Everest Base Camp Trek Cost from Israel: Prices in ILS, Flights and Visa

Last updated 4 October 2026. Trek prices are read from our own booking system. Shekel figures use a rate of 1 US dollar = 3.06 Israeli shekels, the USD rate returned by the Bank of Israel's public exchange-rate service when I read it on 4 October 2026 (it carried the timestamp 2 October 2026). The shekel moves from day to day, so every shekel figure below is an approximation and the US dollar is the price you actually pay. Flight prices are snapshots from one day, and I say so wherever they appear.

If you are planning from Tel Aviv, the first question is what the EBC trek cost from Israel really adds up to, door to door, in shekels. The honest answer has three parts. The trek price I can give you to the dollar: US$1,399 on Budget, US$2,499 on Standard and US$4,999 on Luxury, about 4,281, 7,647 and 15,297 shekels. The flight I can only show you a snapshot of. In my search there was no nonstop in either direction, and the cheapest return fare was US$2,650 (about 8,109 shekels) with one change of plane in Abu Dhabi. That one flight costs more than the whole Budget trek. We bill in US dollars, so every shekel figure is a conversion.

This page is about one trek only, Everest Base Camp, with the arithmetic done in full: the fares I found, the visa question, the permits, the time difference, and the holidays on both sides that touch the trekking season. We already have a wider guide to trekking in Nepal from Israel, and you can read it here. I wrote this page because Everest Base Camp deserves its own numbers. If you want the same sums for another country, we have written them for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, the UAE and the UK too.

If you want me directly, my WhatsApp is +977 9810351300. I answer it myself. Nepal is on UTC+5:45 all year. Israel is on UTC+3 in summer time and UTC+2 in winter, so Nepal is 2 hours 45 minutes ahead until the clocks go back in Israel on Sunday 25 October 2026, and 3 hours 45 minutes ahead after that. A message you send at 9 am in Tel Aviv before the change arrives at 11:45 am in Kathmandu, and I will usually reply within your working day.

Is there a direct flight from Israel to Kathmandu?

Not in my search. On 4 October 2026 I ran live searches on Kiwi.com from Tel Aviv (TLV) to Kathmandu, with a cabin bag and a checked bag, on a single ticket (no self-transfer). I tried a return leaving on 19 October and coming back on 5 November, limited to nonstop flights. It returned nothing. Because the nonstop search returned nothing, the question for an Israeli trekker is not whether to change planes, but where, and how long you wait.

I then ran the same return, allowing one change of plane in each direction. It returned 13 itineraries, with fares from US$2,650 to US$3,653. The cheapest used Etihad both ways through Abu Dhabi. The next ones went through Bangkok and Tokyo, with El Al on the first leg and Thai Airways or Nepal Airlines on the second. I also ran a search limited to changes at Istanbul, Doha, Dubai, Delhi, Amman, Cairo or Addis Ababa, and it returned nothing, so I could not confirm any fare through those cities for these dates. Kiwi.com does not show every airline, so check the airlines' own pages before you decide, and I did not do that. I also tried a spring return, 22 March to 8 April 2027, and Kiwi.com showed no results at all, so I have no spring fare and I will not guess one.

What did the flights actually cost on one day?

This is where travel pages invent numbers, so here is exactly what I saw on Kiwi.com on 4 October 2026, in US dollars, return, one adult, a cabin bag and one checked bag included, no self-transfer, leaving on 19 October and returning from Kathmandu on 5 November. The hours are the total of both directions, waiting time between flights included. Kiwi.com did not state baggage weights, so confirm them on the airline's own page before you pay. The cheaper fares list a cabin bag and a checked bag and no separate personal item; the dearer ones in the last row list a personal item as well.

Route and airlines	Return fare	Notes
Etihad both ways via Abu Dhabi (the cheapest)	US$2,650 (about 8,109 shekels)	Out on EY598, Tel Aviv 20:10 on 19 October, Abu Dhabi 00:25; EY1384 at 03:05, Kathmandu 09:30 on 20 October. Home on EY1385, Kathmandu 09:55 on 5 November, Abu Dhabi 13:25; EY597 at 14:25, Tel Aviv 16:05 the same day. About 20 hours 30 minutes in total, with a wait of about 2 hours 40 minutes in Abu Dhabi on the way out and about 1 hour on the way home
El Al to Bangkok, Thai Airways on to Kathmandu, Etihad home	US$2,666 (about 8,158 shekels)	Out on LY81, Tel Aviv 22:20 on 19 October, Bangkok 14:00 on 20 October; TG319 at 10:15 on 21 October, Kathmandu 12:25, which is about 20 hours 15 minutes waiting in Bangkok. Home as in the first row. About 45 hours 15 minutes in total
Etihad out, Etihad home with a long wait in Abu Dhabi	US$2,868 (about 8,776 shekels)	Out as in the first row. Home on EY1385, Kathmandu 09:55 on 5 November, Abu Dhabi 13:25; EY595 at 03:25 on 6 November, Tel Aviv 05:05. About 33 hours 30 minutes in total. Two other versions with a later morning flight home from Abu Dhabi cost US$2,868 (EY593, lands 10:20 on 6 November, about 38 hours 45 minutes) and US$2,880 (EY607, lands 10:35, about 39 hours)
El Al to Tokyo, Nepal Airlines on to Kathmandu, Etihad home	US$3,028 (about 9,266 shekels)	Out on LY75, Tel Aviv 22:45 on 19 October, Tokyo (Narita) 16:20 on 20 October; RA434 at 10:30 on 21 October, Kathmandu 15:00. Home as in the first row. About 47 hours 25 minutes in total
El Al to Bangkok, Thai Airways on to Kathmandu, same-day arrival	US$3,034 (about 9,284 shekels)	Out on LY83, Tel Aviv 00:55 on 19 October, Bangkok 16:35; TG309 at 21:15, Kathmandu 23:25 the same day. Home as in the first row. About 29 hours 40 minutes in total, the shortest of the 13 results. A version leaving a day later, with the Bangkok to Kathmandu flight on 20 October (LY81 then TG309, Kathmandu 23:25), was US$3,103 (about 9,495 shekels, about 32 hours 15 minutes)
Etihad out, Thai Airways and El Al home via Bangkok	US$3,199 (about 9,789 shekels)	Out as in the first row. Home on TG320, Kathmandu 13:30 on 5 November, Bangkok 18:15; LY82 at 23:55, Tel Aviv 06:20 on 6 November. About 31 hours 10 minutes in total
El Al and Thai Airways or Nepal Airlines both ways, personal item listed	US$3,216 to US$3,653 (about 9,841 to 11,178 shekels)	The same outbound flights as above with Thai Airways and El Al home via Bangkok (TG320 then LY82). US$3,216 for the LY81 and TG319 outbound (about 55 hours 55 minutes); US$3,577 for the Tokyo outbound (about 58 hours 5 minutes); US$3,584 for the LY83 and TG309 same-day outbound (about 40 hours 20 minutes); US$3,653 for the LY81 and TG309 outbound (about 42 hours 55 minutes)

