Everest Base Camp Trek - 12 Days

The 12-day Everest Base Camp trek is US$1,399 per person (Budget), US$2,499 (Standard), or US$4,999 (Luxury) — and the per-person rate drops as your group grows (down to US$999 / US$2,349 / US$4,849 for larger parties). Every tier includes your licensed guide, all trekking permits, teahouse lodging and the listed meals on the trail. You budget separately for international flights, the Lukla flight, travel insurance, your Nepal visa and tips.

Typical extra costs (not in the package price):

• Kathmandu–Lukla flight (round trip): ~US$510 (lower via Ramechhap in peak season) — or skip it on our Everest Base Camp by Road trip
• Trekking permits (Sagarmatha NP + Khumbu municipality + TIMS): ~US$50, already included in every tier
• Your own travel insurance with helicopter evacuation: ~US$150–250 (the package insures only your guide and porters)
• Nepal visa (30-day, on arrival): US$50
• Guide & porter tips (customary): ~US$150–250
• Drinks, charging, Wi-Fi, hot showers, snacks: ~US$10–20/day (covered on Luxury)

A 10% deposit (as little as US$95) confirms your booking; the balance is due in Kathmandu.

About 99% of our trekkers reach Everest Base Camp. We get there by going slow, building in two acclimatisation days, and checking your oxygen daily — not by pushing. On the rare occasion someone can't continue (almost always altitude, which can affect anyone), our guides bring them down safely and immediately. We're open about that record: we even ask trekkers whose trip didn't go to plan to leave an honest review, because trust matters more to us than a perfect-looking page.

Fit enough to walk 5–7 hours a day for twelve consecutive days on uneven terrain, with some steep uphill sections. You don't need to be an athlete — you need to be consistent. The people who do well are the ones who trained for six weeks beforehand, not the ones who ran a marathon five years ago.

Yes, with preparation. You don't need previous trekking experience — the trail is well-maintained, with no ropes, scrambling or technical sections. The challenge is altitude, not terrain. Most of our first-timers finish it; the ones who struggle are the ones who rush. Our guides set a deliberately slow pace and check your oxygen daily with a pulse oximeter.

Start 6–8 weeks before your trek, and walk uphill — that's the single best thing you can do. Add stair climbing, jogging or cycling for cardiovascular endurance, and do weekend practice hikes with a 5–8 kg daypack. Squats and lunges help with the descents, which are harder on the knees than the climbs. If you can walk uphill four hours without stopping and want to do it again the next day, you're ready.

Twelve days on the trail, with two acclimatisation days built into every itinerary — one at Namche Bazaar, one at Dingboche — because rushing altitude is how people get sick. Arrive in Kathmandu one day before departure, and keep one or two buffer days after the trek in case Lukla flights are delayed by weather. A missed international connection is worse than an extra day in Kathmandu.

The trail follows the Khumbu Valley in north-eastern Nepal, through Sagarmatha National Park. You start in Lukla at 2,860m and walk north through Sherpa villages, across suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi, through rhododendron forests, past Tengboche Monastery, and up through glacier valleys to Everest Base Camp at 5,364m — with the Khumbu Icefall right in front of you.

The flight into Lukla is an experience before the walk even begins. From there: Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital; Tengboche Monastery with Ama Dablam rising behind it; the memorial cairns at Thukla Pass; and sunrise from Kala Patthar (5,545m), where Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Changtse light up gold before the sun reaches you.

Every trek is private — you walk with your own group, never strangers added to fill numbers — and you choose from three tiers (Budget, Standard, Luxury). Our guides grew up in the Khumbu; they know the teahouse owners by name and read the weather before it turns. And a fixed share of every booking funds the Nagarjun Learning Center — 70 children in rural Dhading getting a free education.

Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) — stable weather, clear views, comfortable temperatures. Spring days are around 20°C dropping to −5°C at night, with rhododendrons in bloom; autumn is slightly warmer by day, colder at night, with the sharpest skies of the year.

