Everest High Passes Trek - 22 days

Firstly, on arriving in Kathmandu, our representative will pick you up from the airport. He/She will be holding up the signboard outside the airport terminal. You will then directly be escorted to your hotel. You can visit our office to get more information about the trek. In case you happen to arrive after 4 pm, you will be briefed about the trip by our authorized guide. You will be provided with our trek duffel bag and cap. Please make sure to carry along your passport, 3 copies of passport-sized photos and a readable copy of your travel insurance policy. Also, make sure to clear any due balance and then sign on the legally binding trip form as well as the non-liability disclaimer form. You can stroll around the city in the evening. Stay overnight at the Hotel. No meals are included.

We will start our day with a satisfying breakfast and leave around 8.30 am on a private vehicle and an authorized tour guide at your company. We will visit the world heritage sites around the valley, some including Bhaktapur – Bhaktapur is culturally and historically famous city. Pagoda style five-storied temple; Nyatapola, Batsala temple, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Bhairavnath temple, Duttatraya temple, 55 windows Palace, and Pujari Muth are some of the major attractions. Pashupatinath Temple is the sacred temple located on the bank of the holy Bagmati river. Although one cannot enter the main temple unless they are Hindus, you can see the temple and observe the activities performed from the eastern Bagmati River. Boudhanath Stupa is the biggest and holiest stupa built in the 5th century. You will find Buddhists pilgrims from all over the world especially Tibet, taking rounds of the stupa and spinning the prayer wheels. Then we can go for further exploration around the Thamel and shop for the next day’s trekking gears Stay overnight at the hotel. Breakfast included.

An early morning start with a warm breakfast takes us to the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu for the 35-minute scenic flight to Tenzing and Hillary Airport at Lukla (2,804 m). A short briefing about the trek by our guides and introduction with our porters are the first thing we will do before the beginning of our trek towards Phakding (2,610 m) after the landing to the airport. While our Sherpa crew sort and load our trekking equipment, we can explore the village . Then we will begin our trek by gravitating towards the Dudh Kosi River where we will join the main trail to Namche Bazaar, located just over Chaunrikharka (2,713 m). The trail is easy. After passing by the small village of Ghat (2,550 m), it is a brief walk to Phakding. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

After breakfast, we will recommence trekking along the banks of the Dudh Kosi, and cross this majestic river many times on thrilling suspension bridges weighted with prayer flags. After accessing the Sagamartha National Park, the trail escalates steeply with awe-inspiring views. Namche Bazaar, also known as the Gateway to Everest, is a dwelling to numerous quality restaurants, hotels, lodges, shops, money exchanges, Internet cafes, and bakeries. Namche is the most populous village along the entire Everest trail. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

We will spend a day in Namche Bazaar to adjust to the thinning air and get acclimatized to the weather conditions. We will hike a short distance to a museum that is glorified for its displays of the folkloric customs of the Sherpa people. We will also hike up the Syangboche Airport near the Everest View Hotel. From this point, we can see gratifying views of the Himalayas including Mt. Everest. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

The trek will extend along the running glacial waters of the Dudh Kosi with glittering views of the mountains. By then, we will have trekked to an elevation of 3,860 m upon reaching Tengboche. Inside the monastery are astonishingly embellished wall hangings, a 20-foot sculpture of Buddha, and the musical instruments and robes of the Lamas. The group will be taken to observe a prayer ceremony either in the evening or in the morning depending on how the trekking goes on this day. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. Stay overnight at a guesthouse.

We will begin walking to Dingboche after a warm meal. We climb downwards to Debuche from Tengboche crossing another thrilling suspension bridge on the Imja Khola and climbs to Pangboche amongst thousands of mani stones. Our uphill trek will continue, taking us to the quaint traditional Sherpa village of Dingboche with its impeccable views of Lhotse, Island Peak, and Ama Dablam. We will take our time to rest, so we can avoid getting affected by the altitude. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

Dingboche is a common stop for trekkers and climbers heading for Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam or Imja Tse. It is a Sherpa village. According to the 2011 census, its population was around 200. There is a helicopter landing pad with internet café (using satellite technology) and one of the world’s highest billiard salons. One can see the great view of Himalayas from Nagarjuna Hill which may take a few hours of hiking from Dingboche. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included

Today, the trail is mostly upwards and downwards. Along the trail, you will see several traditional farms and fences built from local stones. Then we will pass through Imja Khola valley, Bibre (which is a yak herdsman place). After half an hour’s walk, we will reach Chhukung where we will have lunch and we will move towards Chhukung Ri Peak which may take around 4-5 hours. For beginner’s, climbing Chhukung Ri is the best alternative because it’s not as technically challenging as others. From the top, we can see a phenomenal view of Ama Dablam and Amphu Labcha peaks. Then we will return to Chhukung village for overnight. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

