Namche Bazaar- The Gateway to Everest

Whether it’s a tequila shot at the world’s highest Irish Pub or an elegant breakfast at the world’s highest altitude seated hotel, Hotel Everest View, Namche Bazaar has it all. Often termed the “Capital of Khumbu”, Namche Bazaar, is a gateway to Everest, the world’s highest peak and its base camp. 

Namche Bazaar elevation is best for the first acclimatization stop. This beautiful town on a semi-arch-shaped hill sits at 3,440 meters. The setting of this place, its altitude, and some viewpoints around it make it an ideal first stop for Everest region trekkers. Also, those who return from Everest Base Camp and other trekking spend their night drinking at local pubs. 

Thus, Namche gets busier and more crowded with ascending and returning trekkers.

How did Namche Bazaar become popular overnight?

For the world, before the first Everest ascent on May 29, 1953, A.D., Namche Bazar was an unknown village in the Himalayas that nobody fancied. Instead of mountaineering, locals traded Yak butter and cheese with agricultural goods grown in the lowlands in Solukhumbu. Trekking and mountaineering profession was no one’s dream.

But the fortune on Namche and the entire Everest region came by as Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa successfully summited Everest on May 29, 1953. Since then, this small town of Khumbu has prospered like no other place in Nepal.

Geographical location of Namche Bazaar

Geographically, Namche Bazar sits at 27° 49′ 0″ N, 86° 43′ 0″ E. It sits in the heart of Solukhumbu district.

Up front, on the immediate west, it faces Kongde Ri, a famous mountain in Rolwaling Valley. Two beautiful mountains, Thamserku and Kusum Kanguru, lie east of Namche. Syangboche is a hilltop overlooking Namche Bazaar from 3,750 meters.

Due to the arduous geography of this town, it only hosts 70-80 lodges and tea houses. Some tiny museums, monasteries, cafeterias and multiple grocery stores exist.

Namche Bazaar Weather- The best time to visit

The weather at Namche Bazaar remains stable throughout the year. During Autumn, the weather here becomes the best of the year. With a clear sky, the 12 hours of sunshine brighten your day at Namche. Moreover, the mountain views from Syangboche and Hotel Everest View get unobstructed.

Spring is another best time at Namche Bazaar with calm weather. With rhododendron blossoms, a crispy sky with no clouds, and excellent visibility, make your time at Namche the best.

In summer, Namche experiences rainfall of 30.8 mm. With rains and cloudy days, Namche becomes silent from June to August with no trekkers.

Another least visited time in Namche is winter. With cold weather, snowfall, and frozen water sources, late December to late February sees few trekkers.

Here’s our blog highlighting 12 months of weather at Namche Bazaar. Check it out!

Namche Bazaar Temperature

The average temperature in Namche Bazaar varies with different months. However, considering throughout the year, the temperature in Namche Bazaar averages around 10˚C.

June and July are the warmest months here. The maximum temperature during these two months often reaches 15 ˚C. The nighttime temperature gets chilly, around 6˚C. However, in 2023, the temperature of Namche Bazaar peaked around 18˚C, the highest recorded.

In Spring, from March to May, the average daytime temperature at Namche remains 7-8˚C. The nighttime temperature, however, remains around freezing.

Likewise, from September to November at Namche, the average daytime temperature is around 6-7 ˚C. The nighttime temperature decreases as the air gets drier and less humid past October.

Three winter months, from December to February, become freezing. Thus, the maximum daytime temperature during winter in Namche averages around 1-2˚C. The lowest temperature in these months can get to -8˚C.

We have a complete article on Namche Bazaar Temperature throughout the year blog. You can check it as well.

Getting In to Namche Bazar

The distance from Lukla to Namche is 27.5 km, and in one go, it can take up to 8-9 hours to complete the hike. However, trekkers first trek from Lukla to Phakding or Monjo. Here, they stay overnight. On the next day, trekkers hike for 6 hours to reach Namche. Walking to Namche on a single day from Lukla Airport can cause altitude sickness to some trekkers.

