Everest Base Camp Trek Cost from South Korea: Prices in KRW, Flights, Visa and Leave

Last updated 4 October 2026. Trek prices are read from our own booking system. Won figures use a rate of 1 US dollar = 1,348 Korean won, which is the 2 October 2026 reference rate published by Frankfurter (it uses European Central Bank data; the bank does not publish on weekends) and matches the 4 October rate on Exchange Rate API (1,348.6). Rates move every day, so treat every won figure as a guide and the dollar as the price you actually pay. Flight prices are snapshots from one day, and I say so wherever they appear.

Korean trekkers who write to me tend to ask the same thing in the first line: what will Everest Base Camp really cost from Seoul, door to door, in won? The honest answer has three parts. The trek price I can give you to the dollar. The flight I can only show you a snapshot of, and from Incheon every fare I found needed a change of plane. And we bill in US dollars, so every won figure below is a guide that will move a little.

This page is about one trek only, Everest Base Camp, with the arithmetic done in full: the fares I found, the visa, the permits, what the Korean foreign ministry's site says about Nepal, Korean annual leave law, the time difference, and the Nepali public holidays that fall in the trekking season. We already have a wider guide to Nepal trekking from Korea with prices for other routes, 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 the UK, Germany, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria and Portugal too.

If you want me directly, my WhatsApp is +977 9810351300. I answer it myself. Nepal is 3 hours 15 minutes behind Korea all year, so a message you send at 9 am in Seoul arrives at 5:45 am in Kathmandu, and I will usually reply while your day is ending. Neither country changes its clocks, as far as I know.

Is there a direct flight from Seoul to Kathmandu?

Not in my search. On 4 October 2026 I ran a live search from Incheon (ICN) to Kathmandu on Kiwi.com: leaving 19 October and returning 5 November, limited to a single change of plane in each direction, with a cabin bag and a checked bag, on a single ticket (no self-transfer). All 15 results needed a change of plane, in Guangzhou, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur among the ones I note below. I have no source for a nonstop on those dates, so I will not tell you one exists. Our older Korea guide mentions a seasonal Korean Air nonstop. I could not confirm it for these dates, so check Korean Air's own timetable for yours.

I also ran the search from Busan (PUS) as a check, with the same limits. It returned no itineraries at all on those dates. If you live in the south, price Gimhae yourself on your dates, or expect to start from Incheon. All times in the table below are local airport times.

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, leaving Incheon on 19 October and coming back on 5 November, one change each way at most, a cabin bag and one checked bag included, no self-transfer. The search returned 15 itineraries. I logged the five lowest fares and the shortest journey, and the table shows those six. The hours are the total of both directions, waiting time included. Kiwi.com did not state baggage weights, so confirm them on the airline's own page before you pay.

Route and airlines	Return fare	Notes
China Southern out via Guangzhou; Thai Airways home via Bangkok	US$853 (about ₩1,150,000)	The cheapest fare I found, about 33 hours 45 minutes in total. Out 19 October at 16:45, then an overnight wait in Guangzhou, Kathmandu at 11:30 on 20 October (22 hours in all). Home from Kathmandu at 00:25 on 5 November (so you leave your hotel late on 4 November), Incheon at 15:25 the same day, about 11 hours 45 minutes
China Southern out via Guangzhou; China Southern home via Guangzhou, next day	US$869 (about ₩1,171,000)	About 43 hours 30 minutes in total. The same outbound flights. Home from Kathmandu at 12:30 on 5 November, Incheon at 13:15 on 6 November, about 21 hours 30 minutes
China Southern out; Thai Airways home via Bangkok, overnight	US$894 (about ₩1,205,000)	About 36 hours 10 minutes in total. Home from Kathmandu at 13:30 on 5 November, Incheon at 06:55 on 6 November
China Southern both ways via Guangzhou, later flight home	US$945 (about ₩1,274,000)	About 32 hours 30 minutes in total. Home from Kathmandu at 23:30 on 5 November, Incheon at 13:15 on 6 November, about 10 hours 30 minutes
Batik Air out via Kuala Lumpur, same-day arrival; Thai Airways home via Bangkok	US$1,063 (about ₩1,433,000)	About 24 hours 15 minutes in total, and the fare I use below. Out 19 October at 06:50, Kathmandu at 16:05 the same day (12 hours 30 minutes in all). Home from Kathmandu at 00:25 on 5 November, Incheon at 15:25 the same day
Batik Air out via Kuala Lumpur; China Southern home via Guangzhou	US$1,155 (about ₩1,557,000)	About 23 hours in total, the shortest journey I saw. Same outbound as the row above. Home from Kathmandu at 23:30 on 5 November, Incheon at 13:15 on 6 November

