Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,350 m/4,428ft)
After landing at the Tribhuwan International Airport, we will be greeted by a representative of Rupakot Holidays. 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 Rpakot Holidays. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day 02: Kathmandu: Sightseeing and trek Preparation
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 and Baudhanath Stupa is one of the largest stupas in the world. At noon, we are introduced to our fellow participants and discuss our trip at Rupakot Holidays' office. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day 03: Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding (2,651 m/8,700ft): 40 minutes flight; 8km, 3 - 4 hours trek
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.
Day 04: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,438 m/11,280 ft): 11km, 5 - 6 hours
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 Everest National Park. Then after crossing a suspension bridge, we pass Jorsale village and walk alongside 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.
Day 05: Acclimatization Day - Namche Bazaar: (3,440m/11,284ft)
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 colourful 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.
Day 06: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3,870 m/12,694ft): 10km, 5 - 6 hours
The trek until Phunki is an easy walk. From here we ascend towards Tengboche village which houses the very famous Tengboche monastery which is the biggest monastery of 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 3:00 pm, so if we reach there by 3 o’clock we can observe a Buddhist religious ceremony. Overnight in Tengboche.
Day 07: Tengboche to Dingboche (4,360 m/14,300 ft): 9km, 5 - 6 hours
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 Debuche 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 field complete with grazing animals dotted along those fields.
Day 08: Dingboche: Acclimatization
Spending a day in Dingboche will help us to acclimate 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.
Day 09: Dingboche to Duglha (4,600 m/15,090 ft): 4km, 3 - 4 hours
It is a relatively short journey from Dinboche to Duglha. We trek across a wide pass which is a much-wanted change from walking in 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 hung across the valley. After reaching Duglha, we can walk for 45 minutes to an hour and visit the Memorial Shrine. Overnight in Duglha.
Day 10: Duglha to Lobuche (4,940 m/16,207 ft): 4km, 2 - 4 hours
We ascend to the steep terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. The trail passes through 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 for 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 are crossing Khumbu Glacier we can also see Mt. Nuptse. Overnight in Lobuche.
Day 11: Lobuche to Gorak Shep (5,170 m/16,961ft), visit Everest Base Camp (5,364 m/17,594 ft): 13km, 6 - 7 hours
The trek to Everest Base Camp is not very difficult. However, we ascend and descend mostly on a glacier path. There is also 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, Khumbuste and Pumori mountains from the base camp. After soaking in the beauty, we walk back towards Gorak Shep where we spend the night. Overnight in Gorak Shep.
Day 12: Gorak Shep to Kala Patthar (5,545m/18,192ft) to Pheriche (4,288m/14,070ft): 16km, 7 - 8 hours
We wake up early for the walk up to Kala Patthar. It is dark outside with cold temperature and most likely chilly winds. We walk on a fairly steep trail at a comfortable pace. As we are climbing up the hill we can see Lingtren, Khumbutse, and Changtse mountains. The view from the summit is outstanding. We can see the world’s tallest mountain Everest along other mighty Himalayan peaks. After spending some time at the summit of Kala Patthar, we walk back to Gorak Shep which is relatively easier than hiking up to Kala Patthar.
Trekkers who visit the Everest Base Camp today will have an early breakfast as the hike up to the Everest base camp takes longer than the hike to Kala Patthar. After returning to Gorak Shep, both the groups will have lunch together. After lunch, we descend to Pheriche to spend the night. Overnight in Pheriche.
Day 13: Pheriche to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m/11,280 ft): 20km, 6 - 7 hours
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 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.
Day 14: Namche Bazaar to Lukla (2,860m/9,186ft): 19km, 6 - 7 hours
We begin our trek to Namche Bazaar today on 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 the rest of the day taking rest as today will be our last day on the mountains. Overnight in Lukla.
Day 15: Fly to Kathmandu
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.
Day 16: Final departure
Our adventure in Nepal ends today. A Rupakot Holidays representative will drop us off at the Tribhuwan International Airport a few hours before the scheduled flight.