Look at what the numbers say. Every one of the 13 fares is above US$2,600. The cheapest, US$2,650, is the fastest of the cheap ones too: about 20 hours 30 minutes in total against 29 hours 40 minutes or more for everything through Bangkok or Tokyo. So on the one day I looked, the cheapest fare was also the quickest by a wide margin, which is unusual and is worth checking again on the day you book. The cheapest fare lands in Kathmandu at 09:30 on 20 October, and the same Etihad flight home leaves at 09:55, so you must be at the airport early in the morning on the last day. If you want a later flight home, the Abu Dhabi connection costs US$2,868 or more and puts you in Tel Aviv at 05:05 or later on 6 November.

Each route has its own small costs. I have not read the transit rules for an Israeli passport in Abu Dhabi, Bangkok or Tokyo, so I cannot tell you whether you may stay in the transit area or need a visa for any of them, and I could not confirm it. Ask the airline before you choose. Several of these fares arrive in the morning, in the afternoon or late at night (Kathmandu 09:30, 12:25, 15:00 or 23:25), so someone has to meet you and your Kathmandu hotel must be booked for that night. Our team can arrange the pick-up. 19 and 20 October are also inside the Dashain holiday, which is covered below.

How much does a trek package to Everest Base Camp cost?

A 12-day Everest Base Camp trek package with us costs US$1,399 on Budget, US$2,499 on Standard and US$4,999 on Luxury, per person, which is about 4,281, 7,647 and 15,297 shekels at 3.06 shekels to the dollar. It includes a licensed guide, all permits, transport to and from Lukla and the teahouse nights. It does not include your flight to Nepal, the visa, insurance, tips or your Kathmandu hotel. These prices come straight out of our booking system. They are the same for 2026 and 2027 departures, and the same whether you go privately or in a group.

Everest Base Camp, 12 days	USD per person	Shekels, approximate
Budget	US$1,399	about 4,281
Standard	US$2,499	about 7,647
Luxury	US$4,999	about 15,297

The difference between the tiers is not marketing, and I want you to be able to check it. On Budget you carry your own bag, rooms are shared and meals are not included. On Standard you get a porter shared between two trekkers, all meals and a private room. On Luxury you get your own dedicated porter, a private deluxe ensuite room, all meals with fruit, nuts and unlimited soft drinks, and the Lukla legs by helicopter both ways instead of a fixed-wing flight.

What is inside every tier: a licensed guide, the permits, airport pickup and drop-off in Kathmandu, the flights to and from Lukla on the fixed-wing tiers, the teahouse nights, a first aid kit and pulse oximeter, and a farewell dinner. What is outside every tier: your flight to Nepal, the visa, travel insurance, tips, your Kathmandu hotel and anything you buy on the trail. Kathmandu hotels are quoted separately, though you can stay in our own family homestay at US$15 per person per night (about 46 shekels), which helps fund the learning centre my family runs.

Our cost guide's rule of thumb is that a trek far below US$1,200 (about 3,672 shekels) is paying its guide badly, skipping a permit or leaving out the flight, so ask any company what is in its price. The Lukla flights are a large part of a Budget price. A Kathmandu to Lukla ticket is about US$253 one way and about US$506 return, according to our own domestic flights guide, so a good part of US$1,399 is simply getting you to the trail and back. The full day-by-day route is on the Everest Base Camp Trek 12 Days page, our day-by-day itinerary guide gives the altitudes and walking times, and our Everest Base Camp cost guide has every line of the price.

If you want to skip the Lukla flight, or worry about it, there is one honest alternative. A shared helicopter seat from Kathmandu to Lukla is about US$640 per person (about 1,958 shekels), and about US$710 from Lukla back to Kathmandu (about 2,173 shekels), including government tax, bank charges and the fuel supplement. Luxury includes the helicopter both ways. Helicopter seats are shared and depend on availability and weather on the day, and the prices are a guide. The flights guide above has the full detail, and our guide to the helicopter return explains when it makes sense.

