When I decided to go to Everest Base Camp, the first thing I did was to find out the best time to trek to Everest Base Camp.
Everyone wants to time their trek to Everest Base Camp with the best weather window. It’s hard enough just making it to Base Camp, so you want all the odds stacked up in your favour.
Luckily for us, there are two best times to trek to Everest Base Camp.
The best times to go to Everest Base Camp are from March to May (Spring) and September to November (Autumn).
During these months, you can expect fairly stable conditions, good visibility and temperatures at Base Camp getting up to about -6°C.
“SPRING AND AUTUMN ARE THE BEST SEASONS TO TREK TO EVEREST BASE CAMP. “
Unless you like to walk in the rain, avoid the monsoon season that lasts from late-May to mid-September. During this time, you can expect heavy showers, humid weather and slippery walking trails.
Winters are too cold to trek to Everest Base Camp with heavy snowfall and temperatures dipping to -15°C at night.
Best Season for Everest Base Camp Trek
In my opinion, the absolute best time to trek to Everest Base Camp is Spring.
Expeditions to the summit of Mt Everest depart from Base Camp during the month of May, so the track is busy during the Spring trekking season. Expect to see lots of yaks and donkeys carrying supplies to Base Camp. Also, the temperatures are warmer in Spring than in Autumn.
“APRIL IS THE ULTIMATE BEST TIME TO TREK TO EVEREST BASE CAMP.”
The Autumn season is also very popular for good reason.
During this time, the sunrise and sunsets are the best. The sun is lower in the sky turning the mountain tops a burning red.
Visibility is also very good at this time of year. The heavy monsoon rains have washed away the smog, and the clouds have disappeared giving way to clear skies and amazing views of the surrounding mountains.
Also, if you don’t like trekking with lots of people, yaks and donkeys, the best time to go to Everest Base Camp will be in Autumn.
Monthly Weather Forecast for Everest Base Camp
As a traveller, the first thing I research when deciding when to plan my trip is the monthly weather, both monthly temperatures and rainfall.
For me, I choose the month with the lowest precipitation, because honestly, who wants to go trekking in the rain.
Temperature is my second consideration as I don’t want to be trekking when it’s too hot or too cold.
“TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL ARE THE TWO BIGGEST CONSIDERATIONS FOR A TREK TO EVEREST BASE CAMP.”
Below is a chart of the historical monthly weather for Namche Bazar. This is the highest town along the Everest Base Camp route for which the weather is available.
Everest Base Camp Temperature in March
The average minimum temperature in March is -12.0°C (10.4°F). The average maximum daytime temperature lies around 4.9°C (40.82°F). March is a dry month with an average of 22mm (0.9in) rain. It rains on average a total of 4 days.
Everest Base Camp Temperature in April
The average minimum temperature in April is -7.0°C (19.4°F). The average maximum daytime temperature lies around 8.3°C (46.94°F). April is a dry month with an average of 29mm (1.1in) rain. It rains on average a total of 5 days.
Everest Base Camp Temperature in May
The average minimum temperature in May is -3.0°C (26.6°F). The average maximum daytime temperature lies around 11.7°C (53.06°F). The amount of rain/snow in May is normal with an average of 35mm (1.4in). It rains on average a total of 10 days.
Everest Base Camp Temperature in September
The average minimum temperature in September is 1.0°C (33.8°F). The average maximum daytime temperature lies around 12.9°C (55.22°F). The amount of rain in September is normal with an average of 82mm (3.2in). It rains on average a total of 15 days.
Everest Base Camp Temperature in October
The average minimum temperature in October is -6.5°C (20.3°F). The average maximum daytime temperature lies around 9.0°C (48.2°F). The amount of rain/snow in October is normal with an average of 39mm (1.5in). It rains on average a total of 4 days.
Everest Base Camp Temperature in November
The average minimum temperature in November is -12.3°C (9.86°F). The average maximum daytime temperature lies around 5.7°C (42.26°F). November is a dry month with an average of 7mm (0.3in) rain. This makes it the driest month of the year. It rains on average a total of 2 days.
14-Day Weather Forecast for Everest Base Camp
To find the next 14-day weather forecast for Everest Base Camp (we use Namche Bazar as the closest town), see MeteoBlue.
Well, now you know the best time to trek to Everest Base Camp. For me, it’s April as the weather is warm, the skies are clear, and Spring is a wonderful time to be trekking in the Himalayas.
Let me know what is your best time to trek to Everest Base Camp. As always, I love to hear from my readers so please leave your comments below.