This 15-day luxury Everest Base Camp trek is graded Hard and climbs to 5,364 m at Everest Base Camp (28.00° N, 86.85° E) and 5,545 m at Kala Patthar. You stay at the Kathmandu Marriott, in Yeti Mountain Home lodges and in the best available lodge in every village. A private academic guide and porters walk with you, and you return from Gorakshep by helicopter. The trip ends with an optional Chitwan jungle safari.
Grade: Difficile
On this package, the route to Everest begins with an early flight to Lukla, and from that moment itself, your luxury trek looks different from a standard one!
Your lodge rooms are reserved at the best property in each village, your bags travel with private porters, and your guide has already briefed every kitchen about your meals!
Over the next 2 weeks, you walk through Sherpa villages, pine and rhododendron forest and the high glacial valley of Khumbu, inside Sagarmatha National Park. Each evening ends in a warm room with a proper dinner, instead of a scramble for the last free bed.
The trek follows the classic Everest Base Camp route: a flight to Lukla, the climb to Namche Bazaar, the monastery at Tengboche, the high valleys of Pheriche and Lobuche, then Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m and the sunrise climb to Kala Patthar.
Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Lhotse and Nuptse stay in view along the way, and Everest shows itself from the Everest View Hotel and Kala Patthar. What changes on this trip is how well you rest between those days.We invite you to take this 15-day private trip with us!
It is built for travellers who want Everest without the discomforts that do not need to be part of it, with our HEN team whose main job is your comfort and your safety.
If you have 3 weeks and high standards, this is the version of the trek we would plan for you!
In Nepal's trekking trade, trips fall into three classes, and the class decides almost everything else: the lodge, the pace, who walks with you and what you pay. It helps to treat them as three separate products:
This is for travellers who value quality of life and can afford to pay for it. These include business owners, senior professionals and people with little holiday time and high expectations.
A luxury trek means quality hotels in the city and the best lodges the mountains can offer, with the same standard of food and service at every meal!
Transport runs on time, so nobody waits at an airport or a roadside. An academic, professional guide leads the trip, someone with deep knowledge of local culture, monasteries and Buddhist traditions, who is also trained to recognize altitude sickness and act on it. That guide briefs you each evening on the next day's plan!
Private porters and an assistant guide are part of the team, and a doctor can be arranged on request.
Everything from the day you arrive in Nepal to the day you leave is handled inside one package, so the same standard follows you through the whole stay! The number of nights in luxury lodges and the length of the trek both raise the price.
This is aimed at working professionals and the middle class, and at those stepping up from a tighter budget.
These trekking packages use clean, simple tea houses and usually cost between US$ 1,550 and 3,500 per person.
Peaks, extra flights and helicopters sit above that range, and when a traveller needs one, it is paid for out of the included cost!
This is for backpackers, students and anyone with more energy and time than money. These travellers hire only a guide or a porter, or walk without either where the rules allow, and choose easy or well-served routes.
They sleep in basic lodges or hostels, eat where they sleep and use local transport, paying mostly for permits and basic services!
Note: Everest can be done at any of these three levels. The question is how much of the experience you want to be looked after.
Our objective is to bring a comfort-minded traveller to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar healthy, rested, and able to enjoy it.
The goal is not to make the mountain easy, because nobody can, but to remove every avoidable difficulty around it: the cold room, the uncertain meal, the full lodge, the hurried schedule and the unexplained monastery!
The plan rests on these four decisions:
Why does this matter? Comfort does not change altitude physiology, and no lodge at any price lowers the risk of altitude sickness!
What comfort changes is your recovery. A warm bed, clean food and a calm schedule help you sleep, eat and drink, and by Day 10 those three things decide how most people feel.
The trekking is the same! The trail, the altitude and the walking hours do not change, and we will not pretend otherwise. What changes is everything around the walking, and it changes in specific ways:
This is a private trip, so there are no fixed group dates. You choose when to go, and we build the plan around you!
Rooms in the better lodges fill early in autumn and spring. So, we suggest booking at least 3 to 4 months before the date you want in the months of March to May and September to November.
Lukla flights in peak season: Scheduled flights leave from Manthali (Ramechhap), about 5 to 6 hours by road from Kathmandu, in peak season. A private helicopter from Kathmandu avoids the drive, and it can fly when scheduled planes cannot, if the weather allows!