Kathmandu to Lukla and back	Price
Fixed-wing flight, one way (included on Budget and Standard)	about US$253, 774 shekels
Fixed-wing flight, return (included on Budget and Standard)	about US$506, 1,548 shekels
Shared helicopter seat, Kathmandu to Lukla	about US$640, 1,958 shekels
Shared helicopter seat, Lukla to Kathmandu	about US$710, 2,173 shekels
Both helicopter legs bought separately (my sum)	about US$1,350, 4,131 shekels
Helicopter both ways (included on Luxury)	included

Do you need a guide, and what does a porter cost?

Every trek we run includes a licensed guide, and I would not walk this route without one. A licensed guide and agency-issued TIMS card are required on most trekking routes under the Nepal Tourism Board rule from 31 March 2023; the Everest (Khumbu) region does not enforce it locally, but we always trek with a licensed guide. A guide is also your safety: ours carry a first aid kit and a pulse oximeter. Our own guide to trekking without one explains the situation, and the Nepal Tourism Board is the place to confirm the current position before you plan anything alone.

The porter question is where the three tiers differ most. On Budget there is no porter and you carry your own bag. On Standard there is one porter for every two trekkers, carrying about 20 kg between you, so pack to about 10 kg in the duffel and keep a daypack. On Luxury you have a dedicated porter of your own. If you travel solo on Standard there is no porter, because porters are shared one to two, and your guide carries up to 10 kg of your gear instead. On Luxury a solo trekker still has a dedicated porter. If you want an extra porter on any tier, it is US$25 a day (about 76 shekels), with 13 per cent VAT and a 3.5 per cent bank charge on top, so ask us for the exact figure for your dates. If you are travelling alone, our guide to the solo cost and the single supplement works through that case.

How much luggage can you take to Lukla?

Less than you think. On the mountain flights the allowance is about 10 kg checked plus 5 kg hand carry, and every airline sets its own limit, so your ticket is the final word. Excess is paid by the kilo at the airport, and our flights guide says no airline publishes a Lukla excess rate. If the aircraft is at its weight limit, the extra bag flies later, so pack as if your duffel might arrive a day behind you. Camera and drone batteries count towards your hand carry. Lukla sits at 2,860 metres, on a short mountain runway, and the plane is small. What you do not need on the trail stays at a Kathmandu hotel in Thamel, which we arrange. This matters because the large bag you check from Tel Aviv is not the bag you take on the Lukla plane.

What permits do you need, and are they included?

The Khumbu is not a restricted area, so there is no special trekking permit. You need three things, and we arrange and pay for all of them in every tier:

• Sagarmatha National Park entry: NPR 3,000 for foreigners.
• Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee: NPR 3,000.
• TIMS card: NPR 2,000.

That is NPR 8,000 in total, about US$52 at 154 rupees to the dollar (Exchange Rate API, 4 October 2026), roughly 159 shekels. None of it is added to your bill. I read the park and TIMS figures on the Nepal Tourism Board's own pages. The municipality fee was raised from NPR 2,000 to NPR 3,000 in September 2024, and I have no primary web page for it; it is collected on the trail, and our guides pay it for you.

You will see lower totals elsewhere. Some pages quote the permits at US$45 to US$60 and some say the TIMS card is no longer needed. We arrange TIMS for every trekker. It is run jointly by the Nepal Tourism Board and the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal, and its purpose is to record who is on the trail in case of an accident or a natural disaster. Our permits guide covers the rest, and our Everest permits and fees page is the one to read for this route.

Do Israeli passport holders need a visa for Nepal?

Yes, a tourist visa, and here the official page is clearer than I expected, though not on every point. I read the Nepal Department of Immigration's own pages on 4 October 2026. They say that holders of every passport other than twelve listed countries may get a visa on arrival at Tribhuvan airport and at other designated entry points, and that you can also apply online beforehand. Israel is not one of the twelve (Afghanistan, Cameroon, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria, Palestine, Somalia, Syria and Zimbabwe). The fees the Department publishes are US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days and US$125 for 90 days. That is about 92, 153 and 382 shekels.

Here is the part I could not confirm. The Department's visa exemption page names the State of Israel only for holders of diplomatic and official or service passports, who are exempt for up to 90 days. It does not mention the ordinary Israeli passport by name anywhere on the pages I read, and I could not find an Israeli government page on the subject. So my reading is that the general rule for every other passport applies to you, which is what the Department's page says, but I cannot show you a line that names your passport.

My advice, from those pages: apply online before you fly, using the Department's portal, rather than hoping to sort it out at the desk. An online application asks for a recent photo on a white background, a scan of your passport and payment by card in US dollars. Print the approval. Your passport must be valid for at least six months. The Department says you must use the visa within six months of the date it is issued, that a visa cannot be withdrawn once issued, and that the fee is not refundable. The maximum tourist stay is 150 days in a calendar year, and almost every Everest trekker needs 30 days, so budget US$50. Carry some US dollars in cash in case you pay at the airport. Because the pages do not name the ordinary Israeli passport, you can ask the Department to confirm in writing how it treats yours and keep the reply with your papers. Our e-visa guide and our visa on arrival guide walk through both routes.

