Everest Base Camp via Jiri

Day 01: Arrive Kathmandu.1, 300m.
On arrival at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, you will be received by representatives of Rupakot holidays and will be escorted to your Hotel, where one of our leaders or a senior Sherpa guide will give you a brief orientation of the Hotel, Kathmandu, Trek/Camping, things you should do & rather not do and other related information that you might require while in Nepal. Your first overnight in the abode of the gods - breakfast

Day 02: A day in Kathmandu.

After your first night in Kathmandu, you will be well informed on arrival about the time for your half day guided sightseeing tour in Kathmandu at places of interest. Sometimes, depending on your flight arrival, if it’s late into the night; we will do this tour in the afternoon instead of the morning to give you some good rest to get rid of that jet lag before you venture out of the Hotel on our interesting tour. Overnight at your hotel - breakfast

Day 03: Drive to Jiri. Approx. 1,900m - It’s a 6 -7 hr bus ride.

After an early breakfast, we then travel by a Deluxe Coach to Jiri on the busy scenic highway. This is an interesting drive through the foothills of the Himalaya. The road has been greatly improved in recent years. The bus ride from Kathmandu heading towards the Bhote Koshi Valley on the main road to Tibet reaches Lamosangu, a busy small bazaar where most of the buses en-route Jiri and to the Tibet border stops hereabouts for the local meal, situated merely 30 km from the Tibetan border, on the only motor able highway that connects to Lhasa, Tibet. From here, we take a diversion towards east through the strong steel bridge over the Bhote Koshi or upper Sun Kosi River. The drive then climbs for an hour all the way to Charikot, then heads downhill to the Tama Kosi River with a brief stop here crossing over the river, as the drive climbs further on a meandering road for another 3 hours nearly all the way to Jiri. Just before Jiri, the road finally descends into the main town of Jiri, once a popular busy village with its teeming bazaar, especially after the construction of the airstrip at Lukla and at Salleri in Solu.

However, the crowds are less than it used to be in the early and late 80's. On arrival at Jiri, we will camp near the village & strike up conversation with the locals. All meals served at camp

Day 04: Trek to Shivalaya. 1,770m. 5 hrs

Our first day trek leads past the bazaar of Jiri on the easy path for a while then our route ascends to a steep climb for an hour or less on the first ridge overlooking view of the nearby landscapes and Jiri town below, from here the walk is on the gradual path passing thorough many farm villages and terrace farms. After a good walk for about two hours, leaving the farmland behind the trail climbs for another hour to a small short pass of Kharubas at 2,712m where there are Buddhist prayer flags and a chorten. From here, a short descend on the grassy slope brings us to our lunch stop on the meadow. After a break here, another 2 hours of downhill hiking brings us to our overnight camp at Shivalaya, just before our overnight camp we cross a short suspension bridge, from the bridge the walk is on a fairly level path for 20 minutes, on arriving Shivalaya village we again go through the suspension bridge over the Khimti Khola (stream). After the bridge, a few minutes walk brings us to our camping site just by the river, with time to explore around the village area. All meals served at camp

Day 05: Trek to Bhandar (Chyangma). 2,195m. 5 hrs

After a good breakfast, we start walking at the very end of the village towards east, an hour of steep climbing brings us to the small village of Sangbadanda, from here the walk is quite gradual, passing through many small rural villages and forest and then coming to a stream before we take the uphill path through the cool shade of a forest of pine, oaks and rhododendron trees; after 3-4 hrs of walk from Shivalaya we reach Deurali pass of approx 2,715m. Deurali has about 6-7 Sherpa houses, marked by mani-walls and prayer flags. Depending on the time, we might have lunch at Deurali or earlier near the stream. From Deurali, we get a view of Bhandar down below and up above the trail from where we will head onwards and as far to the ridge with Lamjura pass almost visible on the horizons. After a stop here, we descend most of the way for nearly two hours to camp on a grassy slope field at Bhandar. Just before we reach our camp we come across a beautiful large Stupa enclosed inside a wall and surrounded by many scattered houses and farm fields. Bhandar or Chyangma has a mixture of Tamangs and Newars, but are predominantly Sherpa people. We then bunk out in our camps for the night with all meals inclusive.

