Everest Base Camp Internet and Charging

Trekkers heading up the Khumbu almost always ask us two things in the same breath: "Will I have signal to tell my family I'm okay?" and "Will my phone even survive the cold?" Both are fair questions. The Everest Base Camp Trek runs through one of the most remote high-altitude environments on earth, but it's also one of the most digitally connected remote treks anywhere in the world — largely because of one homegrown company, Everest Link, and a decade of steady infrastructure investment by Sherpa business owners along the trail.

That said, "connected" doesn't mean "connected like home." Speeds are slow. Costs rise with altitude. Cold drains batteries faster than you'd expect. This guide walks through exactly what to expect, village by village, so you can plan your connectivity the same way you'd plan your gear list — realistically, and with a backup plan.

If you haven't locked in your route yet, our Everest Base Camp Trek page has the full 14-day itinerary and current pricing this guide assumes.

Quick Answer

Can you access the internet and charge your devices on the Everest Base Camp Trek?

Yes, at almost every stop. From Lukla to Gorak Shep, you can buy Wi-Fi through Everest Link prepaid cards in every major village, and most teahouses offer paid phone and camera charging. Mobile data works reliably as far as Namche Bazaar and patchily beyond it — NTC holds a signal further up the valley than Ncell, including a tower right at Gorak Shep. There's no Wi-Fi at Everest Base Camp itself; the last reliable purchase point for a connection is Gorak Shep, about two hours below camp. Budget roughly $30–60 total for internet and charging across a 12–14 day trek, more if you're uploading video daily.

Trek the Everest Base Camp Trek

This classic trek takes you through the heart of the Khumbu region, past vibrant Sherpa villages, ancient monasteries, and towering Himalayan peaks.

View Trip

Internet Options on the Everest Base Camp Trek

There are three separate systems working on the trail, and it's worth understanding how they're different, because they don't overlap the way you'd expect.

Mobile Data (NTC and Ncell)

Nepal's two carriers behave very differently once you leave Kathmandu.

Ncell is faster and more reliable in Kathmandu and in the lower Khumbu — Lukla, Phakding, and Namche Bazaar are usually solid. Its signal fades noticeably above Namche and becomes unreliable through Tengboche, Dingboche, and beyond. Ncell simply has fewer towers built out at extreme altitude, because its network was built around population density, not trekking corridors.

NTC (Nepal Telecom / Namaste) is the opposite story. It's slower in the cities but it holds a signal further up the valley, including around Dingboche and Lobuche, and — this is the detail most guides miss — NTC has a tower at Gorak Shep, which means it's the only mobile carrier with any realistic chance of a call near Everest Base Camp itself. If you're only buying one SIM and you're prioritizing "can I call home from high camp," NTC is the safer bet.

Neither carrier gives you a fast connection above 3,500m. Think emails and short WhatsApp texts, not video calls.

Everest Link Wi-Fi

Everest Link is the reason the Khumbu is more connected than almost any other high-altitude trekking region on earth. Founded in 2014 by local entrepreneur Tsering Gyaltsen Sherpa, it runs a solar-powered network of roughly 36 towers stretching from Lukla all the way to Everest Base Camp, making it — by a wide margin — the highest-altitude commercial internet service in the world.

Here's why it works where mobile data doesn't: Everest Link was purpose-built for this exact route and terrain, with solar panels sized for high-altitude sun exposure and towers placed specifically to cover teahouse clusters, not to serve a broad geographic area the way a telecom grid does. That's why local guides will often tell you to skip chasing a mobile signal above Namche and just buy an Everest Link card instead — a slow connection that works beats a fast one that doesn't reach you.

You buy a scratch card (username and password underneath the foil), connect to the local Wi-Fi network, and log in through a landing page. Cards are sold in Kathmandu, Lukla, Namche Bazaar, Dingboche, and Gokyo, and increasingly at individual teahouses — though buying from a dedicated agent or shop rather than your lodge usually avoids a markup.

Lodge Wi-Fi

Some teahouses run their own private router or hotspot separate from Everest Link, usually free or a token fee if you're a paying guest, especially in Lukla and Namche. The catch: it's often just one shared router backing onto a slow satellite or Everest Link connection anyway, so don't expect it to outperform a proper Everest Link card once you're above Namche. Treat lodge Wi-Fi as a bonus at low altitude, and plan around Everest Link everywhere higher.

