Overview
Region :- Nepal
Duration :- 14 Days
Grade :- Difficult
Max Altitude :- 18,192 Ft.
Approx Trekking Km :- N/A
The Everest, region is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Nepal , which is famous for its fantastic mountain peaks and the beauty on the hills. Most of the places to this spot go through ridges and trails, but you would have ample space to rest and have meal on your way. And one of the best things about this place is that you don’t have to worry about being lost, as you can ask anybody for the next village. The people here are very friendly and offer help and support even to strangers. The people who live here are mostly shepherds and understand English; some even speak it fluently.
You can come to this destination all around the year as people trek in all seasons; however the best time to come to this area is between March to mid may and between Septembers to mid November. Many people do not prefer coming here in winters as the weather is very cold and the snow all around may make your trekking experience difficult. In such conditions, it would not be possible to go to higher altitudes. At higher altitudes, the lodges may even be closed due to the weather and you might have a difficult time in finding a place to rest and spend the night. Therefore it becomes a mandate to carry your tents along. Not to mention, the nights may get very cold and you would have to carry some extra clothes to keep you warm.
During the summers, the season is wet and the peaks are lost in the clouds. Therefore April and May might just prove a good time to go around this place. You can enjoy the tree and shrubs blossoming in this season, with Rhododendrons in particular. This adds a spectacular color and beauty to the surrounding. However the views are much better if you plan a post monsoon trek than a pre monsoon trek because the rain and wind clear the dust which blows from the terrain. However while trekking to this area; it is mandatory to visit the Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS), particularly if you are going to Khumbu region.
Most of the lodges and restaurants in the Khumbu region only accept the Nepalese currency. As the place is relatively cheaper than India in terms of currency value, you can expect a budget of Rs. 1000-1500 per person per day for accommodation and meals. The price would increase for these amenities as you go to higher altitudes. Different items have different charges according to the availability and product.
The preparation before trekking to this area should be adequate. Beside some of the few obligatory items like hiking boots, warm clothes, UV sun-block etc, there are a lot of things that you need to carry on your way ahead. A lot of stuff that you might not have considered taking along are mentioned here; these things may seem unnecessary at first but would enhance your trekking experience once you start your trip. Firstly, you must carry water-disinfecting drugs which can be found n Kathmandu.
This would help in treating your own water bottles which you can fill from nearby lakes and rivers. It would also save your money on buying new water bottles every time. You should carry soft and light shoes, also known as Kung-Fu shoes. After you have trekked for a long time, you would have a great pleasure in slipping in your light weight shoes and going around the place. You can wear them, in and around the villages. Carrying a light weight knapsack is also a great idea as you would be able to fit in your camera and other stuff in it, like a few clothes or even e sleeping bag; if you plan to spend the night in the open.
Light weight sleeping bags are a must even though most lodges offer you blankets. It is very common fact that these blankets have a terrible stink and might just not be comfortable enough. It is also advised that you carry a high- quality sleeping bag which can give a comfortable temperature even at -10 C°. You should take along with you, band aids and other sticking plasters as even the most small and unattended blister or wound may turn a wonderful walk into as painful as hell. Do not leave any blister or wound untreated as there are high chances of an infection. Duct tapes are also a good alternative to band- aids. And to enjoy the great view of the mountain and the terrains, binoculars are a must. It would help you to spot the most vibrant and exquisite views of nature in the form of flora and fauna.
You can hire a porter as well for the journey who would help you in carrying your backpack and other stuff. If you are strong, then you do not generally need one, but if you do hire a porter, it directs cash into the needy and poor families of the villages. Most of the porters are honest in this area but you should still take care and use your power of judgment to choose the best and loyal among many. An unconcerned and careless choice may just ruin your entire vacation.
