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Major city · Nepal

Namche Bazaarनाम्चे बजार

Stay two nights at 3,440 m to acclimatise, not one: the second night is the cheap insurance that keeps the rest of the trek alive.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
NPR
Best months
Mid-Sep–mid-Nov, Mar–May
avoid Jun–Sep (monsoon mist, many lodges and bakeries shut), Jan–Feb (cold, quiet)
Airport
LUA
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6
  • South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
  • South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
  • Nepal ↗Get visa information only from the Department of Immigration; visa-service lookalike sites charge extra, and the rules differ by nationality.
  • Nepal ↗At stupas walk clockwise; at temples and homes remove shoes where there is a rack or a raised floor; cover shoulders and knees.
  • Nepal ↗Carry Nepalese rupees in small notes: many stalls, taxis and tea shops are cash-only, and shops rarely take foreign notes.
  • Nepal ↗Strikes (bandh) and protests can close roads without notice: check the news and your hotel the night before any airport or highway day.

Namche Bazaar is the Sherpa capital of the Khumbu and the first place on the Everest trail above the altitude-sickness threshold. Trekkers sleep here two nights by convention: one to arrive, one to climb high and come back down. It has bakeries, a Saturday market, three small museums, money changers and the best-stocked shops before Base Camp. Everything moves on foot.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Namche Bazaar, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or cappuccino in a bakeryRs 300–500
  • BeerCan of beerCarried up from Kathmandu; expect trek-high prices.Rs 700–1,200
  • Budget bedDorm or shared-bathroom room, a night, per personNPR 400
  • Mid-range bedEn-suite twin room, a night, per roomNPR 2,500
  • High-end bedEn-suite twin room, a night, per roomNPR 4,000

A day, not counting the bed: Budget NPR 3,000 · Mid NPR 5,500 · High NPR 9,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Acclimatisation stop on the Everest trailSaturday market and yak parkingSherpa museums and monasteryBakeries at 3,440 m
Airports
LUA Lukla (Tenzing-Hillary) (Flights from Kathmandu or Ramechhap; weather-dependent, then a 2-day walk to Namche. Helicopter charters from Lukla or Kathmandu also land here (check).)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Namche Bazaar: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

7°C

−9°C

3 rd

Feb

6°C

−7°C

3 rd

Mar

10°C

−3°C

4 rd

Apr

13°C

1°C

4 rd

May

14°C

4°C

7 rd

Jun

16°C

6°C

14 rd

Jul

16°C

8°C

20 rd

Aug

16°C

8°C

19 rd

Sep

15°C

6°C

14 rd

Oct

13°C

1°C

6 rd

Nov

9°C

−4°C

2 rd

Dec

8°C

−7°C

3 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

On foot only. The village is a horseshoe of stone stairs; the climb from the river below takes 3–4 h with a pack. Allow 10–20 min between the lower crossroads and the upper village.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Khumjung

go

Door to door: About 1 h each way

Walk up past the park visitor centre and the airstrip at Syangboche

The classic acclimatisation walk: climb about 350 m, sleep back down in Namche.

Tengboche

overnight

Door to door: 5–6 h each way

Descend to the Dudh Koshi, cross, then climb to the monastery

Too far as a day return; most trekkers pass through on the way up.

Monju

caution

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h down

Descend the Namche hill to the park gate

Down is easy; the 600 m climb back up is the hard part.

Thame

go

Door to door: About 3 h each way

Leave by the trail in front of Namche Monastery

Mostly flat after the climb out of the village; a quieter side valley.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Main street and crossroads

Shops, bakeries, money changer and most lodges within 5 minutes of the trail; noisiest and busiest.

Upper village, Tengboche-trail side

Park visitor centre and Sherpa Life museum; quieter, 5–10 min uphill from the crossroads.

Left slopes off the Thame trail

Monastery side; newer lodges, more sun, a short climb back to the main path.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
Rs 3,000–5,000 excl. bed
Mid
Rs 5,000–8,000 excl. bed
High
Rs 8,000+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
En-suite twin room1 × 2 nights × NPR 2,500NPR 5,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × NPR 5,500NPR 22,000
Hot shower2 × NPR 500 · checkNPR 1,000
Device charging, per device2 × NPR 300 · checkNPR 600
Wi-Fi card, per day2 × NPR 500 · checkNPR 1,000
Sagarmatha National Park entry2 × NPR 3,000 · check; paid at Monju, not in NamcheNPR 6,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeNPR 3,560
Trip total≈ NPR 9,790 per person per day, bed includedNPR 39,160

2026 estimate in rupees; flights, permits and guide or porter costs excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Dal bhat or thukpa in a lodgeRs 500–900
Coffee or cappuccino in a bakeryRs 300–500
Apple pie or pastryRs 300–600
Can of beerCarried up from Kathmandu; expect trek-high prices.Rs 700–1,200
Nak (yak) cheese, 100 gAbout Rs 100
1.5 L bottled waterRefill and treat your own to cut cost and plastic.Rs 200–400
Wi-Fi or charging, per devicecheckRs 300–500

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Namche is a safe, walkable village; the real risk is altitude, not crime. Ascend slowly, sleep two nights, keep cash and a headlamp, and treat any worsening headache at rest as a signal to stop.
  • Altitude: headache, nausea or breathlessness at rest means stop, rest and descend if it worsens. Do not sleep higher while symptoms persist.
  • Cash: Namche and Lukla are the last reliable money changers; rates are worse than Kathmandu. Carry enough rupees for the rest of the trek.
  • Wi-Fi and phone charging are charged per device in most lodges; buy an Ncell SIM if you need regular data.
  • Rooms are cheap only if you eat in the lodge: ask about the meal rule before you take the key.
  • Yaks have right of way on the trail and in the market area; step to the inside and stay clear.

Emergency numbers

Police
100
Ambulance
102
Tourist police
1144

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Namche Bazaarनाम्चे बजार

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

म यो लजमा बस्छुI am staying at this lodge

Emergency

  • Police100
  • Ambulance102
  • Tourist police1144

Embassy

No embassies in Namche; most are in Kathmandu. The US, UK, Australian, Canadian and Indian missions are all in Kathmandu (check addresses).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Lukla → Namche: 2 walking days with a night at Monju or Phakding (check)
  • Helicopter charter, Lukla or Kathmandu → Namche: expensive; arrange through a licensed operator (check)
  • Room, shared bathroom → en-suite twin: about Rs 400–2,500 (check)

Say or show

  • नमस्ते — Hello / Greetings (namaste)
  • धन्यवाद — Thank you (dhanyabad)
  • कति पर्छ? — How much is it? (kati parcha)
  • मेरो टाउको दुख्छ — I have a headache (mero tauko dukcha)
  • क्लिनिक कहाँ छ? — Where is the clinic? (clinic kaha chha)
  • बिस्तारै जानुहोस् — Please go slowly (bistarai jaanuhos)

Carry this card with your lodge name written in Nepali; there is no street addressing in the Khumbu.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Namche Bazaar. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mid-Sep–mid-Nov, Mar–May · avoid Jun–Sep (monsoon mist, many lodges and bakeries shut), Jan–Feb (cold, quiet) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for LUA: flight-versus-helicopter decision, Lukla overnight rung, weather-cancellation fallback.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: crossroads, upper village, monastery side, and the HRA clinic.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Sagarmatha park visitor centre, Sherpa Life museum, monastery, Saturday market) and eat pages with bakery off-season dates.
  4. Altitude and hostile-weather fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Nepal

Sources