The Luxury Everest Base Camp trek starts, like any other trek that aims to arrive in the neighborhood of Everest with an adventurous adrenaline rushing flight from Kathmandu to Lukla.
After exploring the biodiversity that surrounds Lukla and Namche, you will be guided towards the Tengboche Monastery which invites you to take a closer look to the Lamas peaceful life. Do not refrain from noticing the ornaments that embellish the walls, the 20 foot high statue of Buddha, the robes of Lamas or the musical instruments used around here. If you want you may take part at an afternoon ceremony that is held daily in the monastery.
You will continue your itinerary via Buddhist monasteries and Sherpa villages through the Gorakshep plain and Khumbu Glacier to reach the Mt. Kalapatthar, the pinnacle of Everest. In Kalapatthar you will enjoy an awe-inspiring panorama of 360 degree views that reveal some of the highest summits in the world. The number one is, of course, Mt. Everest “the top of the world” and some other not less impressive cliffs aiming to touch the sky are Nutpse, Lhotse, Thamsherku or Amadablam.
Choosing the luxury Everest Base Camp from Himalayan Steps will be for sure the adventure of your lifetime.
If you want the best in terms of comfort while trekking towards Everest Base Camp, this option is for you and offers the best quality for accommodation found in Nepal and particularly in this area. Himalayan Steps grants you the highest standard for your stays at hotels in Kathmandu and the best guest houses along the trek for the full 11 nights whilst you are trekking. Due to the geographic conditions and high altitude, the definition of luxury here is a bit different than the usual meaning of the term.
The luxury option of Everest Base Camp allows you to choose your departures dates as per your preferences. We organize weekly departures for groups to Everest Base Camp or you can opt for a private group departure. Also, you have the option to customize your itinerary as per your convenience.
NOTE: Our recommendation is to arrive a day earlier in Kathmandu, to have time to rest and eventually to buy some gear if you still need, and to reserve 1, 2 days extra at the end of your trek because flights from Lukla may suffer delays caused by the weather conditions
You will be welcomed by a Himalayan Steps representative at Tribhuvan International Airport – Kathmandu, outside the airport terminal and transferred to the hotel.
Note: Depending on your arrival hour, you will attend a pre-trip meeting, where you will be introduced to your trek tour guide/leader. Please ensure you bring your passport, your travel insurance policy and three passport size photos. Also, you will be invited to sign a non-liability disclaimer, the legally binding trip form and ask all the questions you judge necessary.
Accommodation in 3* hotel. Meals not included.
The day starts with a short 35 minutes, scenic flight to Lukla. After landing you will meet the rest of the team – the porters that will help with your luggage.
First you will explore the village and after that the trek will start with a descent to the Dudh Kosi River to reach the main road to Namche Bazaar. This is an easy walk that will pass through the villages of Ghat and Phakding in your way to Manjo.
Accommodation at Yeti Mountain Home or Everest Summit Lodge or similar premium guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
The next stop is Namche Bazaar, the route will continue by crossing several times the Dudh Koshi River, via some spectacular suspension bridges. And after that you will enter the Sagarmatha National Park. Namche is the most important Sherpa settlement that you will encounter around here and the well known gateway to Everest.
Accommodation at Yeti Mountain Home or Everest Summit Lodge or similar premium guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
You will spend the day in Namche Bazaar for acclimatization. You will visit the local museum dedicated to the traditions of the Sherpa culture and the Syangboche Airport. And one of the highest positioned hotels on earth – the Everest View Hotel, displaying majestic views of the Himalayas and Everest.
Accommodation at Hotel Namche or Yeti Mountain Home or similar premium guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Your trail follows the turquoise glacial waters of the river Dudh Kosi, till you arrive in Tengboche. Here you will visit the famous Tengboche monastery with its valued wall hangings, Buddha sculpture and collections of Lamas’ robes and musical instruments. You will also be privileged to attend a ceremony at the monastery, before continuing with your trekking to Pangboche.
