Welcome to Nepal's vibrant capital city, Kathmandu! Upon your arrival at the airport, a friendly representative will be there to greet you and escort you to your comfortable hotel. Before embarking on your trek, you'll be provided with all the necessary information and details to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey. 

Overnight in Kathmandu

Experience the charm of the old spice market of Ason and the grandeur of the ancient Durbar Square on a morning walking tour. After a delicious lunch, embark on a 4-5 hour drive to Manthali, where you will spend the night before catching an early morning flight to Lukla (2,840m/9,318ft) the next day.

Note: If you wish to avoid the drive to Manthali, ask your Trip Planner about pre-booking a seat on a direct helicopter flight to Lukla, contact us for more information and the current pricing.

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge
Mountain lodges in Nepal are typically rudimentary, offering basic amenities.


 

Your journey to the Everest Base Camp begins with a flight to Lukla in the morning. However, due to the unpredictable weather conditions, flights may experience delays. Depending on the time of arrival in Lukla, you will embark on one of two treks. If you arrive in the morning, you will undertake a lengthier trek of 5 hours to reach the charming village of Monjo. If you arrive in the afternoon, you will trek for 3 hours to get to Phakding village. Your overnight stay will be at a lodge.

Hiking time: 3-5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate - Challenging
Max. Altitude: 2,650 meters / 8,695 ft

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge



Trekking Wellness:
Trekking is not just a fun activity, it also has a range of benefits that can improve your health and wellbeing. It helps detoxify your body and nourishes your soul. This premium wellness trek goes above and beyond by tailoring meals to include superfoods as part of the ingredients to keep you fit and healthy while assisting in acclimatization to high altitudes. Combining hiking in the pristine mountain air and healthy food makes trekking a complete culinary adventure that you won't forget.

Examples of Meals While Trekking: 
BREAKFAST: Cereal, porridge, and eggs to order (usually scrambled or fried). Toast or whole wheat chapati (Indian flatbread), served with honey or good peanut butter, waffles served with goji berries or raisins, and honey are examples of a tailored breakfast on the trek. Tea or freshly ground Himalayan organic coffee. It is possible to request options such as oat milk as a non-animal-based sustainable, eco-friendly product as well. Please ask your Trip Planner for more information. 

LUNCH: In many regions, the chef will provide a simple but nutritious hot meal for lunch. Meals usually consist of noodles/potatoes, curry, salad, rice and dhal, fried meat and vegetables, chapatis or bread, fruit juice, tea, or fresh Himalayan organic coffee. A packed lunch will sometimes be provided when crossing high passes or drier regions. It may consist of the following: jam sandwiches, chapatis, chicken, boiled eggs, fruit, chocolate, and cartons of juice. When we arrive at a camp there will usually be tea, biscuits and, if available, cake.

​DINNER:  Typically, dinner starts by grazing on popcorn or pappadums, and sometimes treats such as Danish blue cheese, olives, salami, tuna pate, and hummus. Soup and the main course followed. Meals vary from typical ‘trekking food’ to Thai curries, rendang curry with local proteins like buffalo and yak, pasta carbonara, tuna pizza with a Himalayan twist, local steaks cream, and mustard sauce. Despite the essential equipment available on the trek, it is incredible what the chefs can produce: excellent iced cakes, apple tarts, pizza, fried chips, spaghetti, pasta, and even jelly! The chefs are trained to produce a variety of menus and will usually accommodate specific requests.

Follow the Dudh Koshi River, crossing a suspension bridge on the Kyashar Khola, and pass through Jorsalle, the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. A one hour of trekking in a combination of flat, some short steep ascents, and descending to a high suspension bridge. There is a steep ascent of 2 hours after the bridge to Namche Bazaar.

Namche is Khumbu's most prosperous and most populous town. Every Saturday, a bazaar is held. Meat, cereals, vegetables, souvenirs, hand-woven aprons, and Tibetan boots are all on display. The Sherpas welcome foothills traders as well as Tibetans from across the border. Thamserku (6,648m/21,812ft), Kwangde Ri (6,187m/20,299ft) and Khumbila (5,707m/18,724ft) surround the natural bowl that Namche sits in. Stay overnight at the local lodge.

Hiking time: 5-6 hours
Difficulty: Moderate - Challenging
Max. Altitude: 3,500 meters / 11,483 ft

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge

Visit the National Park Headquarters for views of Mount Everest and other surrounding mountains before you return to the lodge for breakfast. Take a steep uphill hike to the village of Khunde, where Sir Edmund Hillary built Everest's first hospital, and on to Khumjung village to see the school also built by him, and the Monastery with the Yeti scalp. Kunde and Khumjung villages are in a broad valley below Mount Khumbila. Stay overnight at the local lodge in the lesser visited Khumjung village.