Chitwan Safari is an optional 2-night, 3-day extension, and we highly recommend it after the trek because it gives a warm, slow end to a cold, hard journey. It is arranged on request, in a lodge of the same category as your Everest stays, and we confirm the cost when you ask.
Beyond Chitwan, these options are arranged on request:
Your guide meets you just outside the arrivals hall at Tribhuvan International Airport holding your name, and your driver takes the bags straight to a private vehicle, so there is no haggling over taxis and no waiting in a queue.
The drive to the Kathmandu Marriott Hotel takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on traffic, which can be heavy in the afternoon. At the hotel, check-in for your 3 nights is already prepared, so you walk to your room without paperwork at the desk.
The first evening is deliberately empty! At 1,400 m, the altitude is no concern, but long flights drain energy, and the next 2 days of touring feel better after a proper night of sleep.
Before you rest, your trekking guide asks to see your travel insurance policy and checks that it covers helicopter evacuation above 5,000 m, since some policies stop lower.
Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu are not part of this package, so your guide can book a table at a restaurant he or she trusts, or you can eat in the hotel itself!
After a long breakfast, an academic cultural guide meets you in the lobby and takes you to Swayambhunath Stupa and Kathmandu Durbar Square, both part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site.
Swayambhunath sits on a hill above the city, with the painted eyes of the Buddha looking out across the valley. It matters for what follows, because the same imagery appears on monastery walls all the way to Tengboche, and a guide who can read it will make those days richer!
At Durbar Square, parts of the old palace complex were rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake, and your guide can show you which sections are new and which survived.
This is where a luxury tour differs from a standard one, because you get context, not just a walk. Your private vehicle waits at each stop, so you never queue for a taxi or climb back up a street in the heat. The afternoon is free for packing, shopping in Thamel, or a rest at the hotel!
Bhaktapur is the best-preserved of the old Newar cities, with brick-paved lanes, carved wooden windows and potters spreading clay pots to dry in open squares.
Spend the morning around Durbar Square and Taumadhi Square, where the five-roofed Nyatapola Temple, built in the early 1700s, towers above the rooftops.
Your cultural guide has a quiet café in mind for a break, and you can try the local curd, Juju Dhau, if you like. You can go further to Dattatreya Square and even try pottery at Pottery Square.
In the afternoon, your trekking guide holds the full briefing at the hotel, going through the plan day by day, checking your clothing and weighing your bags for the Lukla flight, where limits are strict!
If anything is missing, including a down jacket, a liner or a sleeping bag, the team arranges it today so you do not pay mountain prices later.
This briefing is also your chance to tell the guide about food preferences, medical history and the photos or filming you hope to do!
The day starts before dawn, and where it starts depends on the season. During peak season, many scheduled Lukla flights depart from Ramechhap(Manthali) instead of Kathmandu, which means a private car leaves in the small hours for a drive of 5 to 6 hours.
The luxury answer is the helicopter from Kathmandu, at US$ 650 per person, which skips the drive and also serves as the backup when scheduled planes cancel. The flight lasts 20 to 25 minutes and ends on a short, sloped runway of roughly 500 m.
From Lukla, you walk 3 to 4 hours through Chheplung and Ghat, past mani walls (keep them on your right, as pilgrims do), prayer wheels, and the first suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi River. Private porters carry your bags, so you walk with a small pack.
Your room at Yeti Mountain Home, Phakding, at 2,610 m, is ready when you arrive. Also, note that Phakding sits lower than Lukla, so it's only going to be a gentle start for the body.
This is the first real day, with 6 to 7 hours of steady walking. The trail follows the pale grey glacial river through pine forest and across several suspension bridges, with Thamserku and Kusum Kanguru standing over the valley.
At Monjo, Sagarmatha National Park begins, and your guide handles the permit check while you rest, so you never stand in a line. After Jorsale, where two rivers meet, you cross the high Hillary Suspension Bridge and begin the long climb of well over 500 m up to Namche.
With luck and clear weather, Everest and Mt. Lhotse appear briefly through the trees, a dark wedge behind nearer ridges. Go slowly, and let your guide set the pace. Lunch is arranged at a lodge that your team picked the day before!
At Namche, the Yeti Mountain Home room is warm and ready, and the first evening is for tea and an early dinner. Your sleeping altitude rises by about 830 m today, which is why tomorrow is a rest day!