If you are thinking of hiring a guide, it is advised not to do so if you are trekking up to Tengboche or Pangboche. Above that point, you might have to consider hiring one. The guides would help you in explaining the local sights and guiding you through the path in nights. They might prove to be of great help if you fall ill or suffer any infection or discomfort. The guides generally speak English and other regional languages and also have an official license to operate. however, you should remember that carrying your bags is not a part of their job. But like porters, they manage their own accommodation and meals unless you invite them to join your group. It would definitely be a pleasure thought to get accustomed to their way of living and culture.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu
You would have a great flight to Kathmandu and land on the Tribhuvan International airport. On your fairly interesting flight, you can have a grand view of some mountain ranges, rivers and waterfalls. Once you reach Kathmandu, you can check-in to your hotel if you have already booked one, or can choose among the many available. After this, you may hire a Sherpa to give you a brief orientation of the city. You would also like to gather more information on the trek and the do’s and don’ts. Kathmandu is also a great place to go around and have a great time. You will trek the Himalayas for some day here.
Day 2: Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding
Early morning next day, you would have a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. You should keep your pen- knifes, lighter, matchboxes and other related stuff in the bigger baggage than in your hand-bag to avoid any security breach and unnecessary delay. The planes are generally small for these flights but the journey is panoramic. On arrival to Lukla, you would be received by your trekking guide, if you have booked one. You will have some time to see Lukla and enjoy its beauty. Your trekking in Nepal would begin from this point.
The walk from Lukla to Phakding is gradual and has few ups and downs on the way. You would have a superb view of Kusum-Kangru, while you are crossing the short suspension bridge on your way. After a short climb, you would reach the Ghat village and another one and a half hours of gradual walk brings you to Phakdng village.
Day 3: Phakding to Namche bazaar
From Phakding, after crossing the Dudh-koshi suspension bridge, the walk is easy and pleasant with short uphill and down-hill climb. You would be re-crossing the same river again. You would have a magnificient view of Thermasarkhu which is 6,608 meters from the village of Benkar. Now you would cross the long suspension bridge over the Bhote- Koshi River. This is a busy area and is full f trekkers and porters. After here you would finally arrive to the small river of Monjo, after a climb of 20 minutes from this area.
Here, you can see some interesting water mills which are used for grinding corns and barley. It is one of the major staple diet of the Sherpas. Monjo is situated below the magnificent peak of Thermasharkhu. Close to this you have the entrance to the Sagarmatha national park. At this point, your trekking permit is checked and the officials kleep a record of all the trekkers going ahead. After a gradual walk you would reach Namche bazaar. You can also get prepared for some high altitude trekking.
Day 4: Namche Bazaar
This day is reserved for acclimatization and going around the place. Namche Bazaar is a good place to shop and see magnificent views of the area. You would cherish the view of Kwangde peak and its sister peaks in the east. The houses in Namche Bazaar when looked from a distance appear to be in a U shaped bowl.
You can have a short up- hill walk towards the Sangmatha National Park headquarter. This spot is on the top of Namache Bazaar with breath-taking view of the surrounding areas. You would have a look at the giant snow- covered peaks and mountains. There is also a local museum which gives you a fair detail of the history of Himalayas, its geographic and cultural aspects, mountaineering history and various other information on the flora and fauna of the area.
The overnight stay would be in guest houses. You would be highly acclimatized to the area by this time.
Day 5: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
The first half of the walk is fairly simple and easy. You can reach the top of Namche Bazaar after a walk of 20 minutes. After a pleasant walk of 2 hours, you come to a small place at Shanasa. Here you can see the colorful Danphe pheasant, which is the national bird of Nepal and might also get a chance to have a look at the musk- deer and also the Himalayan Thar, which is a mountain goat that looks like an antelope. With a gradual descent, you would reach the Imjatse River at Phungitenga which is at a height of 3250 meters. After a strenuous walk from here for an hour, you would reach the religious Buddhist entrance which lies just before Tengboche.