Difficulty: Moderate - Challenging
Max. Altitude: 3,790 meters / 12,435 ft

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge

Leaving behind the quaint village of Khumjung, embark on an upward ascent towards the lesser-known Phortse village. The trail takes us through uncharted territory and promises a unique experience. Stop at Mong-La, a small pass adorned with charming tea houses and take a moment to relish the serene surroundings. Continuing towards Phortse, encounter a 350-meter(1,149-ft) drop to Photrse Tenga, followed by a 200-meter (657-ft) ascend to Phortse village. On this trail, we might be lucky enough to spot Danfe Munals, Nepal's national bird.

Phortse offers a sight of the surrounding peaks that is unlike any other. It is also home to the Khumbu Climbing Center, which opened its doors to the Sherpas and other Nepalese back in 2014. The center recently inaugurated an indoor climbing building on June 13, 2019, where locals can learn essential climbing skills.

The trail to Pangboche is not for the faint-hearted. It involves a series of ups and downs on an exposed, but wide path. However, the breathtaking scenery is well worth the effort. It takes approximately two and a half hours to reach Pangboche, and even longer if you can't resist stopping for photo opportunities.

We get to stay at a friend's lodge, which is sure to be a highlight of the trip. The dining room is decked out with fascinating artifacts from Tenzin and Hillary's 1953 Everest Expedition, including oxygen bottles and goggles. The lodge also boasts a charming mountaineering museum, filled with relics from later expeditions.

Hiking time: 5-6 hours
Difficulty: Moderate - Challenging
Max. Altitude: 3,700 meters / 12,140 ft

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge

Go on a 3-hour hike to Amadablam Base Camp after breakfast (ADBC). The most stunning peak in this part of Amadablam has a base camp that is less visited. As you ascend higher, the sweeping vistas of the neighboring mountains will relieve your exhaustion. During the climbing season in the fall, you might be able to observe other nearby campsites. The meal they brought from the lodge at the Amadablam base camp will be served to you by your escorted team.

After lunch, make your way to the village. In the afternoons, it frequently becomes windy. As your trek guide will tell you, pack layers of clothing and a windproof jacket.

The team will make a good meal with superfoods as the main ingredients to help you recover from your excursion. You will also receive the nutrition you need to prepare for the upcoming days at greater altitudes.

Hiking time: 5-6 hours
Difficulty: Moderate - Challenging
Max. Altitude: 3,790 meters / 12,435 ft

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge

Today, indulge in a short trek to Dingboche, where you will take a moment to acclimatize and explore Nakardzong Ridge. Although it is a brief hike, it is important to prepare the body for the higher altitudes yet to encounter. The previous day's trek, which took us above 4500 meters (14764 ft), combined with the specially prepared meal of superfoods, will help us adjust to the altitude and leave us feeling energized.  In the afternoon, eat a freshly prepared nutritious dinner.

Hiking time: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Challenging
Max. Altitude: 4,320 meters / 14,174 ft

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge

Take a short 20-minute uphill walk to a stupa with stunning 360-degree views of Mount Makalu, 8481 meters (27825 ft), Lhotse, 8501 (27891 ft), and other ‘smaller mountains. An undulating hike for two to two and a half hours with Mount Taboche 6542 meters (21464 ft) and Cholatse 6440 meters (21129 ft) on the left before crossing the Khumbu river to stop for lunch at Thuglha (4620 meters/15158 ft). 

Take a steep climb of 45 minutes to the top of Thuglha, where there are numerous memorial “Chortens” in honor of those who perished on Mount Everest. The final stretch of a gentle uphill trek to Lobuche 4900 meters (16077 ft) takes about 90 minutes. Stay overnight in a local lodge. 

Hiking time: 5-6 hours
Difficulty: Challenging
Max. Altitude: 4,920 meters / 16,142 ft

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge

After breakfast, trek from Loboje to Everest Base Camp and Gorakshep. Follow the rugged boulder trail up to the valley to experience icy glacial ponds and icebergs below the Khumbu glacier on this long but rewarding day that lasts about seven hours. As you walk, don't forget to pause and take in the breathtaking view of the Himalayan peaks around you while sipping water - hydration is essential at all times.