The headline fare for a trekker with boots and a duffel is the fifth row, US$1,063, about ₩1,433,000, and that is the fare I use for the budget below. It is not the cheapest, and I chose it on purpose. The cheapest row, US$853, saves US$210 (about ₩283,000), but you pay for it with an overnight wait in Guangzhou on the way out, landing in Kathmandu at 11:30 on 20 October, a day after the Batik Air fare lands at 16:05 on 19 October. It also lands in the middle of the Dashain holiday week, which is covered below. The fare I chose has its own cost: Batik Air leaves Incheon at 06:50, so you are at the airport in the small hours, and the flight home leaves Kathmandu at 00:25, so you check out of your hotel on the evening of 4 November. If you would rather arrive the day you leave, that is the fare to look at first. Baggage allowances are as Kiwi.com listed them. Check the transit rules for the country where you change planes too, because I have not.

Notice what the numbers say about Incheon. The fares were all one change, and the journey takes between about 23 and about 43 hours in total across the six I list, so it is a long trip whichever you choose, and that goes into your leave calculation 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 ₩1,886,000, ₩3,369,000 and ₩6,739,000 at 1,348 won 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	KRW, approximate
Budget	US$1,399	about ₩1,886,000
Standard	US$2,499	about ₩3,369,000
Luxury	US$4,999	about ₩6,739,000

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 ₩20,000), 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 ₩1,618,000) 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, 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 ₩863,000), and about US$710 from Lukla back to Kathmandu (about ₩957,000), 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.

Kathmandu to Lukla and back	Price
Fixed-wing flight, one way (included on Budget and Standard)	about US$253, ₩341,000
Fixed-wing flight, return (included on Budget and Standard)	about US$506, ₩682,000
Shared helicopter seat, Kathmandu to Lukla	about US$640, ₩863,000
Shared helicopter seat, Lukla to Kathmandu	about US$710, ₩957,000
Both helicopter legs bought separately (my sum)	about US$1,350, ₩1,820,000
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. I did not find any guidance on guides in the Korean foreign ministry text I read, so I will not cite it for a rule either way. 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 ₩34,000), 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 Incheon 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, roughly ₩70,000 at the same dollar rate. 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 Korean citizens need a visa for Nepal?

Yes, but it is simple. South Korea is not on the list of twelve countries whose citizens must apply at a Nepali embassy before travelling, so you can get a visa on arrival at Tribhuvan airport or apply online beforehand. The twelve are Afghanistan, Cameroon, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria, Palestine, Somalia, Syria and Zimbabwe. The fees published by the Nepal Department of Immigration are US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days and US$125 for 90 days. That is about ₩40,000, ₩67,000 and ₩169,000.

Almost every Everest trekker needs 30 days, so budget US$50 and carry it in US dollars cash. Look at the validity date in your passport today, because passport validity is the one item on the list you cannot fix at the airport; check the current requirement on the Department of Immigration's site. If you apply online, the payment gateway adds a convenience fee, and the approved visa is emailed to you to print. Our e-visa guide and our visa on arrival guide walk through both routes.

What does the Korean foreign ministry say about Nepal?

You should read the ministry's own pages before you book, because they change. The ministry runs the travel advisory site 0404.go.kr (해외안전여행). Its Nepal country page would not load for me, so I read the notice on the site's front page on 4 October 2026 instead. It is headed "2026 상반기 여행경보 정기 조정", the regular adjustment of travel alerts for the first half of 2026. These are the points that matter for a trekker, in my paraphrase of the ministry's Korean text:

• Alert level. The notice says that, following the regular adjustment on 30 June and given the stable situation since a new government took office in March, the special travel advisory (특별여행주의보) on Bagmati Province was lifted and lowered to level 1. It then states the position after the adjustment: Nepal is at level 1 (여행유의, "travel caution") throughout. The ministry's four levels run from 1 (여행유의) to 4 (여행금지, "travel ban").
• What I could not check. The notice is about the 30 June adjustment. I did not find a date on the notice itself, and I could not open the country page, so I cannot tell you whether there are newer Nepal-specific notices. Please check 0404.go.kr for Nepal before you book. Other sources I read mention floods in late August 2026 in the Rasuwa area, which is the Langtang side of the country and not the Everest route, so conditions can change after the notice I read.
• Travel bans in the same notice. The same notice extends the list of travel-ban countries to 31 January 2027. Nepal is not on it.