One more note, on money. I have not read the rules for taking foreign currency out of Israel, or Nepal's declaration limit for cash you bring in, so I will not quote a figure for either. A Luxury balance in cash after the 10 per cent deposit is about US$4,499 on its own, so for large sums pay the balance by card, or ask us how to split it. If you pay by card, ask your bank what its limit is for international card payments, because only your bank can see it.

Will your Israeli health insurance cover you in Nepal?

I have not checked what Israeli health insurance, an employer plan or a credit card benefit pays for treatment abroad, and I am not going to guess. What I can say is general: no ordinary insurance you hold at home should be assumed to pay for a helicopter rescue from the mountains or to bring you home from Nepal. Ask your insurer, and get the answer in writing.

So you need a policy that is written for trekking, and you need to read it. A standard holiday policy is usually written for ordinary holidays, not for a 12-day trek to 5,000 metres, so do not assume it applies. I have not read any Israeli insurer's policy terms or prices, so I cannot tell you which policy is good. Ask the question and ask it in writing.

What I would ask for in writing before you buy: cover for trekking to at least 6,000 metres, which gives a margin above the highest point on this trek, and helicopter evacuation for illness as well as accident. Altitude sickness is an illness, and a policy that pays only for accidents will not lift you off the mountain. Get the answer in an email from the insurer, and buy the policy at home before you fly. For scale, our cost guide puts a helicopter evacuation from Base Camp to Kathmandu at US$3,000 to US$5,000, about 9,180 to 15,300 shekels. Our insurance guide goes through what to look for.

Our cost guide gives three bands for two to three weeks: basic trekking cover up to 6,000 metres at US$50 to US$100, full travel plus trekking cover at US$100 to US$180, and premium cover with trip cancellation at US$150 to US$250. That is roughly 153 to 306 shekels, 306 to 551 shekels and 459 to 765 shekels. We check your policy before departure, and without one you cannot trek. Buy it at home, not in Nepal, and confirm in writing that it covers trekking above 5,000 metres and helicopter evacuation, because some ordinary travel policies exclude both. The question of what a policy pays for a helicopter is covered at more length in our guide to insurance with helicopter cover.

What will you spend on the trail?

On Budget, where meals are not included, our cost guide says to add roughly US$25 to US$40 a day for meals, so US$300 to US$480 across twelve days, or roughly 918 to 1,469 shekels. That is before showers, charging and wifi. On Standard and Luxury every meal is already paid for, so the money you carry goes much further. Prices rise with altitude because everything is carried up on a porter's back or by yak. These are the ranges from our own price list for the Everest trail, in Nepali rupees with dollars in brackets. Multiply the dollar figure by about 3.06 for shekels:

Item	Lukla to Namche	Namche to Dingboche	Above Dingboche
Dal bhat (rice and lentils, refills)	NPR 500 to 600 (US$4 to 5)	NPR 600 to 800 (US$5 to 6)	NPR 800 to 1,000 (US$6 to 8)
Pizza or pasta	NPR 600 to 700 (US$5 to 6)	NPR 700 to 900 (US$6 to 7)	NPR 900 to 1,200 (US$7 to 10)
Fried rice or noodles	NPR 400 to 500 (US$3 to 4)	NPR 500 to 700 (US$4 to 6)	NPR 700 to 900 (US$6 to 7)
Tea or coffee	NPR 80 to 100 (US$0.60 to 0.80)	NPR 100 to 150 (US$0.80 to 1.20)	NPR 150 to 250 (US$1.20 to 2)
Bottled water, 1 litre	NPR 150 to 200 (US$1.20 to 1.50)	NPR 200 to 300 (US$1.50 to 2.50)	NPR 300 to 500 (US$2.50 to 4)
Chocolate bar	NPR 150 to 200 (US$1.20 to 1.50)	NPR 200 to 300 (US$1.50 to 2.50)	NPR 300 to 400 (US$2.50 to 3)

Then the extras that surprise people: wifi, charging, hot showers and laundry. These are charged per use, and they jump above Namche:

Item	Lukla to Namche	Above Namche
Wifi, per device	NPR 200 to 300 (US$1.50 to 2.50)	NPR 300 to 500 (US$2.50 to 4)
Phone charging	free to NPR 200	NPR 200 to 500 (US$1.50 to 4)
Hot shower	NPR 200 to 300 (US$1.50 to 2.50)	NPR 300 to 500 or more (US$2.50 to 4 or more)
Laundry, per kilo	NPR 300 to 500 (US$2.50 to 4)	not available

A tip from our cost guide: buy an Everest Link wifi card in Namche for NPR 500 to 1,000. It works at most teahouses from Namche to Gorak Shep and is faster than teahouse wifi. A 20,000 mAh power bank saves roughly US$20 to US$30 in charging fees over the trek. A day at the top of the route with a shower, one charge, a litre of water and one wifi session comes to NPR 1,100 to 2,000, about US$7 to US$13, or about 21 to 40 shekels. That is my own sum of the ranges above. Dal bhat is the best value on any teahouse menu, and our dal bhat guide explains why every guide in Nepal eats it twice a day.

Cash matters. Our cost guide says the only cash machines on the route are in Namche and they are often empty, so bring your trail money from Kathmandu. For Standard or Luxury, where meals are included, it suggests about NPR 20,000 to 30,000 (US$130 to US$195 at today's rate, or about 398 to 597 shekels) for showers, charging, wifi, snacks and tips over the twelve days. On Budget, add the daily food money to that. Remember that Nepali rupees are for you to spend on the trail; we bill foreign clients in US dollars or euros only.

