
Guided treks & climbs · Everest Base Camp, 5,364 m
Guided Everest Base Camp treks, compared
Every company walks the same trail from Lukla. A Kathmandu operator charges about $1,500, a UK company £2,150–£2,400 land-only and a US outfitter $4,900–$6,650. Add Island Peak or Mera and the range is $2,400 to $9,950.
Start here
What kind of trip do you want?
Copied from each company’s own pages on Oct 22, 2026. Every “See dates” button opens the page we used. Where a page says which season a price is for, we show it. Prices are in each company’s own currency; sorting by price uses rough exchange rates. Prices change; the operator’s page wins if it disagrees with this one.
Free · no guide
Climb Everest Base Camp yourself
Everything above is for hiring a guide. If you have the skills, this is what you need to do it on your own, free. Facts come from the summit’s own page on PeakSeeker, with sources.
- Normal route
- Southeast Ridge from the South Col via the Khumbu Icefall, Western Cwm, and Lhotse Face (Nepal side); North Ridge from Tibet is the other main line
- Grade
- Non-technical trekking terrain by alpine grading standards, but with fixed ladders/ropes through the Khumbu Icefall and extreme-altitude hazard above 8,000 m
- How long
- 8-12 hour summit push from Camp 4 / South Col (7,986 m); full expedition runs weeks
- Best season
- Pre-monsoon spring (April-May); a smaller post-monsoon autumn window exists
- Permits
- Nepal requires a paid climbing permit from the Department of Tourism (tens of thousands of dollars per climber); Tibet issues separate permits for north-side climbs.
- Start from
- Everest Base Camp (South, Nepal side), 17,598 ft (5,364 m)
- Climb from there
- 11,434 ft (3,485 m) of ascent
- Getting there
- Climbers fly from Kathmandu to Lukla and trek roughly a week via Namche Bazaar to reach Everest Base Camp on Nepal's south side. Nearest airport: Tenzing–Hillary Airport in Lukla (reached by a short flight from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport); north-side climbers typically fly into Lhasa.
- Hazards
- Icefall avalanche and serac collapse, extreme altitude and hypoxia, jet-stream winds, narrow weather windows, overcrowding/queuing near the summit
- Gear
- Full 8,000 m mountaineering kit is required — down suit, high-altitude boots, supplemental oxygen system (around $3,000 alone) — with personal gear costs commonly exceeding $8,000 on top of guiding and permit fees.
Sources: ntb.gov.np ↗khumbupasanglhamumun.gov.np ↗kathmandupost.com ↗nepalmountaineering.org ↗
Read this before you pay a deposit
Same trail, three price bands. Nepali operators sell the classic trek for $1,400–$3,000, UK and global group companies for £1,120–£2,400 land-only (about $1,750 at G Adventures), and US outfitters for $4,900–$6,650. The US price buys a Western leader, small groups and, at Alpine Ascents, a helicopter both ways to Lukla.
Check what 'land only' leaves out. Much Better Adventures and G Adventures don't include trek meals ($40–$50 a day at MBA; G says $360–$470 in all), Ace charges $250 to rent Island Peak gear, and nearly everyone leaves tips out. Mountain Kingdoms and Madison include the most: full board, kit or flights.
Plan around Ramechhap. Most Lukla flights now go from Manthali in Ramechhap district rather than Kathmandu, and weather can ground them for days. G Adventures and Intrepid say to keep about $500 a person for a charter helicopter if flights are cancelled. Add a buffer day at the end.
Mera is the higher of the two peaks (6,476 m against 6,189 m), and operators grade it the easier one: Adventure Peaks rates it 2B against 3B for Island Peak. The UK companies sell it for £2,700–£4,000 land-only, US outfitters for $6,900, and Ace for $2,700. The NMA permit costs twice as much in spring ($350) as in autumn ($175), so autumn trips have a little less built into the price.
Refund rules vary more than prices. Madison refunds nothing on Island Peak, and US companies close their windows 90–120 days out. Exodus and the other UK companies keep the deposit until about 10 weeks out, and the Nepali operators keep 20–25% as 'lifetime credit'. Buy insurance that covers helicopter evacuation to 6,000 m+ when you pay the deposit (Intrepid tells you to check this explicitly).
