We begin sightseeing today after breakfast. Kathmandu is known for several religious and historical monuments that are worth exploring to understand the culture and country better. Pashupatinath and Boudhanath are two monuments we will visit, both of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Pashupatinath temple complex holds great religious significance for Hindus, and is among the most important pilgrimage sites. Bouddhanath is the largest Buddhist stupa (a dome-shaped monument) in Nepal revered by Buddhists. You can see people circumambulating the stupa en masse below the fluttering prayer flags and Buddha’s eyes above them.

Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.
Meals Included: Breakfast

We have an early morning flight to Lukla today. The scenic 35mins flight takes us over the hilly parts of Nepal below and you can see Langtang and Everest ranges on the right side. The airport at Lukla is quite an interesting and thrilling one with an inclined runway. After landing in Lukla, we make our way to Phakding, walking along the gushing Dudh Koshi River. It is quite a pleasant walk, mostly downhill, and gives us a glimpse into the Sherpa culture, monasteries, farmlands and so forth.
(If the flight arrives early, we will stay at Monjo, which is about 5hrs walk from Lukla.)

Overnight at a teahouse in Phakding.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Continuing on, we walk a short distance along Dudh Koshi River, after which the trail starts ascending towards Namche. The walk up can be strenuous but we’ll reach the entry point to Sagarmatha National Park in no time. Sagarmatha is the Nepali word for Everest. From the checkpoint, Namche is just a stone’s throw away, and welcomes us with a nice gate at the entrance. Namche is a bustling town set on an amphitheatre-like hill setting with mountains facing the other side. It is the main hub of Khumbu region - for trekkers, mountaineers and locals alike. We check into our hotel and spend the remainder of the day exploring Namche.

Overnight at a teahouse in Namche.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

In order to acclimatize to the higher elevations, we rest in Namche today to get our bodies used to the thinning air. We have a short day hike today to Syangboche, walking up along the ridge, which rewards us with stunning views of the mountains, including Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Thamerku, Ama Dablam, Tobuche, Kusumkangru, Kwongde and many more! Though a rest day, this will be a memorable day in our trek as we get to see first glimpses of high mountains in front of us. The entire hike will be about 4 hours.

Overnight at a teahouse in Namche.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Leaving Namche behind, we take on easy trails that contour the ridgelines. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Taboche and Thamsherku are visible along the way. Crossing the village of Kyanjuma we gradually climb to Mong La, situated at 4000m, also our lunch spot. We then descend down to Phortse Tenga, and make a final push on a short uphill climb to Phortse.

Overnight at a teahouse in Phortse.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

We continue north, following Dudh Koshi river towards Ngozumpa Glacier, the source of the river. The climb starts slowly and then steadily goes up towards Gokyo. There are fewer trekkers and locals as we head farther out, and the sense of solitude is a pleasure. Walk through sections of red birch, fir and rhododendron forests with occasional yak pastures. We continue to gain elevation and pass a few waterfalls with a great view of Kantega and Thamserku, along with glaciers flowing towards Taboche and Cholatse.

Overnight at a teahouse in Dole.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A steady uphill climb takes us to the village of Machermo, which is our lunch spot. It has only a few houses, which remain vacant most of the year as these are used by people in Khumjung and Khunde for grazing yaks in summer. We take it nice and slow, acclimatizing to the thinning air, which is crucial for our climb to Gokyo Ri (5483m). Once we reach Machermo, you are free to do some hikes on the ridge behind Luza, admiring Gokyo valley.

Overnight at a teahouse in Machermo.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

We walk parallel to the river below in the valley, and then slowly commence the ascent to Gokyo Village. We get great views of Cholatse from the village of Panga. Getting closer to Ngozumpa Glacier, we can see the vegetation changing drastically. Soon we find ourselves on the moraine of the glacier. Kangtega and Cho Oyu appear dominating over the horizon, and we can really feel we are in the heart of the Himalayas. A short walk later here, the trail levels off and soon we pass Longpongo Lake, the first lake in Gokyo Valley, followed by Taboche Lake, a larger lake. Trekking by the Ngozumpa Glacier, we reach Gokyo village.

Overnight at a teahouse in Gokyo.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

The day starts well before dawn because we want to reach the top early to get the best views possible. There’s no sugarcoating the climb - it is a steady and steep climb with several viewpoints along the way. Of course, the higher up we go, the better the views. We trudge on to the top and the exhilaration of reaching the top is quite an achievement. The grand mountains of Everest region stretch across the horizon - the highest points of Earth. Surrounding us are Cho Oyu (8153 m), Gyachungkhang (7922m), Lhotse (8501m), Makalu (8475 m), Cholatse (6440m), Towoche (6542m), Kangtega (6685m), Thamserku (6808m), Lobuche (6145m) and Mt Everest (8848m) - all at your eye level! There are hundreds of other unnamed mountains scattered in the range. Nepal’s largest glacier, Ngozumpa, stretches through the valley below. Combine the turquoise lakes of Gokyo below, you will realize why it’s considered one of the best viewpoints in Nepal.

Overnight at a teahouse in Gokyo.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Trek west today towards Renjo La. The trail today is fairly flat in the initial leg and starts ascending to Renjo La, which is at 5,360m. “La” means Pass. As with previous day, views from the pass is simply awe-inspiring, and is comparable to the panorama we get from the top of Gokyo Ri. We spend some time at the pass to revel in the mountain views, and descend to Lungden, a small hamlet.

Overnight at a teahouse in Lungden.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Today we walk on mostly flat trails that used to be old trade route for Nepal and Tibet. Traders from each side crossed Nagpa La, the pass between two countries, and Tibetans would bring their goods as far as Namche for trading. The practice was prevalent until 2013. Once we reach Thame, we explore one of the oldest Khumbu monasteries here. Thame is also widely regarded as the best villages to produce great climbing Sherpa, including the person to climb Mt. Everest the most number of times.

Overnight at a teahouse in Thame.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

It is a gorgeous hike today, and quite easy on the knees. About 3 hours from Thame brings us to Namche, and after having our lunch here, we continue on downhill trails to Jorsalle, crossing the double bridge to river banks. We might be able to grab a sight of Himalayan Thar on the way. Walking by the river and crossing it a few times, we reach Monzo in no time.

Overnight at a teahouse in Monzo.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

We begin walking up to Lukla from Monzo. It is a short day today and the last of the trekking days up in the mountains. Walk across several religious monuments and quaint villages, as the river gushes all along the way. We will take it nice and easy today.

Overnight at a teahouse in Lukla.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A 35-minute flight back to Kathmandu will be as scenic and it will be thrilling. We get to see the mountains from our seat windows and say goodbye to the Himalayas that have been an epic adventure. Upon reaching Kathmandu, you will be checked into the hotel and can spend the rest of the time shopping, resting and going through the photos of the trek. It will be a much deserved rest after trekking up in high elevations and basking in the glory of Everest.

Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.
Meals Included: Breakfast

This is a contingency day in our trekking itinerary, just in case the weather is bad at Lukla airport and flight gets delayed by a day. Spend the day exploring Kathmandu and walking along the less touristy places.

Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Today is your flight departure from Tribhuvan International Airport. We hope you had a great time up in the mountains with Himlayan Adventure Girls and the memories will stay with you forever. Thank you and have a safe flight!

Meals Included: Breakfast