Thursday, October 3, 2024
HomeTrekking in NepalEverest Base Camp TrekUnbiased Complete Reviews of the Best Everest Base Camp Tours

With so many trekking companies out there, it’s hard to choose which one to go with for an Everest Base Camp tour. Read our unbiased reviews about the best Everest Base Camp tour providers and find the right one for you.

Tours to Everest Base Camp are very popular and for good reason. Not only is Everest Base Camp the gateway to the summit of Mt Everest, the views of the Himalayan mountain range are out-of-this-world, the hiking trail is challenging and adventurous, and the cultural experience is one not to be missed. 

While it’s possible to trek to Everest Base Camp on your own, it’s not advisable to do so for many reasons. It’s safer, easier and more enjoyable to travel on an Everest Base Camp tour.  

So let’s have a look at the different kinds of Everest Base Camp tours. 

Our Everest Base Camp trekking team – my kids and I, our guide Arjun and porters Bage and Lochan.

Everest Base Camp Tours

There are two kinds of tours to and from Everest Base Camp. 

The most popular are the trekking tours that take anywhere from 10 to 16 days to complete. 

Those lacking fitness or time can opt for helicopter tours which can take you from Lukla to Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar or anywhere in between. 

For those fit enough and have the time to hike to Everest Base Camp, the best experience is to hike to Everest Base Camp and then take a helicopter ride from Base Camp (Gorekshep) back to Lukla.   

In this article, I provide my reviews on ten of the best trekking tours to Everest Base Camp. If you would like information about helicopter tours to or from Everest Base Camp, please see my article on helicopter tours.

My family and I with our guide, Arjun and Balaram, the owner of Nepal Hiking Team at Woodapple Resort & Spa in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Best Everest Base Camp Trekking Tours

There are so many trekking companies offering trekking tours to Everest Base Camp these days. So how do you choose which outfit to go with? 

Most people rely on online reviews or word-of-mouth from friends or relatives. 

Here are my unbiased reviews of the ten best Everest Base Camp trekking tours. As a comparison, I’ve also provided ratings from online travel heavyweights such as Tripadvisor and TourRadar and of course Google. 

It’s worth mentioning that all the trekking companies on this list have one thing in common. It is the Nepali culture to treat guests with great respect, courtesy and attention. No matter what their status or title is, your happiness is paramount to them and they will go out of their way to ensure that your needs are met. You can expect this treatment from the owners to the guides and porters.

Best Overall Tour Provider

1. Nepal Hiking Team

Tripadvisor score: 5/5
TourRadar score: 5
Google score: 4.7

Summary: 
We might be a tad partial to Nepal Hiking Team because we used them for our trekking tour to Everest Base Camp, but the reviews from other authorities support our view. Needless to say, they are specialists in trekking tours to Everest Base Camp and Annapurna in Nepal.

We can’t say enough good things about this company. 

From the get go, their communication was prompt, every question was answered in detail and they went to great lengths to ensure that the tour we got was what we wanted. 

The quality of the accommodation in Kathmandu, transportation and the tea houses along the way were great (met our expectations), but it was the customer service that was exceptional (exceeded our expectations). Everyone from the hotel reception lady to the guide and porters were friendly yet professional, and everyone went out of their way to make sure every comfort was attended to and we were happy every step of the way. 

The team are very good at dealing with adversities on route to Everest Base Camp, constantly checking your medical condition as you climb to Everest Base Camp.

Without their constant support and encouragement, we would not have made it to Base Camp. 

They will look after you from the moment they collect you from the airport till the time they drop you off at the airport. 

We had such a wonderful experience with them, we like to think of them as family now. 

Runner-Up Tour Provider

2. Ace the Himalaya

Tripadvisor score: 5/5
Google score: 4.6
TourRadar score: 5

Summary: 
Coming in at a close second is Ace the Himalaya. We haven’t travelled with them before, but they were on our shortlist of tour providers to go with to Everest Base Camp. The reviews about them are glowing. Again, another company that specialises in trekking tours to the Himalayas, including Everest Base Camp. 

