Everest Base Camp Accommodation: Tea Houses, Showers & Toilets Explained
- Margaux
- 14 minutes ago
- 8 min read
Before my trek to Everest Base Camp, I was worried about what the accommodation, showers, and toilets would be like along the trek. If you are planning the trek, you might have the same questions. This blog will outline what accommodation, showers, and toilets are like in all the stops along the Everest Base Camp route, how much it costs to have a hot shower, and how to prepare for the tea houses with very basic facilities.
If you are planning the Everest Base Camp trek, check out my ultimate guide here, which includes the full 11-day itinerary, packing lists, budget information, and top tips and advice.
Contents
Summary: What is Everest Base Camp Accommodation Like?
Accommodation on the Everest Base Camp trek is in basic tea houses with twin rooms, shared bathrooms, limited electricity, paid hot showers, and weak wifi. Facilities become more basic as altitude increases. Everest Base Camp tea houses are more basic than refuges along major treks in Europe or North America, but more comfortable than camping treks.
What are the tea houses like along the Everest Base Camp trek?
The tea houses on the Everest Base Camp trek are basic, but usually relatively comfortable. You will probably be in a room with two beds, and sheets, a pillow, duvets, and blankets are provided. Do not expect these to be clean, or enough to keep you warm, especially at high altitude. The rooms are not heated. I rented a -25°C sleeping bag in Kathmandu which I strongly recommend doing. I often put the duvet over the sleeping bag. If you are concerned about hygiene, consider bringing your own sleeping bag liner or buying one in Kathmandu. You will need layers as well. See my Everest Base Camp packing list for more on what to bring with you.
All the tea houses will have a common area where you have all your meals and spend time in the afternoons and evenings. They are heated by a fire which is very efficient, and are very social places too. Bring a deck of cards to keep busy and I assure you you will make friends!
Electricity is usually only in the common areas, and only sometimes in rooms at low altitudes. Electricity usually just means a light, rather than a plug socket for personal use. You will find these in the common area if they are available.
Wifi is usually available at each tea house, although the strength is very poor, especially at high altitudes. You also need to pay for this, and I’ll go into more detail on that below.
What are toilets and showers like on the Everest Base Camp trek?
Bathroom facilities and quality vary based on the altitude. In general, don’t expect running water at high altitudes, and expect to be sharing with multiple people, but there is usually at least one western-style toilet in each tea house.
Showers are almost always shared (above Namche Bazaar), and the water is heated by the sun in giant black storage tanks on the roofs of the tea houses. The water does get very hot, especially on a sunny day! But this means there is limited hot water, and you might have to wait a bit for the tank to refill and re-heat. If you decide to pay for a shower, I recommend showering as soon as you arrive at your accommodation in the afternoon, before the masses arrive, and before the sun sets. Towels are not provided, so make sure you have your own.
You will always find at least one western-style (as opposed to squat) toilet at each tea house. Whether they flush is another question! In my experience, running water in toilets stopped at Dingboche, and you have to pour water from a giant tank into the toilet to flush it. As you can imagine, when you have over 100 people sharing these toilets, with food poisoning and altitude sickness thrown into the mix, it can get messy. I luckily only experienced a couple of really bad toilets, but it could have been much worse. Bring your own toilet paper too, it is never provided, even in the nicest tea houses.
With the loss of running water comes the loss of taps to wash your hands, brush your teeth, etc. Bottled water, wet wipes, and hand sanitizer will be your friends. Most places will have a sink, but it might be tap-less. It’s all part of the adventure!
Do you get private bathrooms on the Everest Base Camp trek?
Private bathrooms are only available at lower altitudes (Phakding and Namche). This is not guaranteed, however, and it will depend on your tea house. Above this, bathrooms are shared and located in corridors.
Facilities at each stop along the Everest Base Camp trek
Phakding Accommodation
Your first stop is likely to be Phakding, but anything around that altitude will have similar facilities. There was running water and electricity in Phakding, and we had private bathrooms in our rooms. Showers are normally free, but don’t expect hot water. There is wifi at the teahouses, but you will have to pay for it, around 500-600 Nepalese rupees ($3.76 - $4.51).
Namche Bazaar Accommodation
Namche Bazaar is the biggest town you’ll trek through, and it is filled with tea houses, shops, and restaurants. Running water and electricity were available, and we again had private bathrooms. The showers here were hot and free, and there are several places around town which have free wifi, including many tea houses. It is the last place with an ATM and reasonably priced trekking gear, snacks, and toiletries, so stock up if you need anything.