Yes to both, with trade-offs. Summer (June–August) is monsoon — rain below Namche and afternoon cloud, but quiet, green trails and a rain-shadow effect above Namche. Winter (December–February) is seriously cold (nights at Gorak Shep can hit −20°C) but gives the clearest skies, fresh snow, and near-empty trails. With the right gear, both are unforgettable in a way peak season isn't.

Three: a Sagarmatha National Park entry permit, a Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit, and a TIMS card (Trekkers' Information Management System) — which we issue for you as a registered TAAN member (#1586). They're checked at Monjo, the national park entrance and along the trail. All three are included in every tier; you just bring passport-sized photos and a copy of your passport.

Yes — all of them, in every tier. We handle the paperwork; you just bring passport-sized photos and a copy of your passport. Permits are arranged before you leave Kathmandu.

You fly Kathmandu to Lukla — a 40-minute flight onto one of the world's most famous runways, cut into a mountainside. In peak season (Mar–May, Sep–Nov) flights often shift to Manthali (Ramechhap) Airport due to air traffic: our guide picks you up around 12:30 AM for a five-hour drive, then a 20-minute flight. Budget travels to Manthali by bus or shared jeep, Standard by private jeep, and Luxury skips the drive entirely by helicopter.

Yes. We run an Everest Base Camp by Road trip (15 days) that drives to the trailhead instead of flying. You save on the flight and see Nepal's hill country on the way — a lot of trekkers tell us the drive was one of their favourite parts.

Lukla's runway needs clear visibility, so cloud, wind or rain can cancel flights — sometimes for a day or more. This is exactly why we tell every trekker to build buffer days into their plans after the trek. If flights cancel, helicopter transfers are available at extra cost (roughly US$500–1,000 per person, shared between 4–5 passengers).

You fly from Lukla back to Kathmandu or Manthali (if Manthali, we drive you back); Luxury trekkers return by helicopter. Build a buffer day into your plans — Lukla flights cancel more often than they run on time.

Yes. Since 2023, Nepal law requires all trekkers to have a registered guide. Ours are TAAN-certified with wilderness first-aid training, and most are from the villages along the trail you'll be walking — they didn't learn the Khumbu from a textbook.

Your guide leads the trek, handles all teahouse and checkpoint logistics, monitors your health daily (oxygen, heart rate, sleep, headaches), and shares the local knowledge that turns a walk into an experience. Porters carry your main bag so you walk with just a daypack — they're quiet, strong and fast, and your bag is in your room before you arrive.

Budget: one guide for up to 8 trekkers; no porter (you carry your own bag; porter available at extra cost); assistant guide for groups over 8.

Standard: one guide for up to 6; one porter per two trekkers (up to 10 kg each); assistant guide for groups over 6.

Luxury: one guide per two trekkers; a dedicated porter per trekker (up to 20 kg) — you carry only a daypack.

In traditional mountain teahouses run by Sherpa families: twin beds, blankets, and a communal dining room warmed by a yak-dung or wood stove. The higher you go the more basic they get, but even at Gorak Shep (5,164m) you'll have a bed, a blanket and a hot meal. At very high altitude there may be only one room type — we always secure the best that exists at each stop, whatever your tier.

Yes at most stops, but it gets expensive and unreliable above Namche. Charging your phone may cost NPR 200–500 at higher lodges, and Wi-Fi works below Tengboche but don't rely on it above. Standard and Luxury tiers include charging; Luxury covers Wi-Fi too.

At lower altitudes, yes — most lodges have solar or gas-heated showers. Above Dingboche, availability drops and the water may be barely warm. Honestly, by day eight you won't care — everyone smells the same. The Luxury tier covers all hot-shower costs.

More than you'd expect. Every teahouse has a menu — dal bhat ("dal bhat power, 24 hour"), fried rice, noodle soup, pasta, momos, chapati, pancakes, eggs, porridge — and some lodges bake bread and apple pie that has no business being that good at 3,800m. Order the garlic soup: it helps with acclimatisation and tastes better than it sounds after six hours of walking.

Plenty. Dal bhat is naturally vegetarian and the most nutritious meal on the menu, and most teahouses also serve vegetarian pasta, soup, fried rice and noodles. Tell us your dietary requirements when you book and our guides will pass them on at each stop.

