Namche Bazaar

How do you get to Namche Bazaar?

Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla, then walk for two days. There is no road and no airstrip at Namche itself, though helicopters land at Syangboche just above the town. Most trekkers arrive on the afternoon of their second walking day.

Day one from Lukla is an easy three to four hours downhill to Phakding. Day two is six to seven hours with a sustained 800 m climb into Namche.

Helicopter charters land at Syangboche, twenty minutes above town. Arriving this way skips the acclimatisation the walk provides, which is a genuine risk rather than a technicality.

Everyone entering passes the Sagarmatha National Park checkpost at Monjo, so have both permits accessible in your daypack.

What is Namche Bazaar like?

A dense, vertical town of lodges, bakeries, gear shops and cafes stacked up a hillside, with Kongde Ri across the valley and Everest visible from the ridge above. It is busy, commercial and much more comfortable than anywhere higher on the trail.

The town is built in terraces, so almost every street is a staircase. Getting between your lodge and dinner is itself a small climb at 3,440 m.

There are German bakeries, an Irish pub, several coffee shops and a surprising number of gear shops selling both genuine and counterfeit brands.

It is the last place with ATMs, which matters: draw all the cash you need for the rest of the trek here.

Why do trekkers spend two nights in Namche?

Because 3,440 m is the altitude at which acclimatisation starts to matter and Namche is the best-equipped place to do it. The standard rest day involves climbing several hundred metres higher and returning to sleep, which is how the body adapts.

The usual acclimatisation walk goes up to the Everest View Hotel at around 3,880 m, or out to the villages of Khumjung and Khunde.

Sitting in the lodge all day feels restful and acclimatises you worse. Climb high, sleep low is the whole principle.

Namche also has a health post and a rescue helicopter pad, which is not true of most villages above it. If something is going to go wrong, this is the best place for it to happen.

What services does Namche have?

Banking, medical, communications and equipment, all of which thin out sharply above here. Namche has ATMs, a health post, pharmacies, WiFi, mobile coverage, hot showers and dozens of lodges across every price band.

ATMs accept international cards and occasionally run dry in peak season, so do not leave it to your second day.

Down jackets, sleeping bags, poles and boots are all available to rent or buy. Rental here is cheaper than carrying gear from home.

Everest Link data cards work throughout the town. Hot showers cost a few hundred rupees and are the last cheap ones you will get.

Things to do in Namche Bazaar

1. 01

   Sherpa Culture Museum

   A small museum above town covering Sherpa history, Everest climbing records and the Khumbu's transition from trading route to trekking destination. The terrace outside gives an Everest view on a clear morning.

2. 02

   Everest View Hotel

   A 90 minute climb to 3,880 m, ending at a terrace with an unobstructed view of Everest and Ama Dablam. The standard acclimatisation walk, and worth it for the view alone.

3. 03

   Khumjung and Khunde

   Twin villages an hour and a half from Namche, home to the school and hospital founded by Edmund Hillary. Quieter than Namche and a better look at everyday Sherpa life.

4. 04

   Saturday market

   The weekly market that gives the town its name, where traders from lower villages and across the Tibetan border still bring goods up. Early morning is when it happens.

5. 05

   Tenzing Norgay memorial

   A short walk up the ridge to a statue and viewpoint looking straight up the Dudh Koshi valley toward Everest.

Frequently asked questions