Bucket-List 12-Day Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Ride
Experience the exhilaration of trekking to the famous Everest Base Camp and flying over its impressive landscape on a helicopter on this unforgettable 12-day trek. Encounter Nepal’s legendary natural beauty, with towering mountains, lush green valleys, picturesque farmlands, hilly trails and forests full of rare and exotic wildlife. Enjoy guided tours and get an insight into the Nepali life, together with a thrilling helicopter ride taking you from Pheriche to Lukla – allowing you to skip three days of trekking! Includes one night at the five-star Gokarna Forest Resort, stays in Nepalese lodges, internal flights and helicopter transfer, daily breakfast and more.
Immerse yourself in awe-inspiring scenery as you trek to Everest Base Camp through the heart of Sherpa country together with your knowledgeable guides, admiring panoramic views from as high as 5,545 meters. Stay in Nepalese lodges along the way before winding down in five-star style with a night at Gokarna Forest Resort, complete with a relaxing massage – the perfect way to chill out after your exhilarating trek.
This exciting adventure usually takes up to 16 days, with the last three days involving a trek back to Lukla, through the same trail of the ascent. With this exclusive 12-day tour, you will skip the trek back and take a seat in a helicopter from Gorekshep instead.
What You’ll Love…
The Trek – Admire spectacular snow-capped peaks and peaceful monasteries amid the Sherpa kingdom
Prepare for a sight you will never forget as you witness the snow-capped Himalayan peaks of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and more soaring into the clouds.
Your adventure starts in Nepal’s colorful capital city, Kathmandu, where you will enjoy a welcome dinner in true Nepalese style and discover more of the cultural heritage of this enchanting city.
Discover the market town of Namche Bazaar, the most beautiful of the Everest region, dramatically positioned on a hillside beneath the peak of Kongde Ri. Shops and restaurants are plentiful in this bustling area, where you can pick up Tibetan artefacts.
Get an insight into alpine flora and fauna at Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, located at the highest elevation in the world. Admire the beauty of musk deer, Derow, Ghoral and Himalayan Thar.
Admire the striking landscape of glaciers, pine forests and snow-covered peaks, as you reach the highest point of your trek at an altitude of over 5,500 meters: the world-famous Kala Pathar, offering the most outstanding views over Mt Everest.
After conquering the peak of Kala Pathar, you will head back to Pheriche, where you will board a helicopter taking you to Lukla. Take in unparalleled views over Mt Everest and beyond from a very privileged point of view, as you skip the trek and take a seat in a helicopter - for what will be one of the most unforgettable ride of your life.
The Accommodation – Authentic Nepalese lodges plus an indulgent stay at the five-star Gokarna Forest Resort
Wind down after your trek with a relaxing stay at the five-star Gokarna Forest Resort, complete with a rejuvenating massage. This premium resort voted one of the Top 10 Hotels in Nepal in the TripAdvisor 2018 Travellers’ Choice Awards, is nestled in 470 scenic acres of ancient Gokarna Forest – once the private royal hunting ground for the kings of Nepal.
Your Package Includes:
- Nightly accommodation in Nepalese lodges and hotels
- One night, luxury stay at the five-star Gokarna Forest Resort
- Internal flights between Kathmandu and Lukla
- A helicopter transfer from Pheriche to Lukla, allowing you to skip the trek back and soak up splendid views
- Daily breakfast and select additional meals, including a welcome dinner with a Nepalese cultural show
- A relaxing 30-minute massage at Gokarna Forest Resort
- Return airport transfers from Kathmandu Airport
- A city tour of Kathmandu with an English-speaking guide
- Sagarmatha National Park permit & trekking entry fees
- Lukla entry and trekking fees
- Entrance fees for monuments in Kathmandu
- Yoga classes in Gokarna Forest Resort with an expert Yoga Teacher
- The services of highly-experienced, licensed, English-speaking guides and porters
- Equipment such as first aid kit, sleeping bags, duffle bags as needed
- Government taxes and costs for trekking crew
Getting to Kathmandu is easy. Regular flights are available with airlines such as Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Etihad Airways, departing most Australian capital cities with one or more stopovers and an approximate flight time of 16 hours.
