Kathmandu

It’s a panoramic thrill flying into Kathmandu on a clear day. The views of snow-capped mountain peaks sprawling down below you are almost ecstatic, beginning a whole chain of memorable experiences that stay with you for a long, long time. And as your plane lands at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, our waiting support team will meet and greet you at the arrivals and escort you to your hotel. Overnight at hotel.

A scenic flight of thirty minutes from Kathmandu brings us to Lukla, cliff hanging airport in Khumbu from where the trek in Everest Region begins. After meeting the crew, we head up the Dudh Koshi Valley on a well-marked trail and then stay overnight in Phakding. Overnight at lodge.

Namche Bazaar

From Phakding, we cross and re-cross the river on high suspension bridges. Beyond Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park which was set-up in order to protect and preserve the fragile mountain environment. We then take a steep hike to Namche. If the weather is clear, we get the first glimpse of Mt Everest. Namche is the main trading village in the Khumbu and has a busy Saturday market - a meeting place for the locals, lowland traders and the Tibetan yak caravans that have crossed the glaciated Nangpa La. Overnight at lodge.

Namche Bazaar

Namche, tucked away between two ridges amidst the giant peaks of Khumbu, is one of the rarest mountain outposts with magnificent ambience catering to every need of travelers. With abundance of lodges, tea shops and souvenir shops; and yet owning the composure of a typical Himalayan beauty, this town is an amazing place to spend a rest day, acclimatizing to the new altitude before heading off towards Thame.

Khumjung

From Namche the route turns west and the trail is almost level as we head up the Bhote Koshi Valley, once a popular trading route into Tibet. Along the way we pass through many prayer flags and mani stones, all indicative of the Tibetan Buddhist culture of this area. After descending to the Bhote Koshi the trail climbs steeply to Thame. At this point we can have some good views of the peaks of Teng Kangpoche and Kwangde. To the north is the Nangpa La, the pass leading to Tibet. Thame Gompa is situated above the village overlooking the valley and is the site for the spring celebrations of the Mani Rimdu festival.

Khumjung

We retrace our route down the Bhote Kosi Valley towards Namche and branch off to follow a quiet trail to Khumjung. It is a picturesque village which also has its own gompa at the top end of town. On the way we visit Khunde hospital which was set-up by Sir Edmund Hillary. From our camping spot we have excellent views of Thamserku, Kantega and Ama Dablam.

Khumjung

Soon after leaving Khumjung the trail climbs to a large Chorten on top of a ridge. This ridge descends from Khumbila, a 5734m peak, said to be the abode of the patron God of the Khumbu region. The trail descends towards Dudh Koshi river where we stop for lunch near the bridge leading to the village of Phortse. We then pass through Phortse Tenga and from there; the trail climbs steeply to Dole, through rhododendron and birch forest festooned with hanging mosses and lichens.

From Dole we climb steadily along the side of the valley. As the altitude increases, the rhododendron forests give way to scrub juniper. The trail passes through many summer settlements [yersa], which are used when yaks are taken to these pastures to graze in summer. Ahead of us are excellent views of Cho Oyu, and while back down the valley we are welcomed by the views of Kantega and Thamserku. This is a short trek and we will arrive at Machermo in time for lunch.

Gokyo

Today we head for the lakes at Gokyo. We follow a very scenic path to Pangka and then descend slightly, following one of the melting rivers which flow down the west side of the Ngozumpa Glacier. We climb a steep rocky incline into the valley by the side of the glacier, passing the first of the holy lakes. We soon arrive at the second lake, crossing the path which heads across the glacier to Cho La - our route to Lobuche and Everest, later in the trek. The third lake is known as Dudh Pokhari (Milk Lake) and on its eastern shore is the settlement of Gokyo. Walking by the side of the lake, the scenery is magnificent with the summits of Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang reflected in its emerald green waters.

Gokyo Ri

Gokyo Ri looms above the village on the northern edge of the lake. We leave camp just after first light, following a steep path up the hillside. As we climb, the summits of Everest, Lhotse and Makalu slowly come into view and the sight from the summit of Gokyo Ri itself, is one of the finest we can have in the Everest region - some say it is even better than that from Kala Patthar. After lunch it is a short walk to the village of Na, situated at the foot of the Ngozumpa Glacier.

