A trek like the Everest Base Camp Trek offers fantastic photo opportunities at pretty much every bend: spectacular mountain peaks, beautiful forests, suspension bridges, Sherpa villages, and glacial moraines. However, some spots will make you look like an absolute legend. Here are 13 legendary images from the Everest Base Camp Trek and how to recreate them. It will also be very helpful to get a 110 mm zoom lens.
Planes over Lukla
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If you are looking for the perfect spot at Lukla to get the most iconic picture, well, it is just five minutes away from the airport. Once you reach Lukla and come out of the airport, you will find yourself outside Sherpa Lodge and Coffee Shop. From there, you will have to get down and follow the airport runway. Once you get to the end of the airport runway, you’ll find the stone there. Just wait for the flight to come across your head, fire away, and recreate this iconic image.
Or ask your guide or a local to find the spot.
Hillary Bridge
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As you make your way to Namche from Lukla, you will be walking along the Dudh Koshi river. As such, you’ll have to cross the Dudh Koshi river on several suspension bridges before reaching Namche. Hillary Suspension Bridge, Epic Bridge, whatever you name it, is the longest and most badass of them all! Trekkers can take an iconic picture en route standing by the edge of a river with the backdrop of two Hillary bridges. At 125 meters tall, you can get some very excellent graphics walking on a suspension bridge, and for some people, it may be a thrilling experience. If you’re lucky, you will get to take a picture of the awe-inspiring scenery of yaks crossing the bridges here.
Namche Bazaar
No Everest Base Camp Trek album is complete without an iconic shot at Namche. Here is how to get one. From the center of Namche Bazaar, head west towards the helipad, passing the local gompa. Just a few steps uphill from the Mani (prayers wheel), there’s a rock at the edge of the trail, which is just a couple of minutes before reaching the helipad. It’s the iconic spot to take a lovely picture looking at the first great outlook of Namche Bazaar with Thamserku on the horizon. The image is even more iconic if you stand on the rock with your hands raised high.
Hotel Everest View
While the iconic Hotel Everest View provides many photo ops, we love the one with the grand piano in the front and Ama Dablam in the back. The piano is in the main lobby just before you walk out to the outdoor seating and is kind of hard to miss.
A lot more photo ops open up if you stay at this property. The main dining hall with the big fireplace provides a fantastic opportunity, and so do the rooms looking out at Everest and, of course, the beautifully hidden sunroom. Check out the video below for some inspirations:
Ama Dablam High
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The trail between Namche and Tengboche is primarily flat until you reach Kyangjuma. However, the trail twists and bends quite a lot as it maintains its contour around ridges and ravines. Suppose you are standing at a point where the trail curves around a ridge; your friend can take a picture like the one above. All you have to do is instruct your friend to stay behind for a few minutes.
Nangkar Tsang Peak (Nagarjun Peak)
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Nangkartshang Peak is a spectacular viewpoint in the Khumbu. Like almost all the other “walkable” peaks in the area, this one is more like a sub-peak of a higher ridge. It is a very worthwhile acclimatizing destination and a great place to soak in the views of the numerous fang-like peaks in the Khumbu region. Kangtega, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Taboche are all visible in their full glory from the summit. On the way to the top of Nangkar Tsang peak above the Dingboche village, one can get this iconic shot of standing on the edge of the rock with Ama Dablam in the background. Once you get there, you will probably realize that it isn’t as risky as it looks. 😉 But that is not something your followers have to know.
Thukla (Memorial of the fallen Everest climber)
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A few minutes uphill from Thukla, you will encounter a field of memorial stupas dedicated to climbers and trekkers who lost their lives to Everest over the years. Consider resting in this beautiful place for snapping an iconic photo captivating views of Ama Dablam and the wild landscape of the Himalayas before continuing on your trek. The stone monuments with colorful Buddhist prayer flags flash their bold colors in the breeze. Also very good for photos.
On the way to Cho La Lake
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This spot is not on the Everest Base Camp trail, but on the trail from Lobuche to Cho La Pass. However, it is not that far from Thukla, and can easily be done on your way up to Lobuche from Dingboche. Another bonus of taking this slight detour will be that you will also get to visit the beautiful Chola Lake, a huge turquoise lake larger than the famous Gokyo Lakes around half an hour from this spot.
Read the post above for details on how to get here.
Kalapatthar
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Kala Patthar marks the highest point in the Everest Base Camp trek. And if you climb to the top, which will involve some scrambling, you will be able to get a picture like the one above with the beautiful Mount Pumori in the background. 🙂
Please note, however, that climbing to this point poses some severe risk, as just behind that rock is a huge drop. A strong gust of wind or a small slip can send you tumbling down. As such, we request you to be very careful while going up to take this picture.
Gokyo Ri
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Upon seeing photos from Gokyo Ri, you might be happily surprised to hear that there are no mountaineering skills required to get here. With a beautiful view of both Gokyo Lakes and Mount Everest, the view here is hailed as one of the best views in the Everest Region.