Day 06: Trek to Sete. 2,575m. 6 -7 hrs.

Today's morning walk leads us on a downhill path through the cool shade of the forest and terraces with steep descending in some places till we reach a warmer area at Phedi, a Chettri village where the vegetation drastically changes with the sub tropical climate in this valley, arriving near a village where we cross a stream on a wooden bridge coming to rice paddy fields, as our walk continues on a gentle winding trail till we reach Likhu River, we cross the river on the long suspension bridge reaching to the other end as we come across a small farm village with local tea stalls, from Likhu our route heads north east with few short ups and then back to a gradual path most of the way to our lunch stop at Kenja village after 3-4 hours of a brisk morning trek. Kenja, at 1,634m, is a nice small village mostly of Sherpa inhabitants located in the warm valley just beneath the ridge of Lamjura and Pikey danda, with a view of Numbur peaks to the north. After lunch at Kenja, a steep uphill walk for an hour brings us to the first farm settlement near the water tap, from here the climb continues on the winding path all the way to Sete village for another 2-3 hours. Once reaching Sete the air gets much cooler along with the altitude, we overnight camp just near the village monastery or in the yard of a large house which serves as a lodge also. All meals inclusive

Day 07: Trek to Junbesi 2,675m via Lamjura-la.3, 530m. 6-7 hrs

From here onwards, the walking will be much cooler, beginning with a steep climb through the beautiful enchanting woods of rhododendron, oaks and pines and then stumbling into a small settlement of Ghurasey in the midst of a lovely forest, where there are few houses with teahouses, from here, our journey continues up to a place where the ridge is marked by a mani-wall the & way forks left to reach the pass. In springtime this place becomes a beautiful mass of rhododendron in full bloom, & it’s just wonderful to watch from a distance. After reaching the ridge, the walk continues on a gentle path till we reach a cozy clearing with 2-3 lodges just a few minutes before the pass. We enjoy an inviting break here for a while. After a rest at Lamjura, a short walk leads us to the Lamjura-la pass, the highest altitude we gain so far before we reach the high Khumbu area. From the pass, the path descends through a forest of mixed fir and rhododendron all the way to a Sherpa village at Thakdor where it has a huge, intricately carved Mani rock. After reaching the bottom, the trail on the way contours on the north side of the valley, rounding the ridge where we can see Junbesi, below, the path descends all the way to our camping site at Junbesi; this is a large Sherpa village with chorten, monastery and a school built by Sir Edmund Hillary.

We will camp just below the village near the Junbesi khola or just near the village depending on the camping space available to our disposable. Sometimes, camping space around here can be wanting. All meals inclusive

Day 08: A day for rest at Junbesi. You are free to do a local hike or just spend your day reading                        

This is an essential day for rest & we remain free from the hassles of packing. There are many ways one can enjoy the day in Junbesi. A stroll in the village is an option; we can visit the nearby serene monastery or just relax & catch up on some reading that would be ideal in the ambience of such surroundings. For those with an interest in Tibetan Buddhism, there is an attractive alternative hike from Junbesi which heads north up the west bank of the Junbesi khola until it is possible in just over one hour to cross the river to the east bank and ascend to the village of Mopung. North-west of this settlement, before Pangkarma, is the Gompa of Thubten-cho-ling, a monastery which was established after the Chinese occupation of Tibet. It now has over a 100 monks, who are predominantly Tibetan rather than Sherpa and it can be regarded as the most important monastery in the Solu / Khumbu district. The Gompa is headed by Tul-shis-rimpoche himself, regarded as a senior spiritual leader of Buddhism. Overnight camp with all meals inclusive

