Staying online on Everest Basecamp trek

Sometimes you need to have internet everywhere you go. Everest basecamp/Gokyo lakes or Three Passes treks are remote treks, but internet is available everyday for different prices.

Internet below Lukla

If you start your trek in Phaplu/Salleri or Jiri you might think that SIM card is going to work for you all the time until Lukla, but you are actually wrong. Sim card is not going to work most of the time and if you want to stay connected your best and only option is NAL (Nepal Airlink) wifi internet in lodges. They have 3 options for internet:

• Unlimited data for 24 hours. Price – 500NRP.
• Monthly pack for 30 days. Price-  1260NRP.
• 200MB data card for 7 days. Price – 220NRP.

These cards are sold at more than 10 sales points including Phaplu, Beni, Junbesi, Thupten Choiling, Phera, Ringmu, Taksindu Pass, Taksindu, Nunthala, Juving, Kharikhola, Bupsa, Pangum, Khartey. 

NCELL Coverage in Everest region

A little bit below Lukla NCELL Sim card data starts to work. So if you prepare in advance you can have good high speed H+/4G data for couple of days. It works in Lukla, Phakding, Namche Bazaar, most of the way from Namche to Thame (although, not in Thame itself), Khumjung, Tengboche and Pangboche. 

Everest Link Extreme internet 

Above Namche Bazaar most of the lodges use Everest Link services and sell their data cards for trekkers. Data packages they offer:

• 600NRP for 1 GB working in the village you buy it. In Gokyo they charged 800NRP.
• 2000NRP for 10GB working everywhere.
• 3000NRP for 20GB working everywhere.

Charging your devices during the trek

Make sure you have powerbank and good solar charger because otherwise you will need to pay for charging your devices in lodges. At the beginning of the trek it is going to be 200-250NRP for fully charged device and it goes up to 700-800NRP for device in Gorakshep and around. So good solar charger is really valuable and saves you some money.

So these are the options for trekkers who want to stay online during their Gokyo Lakes, Three Passes or Everest basecamp treks. Most of the time internet is good enough for social media, email checking or youtube. It also might be good for hardcore freelancers who plan to work online from this altitude.