The sight of sunrays kissing Everest which towers over all the surrounding peaks is astounding. We trek through the Ngazumpa Glacier to the mountain on the other side. Next, traverse along the edge of that mountain and then wander into Thagnak. It will be a short hike today with an afternoon of rest which will prepare us for long hiking days and elevation gain to come.

Today is going to be one of the toughest days of the trip. The Cho La pass is not itself difficult, but it is steep and involves a glacier traverse on the eastern side. We need to be careful as the trail is vertical and the rocks glazed by ice may cause trouble by making the trail slippery. While trekking through the side of a frozen lake, we reach at the top of the pass decorated with prayer flags. The pyramidal Ama Dablam presides over a range of mountains to the south as Cholatse soars to the west and Lobuche East and Baruntse rises sharply to our right. We need to pass through some crevasses before we reach Dzongla Village. The village provides great views of Cholatse, Ama Dablam, Lobuche mountains along with Pheriche village far below.

After passing the teahouses of Duglha, we climb higher onto the terminal moraine of the Khumbu glacier, passing a row of stone monuments built in memory of Sherpas who have died on mountaineering expeditions to Mt Everest. From here the trail drops and follows the west side of the valley to Lobuche. The sunset on Nuptse from here is quite spectacular.

A very early start is required to reach Gorak Shep. The trail offers superb views of the surrounding mountains, especially where the path is forced to rise to cross a tributary glacier. We stop for lunch at Gorak Shep. Later in the afternoon, we make our way to the top of one of the finest viewpoints in the Everest region, Kala Patthar [5554m] following the Khumbu Glacier. After Kala Patthar, we trek back to Gorakshep.

In the morning we go for a excursion trek to the Everest Base Camp. It takes several hours as the trail weaves its way through ice pinnacles and past the crevasses of the Khumbu Glacier. On the return leg, we can take a higher route to get a spectacular view of the Khumbu icefall and the route to the South Col. And then we trek back to Pheriche.

We will be heading down and we walk down hill towards Tengboche and after crossing the bridge over Dudh Koshi river trek onwards to reach Kyanjuma the junction of the trinity ways to Gokyo Valley, Khumjung village and Namche Bazzar. Great view of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Tawache and Lhotse as well as dense wildlife of some species of pheasants, beautilul griffons, musk deer and wild goat can be found inside the rhododendron forest. In the evening, we can explore the surrounding area with magnificent scenery.

Namche Bazaar

We trek down through the hillside blanketed by rhododendron and juniper trees. After crossing the prayer-flag festooned bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, our trail follows the Dudh Koshi gorge descending rapidly through pine forests. In the forest, we may come across colorful pheasants and mountain goats. The path eventually reaches Sansa from where we can enjoy views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Nuptse mountains. We also pass the winding trails through a forest before reaching Namche Bazaar.

Lukla

Our final day's trekking follows the Dudh Koshi back down to Lukla. This last evening in the mountains is an ideal opportunity for a farewell party with the Sherpa guides and porters, where we can sample some chang (local beer - a favorite drink on the mountains), do a jig to some Sherpa dancing and reflect back on a memorable trekking experience.

Kathmandu

We pack up early and head for the airstrip to hop a flight back to Kathmandu. On touchdown, the rest of your day is free to do your own things.

Kathmandu

Kathmandu is the historical and cultural heart of Nepal and has been a popular destination for tourists ever since Nepal opened its doors to visitors. The city presents a wonderful mix of Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism and Western influence. There will be a guided tour to Boudhnath, the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal and after that to Pashupatinath, the most popular Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. We take a tour to Patan also called as Lalitpur (the City of Artisans), which is 5km away from Kathmandu. We walk through Patan Durbar Square, and delight in the architectural wonders of Malla era. Mahaboudha Temple, Kumbeshwor Temple, Krishna Temple and Golden Temple are the major attractions at the square.

Kathmandu

Our Nepalese support team takes you to the airport for your flight home. .