Everest Climbing Tours

What the Everest Expedition Includes

The Everest Expedition Nepal from Monterosa Treks and Expedition costs $42,000 per person and runs 60 days from arrival in Kathmandu, with about 45 days on the mountain. Each climber gets a 1 to 1 climbing Sherpa guide, 6 bottles of oxygen with mask and regulator, and the Everest climbing permit with the icefall charge and fixed ropes. The Kathmandu to Lukla flights are included with 50 kg of cargo per climber, the trek to base camp runs by lodge on full board, and above base camp you sleep in tents with high-camp climbing food, gas and stove.

The price leaves out the USD 1,800 guide summit bonus, USD 200 per climber in base camp staff tips, lunch and dinner in Kathmandu, personal climbing gear, insurance and helicopter evacuation. Bookings take up to 15 people per booking, in English, with an age band of 18 to 75.

The South-Side Route, Camp by Camp

The Nepal side climbs from base camp on the Khumbu Glacier through the icefall and a ladder of camps to the South Col, then the summit at 8,848 m. Climbers cross the Khumbu Icefall on rope and ladder networks set by professional guides, most crossings before sunrise, and start using bottled oxygen from the South Col with summit attempts typically leaving before midnight. The heights below come from Alpine Ascents' route description, one of several published sets.

A round trip from the South Col typically takes 9 to 18 hours. Alan Arnette notes the descent has the highest incident rate on the Southeast Ridge route.

Who Can Sign Up, and When

The summit season is spring. Nepal's royalty for a foreign climber on the Everest Southeast Ridge route is $15,000 in spring, up from $11,000, with autumn at $7,500 and winter and summer at $3,750 per the fee update. On experience, Nepal's Integrated Tourism Bill would require Everest permit applicants to have climbed a mountain over 7,000 m, but it remains a bill in a House of Representatives committee with no law in force.

On results, the Himalayan Database as reported by Alan Arnette lists 851 Everest summits in spring 2025, a 63% member success rate on the Nepal side that season, and running totals through 2025 of 13,737 summits and 339 deaths, a death rate of 1.4% of summits from 2000 to 2025. All but 4 of the 2025 summiteers used supplemental oxygen.

The Peak Trips Side by Side

The table compares the trekking-peak listings by price, days, summit height and the costs each one pushes back to you, using the figures in each listing. Each carries free cancellation to 24 hours before departure. The listings print Island Peak at 6,189 m (20,305 ft), though Wikipedia gives 6,165 m (20,226 ft), and Mera Peak's listing prints no height while Wikipedia gives the main Mera North summit at 6,476 m (21,247 ft).

What a Trekking Peak Asks of You

These climbs are graded entry level but they are not walks. Island Peak's easiest route, the North Ridge, is graded PD+, with glacier travel, scrambling and ice climbing, and guides may fix ropes for the nearly 100 m climb to the summit ridge, where a crevasse has sometimes forced teams back and a 5-metre aluminium ladder has been in use. The Nepal royalty for foreign climbers on peaks up to 6,500 m is $350 in spring and $175 in autumn, winter and summer per the fee update, though operator figures differ and one lists Island Peak spring at $500 up from $350, so confirm the permit with the operator.

This is why the peaks are the standard apprenticeship before Everest: the same skills of crampons, jumars on fixed ropes and acclimatisation above 5,000 m carry over, at a fraction of the cost and commitment.

Choosing Between Them

If you want the peak and the base camp trail in one trip, the Island Peak and EBC Climb at $2,899 over 20 days treks to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar first, then climbs Island Peak from a tented base camp and high camp at 5,400 m, with permits included. If you only want the peak, Island Peak Climbing at $1,250 over 14 days is the lowest peak price on the page, but read the exclusions: the Lukla flights at USD 500 per person, the Island Peak permit at USD 350 or USD 175, and guide insurance at USD 100 sit outside the price. Mera Peak is the highest of these peaks and its route through the uninhabited Hongu and Hinku valleys is high-altitude glacier walking, technically straightforward for experienced climbers with acclimatisation the main challenge.