Here, your walk is over for the day after 5 hours and you can admire and enjoy this religious place. The overnight stay is in guest houses.
Day 6: Tengboche to Dingboche
After you have relaxed for the day, you begin the trek towards Dingboche. The path goes through a forest that has trees like birch, juniper, fir, rhododendron etc. Through this forest you arrive to a lovely place i.e. Deboche which is at 3,650 meters. This place gives you a magnificent view of Mt. Ama Dblam, Mt. Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse. From here, the walk is mostly up-hill and continues to be so until you reach a large mani- wall gate. From here the way to Dingboche is divided into two paths. One of the paths towards Dingboche also goes through Pangboche. You can take this route to see more views and natural beauty.
Dingboche is a lovely place and you will find stone- walls protecting the agricultural fields. The walls are built to protect the crops from cold winds and grazing animals. Your over night stay would again be n guest houses.
Day 07: Dingboche.
Dingboche is a lovely and green place. The greenery is spread all around the village and you would find farms and crop- fields all around. The natives here grow crops like barley, buckwheat and potatoes. Dingboche has more than tea- houses so you would also like to have a cup of the same. This day is reserved for acclimatization to the weather and place.
You can go for a short walk around the village or might trek to Chukung, which is 3 or 5 hours trek and at a height of 4,730 meters. Chukung is towards the east and lies within the Imjatse valley. Thought the trek is gradual, you would still feel the thin air developing around this place. At Chukung, again there are about five tae- houses and give a superb and over- looking view. You can also explore the valley in the surrounding area and later return to your guest house.
Day 8: Dingboche to Lobuche
From Dingboche the trail diverts towards the north, and the path is gradual and easy for the first 40 – 50 minutes. After this easy walk you would come to a mani- prayer stupa. From here the trail s slightly down towards Pheriche village. On this day of your walking, you would have a beautiful view of the Mt. Tawache, Ama Dablam, and Pokalde, which is approximately 5,741 meters towards the north. You would also have a view of the great wall of Nuptse.
You would have a pleasant walk for the next one and a half to two hours from Pheriche till you reach the small wooded bridge over the river of Khumbu glacier. This place is called Thugla and is the only place which has tea- houses before Lobuche. From here another 3 hours of strenuous trekking time brings you to Lobuche which lies at one corner of the hill. The overnight stay would be in guest houses.
Day 9: Lobuche to Gorakshep to EBC and back to Gorakshep
Today will be an exciting day for you as you are very close to your final destination. Today you will have an adventurous journey and a great trekking experience. The first walk of an hour is gradual up to the valley and leads to a grassy field. A walk of nearly 20 minutes takes you to the rocky moraine dunes. As you go ahead on your journey you can see the icy- glacial ponds and icebergs which lie below the Khumbu glacier. After a few more rocky moraine dunes and a gradual downhill walk, you reach Gorakshep.
After this, the trek to EBC can be misleading among the high- altitude trekking which is a strenuous climb. You must follow the lead Sherpa as the paths change every season due to the movement of the glaciers. But once you reach to EBC after a total of 7 hours walk, a grand view of the Khumbu ice fall awaits you. EBC is a lively place during the high expedition season.
Day 10: Hike upto Kalapatthar and retreat trek to Pheriche.
After you have trekked to the EBC and returned back to Gorakshep and an over night stay in Guest houses, you are now prepared to climb up to Kalapatthar. Besides, Gorakshep also is a good place to go around. It has a couple of tea- houses and it also used to be the base camp for trekking the Everest in the 1950’s. The walk towards Kalapather from Gorakshep starts with a few minutes of easy walk. All this while, you will be walking in the sandy fields. After here, there is a steep climb for about 45 minutes. Post this tiresome and strenuous mountaineering, you would come to the level fields and the walk from here is easy ad gradual. You would have the comfort of walking for the next one hour, post which there is again a steep trek to the top of Kalapatthar for about half an hour. The Everest from this point looks closer than you will imagine.