Tipping is customary and is not included in any price. Our cost guide's suggested figures are US$15 to US$20 a day for the lead guide, US$180 to US$240 over twelve days (about 551 to 734 shekels), and US$10 to US$15 a day for a porter, US$120 to US$180 over twelve days (about 367 to 551 shekels). Together that is US$300 to US$420, about 918 to 1,285 shekels. Tips are usually given at the end of the trek in Kathmandu, in a sealed envelope, and a group pools them. Cash in rupees is preferred, but dollars are accepted. On Budget there is no porter, so a solo trekker is looking at the guide's share only.

What does gear cost, rent or buy?

Gear is smaller money than people fear. On every tier we provide a down jacket and a sleeping bag rated to minus 15 at no cost, and a duffel bag on Standard and Luxury, so the most expensive cold-weather items on a kit list are covered. For everything else, here are the ranges from our cost guide. The "at home" prices are that guide's general figures, not Israeli shop prices, which I have not checked. Multiply the dollar figures by about 3.06 for shekels.

Item	Rent in Kathmandu, per day	Buy in Kathmandu	Buy at home
Down jacket (we provide one free)	US$1 to 2	US$30 to 80	US$150 to 400
Sleeping bag, minus 15 (we provide one free)	US$1 to 2	US$40 to 100	US$200 to 500
Trekking poles, pair	US$1	US$10 to 25	US$50 to 150
Duffel bag, 65 litres	US$0.50 to 1	US$5 to 15	US$30 to 80
Fleece jacket	US$0.50 to 1	US$10 to 25	US$40 to 100
Waterproof jacket	US$1 to 2	US$25 to 60	US$100 to 300

Most of this table is a rental, so you do not need to buy a mountain wardrobe in Tel Aviv. The one item I would buy at home and break in before you fly is your boots. Our cost guide has the full kit list.

What is the full cost from Israel?

One person, Budget tier, twelve days, on the cheapest return fare I found: US$2,650 from Tel Aviv (out 19 October, back 5 November), a checked bag included. This table leaves out tips, insurance and trail extras:

Item	USD	Shekels, approximate
Trek, Budget tier (permits included)	US$1,399	4,281
Return flight, snapshot, checked bag included (Abu Dhabi, Etihad)	US$2,650	8,109
Nepal visa, 30 days	US$50	153
Food on the trail, US$25 to US$40 a day for twelve days	US$300 to US$480	918 to 1,469
Total	about US$4,399 to US$4,579	about 13,461 to 14,012

If you take Standard or Luxury, the same flight, visa and trek arithmetic comes to this, before tips, insurance, Kathmandu hotels and your own spending money:

Tier	Trek + flight + visa, USD	Shekels, approximate
Budget (plus US$300 to US$480 for meals on the trail)	about US$4,099	12,543
Standard (meals included)	about US$5,199	15,909
Luxury (meals and helicopter included)	about US$7,699	23,559

Three things sit outside those totals on purpose. Kathmandu hotels are quoted separately. Insurance is yours to buy, for the reasons above. And your spending money for the days either side of the trek is yours too. If you take the Etihad fare with the later flight home, US$2,868, instead of the cheapest, every total above goes up by US$218, about 667 shekels.

How expensive is it to hike to Everest Base Camp?

From Tel Aviv, a solo trekker on our Budget tier should plan on about US$4,629 to US$4,999 (roughly 14,165 to 15,297 shekels) for the whole trip, before a Kathmandu hotel. Of that, the trek is US$1,399, the flight US$2,650 on the autumn snapshot, and the rest is the visa, food on the trail, a tip for the guide and insurance. Standard comes to about US$5,429 to US$5,619 and Luxury about US$8,049 to US$8,299, and showers, charging and wifi can add up to about US$150 to any of them. The flight is the part that moves most, and on this route it is the biggest single line. The table below shows every line.

What is the budget for a 12-day trek to Everest Base Camp?

The trek is twelve days, but you will be away from Israel for 18 calendar days on the cheapest fare. Here is the whole budget for one person travelling alone from Tel Aviv, with every line from a source above. Tips are the suggested figures from our cost guide, and insurance is the basic-to-full range from the same guide. Kathmandu hotels are not in it, because they are quoted separately.

Line	Budget	Standard	Luxury
Trek, 12 days, permits included	US$1,399	US$2,499	US$4,999
Return flight Tel Aviv to Kathmandu, US$2,650 autumn snapshot	US$2,650	US$2,650	US$2,650
Nepal visa, 30 days	US$50	US$50	US$50
Meals on the trail	US$300 to US$480	included	included
Tips, suggested figures	US$180 to US$240 (guide only)	US$180 to US$240 (guide only, solo)	US$300 to US$420 (guide and dedicated porter)
Travel insurance	US$50 to US$180	US$50 to US$180	US$50 to US$180
Total, USD	about 4,629 to 4,999	about 5,429 to 5,619	about 8,049 to 8,299
Total, shekels at 3.06	about 14,165 to 15,297	about 16,613 to 17,194	about 24,630 to 25,395
Showers, charging, wifi (not in the totals)	up to about US$150 more (459 shekels)	up to about US$150 more	up to about US$150 more

How the totals are built: Budget low is 1,399 + 2,650 + 50 + 300 + 180 + 50 = 4,629, and high is 1,399 + 2,650 + 50 + 480 + 240 + 180 = 4,999. Standard low is 2,499 + 2,650 + 50 + 180 + 50 = 5,429 and high 2,499 + 2,650 + 50 + 240 + 180 = 5,619. Luxury low is 4,999 + 2,650 + 50 + 300 + 50 = 8,049 and high 4,999 + 2,650 + 50 + 420 + 180 = 8,299. The extras line is my own sum: a shower, charging, a litre of water and wifi on a day at the top of the route cost NPR 1,100 to 2,000, about US$7 to US$13, so US$150 is a safe ceiling for twelve days, and most days cost less. Solo Standard has no porter, so its tip is the guide's alone. Groups pay less per head than the table shows, because of the group prices below.

