Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal

You can feel the excitement build as your plane touches down at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The name Kathmandu alone brings back memories as you are probably humming the Bob Seger song Kathmandu, in your head. The city has long been a legend, which was only intensified by the Hippie Movement on the 1960s as flower children made this place their summer home. The same sights are still available to be seen including places like Blind Pigs Alley and Snowman’s, the last of the pie and chai shops here where many of the great artists in the 1960s like Jim Morrison and Cat Stevens sat and wrote some of their greatest hits. You will be greeted by a representative of Himalayan Planet Adventures and taken to your hotel to rest. There will also be time for a meeting at the headquarters of Himalayan Planet Adventures and then enjoy a traditional Nepali welcome dinner with Nepali food and cultural program before going to bed for the evening.

The morning begins with an early morning flight across the backbone of the Eastern Himalayas. It’s a short flight to Lukla, the gateway to the Mt. Everest region. The flight is exciting as you gaze out your window at the massive peaks that rise upwards into the beautiful blue skies. The flight takes just 35 minutes, but it is one that you will never forget as you behold such incredible scenery. The plane touches down in Lukla. As you deplane, you will realize that there is no shortage of amazing scenery as you look up at Mt. Numbur Himal and Mt. Pharm. Once your guide has assembled everyone’s luggage, we will pass through some beautiful little Sherpa villages with their stone buildings and terraced farms. There are no roads into the Khumbu/Everest region. Everything has to come by either human or mule effort. There will be mule trains we will encounter with their jingling bells announcing their arrival. We cross the Dudh Koshi River, taking our lunch at a place with a superb view of Mt. Kusum-Kangaru (elev. 6,369 m/20,890 ft.) We will arrive at the village of Phakding where we will stay at a tea house and enjoy a hot dinner. There will be time to walk around the village as you become oriented with Sherpa life. Trekking time is 3 – 4 hours.

Our journey begins with more encounters along the Dudh Koshi River. The name “dudh” means milk, and the river has a milky appearance as it boils and bubbles its way over rocks and waterfalls, being fed by melting glaciers in the Khumbu region. We pass through forests of rhododendron and pine as well as come to wonderful places that offer great views of Mt. Thamserku (elev. 6,608 m/21,675 ft.). At Monjo village, we will enter Sagarmatha National Park where they will check our permits. The walk becomes more gradual after our entry into the national park. We descend, crossing a suspension bridge over the Bhote Koshi River. We pass through Jorsalle village. Today we will be able to see Mt. Everest, along with Mt. Lhotse as well as other snowcapped peaks. Our destination will be achieved in around 6 hours as we reach the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar. It is a very picturesque village with a colorful market, along with wi-fi, ATM machine and good restaurants. We will spend two nights here in Namche Bazaar at a very nice tea house.

Once we cross the 3500-meter mark, it is necessary to take a day to allow our bodies to adjust to the thinner mountain air. AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) can occur at elevations above 3500 meters. While AMS can be fatal if not treated properly, the best prevention of this problem is simply to give the body a day to adjust to the extreme altitudes of the Himalayas. Today is a day of rest. We will do a little hiking around Namche Bazaar, especially climbing up the hill to the luxury Everest View Hotel where we will have an incredible view of Mt. Everest and the surrounding mountain vistas. There are also many stores to explore, or take in the Sherpa Museum to learn more about these amazing people who inhabit the Everest area.

We resume our trek today with our bodies adjusted to the thinner mountain air. We breathe deep into our lungs the refreshing smell of pine and fresh mountain scent. All along the way today, we will see the grand vistas of the snowcapped giants of the Eastern Himalayas. This will include not only Mt. Everest, but also Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Kwangde peaks. We will cross the Imjatse River at the village of Phungithanga. Our destination is the village of Tyangboche which features an incredible Buddhist monastery, the highest monastery in the world. It stands majestically on the hill overlooking the village where we will find ourselves a good tea house to spend the night. Our trekking time is 5 – 6 hours.

The day begins with some lush forests of pine and rhododendron, but we will soon leave that behind as we cross an above the tree line. From now on, we have just non-stop views of the various snowcapped giants. Dingboche village is in a beautiful setting. It is surrounded by fields that are enclosed by field stone walls, delineating where on man’s land ends and another one begins. Dingboche is the gateway to the Chukung region, and from here, many will trek to Mt. Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world. Dingboche is the way to the beautiful Hinko Valley, where trekkers cross the Amphu Laptsa Pass at 5,780 meters. Our journey will not take us in that direction, but you will have a chance to gaze at its fantastic beauty from here. We will find a nice tea house in Dingboche for the night. Trekking time is around 4 – 5 hours.