Today we will climb about 8 hours to reach the summit of Kongma La pass. There are two trails for Kongma La pass; one is to the northwest of Chhukung over the Nuptse Glacier moraines and another one is back to Bibre and trek on the trail above the Niyang Khola. As there aren’t any hotels, shops and tea houses, we must carry our own packed foods and water. At the top of Kongma La pass, we will witness beautiful Buddhist prayer flags. By turning north of Khumbu Glacier, we will reach Lobuche. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

The trail will be of medium level up to Gorak Shep. Before heading off to Everest Base Camp, we will take lunch and rest at Gorak Shep for a while which takes around 2 hours. If the weather is good, we will be able to see beautiful Himalaya’s all-round. Then we will head towards Everest Base Camp. Everest Base Camp is the closest you can get to Mt. Everest without mountaineering equipment and also the highest altitude that most will reach without a climbing permit. The view of the Khumbu Icefall from Base Camp is striking. The earthquake which occurred on 25th April 2015 caused some damage on the route of the Everest Base Camp. We will return back to Gorak Shep for the night. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

This will be one of the most challenging yet rewarding days of the trek. Most of this day will be spent climbing Mt. Kala Patthar at 5,555 m. From Mt. Kala Patthar one can see the highest views of Everest. After spending some time in Kala Patthar we will move downwards toward Lobuche. It is a small village surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and the Himalayas. There are ancient types of lodges but in recent years more facilitated lodges have been opened where some of them provide internet as well as oxygen services Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

From Lobuche, we will start to walk downwards where after a few hours, the trail divides into two and we will take the right side for Dzongla. We will see stupa and tombstones in the distance. After that, we will trek upwards where we can see Chola Tsho Lake nearby. We will continue to trek by crossing Chola Khola on a bridge before reaching Dzongla. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

We will start our trek before 4-5 am so we can make it to the Cho La pass before mid-day and re-assess the hike when or if the weather turns bad. The route may be a little challenging due to high altitude and steeply loose rock. Snow may cause some problems while crossing Cho La pass and rockfall can also be the difficulty although the weather will be good. As a result, you will see behold the magnificent view from the top of Cho La Pass then we will descend to our destination, Gokyo (4,790 m). We will cross Khara, Pangka, and Ngozumpa glacier (which is the longest glacier in Nepal). We will see the beautiful view of Kantaga and big Mountain Cho-Oyu. There are a series of six lakes where the third one is Gokyo Lake. There is a small village near Gokyo Lake where we will stay 2 nights as we will have a sightseeing and hiking trip around Gokyo. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

Early in the morning, we will have to take a steep climb up to the top of Gokyo Ri at an elevation of 5,483 m. There are ample rewards for those who attempt this trip. You will get to witness stunning views of the Gokyo valley, the massive Ngozumpa Glacier and an incredible panoramic view of the whole Khumbu Himalayas, including the giants; Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu and Gychung Kang. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

We will start our trek in the morning. Our trek will be long but on the normal trail. We will see an amazing view of Mt. Everest from the top of the Renjo pass. Then we will descend down to Lunden for today’s final destination. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

We will start our trek after breakfast. Today, the trail will mostly descend down to Thame. While on the trail we will see amazing snow peaks. About 150 meters above Thame, there is a Thame Monastery, a picturesque monastery set among the many homes of monks and laypeople. It resides on the side of a hill facing the valley. This is the site for the spring celebration of the Mani Rimdu festival, held about the middle of May each year. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

Thame is a traditional Sherpa village that has escaped the masses trekking to Everest and has one of the oldest monasteries in the region. The village is notably the hometown of Apa Sherpa who has made it to the summit of Everest 21 times! The walk itself is peaceful with excellent views of the mountains as it winds in and out of the forest on the side of the canyon. This day, we continue our journey walking down the hill from Thame. The trek will be easy and short and the final destination for the day and the trip will be at Namche Bazar. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

Finally, we will return back to Lukla where the trek began, which will seem like ages ago. It will give you time to ponder over the trek also giving you time to explore the town. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

Enjoying the last glimpse of the mountains we have recently visited, the 35 minutes scenic flight will take us back to Kathmandu. On arrival in Kathmandu, you will be transferred back to your starting hotel. Stay overnight at a hotel. Breakfast is included. If you are interested to extend the trip, there are several other options such as Chitwan jungle safari, river rafting adventure, Kathmandu shopping tour, mountain biking, and other activities.

After an exhausting trek, this will be a relaxation day for you. Get your body massaged, leisurely gallivant around Thamel and buy souvenirs, visit Garden of Dreams for some relaxing time. This is also a spare day to use for a flight back to Kathmandu in case there wasn’t a flight the day before due to unpredictable weather conditions. And, in the evening we will host farewell dinner in a traditional Nepalese restaurant with cultural performances to make this day a memorable one for you. Stay overnight at a guesthouse. Breakfast and dinner are included.

We will provide you with the morning breakfast. Lastly, our representative will escort you to the International airport a few hours before the scheduled flight. Breakfast is included.