I did not find any wording about trekking, altitude, insurance or helicopters in the part of the notice that concerns Nepal, so I will not attribute any to the ministry. Lukla landings are by sight, flights can be grounded for days, and the best protection is a buffer in your plans, which is the next point.

Will Korean health insurance cover you in Nepal?

I have not checked what the Korean national health insurance 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 Korean insurer's policy terms, so I cannot tell you which policy is good. Ask.

What I would ask for in writing before you buy: cover for trekking to at least 6,000 metres, because Kala Patthar is over 5,500 metres, 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 ₩4,044,000 to ₩6,740,000. I have not priced Korean insurers, so get a quote. 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 ₩67,000 to ₩135,000, ₩135,000 to ₩243,000 and ₩202,000 to ₩337,000. 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 ₩404,000 to ₩647,000. 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:

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 ₩9,000 to ₩18,000. 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 ₩175,000 to ₩263,000) 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 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 ₩243,000 to ₩324,000), and US$10 to US$15 a day for a porter, US$120 to US$180 over twelve days (about ₩162,000 to ₩243,000). Together that is US$300 to US$420, about ₩404,000 to ₩566,000. 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 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 Korean shop prices, which I have not checked. Multiply the dollar figures by about 1,348 for won.

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

Trekkers who already own a good shell, poles and boots from walking in Korea's national parks will find most of this table is a rental. 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 South Korea?

One person, Budget tier, twelve days, flying from Incheon at US$1,063 (Batik Air out via Kuala Lumpur, Thai Airways home via Bangkok), one change each way and a checked bag included. This table is the Budget column of the budget table further down, without tips, insurance and trail extras:

Item	USD	KRW, approximate
Trek, Budget tier (permits included)	US$1,399	₩1,886,000
Return flight, Incheon, US$1,063 snapshot, checked bag included	US$1,063	₩1,433,000
Nepal visa, 30 days	US$50	₩67,000
Food on the trail, US$25 to US$40 a day for twelve days	US$300 to US$480	₩404,000 to ₩647,000
Total	about US$2,812 to US$2,992	about ₩3,791,000 to ₩4,033,000

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	KRW, approximate
Budget (plus US$300 to US$480 for meals on the trail)	about US$2,512	about ₩3,386,000
Standard (meals included)	about US$3,612	about ₩4,869,000
Luxury (meals and helicopter included)	about US$6,112	about ₩8,239,000

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 cheapest fare I found instead, US$853, every total above comes down by US$210, about ₩283,000.

How expensive is it to hike to Everest Base Camp?

From Incheon, a solo trekker on our Budget tier should plan on about US$3,042 to US$3,412 (roughly ₩4,101,000 to ₩4,599,000) for the whole trip, before a Kathmandu hotel. Of that, the trek is US$1,399, the flight US$1,063 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$3,842 to US$4,032 and Luxury about US$6,462 to US$6,712, and showers, charging and wifi can add up to about US$150 to any of them. The flight is the part that moves most. 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 Korea for about seventeen nights on the fare I use. Here is the whole budget for one person travelling alone, 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 Incheon to Kathmandu, US$1,063 autumn snapshot	US$1,063	US$1,063	US$1,063
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 3,042 to 3,412	about 3,842 to 4,032	about 6,462 to 6,712
Total, KRW at 1,348	about ₩4,101,000 to ₩4,599,000	about ₩5,179,000 to ₩5,435,000	about ₩8,711,000 to ₩9,048,000
Showers, charging, wifi (not in the totals)	up to about US$150 more (₩202,000)	up to about US$150 more	up to about US$150 more

How the totals are built: Budget low is 1,399 + 1,063 + 50 + 300 + 180 + 50 = 3,042, and high is 1,399 + 1,063 + 50 + 480 + 240 + 180 = 3,412. Standard low is 2,499 + 1,063 + 50 + 180 + 50 = 3,842 and high 2,499 + 1,063 + 50 + 240 + 180 = 4,032. Luxury low is 4,999 + 1,063 + 50 + 300 + 50 = 6,462 and high 4,999 + 1,063 + 50 + 420 + 180 = 6,712. 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 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 a few hundred dollars: the fares I saw on one day ranged from US$853 to US$1,155 in the six rows I list alone. 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 ₩20,000) 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 won to dollars, so ask it.
• The online visa fee. If you apply online, the payment gateway adds a convenience fee to the US$50.
• 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 in Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok. The cheapest fares wait many hours between flights: the cheapest fare waits overnight in Guangzhou on the way out. If you will not sleep at the airport, add a night.
• 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 won, multiply by about 1,348.

