Koshi Province, Nepal
Things to do in Namche Bazaar
A horseshoe-shaped Sherpa trading town at 3,440m in the Khumbu, the natural acclimatization stop and gateway to Everest, with a famous Saturday market, museums and high day hikes.
Namche Bazaar is the Sherpa capital and the great gateway to Everest — a horseshoe-shaped trading town terraced into a steep bowl at 3,440m in the Khumbu region of Solukhumbu, inside Sagarmatha National Park. For centuries Sherpa and Tibetan traders met here to exchange salt, wool and grain across the Nangpa La; today it is the busy, bakery-scented heart of every Everest trek, where lodges, gear shops and prayer wheels climb the hillside in tiers.
Almost everyone arrives on the second day of the trail from Lukla and stays at least two nights, because Namche is the natural acclimatization stop. The classic rest-day plan is to gain height slowly on the Everest View Point day hike, then sleep low. From the same ridge you can walk on to the Sherpa villages of Khumjung and Khunde or up to Hotel Everest View at Syangboche for one of the most famous mountain panoramas in the world. See all the options in our roundup of the top things to do in Namche Bazaar.
In town, time your visit for the Saturday haat at the Namche Bazaar market, learn the region's mountaineering story at the Sherpa Culture Museum and pay your park fee at the Sagarmatha National Park visitor centre. With an extra day, the climb to Tengboche Monastery — the spiritual centre of the Khumbu — is unforgettable.
Plan the practicalities with our guides to getting to Namche Bazaar, where to stay and the best time to visit. Because everything here happens at altitude, read up on altitude sickness in Nepal before you go, and fit Namche into the wider picture with our guide to the Everest region treks.
Where to stay in Namche Bazaar
Sights & attractions in Namche Bazaar
Trekking & treks in Namche Bazaar
What to do in Namche Bazaar
Shopping & markets in Namche Bazaar
Getting around in Namche Bazaar
Plan your trip in Namche Bazaar
Frequently asked questions
Where is Namche Bazaar and how high is it?+
Namche Bazaar sits at about 3,440m in the Khumbu region of Solukhumbu, inside Sagarmatha National Park. It is built in a natural horseshoe-shaped bowl on the hillside above the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers, and is the largest Sherpa settlement and the main gateway to Everest.
Why do trekkers stop in Namche Bazaar?+
Namche is the standard acclimatization stop on the Everest Base Camp and Gokyo treks. Most itineraries build in a rest day here to adjust to the altitude with a day hike, and the town has lodges, bakeries, gear shops, ATMs and the last reliable services before the high trails.
What is the Namche Bazaar Saturday market?+
Every Saturday a busy haat (weekly market) fills the lower town, where Sherpa traders, Tibetan vendors and porters from lower valleys buy and sell vegetables, meat, household goods and trekking supplies. It is the historic reason the town exists and one of the liveliest sights in the Khumbu.
How many days should you spend in Namche Bazaar?+
Plan at least two nights. Arrive after the climb from Phakding, then take a full acclimatization day for a hike up to the Everest View Point, Khumjung or Hotel Everest View before continuing higher. Many trekkers also rest here again on the way down.
Can you see Everest from Namche Bazaar?+
Not from the town itself, but a short climb to the Everest View Point above Namche or to the Syangboche ridge opens a classic panorama of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam on a clear morning. Early in the day, before cloud builds, gives the best chance.