Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek, 12 Days is our Everest Base Camp route with a private helicopter to and from Lukla, a porter for every trekker and the best lodge in each village. You walk to Base Camp at 5,364 m and climb Kala Patthar at 5,545 m. It is graded Strenuous. Luxury costs USD 9,915 per person for a couple. The price per person is the same for a private trip and a group of the same size, and it falls as the group grows.
Luxury Everest Base Camp trek at a glance
| Duration | 12 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu, 11 nights, with rest days at Namche and Dingboche |
|---|---|
| Getting to Lukla | Private helicopter charter both ways, so you fly when you are ready and not when a seat fills |
| Maximum altitude | 5,545 m / 18,192 ft (Kala Patthar). Highest night Gorak Shep, 5,164 m |
| Porter | One dedicated porter for each trekker, bag up to 20 kg |
| Rooms | Private rooms in the best lodge in each village, deluxe where one exists. At Lobuche and Gorak Shep the best teahouse room, with shared toilets |
| Group size | 1 to 20, always private |
| Permits | Sagarmatha National Park, Khumbu municipality fee and TIMS. All included |
| From price | USD 9,915 per person, couple. Solo USD 15,565 |
What luxury means on an Everest trek
Nobody can make Everest soft. At Gorak Shep every lodge is simple, the toilets are cold and the nights are freezing. What Luxury does is remove the parts that wear people down. You fly to Lukla by helicopter instead of queueing for the small planes. You have your own porter, so you walk with a day pack. You sleep in the best lodge in each village, with a private room and an attached bathroom where one exists. At Lobuche and Gorak Shep there is no luxury lodge, so you sleep in the best teahouse room available and the toilets are shared. You eat three meals a day and you never go short of hot water, and your porter carries tea, coffee, juice, soft drinks, fruit and nuts for you.
I would rather tell you what it is not. It is not a five-star hotel on a mountain. The altitude is the same as for every other guest, and the weather can still delay a helicopter. If you want the same route at a lower price, take our Everest Base Camp Trek, 12 Days, which has Budget, Standard and Luxury on one page. For a longer plan with spare days, see our 15-day trek.
Hotel nights in Kathmandu are not included. Every booking helps pay the teacher's salary at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum.
Luxury compared with Standard
| Standard | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting to Lukla | Fixed-wing flight | Private helicopter charter both ways |
| Porter | One porter for every two trekkers, 10 kg each. Solo: the guide carries up to 10 kg | One dedicated porter for each trekker, bag up to 20 kg |
| Rooms | Private twin rooms | Private rooms in the best lodge in each village, deluxe where one exists. At Lobuche and Gorak Shep the best teahouse room, with shared toilets |
| Food | 3 meals, a cup of tea or coffee with each meal, fruit at breakfast, 2 litres of hot water a day | 3 meals, all the hot water you can drink; your porter carries tea, coffee, juice, soft drinks, fruit and nuts |
| Guide | 1 guide for up to 6 trekkers | 1 guide for every 2 trekkers |
Best time to go, month by month
Rain and temperatures are published station averages for Lukla and Namche, from our Gokyo month-by-month guide. They are not forecasts, and the view depends on the morning.