Accommodation at Yeti Mountain Home or Everest Summit Lodge or similar premium guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
From Pangboche the ascension continues towards the ancient village of Dingboche, belonging to the Sherpa culture, while admiring great panoramas of Ama Dablam, Lhotse and Island Peak.
Accommodation at Hotel Bright Star or similar premium guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
This is also an acclimatization day. You have scheduled a short trip to Chhukung, following the Imja Khola valley. On your way you will be astonished by the splendid mountain vistas, particularly those of the massive Lhotse. In the evening you will come back to Dingboche.
Accommodation at Hotel Bright Star or similar premium guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Your trekking itinerary will follow the moraine of the Khumbu Glacier and you will continue to climb till you reach the altitude of 4,910m in Lobuche.
Accommodation at Hotel Oxygen or similar premium guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
The highlight of this trip is scheduled for today – Everest Base Camp, but will demand a price, a strenuous trekking along the Khumbu Glacier. Useless to mention this is a much preached destination, that not too many people arrive to step on. Majestic views of the mountains’ spectacle and also vistas of the Khumbu Icefall, will reward you for all your efforts. After that you will return to Gorak, where you will spend the night.
Accommodation at Hotel Yeti or or similar premium guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
This is a rather difficult trekking day, but more than rewarding. A demanding ascension towards the peak of Kala Patthar summiting at 5,555 m that will compensate the climber with awe inspiring panoramas of Everest, the tallest peak on earth at 8,848m. Plus a carousel of colossus displaying magnificent views on various angles Pumori, Lhotse, Nuptse, Chagatse. Then you will start to descend to Gorak Shep and after that to Pangboche.
Accommodation at the Best Available Premium Lodge. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Your journey inside the realm of giant mountains reaches its end, this is a descending day via Pangboche and Tengboche to finally arrive to Namche Bazaar.
Accommodation at Hotel Namche or Yeti Mountain Home or similar premium guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
This is the last trekking day of your tour, as you return to the starting point of your trek. Rest, relax and wander around, celebrate with your trek mates your recent achievement.
Accommodation at Yeti Mountain Home or similar premium guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Admiring one last time the majestic just visited mountains, you embark on your flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. In the evening you are invited to take part to a traditional Nepalese farewell dinner and a cultural show.
Accommodation in 3* hotel with breakfast and farewell dinner.
Your exploit to visit the Everest Base Camp ends here. Today you will be driven to the airport for your departure home.
Accommodation in 3* hotel with breakfast
The information below has been created so that you can use this as a guide in understanding the necessary equipment, clothing, gear, medicines and miscellaneous items required for this trekking tour. This list is of a general nature and you may decide to add or remove some of these items, please make sure that you have enough clothing to maximize your comfortability whilst on the trek.
We will provide you with a porter and a duffel bag to support and carry your heavier belongings however we do recommend that you also bring your own daypack to carry your money, personal items and any important documents.
(Important: Our guide will already have a first aid kit which they bring with them however we also recommend that you bring some of these medicines with you in your daypack too.)
Helpful Tip: For the majority of these items, clothing and equipment we recommend that you buy most of these when you arrive in Kathmandu. That way it will be a lot cheaper for you, take a look at our Kathmandu trekking gear guide here: http://himalayansteps.com/buying-trekking-gear-in-kathmandu/
The Luxury Everest Base Camp trek is physically possible for anyone that is of an average fitness level, there is no previous experience required. We generally recommend however that you train for 2-3 months in advance of your departure date and some of the activities you can do is walking or hiking, running or even better running on a treadmill at incline. Alternatively swimming is a great choice too.
Typically you should be doing at least one or a combination of these activities for an hour each time and roughly 4 times a week in the lead up to your trek in Nepal.
Yes, one of our staff members will be waiting at the airport with a signboard ready to collect you once you arrive and from there we will transfer you by private vehicle to the hotel.
Yes, you can purchase a visa when you arrive at the Tribhuvan International airport in Kathmandu. There are two choices for tourist visa which are listed below:
– Multiple entry tourist visa for up to 30 days costing $40 USD.