Like Nepal Hiking Team, Ace the Himalaya are very professional and have excellent and prompt communication from the start. 

Their customer service is second to none, providing attention to every detail, offering support and encouragement along the way and looking after your every need. 

Their guides and porters are friendly, very experienced and knowledgeable about the Himalayan area. 

All in all, you can’t go wrong with booking a trekking tour to Everest Base Camp with these guys. 

Their price point is also very competitive. 

Best Large Group Tour Provider

3. Intrepid Travel

Facebook: 4/5
TourRadar score: 4.7
Trustpilot: 4.1

Summary:
Intrepid Travel is a well-known travel company with over a thousand tours to destinations worldwide. While I haven’t travelled with them to Everest Base Camp, I have gone on other tours with them elsewhere. I can’t say they are a specialist trekking company or a specialist provider of trekking tours to the Himalayas, but they definitely do a very good job of it. We did see multiple trekking groups from Intrepid Travel on our trek to Everest Base Camp.  

Given that Intrepid Travel is a large travel company you can expect consistent quality and service from their tours, including the ones to Everest Base Camp. They are professionally run, with knowledgeable guides who run the tours like a ship. 

The tours themselves are very structured as they have to deal with large groups of trekkers. 

The price of the tour is also very competitive, again, due to the large group size. 

Don’t expect one-on-one service, but should you have any problems they are very well-equipped to take care of it. 

If you’re interested in a large group tour to Everest Base Camp (think 20+ people from all over the world), then consider Intrepid Travel as your tour provider of choice. 

Best Shortest Trek Provider

4. Alpine Ramble Treks

TourRadar score: 5
Google score: 5
Trustpilot score: 4.4

Summary:
Alpine Ramble Treks are one of the few trekking companies that provide a 7-day itinerary to Everest Base Camp. All the online reviews I’ve read mention that the owner, Dil and the guides are amazing, professional and very polite. 

The team at Alpine Ramble Treks are amazing. 

The guides employed have good humour and are very informative about the Himalayan surroundings. 

They are also very good at dealing with difficult situations such as bad weather and flight delays. They are able to turn bad situations into positive ones by coming up with excellent solutions. 

If you’re after a short 7-day Everest Base Camp tour, Alpine Ramble Treks is the tour of choice. 

Best Eco Friendly Tour Provider

5. Nepal Eco Adventure

Tripadvisor score: 5/5
TourRadar score: 4.0
Google score: 4.6

Summary:
Nepal Eco Adventures didn’t make our shortlist; however, the reviews on other websites speak highly of them. Based on other reviews of Nepal Eco Adventures, this trekking group is a specialist of trekking tours to the Himalayan destinations of Everest Base Camp, Island Peak, Cho La pass and Annapurna among others. 

Nepal Eco Adventures are a professionally run outfit who are accommodating of your needs and flexible when issues arise. 

They have friendly, knowledgeable guides and porters who will not only look after you as you climb to Everest Base Camp, they will support and encourage you along the way as things get difficult. 

From other reviews, people have come away with wonderful experiences of hiking with them and that counts for a lot.   

On the downside, their tours are a bit on the expensive side compared to other trekking providers on this list. 

Not to mention that their package does not include time spent in Kathmandu at the start of the trip. 

Aside from this, Nepal Eco Adventures gets a nod from us. 

Best of the Rest

6. G Adventures

TourRadar score: 4.3
Bookmundi score: 4.9
Trustpilot score: 4.3

Summary:
Like Intrepid Travel, G Adventures is another large travel company specialising in over a thousand travel tours to countries worldwide. However, unlike Intrepid Travel, we did not see any tour groups from G Adventures during our time trekking to Everest Base Camp. This could be attributed to the COVID-19 situation which is hard to tell. We have travelled with G Adventures before to Egypt and we had a really good experience with them. 