- Sagarmatha National Park charges foreigners NPR 3,000 per person per entry (SAARC nationals NPR 1,500). It is paid at the Tourist Service Centre in Kathmandu or at the park entry point. ntb.gov.np ↗
- The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality runs its own trek card: NPR 3,000 for most foreigners and NPR 2,000 for SAARC countries and China. That page dates from fiscal year 2075/76 (2018–19). khumbupasanglhamumun.gov.np ↗
- From April 1, 2023 the Nepal Tourism Board required foreign trekkers in national parks and conservation areas to hire a licensed guide and carry an agency-issued TIMS card. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu municipality rejected the rule, and the Everest region remains the exception. kathmandupost.com ↗
- The Khumbu municipality also says trekkers in the Everest region do not need a TIMS card; it issues its own card instead. The Tourism Board called that illegal. kathmandupost.com ↗
- Island Peak (Imja Tse) and Mera Peak are NMA peaks. The Nepal Mountaineering Association charges foreigners USD 350 per person in spring (March–May) and USD 175 in autumn, winter and summer, plus a USD 500 garbage deposit per team. Permits are issued only through registered Nepali agencies and last one month. nepalmountaineering.org ↗
- About 90% of Lukla flights now leave from Manthali in Ramechhap district; only about 10% fly from Kathmandu itself. kathmandupost.com ↗
The companies
Exodus Adventure Travels
- Based
- London, UK
- Programs
- 3
- Deposit
- At least 25% of the trip price, minimum £300 (£583 on most EBC dates).
- Refunds
- Up to 90 days before departure you lose the deposit; 89–52 days 50%; 51–31 days 75%; 30 days or less 100%. Inside the 90-day window a direct booking can move its deposit to a new trip booked within three months.
Policy from: exodus.co.uk, exodus.co.uk
Jagged Globe
- Based
- Sheffield, UK
- Programs
- 4
- Deposit
- £250 on the EBC trek, £350 on 3 Peaks 3 Passes.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Jagged Globe ↗Policy from: jagged-globe.co.uk, jagged-globe.co.uk, jagged-globe.co.uk, trek.jagged-globe.co.uk
Adventure Peaks
- Based
- Ambleside, UK
- Programs
- 4
- Deposit
- £400 at checkout on Island Peak; an interim deposit 4 months out and the balance 10 weeks out.
- Refunds
- Deposits are non-refundable. More than 10 weeks' notice: lose initial and interim deposits; then 60% and 80% tiers; under 6 weeks: 100%.
Policy from: adventurepeaks.com, adventurepeaks.com
Much Better Adventures
- Based
- London, UK
- Programs
- 2
- Deposit
- 10% to book (limited exceptions), the rest in instalments.
- Refunds
- Cancel more than 65 days out and the deposit becomes account credit; 31–64 days 50% charge; within 30 days no refund. Your booking's own terms govern.
Policy from: help.muchbetteradventures.com, muchbetteradventures.com
Mountain Kingdoms
- Based
- Cheltenham, UK
- Programs
- 4
- Deposit
- £400 per person; £1,000 if departure is within 60 days.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Mountain Kingdoms ↗Policy from: mountainkingdoms.com, mountainkingdoms.com
G Adventures
- Based
- Toronto, Canada
- Programs
- 1
- Deposit
- A travel-agent FAQ about five years old gives USD/CAD/EUR 250 per person; current amounts are in the booking terms, which we did not find.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit G Adventures ↗Policy from: gadventures.com, gadventures.com, gadventures.com
Intrepid Travel
- Based
- Melbourne, Australia
- Programs
- 1
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Intrepid ↗Policy from: intrepidtravel.com, intrepidtravel.com
Alpine Ascents International
- Based
- Seattle, WA, USA
- Programs
- 2
- Deposit
- $700 at registration, including a $300 non-refundable registration fee.
- Refunds
- 120+ days out: full refund less the registration fee. 90–119 days: 50% less the fee. 89 days or closer: nothing. In writing only.
- Private
- Private EBC treks are offered on your own dates; no price published.
Policy from: alpineascents.com, alpineascents.com, alpineascents.com
Mountain Madness
- Based
- Seattle, WA, USA
- Programs
- 4
- Deposit
- Deposit by credit card, including a non-refundable registration fee; amount not found. Balance due 120 days before departure.
- Refunds
- International trips: cancel 121+ days out for a full refund less the registration fee; 120 days or less, nothing. Himalayan peak permits are named as non-refundable costs.
Policy from: mountainmadness.com, mountainmadness.com, mountainmadness.com
Madison Mountaineering
- Based
- Seattle, WA, USA
- Programs
- 2
- Deposit
- $1,500 for EBC, $2,000 for Island Peak, $2,200 for Gokyo Ri / Lobuche / Island Peak. Balance due 120 days out.
