Description
Day 01: Kathmandu / Arrival (1,300m/4,264 ft)
Welcome to Himalayan country of Nepal. Upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport our representative welcomes you and transfers you to your hotel in Kathmandu. Overnight at hotel.
Day 02: Kathmandu
In the morning visit Kathmandu city, a city that looks like a living museum. You will visit the Durbar square, Hanuman Dhoka, Mahadev and Parvati temple, Machhender Bahl, temple house of Kumari, the vestal virgin or the living goddess.
Later visit Swaymbhunath stupa, a Buddhist shrine believed to be more than 2000 yrs old on the hillock of western part of Kathmandu.
Afternoon visit Patan, Located about 5 km south of Kathmandu in the Kathmandu Valley, on the southern side of the Bagmati River, Patan is one of 3 royal cities in the valley.
Overnight in the hotel.
Day 03: Fly to Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft) & trek to Phakding (2,652m/8,700ft), 3-4 hrs walk
Early morning we fly from Kathmandu to Lukla. Lukla has a tine airstrip and the scenic flight duration is just above 40 minutes. Upon landing, while the guides and porters will divide the baggage and you can have a good look around and take picture. Depending upon when we land at Lukla, we might even have our lunch there. From Lukla, we walk to Phakding village. The walk is fairly easy and we will stay overnight in Phakding. We can spend our evening strolling around the village.
Day 04: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,440m/11,283ft), 5-6 hrs walk
Our day’s hike will start after we have our breakfast. We start by walking along the banks of Dudh Koshi River; we will have to cross this river twice today. We will then arrive at a small village called Monjo. Monjo is the gateway to Sagarmatha National Park. After entering the National Park, we descend down to Bhote Koshi River upon which we arrive at Jorsalle village. We walk further from there heading off to Namche Bazaar, a prosperous trade hub in the lap of the Himalayas which is also the capital of Khumbu region. We will stay overnight at a hotel in Namche Bazaar.
Day 05: Acclimatization day at Namche Bazaar
After already having ascended an altitude of 3,440 m (11,253ft), we will use today for acclimatization. It is very important that our body is prepared for further ascending. You have the day at your disposal and can choose to do what you wish with it. You can walk up to the Everest View Point Hotel and enjoy the view it offers. You can also choose to just walk around Namche Bazaar and observe the local proceedings and lifestyle. If it is Saturday today, there will be local traditional Saturday Market and it will be a wonderful experience visiting the marketplace. There is a Sherpa Museum in Namche which would be the place to visit if you are into Sherpa culture and history of mountaineering.Â
Day 06: Namche to Tyangboche (3,867m/12684ft), 5-6 hrs walk
Today after breakfast we start our trek with pleasant walk through the forest with magnificent view of mountains. The great view of the mighty peaks like Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Kwangde peak is a constant throughout the day. Today’s trail ascends through the forested on its way to Tyangboche. The first thing that could draw your attention after reaching Tyangboche could be its big monastery. Tyangboche has large campsite, tea houses and lodges overseeing Mt. Ama Dablam. We will spend the night at a hotel in Tyangboche.
Day 07: Tyangboche to Dingboche (4,358m/14,295 ft), 5-6 hrs walk
The day consists of a lot of descending until we arrive at Deboche. The trails ascend from there through rhododendron forest. We then cross a valley and through the plains to reach Dingboche. It is a relatively easy day in terms of walking.
Day 08: Acclimatization day at Dingboche
It is acclimatization day again. We require acclimatizing to ascend further altitude. You can take complete rest all day. If you so wish and are physically in excellent condition, you can also take some couple of hours time to hike up to Chhukung (4,730m). Chhukung is a small hill station overlooking many mountains and glaciers. The main target of the day would be to prepare you physically for the rest of the trek.
Day 09: Dingboche to Lobuche (4,928m/16164 ft), 5-6 hrs walk
There is a lot of vertical gain today even though the trail length does not clock more than 4.5 miles in itself. We walk through the alpine meadows and yak pastures to cross the Khumbu Glacier. The end of the moraine of the glacier has a specifically steep and presents a challenge. We then continue along the rugged route to reach Lobuche where we will stay for the night. Lobuche is situated beneath the Lhotse Ridge.
Day 10: Trek to Gorak Shep (5,160m/16,929ft) & hike to Everest Base Camp (5,320m/17,450ft) 5-6 hrs walk
For those of you who are doing the Everest Base Camp Trek for the first time, the day starts with a mixture and anxiety. Today you will be hiking up to the Everest Base Camp. The day will be the most challenging day of the trek and at the same time the most fulfilling as well. The base camp is situated at an altitude of above 5,000m (16,000ft).
We start off by hiking to Gorak Shep first. It is a small village sitting atop a small frozen lake buried under sand. We will have our lunch thee and hike further following the trails of the Khumbu Glacier. On the way you will catch the glimpse of an intimidating black rock the world knows by the name of Mt. Everest. The way will lead us to the Everest Base Camp. Have you ever heard or read that Mt. Everest cannot be seen from the Everest Base Camp? You will find the answer yourself. We will spend quality time exploring the base camp and surrounding areas and return to Gorak Shep to spend the night.
Day 11: Early hike to Kala Patthar (5,550m/18,204ft) & trek back to Pheriche 6-7 hrs walk
Our first destination for the day will be Kala Patthar. We will start especially early and your guide will arrange everything for the early departure. The reason behind leaving early is to reach Kala Patthar before sunrise. Kala Patthar provides the most wonderful sight of sunrise over Mt. Everest and other Himalayan peaks such as Nuptse, Ama Dablam and Pumori. You would not want to miss that. It will take a couple of hours to reach Kala Patthar from Gorak Shep. We will take our time enjoying what Kala Patthar has to offer before heading down to Gorak Shep and then to Pheriche to stay overnight there.
Day 12: Pheriche to Namchen (3440m/11,283), 7 hrs walk
From now onwards, it’s all about descending. So our pace will be faster than earlier and the walks will be easier. Heading down now, the going is easier and the pace much faster than so far has been. The beauty of the Himalayan terrain will never leave us along the way. We will spend the night in Namchen.
Day 13: Namchen to Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft), 6-7 hrs walk
You can walk at your own pace today as we head back to Lukla from where we started our adventure. There will be mixed feeling today. You will feel delighted that you have successfully completed the trek and experience the thrills and beauty of it. At the same time you will also be disappointed that you have to leave the beauty and the adventure behind. But, there is always next time and there is always next adventure waiting for you. The evening and the night will be marked with celebrations that will include a lot of singing and dancing. We will spend the night at a hotel in Lukla.
Day 14: Lukla – Kathmandu (Flight)
We take the earliest possible flight back to Kathmandu. Upon arrival heck in the hotel. Overnight in the hotel.
Day 15: Kathmandu
Day is free for relaxation.
Day 16: Kathmandu / Departure
Transfer from hotel to airport to board the flight for onward journey.