The 30-day Three Peaks Climbing Trip at $7,773 links Mera, Island and Lobuche East with permits, internal flights and meals on the trail, and it is a new listing with no reviews yet.

The Base Camp Treks Compared

The table lines up the trek listings by price, days, whether the Lukla flights are inside the price, and the cancellation terms, from each listing. Cancellation runs from free to 6 full days before departure, to free to 24 hours, to all sales final on the helicopter return. Read the cards for the rest of the inclusions, because meals on the trail are not in every price.

The Route Day by Day in Short Form

Every base camp trek starts with the flight to Lukla at 2,846 m (9,337 ft) by one source and 2,860 m by another, then the trail climbs to Namche Bazaar at 3,440 m (11,290 ft), where standard itineraries put an acclimatisation rest day. From there the route goes to Tengboche Monastery at 3,867 m (12,687 ft), then Dingboche, listed at 4,410 m (14,470 ft) in its own article and 4,260 m in the base camp article, for a second rest day, then Lobuche at 4,940 m (16,210 ft) and Gorak Shep at 5,164 m (16,942 ft), the last village with accommodation. Camping is not allowed at base camp on trekking permits, so most trekkers sleep at Gorak Shep and walk the 1.5 to 2.5 hours to Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m (17,598 ft) from there.

Kala Patthar, commonly listed at 5,545 to 5,550 m (18,192 to 18,209 ft), is climbed from Gorak Shep in about 1.5 to 2 hours and gives the close-up view of Everest that base camp itself does not.

• Most trekkers spend 12 to 18 days round trip from Lukla including acclimatisation, and skipping the rest days raises altitude sickness risk sharply
• A helicopter return from the region can cut three or four days off the trek

Variations, Fees and the Guide Rule

A few treks change the formula. The Everest Three Passes Trek is a 17-day private circuit over Renjo La, Cho La and Kongma La with Gokyo Lakes added, advised for spring or autumn because heavy winter snow can block the passes, and it is a new listing with no reviews yet. The EBC Trek with Helicopter Return at $2,250 flies you back from Gorakshep to Lukla by helicopter, and all sales are final with no refund for cancellation.

The Everest Panorama Trek turns back at Tengboche at 3,870 m (12,694 ft) in 8 days for anyone short on days, and the listing calls it easy compared with the base camp trek. On fees, the Sagarmatha National Park entry permit is NPR 3,000 for foreigners and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee is listed at NPR 2,000 per foreigner by one source and NPR 3,000 by another, so carry cash for both. On guides, a national rule from April 1, 2023 requires foreign trekkers in TIMS-covered areas to hire a licensed guide, but the Solukhumbu region has rejected the ruling and says guides are not mandatory there, and every trek on this page includes one anyway.

The No-Trek Tours at a Glance

The tours that reach Everest without a trek, compared on the catalog price per person, the time the trip takes, where it lands or turns and where it starts. Every figure comes from the listing.

The Helicopter Days

Both helicopter tours fly from Kathmandu, refuel at Lukla and land at Kala Patthar or Everest Base Camp only when the weather allows. The Everest Base Camp Helicopter Landing runs 5 to 6 hours in a shared Airbus H125 with 5 passengers and 1 pilot. Hotel pickup is around 5:30 AM and the flight leaves at 6:30 AM.

Ground time at the landing is short: the itinerary lists 10 minutes for the stop, because of the altitude. Passengers over 100 kg should message the operator after booking. The listing adds $50 per person in extra charges ($1,650 in total) for national park fees, municipal tax and airport tax, which it excludes without itemising.

Breakfast at the Everest View Hotel is optional. If weather cancels the flight you get a full refund. The Everest View Hotel Helicopter Breakfast is a private 6-hour trip at $1,352, with oxygen on board, a window seat for every passenger and breakfast at Everest View Hotel (3,880 m).

It is a new listing with no reviews yet. Government taxes and extra costs from weather delays are not included.