We’ve crossed to a higher elevation, and the air is even thinner up here. The oxygen level at this elevation is less than half of that at sea level. Our bodies can adjust to the thinner air, but it needs time. That’s why we take a second acclimatization day here at Dingboche to avoid the effects of AMS. We won’t just sit around but will take a short hike to Chhukung (elevation 4,730 m) for some great views of not only the mountains but the beautiful green valleys watered by the glacial rivers that run through them. We gaze out at the region of the Khumbu with its awesome glaciers. It’s a leisurely walk back to our tea house in Dingboche where we will spending a second night. Alternatively, you can hike to Nagarjuna viewpoint where from you can see the massive mountain views of Everest Himalayas.

We are rising in elevation today as we make our way toward the village of Lobuche. Along the way, we find Buddhist Mani walls and Stupas, tributes to the faith of the Sherpa people. It is a pleasant journey to the village of Thukla, a small place with a few houses. From there, the trail becomes steep for an hour of climbing. Yes, it’s a bit of a challenge, but the view from the top is well worth it as it opens up to a magnificent view of Mt. Pumori. We continue to trek to Lobuche for our overnight at a tea house. Trekking time is 5 – 6 hours.

Today we achieve our destination: Everest Base Camp (EBC). It is the highest elevation that you will ascend to on this trek. We take it slowly, and within two hours we arrive at Gorakshep where we will leave our bags at our tea house where we will later spend the night. After a cup of tea, we will walk to where history was made. It was at EBC that Sir Edmund Hillary and Norgay Tenzing left with their team to conquer the world’s highest mountain. EBC is where all climbers begin their climb of Mt. Everest. While we won’t be climbing Mt. Everest, we will be at a place where we will see climbers beginning their ascents or returning from a victorious climb. We will climb past the Khumbu Ice-Fall as we cross over the glacier. It takes us around 2 – 3 hours to reach EBC where we will have a wonderful time in what is often a party-like atmosphere as we mingle with fellow trekkers and climbers who are celebrating their achievements. We will return to Gorakshep for the night.

Our days of trekking have come to an end. Our helicopter arrives to pick us up and take us back to Lukla where we began our trekking journey a few days back. The chopper will take you on a tour of the world’s highest mountain as we circle Mt. Everest for a bird’s eye view of the world’s tallest mountain. Once we’ve circled Everest, it's back to Lukla, following along the backbone of the Eastern Himalayas for more amazing views of these extremely high peaks. It takes around 1 ½ hours to reach Lukla. We take it slowly so we can circle massive peaks to give you fantastic opportunities for amazing pictures. At Lukla, we will spend the night at our guest house, celebrating our victory in Everest.

We take an early morning flight back to Kathmandu where we will check into our hotel where you can finally get a good, hot shower and chance to relax. In the afternoon, we will arrange a tour of Kathmandu’s Durbar Square which features the royal palace, plus 60 ancient temples and even a chance to see The Living Goddess (The Kumari). From here, we will begin a tour of Freak Street. Back in the 1960s, this area was the very center of the Hippie Culture that made Kathmandu their home. We will explore the ancient alleyways, checking out the places where the pop stars lived and wrote their music. One such place where we will stop for pie or brownies is Snowman. This is the last of the famous pie and chai shops that were popular with the hippies. Here the great artist Cat Stevens wrote the song Kathmandu. Jim Morrison, the Beatles, and other rock stars frequented these places. There are also many hidden and ancient temples plus a chance to really see life in the old part of Kathmandu. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with your operator.

Today is your final morning in Nepal before you depart for your next destination. It’s been an amazing time here in Nepal. You have only seen just a small piece of the country. Before you leave, why not look at a return trip to Nepal? There are many more mountain areas to explore, including the amazing Annapurna region or the mountains of Gorkha. Nepal has amazing jungles along its southern border with India where you will find the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger and as well as the rare Indian One Horned Rhinoceros. Nepal and the Himalayan region have so much to offer. Your new friends at Himalayan Planet Adventures can open up for you these places for you to explore and enjoy. So before you leave Nepal, be sure to make plans to come again! As it is said, a lifetime is not enough to discover all this amazing country has to offer!