THE ULTIMATE EVEREST BASE CAMPS EXPERIENCE

Welcome to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. You will be greeted by one of our company’s representatives at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) who will transport you to your hotel. Today, you will have a chance to rest and relax and also have the opportunity to meet some of the team and discuss some details of your upcoming adventure. You will also enjoy a group meal with your fellow trekkers.

Accommodation based on selected package: 5-star hotel Yak & Yeti, Kathmandu Thamel. Meals: Dinner.

As of Day 2, your evening meals will be cooked for you by renowned, Michelin-star chef, Adam Simmonds.

After breakfast you will visit Boudhanath’s local market and Kathmandu Durbar Square. Plus Boudhanath Stupa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, important as it is one of the oldest and biggest Buddhist monuments in Nepal, serving as a key point for Buddhist pilgrimage. Once a crucial layover point on the ancient trade route to Tibet, it later became a settlement for Tibetan refugees. Here, the bustling streets and narrow alleys around the stupa are filled with colourful homes, Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, and the lively presence of street vendors. Though its origins remain unrecorded, legend tells of a humble woman and her four sons who, in the 5th century, undertook the construction of this remarkable stupa. Every day, numerous Buddhists engage in a daily ritual of circling the stupa three times while chanting the powerful mantra ‘Om Mane Padme Hum’ in a practice called “kora”. Colourful prayer flags fastened to the stupa sway in the breeze, carrying your prayers toward the heavens, creating a serene and uplifting experience.

Early in the morning, we will be escorted to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu or Ramechhap Airport to board our flight to Lukla (2,800m), which takes approximately 30-35 minutes. As we fly the short distance to Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla, it’s a perfect opportunity to sit back and enjoy the views over the Himalayas (try and sit on the left if you can). On reaching Lukla Airport, you will be introduced to other trekking members, before enjoying a breakfast at the lodge. Here, the luggage is prepared for the Porters.

Our walk towards Chheplung begins through the stone paved trails where you make your way through numerous prayer rocks while enjoying the scenic and energetic village of Lukla. Here you can capture some of the most beautiful rural scenery on the entire trek. This first and short hike is specifically designed for the purpose of acclimatisation. If you don’t want to rest, on reaching Phakding also known as the Lodge City, you can freshen up and take a trip to the nearby Monastery which is on the west side of the river and half-an-hour from the main part of Phakding. This night will be spent in one of the lodges in Phakding.

Accommodation: Lodge stay Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Duration: 35-minute flight and 3-4 Hours/8km Trek
Elevation: 2,652m/8,699H

Note: If Kathmandu airport becomes crowded due to air traffic sometimes the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) asks all travel and trekking agents to take clients to use a different domestic airport (Ramechhap Airport) to fly to Lukla – just over 120km away from Kathmandu. Should this happen, we will provide all transportation and this will not impact on your costs.

After enjoying your breakfast at your lodge in Phakding, the trail leads you towards the first suspension bridge of the trek then uphill through the settlements of Zapute, Toktok, Benkar, Chumoa and Monju. These settlements also form the start of the gateway to the incredible Sagarmatha National Park.

Between Phakding and Monju you will have the opportunity to experience the wonderful small tea houses and shops. After a short walk we’ll arrive at the Sagarmatha National Park. Following short park formalities at the entrance to the park the trail drops steeply to the long suspension bridge built across the Dudh Koshi River. We further cross another suspension bridge and continue the walk to the high Hillary Bridge at the bottom of the hill. After the bridge the trail leads you uphill to Namche Bazaar – the gateway to Mount Everest. This uphill trail will give you the first great view of the magnificent mountain peeking from behind Lhotse-Nuptse. Here you will also see the impressive peaks of Mount Lhotse and Mount Kusum Khangru.

This is the first of the three scheduled rest days which will help us acclimatise to the high altitude. Since experts believe that it is safer to stay active even during rest days we are going to spend the day enjoying small hikes in and around Namche Bazaar. We hike up to Everest View Hotel to enjoy the vast views of the Himalayas. On our way back to Namche we also tour the Khumjung Monastery with its famous 300-year-old Yeti scalp supposedly from an ‘abominable snowman’. The scalp was allegedly carried by Sir Edmund Hillary across the globe for inspection by zoologists.

Our guide can also take us to the Tourist Visitor Centre near the headquarters of the Sagarmatha National Park. The centre hosts historical artifacts related to the first Everest ascenders and provides insights into Sherpa culture and information about the various plant and animal life in the Everest region. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Accommodation: Lodge stay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Duration: 3 Hours/3-4km
Hike Elevation: 3,880m/12,729’

Leaving Namche the route is unbelievably beautiful. Below us in the distance is the Dudh Kosi, whilst Thamserku, Kantega, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and Everest rise in front. Woods, rhododendron and the river make this a truly colourful and stunning walk. The morning view from Tengboche is justifiably considered one of the most magnificent in the world. Tengboche Gompa, the cultural and religious centre of Khumbu, was founded in 1912, and has been destroyed and rebuilt twice as the result of earthquake and fire forests. You will also see the many mani walls, chortens, and the famous suspension bridges that join the steep mountain ridges. Keep a look out for musk deer, Himalayan Thar and the almost tame pheasants.

