Prayer flags in the wind below Mount Everest
Mount Everest at dusk above a sea of cloud, Khumbu, Nepal
Mount Everest at dusk above a sea of cloud, Khumbu, Nepal
Prayer flags in the wind below Mount Everest
Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam above the trail to Everest Base Camp
Glacier and mountains at Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side.
Everest and Lhotse seen through pine trees in the Khumbu, Nepal
Namche Bazaar at dusk, with Khumbu peaks above the town, Nepal

50 to 60 DaysStrenuous

Mount Everest Private Expedition

Pricing on request

Every journey is planned privately. Ask, and we send your day-by-day plan, the stays we hold for you and the price, in writing.

  • A private expedition, planned around you.
Duration
50 to 60 Days
Best season
Spring, April to May
Max altitude
8,849 m (29,032 ft), the summit of Everest
Difficulty
Strenuous

Strenuous: long, steep days in remote country, often camping, with passes or camps near or above 5,000 m (16,400 ft), or a climb above 6,000 m (19,700 ft) with crampons and fixed ropes.

Technical climbing: Crampons, ice axe, harness and ascender on fixed lines through the Khumbu Icefall, up the Lhotse Face and along the summit ridge, with supplemental oxygen high on the mountain.

Plan my private journeySee the itinerary

We'll call you the same business day. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Sherpa guides
Written proposal and contract
A private climb for your party
Planned with the family

The climb to the summit of Everest

A private helicopter to Lukla at 2,840 m where the rules allow, then on foot to Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m. Rotations to Camp 2 and Camp 3 build acclimatization before the summit at 8,849 m (29,032 ft). A helicopter flies you out when weather allows.

  • On foot
  • By helicopter
Ask about this trip

Mount Everest from Nepal's south side, as a private expedition planned with a Sherpa family.

This is a sample private plan, not a fixed departure. Sam and Gyalgin plan the calendar, the climbing team and the stays around you before you book. Weather, wind and the state of the Khumbu Icefall decide every move above Base Camp, and no one can promise a summit.

You climb the South Col route, the line Hillary and Tenzing took in 1953. From Base Camp at 5,364 m it runs through the Khumbu Icefall into the Western Cwm, up the Lhotse Face to the South Col and along the Southeast Ridge to the summit at 8,849 m (29,032 ft). Most of the expedition is acclimatization: you climb higher in stages, come back down to rest, and then wait for a summit window. From arrival in Kathmandu to departure, the whole expedition takes 50 to 60 days in the spring season.

Around the climb, the plan is built for rest. Planned per proposal: a heritage suite at Dwarika's Hotel in Kathmandu, a private helicopter to Lukla where the rules allow, the walk in with the best lodge rooms we can hold, a private Base Camp with your own sleeping and dining tents and a cook, and a private helicopter out after the climb when weather allows.

On the mountain you climb with Sherpa guides. Your proposal sets how many climb with you, the supplemental oxygen planned for you and for them, and how the high camps are set up.

Everest is for experienced high-altitude climbers. Before we write a proposal, we go through your climbing record with you. We ask for at least one glaciated peak of 6,000 m or higher, and for confidence in crampons on fixed lines with an ascender. If you are not there yet, we can plan one of our Nepal climbing peaks first, such as Island Peak or Mera Peak.

This expedition is quoted on request. Named hotels, lodges and helicopter flights are the ones we plan for you, and your written proposal confirms each one, with the price, before you pay anything. Nothing is paid on this page.

Climbing above 8,000 m carries serious risks, including altitude illness, frostbite, falling ice in the Icefall, avalanches and exhaustion, even with supplemental oxygen and a strong team. Acclimatization and good support reduce risk but cannot eliminate it. Your lead Sherpa guide may stop the climb, set a turnaround time or order a descent at any point. Rescue and medical treatment depend on weather, altitude, access and available resources and cannot be guaranteed.

SherpaHolidays Terms and Conditions SH-TC-2026-10-20. Your accepted booking version and mandatory rights remain in effect.

Private sample itineraries are not confirmed reservations; we agree the final plan and price with you in a written proposal before booking. International flights are excluded unless your written itinerary expressly includes them.

Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of every booking. For this expedition your policy must cover mountaineering to the summit of Everest, emergency medical treatment, helicopter evacuation, trip cancellation and interruption, and repatriation. Confirm the altitude limit and activities with your insurer before you book.

50 to 60 Days on the South Col Route

A sample plan. Weather and the mountain set the real days.

Week 1: Kathmandu at about 1,400 m, with gear checks, permit formalities and rest

Week 1: A private helicopter to Lukla at 2,840 m, where the rules allow

Weeks 1-2: The walk in with rest days, through Namche (3,440 m), Tengboche (3,860 m), Dingboche (4,410 m) and Lobuche (4,930 m)

Week 2: Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m, a puja, then ladder and fixed-line practice

Weeks 3-6: Acclimatization rotations through the Khumbu Icefall to Camp 2 (about 6,400 m) and Camp 3 (about 7,200 m), each followed by rest

Weeks 6-8: The summit window, by Camp 2, Camp 3 and the South Col (about 7,950 m) to the summit at 8,849 m

Week 8: Back to Base Camp, a private helicopter out when weather allows, and final nights in Kathmandu

Six Highlights

The South Col Route

The line Hillary and Tenzing climbed in 1953, from Base Camp to the summit at 8,849 m.

