Nepal Everest Base Camp Trekking Tour

Welcome to Kathmandu! Meet your trip leader or an MT Sobek representative and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon, receive a briefing and orientation, including information on trekking, altitude acclimatization, areas you will visit, and culture within the region. Enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Lukla. The short but spectacular flight leaves the Kathmandu Valley and heads into the Himalaya, home to the world's highest mountains. Make an unforgettable landing on Lukla's 1,729-foot-long, 65-foot-wide runway, perched high on a mountainside above the Dudh Kosi (River of Milk). Collect your gear and walk to your lodge. If the flight is on time, fit in a warm-up hike to Kharka, on a trail that leads to Mera Peak, passing small hamlets and resident shepherds along the way.

Begin your trek from Lukla with a descent to the Dudh Kosi. Follow the trail to Phakding, passing mani walls (boulders inscribed with Buddhist prayers), small villages, and well-terraced hillsides. Meet Khumbu locals who, unlike the majority of Kathmandu residents, are Sherpas — people who migrated from Tibet over 500 years ago and still dress traditionally and practice evolved forms of Tibetan Buddhism. With Khumbila (18,800'), sacred peak of the Sherpas, looming above, arrive at the lodge in Monjo (9,317') in the early afternoon. Relax and enjoy free time while you acclimatize.

Head north into UNESCO-listed Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park, established in 1976 to protect an area of great environmental, religious, and cultural importance. Cross the Dudh Kosi and begin the steep climb up "Namche Hill" amidst lovely rhododendron, fir, and magnolia forests. As you ascend, catch your first glimpse of majestic Everest (29,028')! Arrive in the vibrant Sherpa market town of Namche Bazaar, the unofficial Khumbu capital beautifully situated in a terraced amphitheater facing the hanging glacier below Kwangde (20,293'). Check into the lodge, then spend the afternoon exploring Namche Bazaar.

You’ll have some time in the morning to visit the Sagarmatha National Park Visitors Center and Museum, where there are terrific views of the Everest region and numerous educational displays on the culture, geography, geology, climatology, and wildlife within the park and the Khumbu. A great way to kickoff the cultural experience! Follow the classical route to Everest, on a winding, almost level trail. After about 3 hours of hiking, take a slight detour off the main path and hike 15 minutes further before arriving at your comfortable lodge. After check in, the rest of the afternoon free to rest and relax.

Descend into the deep Dudh Kosi Gorge — one of the most beautiful valley walks on Earth — and then climb steeply to the famous Tengboche Monastery (12,680'). Burned in 1989 and now completely rebuilt, Tengboche is the spiritual center of the Khumbu and a training center for new monks. After lunch, continue through this holy region to Pangboche. This incredibly scenic hike follows the Imja River, and Ama Dablam (22,349') and the great massif of Everest hovers majestically above. The tangible spirituality and stunning scenery of this place always impresses!

After crossing the Imja River and a gradual ascent to Lhabarma, you find yourself facing Ama Dablam, one of the Khumbu's most beloved and spectacular mountains. Ama Dablam Base Camp (15,013') sits on an open yak pasture beneath the west face, affording incredible views of Kan Tega (22,254'), Thamserku (21,729'), and Tawoche (21,463'). Here you'll likely meet climbing groups, either acclimatizing or fixing their route, as this trek coincides with climbing season. With binoculars you may even see climbers descending the steep ice slopes from the summit. Return to the lodge.

It's all stunning scenery all the time today as you follow the river with the breathtaking peak of Ama Dablam watching over you. With the giant Himalayan mountains now coming into clear view, cross the Khumbu Khola and make your way up to the remote village of Pheriche (14,070').

Today you have the option to take a day hike to Tabuche Ridge. This optional hike is one of the least crowded and most scenic of the journey, and offers the opportunity to see 360-degree views in addition to the Mahalangur Himal range of the Himalayas. It is a steep, 2,700-foot climb, but take it slow and know that the sweet reward of stellar views are well worth it! Return to Pheriche to end the day.