Accommodation: Lodge stay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Duration: 5-6 Hours

We’ll walk down the stone steps that lead us through colourful rhododendrons, birches and conifers, than hike half an hour down to the riverside and take a gradual climb up to the valley’s highest year-round settlement of Pangboche (3,860m/12,664’). Here you can spot several chortens, mani walls and small villages. You can also get a close-up view of Mount Ama Dablam. In the afternoon we continue ascending to Pheriche from where a fairly moderate walk leads us to Imja Valley. On climbing the last and steepest climb of the day we finally reach Dingboche, where the mountain views are outstanding.

Accommodation:: Lodge stay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Duration: 5-6 Hours/11-12km

Today we use for acclimatisation. We’ll gently hike up the Imja Khola to Chhukung, a small summer settlement from where the views of Island Peak (6189m), Lhotse, Ama Dablam and the fluted ice walls flanking the Amphu Lapcha Pass are one of the highlights of the entire trek.

Accommodation: Lodge stay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Duration: 4-5 hours/5-6km Trek Elevation

We continue up the wide valley beneath the impressive peaks of Cholatse and Tawache. We then take a steep climb towards the foot of the Khumbu Glacier. The tea house at Dughla is a good spot to have lunch. The trail zigzags up through the boulders of the glacier's terminal moraine. At the top of this climb there are many stone cairns, built as memorials to the many Sherpas who have died while climbing Mount Everest. The path then climbs gently along the glacier, eventually reaching a cluster of houses at Lobuche.

Accommodation: Lodge stay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Duration: 7-8 Hours/11-12km

We start the day early today as we trek to Gorakshep. This trail offers superb views of the surrounding mountains - especially where the path is forced to rise to cross a tributary glacier. As we reach Gorakshep where we’ll have lunch, we will be surrounded by snowcapped mountains, including the majestic Mount Everest.

After a brief lunch and rest we will take the trail to Everest Base Camp through the once vast Gorakshep Lake. Continuing straight ahead, we’ll pass through the moving Indian army mountaineers' memorials. As we reach Everest Base Camp, you cannot help appreciate the Everest climbers that take the hazardous route through the Khumbu icefall. Mountaineers’ tents stand out in bright colours against dull grey surroundings. The mountains - Nuptse, Khumbuste and Pumori can be seen for this base camp. We have now met the ultimate objective of our trip, the sunset view from Kala Patthar. As the sun's rays strike the snow-capped mountains, this will become a moment that you will never forget.

Accommodation: Lodge stay at Gorakshep
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Duration: 7-8 Hours/14-15km

We’ll start early as we hike to Kala Patthar. After walking upwards for a couple of hours we’ll will reach the famous viewing point - Kala Patthar (Black Rock at 5,545m/ 18,192’). This spot offers the best views of Mount Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Pumori, and Ama Dablam, as well as hundreds of other beautiful peaks including those of Tibet, which is why we’ll spend some time here. After a rest, we’ll hike back to Gorekshep, have breakfast and retrace our steps to Pheriche for our overnight stay.

Accommodation: Lodge stay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Duration: 7-7 Hours

After having a hot breakfast at the lodge we continue our return journey. The trail drops downhill to Pangboche village, and then again to the riverside where we’ll cross the bridge to Imja Khola and continues to climb to Tengboche. A steep descent from Tengboche will take us to the Dudh Koshi River. We will cross the first bridge over the Dudh Khoshi River in Phunki Tenga, having passed the villages of Tashinga and Sansa, before reaching Kyangjuma. The Namche bazaar is an easy walk from here and well worth trying out your haggling skills for souvenirs. The night will be spent here so enjoy the welcoming atmosphere at your leisure.

Accommodation: Lodge stay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Duration: 7-8 Hours 14-15km
Trek Elevation: 3,440m/11,283’

After breakfast we’ll set off downwards from Namche Hill to the suspension bridge crossing the Dudh Koshi River near the confluence of Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers, towards Monjo. After some formalities at the check post of the National Park at Monjo, our walk continues to Phakding for lunch. Since this is the last day of your trek the route has been designed so you can enjoy your surroundings with maximum ease as most of the treks are flat or downhill.

We’ll walk through vast open plains, magnificent rhododendrons, and luscious pine forests. Again, we’ll pass through the Sherpa village, prayer stones, and the flapping and colourful prayer flags. This is the time when our bodies automatically start relaxing, On reaching Lukla you can have some alone, or spend it with others who too have experienced an adventure of a lifetime.

Accommodation: Lodge stay
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Duration: 7-8 Hours/18-19km

Following an early breakfast our guide will take us to the airport to board the flight to Kathmandu or Ramechhap. Upon arrival at Kathmandu or Ramechhap Airport, we will be transferred to our comfortable hotel, where you can then relax, or enjoy the afternoon enjoying all what incredible Kathmandu has to offer.

Accommodation: 5-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Note: If Kathmandu airport becomes crowded due to air traffic sometimes the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) asks all the travel and trekking agents to take their clients to a different domestic airport (Ramechhap Airport – 123 km away) to fly to Lukla. Should this happen we will provide transportation and you will not incur further costs.

Depending on your flight time now is the opportunity to make the most of the atmosphere of this incredible and vibrant city.

Katmandu is chaotic and exciting, full of tea houses, bustling markets, historic sites, ancient temples, and golden pagodas. Your senses will be beautifully saturated by the colour, sound, and smell of spices that this wonderful city has to offer, bringing to a close this adventure of a lifetime.