Day 09: Trek to Nunthala (Manidingma) 2,190m. 6-7 hrs 

Today will be a quite a lengthy day’s walk to Nunthala, so prepare to leave earlier than the previous day to enjoy more of the scenery along the way. A short descend to the river below the chorten, we take the left-hand fork and then our path leads to a climb around the Shingsere danda. The walking from here is marvelous along the hillside, passing through forests of pine, oak and rhododendron where we reach the village of Solung danda & we get our first views of Everest in the distance as we see a dark pyramid shape that is typical of the Everest shape and other high snowcapped mountains of Khumbu. After a short break here, our route descends to the valley of Beni khola, which flows from the Dudh kund glacier, beneath the southern flanks of Numbur, Khartang and Karyolung Himal, where time permitting, we stop to have lunch & relax here by the river. From the river crossing over the bridge, a steep climb up for half an hour brings us to the first house at Ringmo where the road from Salleri lower of Solu joins. Our walk from here heads up on the gradual path through the village of Ringmo; & leaving Ringmo from the large mani 'prayer' wall, an hour or less steep climb through the pine forest us to Trakshindu pass at 3,070m marked with mani and chortens.

As the trail passes through an arch of prayer flags, we get great views of several striking peaks including Kusum Kanguru, Thamsarkhu and Kantega to the north east where we will head eventually. On the east side of the pass we will descend all the way to our overnight destination at Nunthala, passing through Trakshindu Gompa., which was set up around 1946 by a lama from Thyangboche monastery, this is also home of the renowned late Babu Chiri Sherpa who climbed Everest 11th times and was the fastest man to speed to the Everest summit and the only climber who has stayed on top of Everest for more than 21 hours. From Trakshindo, our walk leads downhill for more than 2 hours through the cool shade of the forest and then coming to a farmland heralding that Nunthala is close by. A short walk from the stream brings us to our overnight camp at this village of Nunthala also known as Manidingma. Nunthala is a fairly large hillock village of the Rai and Sherpa community. This is where we crash out for the night after interacting with the local folks. All meals inclusive

Day 10: Trek to Bupsa Danda approx. 2,250m. 5-6 hrs

Our morning journey begins with a descend after leaving the suburb of the village, following the steep downhill slope through the terraces and forest where you can often see Languar monkeys all the way to the suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi. After a brief moment here crossing over the raging river, our route leads to a gradual winding uphill climb for an hour or more to the Rai settlement of Jubing at 1,675m, the areas around here are fairly warm. From here, the path meanders through strands of a bamboo grove near to the houses. Our walk continues towards Kharikhola at 2,200m, a village of predominately Sherpa and Magar inhabitants. This is a village of Mani walls and water wheels which every Wednesday has a thriving market (called a ‘hat’ locally), peddlers from here then head off to Namche Bazaar for the bustling Saturday market. After a break here at Kharikhola we head to the next ridge crossing the river tributaries of the Kharikhola and climb steeply for an hour or more to the small settlement of Bupsa, perched on the ridge overlooking superb views of the rolling hills and valleys. We camp overnight just near the farm fields on the grassy ground. It’s a good place for camping. All meals included

Day 11: Trek to Surkhe.2, 295m 5-6 hrs.

From here onwards, the air gets much cooler as we head nearer to the Khumbu area, our walk leads to a climb on the wide meandering path through a mixed forest of oak, rhododendron and the fragments of Dhaphne bholua; the Nepalese paper plant, bird life, including pheasant, is found in abundance along this section of the trail.

