 m) to Pangboche (3,985 m), then climb to Ama Dablam Base Camp (4,570 m) for sunrise on the peak before retracing the trail to Lukla and flying back to Kathmandu. Your guide adjusts the pace and rest days to your fitness.
Difficulty and fitness
This is the trek to base camp, not the technical climb to the summit — no ropes, ice axes or mountaineering experience are required. It is graded Challenging mainly because of altitude: you walk 5–6 hours a day on mountain paths and sleep above 3,400 m for several nights. Reasonable fitness and careful acclimatisation are all you need. Read our altitude-sickness prevention guide before you go.
Permits you need
Ama Dablam Base Camp sits inside Sagarmatha National Park, so you need the same two permits as the Everest Base Camp trek: the Sagarmatha National Park entry permit (NPR 3,000) and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit (NPR 3,000). A licensed guide is mandatory. We arrange every permit for you — see our full Everest region permit guide for the details.
Best time to go
The prime windows are October–November and March–May, when skies are clearest and Ama Dablam stands out crisply against deep blue. See our month-by-month guide to trekking in Nepal to pick your dates.
Ama Dablam Base Camp vs Everest Base Camp
If your priority is the iconic mountain itself — with fewer crowds, a lower maximum altitude and a slightly shorter trip — Ama Dablam Base Camp is the smarter choice. If standing at the foot of Everest is the dream, read our Everest Base Camp trek guide or browse the full Everest region guide. Many trekkers combine the two.