After here, you trek back to Pheriche.
Day 11: Pheriche to Namche bazaar.
After you have already reached your final destination the previous day, your cumbersome trekking time is almost over. You have done the Everest base camp trek and a lot of Himalayan treks. From this day onwards, you would have pleasant and easy walks throughout. You will be heading downwards to lower elevations. The walk is similar all the while to Thugla. After you reach the ridge, you would follow the stream and start traveling towards Pheriche valley. After a walk of around 40 minutes you reach the valley floor. You can take another one hour of easy and simple walk to reach Pheriche which is at 4,243 meters. You would have a wonderful the treks in Nepal by now. You trek down the slope to reach Namche bazaar. Once you reach here, the walk for the day is over and you would spend the night in guest houses and enjoy the local meals.
Day 12: Namche Bazar to Phakding to Lukla
Once you wake up to the lovely weather in Namche Bazaar, you would like to visit the place and go around a little bit, before you start your downhill journey. You can visit the local markets of Namche Bazaar and have a look at the local art crafts and handicrafts. You can buy a lot of stuff from here to make your journey memorable. You would like to have a small walk in and around the Sagarmatha National Park. It is a good place for photography and collecting memories. You would also enjoy the local food which has a distinct taste.
The trek from Namche Bazaar to Phakding is again a simple and easy walk. You would be trekking down the slope most of the time. The beauty of the forest and distant mountains with several water- falls add to your journey a great delight. This is the beauty of Nepal trekking.There will be a few uphill climbs but you will manage it very easily. The lush green beauty and forests will take your pain away. After this easy walk you would reach Lukla. This will be your last day with the Sherpas and other crew members, so you would like to enjoy the day with a delicious dinner and a few drinks.
Day 13: Fly back to Kathmandu
On this day you would have to wake up early as the flights to Kathmandu are generally scheduled in the morning. This is because during daytime, the weather is generally windy and there might be a delay in the flight timings. However you expect a slight delay in you r early morning flight as well if the weather is not suitable. As you make your way through the security checks and your flight takes off from Lukla airport, you would have a magnanimous view of the surrounding. Consider yourself lucky if you manage to get a window seat as you would take about 45 minutes to reach Kathmandu.
Day 14: Departure from Nepal.
After you have visited Kathmandu for a day, you are prepared to depart from Kathmandu, Nepal. You have by now enjoyed the panoramic view of nature, mountains and rivers. You will be transferred to the International airport by your hotel’s taxi or the one you have arranged yourself. And this would mark your departure after an excellent trekking in Nepal.
How to Reach
By Air :-
Most major air carriers like Indian Airlines (www.indian-airlines.nic.in) Jet airways (www.jetairways.com) operate daily flights to Kathmandu. Reaching Kathmandu by flight from New Delhi is the most convenient way.
Delhi to Kathmandu by train + bus :-
Day 1: Take a train from Delhi to Gorakhpur. The Vaishali Express leaves Delhi at around 19:45 and arrives at Gorakhpur Junction at 09:10 next morning, or there's another train from New Delhi at 17:20 arriving Gorakhpur at 06:35 next morning. The fare is around Rs. 2440 (£35 or $54) in AC1, Rs. 1240 (£18 or $27) in AC2, Rs. 785 (£12 or $18) in AC3 or Rs. 315 in Sleeper Class - check current times and fares at www.indianrail.gov.in or www.irctc.co.in.
Day 2: Take a bus or jeep from Gorakhpur to the Nepalese frontier at Sunauli (Indian side) and Bhairawa (Nepalese side, often also called Sunauli). Journey time about 3 hours, Rs. 55 (£1 or $2).
Walk across the frontier, it's then a few minutes’ walk to the Bhairawa bus station. Take a bus or jeep on to Kathmandu. Buses take 9 to 12 hours, cost about 120 Nepalese Rupees or 230 Indian Rupees (£1 or $2). There are many buses daily, either daytime buses leaving regularly until about 11:00 or overnight buses leaving regularly from about 16:00 until 19:00. Indian rupees may be accepted here in Bhairawa, but not further into Nepal.