Our route continues traversing the flank of the Kharte Dande high above the river to a notch in the ridge, the Kharte La at 3,880m, as the walk continues through a small village at Puiyan at 2,800m, where we will stop for a lunch break. This is a real nice spot in the middle of the forest. After Puiyan, the walk is gentle for a couple of hours on the long winding path and rising slowly on the flank of Sebuk Danda to the Chotok La at 2,945m. From this ridge high above towards North West, we can see the town of Lukla with its airstrip and Surkhe village down below, as we descend nearly 700 meters of a drop to Surkhe after 2-3 hours of good hiking from our lunch place. We will be camping near by the stream which is an idle spot for camping. Surkhe, situated just beneath the hills of Lukla, is where one can see the airplanes flying overhead on a warm sunny day in winter. This is where we bunk out for the night with all meals included

Day 12: Trek to Phakding.2, 650m. 5-6 hrs

From Surkhe our route diverts westward to join the main trail coming from Lukla, time permitting if some one wishes to visit Lukla can do so which will take about 2 hours of steep uphill climb and can join later in the camp at Phakding. Our walk leads to a climb on the winding path, coming to a village at Muse and Ghaikharka after two hours of good walk, from here a gentle climb brings us to a place called Choplung where the road from Lukla joins. The walk from here is on the gradual path most of the way, with few ups in between, from Tarhe khola, where you can have amazing views of Kusum-Kangru at 6,369m after crossing a short suspension bridge, and a climb brings us to the Ghat village, & another hour of pleasant hiking brings us to Phakding village for the overnight stop near the banks of the Dudh-Kosi river. All meals included

Day 13: Namche Bazaar 3,440m. Approx. 5-6 hrs

From Phakding, after crossing the suspension bridge over the Dudh-Kosi the walk is pleasant with some fluctuations in elevation as we re-cross the same river again, with magnificent views of Thamsarkhu 6,608m, from the village of Benkar; we cross the long suspension bridge over the Bhote-Koshi river, & after the bridge on this busy trail of trekkers and Ghopkyo and porters, we finally arrive at the small village of Monjo after the last 20 minutes climb from the stream, where you can see interesting water-mills grinding roasted corns and barley for Tsampa, one of  the staple foods of the Sherpas, Tibetans and other mountain people. Monjo is situated below the magnificent peak of Thamserkhu and near the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park.

After a few minutes’ walk from Monjo, we come to the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park, where our trekking permits & especially the park tickets are checked and park authorities keep records of all trekkers going to and from this place including the local trekking staff as well. If you have a video camera please allow them to check it. A normal home video camera is free to carry and shoot inside the park, but for bigger commercial cameras, a fee of US$1000 is charged. From here, a short descend and a gradual walk brings us to the suspension bridge over the Bhote-Koshi river & after the bridge, Jorsalle village is reached, the last village and the only place to shop till Namche Bazaar is reached. after a short walk, a second bridge is reached over the same river, & the walk is pleasant on the river bed till the last bridge over the Imjatse river is reached, from here the walk is along a winding uphill path all the way to Namche Bazaar, with magnificent views of Kwangde peak and its other sister peaks towards east, with Kusum kangru on the back as you climb higher, views of Mt. Everest - Nuptse wall, Lhotse and closer views of Taweche peak can be seen all the way up to Thop Danda, where there's a resting stone wall for the porters and trekkers. A few years ago, a teahouse existed here. From hereabouts, another 1-2 hour walk up brings us to the famed most talked about place called Namche Bazaar; the colourful houses go by the shape of an amphitheatre U shaped bowl when seen from a higher elevation. Namche bazaar is a wonderful place to camp out in. all meals included

Day 14: Today will be a day of rest at Namche Bazaar.

Suggested activities would be a short walk uphill to the Sagarmatha National Park Headquarters, a magnificent spot perched on top of Namche Bazaar with breathtaking views of the surrounding snowcapped giants and lush green valleys way down, with an interesting museum with all kinds of information relating to the history of the Himalayas, geography, culture, mountaineering history and existing information on flora and fauna of this region. The afternoon is at leisure & it’s your own time to do some individual exploration wherever you want. Overnight at Namche with all meals included

Day 15: Trek to Thyangboche 3,867m.Approx 5 hours.

The walk is fairly easy for the first half, after some 20 minutes of climbing to the top ridge of Namche Bazaar. Once at the top near the park museum the walk follows on a gradual trail with a few short ups and downs overlooking magnificent views of the great giant snow peaks from Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamsharkhu and Kwangde-ri peak after a pleasant walk of two hours. 