Walk through the broad and beautiful Khumbu Khola riverbed en route to a herdsmen's settlement — also once a 1953 British Everest expedition camp. With Tawoche and Cholatse towering above, ascend to the hamlet of Dughla, then continue up a steep terminal moraine atop which stand memorial cairns to those lost on Everest. The landscape is now wild and rocky, and an often frozen stream leads to Lobuche — a former yak-grazing settlement now serving trekkers and climbers bound for Everest Base Camp and Kala Patther. Enjoy a spectacular sunset over Nuptse (25,850').

Walk along boulder fields and glacial debris to the edge of the Khumbu Glacier, then continue up to Gorak Shep (17,000'), nestled under the snow-coned summit of Pumori (23,442') and the sheer west face of Nuptse. If you're well acclimatized and up for an additional push, hike up Kala Patther (18,192'), high above the Khumbu Glacier, for a dramatic close-up view of Mother Everest.

Get ready for the ultimate adventure—your Everest Base Camp day has arrived! Start your exhilarating ascent to Gorak Shep (17,000'), the highest village in the Khumbu region. After a well-deserved, nourishing lunch at a local lodge, prepare for a challenging trek as you follow the dramatic ridgeline of the moraine. Then, descend onto the boulder-strewn glacier and make your way to Everest Base Camp (17,600')—a thrilling moment of achievement. While you won't see Everest's summit from here, the views of the towering Khumbu Icefall and the surrounding Himalayan peaks are nothing short of spectacular. Return on the trail to Gorak Shep, then descend to Thugla.

This morning, depart the tiny village of Thugla. Instead of taking the trail back to Pheriche, you stay up high on the wide grassy plateau and make your way to Dingboche to admire a glimpse of Imtsa Valley. After lunch descend the pleasant trail to Pangboche. If you did not have a chance to visit the gompa (temple) in Pangboche on the way up, it is worth a quick visit now.

Today we'll cross the Mengbo and the Dudh Koshi rivers to a quiet trail on the other side. The panoramic vista with old stone houses and the absence of other trekkers along the way is blissful. When we arrive in Tashinga we will check into the lodge with the rest of the day free to rest and relax.

Today we will trek by the villages of Khumjung, across the top of Namche Bazaar and then up the Nangpo Dzangpo. Leaving Tashinga Lodge, we contour on a small path to reach the main trail leading to Khumjung, approximately one hour. The path leads gently up the shallow valley and Khumjung (12,366') is built into a mountain bowl and surrounded by patterned, terraced fields. The village of Khunde is a short walk further on and contains the famous medical center estbalished by the Sir Edmund Hillary Trust. We will also take time to visit the Edmund Hillary School. Time permitting, we will visit the Monastery of Khumjung with the infamous Yeti Skull on display. We will then return to Monjo.

We'll return to Lukla along the Dudh Kosi, retracing our steps from Day 4. Overnight at the lodge in Lukla.

Bid a fond, if somewhat hesitant, farewell to the Khumbu and enjoy the short flight back to Kathmandu. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, transfer to your hotel and enjoy lunch and dinner on your own.

If your flight from Lukla operates as scheduled, you'll enjoy a morning tour of the Pashupatinath Hindu temple complex on the Bagmati River and Bodhnath's enormous Buddhist stupa — the largest in Asia and the center of Tibetan Buddhist culture in the Kathmandu Valley. This afternoon you're free to roam, relax, or do some last-minute shopping or sightseeing on your own. In the evening, join the group for a farewell dinner.

After breakfast, transfer from the hotel to airport and depart Kathmandu on your homeward-bound flight. Or if you'd prefer to spend more time in Asia , consider joining one of our extensions in India, Vietnam, or Cambodia. We would love to accompany you on another trip through Nepal in the future.