– Multiple entry tourist visa for up to 90 days costing $100 USD.
You will need to bring with you a copy of your passport, travel insurance papers and 3 passport size photos which will be used for any trekking permits required to access the mountain areas.
In Kathmandu, you can expect to stay in a luxury room at a 5 star hotel which will include a full breakfast.
Whilst you are trekking you will be staying in the very best luxury style teahouse accommodation which will have the highest standard of facilities in the mountain regions.
Inside there is clean mattresses/bed as well as a cover for you to sleep in. We do however recommend that you bring your own sleeping bag which you can take with you from home or alternatively rent/buy one in Kathmandu before you go trekking. The teahouse will provide you with a selection of food and sometimes this will be eaten around a warm fire in a group setting.
Along the trail itself the teahouse lodges usually offer twin sharing bedrooms in a dormitory style room. Sometimes the teahouse lodge staff will make available a private room for you at no extra cost depending on whether or not the room is available.
In Kathmandu, if you would like to have your own room at the hotel this can be arranged and typically there is always availability. For this there is an additional single supplementary cost of $40USD per night.
Swapping the teahouse accommodation with Kathmandu instead is not possible, included in this package is two nights of hotel accommodation in Kathmandu.
In the unlikely event of a flight cancellation or alternatively if you arrive back to Kathmandu early due to sickness, bad weather conditions or personal reasons you will need an extra night in Kathmandu which can be available for a supplementary cost.
Ideally and in most cases we will use the toilets provided at the various teahouse or lodge accommodation along the trail however in the event of an emergency, hikers are recommended to find a private and convenient place along the trail to go to the toilet.
The vast majority of the tea houses offer standard western style toilets with normal flushing capability. Occasionally in the areas of higher altitude there are squat toilets which are made with a ceramic base or a few wooden planks situated over a hole in the ground and these are always located outside.
The majority of teahouses or lodges along the trail will offer a selection of different food choices which primarily consist of vegetarian dishes. Some of these dishes on the menu include pasta, noodles, potatoes, tuna bakes, bread, soups, fresh vegetables and traditional dishes such as Daal Bhat (rice and lentils) or momos (dumplings).
If you have a sweet tooth, there are also a choice of different desserts such as apple pies or pancakes. Garlic is a popular ingredient used in the cooking which can actually have acclimatization benefits. Soft drinks and hot drinks like coffee, tea and hot chocolate are readily available as well as snacks like chocolate and crisps.
Himalayan Steps is all about providing you with local insights, lifestyle as well as adventure. Depending on the nature of the travel, the transportation to and from the destination varies from domestic flights to vehicular transportation to even piggyback rides on mules and yaks. We provide you only those options which enhance your local experience while allowing you to travel comfortably and efficiently. We use private tourist vehicles for sightseeing, city tours and pickups. Depending on the group size we use cars, minibus, vans or alternatively 4WD SUVs, more maneuverable in travelling along the narrow and bumpy roads of Nepal. All the vehicles are usually air-conditioned unless we are travelling in cooler areas.
For domestic flights (Kathmandu – Lukla – Kathmandu), we use Tara Air, Agni Air -popular domestic airlines.
Yes absolutely, overall the food is generally very safe to eat and cooked to a decent standard following good health and safety measures. We recommend that you eat vegetarian dishes and try some of our local cuisines too!
Being vegetarian is absolutely fine because the teahouses and lodges primarily serve vegetarian meals on their menu. We generally recommend that you only eat vegetarian dishes and avoid any heavy or non-vegetarian dishes to prevent any situation of food poisoning especially in the higher altitude regions.
Bottled water is readily available to purchase at any of the teahouse or lodge accommodations along the trail. The prices to buy a bottle of water can vary between $2USD – $4USD and typically the higher the elevation that you are trekking to the prices are more expensive as well.
If you would like to drink normal water, make sure that you bring purification tablets and purify the water before drinking. It is possible to buy purification tablets in your hometown or alternatively in Kathmandu, Lukla or Namche Bazaar.