We then come to a small place at Shanasa, & in this area there are more chances of seeing the beautiful colourful Danphe pheasant (Impeyan Pheasant) national bird of Nepal and the elusive musk deer, and sometimes even herds of Himalayan Thar (mountain goats like large antelopes), from Shanasa, with short up and downhill, the trail descends to Imjatse river at Phungitenga at 3,250m, a small settlement with couple of teahouses and a small Royal Nepalese Army barrack serving as park wardens in the midst of the alpine woods of mostly silver fir blue pines, rhododendron and some magnolia and birch trees. At Phungitenga, there's an interesting prayer wheel run with water from the nearby stream, the walk from here is strenuous for an hour on a winding trail through the shade of woods till a small religious monument of prayer stones covered with rhododendron leaves and junipers is reached. From here the walk is gradual uphill for another hour, with great views of the close peaks of Thamsarkhu and Kantenga, Kantenga from this angle looks more like an icy Sphinx or a big cat in a sitting position, just before the great spot of Thyangboche you will be assured by a religious Buddhist entrance gate, that the walk is over for the day as you approach and admire this great religious symbol with relief. Thyangboche, one of the most beautiful places in the Himalaya & the first thing that comes to your eye is the big Monastery or Ghompa, then the large field with campsites, teahouses & lodges beneath the towering majestic beautiful peak of Ama Dablam with Everest looming above the Nuptse wall in the north & Mt. Lhotse and Lhotse Shar towards north east and more peaks all in view around us. All meals included

Day 16: Trek to Dingboche 4,358m.Approx. 5-6 hour.

After a wonderful time at Thyangboche, the trail descends through a forest of birch, fir, juniper and rhododendron and coming to lovely spot at Deboche at 3,650m with magnificent views of Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt.Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse, from Deboche walking past the long mani prayer wall, the path is gradual till you reach a small bridge over the narrow gorge of Imja-Tse river. From here the walk is gradual uphill most of the way, as you come to a large mani wall gate, a little farther from here the route diverts into two ways, the upper one going to the upper Pangboche village, where the old Monastery is located, & the gradual low route is the straight forward main trail to Dingboche Pheriche and beyond. It will be better to go the upper trail, for more views and to visit the upper Pangboche village at 3,900m and its Monastery, which had a Yeti scalp, and a skeleton believed to be Yeti's hand, it was stolen in the early '90's, and has never been recovered back again. Like the monastery in Khumjung, this Monastery is believed to be older.

After a visit to the Monastery, a gradual walk downhill brings us back to the main trail, with a short climb to Shomare for lunch, a small settlement with fantastic close-up views of Ama-Dablam; from here, Kantenga peak looks different from its northern face. After a pleasant break here our journey continues gradually towards east after an hour walk, before a small wooden bridge the road again splits two ways, the north going to Pheriche and our trail leading towards east beneath the towering north face of Ama Dablam, from here onwards, Ama Dablam looks completely different, & as we go on hiking, from the bridge the trail climbs slowly winding above the Imjatse river, till we come to a big mani Stupa, from here onwards the walk is fairly moderate as you enter the Imjatse Valley beneath the mighty peaks of Ama Dablam, Nuptse and Lhotse with views of the eastern snow capped mountains including the Island peak or Imjatse at 6,189m, which is a most popular peak amongst all the trekking peaks in Nepal. Dingboche is a beautiful patchwork of fields enclosed by stone walls, protecting the crops of barley, buckwheat and potatoes from the cold winds and grazing animals. Dingboche has about something like ten teahouses and it is also the gateway to Chukung and farther beyond for the most challenging traverses towards Makalu area and Hinko Valley via the Sherpani col of 6,100m and Amphu Labtsa at 5,780m. Overnight camp in this wonderful environment with all meals included

Day 17: Trek to Loboche 4,928m via Dugla 4,595m. 5 hours.

