Everest Base Camp Trek Cost from Sweden: Prices in SEK and EUR, Flights, Visa and Insurance

Last updated 4 October 2026. Trek prices are read from our own booking system. Euro figures use the European Central Bank reference rate of 2 October 2026 (the bank does not publish on weekends): 1 euro = 1.1225 US dollars = 11.29 Swedish kronor, so 1 US dollar is about 0.89 euro or about 10.06 kronor. Flight prices are snapshots from one day, and I say so wherever they appear.

Swedish trekkers who write to me tend to ask the same thing in the first line: what will Everest Base Camp really cost from Stockholm, door to door? 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 Stockholm that snapshot is not cheap once you add a checked bag. And dollars, euros and kronor are three different currencies, so every figure outside US dollars below is a guide that will move a little.

This page is one trek, one budget and the arithmetic done in full: the fares I found, the visa, the permits, the health card that will not cover you, the Swedish holiday law, and the Nepali public holidays that fall in the trekking season. If you would rather ask a person, you do not need to call Nepal. We have someone in Europe.

If you want me directly, my WhatsApp is +977 9810351300. I answer it myself.

Is there a direct flight from Stockholm to Kathmandu?

Not that I could find. On 4 October 2026 I ran live searches from Stockholm Arlanda 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). Every result needed at least one change. I have no source for a nonstop, so I will not tell you one exists.

One thing is in Stockholm's favour. Qatar Airways flies Arlanda to Doha, and that first leg is a single morning flight of about six hours twenty minutes. The weak point is the second leg: the connection to Kathmandu on these dates leaves the next morning, so you wait in Doha overnight, as the table below shows.

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 euros, return, one adult, leaving Stockholm on 19 October and coming back on 5 November, one change each way at most, a cabin bag and one checked bag asked for, no self-transfer. The hours are the total of both directions, waiting time included. The bag column is what Kiwi.com listed as included: personal item, cabin bag, checked bag.

Route and airlines	Return fare	Notes
Qatar Airways both ways via Doha	EUR 1,488	About 60 hours in total. Out 19 October at 09:10, Doha at 16:30, then on at 10:30 the next morning, Kathmandu at 17:45 on 20 October. Home 5 November from Kathmandu at 11:05, Doha at 13:20, then on at 08:45 on 6 November, Stockholm at 13:25. Personal item, cabin bag and one checked bag
Out with Qatar Airways via Doha; back with Thai Airways via Bangkok	EUR 1,560	About 51 hours in total. Back leaves Kathmandu at 13:30 and reaches Stockholm at 06:45 on 6 November. Personal item, cabin bag and one checked bag
Out with Emirates via Dubai; back with Thai Airways via Bangkok	EUR 1,667	About 50 hours in total. Lands in Kathmandu at 23:35 on 20 October, which is late for a hotel check-in. Cabin bag and one checked bag, no personal item
Out with Qatar Airways via Doha; back with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul	EUR 1,756	About 55 hours in total, including a wait of about 14 hours in Istanbul on the way home. Personal item, cabin bag and one checked bag
Out with Emirates via Dubai (short wait); back with Thai Airways via Bangkok	EUR 1,780	About 35 hours in total, the shortest trip I found. Out 19 October at 15:35, Kathmandu at 08:05 on 20 October, after a wait of about an hour and a half in Dubai. Cabin bag and one checked bag, no personal item
Turkish Airlines both ways via Istanbul	EUR 1,884	About 42 hours in total. Out 19 October at 11:05, Kathmandu at 06:35 on 20 October. Personal item, cabin bag and one checked bag
Thai Airways both ways via Bangkok	EUR 1,916	About 41 hours in total. Kathmandu at 12:25 on 20 October, back in Stockholm at 06:45 on 6 November. Personal item, cabin bag and one checked bag

The headline figure for a trekker with boots and a duffel is the first row, Qatar Airways at EUR 1,488, and that is the fare I use for the budget below. Kiwi.com showed a second version of that price with a 09:35 departure from Kathmandu. A caveat: if you search without asking for a checked bag and allow separate low-cost tickets, you will see a fare near EUR 700 with several changes and no bags listed. That is a different product, not a cheaper way to take the same trip, so I do not use it. Baggage allowances are as Kiwi.com listed them, so confirm the weight on the airline's own page before you pay.