Trek the Everest View Panorama Trek

An easy to moderate yet rewarding journey to Nepal’s most spectacular mountain vistas. Ideal for first-time trekkers, senior citizens, children and family.

View Trip

NTC vs Ncell: Which SIM Should You Buy?

Our recommendation for most trekkers: buy an NTC SIM if you can only get one, since altitude coverage matters more than city speed once you're actually on the trail. If you want the best of both, some trekkers carry both SIMs and swap depending on location — Ncell for Kathmandu logistics, NTC once you're past Namche.

Village-by-Village Internet & Charging Coverage

The takeaway: Namche Bazaar is your best connectivity window on the whole trek. Use it to upload photos, make video calls, and back up your data — everything above it gets progressively slower and pricier.

Trek the Everest Base Camp Trek Helicopter Return

Everest Base Camp, Without the Long Walk Back. Reach 5,364m on Foot. Return by Air.

View Trip

Everest Link Wi-Fi Explained

How it works: buy a scratch card, connect to the local network your teahouse or village provides, enter the username/password on the landing page, and you're online for the card's data allowance and validity window.

Data packages: the standard tiers are roughly $20 for 10GB and $30 for 20GB, both valid for 30 days. Smaller regional top-up cards (around $6–10 for a few hundred MB, valid 24–48 hours) are also sold in some villages if you only need a quick check-in rather than a full trip's data.

Purchase locations: Kathmandu trekking shops, Lukla, Namche Bazaar, Dingboche, and Gokyo have dedicated sales points. Higher up, individual lodges may resell cards at a markup — buy low if you can plan ahead.

Speed reality: expect 512 Kbps to 2 Mbps, shared across everyone connected in that village at that moment. Speeds drop hardest in the evening, when every trekker in the dining hall is online at once and lodges pull the most power from batteries charged during the day. That's why sending a quick message at 7am often works better than trying at 7pm.

Best use cases: messaging apps, email, checking weather, light photo uploads. Don't count on it for HD video calls or large file uploads, especially above Namche.

Trek the Everest Base Camp Trek

This classic trek takes you through the heart of the Khumbu region, past vibrant Sherpa villages, ancient monasteries, and towering Himalayan peaks.

View Trip

Can You Make Video Calls?

Realistic expectations, ranked by how likely they are to work:

• WhatsApp voice calls — usually fine up to Namche Bazaar; above that, expect dropped calls and better luck with voice-only over video.
• WhatsApp video calls — workable in Namche in the morning, unreliable higher up.
• Messenger calls — similar to WhatsApp, slightly less consistent.
• FaceTime — needs a stronger connection than most of the trail offers above Namche; treat it as a lower-altitude option only.
• Zoom / Google Meet — not realistic above Namche Bazaar. These platforms need sustained bandwidth that shared, solar-powered Everest Link connections can't guarantee.

If a call matters — a work meeting, a family emergency check-in — plan it for Namche Bazaar or lower, ideally in the morning before the network gets congested.

Uploading Photos & Videos

• Instagram / Facebook photos: manageable at any altitude with patience — compress images before uploading if your app allows it, and expect several attempts higher up the trail.
• Cloud backup (Google Photos, iCloud): set these to Wi-Fi-only sync and let them run overnight in Namche or Dingboche rather than trying to force uploads while trekking.
• Best upload times: early morning, before the dining hall fills up and before everyone else's phones start competing for bandwidth.
• File size recommendations: shoot photos at a lower in-camera resolution if you know you'll want to post from the trail, or hold heavy video edits until you're back in Kathmandu, where hotel Wi-Fi is fast and unlimited.

Trek the Everest Base Camp Trek by Road

Experience Everest—No Flights, Just Pure Adventure.

View Trip

Electricity on the Trek

Two very different power sources cover the route, and knowing where the switch happens explains a lot of the pricing pattern.

Hydropower supplies the lower Khumbu, roughly from Lukla through Namche Bazaar. It's more stable, and that stability is exactly why charging is cheapest and most available in this stretch.

Solar power takes over above Namche. Teahouses in Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, and Gorak Shep rely on solar panels and battery banks, which is why charging becomes weather-dependent, slower, and more expensive — a cloudy afternoon genuinely means less power to sell that evening.

Power outages do happen, more often at higher altitude and during winter when sunlight hours are shorter and batteries take longer to recharge. This is a core reason we recommend carrying a charged power bank rather than assuming a plug will be free whenever you need it.

