If you dream of climbing Mount Everest, but have neither the time (3 months) nor the funds ($70,000 USD) to scale the world’s highest mountain, it may be time to lower your sights slightly and go for Everest Base Camp instead.

At 5,545 meters above sea level, Everest Base Camp sits just 350 metres lower than Kilimanjaro’s highest peak Uhuru, but it takes a whole lot longer to get there, and your 14-day trip will take you through some of the most spectacular scenery in Nepal.

While you can trek to Everest Base Camp at any time of the year, the best months are widely considered to be March to May when the weather is mild, and September to November when it is dry and bright. But of course, good weather attracts intrepid travellers from across the world, and so the aforementioned months are usually the busiest time on the mountain… but that just means that you get to meet new friends along the way!

Flying to Kathmandu is relatively easily, with connections from most major airports in the world. Airlines such as Qatar, Air India, Etihad and Turkish Airlines currently have some great deals, with return flights from London to Kathmandu in October and November costing less than £480 per person!

Everest Base Camp Treks vary in price from company to company, but if you want to ensure your porters and guides are being paid correctly and treated fairly with plenty of food for the expedition, warm clothing, and a limited load, it is essential that you book with a recommended company.  Much like Kilimanjaro, there is no such thing as a ‘cheap climb’, and if a deal looks too good to be true, you can bet your bottom dollar that it is the porters who will suffer.

So with cheap flights to Nepal, great weather conditions, and a fabulous choice of scheduled departures for EBC in October and November 2016, now is definitely the time to book your trip to the highest mountain in the world, and follow in the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, two great adventurers who left many of us dreaming…!