Notice what the numbers say about Sweden. Doha is the connection that works, and on these dates it means a wait of about eighteen hours there on the way out and about nineteen and a half hours on the way home, so check whether you would sleep at the airport or need a hotel. If the wait puts you off, the Emirates outbound at EUR 1,780 is about thirteen hours door to door on the outward leg, which buys back most of a day. Look at the hours too: about 60 hours in total for the fare I would look at first. Stockholm is a long way from Kathmandu in practice, and that has to go 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 1,246, 2,226 and 4,453 euros, or about 14,070, 25,130 and 50,280 kronor. 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 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	EUR, approximate	SEK, approximate
Budget	US$1,399	about 1,246 euros	about 14,070 kronor
Standard	US$2,499	about 2,226 euros	about 25,130 kronor
Luxury	US$4,999	about 4,453 euros	about 50,280 kronor

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, 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 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, and about US$710 from Lukla back to Kathmandu, 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
Fixed-wing flight, return (included on Budget and Standard)	about US$506
Shared helicopter seat, Kathmandu to Lukla	about US$640
Shared helicopter seat, Lukla to Kathmandu	about US$710
Both helicopter legs bought separately (my sum)	about US$1,350
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 guide is also your safety: ours carry a first aid kit and a pulse oximeter. If you are thinking of going without, our own guide to trekking without one explains the situation. I have not found the regulation text myself, so I will not quote a rule or a date here. Confirm the current position with the Nepal Tourism Board 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, 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.

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. What you do not need on the trail stays at a Kathmandu hotel in Thamel, which we arrange. This matters for Swedes in particular, because the large bag you check from Arlanda 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 46 euros or about 520 kronor at the market rate on 3 October. 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.

Do Swedish citizens need a visa for Nepal?

Yes, but it is simple. Sweden 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 27, 45 and 111 euros, or about 300, 503 and 1,258 kronor.

Almost every Everest trekker needs 30 days, so budget US$50 and carry it in US dollars cash. Your passport must have at least six months of validity left on the day you travel. That is the one item on the list you cannot fix at the airport, so look at the date in your passport today. 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.

Does the EU health card from Försäkringskassan or your Swedish insurance cover you in Nepal?

This is where trekkers get caught, so I am going to be blunt.

The European Health Insurance Card that Försäkringskassan issues entitles you to necessary medical and dental care while you are temporarily staying in an EU or EEA country or in Switzerland. Försäkringskassan's English page says in so many words that the card is not valid outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. Nepal is outside, so the card gives you nothing there. The same page also says the card does not entitle you to compensation for the journey home, for example on an ambulance plane, and that it is therefore important to have private travel insurance.

So you need a private policy, and you need to read it. Försäkringskassan's page tells you to find out what your home insurance includes and whether you need supplementary travel insurance. I have not read any Swedish insurer's full policy terms, so I cannot tell you which policy is good. What I can tell you is that 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. Ask.

What I would ask for in writing before you buy: cover for trekking to at least 6,000 metres, because Kala Patthar is 5,545 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 main cost guide puts trekking cover at roughly US$50 to US$180 for two to three weeks, which is about 45 to 160 euros, and a helicopter evacuation from Base Camp to Kathmandu at US$3,000 to US$5,000. I have not priced Swedish 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 45 to 90, 90 to 160 and 135 to 225 euros. 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.

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 267 to 428 euros. 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. 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) for showers, charging, wifi, snacks and tips over the twelve days. On Budget, add the daily food money to that.

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, and US$10 to US$15 a day for a porter, US$120 to US$180 over twelve days. Together that is US$300 to US$420. 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 Swedish shop prices, which I have not checked. Divide by 1.1225 for euros.

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

Swedes who already own good winter layers will find most of this table is a pair of poles and 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 Sweden?

One person, Budget tier, twelve days, flying with Qatar Airways from Stockholm at EUR 1,488, 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	EUR, approximate	SEK, approximate
Trek, Budget tier (permits included)	US$1,399	1,246	14,070
Return flight, Stockholm, Qatar Airways snapshot, checked bag included	about US$1,670	1,488	16,800
Nepal visa, 30 days	US$50	45	503
Food on the trail, US$25 to US$40 a day for twelve days	US$300 to US$480	267 to 428	3,020 to 4,830
Total	about US$3,420 to US$3,600	about 3,045 to 3,205	about 34,400 to 36,200

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	EUR, approximate	SEK, approximate
Budget (plus US$300 to US$480 for meals on the trail)	about US$3,120	about 2,780	about 31,400
Standard (meals included)	about US$4,220	about 3,760	about 42,400
Luxury (meals and helicopter included)	about US$6,720	about 5,990	about 67,600

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.