Charging Devices

Charging is available in teahouses all the way to Gorak Shep, but availability, wait times, and price all shift with altitude.

• Phone: the easiest device to charge everywhere; smaller battery, fastest turnaround.
• Camera batteries: widely accepted, but bring a spare battery or two since camera batteries drain faster in the cold and queues for outlets are common in busy dining halls.
• GoPro: charges fine on the same outlets as phones; battery life drops faster in cold weather than most people expect.
• Drone batteries: technically chargeable, but slow due to their capacity, and note that drone flights require permission in Sagarmatha National Park — check the rules before you fly, not just before you charge.
• Smartwatch: low power draw, easy to top up alongside a phone.
• GPS devices: low draw, easy to charge, worth prioritizing if you're using one for navigation or an SOS/tracking function.
• Laptop: possible but slow and pricier given the higher wattage draw; most trekkers leave laptops in Kathmandu.
• Headlamp (if rechargeable): easy to top up; if it takes disposable batteries instead, pack spares, since batteries also drain faster in the cold.

Trek the Everest Three Passes Trek

Conquer the Three Passes, Experience Everest’s Ultimate Trekking Adventure.

View Trip

Charging Costs by Village

Why prices increase with altitude: everything above Namche runs on solar power stored in batteries with finite daily capacity. Lodge owners are effectively rationing a limited daily supply among every trekker in the building, and every rupee they charge also has to cover the cost of hauling in replacement batteries and panels by porter or yak, since there's no vehicle access anywhere above Lukla.

Shared charging stations: in busy dining halls during peak season (October and April especially), expect a queue and a shared power strip rather than a private outlet — bring your own short extension lead or multi-plug adapter if you want to charge more than one device at a time.

Charging times: a full phone charge typically takes 1–2 hours depending on the outlet and how many other devices are drawing power from the same source. Plug in as soon as you arrive at a teahouse rather than waiting until after dinner, when demand peaks.

Best practices: charge during daylight hours when solar generation is highest, label your device or charger if you're leaving it at a communal station, and always ask the lodge owner about cost before plugging in — prices aren't always posted.

For a detailed breakdown of permits, Lukla flights, accommodation, food, guides, and personal expenses, read our complete Everest Base Camp Trek Cost Guide.

Power Banks

A good power bank is the single most cost-effective piece of connectivity gear you can buy for this trek.

• Capacity: aim for at least 20,000mAh, which typically delivers roughly 4–5 full smartphone charges — enough to bridge a couple of days if charging options are limited or expensive.
• Airline regulations: power banks must go in carry-on luggage, not checked bags, and are capped at 100Wh (about 27,000mAh at standard voltage) without airline pre-approval — check your airline's specific policy before flying into Kathmandu.
• Cold-weather battery care: lithium batteries lose capacity in the cold and can even shut down temporarily below freezing. Sleep with your power bank and phone inside your sleeping bag rather than leaving them in an outer pocket overnight — body heat keeps the battery in a usable temperature range.
• Number of recharges: budget for recharging your power bank itself roughly every 3–4 days on the trail, ideally in Namche or Dingboche where charging is cheaper and more reliable.

Best SIM Card: Where and How to Buy

• Airport purchase (Tribhuvan International): convenient right after landing, though prices run slightly higher than in town — fine if you want to be online before you even leave the terminal.
• Thamel purchase: cheaper, more shop options, and staff who are used to trekkers and can register your SIM on the spot. Bring your passport and a passport photo if you have one.
• Registration: Nepali law requires biometric registration (photo and fingerprint) for tourist SIMs, done in-store at the point of purchase — this can't be skipped or done later.
• Tourist SIM packages: both NTC and Ncell sell trekker-oriented bundles combining a chunk of data with some voice minutes, usually in the NPR 500–1,500 range depending on data volume.
• eSIM options: international eSIM providers can activate an NTC or Ncell profile before you even land, which is convenient for Kathmandu logistics, but they don't change the underlying network coverage — an eSIM riding on Ncell will still fade above Namche just like a physical Ncell SIM does. If altitude connectivity matters most to you, prioritize a provider that includes NTC.

Trek the Gokyo Lakes with Everest Base Camp Trek

The Gokyo Lakes with EBC Trek is a stunning adventure through one of the most iconic landscapes of Nepal.