The major attractions of the hike from Lukla to Namche Bazar are beautiful Sherpa villages, the rushing Dudh Koshi River, and rhododendron forests. Moreover, the suspension bridges over Dudh Koshi River, notably Hillary Bridge at Larcha Dovan, thrill you.

Getting Around

Walking by foot is the only option for you to move around Namche and Khumbu valley. You can visit various cafes, pubs, restaurants, and spas in this town. These places are expensive, but spending a few thousand here is worth the experience. After all, once you complete Everest Base Camp Trek, you may not return to this place again.

Places to visit around Namche Bazaar

Stuffed with incredible mountain sights and scenery, Namche itself is an ideal place for sightseeing. Not a single element around this place ever bores you. Here’s a list of some significant attractions not to miss out in Namche Bazaar.

1. Visitor’s Center at Sagarmatha National Park: This visitor’s centre sits at the North end of Namche. Here at the visitor’s centre, you’ll get information about the national park and its wildlife. It also hosts some awe-inspiring nature and mountain photographs.
2. Local Medicines and Tibetan herbal medicine museum: This museum offers information about Tibetan medicines in photographs and artifacts. A small gift shop in this museum is established to support the small medical clinic above the stairs.
3. Namche Library: A public library is a must if you fancy reading some good books while acclimating at Namche. Mostly the library has English literature and travel guides.
4. Hotel Everest View: The hike to Hotel Everest View in Syangboche is a popular acclimatization hike among trekkers in Namche Bazar. Since this hotel sits at 3,880 meters, hiking here from 3,440 meters seated, Namche, gives an ideal acclimatization hike.
   
   Furthermore, it’s known for panoramic viewing of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kongde, and Khumbila. The luxurious breakfast and accommodation at this world’s highest altitude seated hotel offer a fantastic experience.
5. Namche Local Market: Namche hosts a local market every Sunday morning; if you’re in this place on Sunday, you can visit and catch a glimpse of the local market. Sherpa people bring their agricultural as well as dairy products for sale and exchange with different goods brought by other locals.For the visitors, there are few things to buy in the market. But to capture some souvenir photographs of “Namche Bazaar” is the best way to enjoy it here. Sherpa’s Yak parking area is also a worthy visit for tourists, but remember that Yaks are notorious for their bad temper.

Things to purchase in Namche Bazar

As a popular tourist destination, Namche Bazaar hosts antique gift shops, the essential last-minute trekking gears buying shops. You can find jewellery items, literature books, and trek route maps all in one place at Namche Bazaar.

1. Handicrafts: Handicraft stores are run by Tibetan and local Sherpa people here in Namche Bazaar. It’s the most common souvenir sold here. Most handicrafts here are similar to what you can get in Kathmandu. However, some hand-knit woollen items by local Sherpa steal your heart and appeal to you to buy anyway.
2. Books: If hiking up to Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp, carrying a literature book or travel guides from Namche is best. Also, having and reading a book while accommodating at the tea house keeps you engaged and avoids buying costly WiFi cards if you want to avoid the internet for a few days while trekking on the Himalayas.You can buy a new or mint-condition book from the bookstores here at Namche Bazar. If you want to check out the best bookstore here, you should visit one near the Namche Hotel.
3. Trekking Gears: Some well-stocked, although expensive, stores offer items of clothing, electronics, essential medicines and trekking gears which are a must-buy for trekkers.Sherpa is a famous trekking gear shop in Namche if you can afford the premium gear. However, the equipment you’ll get at Sherpa is highly unaffordable for most trekkers. Besides Sherpa, every one in two shops sells trekking gear at very affordable rates. If you miss something to buy in Kathmandu, you can still get them at Namche. And past Namche, there is no store for gear.