What can move the number. The flight can go either way by about a thousand dollars: the fares I saw on one day ranged from US$2,650 to US$3,653. A cancelled Lukla flight adds Kathmandu nights or a helicopter seat. A card payment of the balance carries 3.5 per cent. None of those is in the totals, and the next section lists them.

What else costs money that no package price shows?

• Delays. A grounded Lukla flight means extra nights in Kathmandu, from US$15 a night (about 46 shekels) at our family homestay, or a shared helicopter seat from Lukla to Kathmandu at about US$710 if you must be home on a date.
• Card charge and bank margin. Paying the balance by card carries 3.5 per cent. Your own bank or card issuer may add a currency margin on top when it converts shekels to US dollars, so ask it.
• Laundry. About NPR 300 to 500 a kilo, and not available above Namche.
• Charging and wifi. Free to NPR 500 per charge depending on altitude, and a wifi card in Namche for NPR 500 to 1,000. A 20,000 mAh power bank saves about US$20 to US$30 of charging fees, according to our cost guide.
• An extra porter. Explained in the porter section above, with the taxes on top.
• Excess baggage on the Lukla flight. Our flights guide says no airline publishes a Lukla excess rate, so ask us for the current figure before you fly. It is paid by the kilo at the airport.
• A hotel on a long change of plane. The fares through Bangkok and Tokyo wait many hours between flights, up to about 20 hours 15 minutes in Bangkok. If you will not sleep at the airport, add a night, and check whether you may leave the transit area at all.
• The early flight home. The cheapest fare leaves Kathmandu at 09:55 on 5 November, so ask your hotel for an early breakfast and a late checkout the night before, or plan to sleep near the airport.
• Closures. Government offices and many shops close during Dashain and Tihar, so sort cash and paperwork before the holiday starts.

Does it get cheaper as a group?

Yes, and only by group size. Here is the whole table from the live trek page, in US dollars. For shekels, multiply by about 3.06.

Group size	Budget	Standard	Luxury
1 to 4 people	US$1,399	US$2,499	US$4,999
5 to 8 people	US$1,299	US$2,449	US$4,949
9 to 12 people	US$1,199	US$2,399	US$4,899
13 to 20 people	US$999	US$2,349	US$4,849

The price is the same whether you book privately or as a group, and we never add strangers to a private booking. Six friends from the same office or hiking club pay less each than six separate travellers would, simply because you are six. A group of five on Budget pays US$1,299 each (about 3,975 shekels), which is US$100 each (about 306 shekels) less than going alone. Solo trekkers are welcome, and there is no single supplement on Everest Base Camp because your guide joins you from Lukla.

How many days off do you need?

Take the cheapest fare. You fly out in the evening of Monday 19 October (EY598 at 20:10) and land in Kathmandu at 09:30 on Tuesday 20 October. The flying itself is about 20 hours 30 minutes in total. If the trek starts the morning after you land, on 21 October, twelve days takes you to 1 November, and that leaves about three spare days, 2 to 4 November. You fly home on Thursday 5 November at 09:55 and land in Tel Aviv at 16:05, which makes 18 calendar days away from home, 19 October to 5 November. Those spare days are not a luxury. The Lukla flight is weather dependent and delays are routine, and the best protection against a grounded flight is a buffer before your flight home. In the busy windows, roughly 15 March to 15 May and 25 September to 30 November by our working dates, fixed-wing flights to Lukla leave from Manthali rather than Kathmandu, which means a drive of four to five hours with a hotel pick-up between midnight and 2 am. Our Manthali guide has the detail. We tell every client this before they book. We confirm the road is open 48 hours before departure, and if it is not, we find an alternative. Helicopters are not affected.

I have not read the Israeli rules on annual leave or public holidays, and I do not know how many days a week you work, so I will not turn those 18 days into working days. Count your own leave balance, and ask your employer to agree the dates in writing, well ahead.

The holidays that matter are on the Hebcal calendar for Israel, which I read on 4 October 2026. For this autumn there is nothing in the way: Sukkot ended and Shmini Atzeret fell on 3 October 2026, before 19 October. For the following year, it lists Rosh Hashana on 2 and 3 October 2027, Yom Kippur on 11 October, and Sukkot from 16 to 22 October with Shmini Atzeret on 23 October 2027, all in the autumn trekking season. For spring 2027 it lists Purim on 23 March and Pesach from 22 to 28 April 2027. Each holiday starts at sunset on the evening before, and Hebcal lists that eve as a separate day. Check the dates against the official calendar your employer uses before you book flights.

One more small thing: time. Nepal is on UTC+5:45 all year. Israel is on UTC+3 until the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October 2026, and on UTC+2 after that. According to Wikipedia, Israel Summer Time begins on the Friday before the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October, and a time-zone database (timeapi.io) gave me the 25 October 2026 changeover. By that rule I calculate the next start as Friday 26 March 2027. So a 07:00 call from the trail is 04:15 in Tel Aviv before the change and 03:15 after it. That matters when you ring home.