View Trip

Budget for Internet & Charging

A realistic total for a 12–14 day trek:

This assumes moderate use — messaging, occasional calls in Namche, some photo uploads. Heavy daily video uploads or multiple devices will push this toward the higher end.

Tips to Save Battery

• Switch to airplane mode overnight and on long trekking stretches without signal.
• Turn on your phone's battery saver mode for the entire trek, not just when the battery is low.
• Download offline maps before you leave Kathmandu so GPS use doesn't rely on a data connection.
• Lower screen brightness and turn off auto-brightness, which can spike power draw in bright high-altitude sun.
• Download music, podcasts, and offline maps before departure rather than streaming on the trail.
• Carry a spare charging cable — cold and constant packing/unpacking are hard on cheap cables, and a broken cable with no backup is a genuinely common problem on this route.

Digital Preparation Before Leaving Kathmandu

Do this the night before you fly to Lukla, with a working Wi-Fi connection:

• Download offline Google Maps for the Khumbu region.
• Download Maps.me or a similar offline mapping app as a backup.
• Save digital copies (or screenshots) of your boarding passes and Lukla flight confirmation.
• Save your full trek itinerary and emergency contact list somewhere accessible offline.
• Photograph or screenshot your travel insurance policy details and the emergency assistance number.
• Check a multi-day mountain weather forecast for the Khumbu before you lose reliable signal.

Common Mistakes Trekkers Make with Internet & Charging

1. Assuming Ncell works fine the whole way — it fades hard above Namche, leaving trekkers with no backup plan.
2. Not buying an Everest Link card until they're already stuck without signal — cards run out at higher villages first.
3. Buying Wi-Fi cards from the lodge instead of a dedicated agent — lodge markups add up over a trip.
4. Leaving the power bank uncharged the night before a long trekking day.
5. Storing the phone and power bank in an outer jacket pocket overnight — cold drains them fast and can trigger a temporary shutdown.
6. Trying to make a Zoom call above Namche — the bandwidth simply isn't there, and it wastes data and patience.
7. Uploading full-resolution video during the trek — it eats data allowances and rarely finishes before the connection drops.
8. Not asking the charging price before plugging in — prices aren't always posted and vary lodge to lodge.
9. Charging multiple devices at once on a shared strip during peak hours — slower for everyone, and sometimes trips the circuit.
10. Forgetting a universal adapter — Nepal uses Type C/D/M sockets; not every device ships with a compatible plug.
11. Packing only one charging cable — a single frayed cable can leave every device dead for the rest of the trek.
12. Skipping SIM registration paperwork — an unregistered SIM simply won't activate once you try to use it on the trail.
13. Buying a huge data package they'll never use — most trekkers overestimate how much they'll actually upload at altitude.
14. Not downloading offline maps before leaving Kathmandu — GPS apps that need live data are useless once signal disappears.
15. Assuming Wi-Fi exists at Everest Base Camp itself — the last reliable purchase point is Gorak Shep, not camp.
16. Relying entirely on a phone for photos with no backup battery — cold-weather battery drain is faster than most trekkers expect.
17. Trying to video call home during dinner hour — that's exactly when every other trekker in the lodge is competing for the same bandwidth.
18. Not telling family in advance that daily contact isn't guaranteed — this creates unnecessary worry back home when a day passes without a message.
19. Bringing a power bank under 10,000mAh — it simply won't stretch across multiple charging-scarce days.
20. Ignoring altitude gain when planning connectivity — treating Lukla-level expectations as valid all the way to Base Camp is the single biggest planning error we see.

Trek the Everest Base Camp Trek

This classic trek takes you through the heart of the Khumbu region, past vibrant Sherpa villages, ancient monasteries, and towering Himalayan peaks.

