Our 18-day Everest Base Camp trek is $3,975 per person. That covers you from the moment our team meets you at Kathmandu airport until we drop you back there for your flight home, about $221 a day.
It does not cover everything you will spend. Your flights to Nepal and your travel insurance are separate, and so are the visa fee and some smaller costs that depend on how you travel. We list each one below.
What $3,975 covers
Everything below is in the price, from your arrival in Kathmandu to the day you leave.
- Our team meets you at Kathmandu airport, and every transfer in Kathmandu is by private vehicle.
- 4 nights at the Malla Hotel or similar, with breakfast. It is on the edge of Thamel, a short walk from its shops and restaurants.
- Entry fees for the sightseeing in the Kathmandu Valley.
- Return flights to Lukla and the domestic departure taxes. In busy seasons, when flights leave from Ramechhap, the road transfer there and back is included too.
- 13 nights in the best available lodges on the trail.
- Every meal on the trek: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- An English-speaking Sherpa guide, and one porter for every two guests, so you walk with a day pack.
- Permits for Sagarmatha National Park and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu municipality.
- Insurance for your guides and porters.
The 18 days include two acclimatization days, at Namche Bazaar and Dingboche. Scheduled groups have up to 10 guests.
On the Lukla flight the baggage limit is 15 kg (33 lb) per person. Anything extra waits at your Kathmandu hotel while you trek.
Once your deposit is in, the price is locked. The only exception is a new government tax, park fee or levy introduced after that date. Anything extra, like a hotel upgrade or an optional activity, is added only if you agree to it before it is booked.
Costs that depend on you
We leave these to you because they depend on where you live and how you like to travel. The visa fee is the one fixed number.
| Cost | What to know |
|---|---|
| Flights to Kathmandu and home | The trip starts and ends in Kathmandu, so any airline that gets you there works. |
| Nepal tourist visa | USD 50 for 30 days, according to Nepal’s Department of Immigration. Check the fee again before you fly. Our Nepal visa guide explains how to apply. |
| Travel insurance | Required for every booking. It must cover emergency medical treatment, evacuation, trip cancellation and interruption, and repatriation, up to Kala Patthar at 5,550 m (18,208 ft). Prices depend on your age and the trip cost, so get a quote. |
| Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu, and drinks | Breakfast at the hotel and every meal on the trek are included. Drinks are extra everywhere. |
| Tips | Tipping guides and porters is customary in Nepal. Ask us what is usual for your group. |
| Gear | Depends on what you already own. Your guide checks your gear in Kathmandu before the flight to Lukla. |
| A single room | Only if you want a room to yourself. Ask us for the supplement on your dates. |
| Nights you add | A spare night in Kathmandu before your flight home, for example. We quote it before anything is booked. |
Six questions for every quote, ours included
On October 14, 2026, we looked at Everest Base Camp trips from ten other companies. Their advertised prices ran from about $1,200 to $6,500. Most of that gap comes from what each price includes and how many days the trip takes. Ask each company the same six questions and compare their answers with ours.
| Question | Our answer |
|---|---|
| How many days, and how many acclimatization days? | 18 days, with acclimatization days at Namche Bazaar and Dingboche. Shorter trips often save money by cutting these. |
| Which meals are included on the trail? | Breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day of the trek. Many trekking companies leave most trail meals out of their price. |
| Are the Lukla flights, the Ramechhap transfer and required trekking permits included? | Yes, all of them. |
| How many hotel nights in Kathmandu? | Four, at the Malla Hotel or similar, with breakfast. |
| Who carries your main bag? | Porters, one for every two guests. |
| Who pays if weather delays the Lukla flight? | Our policy is below, word for word. |
Several of the companies we checked leave some of these costs to the traveler.
Who pays for a weather delay
The Lukla flights go only when the weather allows. This is our policy, word for word, from our terms:
If weather delays your Lukla flight and you need to wait, we cover up to 2 extra nights while you wait, and more when the situation calls for it. Nights you choose to add, or a helicopter you choose instead of waiting, are your cost, quoted before anything is booked.
Other delay arrangements and costs are stated in your written itinerary. Our guide to Lukla flights and delays explains how the flights work and when to book your flight home.
Paying for the trip
A $500 deposit per person holds your place on a scheduled departure booked more than 90 days ahead. It is part of the trip price, not an extra fee. The balance is due 90 days before departure, and if you book within 90 days, you pay in full when you book. A private trip on your own dates takes a 30% deposit.
If you cancel 90 or more days before departure, your deposit becomes credit toward any SherpaHolidays trip for 24 months. We refund anything you paid above the deposit, unless you accepted a specific supplier exception before paying. Our terms cover the rest of the schedule.
2027 departures
In 2027 the trek leaves March 24, April 14 and May 5 in spring, and October 14 and November 4 in autumn. Scheduled departures have no group minimum. Autumn is the busiest season, so book 3 to 6 months ahead if you can. The Everest Base Camp trek page has the day-by-day route.
Talk with Sam or Gyalgin
Our family has worked in these mountains for about 70 years. Today Sam and his father, Gyalgin Sherpa, plan every trip themselves.
If you would like help with the numbers for your city or your dates, send us a note or call +1 (855) 743-7725. We reply within one business day.
To keep this guide with you, download it as a printable PDF (2.5 MB). It has a worksheet with space for your own numbers.
Sources and date checked
Checked October 14, 2026. Trip details come from our Everest Base Camp trek page and our terms, version SH-TC-2026-10-14. The visa fee comes from Nepal’s Department of Immigration (immigration.gov.np). Other companies’ prices come from each company’s own Everest Base Camp page.