Does Nepal close for Dashain and Tihar?

For government offices, yes, and trekkers rarely hear about it until they land. Nepal's government publishes its public holidays each year in the Nepal Gazette (Nepal Rajpatra). The Ministry of Home Affairs notice for the year 2083, dated 18 Falgun 2082, says:

• Ghatasthapana, the first day of Dashain, is on Asoj 25, a Sunday, which is 11 October 2026.
• The Dashain holiday runs from Asoj 31 (Saturday) to Kartik 6 (Friday), which is 17 to 23 October 2026.
• The Tihar holiday runs from Kartik 22 (Sunday) to Kartik 26 (Thursday), which is 8 to 12 November 2026.
• Chhath is on Kartik 29, a Sunday, which is 15 November 2026.

The notice gives the dates in the Nepali calendar. I converted them to the Western calendar myself, using the Saturdays the same notice lists (Asoj 31 is a Saturday, and 17 October 2026 is a Saturday), so the match is consistent. The example flight lands in Kathmandu on 20 October, inside the Dashain holiday, and the flight home on 5 November leaves three days before Tihar begins. Government offices and many shops are closed. This is not a reason to avoid October, which is the best month for views, but it is a reason to tell us your dates early so permits and paperwork are sorted before the closures. The 2027 dates will be in the notice for the year 2084, which has not been published yet.

When should you go, autumn or spring?

October is the most reliable month and the busiest. Mid-November into early December is cold at night, very clear and much quieter. March and April are warmer, with the rhododendrons in flower, and are the second busiest season. For an Israeli calendar, both seasons have a catch from the Hebcal dates above: in autumn 2027 Sukkot and Shmini Atzeret fall from 16 to 23 October, and in spring 2027 Pesach falls from 22 to 28 April, so check which dates your work and family plans allow. June to mid-September is the monsoon and I will talk you out of it. Late October can bring the tail of a Bay of Bengal cyclone, so build a spare day into your flights home. Our month-by-month guide goes deeper.

Is Everest Base Camp hard, and how do you prepare?

We grade Everest Base Camp Strenuous. If you can walk five to seven hours a day on consecutive days, you have the fitness for it. What no amount of walking at home gives you is the air. Everest itself is 8,848.86 metres, according to Wikipedia, which gives the figure from the 2020 survey by Nepali and Chinese authorities, and Base Camp is above 5,300 metres. So you will spend days sleeping at altitudes where most people have never been, and I will not pretend a flat-ground fitness routine prepares you for that. That is a reason to walk slowly and take the acclimatisation days seriously, not a reason to stay home. Our guide to an acclimatisation day shows what those days look like, and our altitude profile shows where trekkers struggle.

Fitness does not protect you from altitude, and I say that to every strong hiker who writes to me. A very fit trekker can get altitude sickness while a slower walker does not. Our guides carry an oximeter, not bottled oxygen. If you want a canister available we can arrange it at cost, and I will tell you honestly that most trekkers who walk slowly and listen to their guide never need it. Our fitness guide shows what the days really demand.

Can a beginner do the Everest Base Camp trek?

Yes, if you are healthy and can walk five to seven hours a day on consecutive days. The route needs no ropes, crampons or climbing skill. What stops people is altitude, not technique. That is why the itinerary has acclimatisation days and why I tell beginners to walk slowly, drink water and tell the guide about every headache. Our guides carry an oximeter, so they can check you instead of guessing.

For a first big trek, my suggestion is to spend the two months before you fly on long walks with a loaded pack, on back-to-back days, and on stairs or hill paths. If you live in a city flat, stairs and a weighted daypack do the job. See your doctor first if you have a heart, lung or blood-pressure condition. Insurance matters more for a beginner, not less, for the reasons in the insurance section above. And if you come from a warm climate, expect to feel the cold: the nights are cold, and that is why we provide the down jacket and sleeping bag.

From our guides: what a price list will not tell you

A price list is the easy part. Here is what this page adds for a trekker from Israel, and what we know first-hand.

• Every nonstop search came back empty. On 4 October the nonstop-only search between Tel Aviv and Kathmandu returned nothing. The lowest return fare was US$2,650 through Abu Dhabi, and the highest of the 13 results was US$3,653.
• The cheapest fare was also the quickest. About 20 hours 30 minutes in total on Etihad against 29 hours 40 minutes or more through Bangkok or Tokyo. That is one day's snapshot, so look again on the day you book.
• I could not confirm other routings. A search limited to Istanbul, Doha, Dubai, Delhi, Amman, Cairo or Addis Ababa returned nothing for those dates, and I did not check the airlines' own sites. I also have no spring 2027 fare. I will not make one up.
• Two bag limits, not one. You can check a full bag from Tel Aviv, but the mountain flights allow about 10 kg checked plus 5 kg hand carry, and the extra goes on a later flight if the aircraft is full. Pack for the small plane, not the big one, and leave the rest at a Thamel hotel, which we arrange.
• The arrival day. The cheapest fare lands in Kathmandu at 09:30 on 20 October, and the same-day fare through Bangkok at 23:25 on 19 October. Tell your hotel or us in advance so someone is waiting.
• The road to Manthali. In the busy windows, fixed-wing Lukla flights leave from Manthali, a four to five hour drive with a hotel pick-up between midnight and 2 am. We tell every client before they book and confirm the road is open 48 hours before departure.
• Trail costs by altitude, summed. A day at the top of the route with a shower, charging, a litre of water and wifi costs NPR 1,100 to 2,000 (US$7 to US$13) from the ranges in our price list, and the total is in the budget table. Few pages add it up.
• Dates, from the Gazette and a calendar. Your flight lands inside the Dashain holiday, which runs 17 to 23 October 2026. The Israeli holiday dates for 2027 are in the section above, from Hebcal.
• Permits from the official figures. NPR 8,000 in total, and TIMS is still part of it.
• The visa answer, from one source. The Nepal Department of Immigration says every passport outside twelve listed countries may get a visa on arrival, and it names Israel only for diplomatic and official passports. Apply online and print the approval.
• Insurance questions in writing. Altitude limit, helicopter evacuation for illness, whether the insurer pays the helicopter directly or reimburses you afterwards. A helicopter from Base Camp to Kathmandu costs US$3,000 to US$5,000.
• Our refund terms in plain words. They are in the payment section below, so you can read them before you pay.

