Day 7 of the Everest Base Camp trek takes you from Dingboche to Lobuche, which is the second highest village on the trail. It is also the first time that the famous Khumbu Glacier will come into view as you walk towards and alongside it for a good portion of the day.
This guide will go over some of the most important details to get you prepared for your time on the trail such as distance, elevation gain, and duration, as well as what to expect along the way.
* Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you make a purchase through the links provided, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting the work I put into TripTins!
1) Dingboche to Lobuche Hiking Details
Below you will find some key details for what to expect on the trail between Dingboche and Lobuche.
Everest Base Camp Trek Day 7: Dingboche to Lobuche
Starting Point: Dingboche
Dingboche Elevation: 14,469 feet / 4,410 meters
Ending Point: Lobuche
Lobuche Elevation: 16,109 feet / 4,910 meters
Distance: 4.9 miles / 7.9 kilometers
Duration: 5 Hours
Elevation Gain: 2,008 feet / 612 meters
Net Elevation Gain: 1,640 feet / 500 meters
*Elevation gain is the true amount of elevation gained for the portion of the trail. Net elevation is just the difference in elevation between Dingboche and Lobuche.
» Learn more about the various distances, elevations, and durations of the Everest Base Camp Trek
» Learn more about flying into the region in the Kathmandu to Lukla Flight Experience Guide
2) Dingboche to Lobuche Elevation Profile
Over the first 50%-60% of the trail, you will be gaining very slight elevation as you walk alongside the valley wall.
The ascent does get a bit more difficult as the trail crosses into the valley and then up the moraine wall of the Khumbu Glacier.
Once you are up alongside the glacier, the trail begins to flatten out more as you make the final push towards Lobuche.
Considering travel insurance for the Everest Base Camp Trek?
World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.
For years, World Nomads has been protecting, connecting & inspiring independent travelers, offering travel insurance & safety advice to help you travel confidently. Their mission is to support and encourage travelers to explore their boundaries.
World Nomads has simple and flexible travel insurance that has been designed by travelers for travelers. Even if you leave home without travel insurance or your policy runs out, you can buy or extend out on the road.
Get a quote for a World Nomads travel insurance policy today!
3) Trekking Map
See below for the trekking map that highlights the route up to Lobuche. You will start the day by heading around to the side of the valley, as you walk alongside the path etched into the mountain’s wall.
From there the path crosses the valley and up that moraine wall towards the Khumbu Glacier. From there Lobuche is just a bit farther along as it sits right alongside the glacier itself.
4) Everest Base Camp Packing List
You will want to pack accordingly for this 11-day trek in the Himalayas. I put together a complete Everest Base Camp Packing List that goes over every single item I brought along on the trail. Below you can find just some of those recommended items that are including on the list:
- Hiking Socks: Darn Tough Merino Wool Crew Mens | Darn Tough Merino Wool Crew Womens
- Hiking Pants: Eddie Bauer Men’s Guide Pro Pants | Eddie Bauer Women’s Guide Pro Pants
- Fleece: Columbia Men’s Ascender Softshell | Columbia Women’s Kruser Ridge II Softshell
- Rain Jacket: Columbia Men’s Watertight II | Columbia Women’s Arcadia II
- Hiking Shoes: KEEN Men’s Targhee III | KEEN Women’s Targhee III
- Hiking Backpack: Osprey Atmos 65 | Osprey Renn 65
- Trekking Map | NatGeo Waterproof Map
- Solar Power Bank | Anker 20,000mAh Solar Power Bank
- Deodorizing Body Wipes | Alcala Bamboo Deodorizing Body Wipes
5) Dingboche to Lobuche Trek
The day to Lobuche starts out by heading behind Dingboche village and to the left hand side of town. This is the same direction you would have started the previous day if you decided to head up Nangkartshang Peak.
Instead of heading up the peak though, you will simply continue along the slight incline path alongside the mountain’s wall further up into the valley.
Right below you as you make this turn into the valley is the village of Pheriche. Here is where you will stay a night on the way back to Lukla.
From here though you will simply follow the path further into the valley for the better part of 2-2.5 hours.
Remember, although the incline is not that tough, you are still at a very high altitude (~15,000 feet), so still make sure to take it slowly and don’t use up too much energy too quickly.
Out in front of you, on the other side of the river, you will see a small town. This is the village of Thukla.
You will simply follow the trail towards Thukla, as you cross over the river and into the town itself. Here is a great spot to rest, relax and refuel a bit before continuing on for the day.
Up next is the toughest part of the trek from Dingboche to Lobuche, as you climb the one hour zig zagging route up to the Thukla Pass.
It will be a steeper continuous climb for a bit less than a kilometer until you reach the Everest Memorial and the Khumbu Glacier right out in front of you.
The remainder quarter of the hike takes you along the left hand side of the Khumbu Glacier with some slight elevation gain as you approach the small town of Lobuche up ahead.
Up out front will be a beautiful view of Nuptse further down the valley. You will continue along the Khumbu Glacier and onto the last village of the EBC trek – Gorak Shep on day 8.
6) Lobuche Teahouse / Accommodation
I found that most teahouses along the Everest Base Camp route offer similar services and accommodation. So, when choosing where to spend the night along the route, I wouldn’t worry too much about where you end up staying.
As you get further along the trail in places like Lobuche and then Gorak Shep, you will find less and less options to choose from in general.
If you want to be sure to get accommodation for the night during peak season, try and get an earlier start to the day.
Lobuche is a pretty small village made up of just a handful of teahouses. I ended up staying at Oxygen Altitude, which did the trick for me.
Another teahouse option that I saw was the EcoLodge Lobuche nearby. While all other prices for a night were Rs 500 (~5$ USD), the bed in Lobuche was slightly more at Rs 700.
Take a look at this in depth overview of the Everest Base Camp Trek as well as the below guides I put together for each day of the journey:
Day 1 – Lukla to Phakding
Day 2 – Phakding to Namche Bazaar
Day 3 – Hotel Everest View Acclimatization
Day 4 – Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
Day 5 – Tengboche to Dingboche
Day 6 – Nangkartshang Acclimatization
Day 7 – Dingboche to Lobuche
Day 8 – Lobuche to Gorak Shep & Everest Base Camp
Day 9 – Kalapathar & Gorak Shep to Pheriche
Day 10 – Pheriche to Namche Bazaar
Day 11 – Namche Bazaar to Lukla
That about does it for day 7 of the Everest Base Camp trek from Dingboche to Lobuche. If you have any additional questions about the day or the trek in general, feel free to write them in below.
Also be sure to check out the other Nepal itineraries and guides up on the site (like why you should trek Everest Base Camp in November). Have fun out there and safe travels!