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 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 ₩1,751,000), which is US$100 each 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, and what does Korean law say?

Ask for about seventeen nights away from Korea. The fare I use takes about 24 hours of travel in total, counting both directions and the waits, and the trek itself is twelve days, which leaves a few spare days around it. 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.

Now the Korean side. I read the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) through the Ministry of Government Legislation's open data service at law.go.kr, in the version that took effect on 2 October 2026 (promulgated 4 August 2026). Article 60 paragraph 1 says: "사용자는 1년간 80퍼센트 이상 출근한 근로자에게 15일의 유급휴가를 주어야 한다." As I read it, an employer must give 15 days of paid leave to a worker who attended at least 80 per cent of the working days in a year. Paragraph 2 says a worker with less than a year of service, or under 80 per cent attendance, gets one day of paid leave for each month of full attendance, so someone in their first year cannot reach the leave this trip needs. Paragraph 4 adds one day for every two years of service beyond the first year, for workers with three or more years of continuous service, up to a total of 25 days. Treat all of this as my reading, not legal advice.

Now my autumn example, on the fare I use. The flight leaves Incheon at 06:50 on Monday 19 October, so you need the Monday, and you land back at 15:25 on Thursday 5 November. The weekdays you must cover are Monday 19 October to Thursday 5 November, which is 14 weekdays (5 + 5 + 4). That is 14 of the 15 days in paragraph 1, so the margin is a single day, and a worker with fewer days than 15 cannot do it without unpaid leave. On the cheapest fare, which leaves at 16:45 on the Monday, the weekdays are Tuesday 20 October to Thursday 5 November, 13 weekdays, or 14 if you take the Monday afternoon too. None of the Korean public holidays I could find falls in that window: the National Holidays Act (국경일에 관한 법률) names 1 March, 17 July, 15 August, 3 October and 9 October, and the government decree on public holidays adds New Year's Day, the Lunar New Year, Buddha's Birthday, Labour Day, Children's Day, Memorial Day, Chuseok and Christmas Day. In 2026 the two October dates are both before your trip. I have not checked how a public holiday is treated in each kind of workplace, so ask your employer.

The rules on when you take the leave matter more than the count. As I read paragraph 6, the employer must give the leave at the time you ask for it, but may move it if giving it then would seriously disrupt the business (사업 운영에 막대한 지장). So ask early, and in writing. Paragraph 8 says leave you do not use within the year lapses, unless the employer is at fault, so check your own balance and the year it runs to. Paragraph 5, added in the 9 June 2026 amendment, lets workers claim leave in parts, within limits set by a presidential decree, which I have not read. And the Act applies in full to workplaces that normally employ five or more people (Article 11 paragraph 1); for smaller workplaces only some provisions apply, by decree, so ask your employer which applies to you. Your contract may give you more than the statute.

A spring trek works too, and Korean holidays can help. The government decree lists Labour Day on 1 May, Children's Day on 5 May and Buddha's Birthday on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, with a substitute holiday when one lands on a weekend. I have not converted the 2027 lunar date or worked out the 2027 substitute days, so check an official calendar before you plan around them.

One more small thing: time. Nepal is on UTC+5:45 all year and Korea on UTC+9, so Nepal is 3 hours 15 minutes behind Korea. A 07:00 call from the trail is 10:15 in Seoul. 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 flights above, leaving Incheon on 19 October, land in Kathmandu on 19 or 20 October, inside the Dashain holiday. 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. 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. Korea's mountains give you a start: you can train with a loaded pack on back-to-back days on the long ridge trails. What they cannot give you is the air. According to Wikipedia, the summit of Hallasan on Jeju is 1,947 metres and is the highest point in South Korea, and Jirisan, at 1,915 metres, is the highest mountain on the Korean mainland. Base Camp is 5,364 metres, about 3,417 metres higher than Hallasan and about 2.8 times its height, and Everest itself is 8,848.86 metres, about 4.5 times higher than Hallasan. So you will spend days sleeping higher than you have ever been. That is a reason to walk slowly and take the acclimatisation days seriously, not a reason to stay home.

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. 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.

How does Everest compare with Hallasan?