Flights depart regularly from major gateways including Singapore (approx flight time of seven hours with one stopover), Hong Kong (approx flight time of five hours), Dubai (approx flight time of four hours) and Bangkok (approx flight time three and a half hours).
Airport pickup from Kathmandu Airport is included in your package.
Need Flights? We have a dedicated team who are able to assist with all your flight requirements. If you need a stopover or are looking at travelling to more destinations, our team can help. Contact our flights concierge team using the phone number on our website.
DAY 1 – Arrival and welcome dinner
Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfer to your hotel. Orientation will take place in the evening at around 5 PM. After your orientation meeting, enjoy a welcome Nepalese dinner with an accompanying cultural program (dancing and singing from different ethnic groups and Nepalese community) at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Hotel Mulberry
Meals: Dinner
DAY 2 – Kathmandu to Lukla by flight and trek to Pakhding (2600m)
Take an early morning flight to Lukla, the gateway to the Khumbu region, to start the trek. The trek commences uphill to Phakding for three - four hours. We will stop at Phakding for an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Sherpa Shangrila Resort
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3 – Trek to Namche Bazaar (3535m)
Early morning after breakfast, we start our journey through a pine forest and walk alongside the Dudh Koshi river. We ascend a steep trail and reach Namche Bazaar (five - six hours) which is probably the biggest town in the Everest region.
Accommodation: Hotel Sherpaland
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 4 – Acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar
To avoid altitude sickness, we need to acclimatize in Namche Bazaar. Namche Bazaar is the most beautiful and primary town of the Everest region, occupied by a colorful market with ATMs, a government office, shops and restaurants.
Accommodation: Hotel Sherpaland
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 5 – Trek to Tengboche (3850m)
From here we ascend towards Tengboche village, which houses the very famous Tengboche Monastery, the biggest monastery of the Everest region (five - six hours).
Accommodation: Rivendell Guest House
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 6 – Trek to Dingboche (4350m)
Our trail descends and passes through lush forests of birch, confer and rhododendron trees. While trekking, we can admire views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. We continue our walk to the Imja Valley and Lobuche River before ascending to Dingboche (five - six hours).
Accommodation: Good Luck Guest House
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7 – Acclimatization in Dingboche
Spending a day in Dingboche will help us to acclimate to the high altitude. We can also admire the picturesque Imja Khola Valley and the beautiful Dingboche village.
Accommodation: Good Luck Guest House
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 8 – Trek to Lobuche (4940m)
We ascend to the steep terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. As the trail drops to the Khumbu Glacier moraine, we find ourselves facing several great peaks including Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori and Mahalangur Himal (five - six hours).
Accommodation: Sherpa Guest House
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 9 – Trek to Gorakshep (5160m) and hike about two – three hours to Everest Base Camp
The trek to Everest Base Camp is not very difficult. However, we ascend and descend mostly on a glacier path. The Everest Base Camp is stunningly beautiful. We can enjoy amazing views of Nuptse, Khumbuste and Pumori mountains from the base camp. After soaking in the beauty, we walk back towards Gorak Shep where we spend the night (six - seven hours).
Accommodation: Himalayan Guest House
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 10 – Hike to Kalapathar (5545m) and fly to Lukla by helicopter
The day’s first light will illuminate your spectacular view of Nuptse Cholatse and Lhotse. This may be, of the whole journey, your most opportune moment to snap amazing pictures of Everest and its neighboring peaks. Afterwards, treck back to Pheriche for breakfast and then embark on the most exciting helicopter ride to Lukla, avoiding the trek back and soaking up majestic views.
Accommodation: Mera Lodge
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 11 – Fly back to Kathmandu from Lukla and Kathmandu sightseeing tour
After trekking for nine days you will catch the early morning flight to Kathmandu from Lukla. After reaching Kathmandu, the airport representative escorts you to the hotel where you can enjoy a special 30-minute body massage. Enjoy a full-day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu valley in various sites which have been listed in the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO (Pashupatinath Temple or Kapan Monastery, Boudhanath, Swaymbhu and Patan Durbar square).
Accommodation: Gokarna Forest Resort
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
DAY 12 – Departure
You will have your breakfast in the morning and the airport representative will drop you to the airport for your international flight.
Meals: Breakfast