How expensive is it to hike to Everest Base Camp?

From Stockholm, a solo trekker on our Budget tier should plan on about US$3,650 to US$4,020 (roughly 3,250 to 3,580 euros, or about 36,700 to 40,400 kronor) for the whole trip, before a Kathmandu hotel. Of that, the trek is US$1,399, the flight about US$1,670 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$4,450 to US$4,640 and Luxury about US$7,070 to US$7,320, 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 Sweden for about nineteen. 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 Stockholm to Kathmandu, Qatar Airways autumn snapshot	about US$1,670	about US$1,670	about US$1,670
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 3,650 to 4,020	about 4,450 to 4,640	about 7,070 to 7,320
Total, EUR at 1.1225	about 3,250 to 3,580	about 3,960 to 4,130	about 6,300 to 6,520
Total, SEK at 11.29 per euro	about 36,700 to 40,400	about 44,800 to 46,700	about 71,100 to 73,600
Showers, charging, wifi (not in the totals)	up to about US$150 more	up to about US$150 more	up to about US$150 more

How the totals are built: Budget low is 1,399 + 1,670 + 50 + 300 + 180 + 50 = 3,649, and high is 1,399 + 1,670 + 50 + 480 + 240 + 180 = 4,019. Standard low is 2,499 + 1,670 + 50 + 180 + 50 = 4,449 and high 2,499 + 1,670 + 50 + 240 + 180 = 4,639. Luxury low is 4,999 + 1,670 + 50 + 300 + 50 = 7,069 and high 4,999 + 1,670 + 50 + 420 + 180 = 7,319. 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 several hundred euros. 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 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 may add a currency margin on top when it converts kronor 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 Doha or Dubai. The cheaper fares above wait many hours between flights. 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.

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. 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 Swedish law say?

Ask for about nineteen days away from Sweden, not seventeen. The 60-hour fare above is two days of travel each way, and the trek itself is twelve days, which leaves a few spare days in Kathmandu. Those spare days are not a luxury. The Lukla flight is weather dependent and delays are routine, and a trekker with no buffer is a trekker who misses the flight home. During the peak months, March to May and October to November, 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 at 1 or 2 in the morning. 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 Swedish side. I read the Swedish text of the Annual Leave Act, Semesterlagen (1977:480), on the Riksdag's website. Section 4 gives an employee 25 holiday days for each holiday year, and the holiday year runs from 1 April to 31 March (section 3). The detail that helps a trekker is how the Act counts a day: under section 3 a, Saturdays and Sundays do not count as holiday days, and public holidays, Midsummer Eve, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are treated like Sundays. My autumn example, Monday 19 October to Friday 6 November 2026, is 19 calendar days but only 15 weekdays, so it uses 15 of your 25 days. The same is true of the spring pair, Monday 12 April to Friday 30 April 2027.

The catch is timing. Section 11 says that if you and your employer cannot agree, the employer decides when the leave is taken, unless something else has been agreed, and must tell you at least two months before the leave begins (later only for special reasons, and if possible at least one month before). Section 12 says that, unless otherwise agreed, you are entitled to a period of at least four weeks in June to August, so an October or April trek is not your summer holiday and needs your employer's agreement. If you have more than twenty days with pay in a holiday year, section 18 lets you save the days above twenty, to be taken within five years, which is how some Swedes build up a long trip. I am not a lawyer, and the copy I read lists amendments only up to 2014, so check the current version and your own contract and collective agreement.

The Swedish calendar helps a little. In 2027, Good Friday is 26 March, Easter Sunday 28 March and Easter Monday 29 March, which sits right at the start of the spring trekking season. May Day, 1 May, falls on a Saturday, and Ascension Day is Thursday 6 May. All Saints' Day, which in Sweden is the Saturday between 31 October and 6 November, is 31 October in 2026 and 6 November in 2027. I worked these out from the usual rules and have not checked them against an official 2027 calendar.

One more small thing: time. Nepal is on UTC+5:45 all year. Sweden moves its clocks back on the last Sunday of October, which in 2026 is 25 October, so Nepal is 3 hours 45 minutes ahead of Stockholm until then and 4 hours 45 minutes ahead afterwards. That matters when you ring home from the trail.

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 above, leaving Stockholm on 19 October, lands in Kathmandu on 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?

