Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek with Chitwan Safari - 17 Days

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.

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.

As you gain altitude, the forest gradually gives way to more open alpine terrain, with views of Ama Dablam and the surrounding Himalayan peaks.

Dingboche is where you spend 3 nights (Days 6 to 8), with 2 full days for acclimatization before the move to Lobuche.

Rest does not mean lying in bed! You hike to around 5,000 m and come back to sleep at 4,410 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 everyone is feeling well and has no symptoms that require rest, we can consider a short hike along the Ama Dablam Base Camp route.

The idea is to walk a little higher, enjoy the views of Ama Dablam and the Imja Valley, take some photographs and return to Dingboche.

This is an optional outing, not a fixed part of the day's plan. Your guide will decide whether it is appropriate based on how you are feeling and the conditions that day.

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!

This day is kept flexible in our itinerary to allow enough time for unexpected situations before heading towards Everest Base Camp. Weather changes, altitude-related symptoms or physical fatigue can sometimes affect the planned schedule, so we have included this extra day rather than rushing through the journey.

If everyone is feeling well and the weather is favourable, you can use the day to rest, enjoy the mountain surroundings and prepare for the next day's walk to Gorakshep and Everest Base Camp. Your guide will monitor how you are feeling and decide whether it is appropriate to continue according to the original plan.

If anyone needs more time to recover or weather conditions make walking difficult, we can use this day to adjust the schedule. This flexibility gives you a better chance of continuing safely without putting unnecessary pressure on the remaining itinerary!

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 to Kala Patthar for the sunrise view of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse and Pumori. The climb usually takes 3 to 4 hours, depending on your pace and the conditions. 

After breakfast back at Gorakshep, the plan is to fly by helicopter to Lukla. For this luxury trek, we arrange the return helicopter in advance rather than leaving the booking until you reach Gorakshep.

The aim is to save you the long descent on foot and give you a more comfortable return from the high mountains. However, helicopter flights depend on weather, visibility and safe operating conditions.

Even a confirmed reservation cannot guarantee that a helicopter will be able to fly at the planned time. If the weather closes in around Gorakshep, we will assess the safest available alternative. 

Where conditions and your health allow, we may arrange horse support to help you descend toward Pheriche, at a lower elevation where a helicopter may have a better chance of operating. 

The journey down will include hot drinks and short stops for stretching or toilet breaks. If the weather remains unsuitable, or it becomes too late to continue safely that day, we will arrange an overnight stay in a comfortable lodge of a similar available category to your previous accommodation. 

The following morning, we will reassess the weather and arrange a helicopter departure from Pheriche or your last reachable location if conditions permit.  

Our team will do everything reasonably possible to manage the situation and minimise disruption, but weather-related delays and additional accommodation or transport costs may apply according to the agreed package terms.

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 11 nights in mountain lodges, 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 flight to Chitwan leaves tomorrow..

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.

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!

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 your airport transfer is tomorrow morning.

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!