The principle today is to walk up and sleep down. The hike to the Everest View Hotel takes 3 to 4 hours round trip, climbing past the old Syangboche airstrip, and tea on its terrace comes with Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam in front of you!
Your guide times the walk so you reach the view before the clouds build, and the table for your tea is reserved. On the way back, the trail passes Khumjung and its school, founded in the early 1960s, and a monastery that locals say keeps a yeti scalp.
Whether you believe that or not, the story makes a good conversation with your cultural guide. The afternoon is free for Namche's bakeries, the small Sherpa museum and, if your stay falls on a Saturday, the weekly market.
The lodge staff know your meal preferences by now, and dinner comes early, so you can sleep well before the climb to Tengboche.
The trail contours high above the river past Kyangjuma and Sanasa, with Ama Dablam appearing ahead, then drops to Phunki Tenga at around 3,250 m before a steep climb of about 550 m through fir and rhododendron.
The walk takes 5 to 6 hours, and in this forest Himalayan monals sometimes show themselves, so keep your eyes up.
If you prefer a quieter route, your guide can choose the higher, less crowded trail through the small villages above the main path. Tengboche Monastery is the main Buddhist centre of Khumbu, with Ama Dablam rising directly behind it.
The luxury difference here is access! Instead of joining a crowd of visitors, you visit privately, and you can take part in a yoga or meditation session led by someone who knows the monastery.
Remember the basics: shoes off, no photos inside, and quiet voices. Your lodge room is reserved ahead, with hot water and a warm dining room waiting.
A short descent leads to Deboche and the Imja Khola, then a climb through Pangboche, whose monastery is among the oldest in Khumbu. Above it, the trees thin into juniper and yak pasture, and Ama Dablam grows closer with every turn.
The walk takes 5 to 6 hours. You can sleep in Dingboche (4,410 m) instead if you prefer its stone-walled barley fields and views.
At Pheriche, the Himalayan Rescue Association runs an aid post in season, and your guide takes you to the daily altitude talk if it is running.
Your sleeping altitude rises by roughly 560 to 600 m today, a little above the usual guideline, so the next 2 days are held for rest.
Edelweiss Lodge is the best option in the valley, and your rooms are booked ahead, with an electric blanket on each bed. Dinner is served at a time that suits your group, and the guide checks in on how everyone feels.
Rest does not mean lying in bed! You hike to around 5,000 m and come back to sleep at 4,240 m, because the body adapts best when you go upand then rest lower.
Your guide chooses between a climb toward Nangkartshang Peak (about 5,080 m) and a gentler ridge walk, based on how the group feels and on your evening oximeter readings.
Meals can be customised today, with a late breakfast, lighter food or extra soup, since appetite falls at altitude. If you wish, a helicopter flight toward base camp can be arranged on request, weather permitting, though it is an extra and not a substitute for the acclimatization walk.
In the afternoon, you can read, write or sit in the sun with a hot drink brought to you. A doctor can be arranged for this stretch on request, and your assistant guide stays close to the lodge in case anyone needs help!
This day is held for rest, weather or any symptom of altitude sickness. If everyone feels well, we leave it empty, and many travellers value a day with nothing to do at this height. Read, write, repack your bag, or sit in the sun with the peaks in view.
If someone has a headache or poor sleep, the extra day gives the body time to adjust without cancelling the trip. A doctor can be on hand on request, and your assistant guide checks in on you through the day.
The lodge staff, who treat your group as priority guests, bring hot water, tea, and your preferred meals without being asked twice!
If the day is not needed for health, it is still a valuable rest before the high section, where the walking days get longer and the nights get colder. Think of it as insurance that costs nothing if unused!
The 5 to 6 hour walk follows the valley floor to Dughla, then climbs a steep moraine to a ridge covered with stone memorials for climbers and Sherpa guides who died on Everest and nearby peaks.
It is a quiet stop, and your guide explains the stories behind some of them. From there the trail runs beside the Khumbu Glacier to Lobuche, a small cluster of lodges on a cold, windy flat.
Rooms fill quickly here in autumn, and that is where a luxury booking pays off, because yours were confirmed days earlier, with an electric blanket and hot water ready on arrival.
Many travellers sleep poorly on this first night near 4,900 m, with headaches or a racing pulse, so your guide checks on you in the evening and again before breakfast.
