Welcome at airport and transfer to the hotel. An introduction to your trekking program then the rest of the day at your leisure to enjoy the sights, sounds and culture of Kathmandu.

Free day for final trekking preparation and sightseeing

A magical scenic flight takes us to Lukla in the morning, and from there we begin our trek with a hike to the day’s first destination, Phakding.

Our day starts by following the Dudh Koshi River and crossing over the Edmund Hillary suspension bridge, then heading towards Sagarmatha National Park and the checkpoint at Monjo. The path ascends markedly until it eventually leads us into Namche Bazaar, the regional capital of the Sherpa district.

A rest day to allow the body to acclimate to the high altitude conditions. Namche is perfect for the situation, as there’s plenty to do in the scenic town including visiting Khunde Hospital, the local medical facility set up through Edmund Hillary’s charitable work in the area, taking in the panoramas from Everest View Hotel, visiting the Sherpa Cultural Museum, or hiking up to Khumjung Valley and its monastery, complete with the display of its famous Yeti scalp.

The trail leads away from Namche Bazaar through a series of small villages and a suspension bridge en route to Phunki Tenga, then climbs through a series of switchbacks and dense rhododendron forests to Tengboche. The village is famous for its monastery, the largest in the Khumbu region, and justly renowned for its long association with mountaineering expeditions to the area.

The day begins by descending gradually through more woodland until we cross another suspension bridge and climb steadily towards Pangboche and Sumare, the formidable presence of Ama Dablam keeping us company all the way. Mani walls and a monastery greet our arrival in Dingboche, Lhotse, Island Peak, and other mountains adding their stunning profiles to the view.

This is a short & suite day of the trek. We will have a pleasant hike towards Chhukung then take lunch and relax.

Another mandatory rest day, with hikes to Chhukung Ri, Nangar Dzong, or Dolma Ri providing ample opportunities to bask in the glorious panoramas of each viewpoint.

After breakfast, we will encounter the first challenging and highest pass named Kongma La. The trail will ascend gradually to Kongma La Pass 5555 m where you can have a spectacular view of the Himalaya surroundings & Khumbu glacier. Then descends all the way to Lobuche overnight. (7/8 hrs we do not have tea house in between Dingboche to Lobuche)

Our trek reaches its climax today with the much-anticipated arrival at Everest Base Camp, truly one of the most memorable experiences in Nepal. The morning is spent traversing Khumbu Glacier and heading to Gorak Shep, where we typically pause for a well-deserved meal and the extraordinary views before heading out again for the journey’s reward, our arrival at the historic base camp, temporary home through the decades to some of the most legendary figures in the annals of mountaineering. After pausing to drink in the astonishing spectacle, and perhaps view the latest expeditions mounting their challenge, we reluctantly turn around and make our way back to Gorak Shep for our night’s rest.

Everest may not be within our reach but Kala Patthar is on hand to give added meaning to the visit via unmatched views of the entire Khumbu basin and a sense of accomplishment in scaling the peak. After returning for breakfast and retrieving our trekking gear we hit the trail once more for the hike to Dzongla.

The occasionally icy stretch atop Cho La makes the ascent to the pass along a deep ravine a notable achievement, more difficult than Annapurna’s famed Thorong La, which is about the same height. The striking views of Ama Dablam, Baruntse and Cholatse alone make the climb to the pass worthwhile. The descent can be a tricky one if icy, and if conditions merit it we will be carrying crampons and ice-axes to facilitate our passage over the pass and down to Dragnag.

The hike begins along a ridgeline with glorious panoramas of the Himalayas, then trails by Ngozumpa Glacier towards Gokyo and the magical view of Dudh Kunda’s turquoise waters set amidst the stunning backdrop of the surrounding peaks. Truly one of nature’s most spectacular scenes.

We rise early to make the climb up to Gokyo Ri, with even more astonishing panoramas of the surrounding Himalayan giants such as Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and many more snow-capped peaks

The adventure continues as we make our way up to the rarified air of Renjo La and its superb views of the surrounding region – only our cameras can do justice to supreme scenes that mere words can never truly describe. From Renjo La we descend along a tricky trail to the valley below where the infant Bhote Koshi River runs through Yak pasturelands and alpine scenery towards the settlement of Lumde and the rustic rock walls that guides weary travelers in.

The trail descends gradually through the valley past a number of outlying settlements until it reaches the Khumbu region’s trekking hub of Namche Bazaar.

Our final day on the trail, easing back to Lukla along the Dudhi Koshi and its suspension bridges. Once at Lukla we can finally throw off our backpacks, take a relaxing shower, and sit back to savor the heady accomplishment of making it to the foot of Everest.

After breakfast, we take a flight to Kathmandu where you’ll have enough time to savor the city’s treasure’s one last time before getting together for a farewell dinner with friends before departure.

Farewell and drop-off at the airport, or the opportunity to join another of our programs.