Tea house and food in Everest Base Camp Trek

Everest Base Camp Trek

Nowadays, Tea houses have become synonymous with the Everest Base Camp Trek along with many other trekking in the Himalayas in general. To those who does not have previous experience of trekking in Nepal Himalayas or who is not familiar with this term, tea houses are not those houses which serves tea, but are rather a small hotels that serves accommodation and breakfast, and they are dotted along most of the treks in the Himalayan region.

Teahouses are the most popular mode of accommodation for each kind of travelers in Everest Region as they offer an easy, pay-as-you-stay approach while trekking in the route of world’s tallest peak – Mount Everest.

‘Tea House Trekking’ involves trekking for 5-7 hours in most of the days, starting and ending at small and beautiful Sherpa Village along the route where numbers of tea houses are available. The tea houses in this region are easily identifiable by the signs outside their doors, writing, ‘Tea and Coffee’, ‘Electricity is available here’, ‘hot shower available’, etc.

The typical tea houses provides all kind of basic amenities needed for comfortable, yet humble approach to trek in the Nepal Himalayas. A clean room with single bed, hot meals, option of hot shower and some electricity are what to be expected during your stay at Teahouse.

We highly recommend you ‘Tea House Trekking’ as it introduces you to the unique traditions and culture along with the lifestyle of rural Himalayan peoples. Tea house Trekking makes you more close to the friendly and accommodating local peoples which makes your trekking more exciting. It also shows the beautiful side of Nepal that you may miss if you decide to camp by yourself rather than staying on teahouses.

Tea Houses in EBC Trek

Toilets, showers and Communal area in Tea houses during EBC trekking

It must be stated that not all the teahouses are same and offers the same kind of facilities. As you trek higher in the Himalayas you can feel the changes in services provided by the tea houses and costs. The numbers of tea house also varies as the popularity of the trekking route.

The Everest Base Camp Trekking and other most of the trekking in Everest Region are very popular, attracting more than 30,000 trekkers every year.  So, you will find many tea houses along the trekking trail, most of which are reliable and offers quality service.

On the tea houses of popular trekking trails, in lower altitude, you will find the flush toilet and hot water showers, normally at a cost of around US$4. As the altitude increases, the toilets will start to become manual flushing with a bucket full of water and eventually long drops.

As you move higher, you also have to face scarcity of hot water, but some of the tea houses offer a pot of hot water heated by a fire, with which you can wash yourself.

The communal area available in tea houses is normally a dining room, in the centre of which will be a big yak dung burning stove to heat the whole teahouse. This may be the best spot to socialize with fellow climbers or just to revel in warm environment while travelling in the Himalayas.

The typical price of a night in a tea house will vary according to the popularity of the trekking trail, different altitudes, and the season you are travelling. Expect to pay between US$ 5-10 for a well equipped, and trusted tea house per night. The cost may decrease if you manage to trek in offseason while only very few trekkers treks in the region. If you are planning trip with Nepal Horizon Treks & Expedition, you don’t have to worry about the teahouses, foods and accommodation. We book the trustworthy teahouse in advance and cost will be included in their trip package.

Teahouses in Everest Base Camp Trekking

Rooms, electricity and Wi-Fi in Teahouse during EBC Trek

Almost all the tea houses of the Khumbu Region offers twin rooms, where you will find two single beds in two sides of the room and a small tea table in between. These tea houses provide you pillow, beds sheets and bed cover, but using your sleeping bags is best idea, because it gets too cold during the nights in Himalayas. As the walls are this and not well insulated, using an earplugs while sleeping is also a good idea. For best trekking experience you should pack all the appropriate gears before trekking to Nepal Himalayas.

Everest Base Camp Trekking

Most of the tea houses offer electricity for lighting and also some plug points, which are usually located in the communal areas. Normally, you have to pay US$ 3-5 per hour for using the plug points, which are typically in high demand, especially in the busier tea houses and during busier trekking seasons.

Let’s know about the Wi-Fi facilities in teahouses of the Everest Trekking routes. Only few tea houses have internet access and offer Wi-Fi hotspots at a charge. But, you better purchase a 3G SIM card and use internet throughout your journey. Mobile connectivity is pretty good in Everest Region and is also affordable.

Tea Houses in EBC Trek

Foods available in Everest Region Trekking

The availability of food varies according to Tea houses and Mountain Lodges, but both offers best hygienic foods and you don’t have to worry about the regular meals and carrying hiking foods while trekking in the popular trekking region like Everest Region. The entire teahouse provides variety of on-site prepared hot meals. But, there will not be much choice, as the meals tend to be varieties of each other, with slightly changed ingredients.

In the lower altitudes and famous towns, you will also get an option for international dishes. But while travelling to higher altitude, most of the dishes tend to be dominated by flour and cereal products, because all the ingredients have to be flown in to Lukla and should be carried along the Himalayas by yaks or porters. The lack of easy transportation makes your accommodation more costly than in lower altitudes. You will be served Bread, porridge, beans, rice and dumplings along with any kind of meals. You will also get a chance to taste the national dish of Nepal – Daal Bhaat.

We recommend not taking meat dishes, as the meats available in the upper Himalayas are not fresh and therefore not safe for consumption. According to beliefs of Sherpa peoples, no animals are slaughtered in the mountains, so all the meats available in the higher altitudes are carried on foot from the towns of lower altitude taking many days.

Everest Base Camp Trekking

Have the fresh traditional rice and vegetables, and eggs in the morning and you will be well nourished to tackle whatever passes in the trekking throughout the day. For awesome experience in the Himalayas, remember; take only fresh and hygienic foods.