Nepal boasts eight of the world's tallest mountains and the world's oldest Hindu and Buddhist sites. While Kathmandu Valley is made of three ancient cities filled with enchanting medieval palaces, pagodas, temples, statues and stupas, the rest of the kingdom offers unparalleled adventure options with abundance in flora and fauna. As for its people - From the Tharus that share their land with the splendid Asian tuskers in the plains to the brave Yak herders of Dolpo, they are as amazing as the land itself. Here in its tropical jungles the Royal Bengal Tiger prowls, higher up the legend of the Yeti lives on. Although modernization has set in, the quintessence of ancient Nepal remains among its people.
Days | Activities | Accommodation |
Day 01 | Arrive in Kathmandu | Hotel |
Day 02 | In Kathmandu | Hotel |
Day 03 | Fly Kathmandu-Lukla, Trek to Monjo | Local Lodge |
Day 04 | Trek Monjo to Namche | Local Lodge |
Day 05 | Trek to Tashinga | Local Lodge |
Day 06 | Trek to Pangboche | Local Lodge |
Day 07 | Trek to Dingboche | Local Lodge |
Day 08 | Acclimatization Day in Dingboche, Optional day hike | Local Lodge |
Day 09 | Trek to Lobuche | Local Lodge |
Day 10 | Trek to Everest Base Camp, back to Gorakshep | Local Lodge |
Day 11 | Trek to Kala Pathar & back to Pheriche | Local Lodge |
Day 12 | Trek to Tashinga | Local Lodge |
Day 13 | Trek to Monjo | Local Lodge |
Day 14 | Trek to Lukla | Local Lodge |
Day 15 | Fly back to Kathmandu | Hotel |
Day 16 | Final Departure |
Uppon arriving at Tribhuvan International Airport, you will be met and assisted by our representative. Later you will be transferred to the hotel as booked.
After breakfast visit Kathmandu durbar square & Swyambhunath stupa.
Kathmandu, the largest city of Nepal is the political as well as the cultural capital of the country. Like any big city, Kathmandu has rapidly expanded over the last decade but despite the hustle and bustle of the city, its people have remained as friendly as ever.
Durbar Square: ‘Durbar’ means ‘palace’, and takes its name from the old Royal Palace. This is the center of the old city, and there are a number of interesting temples including Kasthamandap, the House of Wood, which gives the city its name. The Kathmandu Durbar Square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Temple of the Living Goddess: Kathmandu is blessed by a living goddess. The Kumari Devi is the most important of several living goddesses in Nepal. . She is seen on the temple’s balcony regularly. A mere sight of her is considered very auspicious by throngs of devotees that seek her blessings.
Then drive to Swyambhunath Stupa which is a UNESCO WORLD Heritage Site. Legend has it that when Kathmandu Valley was a lake 2000 years ago, a single lotus flower grew at the center of the lake. When Saint Manjushree, the Bodhisatva drained the lake with a single slash of his sword, the lotus settled on top of a hill and magically turned into a stupa. Hence, Swayambhunath is also known as a Self-Created stupa.
This ancient stupa is the most sacred Buddhist shrines of Nepal. The area surrounding the stupa is filled with smaller chaityas, temples, painted images of deities and numerous other religious objects. There are many small shrines with statues of Tantric and shamanistic deities, prayer wheels for the Tibetan Buddhists, Shiva lingams and a popular Hindu temple dedicated to Harati, the Goddess of smallpox and other epidemics.
Afternoon is at leisure for the last minute checking for the trek.
Having gained a firm grounding in the area’s history and geography, leave the city for the trek up into the mighty Himalaya. Board an early-morning Twin Otter (STOL – Short Take Off and Landing aircraft) flight to Lukla, your trailhead for the expedition ahead. Perhaps the most famous high-altitude airstrip in the world, Lukla was originally built by Sir Edmund Hillary’s Himalayan Trust as an emergency evacuation runway for casualties brought to the Trust’s hospital at nearby Kunde. As you fly, watch as rugged foothills give way to the snowline and then to soaring peaks. Depending on the visibility, you might catch a glimpse of Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu — the world’s third-, fourth- and fifth-highest mountains.
At Lukla, meet the Sherpa crew and, after spending some time organizing your packs take your first steps along the trail that the Dalai Lama called "the steps to heaven." After about a five-hour trek stop for the night in the quaintly picturesque valley of Monjo. Today’s trek with a gentle climb up the mountainside on the left bank of the Dudh Kosi and follows a path with continuous ups and downs, as you cross streams, pass through a forest and tiny villages until reach your accommodations for the night at Lodge.