The Mountain Flight and the Tibet North Side

The cheapest way to see Everest is the Everest Scenic Flight at $100. The trip takes 2 hours built around a 1-hour flight from Tribhuvan International Airport past Mount Everest (8,848 m), with Lhotse, Makalu and Nuptse in view. Every passenger gets a window seat and the listing includes an adventure certificate and a packed breakfast or lunch.

Bad weather means a free rebooking. On the other side of the border, the Tibet Everest Base Camp Tour is an 8-day minibus tour from Lhasa via Gyantse and Shigatse to the north base camp at 5,200 m, with a night in a tent guest house at Rongpuk. The Tibet Travel Permit and entrance tickets are included.

The Chinese L visa and the flight or train to Lhasa are not. Book at least 10 working days ahead for the permit and send passport and visa copies at least 20 days before travel. The price is based on double occupancy.

Permits and Fees

The permits and fees around an Everest trip, compared on the amount and on who pays it. The figures come from the sources named under this section, and where two sources disagree both are given.

Read the Catalog Price Carefully

The lower the price, the more it usually leaves out. Island Peak Climbing at $1,250 lists the Lukla flights (USD 500 per person) and the Island Peak climbing permit (USD 350, or USD 175 as written) as not included, plus guide insurance and tips. The Everest Panorama Trek at $1,225 has the Kathmandu to Lukla flight in its itinerary but not in its inclusions list, and only dinner and breakfast are listed as included. The Tibet Everest Base Camp Tour at $969 leaves out the Chinese L visa and the flight or train to Lhasa.

At the top, the Everest expedition at $42,000 excludes a USD 1,800 guide summit bonus, USD 200 per climber in base camp staff tips, lunch and dinner in Kathmandu, personal gear, insurance and helicopter evacuation. Check each card before you book.

The Market Range for a Summit

For context only, these are third-party market figures, not prices you can book here. Alan Arnette's 2026 edition says most people pay between $40,000 and $80,000 to climb Everest and some pay up to $300,000. His cost page lists a 2026 median of $45,250 for a Nepalese guide service on the Nepal side, $54,000 for an international operator with a Sherpa guide and $76,000 with an international guide.

On the Tibet side the medians are $47,000 and $90,800. Sherpa-supported climbs run $30,000 to $55,000 and fully guided climbs $65,000 to over $125,000, all per Arnette. Tibet Travel's FAQ puts an Everest climb at around $40,000 or more.

Against that market, the guided Everest expedition on this site at $42,000 for 60 days sits below the $45,250 median for a Nepalese guide service, with the summit bonus and tips still to budget.

When to Go

Spring and autumn are the two seasons, and each has a different character. Summit traffic on Everest itself is overwhelmingly spring, with about 80% of the 2026 summits falling between mid and late May.

Lukla Flights and the Ramechhap Diversion

Lukla's runway is 527 m long and strong southwest winds usually close it from mid to late morning, so flights run early. In peak spring and autumn all flights often operate from Manthali airport in Ramechhap instead of Kathmandu, which adds a 4 to 5 hour drive and a departure from your hotel around 2 or 3 AM. October is the most reliable month, with about 1 in 10 departures delayed more than 2 hours.

The Everest Base Camp Trek Lodge to Lodge already routes its Lukla flights via Ramechhap with transfers included. Build a spare day into your plan either way, because a grounded flight can cost you the connection at the start or the end.

Altitude and Insurance

Altitude sickness typically occurs above 2,500 m and symptoms often appear within ten hours of ascent. The common rule of thumb is to sleep no more than 300 to 500 m higher each day above 3,000 m and to climb high and sleep low, which is why good itineraries hold rest days at Namche Bazaar and Dingboche. Watch for headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and poor sleep, and never go higher with worsening symptoms.

No national law requires travel insurance, but agencies usually ask for proof and it is strongly recommended above 3,500 m. Take a policy with helicopter evacuation cover, advised at a minimum $100,000 limit and $200,000 to $500,000 for high-altitude trips, because evacuation from above 5,000 m costs $6,000 to $10,000 or more. The Everest Three Passes Trek over passes between 5,367 m and 5,540 m is the altitude test on this page, and its listing advises spring or autumn because winter snow blocks the passes.