View Trip

Expert Tips from Guides Who Work This Route Every Season

1. Buy your Everest Link card in Namche Bazaar rather than higher up — prices only increase from there.
2. Prioritize an NTC SIM if you can only carry one, for the Gorak Shep tower advantage.
3. Send your "I'm safe" message every evening in whichever village you're in, rather than waiting to find perfect signal.
4. Use Namche Bazaar as your one real communication window — treat it like a mini basecamp for calls and uploads.
5. Sleep with your phone and power bank in your sleeping bag, not your daypack, on cold nights.
6. Carry a small multi-USB adapter so you're not competing for a single lodge outlet.
7. Set cloud backup to Wi-Fi-only before you leave home, so it doesn't quietly burn your mobile data.
8. Pack a physical paper copy of your itinerary and emergency numbers — don't rely solely on your phone.
9. Charge during the day, not overnight, since solar-dependent lodges have the most power available in daylight hours.
10. Bring a spare camera battery rather than assuming you'll get charging time whenever you want it.
11. Don't fly a drone without checking Sagarmatha National Park rules first — permission, not battery life, is the real limiting factor.
12. Keep a small cash reserve in Nepali rupees specifically for charging and Wi-Fi fees — many lodges don't take cards.
13. Ask your guide which teahouses ahead have the most reliable charging before you commit to a lodge for the night.
14. Turn off background app refresh before the trek starts — it burns both battery and data without your noticing.
15. If a call truly matters, schedule it for morning in Namche or Dingboche, before afternoon cloud cover cuts into solar charging.
16. Test your power bank at home before you pack it — a faulty unit is much harder to replace on the trail than in Kathmandu.
17. Buy a slightly larger Everest Link data package than you think you need — running out mid-trek means paying a second, often pricier, top-up.
18. Keep your phone in a warm inner pocket during the trekking day, not clipped to the outside of your pack.
19. Don't count on WiFi at Gorak Shep being fast just because it's the last stop before Base Camp — it's often the most congested village on the route.
20. If you're trekking in winter, expect shorter daylight hours to translate directly into less charging capacity — budget extra for both time and cost.
21. Bring a physical notebook for journaling if you want to reduce phone dependence — it also means one less thing competing for battery.
22. Confirm your travel insurance's emergency number works from a Nepali SIM before you need it in an actual emergency.
23. Don't assume every teahouse takes the same Everest Link login — cards are usually village-specific in practice, even if in theory they should work anywhere on the network.
24. If your phone dies unexpectedly, your guide's satellite phone or radio is the real emergency backup — know this before you're in a stressful situation, not during one.
25. Treat the entire trek as a digital detox with occasional check-ins, rather than expecting home-level connectivity — trekkers who go in with that mindset report a far better experience than those who don't.

Trek the Everest Base Camp Trek

This classic trek takes you through the heart of the Khumbu region, past vibrant Sherpa villages, ancient monasteries, and towering Himalayan peaks.

View Trip

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there Wi-Fi on the Everest Base Camp Trek? Yes, through Everest Link prepaid cards available in every major village from Lukla to Gorak Shep. There is no commercial Wi-Fi point at Everest Base Camp itself.

Is mobile data available on the Everest Base Camp Trek? Yes, in the lower Khumbu. Ncell is strongest up to Namche Bazaar; NTC holds a weaker but more persistent signal further up the valley, including at Gorak Shep.

Which SIM card works best, NTC or Ncell? NTC generally holds a signal further up the trail and has a tower at Gorak Shep, making it the better choice if you can only buy one. Ncell is faster in Kathmandu and the lower villages.

Does NTC or Ncell have better coverage? NTC has better high-altitude coverage; Ncell has better low-altitude speed. See the comparison table above for a full breakdown.

Can I use an eSIM on this trek? Yes, but an eSIM only changes how you activate the SIM, not which network it rides on — an eSIM using Ncell will still fade above Namche the same as a physical Ncell SIM.

How much does Wi-Fi cost on the Everest Base Camp Trek? Everest Link cards typically run $20 for 10GB and $30 for 20GB, both valid 30 days, with smaller short-validity top-up cards also available in some villages.

Can I make WhatsApp calls on the trek? Voice calls are usually workable up to Namche Bazaar and patchy above it; video calls are far less reliable once you pass Namche.

Can I upload Instagram photos while trekking? Yes, generally, though expect several attempts at higher altitude and much faster results in Namche Bazaar.

Is Starlink available on the Everest Base Camp Trek? Some private expedition teams and higher-end operations carry portable satellite units for their own use, but there's no public commercial Starlink service for trekkers along the standard teahouse route as of this guide. ⚙️ Verify current status before publishing, since satellite internet access in Nepal has been evolving.

Can I charge my phone every night on the trek? Yes, in almost every teahouse, for a fee that increases with altitude.

Are plug sockets inside rooms, or only in common areas? This varies by lodge — some have outlets in guest rooms, many only offer charging in the dining hall or a shared station. Ask when you check in.

How much does charging cost on the Everest Base Camp Trek? Roughly $1–3 per device in Lukla and Namche, rising to $5–10 per device in Lobuche and Gorak Shep.