If you can walk five to seven hours a day on consecutive days, you have the fitness for it. Swedes who walk the Kungsleden between Abisko and Hemavan, or spend weekends in the fells, usually already have the habit, and anyone who has skied or skated all day in a Swedish winter knows what cold feels like. What no Swedish landscape can give you is the altitude. According to Wikipedia, the highest mountain in Sweden is Kebnekaise in Swedish Lapland, whose northern peak stands at 2,096.8 metres. The glaciated southern peak used to be higher, at 2,120 metres, but has shrunk by 24 metres in the last 50 years. Base Camp is 5,364 metres, about two and a half times the height of Kebnekaise, 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.

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, and fitness does not protect you from it: a very fit trekker can get altitude sickness while a slower walker does not. 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 if your part of Sweden is flat. 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 Försäkringskassan section above.

What does Sweden have to do with Everest?

According to Wikipedia, Göran Kropp was the first Scandinavian to climb Mount Everest without oxygen. He made a solo ascent without bottled oxygen or Sherpa support on 23 May 1996, after travelling to the mountain from Sweden by bicycle and on foot. A Base Camp trek is a different undertaking from a summit, 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 same mountain's shadow, and for many Swedish trekkers 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 Swedish trekker, and what we know first-hand.

• The checked-bag gap. From Stockholm, a fare that looks cheap often lists no bags, and a trekker needs boots and a duffel. With a checked bag, one change each way and a single ticket, the cheapest return I found on 4 October was EUR 1,488, so search with the bag ticked.
• Two bag limits, not one. You can check a full bag from Arlanda, 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 would look at first takes about 60 hours in total, with long overnight waits in Doha. That changes how many days off you ask for, and whether you want a hotel in Doha.
• A late-night landing. One Emirates option lands in Kathmandu at 23:35. 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 at 1 or 2 in the morning. 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.
• Swedish leave, counted properly. Saturdays and Sundays do not use up your holiday days under Semesterlagen, so a nineteen-day trip costs about fifteen weekdays, and the employer chooses the timing unless you agree otherwise.
• 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 Sweden?

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. Your own bank may add a currency margin when it converts from kronor, 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. Our Europe representative is reachable on the Finnish number above.

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 Swedish clients ask me

Is there a direct flight from Stockholm? Not in my search, and I have no source for one. Every fare I found needed at least one change.

Does my EU health card work in Nepal? No. Försäkringskassan says the card is not valid outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, and that it does not cover the journey home on an ambulance plane. You need a private policy that covers trekking to altitude, in writing.

Do I need a guide? Every trek we run includes a licensed guide. Our guide to trekking without one explains the situation. I have not found the regulation text myself, so confirm the current rule with the Nepal Tourism Board if you are thinking of going alone.

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.

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.

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

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

Can I talk to someone in Europe? Yes. Shradha Simkhada is our Europe representative, based in Espoo, Finland. Phone and WhatsApp: +358 45 353 8606.

If you want the numbers run for your dates and your group size, message me or Shradha on WhatsApp, or email [email protected]. I will give you the real figure, including the parts that are not in our favour. You may also want our country guides for other European markets, from Finland, from Germany, from Poland and from the UK.

Kort på svenska

Vandringen till Everest Base Camp tar 12 dagar och kostar 1 399, 2 499 eller 4 999 US-dollar per person (cirka 14 070, 25 130 eller 50 280 kronor med ECB:s referenskurs den 2 oktober 2026). I priset ingår licensierad guide, tillstånd och övernattningar i tehus längs leden. Flyg till Nepal, visum, reseförsäkring, hotell i Kathmandu och dricks ingår inte.

Jag hittade inget direktflyg från Stockholm till Kathmandu. Mina sökningar den 4 oktober 2026 visade en returresa för ungefär 1 488 euro för höstdatumen (19 oktober till 5 november 2026, ett byte åt varje håll, en biljett, incheckat bagage ingår). Resan tog cirka 60 timmar totalt på hösten. Det europeiska sjukförsäkringskortet från Försäkringskassan gäller inte i Nepal, så du behöver en privat reseförsäkring som täcker vandring till minst 6 000 meter och helikopterevakuering även vid sjukdom. Den ungefärliga totalbudgeten för budgetnivån från Stockholm är 3 250 till 3 580 euro (cirka 36 700 till 40 400 kronor) före hotell i Kathmandu.

Du kan fråga mer hos vår Europarepresentant Shradha Simkhada i Esbo: +358 45 353 8606 (telefon och WhatsApp, på engelska).

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.