Everest region
EBC Trek with Heli Return
Earn Base Camp on foot, then fly home over the whole valley
The trek
Overview
This itinerary walks the classic Base Camp trail in full — Namche, Tengboche, Dingboche, the moraine of the Khumbu Glacier — and removes only the part nobody is sorry to skip: the three-day walk back down the way you came.
Nothing about the ascent is hurried. You keep the same two acclimatization days as the 15-day trek, reach Base Camp at 5,364 m on day nine, and climb Kala Patthar (5,545 m) for first light on Everest the next morning.
Then, instead of turning around, you board a shared five-seat helicopter at Gorak Shep and retrace nine days of walking in under an hour — past Ama Dablam, over the Namche hill, down to Lukla to refuel and on to Kathmandu in time for lunch. We book better rooms where the trail offers them, with attached bathrooms in Namche and Dingboche when available.
Highlights
- Stand at Everest Base Camp, 5,364 m, after a full, properly paced ascent
- First light on Everest from Kala Patthar (5,545 m)
- Helicopter out of Gorak Shep the same morning — Kathmandu by lunch
- Ama Dablam, Tengboche and the Namche hill from the air on the flight down
- Acclimatization days in Namche Bazaar and Dingboche
- Best-available teahouse rooms, en suite where the trail provides
Trip facts
- Group size
- 2–8 trekkers
- Meals
- All meals on trek; breakfast in Kathmandu
- Accommodation
- Best-available teahouse rooms on trail; 3-star hotel in Kathmandu
- Transport
- Kathmandu–Lukla flight, shared helicopter from Gorak Shep, airport transfers
Itinerary
Day by day
Meet your trek leader at Tribhuvan airport and transfer to your hotel. The evening covers the route briefing, a gear check and the helicopter logistics for day ten.
1,400 m
Cost
What it costs
Group prices
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 1 trekker | US$ 2,350 |
| 2–4 trekkers | US$ 2,090 |
| 5–8 trekkers | US$ 1,990 |
| 9+ trekkers | US$ 1,950 |
What's included
- Airport transfers by private vehicle
- 2 nights' 3-star hotel in Kathmandu with breakfast
- Kathmandu–Lukla flight (incl. Ramechhap transfer when flights divert)
- Shared helicopter from Gorak Shep to Kathmandu via Lukla (5-seat shuttle)
- Best-available teahouse rooms for all nights on trek
- All meals on trek (breakfast, lunch, dinner) with tea or coffee
- Licensed, English-speaking trek guide, insured and equipped
- One porter between two trekkers (max 18 kg shared load)
- Sagarmatha National Park and Khumbu municipality permits
- First-aid kit, pulse oximeter checks above 3,000 m
- NTP duffel bag, route map and trek completion certificate
Not included
- International flights and Nepal entry visa
- Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover (mandatory)
- Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu
- Drinks, snacks, hot showers, Wi-Fi and device charging on trek
- Personal trekking gear and sleeping bag (rentable in Kathmandu)
- Tips for guide, porters and pilot
Optional add-ons
Private porter
Your own porter for the full trek (max 18 kg)
US$ 220
per person
Private helicopter charter
Upgrade the shared shuttle to a private machine — fly direct from Gorak Shep on your own schedule
US$ 2,500
per group
Single room supplement
Private rooms in Kathmandu and on trek where available
US$ 200
per person
Sleeping bag & down jacket rental
Four-season bag and 800-fill jacket for the full trip
US$ 40
per person
Extra night in Kathmandu
3-star hotel with breakfast, before or after the trek
US$ 45
per room per night
Route map
The route
Detailed route map in production — every itinerary stage above is GPS-logged.
Dates & availability
Departures
| Start | End | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 2026 | 7 Oct 2026 | US$ 2,090 | Open |
| 11 Oct 2026 | 21 Oct 2026 | US$ 2,090 | Guaranteed |
| 25 Oct 2026 | 4 Nov 2026 | US$ 2,090 | Open |
| 8 Nov 2026 | 18 Nov 2026 | US$ 2,090 | 2 spots left |
| 22 Nov 2026 | 2 Dec 2026 | US$ 2,090 | Open |
| 7 Mar 2027 | 17 Mar 2027 | US$ 2,090 | Open |
| 21 Mar 2027 | 31 Mar 2027 | US$ 2,090 | Guaranteed |
| 4 Apr 2027 | 14 Apr 2027 | US$ 2,090 | 3 spots left |
| 18 Apr 2027 | 28 Apr 2027 | US$ 2,090 | Open |
- Open
27 Sep 2026 – 7 Oct 2026
US$ 2,090
- Guaranteed
11 Oct 2026 – 21 Oct 2026
US$ 2,090
- Open
25 Oct 2026 – 4 Nov 2026
US$ 2,090
- 2 spots left
8 Nov 2026 – 18 Nov 2026
US$ 2,090
- Open
22 Nov 2026 – 2 Dec 2026
US$ 2,090
- Open
7 Mar 2027 – 17 Mar 2027
US$ 2,090
- Guaranteed
21 Mar 2027 – 31 Mar 2027
US$ 2,090
- 3 spots left
4 Apr 2027 – 14 Apr 2027
US$ 2,090
- Open
18 Apr 2027 – 28 Apr 2027
US$ 2,090
Every departure runs with a minimum of 2 trekkers — or book it as a private trip.
Before you go
Essential information
Permits
Sagarmatha National Park entry
NPR 3,000, collected at Monjo — included in the trip price
US$ 25
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee
NPR 2,000, replaces TIMS in the Everest region — included
US$ 15
Permits are included in the trip price.
Best seasons
Departure dates above keep to these windows.
FAQs
Questions, answered
Trusted by trekkers
Walked with us
4.9
out of 5, average rating
111
traveler reviews
15
years in the Himalaya
“I had exactly two weeks of leave and this itinerary used them perfectly. We earned Base Camp on foot — the full trail, acclimatization days included — then skipped the three-day walk out with the helicopter from Gorak Shep. Watching the route we had climbed for ten days unspool beneath us in forty minutes was the best debrief imaginable. December was cold but brilliantly clear and the trail nearly empty. The guide's daily health checks made a winter trek feel completely controlled.”
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