From Dingboche the trail diverts towards north, the path is gradual up for about 40 -50 minutes as you come to a mani-prayer Stupa, from here the trail is gentle on the hard meadow looking down below Pheriche village, today's walk offers wonderful & beautiful views of Mt. Tawache, Ama Dablam and to the north Pokalde peak at 5,741m, Kongma-tse 5,820m and the great wall of Nuptse. After a pleasant walk of 1 1/2 to 2 hours the trail from Pheriche joins near Thugla, before a small wooden bridge over the torrential river of Khumbu glacier. Thugla is the only place with teahouses in this area before Loboche. From Thugla, an hour of steep hiking up brings us to the top, where you can view Mt. Pumori and other peaks west of Everest, the spot here is a real good place for a few minutes break after the strenuous climb, close to this spot you can also see a number of memorials of unfortunate climbers who died in expeditions around the mountains of this region. From here, another 1 1/2 to 2 hours of gradual ascending brings us to Loboche. Loboche comes as a surprise, as it’s snuggled away in a corner well hidden and sheltered from the wind. Loboche has about 5-6 Teahouses. Overnight camp with all meals

Day 18: Trek to Gorakshep 5,288m & Kalapathar 5,545m.

Today is the day for your final destination of this adventurous journey at the foot of number one, the first hour walk is gradual up a valley at the end of the grassy field, a short 20 minutes climb, the walk from here follows a rocky moraine path, as you walk you can see the icy-glacial pond and icebergs down below of the Khumbu glacier. After the last rocky moraine dunes a short downhill walk bring us to Gorakshep on the flat field below Kalapatthar at 5,545m and Mt. Pumori at 7,145m. Gorakshep has two teahouses, and it used to be a base camp in the early 50's expedition to Mt.Everest. After a break here at Gorakshep, we continue towards Kalapatthar, a few minutes of easy hiking on a sandy field, & then a steep climb for 45 minutes brings us to a near level field, the walk from here is gradual till we reach a rocky spot after an hour, from here another steep climb to the top for another half hour & we are top of Kalapathar. It’s just fantastic from this viewpoint!! the top of Kalapatthar is a small rocky peak on the southwest ridge of Mt. Pumori, the views from here go beyond the imaginations as the Everest looks so close-up, as if you could just walk up to it or throw a stone on it; the distance feels that close, between the summit of Nuptse and Lho-la and Lhotse on the back. The stunning views from this spot is something you could cherish for a lifetime, and you feel its been so much worth the hard climb up to here and to feel at the top of the world, with all the higher snowcapped giants that dominates the landscapes all around, it is truly a glorious spot to be here on a clear sunny day to view an array of mountains that go beyond the horizons, to the south the Khumbu glacier sweeps below us, and you can also see the Everest Base camp down below on the moraine of the Khumbu glacier, when the expedition season is active. The afternoons get very windy up here, after a great moment with the dazzling sights we get up here; we descend back to Gorakshep for our overnight stop. All meals included

Day 19: Trek to Everest Base Camp 5,357m. 5-6 hrs - O/N Camp at Loboche

This is the final day of this great adventure as we continue towards Everest Base Camp and to the Khumbu Ice-fall, the path from here can be misleading, we need to follow the lead Sherpa. Every year the trail changes due to the movements of the glacier, the walk is quite strenuous due to the high altitude and thin air as we talk the walk passing through & over rocky dunes, moraines and streams, till we reach the base camp. Everest Base Camp is lively during the high expedition season. On reaching the foot of towering Everest, great views of the Khumbu icefall awaits us, views that never tire us. After a grand time here, we retrace the journey back to Loboche for the overnight halt with all meals inclusive

Day 20: Trek to Pangboche 3,900m. Approx. 5 hrs

The walk today will be easy heading downhill to a lower elevation; from Loboche the walk is same all the way to Thugla. After the bridge our route descends following the stream towards Pheriche valley, after 40 minutes of downhill, the walk gets better as we reach the valley floor, an hour of easy good hiking brings us to Pheriche at 4,243m. After a break here, a short walk brings us to the bridge from here; it is almost downhill all the way to Pangboche. We bunk out at Pangboche for the night with all meals included