Eat even if you do not feel hungry, because the next day is the longest of the trek!
The morning walk to Gorakshep takes about 3 hours over moraine and rock, followed by an early lunch and the longer, rockier walk to base camp, 7 to 8 hours in all.
In autumn, there are no expedition tents (those belong to spring), and Nuptse hides the summit of Everest, so what you see is the Khumbu Icefall and the scale of the glacier!
Prayer flags mark the spot where most visitors stop for photographs, and our team helps with any filming or drone arrangements you planned. Back at Gorakshep, you spend the night in a local-standard tea house with a cozy electric blanket, a hot water bag and light, hygienic food.
This is the simplest night of the trip, and the highest. The team has made it as warm and orderly as the place allows, with your room claimed early, and your guide wakes you in plenty of time for the morning climb.
You leave in the dark with a headlamp and climb about 400 m to Kala Patthar in 3 to 4 hours of walking, for the best view of Everest on the trek, lit gold at sunrise with Nuptse, Lhotse and Pumori beside it.
After breakfast back at Gorakshep, you can fly by helicopter to Lukla, a descent of more than 2,300 m in minutes, and descent is the best medical treatment for altitude.
The helicopter is optional, arranged on request and priced separately, and this is the most weather-dependent day of the trip. Another plan can be arranged too: a helicopter flight for a close mountain view, returning to Lukla from Gorakshep.
If the helicopter cannot fly, or you choose to walk, your guide takes you down on foot, which takes about 2 days, and any extra nights or meals from the change are paid separately. By evening, you are in Lukla at Yeti Mountain Home, with hot water and a proper dinner.
You fly out in the morning, to Kathmandu or to Manthali with a private car to the city, depending on the season.
Your guide handles the airport queue and your bags, so you board without stress. In Kathmandu the Marriott has your room ready, and a hot bath and a proper bed are waiting.
After 10 days of simple routines, the hotel feels very large, and many guests say the first shower is the best moment of the trip.
Your guide helps with laundry, settles the trek accounts and returns your passports and documents.
Tonight is for celebrating. Dinner in Kathmandu is not part of the package, so your guide can book a table at a restaurant he or she trusts for a farewell dinner, or you can eat quietly at the hotel.
A spa session or massage can be booked at your own cost. Pack your bags before bed, because your airport transfer is confirmed for tomorrow.
After a relaxed breakfast, your driver and guide collect you from the Marriott and take you to Tribhuvan International Airport, allowing plenty of time for traffic and check-in.
Your guide helps with bags, confirms your flight details, and waits until you pass the first security point. If your flight leaves in the afternoon or evening, a late checkout can be arranged so that you do not have to wait in the lobby.
Nepal's customs and immigration offices are straightforward, but airport queues can be long, so we suggest arriving 3 hours before an international flight. If you bought carpets, thangka paintings or other items that need export paperwork, tell your guide the day before and the team can help!
Arrival and Kathmandu stay:
Domestic flights:
Accommodation during the trek:
Meals during the trek:
Trekking staff and support:
Permits and entry fees:
Safety and logistics:
Trip features:
After 10 days in the cold and thin air of Khumbu, Chitwan is the softest landing you can give yourself. It is warm, green and slow, with a lodge of the same standard as your Everest stays. This 2-night, 3-day jungle safari is arranged on request, and we highly recommend it after the trek.
| Duration | 3 days (Days 15 to 17), with departure on Day 18 |
| Starts | Kathmandu, after Day 14 of the Everest trek |
| Ends | Kathmandu, with departure on Day 18 |
| Activities | Jeep safari, canoe ride, birdwatching, Tharu village visit |
| Accommodation | Jungle lodge of a similar category to your Everest stays |
| Max Altitude | About 150 m |
Max Altitude: About 150 m | Meals: B, L, D| Accommodation: Jungle lodge of a similar category | Transportation: Flight and private transfer
A short flight takes you to the lowlands, where the air is warm and thick after 2 weeks of cold. Chitwan National Park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, and its 2021 census counted 694 one-horned rhinoceroses (we're sure you'll get a glimpse of at least one)!
A driver meets you at the airstrip and takes you to a lodge of the same standard as your Everest stays, with a private room, a veranda and a pool or garden. After lunch, you ease into the place with a quiet walk along the river or a rest, because the body is still recovering from altitude.
