Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary
Itinerary
in brief:
Day
01
Arrive Kathmandu; transfer to Hotel
Day 02:
At your own leisure in Kathmandu, go
sightseeing or rest
Day
03:
Fly to Lukla and Trek to Phakding.
Day
04:
Trek to Namche.
Day
05:
Trek to Tengboche.
Day
06:
Trek to Pheriche.
Day
07:
Trek to Lobuche.
Day
08:
Trek to Gorakshep.
Day
09:
Rest at Gorakshep or trek to Kala Pattar.
Day
10:
Rest at Gorakshep or trek to Everest Base Camp.
Day
11:
Trek to Lobuche.
Day
12:
Trek to Dingboche.
Day
13:
Trek to Chhukung.
Day
14:
Trek to Pangboche.
Day
15:
Trek to Phortse Pass.
Day
16:
Trek to Namche.
Day
17:
Trek to Phakding.
Day
18:
Trek to Lukla.
Day
19:
Fly Back to Kathmandu and overnight Day
20:
Transfer to airport; depart Nepal
*Your itinerary may differ slightly depending on
your acclimatization, hence the returns back to
Namche Bazaar before proceeding to higher
elevations. Those that may have problems with
altitude can rest in Gorakshep while rest of your
party can trek to Kala Pattar and/or Everest
Base Camp.
Descriptive Itinerary:
DAYS 1-3:
(if coming from North America)
Fly to Kathmandu, Nepal. Upon arrival in Kathmandu
our staff will greet you at the airport and transfer
you to your hotel. Overnight.
DAY 4:
Kathmandu sightseeing or rest at
your own leisure / Enjoy Kathmandu's exciting Thamel
District.
(Optional program - visit to the Hindu and Buddhist sites of Bodhnath,
Swayambunath and Pashupatinath, the city center at
Durbar Square.) Hotel.
DAY 5:
Fly to Lukla (9,000') and begin the trek up the
Khumbu valley, following the Dudh Kosi River through
a rich agricultural area. The Sherpas in these
villages raise large crops of corn, potatoes, wheat,
turnips, cauliflower and cabbage, and tend herds of
cows, sheep, goats, and yak cross breeds.
Interspersed between villages stand magnificent
forests of magnolia, rhododendron and fir trees. As
you hike, watch the cliffs above the river for a
glimpse of musk deer and Himalayan tahr. Visit the
gompa (monastery) at Phakding, largest in the Pharak
district. We spend the night in Phakding (8,300').
Camping. (L,D)
DAY 6:
A
steep ascent to Namche Bazaar (11,270'), a
prosperous market town and the administrative center
for the Khumbu region. In Namche, one will often see
Khampa Tibetans who have crossed over from Chinese
occupied Tibet to trade with the Sherpa of the
Khumbu. At Jorsale the trail enters Sagarmatha Nat'l
Park. Visit the National Park museum situated on a
hilltop above Namche. With good weather you will be
rewarded with views of Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse.
Camping. (B,L,D)
DAY 7:
A
3 to 4 hour acclimatization day hike to the village
of Thame (12,400'), located up the Bhote Kosi
(Tibetan River) valley, west of Namche. The Ngampa
La pass at the top of this long valley is an
important crossover point for both Tibetan and
Sherpa traders. From Thame we are treated to
spectacular views of the snow covered giants of the
Khumbu as well as many lesser but equally dramatic
ice clad peaks. Intricately carved mani stones line
the way to Thame and are renowned for their
complexity and beauty. After we pay a visit to the
Thame gompa we return to Namche for the night.
Camping. (B,L,D)
DAY 8:
We
leave Namche for the climb to the Sherpa villages of
Kunde and Khumjung (12,400'). Khumjung, which is
more traditional in appearance than Namche, is the
location of the Hillary School, a primary and
secondary school financed by the Himalayan Trust,
the philanthropic organization established by Sir
Edmund Hillary. There is also a gompa possessing a
skull said to be of the yeti. We pause here for an
acclimatization day. Camping. (B,L,D)
DAYS 9-10:
Ascend the Dudh Kosi River valley to the beautifully
situated village of Phortse (12,140'), one of the
older and more traditional Sherpa villages. Continue
the next day up the valley to Pheriche, (14,000')
location of a small medical checkpoint. Camping. (B,L,D)
DAY 11:
Acclimatization day hikes to Chukung a small summer
settlement high in the Khumbu valley. Definitely one
of the highlights of the trek, you are presented
with spectacular views of the immense ice face of
Lhotse, which towers above you while the always
spectacular Ama Dablam lies to the south. After
lunch it's a quick trip back down to Pheriche where
we spend the night. Camping. (B,L,D)
DAY 12:
Ascend the wide valley to Phalang Karpo (14,240').
The trail then climbs steeply onto the terminal
moraine of the Khumbu Glacier, then descends to
Duglha (15,158'). Pass a cluster of monuments to
climbers and Sherpas who have perished in
mountaineering accidents and arrive at the summer
village of Lobuche (16,175'). Camping. (B,L,D)
DAY 13:
Leave Lobuche at dawn to ascend to the summit of
Kala Pattar. Hike up an increasingly rough and steep
trail through to Gorak Shep (17,000'). Pass the
small and often frozen lake, and continue upward to
Kala Pattar (18,450'). Catch your breath at the top
and survey one of the most magnificent mountain
panoramas in the world: the south and west faces of
Mount Everest (29,028') and its entourage of
neighboring peaks Lhotse and Nuptse. Look down on
Everest Base Camp where mountaineers are assembled.
Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first climbed
Everest, the world's highest mountain, in 1953. Its
Nepali name, Sagarmatha, means 'Churning Stick of
the Ocean of Existence.' The Sherpas call it by its
Tibetan name, Chomolongma, which means 'Mother
Goddess of the Universe.' The name we know comes
from Sir George Everest, who was head of the Survey
of India from 1823-1843. Camping. (B,L,D)
DAY 14:
Leave Lobuche again at dawn to make the hike to
Everest Base Camp. Depending on the time of year
there may be climbing expeditions in camp. Return to
Pheriche for the night. Camping. (B,L,D)
DAY 15:
Return down valley to Dingboche, a summer village in
a spectacular setting. Camping. (B,L,D)
DAY 16:
Walk through a beautiful rhododendron forest to the
monastery of Thyangboche (12,700'). Destroyed by
fire in 1989, this gompa has since been
reconstructed. From Thyangboche the mountain
panorama is one of the most breathtaking in the
Khumbu. From this vantage point, the massive
Nuptse-Lhotse wall conceals all but the tip of
Everest. Rising above the monastery is “Mothers
Charm Box”, Ama Dablam (22,494'). The name stems
from a mountain formation said to resemble a dablam,
a charm box worn by female residents of the Khumbu
and Tibet. Descend back via the Imja and Dudh Kosi
River valleys past mani stones and water driven
prayer wheels back to Namche Bazaar. Camping. (B,L,D)
DAY 17:
Trek down valley following the Dudh Kosi River to
Lukla. We have our festive Farewell Dinner with our
staff and guides so be prepared for great food and
dancing into the wee hours. Camping. (B,L,D)
DAY 18:
Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. Transfer to hotel.
Hotel.
DAY 19:
Free day in Kathmandu. Hotel.
DAYS 20-21:
Depart Kathmandu. Fly home.
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Renjo La, Cho La, Kongma La Trek;
Pikey Peak & Solu Trek;
Buddhism, Meditation and Solu Khumbu Trek. |