We highly recommend that you exchange your currency whilst you are in Kathmandu into local Nepali Rupees and bring this cash with you before you go trekking around the mountains.
Especially around the Everest region, it is possible to use an ATM when you arrive in Namche Bazaar but sometimes this is not 100% reliable.
If you exchange your foreign currency whilst in the mountains this will be more expensive and could result in you receiving a lower exchange rate so therefore exchanging cash in Kathmandu and bringing this with you beforehand is advisable.
This depends on the type of travel you are embarking on, the transportation we provide can change. Sometimes domestic flights, various vehicles or even riding on a mule or yak is possible. We can assure you that each mode of transport we provide is carefully chosen by our team to enhance your experience making sure that you have a combination of comfort and efficiency whilst travelling.
For sightseeing and city tours and transfers we use private tourist vehicles. For larger group sizes we sometimes use minibuses or vans. The vehicles are typically air conditioned to help prevent feeling too hot.
In regards to domestic flights between Kathmandu and Lukla we mainly use one of the following most popular airlines: Sita Air, Tara Air and Summit air.
Typically you fly between Lukla and Kathmandu with either a Twin Otter or Dornier style aircraft however on some occasions these services are cancelled due to bad weather conditions or technical difficulties. In this case, Himalayan Steps will organize a helicopter to get you to Lukla in time for your scheduled trek or back to Kathmandu in time for your international flight.
Depending on visibility on the day, in very rare cases helicopters are also not possible and in this such scenario, we will organize for you to take a rescheduled flight on the next day.
If there is an emergency situation and the cancellation of domestic flight occur due to poor weather conditions, we recommend that you wait some time for the weather to improve.
Should the weather not improve and all flights are cancelled then we would recommend for you to take a helicopter. This helicopter service can be provided at an additional cost which you will have to pay for at this time and later depending on the insurance company you have chosen in some cases they will reimburse you for these additional and unexpected costs. We can assist you with any required documents for a claim like this.
The cost for a helicopter service can be made payable directly to our staff in Kathmandu, we accept either cash or credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express. There is a 4% card fee if using a credit card which is charged from your bank. We will provide you with a receipt at the time of purchase.
In general the cost for a helicopter is approximately between $2500USD – $3000USD. The helicopters normally have a total capacity of between 4-6 people that are allowed on the flight so therefore the cost associated for this flight service can be split among the group that is flying (minimum of $500USD to a maximum of $3000USD per person)
Yes, you will need to book your own international flights between your hometown and Nepal. Himalayan Steps is a local tour operator and if the international flights were included, the cost for our tours would be substantially higher.
The total distance for the entire trek is 120km or 75 miles long.
Your booking is only confirmed once you have purchased this trekking tour online with approximately a 30% deposit. The remaining balance can be paid once you arrive in Kathmandu to one of our staff members.
Your booking is only confirmed once you have purchased this trekking tour online with approximately a 30% deposit. The remaining balance can be paid once you arrive in Kathmandu to one of our staff members.
The remaining balance can be paid to us once you arrive in Kathmandu using USD currency in cash.
If you want to cancel your reserved tour, we may refund your fee payable to us minus a $150 cancellation fee (5000 INR for Indian Nationals). Himalayan Steps will not accept refunds for flights if we already booked your flight. In some cases we may reschedule your trip at no cost or with some cost if you provide us with 7 days advance notice.
We will not give any refunds if you finish the trekking earlier or later, or cancel your tour for medical or personal reason while trekking.
The peak trekking seasons are usually between mid-September to the end of May each year. The monsoonal weather period starts to calm down from the beginning of September. Between September to December it consists of warm conditions during the day and cool climates in the evening.
The best times to go trekking in this region are February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December. Between July to mid-September this is raining season across Nepal.
The weather and climate in Nepal can be unpredictable and ever changing.
Spring season is during March, April, May and June. Monsoon season is during July, August and mid-September. Autumn season is between the end of September and during October and November. Winter season is between December, January and February.