Approx. trekking time: 5 hours
Set off after breakfast crossing over a wooden bridge to the right bank of the Dudh Kosi (Milk River) as it tumbles down, white with glacial suspension, from the high Gokyo Lakes. Leaving the villages of Chumao and Monjo behind, enter Sagarmatha National Park at Jorsale. Following a short walk along the riverbed of the V-shaped valley, the river forks – to the right is the Dudh Kosi and to the left is Bhote Kosi which leads to the famous peak of Nampa. After a short distance along the Bhote Kosi you begin a steep ascent to Namche. The trail zigzags and halfway into your trek to Namche Bazaar, a gap in the trees offers your first sight of Everest (29,028 ft.). If the weather is clear, the top of the southwest face is visible behind the long Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge.
The climb eases somewhat and the town appears ahead. Surrounded by an amphitheater of peaks — Thamserku (21,811 ft.), Kwangde Ri (20,298 ft.) and Khumbila (18,724 ft.) — Namche is the largest and most prosperous town in the Khumbu region. The town is a central hub for the area and its renowned bazaar, held every Saturday, sells everything from livestock and vegetables to traditional crafts such as hand-woven aprons and Tibetan boots.
Approx. trekking time: 3-4 hours
Today follow a shorter trail through forest that goes above Namche Bazaar. As you follow a high level path above the township, enjoy spectacular views of the beautiful valley ahead. Gradually you trek down to the village of Khunde where Hillary's Himalayan Trust has a medical post for locals and trekkers. Not too far downhill is Khumjung, one of the most beautiful villages in Khumbu. Here you visit the monastery where a Yeti skull is housed in a steel cabinet. Khumjung village is situated in a mountain-bowl like setting and there are some great views from this vantage point. From Khumjung the main trail contours to a small path gradually going downhill to the village of Tashinga. Arrive at Everest Summit Lodge set amid pine forests overlooking the Dudh Koshi valley with breathtaking views of Ama Dablam (21,965 ft.), Thamserku, the Taboche Peak and Khumbila, said to be the spiritual abode of the patron demigod of the Khumbu region.
Approx. trekking time: 6 hours.
The trail from Tashiga descends steeply down to the Dudh Kosi River where you cross a suspension bridge in the lee of a gigantic overhanging cliff (10,498 ft.). Keep a lookout for the beautifully-colored Danphe pheasant (Impeyan pheasant) the national bird of Nepal, the elusive musk deer and perhaps even small herds of the Himalayan Thar (mountain goat). A little further is a small hamlet, Phunki Tanga. From here, a two-hour climb through pine forests, past mani stone walls bring you to Tengboche monastery. The main monastery of the Khumbu area is situated in a clearing surrounded by dwarf firs and rhododendrons. While Namche can be deemed the Sherpa capital, Tengboche is the religious center of this region. The murmur of the monks chanting prayers, the blowing of conchs and the chance to sit with them for afternoon prayers amid the serene and amazing environment is a memorable experience.
After exploring the area and enjoying the awesome panoramic view of the Himalayan giants with Everest as the crowning glory, make a short descent to Debuche, a small settlement. Continue with your descent towards Imja Khola River, and then climb up to the pleasant village of Pangboche which houses the oldest monastery in the Khumbu. You are rewarded with spectacular vistas of the surrounding fields and of Ama Dablam, which stands majestically close.
Approx. trekking time: 4 to 5 hrs.
The trail climbs slowly, winding above the Imjatse River, to the main Stupa. From here, the walk is fairly moderate as you enter the Imjatse Valley beneath the mighty peaks of Ama Dablam, Nuptse (25,790 ft.) and Lhotse (27,890 ft.) with views of the eastern snow-capped mountains including the Island Peak or Imjatse (20,305 ft.). Dingboche is a large and important town in the Chhukung Valley, set amid a beautiful patchwork of fields which are enclosed by stone walls protecting the crops of barley, buckwheat and potatoes from the cold winds and grazing animals. Your overnight lodgings are located in Dingboche.
Approx. trekking time: 3 hrs.
To help you continue acclimatizing for your attempt to visit Kala Pathar and Everest Base Camp, today you hike to Chhukung and return to Dingboche .
