+ Day 01 / Arrival in Kathmandu
Upon arrival in Katmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, CV will meet you, provide any needed assistance and transfer you to the hotel. After welcome refreshments and room check in the hotel, there will be a short briefing and orientation about the trip. Rest of the day is free for leisure. Overnight at hotel.
+ Day 02 / Kathmandu monuments
After breakfast, proceed for a sightseeing tour of Kathmandu City. It includes a visit to the Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu Durbar Square) - an ancient durbar (palace) with its numerous old palaces, temples and pagodas, the Temple of Living Goddess “Kumari”, and the Kasthamandap Temple, which is believed to be constructed from the wood of a single tree from which Kathmandu derives its name. Next we visit the Boudhanath Stupa - an ancient colossal stupa and the center of Tibetan Buddhism in the world and the Pashupatinath Temple- the Temple of Lord Shiva situated on the bank of the holy Bagmati River. After lunch drive up to the Swayambhunath Stupa situated atop a hill from where you could get a bird’s eye view of Kathmandu Valley. The Swayambhunath Stupa is also known as the “Monkey Temple”.
In the evening, we will have a trip briefing followed by a welcome dinner at an Authentic Nepali restaurant with cultural program.
+ Day 03 / Fly To Lukla & start Trek to Phakding (2,652m / 8,700 ft.) ~3 hrs
Early morning transfer to the airport to fly to Lukla (2,880m). This 45-minute flight provides a magnificent entry to the trek. It highlights the snow line of the Himalayan Range in the north and the rugged landing at the Lukla airport, which is said to be one of the most spectacular flights in the world. Upon arrival the guide will arrange the porters at the nearby lodge. During this break, the guests are welcome to explore this bustling town on top of a hill with rows of houses, hotels and shops lining both sides of the traditional cobbled street.
The trek starts by following the trail leading to the northwest direction through the narrow street, which immediately descends from the end of the village on a trail through the open hillside. The trail is well defined and there are many shops and lodges catering to the trekkers. This day’s trek is an easy one and ultimately descends to the river at Phakding (2,652m). Dinner and overnight at teahouse lodge.
+ Day 04 / Trek to Namche Bazaar (3,447m / 11,300 ft) 5~6 hrs
Leave the main village and follow the trail on the left bank of the Dudh Kosi River. It is a pleasant walk for the first half of the day as one passes through agricultural countryside and small wayside villages. Just before lunch, there is a steep climb of about 20 minutes to arrive at Monjo for Lunch. After lunch, trek up to the check post to check the permits and enter into the Sagarmatha National Park. Descend for 10 minute and then cross a suspension bridge to arrive at Jorsale (2,800m). Pass through several small villages and beautiful pine forestsa. This is a busy trail with plenty to see. Our first good views are of west ridge of KusumKangru (6,339m). Follow the Dudh Kosi River, crossing a suspension bridge, and then slowly climb up a very steep trail to Namche Bazaar. Near the halfway point, we enjoy our first views of Mt. Everest (8,848m), Nuptse (7,879m) and Lhotse (8,383m) - the big three. The climb is for nearly 3 hours as one gains in altitude making breathing difficult due to rarified air. Arrive at a gate with a sign saying, "Welcome to Namche Bazaar" but it is very misleading as it takes another 20 minutes to arrive at the main town. This prosperous town is the largest in Khumbu. Mt. Thamserku (6,648 m) and KwangdeRi (6,624 m) loom along the east and west of the village. The sacred mountain Khumbila (5,707 m) dominates the skyline along the west. Dinner and overnight at teahouse lodge.
+ Day 05 / Acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar
In the morning after breakfast go for a walk and later return for lunch. After lunch the guests are free to rest or go around the bustling Namche Bazaar. Dinner and overnight at teahouse lodge.
+ Day 06 / Trek to Thame (3820m / 12,533 ft) 4~5 hrs
Traverse westward with view of Kwangde (6343 m) and the waterfall cascading off its flanks. Follow Bhote Kosi as the side hills high on its bank through the red and yellow rhododendron forest (in full blossom in May). Cross the river and look down the valley for views of Thamserku (6648m) and Kusum Kanguru (6370m). Climb up to Thame village through the forest. It is a secluded village and the birthplace of Tenzing Norgay the first Sherpa to climb the Mount Everest. Dinner and overnight at tea house lodge.
+ Day 07 / Trek to Lungden (4380m / 14,370 ft) 4~5 hrs
Today we start our serious high altitude trekking. We walk for about 4 hours through a stunning landscape on an old trade route to Tibet to the village of Lungden. This village has only one lodge and very aptly called the Renjo La Support Lodge. Dinner and overnight at tea house lodge.
+ Day 08 / Trek to Gokyo (4750m / 15,584 ft) via Renjola Pass (5430m / 17,815 ft) 8~9 hrs
The big day starts real early and it is a long day, as we have to walk about 6 hours to reach the pass, going slow because of the high altitude. After a brief stopover to enjoy the stunning beauty of the Everest Range and photographs, we start on a remarkably difficult downhill journey for about 3 hours to reach the village of Gokyo. We walk along the stunning and beautiful Dudh Kunda river. Dinner and overnight at lodge in Gokyo.
+ Day 09 / May 28 Explore around Gokyo Lakes
After breakfast trek to Gokyo Fifth Lake which offers excellent views of Everest and Cho Oyu. Later return back to hotel for rest. Dinner and overnight at tea house lodge.