A naturalist joins you for a short orientation about what to expect on safari. Dinner is served on site, and the staff takes care of every detail. It is a deliberate change of pace, and a softer landing than going straight home
Max Altitude: About 150 m | Meals: B, L, D | Accommodation: Jungle lodge | Transportation: Safari jeep and canoe
A full day of jeep safari, river canoe and birdwatching with a private naturalist, starting early when animals are most active.
Rhinos, deer, wild boar and crocodiles are likely sightings. Tigers are rare, though the 2022 census counted 128 in Chitwan.
The canoe ride on the river drifts quietly past riverbanks where birds feed, and the guide keeps the pace slow so you can watch. We suggest jeep and canoe over elephant rides (because elephant rides are kind of controversial these days).
After lunch at the lodge and a rest, an afternoon walk or a second drive follows. In the evening, visit a Tharu village for a cultural performance, including the traditional stick dance, and a local dinner.
Because your safari vehicle and guide are private, you can stay longer at a sighting instead of moving on with a group. After the cold and effort of Everest, the warmth and green of Chitwan feel very different!
Max Altitude: 1,400 m | Meals: Breakfast | Accommodation: Kathmandu Marriott Hotel | Transportation: Flight and private transfer
After a final morning activity, such as jungle walk or a visit to the park's Elephant Breeding Centre, you fly back to Kathmandu. A private transfer takes you from the airport to the Marriott, where your room is held for you!
The afternoon is free, and many travellers use it to shop for gifts, since Thamel and the nearby lanes sell pashmina, singing bowls, tea and handmade paper. Your guide can arrange a driver for the afternoon if you prefer to go on your own, and a table at a good restaurant for the evening.
This is also a good moment to sort out photos, charge devices and back up any footage from the trek and the safari.
If you plan to extend your stay, the Marriott Hotel can arrange extra nights at the same standard. Rest well, because the next 2 days are held in reserve before departure!.
The two best seasons are Autumn (March to May) and (October to November).
Autumn brings the clearest air and the steadiest skies, with cold, dry mornings above 4,000 m. On the other hand, spring brings warmer days and rhododendron in the lower forests, though afternoon cloud builds earlier in the day.
Winter and monsoon trips can be arranged privately, but flights and views are less reliable, and some lodges might even close when weather is too harsh!
So, note that luxury does not buy weather here in the Himalayas. A clear window can close within hours, and flights and helicopters depend on it!
That is why the plan holds a spare day, and why we suggest keeping your international flight home a few days after the trek ends.
For photographers, the best light is usually at dawn and dusk, so your guide can plan the walking day around it!
At Yeti Mountain Home, breakfast and dinner are served in a heated dining room, and lunch is taken on the trail at a lodge your guide has chosen.
Higher up, menus are simpler, with soup, noodles, eggs, rice and dal bhat, and your guide briefs each kitchen on your needs, whether vegetarian, gluten-free or light for altitude.
Personal drinks such as soft drinks, alcohol and bottled water are paid for separately. We suggest vegetarian dishes above Namche, since supplies travel by porter and animal.
Appetite drops with height, so eat even when you do not feel hungry, and drink water or tea steadily through the day. Boiled and bottled water are both available, and a flask of hot tea at the table is a good habit!
|
Night |
Place |
Lodge |
|---|---|---|
|
1 to 3 |
Kathmandu |
Kathmandu Marriott Hotel |
|
4 |
Phakding |
Yeti Mountain Home |
|
5 to 6 |
Namche |
Yeti Mountain Home |
|
7 |
Tengboche |
Best lodge in Tengboche or Deboche |
|
8 to 10 |
Pheriche |
Edelweiss Lodge |
|
11 |
Lobuche |
Best lodge in Lobuche |
|
12 |
Gorakshep |
Best local-standard tea house |
|
13 |
Lukla |
Yeti Mountain Home |
Lower lodges offer private rooms, attached bathrooms, hot water and electric blankets. Above Pangboche, rooms are simpler for everyone, with thinner walls and a stove-heated dining room, and no operator can change that!
In Lobuche and Gorakshep, you stay in the best available tea house, with an electric blanket, a hot water bag and light, hygienic food, and we reserve the rooms early so you get the best of what exists.
For the best photos, ask about rooms with a mountain view when you book and we'll arrange that for you!