Day 21: Trek to Khumjung 3,800m. Approx. 6 hrs

We retrace our journey back to Shanasha. From Shanasha, where the trail from Khumjung, Gokyo and Namche meets, from here on, our route strays away from the main busy path, as the walk winds up all the way to Khumjung-Khunde Valley. Khumjung, unlike Namche, is a sleepy looking large village which has an old monastery, & the only monastery which houses a yeti's scalp. Overnight camp with all meals

Day 22: Trek to Monjo. Approx. 4-5 hours walk.

It’s an easy day downhill today, from Khumjung, a half an hour walk brings us to Khunde, where we can visit the only hospital in the whole of the Khumbu area, built by the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation. After a visit at the Khunde hospital the trail leads south passing thorough a Sherpa's house and farm fields and culminating at a long Mani prayer wall. A short uphill climb from here brings to the top ridge of the Syangboche air strip. From this spot, it’s a big descend to the Dudh Koshi river bed. As the walk progress on this steep downhill bit from Syangboche onwards, an aerial view of Namche Bazaar is seen from this downhill slope; on reaching Namche Bazaar, we retrace the journey all the way to Monjo for our overnight camp. Monjo is located a few minutes further from the Sagarmatha National Park entrance. Overnight at Monjo with all meals

Day 23: Trek to Lukla. 5 hrs walk. We wrap it up here on our last day on these beautiful rugged mountains.

This is the last day of this great trek; a good pleasant walk leads us to Lukla. We can now walk at our own chosen pace leisurely, as we enjoy the lush green scenery around. Apart from a few short up hills, the only long climb will be just before Lukla which will take almost 45 minutes from a place called Choplung or from the old big oak tree. On reaching Lukla, prepare for the last day great dinner and a party with the fellow Sherpa crew, porters and trekking members. We’ve come to know them so well on these mountains.

We enjoy some ‘chhang’ (locally brewed mountain beer made from fermented rice & drunk by most folks on the mountains} it’s worth a try & pretty good for health if taken sensibly, because it’s pure. We enjoy ourselves to the hilt & reminisce on the wonders of this fantastic trip. This is a merry end to a merry holiday. Overnight in camps with all meals

Day 24: Fly Lukla-Kathmandu.

The flight times to Kathmandu are scheduled for mornings normally, because of the strong wind in the afternoons. Sometimes, the flight time can be delayed due to bad weather and other reasons beyond our control. We need to keep this in mind at all times when on these high country trips. As we get hold of the boarding pass depending upon our flight time, we make our way to the terminal for a security check, this scenic flight from Lukla takes about 45 minutes to Kathmandu, a panoramic view of the snowcapped peaks can be seen from the windows of our plane. This is yet another last view of these huge pillars of nature, a gift from God. Arriving at Kathmandu domestic terminal, one of our office staff will be waiting to receive and escort us back to the Hotel. Breakfast

Day 25: This free day is entirely yours & at your leisure.

A free day in Kathmandu, please inform our staff if you would like to go on another short tour in and around Kathmandu Valley or for scenic mountain flight. There are other exciting programs if you are up to it. We can give you other forms of adventure that will be light on the pockets because we know you’ve already spent a lot. Holidays like this come only once in a lifetime. Overnight at your hotel - breakfast

Day 26: Transfer to Airport for your International departure.

Today, as per your international flight times, keep your re-confirmed air ticket, as our Office reps will take you to the airport for your final departure from this wonderful country, Nepal, which we are sure you’ve truly enjoyed. Sayonara!! It’s been wonderful meeting you! Breakfast

Accommodation

A ‘TH [Teahouse Lodge] is a term used for sleeping in teahouse lodges on the trails. These teahouses are pretty basic but provide all the comforts that you would expect when trekking in remote conditions, they are cozy and warm – you’d like the homely environment. We crash out in single rooms wherever available, but often times we sometimes have to adapt to sleeping out in dormitory type rooms for a night. Generally, it’s just a bed with a pillow and blankets. It’s a matter of choice, if you want, you bring your own ‘Air pillow’ and freak out anyways, and this is adventure in the wild…the rougher it gets the better. We accommodate our trek groups in local lodges available each day. Our porters hike ahead of us to book the required rooms for the group (rooms cannot be booked in advance). Please note, that some of them are very basic and a spirit of adventure is the call of the day. It is cheaper to stay in lodges rather than organizing a camping trek.

