If you dream of climbing Mount Everest but have neither the time nor the $70,000 USD needed to scale the world’s highest mountain, an Everest Base Camp Expedition could be the next best thing. A spectacular journey throughout Nepal, it will take you into the heart of the Himalayas as you explore the Khumbu region on what can only be described as a holiday of a lifetime.

While physically and mentally challenging (due to altitude), Everest Base Camp Treks are suitable for anyone with a good level of physical fitness, and providing you train before you leave home and pack the right clothing and hiking equipment, there is no reason why you shouldn’t reach the camp at 5,380m above sea level.

Your journey to the world’s most famous mountain camp will take anything up to 16-days, with your trip starting and finishing in the vibrant hub of Kathmandu. As you follow in the footsteps of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who first trekked to the top of Mount Everest in 1953, you will have the unique opportunity to trek through Sagarmatha National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and visit the Sherpa villages of Dingboche, Tengboche, and Namche Bazaar.

Unlike the Seven Summits, which are costly to climb, Everest Base Camp Expeditions are extremely affordable, especially when you consider what is included. Most treks include 2 or 3 nights in Kathmandu including sightseeing and activities, return flights to Lukla where you will start and end your hiking adventure, accommodations in traditional Tea Houses including three meals per day, a team of experienced guides and porters, the obligatory Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) card fee, and all local national park fees and government taxes.

With China announcing today that it is to close the Tibetan border to Everest to everyone except those with permits to climb to the very top of the mountain, tour operators on the Nepalese side are expected to reduce their prices even further to attract international travellers. This could make 2019 Everest Base Camp Expeditions cheaper than ever, but visitors are being asked to do their bit for the environment…

In recent years, Mount Everest has become a dumping ground for leftover hiking supplies, old tents, empty oxygen bottles, and even human waste, and as such, the government of Nepal has launched a clean-up operation in a bid to bring down more than 11 tonnes of waste.

Those visiting Everest Base Camp, and indeed the super-rich who are hiking to the summit, are being encouraged to bring their trash back down with them, or at least make sure that their hiking company is disposing of all waste responsibly. We all need to help if we are to clean up the world’s highest mountain – but it’s a small price to pay to restore Everest to its former glory!