Your trip uses private vehicles in Kathmandu and a scheduled Lukla flight, with a helicopter from Kathmandu at about US$ 650 per person as the backup if flights are cancelled.
After Kala Patthar, the Gorakshep to Lukla helicopter is arranged within the itinerary and priced separately.
The Sagarmatha National Park entry permit and the Khumbu local government permit are arranged and paid by our team at Himalayan Ecstasy Nepal, along with all staff permits.
Your guide handles the checks at each gate, so you never queue at an office. Note that drone and professional filming need extra permits, which you'll need to process yourself (however, our team is ready to help you out!).
A luxury trip does not mean you disappear from your life for 3 weeks. Wi-Fi and mobile data are arranged for the whole route, so you can answer urgent messages, send photos to family and, if you run a business, check in with your office too!
Coverage is best in Kathmandu and Namche, where the signal is strong enough for calls and video.
Above Tengboche, it weakens, and it depends on weather and on the equipment at each lodge. Thus, at the highest stops, expect messages and slow uploads rather than live calls.
We suggest telling your family and office in advance that you may be quiet for a day or two near Gorakshep.
Power for charging is available in the lodges, and your guide carries a power bank for the highest nights, so a drained phone is never the reason you cannot reach someone. Still, we suggest you to carry your private power banks too!
One of the real advantages of a private trip is that it can be built around your purpose!
If your group is made up of content creators, researchers, filmmakers or photographers, we assign a dedicated guide who is knowledgeable in that field, so that when you reach the place you are not puzzled about what to do.
Local specialists we are connected with also join to assist, whether that means a Sherpa historian, a naturalist or someone who knows the best vantage points at sunrise.
Photography, videography and drone shots need extra documentation and permits, and our team helps with every phase, from the application in Kathmandu to the day you fly or film.
Tell us your purpose when you book, so that we can plan the pace, the lodges and the filming days properly, without cutting into the acclimatization schedule!
Monasteries are among the most meaningful parts of the Khumbu, and on a standard trek they are often visited in a crowd, briefly, with little explanation.
On this trip, we arrange private visits to monasteries such as the Tengboche Monastery, where you can take part in a yoga or meditation session, and your academic cultural guide explains the rituals, the symbolism, and the history of the place.
The monks and the local community set the terms, so we follow their customs: shoes off, quiet voices, no photographs inside unless permitted.
If your dates match a festival or a special prayer ceremony, your guide will tell you in advance!
For many travellers, a calm hour in a monastery after days of walking is as memorable as the view of Mount Everest, and it helps the body slow down at altitude.
It is a hard trek but you do not need climbing skills. Still, you'll have to walk 5 to 7 hours on several days, at altitude, and Day 12 is long, with 7 to 8 hours to base camp and back!
Nonetheless, training for 8 to 12 weeks, with hill walking, stair climbing and some weighted carrying, makes it manageable.
Luxury changes where you sleep, not how many steps you take! The slow plan, the rest days and the helicopter descent lower the strain, but they do not remove it.
If you have heart, lung or blood pressure conditions, or have had altitude problems before, see a doctor before you book, and tell your guide on Day 3 so the team can plan around it.
Travel Insurance is mandatory and must cover trekking to 5,545 m with helicopter evacuation. Rescue costs can exceed the price of the trip, so check the policy limits before you fly, and carry a printed copy and the emergency number.
Your guide will ask to see the policy on Day 1. If you have a pre-existing condition, confirm that it is covered, because insurers sometimes exclude them.
A luxury trip does not replace insurance, but our team knows the evacuation process well, so we start the paperwork as soon as a problem appears!
Altitude sickness or Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) shows up as headache, nausea, poor sleep, loss of appetite or dizziness.
The core rule is slow ascent: aabove 3,000 m, a good guide is to raise your sleeping altitude by about 500 m a day on average, with a rest day every 3 to 4 days!
This plan stays close to that, with 3 rest or reserve days and short walks up before sleeping low. A few days gain more than 500 m, such as Namche and Lobuche, and the rest days around them are there for that reason. If symptoms appear, stop climbing and rest!
If they worsen, or if you feel confused, unsteady or breathless at rest, descend at once. Do not argue with your guide on this.
