Sleeping at Everest Base Camp Trek  - 18 Days

After landing at the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA), we will be greeted by a representative of Himalayan Glacier who will drop us off at our hotel. We then check-in at the hotel, freshen up and take a rest. In the evening a welcome dinner will be hosted by Himalayan Glacier. Overnight in Kathmandu.

We tour Durbar Square, Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath stupa and Bouddhanath stupa which are all world heritage sites. The Durbar Square sheds light on the life of the royals in ancient times. Pashupatinath temple is one of the most important places of pilgrimage for all Hindus. Swayambhunath is also known as the ‘Monkey Temple’ while Bouddhanath Stupa is one of the largest stupas in the world. At noon, we are introduced to our fellow participants and discuss our trip at Himalayan Glacier’s office. Overnight in Kathmandu.

We take an early morning flight to Lukla which is where all Everest treks begin. We meet the rest of our team in Lukla and start trekking from there. We walk on a trail that gradually descends to Cheplung village from where we get a glimpse of Mt. Khumbila, a sacred mountain which has never been climbed. From here, we gradually descend until Phakding. Overnight in Phakding.

Our trail passes through a pine forest and we continue our walk on the trail that goes north up the Benkar valley. We cross Dudh Koshi River and pass Chumoa and Monjo villages before reaching the entrance of the Sagarmatha National Park. Then, after crossing a suspension bridge, we pass Jorsale village and walk along the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. We ascend on a steep trail and reach Namche Bazaar which is probably the biggest town in the Everest region. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

We can tour Namche Bazaar which is the primary town of the Everest or Khumbu region and has government offices, ATMs, internet cafes, shops, restaurants, and a colorful market. We can hike up to Sagarmatha National Park and enjoy the sunrise over the Himalayas including Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kongde and so on. If we are interested in a day hike, we can trek to Khumjung village. Today we also visit the Hillary School and a monastery which houses a yeti scalp!  Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

The trek until Phunki is an easy walk. From here we ascend towards Tengboche village that houses the very famous Tengboche monastery, which is the biggest monastery in the Everest region. It is located within the Sagarmatha National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery is blessed with panoramic views of the Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Thamserku. The Tengboche Monastery opens at 3:00pm, so if we reach there by 3 o’clock we can observe a Buddhist religious ceremony. Overnight in Tengboche.

Our trail descends and passes through lush forests of birch, confer and rhododendron trees. While trekking we can admire good views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. We walk downhill to Deboche and cross the Imja River to reach Pangboche. We choose the upper Pangboche trail and admire the Himalayan vista and the Pangboche Monastery. We continue our walk to the Imja Valley and Lobuche River before ascending to Dingboche. It is a picturesque village with beautiful barley, potato and buckwheat fields complete with grazing animals dotted along those fields.

Spending a day in Dingboche will help us acclimatize to the high altitude. Instead of staying idle, we climb a ridge located behind the village and see six of the world’s tallest peaks including Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu. Furthermore, we can also admire Cholatse and Taboche peaks. On our north-west we see more Himalayan peaks rising above the Khumbu Khola Valley. Among those peaks, Lobuche West, Lobuche East and Lhotse are the most dominant. From another location on the ridge we can also admire the picturesque Imja Khola Valley and the beautiful Dingboche village. Overnight at Dingboche.

It is a relatively short journey from Dingboche to Duglha. We trek across a wide pass, which is a much-wanted change from walking on a straight line.  Around the beginning of our trek today, we enjoy the company of the mighty Himalayas on all sides. The valley begins to narrow as we come closer to Dusa. We pass the campsite of the first successful Everest Expedition in 1953. We begin to see Mt. Pumori as we continue on our trail. As our trail descends and curves, we bid goodbye to Mt. Pumori. We cross a stream and ascend to Duglha, which is a tiny village with a huge strand of prayer flags hanging across the valley. After reaching Duglha, we may walk for 45 minutes to an hour and visit the Memorial Shrine. Overnight in Duglha.