Should I bring a power bank? Yes — a 20,000mAh power bank is one of the best-value items on your packing list, bridging gaps when charging is expensive, queued, or unavailable.

How does cold weather affect phone batteries? Lithium batteries lose usable capacity in cold temperatures and can shut down temporarily below freezing; keeping devices close to your body, especially overnight, helps prevent this.

Can I charge camera batteries on the trek? Yes, at the same charging stations as phones, though bringing a spare battery is safer given cold-weather drain and potential queues.

Can I charge a drone battery on the trek? Yes, though slowly, and drone flights require permission within Sagarmatha National Park — check the rules before you fly.

Can I charge a smartwatch on the trek? Yes, easily — smartwatches draw very little power and charge alongside a phone without issue.

Can I charge a GPS device on the trek? Yes, and it's worth prioritizing if you rely on it for navigation or tracking, since the draw is minimal.

Can I charge a laptop on the trek? Technically yes, but slowly and at higher cost given the wattage draw — most trekkers leave laptops in Kathmandu.

Is there internet at Everest Base Camp itself? No commercial internet point exists at Base Camp. The last place to reliably buy connectivity is Gorak Shep, roughly two hours below camp.

Which village has the best internet on the whole trek? Namche Bazaar, by a wide margin — it's the last stop with strong mobile signal and the most reliable Everest Link connection.

Why does internet get slower in the evening? Everyone in the village connects to the same shared, solar-dependent bandwidth after the trekking day ends, right when daily power reserves are lowest.

Why is charging more expensive at higher altitude? Lodges above Namche run on solar power with finite daily storage, and every battery, panel, and replacement part has to be carried in by porter or yak — there's no road access.

Do I need to register my SIM card in Nepal? Yes, biometric registration (photo plus fingerprint) is required at the point of purchase and can't be completed later.

Where should I buy my SIM card, the airport or Thamel? Thamel is usually cheaper with more shop options; the airport is more convenient if you want to be online immediately after landing.

How much data do I actually need for a 12–14 day trek? For messaging, email, and light photo uploads, a 10GB Everest Link card plus a modest SIM data package is usually enough for most trekkers.

Can I stream music or podcasts on the trail? Not reliably. Download everything you want to listen to before leaving Kathmandu.

What happens if my power bank runs out? Recharge it at a teahouse alongside your other devices — budget for this roughly every 3–4 days on the trail.

Do teahouses take card payment for charging and Wi-Fi? Rarely. Carry Nepali rupees in cash specifically for these small daily fees.

Is it safe to leave my phone charging unattended in a dining hall? It's common practice, but keep an eye on it where possible, and consider labeling your device or cable at busy shared stations.

Will my phone work as a flashlight if my headlamp battery dies? It can in an emergency, but it's not a substitute for a proper headlamp with fresh or rechargeable batteries — pack spares regardless.

Should I bring an international eSIM instead of a local Nepali SIM? An eSIM can be convenient for arrival, but for altitude coverage specifically, prioritize whichever option includes NTC, since network coverage — not activation method — determines your signal higher up the trail.

Does Everest Link work at every single teahouse? Not automatically — cards are generally tied to the network in the village or lodge cluster where you bought them, so buy where you'll actually use it rather than stocking up in one place for the whole trek.

What's the single best piece of connectivity advice for this trek? Treat Namche Bazaar as your communication hub, carry a solid power bank, and go in expecting a digital detox with occasional check-ins rather than home-level connectivity.

Conclusion

The best connectivity strategy on the Everest Base Camp Trek is a layered one: an NTC SIM (or NTC-inclusive eSIM) for the widest altitude coverage, an Everest Link card bought in Namche Bazaar for reliable Wi-Fi as you climb higher, a 20,000mAh power bank kept warm in your sleeping bag at night, and realistic expectations about speed and cost once you pass Namche. Prepare your offline maps, documents, and downloads before you leave Kathmandu, budget somewhere between $50 and $90 for the whole trip, and treat any connection above Dingboche as a bonus rather than a guarantee.

Get the logistics right and connectivity stops being a source of stress and becomes what it should be: a quick, reassuring message home each evening, before you put the phone away and look back up at the mountains you came for.

If you're still finalizing your route, dates, or budget, our Everest Base Camp Trek page has full pricing and itinerary details, and our team can help you plan the trip around a departure that works for you.