Sherpa Guides on the Mountain

Your proposal names the Sherpa guides who climb with you and the oxygen planned for you.

A Private Base Camp

Your own sleeping and dining tents and a cook at 5,364 m, planned per proposal.

Helicopters In and Out

A private helicopter to Lukla and another out after the climb, planned per proposal and flown when weather allows.

Dwarika's Before and After

A heritage suite at Dwarika's Hotel in Kathmandu at the start and the end, planned per proposal.

Planned with the Family

Sam and Gyalgin Sherpa plan the expedition with you, by phone and in writing.

A private expedition, planned by people

Sherpa Signature journeys are sold by a call and a written proposal, not a cart. Nothing is paid on this page.

  • A planning call: About 30 minutes with Sam or Gyalgin about your climbing record, your timing and who is coming.
  • A written proposal: Your expedition plan, your climbing team, the stays we hold for you and the full price, in writing.
  • A contract: You read the plan and our Terms and Conditions before you commit to anything.
  • A payment schedule: Your contract sets out what is paid and when.

Named stays and flights

Named hotels, lodges and helicopter flights are the ones we plan for you, or comparable ones if they are full on your dates. Your proposal confirms every stay, flight and price. Hotel and lodge photos are not shown here; ask us and we will send them.

Weather and the mountain

Weather and the operator's rules decide when a helicopter flies and where it can land. Above Base Camp, the forecast and the state of the route decide when you climb, and your lead Sherpa guide decides when to turn around. Keep your international ticket changeable.

Plan with our family

Sam and Gyalgin Sherpa, son and father, run SherpaHolidays. Sam is based in the US. You speak with the family about the expedition, not a call center.

Gyalgin worked on Everest. His father, San Tsopel Sherpa, helped Hillary's school-building work.

Sam's grandfather, Gyalgin's father, San Tsopel Sherpa: Cooked for Sir Edmund Hillary and his team throughout their work building schools for the Sherpa community.

Your private proposal

The details come to you, in writing

We plan each journey around the people coming. After a short call, Sam or Gyalgin sends a proposal written for your dates and your pace.

  1. The same business dayWe call you.
  2. On the callYour dates, your pace and who is coming.
  3. Your proposalIn writing, with no obligation.
Ask for my proposal
  1. Your expedition planEvery stage, from Kathmandu to the summit window and back, set around your experience.
  2. The stays we hold for youThe hotels and lodges we hold for each night.
  3. What is includedEverything the price covers, and what it does not, line by line.
  4. The priceOne figure for your party and dates, with the deposit and payment terms.

Call first

Talk to Sam or Gyalgin

A Signature journey starts with a conversation. Call us, or send a short note through our inquiry form and we will call you back.

See all Sherpa Signature journeys

+1 (855) 743-7725 info@sherpaholidays.com
Call us Send an inquiry

We'll call you the same business day. Nothing is paid on this page.

Things guests ask before booking

Straight answers about experience, oxygen, safety and how the expedition is planned.

  • Everest is for experienced high-altitude climbers. We ask for at least one glaciated peak of 6,000 m or higher, and for confidence in crampons on fixed lines with an ascender. On the first call we go through your climbing record with you. If you are not there yet, we can plan one of our Nepal climbing peaks first, such as Island Peak or Mera Peak.

  • 50 to 60 days from arrival in Kathmandu to departure, in the spring season. Most of that time is acclimatization: climbing higher in stages, coming back down to rest, and waiting for a summit window. Your proposal sets the calendar around you.

  • No. Weather, wind, the Khumbu Icefall and your own health decide. Your lead Sherpa guide may set a turnaround time, stop the climb or order a descent at any point, and that decision comes before the summit.

  • Yes. Supplemental oxygen is planned for the upper mountain, for you and for the Sherpa guides climbing with you. Your proposal states the amount and how it is used.

  • Everest permits are issued by Nepal's Department of Tourism through a registered expedition company. Your written proposal names every company involved and what each one does, before you commit.

  • Weather and the operator's rules decide when a helicopter flies and where it can land. On the mountain, the forecast decides when you climb, and your proposal builds in spare days for weather. Keep your international ticket changeable.

  • Travel insurance is a condition of booking. For Everest it must cover mountaineering to the summit, emergency medical treatment, helicopter evacuation, trip cancellation and interruption, and repatriation. Confirm the altitude limit with your insurer before you book.

  • Each expedition is priced for your dates, climbing team and stays. Your private proposal states the full price, what is included and what is not, before you decide.

  • Call us on +1 (855) 743-7725, or send a short note through our inquiry form and we will call you back the same business day.