For a detailed understanding of the weather and climate in Nepal and the Everest region, take a look at our detailed guide here: http://himalayansteps.com/everest-base-camp-weather-climate/
Yes, safety and efficiency are of huge importance to us. All of our trekking guides are highly qualified and have received the necessary trekking guide and first aid training required and each of them have certificates they have gained through a series of accredited training courses.
Your allocated trekking guide will be available 24 hours a day for any of your health and safety requirements during your trek. They are first aid trained and have an understanding of how to use Oxymeter devices which help to monitor the oxygen levels during periods of high altitude.
Our guides carry with them local telephone sim cards that can be used for any updates or emergency organizational requirements. In the unlikely event that an emergency situation should arise, our trekking guides are in constant communication 24-7 with our Operations Manager and the staff in our office based in Kathmandu. We can organize horse and mules as well as helicopters if required during an emergency or if a client is sick on the mountain and require hospital assistance.
There is no requirement to provide documentation for immunization when entering Nepal however although it’s not essential we do recommend that you are immunized with diphtheria TB, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, *malaria, typhoid, polio and tetanus if possible. A dental check-up before you go to Nepal is advised along with understanding which blood group type you have. We have written an article about the required vaccinations, to understand more on this, take a look here: http://himalayansteps.com/vaccinations-for-nepal-what-you-need-to-know/
Should you have any known medical conditions, please notify your trekking guide and our Himalayan Steps staff members.
This is totally dependent on the overall level of sickness you are experiencing. Should you feel sick in a higher altitude location, you will need to rest afterwards in a lower altitude location and the recovery period can take anywhere between 3 days to a week to feel better.
Please make sure that you discuss any health concerns with your guide. If you are travelling as a solo individual then this can be organized however if you are in a group, the options are limited however sometimes you can catch up with the group at a later stage ,make sure you discuss this with your trekking guide at the time.
Some of the different villages that you will enter along the trail will have telephones that you can use for international phone calls.
Our trekking guides have their own local sim cards and mobile devices for communicating between them and our office in Kathmandu or in the event of emergencies.
However you could potentially use their mobile device to make international calls if required and then afterwards you can pay the guide for this depending on what the call costs are.
Yes, typically you can charge your camera or mobile device in any hotel in Kathmandu as well as the teahouse and lodge accommodation along any of the trekking trails.
The teahouse and lodges sometimes will charge a small fee for these charging services.
Make sure that you bring the necessary two/three pin adapters required for plugging these devices into the power sockets in Nepal.
There is a 15kg (33 pounds) weight limit for anyone that is on the flights to and from Lukla. Additional charges of between $2USD – $5USD will apply for every additional kilo and these can be made payable directly to the airport representatives before flying.
The hotel in Kathmandu will provide you with a storage facility/room to hold any of your belongings that you would not like to take on the trek and there are no additional costs, it’s available for free.
We want you to enjoy your trip and maximize the overall experience. If you would like to add extra days to your trip, we are flexible on this and it can be organized at an additional fee to cover the cost of trekking guides, porters, accommodation and any food required.
If you are travelling as a solo individual then this can be organized however if you are in a group, the options are limited however sometimes you can catch up with the group at a later stage ,make sure you discuss this with your trekking guide at the time.
This can be a challenging decision to make with regards to what it should cost, from our experience we have seen our clients tip the guides and porters with anything between $20USD to $1000USD.
Tipping is not required however a little thank you and something towards their hard efforts is hugely appreciated. We recommend that you spend around 10% of the total trek as extra cost towards tipping. This is usually split between the trekking guide, porters and local staff.
Yes absolutely! All of our fixed departures are guaranteed to go ahead and we never cancel any of these scheduled tours due to not having the required amount of people.
Should you want to organise a private individual tour that can be arranged with a small additional fee for some costs associated which you can request and discuss with us at the time of your booking.
Himalayan Steps takes pride in offering the very best trekking tours throughout the Himalayas to places such as Everest Base Camp, Annapurna, Gokyo Lakes in Nepal and Valley of Flowers in Ladakh region of India.