+Day 10 / Trek to Phortse Tanga (3,680m / 12,073 ft) via Macchhermo and Dole ~7 hrs
After breakfast it is about a two hour gradual walk to Machhermo. After Machhermo continue trek to Luza. Form Luza it is about half an hour steady descent down to the village Dole. After lunch in Dole continue descent down to Phortse Tanga. The descent is steeply out of the valley through rhododendron and oak forests. Dinner and overnight at tea house lodge.
+ Day 11 / Trek to Pheriche (4,220m / 13,840 ft) via Phortse & Pangboche 7~8 hrs
After breakfast, start climb towards Phortse Village – The largest Sherpa Village in the Everest Region. Continue walk through slopy area towards Pangboche on the way you can see the many Yaks grazing around and you can also witness the beautiful view of Thyangboche Monastery & Mt. Amadablam. Stop in Phangboche for hearty lunch. From here next half an hour the path is on level ground with few gentle climbs. We have to go uphill for about 45 minutes to reach Somare. From here the trails goes up to the left, through the front yards of a few herders’ huts, over a stone wall and climbs a small ridge before descending to Khumbu Khola, crossing it on a metal bridge. After crossing bridge it is about 10-mins walk to Pheriche, which is a windier place and is colder than most places in Khumbu. Dinner and overnight at Tea house lodge in Pheriche.
+ Day 12 / Trek to Lobuche (4,931m / 16,173 ft) via Phortse & Pangboche 7~8 hrs
Traverse across the open landscape with a short steep ascent to arrive at a ridge to join the main trail coming up from Dingboche on the right and the trail from Cho la pass on the left. On the way you can watch the beautiful view of the Mt. Cholatese (6,442m) back on the westside of the route and Mt. Amadablam to the rear. After arrival at the ridge, descend, for about ten minutes, cross a bridge and arrive at Thugla for a short break. After Thugla, there is a very steep ascent for about one hour to the ridge where there is a Sherpa memorial in remembrance to those brave mountaineers who died during Expeditions. Travel along the jumbled moraines and scattered rocks passing by the memorials of Rob Hall and Yasuko Namba and others who perished during the Mt. Everest disaster of 1996. The memorial chortens dot the skyline facing the mountains and overlooking the valley below. Further on, the trail leads to the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier with views of Pumori, or Widow’s Peak, in the foreground. The stark and rugged beauty creates almost a moonscape. After another hour of steady trekking through the moraine, the teahouse at Lobuche is reached for lunch. It is situated in a windswept valley with views of the Tawatse (6,501m) and Nuptse (7,855m). Dinner and overnight at teahouse lodge.
+ Day 13 / Trek to Gorakshep (5,160m / 16,925 ft) & continue to Everest Base Camp (5,360m / 17,580 ft) ~7 hrs
After breakfast continue trekking along the Khumbu Glacier through the jumbled moraines and scattered rocks. The trail continues to slowly contour on the open landscape through an ablation and after about an hour, there is a steep ascent for about 20 minutes. Climb slowly to a ridge and then continue on a trail of rocks caused by rockslides. On a clear day Mt. Everest can be seen looming behind Nuptse. Arrive at the ridge above Gorakshep and then descend to Gorakshep, a settlement with a few teahouses for overnight. This was the base camp for the 1952 Swiss Everest expedition. In 1953, the British Everest expedition called this “lake camp’. Gorekshep or "graveyard of the crows” has a small lake that is usually frozen and several monuments to climbers who have died during various Everest expeditions. The carved stone in memory of Jake Britenbach, US expedition and the monument of Indian Ambassador H. Dayal, who died during a visit to Everest Base Camp after the 1965 Indian expedition, are northeast of the lake
After lunch in Gorakshep, trek to Everest Base Camp. The trip to base camp, while fascinating, is not as spectacular as the ascent of Kala Pattar because there is no view of Everest itself from base camp. Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Nuptse, which loom over base camp, shades the view of Everest. The trail continues on a ridge from where a small glimpse of Mt. Everest can be seen. At the end of the ridge, a scrabbling descent leads to the entry onto Khumbu Glacier. The trail through the glacier is an interesting one in that one can actually feel as if one is inside a fridge with the cold seeping from all sides. The Everest Base Camp is also base camp for Lhotse and Nuptse. It is not actually a specific site as various expeditions have elected different locations for a semi-permanent camp during their assault on the mountains. Some of the sites that expeditions have used as base camps are identifiable from debris on the glacier at 5360m or more. After visiting base camp, backtrack to Gorakshep. Dinner and overnight at teahouse lodge.
+ Day 14 / Climb Kala Patthar (5545m / 18,187 ft) & back to Pangboche 8~9 hrs
Very early in the morning keep your backpacks in the lodge and take the left-hand side trail and head straight up the hill to Kala Pattar (5,545m) for views of Mt. Everest. The trek up to the top is an arduous one and takes about an hour and half to two to reach it. The afternoon is the best time to view Mt. Everest from this vantage point as the sun is behind the observer and directly on the mountains in front. The climb to the Kala Patthar though tough, is well worth it as the views from here are breathtaking. The giants of the earth are all around Pumori (7,145m), Everest (8,848m), and China’s peak Changtse (7,553m), Nuptse (7,855m), Lhotse (8,516m), Ama Dablam and many others. Return to Gorakshep for breakfast.
After breakfast start descending down to Pheriche for lunch and continue further to Pangboche for overnight.
Dinner and overnight at teahouse lodge.
+ Day 15 / Fly to Kathmandu by Charter Helicopter
After early breakfast, walk to nearby Helipad to board the Charter flight to Kathmandu. Upon arrival in Kathmandu transfer to hotel for room check in and rest. Rest of the day is for leisure. Dinner and overnight at hotel.
Day 16 / Contingency Day in case of delays
Day 17 / Final Departure