We ascend to the steep terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. The trail passes through the boulder-strewn slopes as we ascend Chupki Lhara, which is a ridge that provides spectacular mountain views. The top of the ridge is filled with prayer flags and stones which are memorial shrines of the climbers who lost their lives on Mt. Everest. As the trail drops to the Khumbu Glacier moraine, we find ourselves facing several great peaks including Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori and Mahalangur Himal. As we cross the Khumbu Glacier we can also see Mt. Nuptse. Overnight in Lobuche.

Today, we begin the walk from Lobuche towards Gorak Shep meandering on rough terrains. After 2 hours of walk, we will reach Gorak Shep where we will have our lunch and rest for a while. After lunch, we continue to hike on a fairly steep trail at a comfortable pace. As we climb up the hill, we can see peaks such as Lingtren, Khumbutse and Changtse. The views from the summit of Kala Patthar are outstanding where we will be able to see the world’s tallest mountain Everest and other mighty Himalayan peaks. After spending some time at the summit and soaking in the beauty from the vantage point, we walk back to Gorak Shep, which is relatively easier than hiking up to Kala Patthar. Overnight in Gorak Shep.

The trek to Everest Base Camp is not very difficult. However, we ascend and descend mostly on glacier paths and a lot of meandering on rough terrains. As we reach the base camp, we enjoy the incredible melt patterns and admire the gently rounded ice towers on the upper part of the Khumbu glacier. The Everest Base Camp is stunningly beautiful. We can enjoy amazing views of Nuptse, Khumbutse and Pumori mountains from the base camp. We soak in the beauty, watch and count the stars while sleeping at the Everest base camp. Overnight in Base Camp (tented camp).

We wake up early today for our exploration at Everest base camp. After exploring the base camp, we proceed with a day hike ascent into the Khumbu Icefall. This day allows us to climb through the famous Khumbu Icefall almost half the way to the Lhotse Face for a fraction of the price and time.  This trip could also be for us if we have plans for climbing Mt. Everest and want to get the experience on the mountain before taking the final step to conquer the world’s highest peak. Using fixed ropes and ladders we navigate through the icefall’s seracs and crevasses. We will manage this and limit the risk climbing in this area. After this, we will return to the base camp and have a good rest. Overnight in Base Camp (tented camp).

We begin a long walk back along the same trail towards Gorak Shep and then onto Pheriche after wrapping up in the Everest base camp. We will descend along the Khumbu Glacier to arrive at Gorak Shep before continuing further down to Lobuche and finally to Pheriche, which is our stoppage for tonight. Once at Duglha, we will cross the glistening Khumbu River gushing down all the way from the glacier. Picturesque views of the Himalayan giants won’t stop keeping us afresh as we arrive at Pheriche. Overnight in Pheriche.

We will have an overnight option at Pangboche for warmer conditions. However, accommodations at Pheriche are much better and easier for elderly hikers.

We lose approximately 2,000 feet in elevation today and walk on a trail with a lot of ups and downs. We descend through a hillside filled with rhododendron and juniper trees and cross a bridge over the Dudh Koshi River. We descend rapidly through pine forest where we can easily spot mountains goats, pheasants and other wild animals and birds common to the area. The path eventually reaches Sansa from where we can enjoy great views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Nuptse mountains. We walk on winding trails followed by another walk through a forest before reaching Namche Bazaar. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

We begin our trek to Namche Bazaar today on a rocky terrain.  It is mostly a downhill trek on a trail alongside the Dudh Koshi River. We cross several suspension bridges, pass by several monasteries and villages before reaching Lukla. After reaching Lukla we spend rest of the day taking rest as today is our last day on the mountains. Overnight in Lukla.

We catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu after our long mountain journey. After reaching Kathmandu, we can take a rest or do some souvenir shopping. If we want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu, we may do that today. Our guides can help you with both souvenir shopping or sightseeing. There will be a farewell dinner in the evening to celebrate the successful completion of our journey. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Our adventure in Nepal ends today. A representative from Himalayan Glacier will drop us off at the Tribhuwan International Airport a few hours before the scheduled flight.