How Everest Base Camp tours differ
Most tours are the standard trek from Lukla to Base Camp and back, led by a licensed guide. What differs is the bundle around it. Some packages include flights, porters, lodge nights and permits. Others cover little more than the guide. A higher price does not tell you which one you are looking at, so read the list of inclusions line by line.
The trek itself takes 12 to 14 days from Lukla and back, including acclimatisation, with extra buffer days on top. That is a planning range, not a minimum. Package lengths are counted differently too: one 15-day trip sold by an international operator contains 12 days and 11 nights of trekking, and the rest is arrival, transfers and departure.
Package examples compared
Each row is one operator's published offer in 2026. It is not a market average.
| Package | Length | Price | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guided group trek (Nepal Intrepid Treks) | 14 days | $1,250–2,500 | Range updated 7 September 2026 |
| Private guided trek (Nepal Intrepid Treks) | – | $1,800–3,000 | Same operator, same update |
| Everest Base Camp Trek (Intrepid) | 15 days, 12 days of trekking | – | Many trekking days list no included meals |
Operators also publish budget figures for single items. One of them estimates a guide at $25–35 a day and a porter at $18–25 a day, rising to $25–35 at higher altitude. Lodge nights range from $5 to $80 depending on the standard, and lodging plus food together come to $35–90 a day. A Kathmandu to Lukla flight is quoted at about $251 one way, and Ramechhap to Lukla at about $209. These are estimates from operators for 2026. They are not official tariffs, and they do not show what guides and porters actually earn.
Our picks: tours compared
Two multi-day Base Camp treks and a one-hour mountain flight, each with its inclusions listed.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
12-day Everest Base Camp trek with guesthouses
A private airport or hotel transfer, twin-room guesthouses, the return flight to Lukla and a licensed guide from Lukla and back. Meals, porters and insurance are extra.
Check availability →
10-day Everest Base Camp trek from Lukla
A Sherpa guide, permits and ten nights in mountain guesthouses. Flights are included only in the Kathmandu option, and meals and porters cost extra.
Check availability →
One-hour Everest mountain flight
A one-hour flight along the Everest and Himalaya range with a window seat and a certificate. Ground transport comes only with the matching option; food and drinks are extra.
Check availability →Everest Base Camp tours and treks
Guided treks, flights and day trips from Kathmandu, with live prices and availability.
What to compare in two offers
List these separately for every package. Do not assume they are included.
Departure airport and flights
In the main seasons, flights to Lukla often leave from Manthali in Ramechhap, not from Kathmandu. Intrepid gives the road transfer as about 130 km and roughly 5 hours. Ask which airport your ticket uses and who pays for the transfer. Lukla flights explained →
Meals and rooms
A guided package is not automatically full board. Check which meals are covered on trekking days and what room standard the price assumes.
Guide and porters
Find out whether the price includes a licensed guide, a porter and their insurance, and how many trekkers share one guide.
Permits and fees
Check whether the Sagarmatha National Park fee, the Khumbu local fee and the TIMS card are in the price or on top. Permits and fees →
Insurance, tips and spare days
Find out what the quote leaves out: your own insurance, tips and extra days if a flight is cancelled. One flight operator refunds a ticket it cancels itself or rebooks you, but that does not cover an extra hotel night or a missed international flight.
Safety checks before you book
The tour is only as safe as its plan for altitude and for bad weather.
Agency and guide
The German Federal Foreign Office advises booking with a reputable agency and a state-licensed local guide. Ask for the guide's licence details and how the company handles an emergency.
Insurance with rescue cover
The same advice recommends travel health and repatriation insurance that covers mountain risks and helicopter evacuation. Check that the policy covers the altitude you will reach and trekking as an activity. Rescue flights depend on the weather, an alarm can be delayed, and the question of who pays should be clear before you leave.
An itinerary that bends to your health
A package is a plan, not a medical clearance. If symptoms of altitude sickness persist, you do not go higher, whatever the schedule says. Ask how the operator handles rest days and what happens if you need to turn back. Altitude and altitude sickness →
A doctor before you go
Talk to a doctor before the trip, especially about your own health, any medication and altitude. Do not rely on a tour leaflet for that.
Rules that affect every tour
Guide and TIMS. The Nepal Tourism Board lists the Everest Base Camp, Gokyo and Three Passes treks under a rule that requires a licensed guide and a TIMS card, which costs NPR 2,000 (NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals). How strictly this is applied in Khumbu is not consistent, so do not count on being waved through or on being turned back. A tour with a licensed guide avoids the question.
Fees. The Sagarmatha National Park fee is NPR 3,000 for most foreign visitors, and the Khumbu local fee is also NPR 3,000 (figures for 2026). Some sources add 13 percent VAT to the park fee. Ask your operator for the current total.
No overnight at Base Camp. On 29 April 2026 the Department of Tourism warned against packages that sell an overnight stay at the southern Base Camp. Ordinary trekkers are not entitled to stay there. A normal itinerary sleeps at Gorak Shep and visits Base Camp as a day walk.
Helicopter add-ons. A landing at Base Camp or on Kala Patthar cannot be taken for granted, and flying quickly to height without acclimatising is an altitude risk in its own right. See the helicopter tour guide.
Plan the rest of your trip
Where tours fit into the wider plan.
Everest Base Camp tours: frequently asked questions
How much does an Everest Base Camp tour cost?
One operator publishes $1,250–2,500 for a guided 14-day group package and $1,800–3,000 for a private trek in 2026. Those are single-operator ranges. Flights, permits, insurance and tips may or may not be inside the price, so compare line by line.
Is a guided tour better than trekking alone?
The Nepal Tourism Board lists this trek under a guide and TIMS requirement, although local practice in Khumbu is not uniform. A guided tour also gives you someone who can judge altitude symptoms and weather. Whatever you choose, the decision to stop or descend stays with you.
Do tours include meals and flights?
It depends on the package. One international operator lists many trekking days without included meals. Flights to Lukla are often a separate line, so check whether they are in the price.
Can a tour include a night at Base Camp?
No, not for ordinary trekkers. The Department of Tourism warned on 29 April 2026 against packages that sell an overnight stay there. Standard itineraries sleep in Gorak Shep.
How many days should I book?
Plan 12 to 14 days from Lukla and back, plus one or two spare days at the end because flights from Lukla are delayed by weather. A shorter schedule leaves less room for rest days and for your own pace.