Budget gives you flexibility to order what you like from teahouse menus; Standard includes three meals a day with tea or coffee; Luxury covers everything, including unlimited drinks, snacks and extras. The full breakdown is in the What's Included section above.

Altitude sickness — full stop. It causes headache, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite and disturbed sleep, and it can hit anyone regardless of age or fitness (we've seen marathon runners get it and grandmothers walk through fine). The difference is pace and hydration, not fitness. The underrated risk is sunburn: UV at 5,000m is brutal, so wear sunscreen, SPF lip balm and sunglasses daily.

Our guides carry a pulse oximeter and check your oxygen and heart rate every morning and evening, and we build in two acclimatisation days (Namche 3,440m, Dingboche 4,410m) where you hike high and sleep low. Stay hydrated (3+ litres a day), walk slowly, avoid alcohol above 3,500m, and tell your guide the moment you feel off. If symptoms get serious, we descend immediately — no "let's wait and see."

Our guides are trained in wilderness first aid, and if you need evacuation we coordinate a helicopter through your insurance provider — it can reach most points on the trail within 30–60 minutes in clear weather. This is exactly why travel insurance with helicopter cover is mandatory, not a suggestion.

Mandatory — no exceptions. Your policy must cover emergency helicopter evacuation and medical treatment up to 5,555m, and we ask for a copy before the trek begins. At 5,000m the only way down in an emergency is a helicopter, and an uninsured rescue costs US$3,000–5,000 out of your pocket. Our package covers accident and rescue insurance for your guide and porters (as Nepal law requires of us) — your own personal travel insurance is separate, and mandatory to join the trek.

High-altitude helicopter rescue (to 5,555m), medical treatment, trip cancellation and personal belongings. Many standard policies exclude trekking above 4,000m — check the fine print, and if yours doesn't cover it, buy a specialist trekking policy. World Nomads and Global Rescue are two that our trekkers use often.

All foreign nationals except Indian citizens need one, and most nationalities get it on arrival at Kathmandu airport — no advance application. Bring a passport valid for at least six months, one passport photo, and US$50 cash for a 30-day visa. The queue moves faster than it looks.

The essentials: waterproof hiking boots you've already broken in (never new), a fleece and a down jacket (both mandatory above Namche), thermal base layers, a waterproof shell, UV sunglasses, SPF 50+ and a daypack — full checklist in the Equipment section. Don't overpack: one set of walking clothes, one set of evening clothes, warm layers and rain protection. Everything else is weight your porter carries and you'll never use.

All teahouses provide bedding and blankets, but a sleeping bag adds warmth on cold nights above 4,000m and you'll be glad of it at Gorak Shep. If you don't own one, we can provide one for the trek — just tell us when you book.

Strongly recommended. On day one you'll wonder why you brought them; by the steep descent from Tengboche your knees will tell you exactly why. They reduce joint strain on descents and improve balance on rocky terrain, and over twelve days the difference is significant. Collapsible poles pack easily for flights.

NTC (Nepal Telecom) — it has the most reliable coverage on the Everest route: intermittent signal to Namche Bazaar, occasional beyond, and very little above Dingboche (4,410m). Ncell works well in Kathmandu but drops out earlier. We set you up with an NTC SIM in Kathmandu, and Luxury includes unlimited data. Bring a 20,000 mAh power bank — charging above Namche costs money and isn't always available.

At least a month, so we can arrange Lukla flights and logistics smoothly; peak season (October–November, March–April) fills faster, so two months is better. But we also take last-minute bookings — Shreejan has put treks together in 48 hours. WhatsApp him at +977-9810351300.

A 10% deposit confirms your booking — as low as US$95 depending on the package — with the balance due when you arrive in Kathmandu. We accept the Himalayan Bank portal, bank transfer, Wise or Western Union; card payments add a 3.5% processing fee. Once you book, we email you everything: payment details, preparation guide and packing list.

We have one, set out on our Terms & Conditions page, and we try to be fair. If your circumstances change and you'd rather reschedule than cancel, we'll work with you on that.