We have sourced (or built!) accommodation and service to a very high standard for this trip and relative to this part of the world. But please remember this, at its deepest essence, is still adventure travel, so “luxury” in a tent on a mountainside at 5,500m is what we might call rugged.

We want to make sure you are comfortable, but we do need to let you know that when camping and glamping, there are certain aspects that still fall very much into the adventurous category, more so than the luxury one.

For instance, on the Everest Base Camp Trek, everything you see around you has been carried in by hand or yak. There are no roads, no towns, no major infrastructure. What we have available is very different than what we might find in New York, Paris, London, or Sydney.

We expect you to roll with the punches and enjoy those rugged elements, for instance, the famous “toilet” tent. Yes, it is a small tent (and it has a toilet seat), but there is no convenient flush into a sewerage system rather your business is dropped off in a big drum, that gets sealed and removed from the glacier to be disposed of appropriately and environmentally down the valley.

There is very little electricity in the mountain lodges, so they won’t necessarily have reliable refrigeration. This means all the food you eat, is simple, locally sourced, sustainable, organic, safe to eat, and totally delicious, but sushi or steak won’t be on the menu.

We hope that your sense of adventure and desire to hike to Everest Base Camp on foot and experience the magical mountain setting will make up for certain rugged aspects of camping on the mountain and being on an expedition!

Nepal has an irresistible, mystic allure for travelers, and one of the best ways to see Nepal is on foot. Our Rugged Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek combines the culture and colors of Nepal with exclusive access to Everest Base Camp proper, welcoming teahouses and luxury accommodations in Kathmandu and the best mountain leaders in the world.

CTSS is well versed in providing world-class guidance and logistics in some of the most remote, inhospitable corners of our planet, from the summit of Everest to the heart of Antarctica to the North & South Poles. Together with our local Nepalese team, who provide exceptional service and take safety and hygiene standards to new heights, we are bringing you a more comfortable way of exploring these remote, unforgiving places in the High Himalayas.

The Everest Base Camp Trek is widely heralded as the best trek in the world, and for good reason; it’s beautiful, challenging yet achievable, and incredibly scenic. For roughly 40 miles/70 km, you will trek through lush green pastures, blossoming Rhododendron forests and the most spectacular mountain terrain in the world.

Our journey begins in Kathmandu, where we meet the team, undertake gear checks and a guide briefing before flying into the Khumbu Valley. The flight to Lukla is exciting and offers us our first glimpse of Everest, our goal! We land on a runway carved into the side of a mountain before a gentle trek to Phakding.

From Phakding, we weave our way up the Khumbu Valley, past Namche Bazaar – the Sherpa Capital, to Tengboche, where we visit the world-famous monastery for a Buddhist blessing before climbing above the vegetation level to Pheriche. We are now truly amongst the Himalayan giants of Ama Dablam, Lobuche, Pumori, Nuptse, Lhotse and Everest.

Off the beaten trail, we divert to Lobuche Base Camp for our first tented night under the alpine stars, before finally weaving our way to Everest Base Camp. Unlike all the other trekkers, we pass straight by ‘trekkers’ rock’ and enter the official Everest Base Camp, where the aspiring summiteers reside.

Having reached our destination, our journey doesn’t end but just begins. We have 2x days to enjoy all the incredible amenities of CTSS’ luxury Everest Base Camp, from a champagne breakfast on the glacier, to playing the worlds’ highest game of ping pong, sipping on a barista made cappucino overlooking the icefall.

Each night we cocoon inside our private luxury Everest Executive geodesic domes. Heated and powered with a queen-sized bed, they are the ultimate Everest glamping digs!

In the morning, we have the option to partake in a beginner-friendly ice climbing clinic led by Everest guides, where we get a taste of what it is to be an Everest climber. Technically we can say we’ve even climbed on Everest! We practice and learn fixed line climbing, rappelling, cramponing, and rope skills before heading back to Base Camp for a chef-prepared lunch.

In the afternoon, relax in the spa tent with a 60 minute massage before cuddling up with a hot chocolate and watching a movie in the Big House.

Tomorrow, we will be picked up and whisked away by a specialized high-altitude helicopter all the way back to Kathmandu and our five-star hotel.

To wrap our adventure, we enjoy the sights and sounds of Kathmandu with a full-day city tour, taking in the top highlights before our farewell dinner and flights home.