Everest Base Camp Trekking

You will arrive in Kathmandu at Tribhuvan International Airport. We will pick you up from the airport and transferred to the Hotel. You will be given a detailed briefing on your arrival about the Kathmandu city and about the trekking.

We will do sightseeing around Kathmandu valley. Prepare for next day trek departure. Our guide or one the office staff will brief about next day program and check the trekking gear

We will fly to Lukla by early morning flight. The flight time will be about 35 to 40 minutes to Lukla. This airstrip was built by Sir Edmond Hillary and his friends to serve the Everest region when he began his work of building schools and hospitals for the Sherpa people. It is a memorable flight, with marvelous views of the Eastern Himalayas. At Lukla, we are immediately impressed by the scale of the huge peaks that surrounds the village but this is only a foretaste of what is to come. After our assembled, we will head downhill towards the Dudh Kosi, a raging river that flows from the highest peaks. The broad and well-marked trail meanders around fields of potatoes and buckwheat and passes through small villages and we pass rows of the tree to make our way to our first overnight stop in the village of Phakding. We will see first our Mani walls today. These stone structures are a compilation of many stones tablets, each with the inscription "Om mani Padme hum" which translates to (hail to the jewel in the lotus" and is a mantra (chant) venerated by Buddhists. Buddhists will walk to the left to these Mani walls and Chorten but you may notice that people of the lowlands who have no knowledge of Buddhism do not follow this practice.

We have to walk approximately 3-4 hours. This morning we cross the green/ aqua waters of Dudh Kosi and pass through the gates of the Sagarmatha National Park. The establishment of this national park is a significant attempt to stem the use of fire-wood in the area and the few local people who have a permit to cut wood must gain approval from the authorities on the basis of it being primarily for personal use. When we are in lodges, only kerosene will be used for cooking and heating washing water, and lodge owner will be well paid for allowing us to utilize their facilities. This puts money into the local economy and by carrying the majority of our suppliers; we do not tax local resources further. We follow the river course to the confluence of the Dudh Kosi and Bhote Kosi and cross a spectacular high bridge before commencing our ascent to the village of Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa Capital of Nepal. It is a tough climb as the trail passes through a forest of pine to a vantage point that provides our first view of Mt. Everest. The trail continues to climb and meander to Namche, and the sight of this prosperous village spread within a horseshoe-shaped valley opposite the beautiful peak of Kondge Ri is worth every step. After lunch, you may wish to peruse the Tibetan trader’s stalls or the Sherpa shops in search of a bargain.

This is a rest day in Namche Bazaar is very important for safe acclimatization. Sagarmatha National Park Headquarters on the hill above the village offers a very interesting display of photographs, memorabilia, and information of the park, and is a wonderful vantage point for the spectacular view up the Imja Khola Valley towards Everest. The change from the narrow lowland valleys to the broad glacial ones is immediately obvious. The steep-sided glacial valley before us gradually winds towards the base of Everest, broken only by the moraines left by retreating glaciers. Its more gradual rate of climb is a blessing for those trekking higher. Towering to over 4000 meters above the valley floor, spectacular peaks seem to engulf us. The Sherpa culture Center has an interesting collection of mountaineering items and photographs.

We have to walk about 5 to 6 hours. The walk to Thyangboche is one of the most pleasant in Nepal. The trail meanders easily around the ridges and Everest can be clearly seen on the horizon ahead before we descend through splendid rhododendron forest for lunch. After lunch, we cross the Dudh Kosi and began the ascent to the top of a long ridge, which flows from the summit of Kantega. Our trail takes us through pine and rhododendron forest and as this is a devout Buddhist region, the wildlife is unharmed and not too shy. As a result, there is a possibility that we may see Hog Deer and other animals in the forest and around our campsite. As we approach the top we pass through a traditional gateway and pass around a chorten before cresting the ridge onto a wide grassy meadow at the monastery village of Thyangboche. The monastery was recently re-built with the assistance of Sir Edmund Hillary after it was destroyed by fire. Your leader will arrange for you to be shown around the monastery and will explain the relevance of the many ceremonies that take place and discuss the life of the monks in residence. The views of the Everest massif, as well as all the other major peaks of the area, are astounding and if we are lucky, we will see the glowing color of the sunset and perhaps even the moonlight on the mountains around us. Our lodge/camp will be situated near the Gompa giving us flexibility in how we wish to spend our spare time in the afternoon. There are a limited number of lodges in this area and it may be necessary to be in multi-share accommodation i.e. rooms with more than two beds.

We will trek back to Khumjung. Khumjung is a small Sherpa village where Sir. Edmund Hillary had made a High School and a small hospital. You may visit the Khumjung Monastery where you may see the Yeti’s scalp in the monastery.

We will trek Monzo via Everest View Hotel and Namche Bazar. You may call your home or send an email from Namche Bazar before you back to Kathmandu.

This is our last day of the trek. We will do the half-day trek and relax in the afternoon.

You may do sightseeing like Patan and Bhaktapur etc. This is an optional program and cost is not included in the package.