eSIM for Everest Base Camp

Everest Base Camp: what to know before you go

The flight to Lukla

Most trekkers start with a short flight to Lukla. In the peak seasons the flights leave from Manthali (Ramechhap), a few hours by road from Kathmandu, and weather often delays or cancels them, so keep a spare day at each end and save your tickets and permits offline.

Lukla and Namche Bazaar

From Lukla to Namche Bazaar, at about 3,400 metres, there is mobile data. Namche is the last place to count on for bookings, banking and long calls home, and the usual acclimatisation day there is a good day to do all of it.

Wi-Fi and charging in the lodges

Lodges from Namche up sell Wi-Fi cards that are slow and shared, and in Lobuche and Gorak Shep they are often the only connection. There is no public Wi-Fi at base camp, and lodges charge per device, with the price rising with altitude, so carry a power bank and keep batteries warm at night.

Above Dingboche

Signal thins out after Tengboche and is unreliable from Dingboche. At Gorak Shep it is weak and at Everest Base Camp itself it is emergency calls at most, so tell family when to expect silence, usually from Dingboche until you are back in Namche.

Permits and cash

The trek needs a national park permit and a local municipality permit, and the rules about guides have been changing, so check with a licensed agency or the official Nepal tourism sources. Fees and lodge bills are paid in Nepali rupees, and cash machines above Lukla and Namche are unreliable or absent.

How much data you need

A trek takes about 2 to 4 GB in total, because most of the days are above the signal. You use data in Kathmandu, Lukla and Namche, and again on the way down.

Written 24 October 2026. Opening rules, fees, prices at attractions and event dates change, so check the official site before you rely on them.

Everest Base Camp: when people go

November 2026: end of the autumn season and Tihar

Autumn is a busy trekking season, and Tihar, the festival of lights, is expected around 6 to 11 November 2026, with the main day on 8 November. Flights and lodges are still in demand, so keep tickets and bookings saved offline.

December 2026 to February 2027: winter

Skies are clear and the trail is quiet, but temperatures at altitude can fall to minus 10 degrees or lower and heavy snow can cut a trek short. Many lodges close in the off-season, so there are fewer places open above Namche to charge a phone or buy Wi-Fi.

March to May 2027: spring trekking season

The other busy season. In peak seasons all Lukla flights route through Manthali, which adds a long early-morning drive from Kathmandu, and seats sell out well ahead, so book them early.

June to August 2027: monsoon

Flights to Lukla are unpredictable and often disrupted, trails are slippery and muddy and visibility is poor. If you go, leave extra days and keep every ticket and permit saved on the phone.

Nepal eSIM 2026: prices, network and coverage

9 plans, from $3.99 (1 GB, 7 days) to $48.49 (20 GB, 30 days). Networks: Ncell 4G and NT Mobile 4G.

Network

Ncell 4G, NT Mobile 4G

Top-up

Yes, from the app, on the same eSIM

Validity starts

At the first connection at your destination

Install by

Shown on your order. An eSIM that is never installed expires

Your number

Stays active, plans are data only

Hotspot

Uses the same plan data, no separate charge

After the daily allowance

Day passes slow down to 512 Kbps

Updated October 29, 2026

Questions about Everest Base Camp

Can I use WhatsApp at Everest Base Camp?

Not reliably on mobile data. A message may go through at Gorak Shep on one network, or over lodge Wi-Fi in the villages, but at base camp itself plan on none.

Where should I do the important things online?

In Kathmandu, Lukla and Namche Bazaar. Download offline maps, permits and bookings before you fly to Lukla, because most of the days above Namche are offline.

How much does an eSIM for Everest Base Camp cost?

Everest Base Camp uses the Nepal plans, because an eSIM belongs to a country and not to a city. Plans start at $3.99 for 1 GB, valid for 7 days. There are 9 plans, from 1 GB to 20 GB, plus unlimited day passes.

Do I need a local SIM card in Everest Base Camp?

No. The eSIM is a SIM card in digital form: you install it from a QR code before you leave, and there is nothing to buy at the airport or swap in your phone.

How is it different from roaming in Everest Base Camp?

With roaming, your own carrier bills the data you use abroad, usually by the day or by the megabyte, at the prices of your plan. The eSIM is prepaid: you know the cost before you leave and nothing is added later. Keep data roaming off on your usual line, so it cannot charge you.

Which networks does the Everest Base Camp eSIM use?

Wigoo connects to Ncell and NT Mobile. Each plan lists the operators it uses.

Can I add more data?

Yes. You top up the same eSIM from the app, without installing a new one.

Do I keep my phone number?

Yes. Plans are data only, so your usual line stays active for calls and texts, and WhatsApp keeps working as always.

When do the validity days start?

Not when you buy and not when you install: the days start counting when the eSIM connects to a network at your destination for the first time. A 30 day plan gives you 30 days from that first connection.

How long do I have to install the eSIM?

An eSIM that is never installed expires. The "Install by" date is shown on your order, on the site and in the app, so you can buy ahead of your trip. Install it before that date, on Wi-Fi.

Can I use the eSIM as a hotspot?

Data used through a personal hotspot comes out of the same plan, and Wigoo does not charge it separately. A laptop uses far more data than a phone, so for work a day pass or a bigger plan is safer.

What happens when the data runs out?

Plans are prepaid, so there are no extra charges: when the data is used up, the connection stops until you add more from the app. Day passes give a daily allowance at full speed, then continue at reduced speed (512 Kbps) until the next day.

When should I install the eSIM?

Before you leave, on Wi-Fi. When you land, set the Wigoo line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it.