Our guides are trained to recognize the signs and to act on them, and the helicopter provides a quick way down. Ask your own doctor whether medication is suitable for you!
|
Night |
Place |
Sleeping altitude |
Change |
Walking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4 |
Phakding |
2,610 m |
3 to 4 hrs |
|
|
5 to 6 |
Namche |
3,440 m |
+830 m |
6 to 7 hrs |
|
7 |
Tengboche |
3,810 m |
+370 m |
5 to 6 hrs |
|
8 to 10 |
Pheriche |
4,371 m |
+561 m |
5 to 6 hrs |
|
11 |
Lobuche |
4,910 m |
+539 m |
5 to 6 hrs |
|
12 |
Gorakshep |
5,164 m |
+254 m |
7 to 8 hrs with EBC |
|
13 |
Lukla (heli) |
2,860 m |
−2,304 m |
3 to 4 hrs |
Here are a few things you need to keep in mind:
Pack in layers: base layers, a fleece, a warm down jacket, a waterproof shell, warm gloves, a hat, sun protection and boots that are already broken in.
Your porters carry the main bag, and you carry a small daypack with water, a camera and a layer.
Lodge bedding with electric blankets reduces the need for a heavy sleeping bag, though a liner helps at higher altitude.
Keep valuables, documents and medicine in your daypack, never in the duffel. The full list is below.
Sun hat or cap, warm fleece hat, buff or balaclava, headlamp with spare batteries (needed for the Kala Patthar start)
2 to 3 long-sleeved base layers (merino or synthetic, no cotton), 2 fleece or light insulated layers, a waterproof shell jacket, and a warm down jacket
Liner gloves, warm fleece or softshell gloves, and insulated mittens for the Kala Patthar morning
2 pairs of thermal leggings, 1 to 2 pairs of trekking trousers, waterproof trousers, and warm trousers for lodge evenings
Broken-in waterproof boots, camp shoes, 3 to 4 pairs of thick socks, and gaiters (optional)
Passport valid 6 months beyond your stay, visa, flight tickets, insurance policy, emergency contacts, passport photos, and cash in Nepali rupees (ATMs are rare above Namche)
Sunscreen SPF 50 or higher, lip balm with SPF, and sunglasses with full UV protection
Toothbrush, biodegradable soap, moisturiser, hand sanitiser, quick-dry towel and toilet paper. The luxury lodges provide towels and bathrooms with hot water
Your lodges provide meals and drinks, so bring only favourite snacks, such as dark chocolate, nuts or energy bars, since taste changes at altitude
Rental of a sleeping bag on request. Electric blankets and warm bedding are provided at lodges
A duffel for your porter and a 25 to 30 litre daypack with a rain cover
Personal prescriptions, pain relief, blister plasters, and any altitude medication your doctor advises
Dry bags, a small repair kit,camera etc
Yes. The price is quoted for 2 travellers, but the trip is private, so we build it around whoever is coming. Send us your group size and dates, and we’ll send a new quotation.
Often, yes, but their health matters more than their age. Altitude affects children and older travellers differently, and a child can’t always say how they feel. Tell us their ages and any health conditions when you contact us, and we’ll plan the pace with you. We also suggest a doctor’s check before booking.
Yes. A 2-night, 3-day Chitwan jungle safari can be added after the trek, in a lodge of a similar category. Other places can be arranged on request too. The Everest section needs its rest days, so that part stays as planned. Tell us how many days you have, and we’ll shape the rest around them.
Colder than most people expect. The lodges have hot water, warm dining rooms and electric blankets, but above 4,000 m nights drop well below freezing. The Kala Patthar morning is the coldest of the trip. Bring a proper down jacket and mittens, and we can help you rent anything you don’t own.
You can, but we’d keep it light. Alcohol dries you out and can disturb sleep, so we suggest skipping it above 3,000 m. A celebration drink once you’re back in Lukla is a different story. Soft drinks, alcohol and bottled water are paid for by you
Less than you’d think, but not nothing. Snacks, desserts, laundry, phone calls and tips are paid by you, and cash machines are rare above Namche, so take Nepali rupees from Kathmandu. Tips aren’t included and are a personal choice. Your guide suggests a fair amount for the team near the end of the trip.
Most travellers do. A tourist visa can usually be got on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, or applied for online before you fly. The visa fee isn’t part of our package. Rules and fees can change, so check the latest for your passport, or message us and we’ll point you in the right direction.