Hike up the Imjatse Valley for about two and a half hours to Chhukung, a small summer settlement that is the staging place for trekkers attempting to climb Island Peak (20,305 ft.), a popular trekking peak in the region. The sights from Chhukung are very picturesque and you see the south face of Lhotse, eastern face of Ama Dablam along with other peaks. This hike will definitely be one of the highlights of your trek. After spending some time in the area, return to Dingboche, an easy trek of about two hours.
Approx. trekking time: 5 hrs.
Today’s onward journey leads north, and the path heads up for about 40-50 minutes until you come to a mani-prayer stupa. The trail is gentle as you leave the grass-carpeted valley and slowly climb upwards. Today's walk offers views of Mt. Tawache, Ama Dablam and to the north, Pokalde, Kongma-tse and the great wall of Nuptse. After a walk of almost two hours the trail from Pheriche joins near Dugla right before a small wooden bridge over the river of the Khumbu Glacier. Stop at Dugla for lunch, and afterward continue for an hour up a steep hill. At the top take a short break to breathe in the panorama of Mt. Pumori and other peaks west of Everest. From this point on, there is every possibility that you could feel the effects of high altitude. A two-hour trek brings you up to Lobuche, hidden and sheltered from the wind.
Approx. trekking time: 6 hrs.
Today marks the culmination of your journey —the day you reach Everest base camp. After an early breakfast trek up the valley follow a rocky moraine path with views of the icy-glacial pond and icebergs of the Khumbu Glacier below. After the last of the rocky moraine dunes, a short walk downhill brings you to Gorakshep on the flat field below Kala Pathar and Mt. Pumori. Gorakshep is the location of the original Everest Base Camp. The trek to Everest Base Camp from Gorakshep follows the Khumbu Glacier and is especially intriguing for its landscape of 50-foot high seracs of ice which are a peculiar feature to Himalayan Glaciers.
Actually, Everest Base Camp is not one specific site. Various expeditions have selected different locations as their semi-permanent camp and final staging area for their assault on Everest. The trek to Everest Base Camp is not as remarkable as the ascent of Kala Pathar as is does not provide a view of Everest itself. However, these moments near the top of the earth are not to be rushed. The feeling of accomplishment in visiting the base camp for the tallest mountain on earth is exhilarating. As the day slips along, retrace your steps down the glacial streams and return, tired but triumphant, to your lodge in Gorakshep for a well-earned rest.
Approx. trekking time: 8-9 hours.
An early start takes you on a trek to Kala Pathar, a gradual walk until you reach a rocky spot about an hour into the trek. From there, climb uphill for another half hour to reach Kala Pathar, a minor peak festooned with prayer-flags that offers one of the best views of Everest. Surrounded by a crown of peaks this is a magnificent spot to be in on a clear sunny morning. Having paused to savor this magnificent spectacle, drop down a series of steep switchbacks to Gorakshep, a former lakebed covered with sand. Continue down to Lobuche, then on to Pheriche, an easy trail going mostly downhill passing through the village of Dugla along the way.
Approx. trekking time: 8-9 hours.
Heading down now, the going is easier and the pace faster. Descend to Pangboche passing through Debuche which offes formidable views of Khumbi-la the revered mountain and protector goddess of the Sherpas.Continue past Tengboche walking downhill on the main trail with a few steep climbs for an hour to reach the bridge at Phungitenga. After crossing the bridge another hour’s walk brings you to Tashinga and your overnight lodgings.
Approx. trekking time: 6-7 hours.
This morning leave Tashinga behind with a short climb to a level path with several switchbacks before reaching Namche Bazaar. After lunch in Namche you have some time to explore before making the decent to Monjo. After you cross the Sir Edmund Hillary Bridge you return to the familiar surroundings of Everest Summit Lodge.
Approx. trekking time: 5 hours.
Head back towards the trailhead at Lukla passing through the village of Phakding, bidding farewell to this incredible setting, the villages and the people of the Khumbu hills and valleys. Make your final climb into Lukla where you have some time to explore this small town which serves as the gateway to the Everest region.
Approx. trekking time: 6 hours
This morning you fly to Kathmandu with a final opportunity for an aerial view of these mighty mountains. Sometimes the flights in and out of Lukla are delayed due to unfavorable conditions either in fog-bound Kathmandu or windy Lukla. If this happens, we will do everything in our power to minimize the inconvenience.
Afternoon at leisure
Today you will be transferred to the airport for your final departure.
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