- Refunds
- Island Peak: no refunds of deposit or balance, including when weather, route conditions or staffing stop the climb. Madison says it may waive fees in some cases.
Policy from: madisonmountaineering.com, madisonmountaineering.com
Himalayan Glacier
- Based
- Kathmandu, Nepal / Baltimore, MD, USA
- Programs
- 3
- Deposit
- 25%, kept as a 'Lifetime Deposit Credit' and refunded in cash only in narrow cases.
- Refunds
- Group treks: balance fully refunded 61+ days out; no cash refund within 14 days. Other trip types use a 91-day threshold.
Policy from: himalayanglacier.com, himalayanglacier.com
Ace the Himalaya
- Based
- Kathmandu, Nepal
- Programs
- 4
- Deposit
- 20% of the trip price, non-refundable (kept as lifetime credit). Balance 30 days before departure.
- Refunds
- Cancel in writing 20+ days before departure: 20% kept, the rest refunded.
- Private
- Prices fall with group size; a solo traveller pays the 1-person rate.
Policy from: acethehimalaya.com, acethehimalaya.com
Get an email when bookings open
Nepal reprices park and peak fees often, and spring and autumn dates sell out. Get an email when we see new prices or 2027 dates.
Before and after the trip
Most programs start in Kathmandu, Nepal. Lodging is extra on nearly all of them.
Everest Base Camp on PeakSeeker → routes, live summit weather and permits.
More comparisons
How this page makes money: links to Booking.com, Viator and 57hours may earn PeakSeeker a commission if you book. Links to the guide companies themselves don’t, and nobody pays to be listed or to change what we say. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
Sources
- ntb.gov.np/sagarmatha-national-park
- khumbupasanglhamumun.gov.np/content/trek-card
- kathmandupost.com/money/2023/03/14/nepal-ends-solo-trekking-era-everest-region-is-an-exception
- kathmandupost.com/money/2023/03/30/tourism-board-everest-region-lock-horns-over-new-trekking-rule
- nepalmountaineering.org/service-charges-for-foreign-climber-per-person-in-us-dollar
- kathmandupost.com/national/2024/10/12/flights-resume-in-lukla-over-650-tourists-arrive-in-a-day
- exodus.co.uk/trips/nepal-holidays/walking/everest-base-camp-trek/tnt
- exodus.co.uk/about-exodus/exodus-booking-conditions
- jagged-globe.co.uk/trek/i/everest+base+camp.html
- jagged-globe.co.uk/climb/exp/i/island+peak.html
- jagged-globe.co.uk/trek/i/everest+three+peaks+three+passes.html
- trek.jagged-globe.co.uk/trek/adventure-plus-everest-base-camp-trek/
- adventurepeaks.com/terms-conditions/
- adventurepeaks.com/expeditions/island-peak-and-pokalde/
- help.muchbetteradventures.com/what-is-your-cancellation-policy
- muchbetteradventures.com/products/10686-adventures-climb-mera-peak-nepal/
- mountainkingdoms.com/holiday/everest-base-camp-trek
- mountainkingdoms.com/holiday/everest-base-camp-in-style
- gadventures.com/trips/everest-base-camp-trek/ANEA/
- gadventures.com/travel-resources/insurance/
- gadventures.com/faqs/travel-agents-frequently-asked-questions/
- intrepidtravel.com/uk/nepal/everest-base-camp-trek-174635
- intrepidtravel.com/en/nepal/epic-everest-base-camp-trek-172042
- alpineascents.com/treks/everest-base-camp/price-schedule/
- alpineascents.com/treks/everest-base-camp/private-trek/
- alpineascents.com/climbs/island-peak/price-schedule/
- mountainmadness.com/policies/international-trip-cancellation-policy
- mountainmadness.com/policies/trip-terms-and-conditions
- mountainmadness.com/resources/insurance
- madisonmountaineering.com/expedition/island-peak/
- madisonmountaineering.com/expedition/everest-base-camp-trek/
- himalayanglacier.com/terms-and-conditions/
- himalayanglacier.com/everest-base-camp-trek-cost/
- acethehimalaya.com/terms-and-conditions/
- acethehimalaya.com/trip/luxury-everest-base-camp-trek-with-helicopter-return/
- Each climb’s own page, linked from its “See dates” button.