There are mixed reviews from people who have travelled with G Adventures to Everest Base Camp. While they compliment the guides on their friendly service, professional knowledge and ability to deal with issues, some reviews criticise the accommodation options used by the company. While it is hard to please everyone, these complaints need to be taken into consideration. 

Apart from this, the price point for their tour is competitive, the tours are professionally run and you can expect consistent customer service at the end of the day.   

7. Sherpa Expedition & Trekking 

Tripadvisor score: 5/5
TourRadar score: 5
Google score: 4.9

Summary:
Sherpa Expedition & Trekking is another trekking company that specialises in Himalayan expeditions including Everest Base Camp, Mt Everest Summit and Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek among a few others. 

The reviews for this company are hugely positive with hardly a bad comment left anywhere. They clearly know what they’re doing, having run trekking tours for over 25 years. 

They are very good with their communication, answering all questions promptly, and their friendly guides are highly experienced and knowledgeable in the area. 

Everything is taken care of really well and people have a wonderful experience hiking with this company. 

They also claim to have the shortest Everest Base Camp trek around if you’re keen.

8. Himalaya Heart Treks & Expedition

Tripadvisor score: 5
TourRadar score: 5
Google score: 5

Summary:
Sitting at the premium end of the spectrum, Himalaya Heart Treks & Expedition are a professional trekking agency with exceptional customer service. Their price point is higher than most other companies on this list which doesn’t indicate that they have better services or facilities.

After reading many reviews about Himalaya Heart Treks & Expedition, I’m highly impressed with the customer service and attention to detail provided by this company. 

As always, it’s the guides that make the company. The guides here are knowledgeable, courteous and speak great English. It’s always wonderful to read that these guides make everything easy and convenient and even go out of their way to help you along the trek. 

To read about clients receiving garlands of marigolds at the airport and guides ensuring that customers have the right equipment for their trek is great. What has really impressed me is to read that guides have, on occasion, checked with the kitchen to ensure the freshest ingredients are provided to their clients at every teahouse along the way. As someone who has witnessed people suffering from food poisoning along the trek, this is something I consider to be very important. 

9. Scenic Nepal Treks & Expedition

Tripadvisor score: 5
TourRadar score: 4.8
Google score: 4.6

Summary:
Scenic Nepal Treks & Expedition are a very professional trekking company who will easily cater an Everest Base Camp itinerary to suit your needs. If you choose a tour with them, expect to deal with a very friendly team with great experienced guides. 

Scenic Nepal Treks & Expedition have rave reviews online that highlight the professional nature of the team, quality of the guides and their focus on the safety of their clients during the trip to Everest Base Camp. 

The guides themselves are very attentive, caring and go out of their way to make sure all your needs are met. 

Another great trekking agency that specialises in tours to Everest Base Camp. 

10. Mosaic Adventure

Tripadvisor score: 5/5
TourRadar score: 5
Google score: 4.6

Summary:
One of the smaller trekking agencies, Mosaic Adventures, also cater for 7-day Everest Base Camp tours. While few, the online reviews are stellar and rave about the customer experience. 

Both the owner of Mosaic Adventure, Rejandra and the guides are extremely friendly, helpful and they go out of their way to ensure their guests are comfortable. 

As with all the trekking agencies on this list, Mosaic have fantastic guides with professional manners and superb customer service standards. 

They also make great travel companions which is important too. 

I hope this list of tour providers for Everest Base Camp treks has helped you make an informed decision about which trekking agency to choose. 

I really believe that whichever agency or tour you choose from this list, you are guaranteed to get a truly memorable experience trekking to Everest Base Camp. 

Always remember that with most agencies you can always put together an itinerary with them to suit your needs, fitness level and other requirements. 

At the end of the day, you will get to know which agency is the right one for you after communicating with them.

Let me know which trekking agency is your preferred choice.

As always, I love to hear from my readers so please leave your comments below.

Shareen Pote
Shareen Pote
Hello! I'm Shareen. I love to climb mountains. When I'm not out hiking or trekking with my family, you can find me outdoors enjoying the sunny weather in Queensland, Australia where I live with my husband and two boys.
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