Debouche Accommodation
The teahouse in Debouche was the first where you had to pay for hot showers, around 600-800 Nepalese rupees ($4.50-$6). There was running water and electricity, but the bathrooms were located in the corridor and shared. Wifi came at a cost, again around 500-600 Nepalese rupees ($3.76 - $4.51), and it is not very strong.
Dingboche Accommodation
Dingboche is usually the next stop. You have to pay for showers in Dingboche, which cost around 600-800 Nepalese rupees ($4.50-$6). There is some running water but toilets were manually-flushed. This means pouring buckets of water into the tank before flushing - the tea house provides the water in a large barrel and the bucket to flush. It was one shower for the whole tea house, but the water was piping hot. No lights or electricity was provided in rooms. Wifi again cost around 500-600 Nepalese rupees ($3.76 - $4.51).
Lobuche Accommodation
When you get to Lobuche, the standards drop significantly. There are very few tea houses, so they are all large and very busy. There is no running water and no electricity in the rooms. Don’t expect your tea house to have a shower, but if it does, it will be costly. You will likely be sharing two toilets with 50 - 100 other people, and they are manually-flushed again (it gets rough). Wifi is extremely weak and you will have to pay a bit more for it up here, around 700-900 Nepalese rupees ($5.26 - $6.77). It gets very cold in Lebouche too, so wrap up warm for the night. The altitude also makes it very difficult to sleep from this point onwards.
Gorak Shep Accommodation
Gorak Shep accommodation is also extremely basic, with no showers and shared, manually-flushing toilets, no running water, and no electricity in the rooms. Wifi again is extremely weak and you’ll have to pay more again, around 700-900 Nepalese rupees ($5.26 - $6.77). It’s also freezing up here and you’ll struggle to sleep with the altitude.
Pangboche Accommodation
The typical first stop on your way down is Pheriche, but we decided to push through to Pangboche because it was much quieter and the tea houses had slightly better facilities at the lower altitude. Showers were still paid for, back to the prices of around 600-800 Nepalese rupees ($4.50-$6). They were shared, as were the toilets. However, wifi became cheaper, back to around 500-600 Nepalese rupees ($3.76 - $4.51).
If you’re looking for a full cost breakdown of the Everest Base Camp trek, look no further than my post here.
How to make your Everest Base Camp trek hygienic and comfortable
Here are some of my top tips to making your trek to Everest Base Camp as comfortable and hygienic as possible:
Pack hand sanitiser and wet wipes: you will be lucky to find soap at any of the tea houses, so hand sanitiser is a must. Wet wipes are also key: where showers are unavailable or you don’t want to pay for one, a wet wipe shower might be your only option. They are also good for getting hand sanitiser residue off and anything else on your hands. Face wipes also make you feel much fresher. Read more about this on my Everest Base Camp packing list.
Bring toilet paper: no tea houses provide toilet paper. You can buy it at the tea houses but the prices are extortionate. Buy toilet paper in Kathmandu before you go - it is very cheap there.
Bring a head torch: for when there is no electricity a head torch is a must for the evenings. You will need one for your room and for going to the bathroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there hot showers on Everest Base Camp?
Sometimes. If the tea house has running water, it is less likely to be hot. However, if the water comes from a tank, this is heated by the sun which is usually very efficient at heating water. The hot water is limited, however, so you might need to wait a bit before the tank refills and reheats. Shower while the sun is still up!
How much do showers cost on EBC?
The cost of showers on Everest Base Camp varies with altitude. They are likely to be free lower down, but higher up the price can vary from between 600 and 900 Nepalese rupees (approx. $4.50-$6.50). For a full cost breakdown of the Everest Base Camp trek, see my post here.
Are there western toilets on the Everest Base Camp trek?
From my experience, all tea houses had at least one western toilet. Some of them were manually-flushing, and they are more popular than squat toilets, so be aware that they might get blocked up faster… Outside of tea houses, western toilets are less common.
Do tea houses have electricity?
In certain areas. All tea houses will have lighting in the common areas, but very few will have lighting in individual rooms. Plug sockets are very rare. You will be lucky to have some in the common areas lower down, but higher up, don’t expect any. The rooms in tea houses are not heated.
Is there wifi on the Everest Base Camp trek?
Yes. Most tea houses have wifi available for purchase. However, in my experience, it was not worth the cost. The wifi was rarely strong enough to send messages, constantly dropped in and out, or just wouldn’t work, especially at high altitude. Embrace being off-grid!
I hope this gives you a good overview of accommodation, showers, and toilets on the Everest Base Camp trek. If you’re looking for luxury, this is not the trip for you, but it is all part of the adventure. Don’t forget to check out my ultimate guide to the Everest Base Camp trek here.
As always, please look after the places you visit and remember to only leave your footprints behind :)
Comments