We have a pool of hotels in Kathmandu under 3-4-5 Star categories which we provide to clients in connection with this itinerary, unless it is mentioned otherwise or clients have a special choice. You can check on the description of such hotels through our website. Accommodation is never a problem, the choice exclusively yours.

Dining

At ‘Rupakot Holidays’ – its zero tolerance on cutting of cost when it comes down to feeding our trekking guests, because we know how tough it is on the trails; we ensure that the lodges provide three tasty, bountiful and nutritious meals daily with a variety of local and Western dishes. To start the day, breakfast is ‘king size’ [the first meal of the day] consisting of a choice of porridge, muesli and cereals followed by omelet, fried or scrambled eggs with chapattis or bread. Lunch is generally a selection of salad, cooked vegetable dishes, pasta and traditional breads.
After a lengthy gritty day on the trail, dinner is a hearty 3 course meal - soup, followed by a variety of vegetables, meat, rice and pasta dishes completed with a simple dessert. Don’t be surprised if the delectable ‘apple pie’ lands on your plate, it’s literally‘yummy’’, even better than the ones you come across in Thamel. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate are also provided at all meals. We use as much fresh produce as possible and special diets are regularly catered for. The local trek leaders are able to maintain very tight controls on health and hygiene in the kitchen with respect to general cleanliness and food preparation and also within the group with respect to personal hygiene. This has allowed us to maintain extremely high standards of health over many years of planning treks - and good health is vital to an enjoyable and successful trek and climb. All foods are well cooked and vegetables are treated by potassium permanganate or iodine. Boiled water is served for drinking. Antiseptic soaps and potassium or iodine treated water are provided for washing. Special dietary requirements can always be catered for. ‘Gluttony is a sin’ but there are no restrictions on the grub we serve to our guests on the mountains; we leave it up to our trekking guests who are the best judge of their own appetites…Bon Appétit!!

The best time to visit for a trip of this kind would be in the Spring and Autumn.  It is wonderful duringthis time of the year when an overall beauties of the landscapes found in these trips are so distinct & stunning, due to clear weather pattern & sunny blue skies. Our program could be changed to accommodate individual group choices and preferences in order to give you proper holidays that become signature ventures for a lifetime

Cost Inclusion

• 3N Hotel accommodation on twin sharing basis at KTM                                                                        
• 17N accommodation on Tea Houses/Lodge in the trail
• One English speaking guide
• Porter (1Porter for 2Pax)
• 3 meals (Breakfast, Lunch & dinner) during Trekking
• National park fees
• TIMS
• Airport pick up and drop (international & domestic)
• All ground transfer as per itinerary
• KTM-Bhandara by coach/Jeep
• KTM-LUK-KTM Domestic air tickets

Cost Exclusion

• Daily Meals (Lunch & Dinner) during Kathmandu
• Tips to Guide & Driver
• Entrance Fees
• Bar Expense
• Telephone, Laundry and Internet
• Personnel Insurance
• Emergency Evacuation
• All other personal expenses
• Nepal Visa Fee

Popular Sightseeing places in Kathmandu:

• Kathmandu Durbar Square
• Bhaktapur Durbar Square
• Patan Durbar Square
• Pashupatinath Temple
• Boudhanath Stupa
• Swayambhunath Stupa

Half day sightseeing includes visit two of these places and full day sightseeing includes three of these places inside the ring-road of Kathmandu. Besides the above mentioned places, the charges will apply depending on the distance accordingly.