After the last rocky moraine dunes, after about three and a half hours of hiking, a short downhill walk brings you to Gorakshep, the flat field below Kala Patthar (5,545 m/18,193 ft) and Mt. Pumori (7,145 m/23,442 ft). Gorakshep is the location of the original Everest Base Camp, with the new camp being further up the valley. Some trekkers have an early lunch before continuing to EBC. Our staff will bring packed lunch for you to eat at EBC or whenever you feel hungry. 

Now the trail winds through a rocky path and the Khumbu glacier. The view of Nuptse, Lho-La, and Khumbutse appears in front of you. After some time, you retrace your steps back, passing through the Khumbu glacier with magnificent views of Lobuche, Cholatse, Mt. Pumori, and Tabuchi.

The trail to EBC is narrow and slippery in some places, so it's important to be attentive and stand on the 'safer' side of the path when allowing other trekkers to pass through. It takes about two hours to reach EBC, where we will stop to observe, absorb, contemplate and, of course, take lots of photos for remembrance. Overnight at Gorakshep (5,120m/16,798 ft).

Hiking time: 6-8 hours
Difficulty: Challenging
Max. Altitude: 5,180 meters / 16,995 ft

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge

Kalapathar, a viewpoint that translates to "Black Rock," offers a stunning 360-degree panorama of the majestic Everest, along with other peaks like Nuptse, Khumbutse, Lingtren, and Pumori. The ascent to Kalapathar is a slow and steady two-hour uphill climb, but the effort is worth it for those seeking breathtaking views. However, if you decide to skip the climb, you can still enjoy a trek to Thuglha and then stop for lunch at Lobuche. From there, you can either hike to Kalapathar or follow the right path toward Pheriche.

For those who choose to hike to Pheriche, the trail can be mostly downhill, and the atmosphere offers noticeably more oxygen. The trek from Thuglha to Pheriche takes about two hours, and you will be amazed at how much ground you can cover. The valley of Pheriche, situated at an altitude of 4250 meters (13,944 ft), is a windswept and picturesque landscape that serves as the perfect stopover for trekkers. The entire trek can last between 7 to 10 hours, depending on your pace and itinerary.

Hiking time: 7-10 hours
Difficulty: Challenging
Max. Altitude: 5,555 - 4,250 meters / 18,226 - 13,944 ft

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge

Upon the descent of the trek, you are surrounded by the magnificent peaks of the Himalayas. The descent offers a chance to appreciate the stunning scenery while covering more ground. However, it's important to take breaks for photos and to stay hydrated.

The route follows the main trail to and from EBC, starting in Pangboche and passing through Thyangboche where a visit to the Monastery and a healthy lunch are enjoyed. Next, a steep descent of 650 meters (2,133 ft) ends at Phunki Tenga, where the Dudh Koshi and Imja Khola rivers meet. Then, face a challenging climb, approximately 90 minutes to reach Kyangjuma, the final destination for the day.

Once in Kyangjuma, unwind and enjoy hot beverages and delicious baked goods from friendly and amiable local bakery owners. At an elevation of 3650 meters (11,976 ft), this trek will take us approximately 6 hours to complete.

Hiking time: 6 hours
Difficulty: Moderate - Challenging
Max. Altitude: 3,650 meters / 11,976 ft

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge

Embark on a scenic trek to Phakding via Namche Bazaar with a flattish start that lasts for 90 minutes. Following this, head towards the high suspension bridge, trekking past Namche on a steep downhill trail. Bid farewell to Sagarmatha National Park, stop for lunch at Monjo, and continue to trek for two more hours before reaching the destination for the night - Phakding. Spend the night at a comfortable lodge and rejuvenate for the next day's trek.

Hiking time: 6 hours
Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
Max. Altitude: 2,650 meters / 8,695 ft

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge

Embarking on a three-hour trek to Lukla, make sure to take in the sights and sounds along the way. Remember to reflect on your initial thoughts and compare them to how you feel at the end of the journey. A party awaits at the end, as you spend your final night in celebration with the support crew. Rest up for the night at the overnight lodging, ready for the adventure to continue.

Hiking time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy - Moderate

Overnight in a Mountain Lodge

Fly to Manthali and drive back to Kathmandu for 4 hours. Your afternoon is free at leisure.

Note: If you wish to pre-book a seat on a direct helicopter flight to Kathmandu, contact us for more information and the current pricing.

Overnight in Kathmandu

After breakfast, transfer to the airport on time for your trip back home.

Goodbye, Nepal!