What the Everest Base Camp trek really costs

The Everest Base Camp trek is a rare trip where almost every expense is predictable in advance. Below is the budget structure we walk through with every member of our group.

What the total is made of

Club guiding — $1,400 to $1,700 depending on group size. That covers a Russian-speaking guide for the whole route, help with preparation, tickets and permits, and the group first-aid kit.

International flights — to Kathmandu and back, booked 2–3 months ahead for the best fares.

Kathmandu — Lukla — Kathmandu — the famous 35 minutes to the gateway of Khumbu, about $400 return. Flights are weather-dependent, which is why the program includes reserve days.

Tea houses and meals — the main variable. A lodge bed costs a token amount, but food gets pricier with altitude: $30–50 a day on average. Over 17 days that is roughly $600–800, plus hotels in Kathmandu.

Nepal visa — $50, issued on arrival at the airport.

Porter — optional, $20 a day, carrying up to 20 kg; most participants share one porter between two and walk light.

Tips — $250 per person for the local guides and $150 per porter (usually split between two). In Nepal this is an established norm — budget it from the start.

Insurance — trekking cover to 5,500 m with helicopter evacuation. How to choose it — in a separate article.

The real range

All in, the trek's running costs are about $2,300–2,500 on top of the guiding fee. With flights from Russia the full budget usually lands at $4,500–5,500. You can save on the porter and souvenirs; you cannot save on insurance or reserve days.

Where not to cut corners

First — reserve days: Lukla closes for weather regularly, and tight flight connections turn a delay into a disaster. Second — insurance with a helicopter option: evacuation from Khumbu without it costs $5,000–10,000. Third — acclimatization rest days: our 17-day itinerary includes two, and they are what get the whole group to Kala Patthar.

When to go and what's next

The classic windows are October–November and March–May. And if you want not only to reach the foot of Everest but to summit a 6,000er of your own, look at the version with the Lobuche Peak climb — the same trek plus a real 6,119 m summit.