Drinks you should consider at Namche Bazaar

1. Beer and Whiskey: Pubs and tea houses at Namche serve you alcoholic beverages anytime you feel thirsty. Name any drinks you’ll get within a minute. The Irish Pub is the most popular in Namche as a trekker returning from Everest, and Gokyo Lakes Trek cheers the bottles as a trek success celebration. Transported by either mule or humans, every beverage costs almost double what it costs in Kathmandu. Drink wisely because the beverage costs go high, like the elevation rise during your trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp.
2. Coffee: Nepal’s largest coffee chain Himalayan Java has its outlet at Namche Bazar, which remains filled until 8 pm. Besides this, Kathmandu Coffee, Illy, and other brands of coffee are well-liked by trekkers in the Everest region.Cappuccino, latte, and americano are Namche’s most preferred coffee drink. However, you can also get Cafe Mocha, Macchiato, and more on the menu.
3. Cafe de’ 8848: This new cafe in Namche Bazaar serves coffee and bakery items but makes them with chocolates. Brownies are also baked here; yes, they are loved for breakfast and brunch. Chopped pork, grilled fish, steaks and sandwiches are also served here. This cafe displays the movie “ Heros on Everest” every day, which is quite bland.

Accommodations in Namche Bazaar

Namche Bazar is a mini town that can accommodate the highest number of trekkers. Furthermore, you’ll get the quality of accommodation services based on your budget.

From locals-owned small and medium-sized tea houses to some star-rated hotels and the world’s highest altitude seated hotel, Namche only gets occupied by several trekkers. Even during the peak trekking season during Spring and Autumn, you’ll get the best available tea house.

The most common accommodation in Namche Bazar is a twin-sharing room at every tea house. However, you can also benefit from the private single rooms with attached bathrooms, but they are expensive.

Depending on where you stay in Namche, you may/may not get rooms with attached bathrooms. Hotels like Panorama Lodge, Hotel Camp De Base, Himalayan Lodge, Khumbu Lodge, Nirvana Home, Hotel Khangri, etc. are the highly rated hotels to stay in Namche (based on genuine reviews from TripAdvisor and other platforms).

Cost of accommodation at Namche Bazar

Most tea houses in Namche Bazar offer free of cost for a room for accommodation if you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same tea house. Also, if you’re with an agency, you’ll get the best available tea house for overnight accommodation.

If you hire a guide for Everest region trekking, accommodation at Namche can cost between NRS 500 to NRS 1500.

Acclimatization at Namche Bazaar is a must!!

By reaching Namche Bazaar, you’ll be at 3,440 meters. This altitude is an altitude sickness-prone area for some trekkers. And out of some, you can be the one to get caught by altitude sickness if you miss proper acclimatization here.

If you’re on Everest Base Camp Trek or Gokyo Lakes Trek, Namche is the first acclimatisation stop, which is the utmost must. Otherwise, you’ll get altitude sickness later at Lobuche or Dingboche.

However, an overnight sleep and a day acclimatization hike to Hotel Everest View make your body well-adapted to the altitude.

Hotel Everest View, at 3,880 meters, is a popular acclimatization hiking spot among trekkers in Namche. Hiking here gives you some glimpses of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, and other prominent mountains of the Everest region. Also, it’s the world’s highest altitude seated hotel and reaching here is an incredible feat for some.

Other popular places for acclimatisation hikes at Namche are Thame and Khumjung.

Getting out from Namche Bazaar

You can do only two things to get out from the beautiful Namche: hike further in the Everest region or return to Lukla.

Those who are for trekking usually leave Namche after a day or two of rest. Also, those on Everest View Trek take a helicopter from Namche to Kala Patthar for one day Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour.

If you’re in Namche after hiking to EBC Trek, Gokyo Lakes Trek, or Everest Three High Passes Trek, visit Irish Pub for a few beers and drinks. A post-trek success celebration at Namche is a must before leaving Khumbu.