The only Korean connection to Everest that I can source is a measuring one, so I will not dress it up as more. Wikipedia gives Hallasan as 1,947 metres, the highest point in South Korea, and Jirisan as 1,915 metres, the highest on the mainland. It gives Everest as 8,848.86 metres after the 2020 survey by Nepali and Chinese authorities. A Base Camp trek is a different undertaking from climbing Everest, and I will not pretend it is the same. You can fly, and we will carry your bag if you pay for a porter. But it walks into the shadow of a mountain more than four times as high as anything in your home country, and for many Korean hikers that is reason enough.

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 Korean trekker, and what we know first-hand.

• The cheapest fare is not the one to book. With a checked bag, one change each way and a single ticket, the lowest return I found on 4 October was US$853, and the one I would look at first was US$1,063, because the cheaper one waits overnight in Guangzhou on the way out and lands in Kathmandu a day later.
• Two bag limits, not one. You can check a full bag from Incheon, 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 real journey time. The fare I use takes about 24 hours in total. The cheapest takes about 33 hours 45 minutes. That changes how many days off you ask for.
• The arrival day. The Batik Air fare lands in Kathmandu at 16:05 on 19 October, early enough for a hotel pick-up. The cheapest fare lands at 11:30 on 20 October. Tell your hotel or us in advance so someone is waiting.
• Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok. If you plan to leave the airport during a long wait, check the transit rules for that country first.
• 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 13) from the ranges in our price list, and the total is in the budget table. Few pages add it up.
• Korean leave, counted carefully. The Labor Standards Act gives 15 days for a worker with a full year of 80 per cent attendance, and a seventeen-night trip from Monday 19 October uses 14 weekdays of them on my reading. That leaves one day, so count your own balance before you book.
• Dates, from the Gazette. A 19 October departure lands inside the Dashain holiday, which runs 17 to 23 October 2026. Guides rarely mention it.
• Permits from the official figures. NPR 8,000 in total, and TIMS is still part of it.
• Insurance questions in writing. Altitude limit, helicopter evacuation for illness, and 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 South Korea?

A 10 per cent deposit confirms your booking, and the balance is due when you reach Kathmandu. We bill in US dollars only, by card or cash. 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 Korean won. Your own bank may add a currency margin when it converts from won, 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.

The questions Korean clients ask me

Is there a direct flight from Incheon? Not in my search, and I have no source for one on these dates. Every fare I found needed a change. Check Korean Air's own timetable if you have heard of a seasonal nonstop.

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

How many days of leave will the trip use? On my reading of the Labor Standards Act, the 19 October to 5 November example uses 14 weekdays, against 15 days of leave for a full year of 80 per cent attendance. Agree the dates with your employer 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 3 hours 15 minutes behind Korea, all year.

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 prices on other treks in won, read our Nepal trekking from Korea guide.

한국어 요약

에베레스트 베이스캠프 트레킹은 12일 일정이며, 1인당 1,399달러(예산형), 2,499달러(표준형), 4,999달러(럭셔리)입니다. 환율 1달러 = 1,348원 기준으로 약 188만 6천 원, 336만 9천 원, 673만 9천 원입니다. 요금에는 면허를 가진 가이드, 모든 입장 허가, 롯지 숙박이 포함되며, 항공권, 비자, 여행자 보험, 카트만두 호텔, 팁은 포함되지 않습니다. 환율은 매일 바뀌므로 원화 금액은 참고용이고, 실제 결제는 미국 달러로만 받습니다.

2026년 10월 4일 검색 기준으로 인천에서 카트만두까지 직항은 찾지 못했고, 모든 항공편이 1회 경유였습니다. 가장 싼 항공권은 853달러(광저우 경유, 약 33시간 45분)였고, 이 글에서는 같은 날 도착하는 1,063달러(쿠알라룸푸르 경유, 약 24시간 15분)를 기준으로 계산했습니다. 항공권 가격은 하루 동안의 스냅숏이며 바뀔 수 있습니다. 위 기준으로 예산형 1인 총비용은 호텔 제외 약 3,042달러에서 3,412달러(약 410만 원에서 460만 원)입니다.

근로기준법 제60조는 1년간 80퍼센트 이상 출근한 근로자에게 15일의 유급휴가를 주도록 하고 있습니다. 10월 19일부터 11월 5일까지의 예시는 평일 14일을 사용합니다. 날짜는 사업주와 서면으로 미리 협의하세요. 한국 외교부 해외안전여행 사이트(0404.go.kr)는 네팔을 1단계(여행유의)로 안내하고 있으나, 출발 전에 최신 공지를 꼭 확인하세요. 문의는 WhatsApp +977 9810351300 또는 [email protected] 으로 영어로 보내 주세요.

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 and third-generation family guide. TAAN Member #1586.