| Month | What it is like | My verdict |
|---|---|---|
| January | Coldest. Lukla 15.3 mm of rain. Namche 6.9 C by day and -8.5 C at night. Clear mornings, icy paths. | Only with winter experience |
| February | Lukla 17.2 mm. Namche 6.4 / -6.5 C. Very cold and dry. | Only with winter experience |
| March | Lukla 45.3 mm. Namche 9.6 / -3.0 C. Spring begins. Flights leave from Manthali from about 15 March. | Possible, cold at night |
| April | Lukla 58.7 mm. Namche 12.8 / 0.8 C. Warmer, with more afternoon cloud, and busier. | Good |
| May | Lukla 127.6 mm as the monsoon builds. Namche 14.3 / 3.7 C. Warmer but hazier and wetter. | Early May only |
| June | Monsoon. Lukla gets 324.8 mm and flights are held up often. | No |
| July | Monsoon. Lukla gets 529.8 mm. | No |
| August | Wettest month. Lukla gets 641.8 mm. | No |
| September | Lukla still gets 419.0 mm. The monsoon is clearing. | Late September only, with spare days |
| October | Lukla 102.9 mm. Namche 12.5 / 1.2 C. Clear and the busiest weeks. | Best, from mid month |
| November | Almost dry: Lukla 6.2 mm. Namche 9.1 / -3.8 C. The clearest views, colder every week. | Best, the first half |
| December | Lukla 0.5 mm. Namche 7.6 / -7.1 C. Dry and very cold. | Only with care |
October and November give the clearest views, with the first half of November the pick if you can choose. March and April are the second window, warmer by day but with more afternoon cloud. Light is best in the morning, so we plan early starts.
Starting dates for 2027
These are the windows I would pick for 2027. Festival dates are the expected ones and are confirmed each year. If you want the Mani Rimdu festival at Tengboche, ask me: I will confirm the 2027 dates with the monastery.
| Window in 2027 | What to expect | My advice |
|---|---|---|
| January to February 2027 | Clear and cold, quiet trails. | Possible with winter experience |
| March to May 2027 (Holi expected 22 to 23 March) | Spring: warmer, hazier afternoons. | Good, April is the pick |
| June to mid September 2027 | Monsoon: wet paths, cloud and leeches. | No |
| Mid September to December 2027 (Dashain expected 6 to 10 October, Tihar 29 to 31 October) | The clearest views of the year, and the busiest weeks. | Best |
We run this trek on any date you choose. Tell me your dates and I will tell you what I know for that week.
Permits and costs
| Permit | Fee | Who arranges it |
|---|---|---|
| Sagarmatha National Park | NPR 3,000 | Included |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee | NPR 3,000 | Included, bought by your guide in the Khumbu |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 (NPR 1,000 SAARC) | Included, we issue it through our agency |
The price per person falls as the group grows, and a child pays the same as an adult. Private or group, the price per person is the same. Here is the full table. These prices hold for 2027.
| Group size | Luxury, per person |
|---|---|
| 1 guest (solo) | USD 15,565 |
| 2 guests | USD 9,915 |
| 3 to 4 guests | USD 8,975 |
| 5 to 8 guests | USD 8,975 |
| 9 to 12 guests | USD 8,185 |
| 13 to 20 guests | USD 7,880 |
Not included: international flights, your Nepal visa (USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, paid in cash on arrival), Kathmandu hotel nights, travel insurance, tips, personal spending, hot showers, laundry and charging, and any extra porter (USD 25 per day plus 13% VAT and the 3.5% bank charge). Hotel nights in Kathmandu are not in any trek price; our family homestay is USD 15 per person per night and supports the learning centre.
Safety and altitude
You sleep as high as Gorak Shep, 5,164 m, and climb to 5,545 m. Altitude can affect anyone, whatever their fitness. The rest days at Namche and Dingboche are the heart of the plan, and on this 15-day version the two flexible days give you more room again. Your guide checks everyone's oxygen level every day with a pulse oximeter. If a reading is low or symptoms appear, we do not go higher, and if they worsen we go down. Read Acclimatisation on Nepal Treks: Why Your Body Needs Time and What Happens When You Rush.
Drink three to four litres of water a day. Buy travel insurance at home that covers trekking to 6,000 m and helicopter evacuation (the highest point is 5,545 m, rounded up to the next 500 m).
Read before you book
- Everest Base Camp Trek, 12 Days
- Everest Base Camp Trek, 15 Days
- Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek with a Private Guide
- Kala Patthar: The Best Viewpoint of Mount Everest
The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
Secure payment by Himalayan Bank.
Everest Base Camp with Gokyo Lakes Trek via Chola Pass
Everest Base Camp Trek
Everest View Trek
Everest Three Passes Trek
Everest Base Camp Trek with Return by Helicopter
Gokyo Valley Lakes Trek