14 Days Everest Base Camp Trekking

It’s a panoramic thrill flying into Kathmandu on a clear day. The views of snow-capped mountain peaks sprawling down below you are almost ecstatic, beginning a whole chain of memorable experiences that stay with you for a long, long time. And as your plane hits the tarmac, our waiting support team will meet and greet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. Welcome drinks will be served. Overnight Stay in Kathmandu.

A flight to Lukla and a landing on a steep mountain runway bring us to the start of our trek at the village of Lukla (2850m). After meeting the crew, we head up the Dudh Koshi Valley on a well-marked trail and then stay overnight in Phakding (2656m).

From Phakding, we cross and re-cross the river on high-suspension bridges. Beyond Monjo(2845 m) is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park which was set up in order to protect and preserve the fragile mountain environment. We then take a steep hike to Namche(3340 m). If the weather is clear, we get the first glimpse of Mt Everest. Namche is the main trading village in the Khumbu and has a busy Saturday market – a meeting place for the Hindu traders from the lowlands and the Tibetan yak caravans that have crossed the glaciated Nangpa La.

Today, to get used to the surroundings and to acclimatize, we’ll rest in Namche. Namche is tucked away between two ridges amidst the giant peaks of the Khumbu and has an abundance of lodges, tea shops, and souvenir shops. It is an ideal place to spend a day, acclimatizing to the new altitude before heading off towards Tengboche. You’ll visit Khunde Hospital(3840 m) set up by Sir Edmund Hillary, or take a one-hour walk up to the Everest View Hotel above Namche for the sunset view of Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Everest. There are also good views from the National Park Centre and Museum above the town.

From Namche, the trail contours onto the side of the valley, high above the Dudh Kosi. We get our first really good views of the great peaks of the Khumbu including Mt Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam. Passing by several villages and numerous tea shops, we descend steeply to a bridge over the river at Phunki Tenga(3250m). The village is an ideal stopover for lunch. Here we can rest before making the steep climb to Tengboche(3867 m). Although the hike up the zigzag path is tiring, it presents us with many beautiful sights of rhododendron bushes with beautiful birds and superb mountain scenery. Tengboche is famous for its legendary monastery, the largest in Khumbu. A spectacular panorama of Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam rising on the horizon can be seen from the campsite.

We descend downhill through a forest, cross the Imja Khola and climb steadily to the village of Pangboche(3,985 m). This village is directly opposite Ama Dablam, and has exceptional views of the mountain, with the gompa, Mani walls, and scattered pine trees in the foreground. A further two hours walk brings us to Dingboche(4,410 m).

This is a day for rest and acclimatization. We also get to wander up the valley to look at a lake, the Tshola Tsho(4510 m), and the perpendicular walls of Cholatse(6440 m) and Taboche(6,495 m). We can climb up 5100 m which is called Nagarjuna Hill onto the ridge overlooking, Great Views of Ama Dablam, Mt Makalu, Dingboche for the view of the Imja Valley and the incredible south face of Mt.Lhotse, Island Peak, etc….

We continue up the wide valley beneath the impressive peaks of Cholatse and Tawache on the left. We then turn right and take a steep climb toward the foot of the Khumbu Glacier. The tea house at Duglha(4620 m) is a good spot to have lunch. The trail zigzags up through the boulders of the glacier’s terminal moraine. At the top of this climb, there are many stone cairns, built as memorials to the many Sherpas who have died while climbing Mt Everest. The path then climbs gently along the glacier, to eventually reach the cluster of houses at Lobuche(4930m).

To reach our next stop, we follow the Khumbu Glacier. The trail offers superb views of the surrounding mountains, especially where the path is forced to rise to cross a tributary glacier. We stop for lunch at our Gorak Shep(5164m).

Later in the afternoon, we go to Everest Base Camp(5364m). It takes 5 hours as the trail weaves its way through ice pinnacles and past the crevasses of the Khumbu Glacier. On the return leg, we can take a higher route to get a spectacular view of the Khumbu icefall and the route to the South Col.

Early Morning we hike to Kala Pathar(5565m) which is one of the finest viewpoints Of Mt. Everest, including Nuptse, Amadamlam, Pumari, Lola, Lhumbute, etc…Today’s trek is mostly downhill. As we retrace our steps to Duglha and descend to Pheriche(4252m), we arrive at The Himalayan Rescue Association, a trekker’s aid post and worth a visit…

We continue to follow the river and, after crossing it, climb back up through the birch and rhododendron forest to Tengboche(3860 m). Kwangde, Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Kantega, and Thamserku are just a few of the Himalayan giants to be seen. From Tengboche, we descend to the bridge over the Dudh Kosi. At Phunki Tenga(3250m), we get to see the water-driven prayer wheels, on our way to Kanjuma(3550m). We continue walking to beautiful mountain town Namche.

Our final day’s trekking follows the Dudh Kosi down to Lukla(2800m). This last evening calls for a celebration because this is our last day on these fantastic mountains that were home to us all of these days. We have a party with our Sherpa guides and porters who’ve got close to us over the weeks & are now good friends. We sample some ‘chang’ (locally brewed mountain beer). Altogether, this is an end to a merry trip on a merry note. After supper, we relax under the starry skies on a moonlit night & reflect on the emotional experiences we had while hiking through these massive mountains that have probably helped us re-discover ourselves in ways least expected. We then slumber into blissful sleep.

We pack up early and head for the airstrip to hop on a flight back to Kathmandu. On touchdown, the rest of your day is free to do your own things. You could do some last-minute shopping and packing, send a few postcards home or even go down for a stroll to Thamel, an internationally known hub for tourists in Asia.

Our Nepalese support team will take you to the airport for your flight home. (Or stay longer for short tours such as game drive at National parks, do some wild-water rafting, a Tibet tour or even mountain biking, etc – please don’t hesitate to let us know). We would be glad to help you. Thank you for doing this venture with us & it’s been wonderful knowing you over the weeks. Please do stay in touch in the months ahead. Bon Voyage & take care!!!