How do you pay from Israel?

A 10 per cent deposit confirms your booking, and the balance is due when you reach Kathmandu. We bill in US dollars, and the balance can be paid in Kathmandu in US dollars or euros, in cash or by card. Card payments carry a 3.5 per cent bank charge, and cash in Kathmandu carries none. We cannot take Nepali rupees from foreign clients, and we do not take shekels. Your own bank may add a currency margin when it converts shekels to US dollars, and may have a limit on international card payments, so ask it before you pay.

Please be clear on the terms before you pay. The deposit is non-refundable, and if you cancel there is no refund. What we do offer is free rescheduling, with at least 72 hours' notice, to any date within one year. For restricted areas and Tibet the notice is seven days. If we are the ones who cannot run your trip, we refund what you paid, less taxes, bank and card charges and any money already spent on permits and flights.

Check us before you pay

You are sending money to a company in another country, so verify us rather than trusting a nicely written page. We are The Everest Holiday Pvt. Ltd., registered in Nepal on 8 April 2016, TAAN member number 1586. You can check any Nepali operator through the Office of the Company Registrar, TAAN, the Department of Tourism licence register and the Nepal Rastra Bank forex certification. Ask any operator for those numbers and check them yourself. You can also read our over 300 reviews on TripAdvisor, Google and Trustpilot.

I will also say what most operators leave out. Even fully licensed companies have been involved in scams. A licence is a floor, not a guarantee. Talk to us, ask hard questions, and see whether the answers are specific.

Quick answers for Israel

Is there a direct flight from Tel Aviv? Not in my search on 4 October 2026: the nonstop-only search returned nothing. The cheapest return fare was US$2,650 with Etihad through Abu Dhabi, and the others ran up to US$3,653. They are one-day snapshots.

Do I need a visa with an Israeli passport? Yes, a tourist visa. The Nepal Department of Immigration says every passport outside twelve listed countries may get one on arrival, and Israel is not one of the twelve. It names Israel only for diplomatic and official passports. Apply online and print the approval.

Does my Israeli health insurance cover me in Nepal? I have not checked, and I would not assume it covers rescue or repatriation. You need a policy that covers trekking to altitude and helicopter rescue, in writing, bought at home.

How many days will the trip take? The 19 October to 5 November example on the cheapest fare is 18 calendar days away from home. I have not read the Israeli leave rules, so check your own balance with your employer. Agree the dates well ahead, in writing.

Do I need a guide? Every trek we run includes a licensed guide. A licensed guide and agency-issued TIMS card are required on most trekking routes under the Nepal Tourism Board rule from 31 March 2023; the Everest (Khumbu) region does not enforce it locally, but we always trek with a licensed guide.

Can I bring a full suitcase to Lukla? No. Mountain flights allow about 10 kg checked plus 5 kg hand carry, and our flights guide says no airline publishes a Lukla excess rate. Leave the rest at your Kathmandu hotel.

How much cash do I need on the trail? The only cash machines are in Namche and are often empty, so bring your trail money from Kathmandu. On Budget, plan US$25 to US$40 a day for food; on Standard and Luxury meals are included.

Are permits included? Yes, in every tier. Sagarmatha National Park, the Khumbu municipality fee and the TIMS card, NPR 8,000 in total.

What if the Lukla flight is cancelled? That is what your spare days in Kathmandu are for. We rebook you, and on Luxury you are on a helicopter anyway.

Is autumn or spring better? Autumn for clear weather and atmosphere, spring for warmer days and flowers. Both are good.

What is the time difference? Nepal is 2 hours 45 minutes ahead of Israel until 25 October 2026, and 3 hours 45 minutes ahead after the clocks go back.

If you want the numbers run for your dates and your group size, message me on WhatsApp, or email [email protected]. I will give you the real figure, including the parts that are not in our favour. For other treks and general planning from Israel, read our Nepal trekking from Israel guide.

About The Everest Holiday

We are a family company in Kathmandu, three generations of family guides, registered in 2016 and a member of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal, number 1586. When you book with us you deal with the family, not a call centre, and the guide who meets you at the airport works for the same people who answered your first message.

Every booking helps fund our Nagarjun Learning Center. We fully run the centre at Saldum, where 70 children learn with a teacher I pay for personally, and we have helped build and still support other community learning centres. It is where a real part of what you pay ends up.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586.