It's also possible to travel via Varanasi An overnight train links Delhi & Varanasi. Buses link Varanasi with the Nepalese border.
Cost Terms
Inclusions :-
1. All Transfers
2. Round Trip Flight to Lukla
3. Permits and Fees
4. Head Guide and Assistant Guide
5. Porters (2 to 1 Ratio, weight restriction apply)*
6. All Meals while Trekking
7. All Accommodation While Trekking**
8. 2 Nights Hotel in Kathmandu with breakfast
9. Trekking equipment: Sleeping Bag
* Bag pack weight should not be more than 10 kg.
**Overnight stay Tea houses while on trek.
Exclusions
1. Travel Insurance: We suggest to get travel insurance from World Nomads it should be around $70 per/person and covers the helicopter evacuation and medical.
2. All the meals are included on the trek but we only include breakfast while you are in Kathmandu
3. Drinks: We dont include drinking water on the trek which you can buy a number of places. A better solution is to buy water tablets in Kathmandu for around $2 and treat the water (your guide can help you find the good places to fill your water bottle).
4. Wifi, charging batteries and hot showers.
5. Nepal entry visa (approximately $40 USD) only for foreigners (Not for Indian)
6. Unforeseen cost due to flight cancellation, weather conditions etc
7. All costs not outlined under "What's included"
Note :
To book a Trek/ adventure program please use our online booking form or, alternatively, you can call us on the given for confirmation of tour you have to wire a deposit and initial deposit.
Paying the Trek/ Adventure activity fee:
The fee can be paid by online transfer/check deposit/ demand draft. Instruction for payment will be forwarded along with your confirmation email. When your transfer is done, please e-mail us a confirmation mail with your transfer details, so that we can follow up your reservation efficiently.
When to book:
It is wise to make your booking at least two months in advance. However, if you want a good deal on your domestic/international flight, we recommend organising your trip at least five months in advance. (Please contact us if you require a late booking)
In the event of cancellation of trek/adventure activity services due to any avoidable / unavoidable reasons we must be notified of the same in writing. Cancellation charges will be effective from the date we receive advice in writing, and cancellation charges would be as follows: -
Cancellation Polices:
Cancellations prior to 24 days from the start of the trek get 95% refund
Cancellation between 24 days and 14 days to the start of the trek get 70% refund
Cancellation between 14 days and 10 days to the start of the trek get 50% refund.
Cancellation less than 10 days to the start of the trek No refund.
Risk & Respond
High Altitude Treks: Risk and Response
A high altitude trek calls for an adventurous attitude, but embarking on an adventurous trip without calculating the risks is utter stupidity. That’s why we have listed a few risks and the response planned by TTH to minimise or address the risks in the best possible way.
Risk: Altitude
Before you start the trek, it is important to understand the implications of high altitude on your body. Be aware of symptoms of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) like mild headache, nausea and general discomfort.
Response: If you feel any of these symptoms, inform the trek leader on priority and follow his instructions. Every campsite has as stretcher, fully equipped first aid kit, oxygen cylinders to address the situation.
Risk: Weather Weather is unpredictable in the Himalayas. Though we are always observant about the changing weather, no one can guarantee a snowfall, rain or Sun. Do understand that your security is of utmost importance to us and we will not proceed any further from the campsite if the weather is not favourable.
Response: The decision of the Trek Leaders and Guides to proceed or wait for the weather to get better will be final.
Risk: Injuries
Often, while trekking over difficult terrains, you might have minor injuries like leg sprain, bruises etc. Serious injuries like fractures or major cuts are very rare.
Response: All our Trek Leaders are Certified Wilderness First Aid responders. They are trained to handle emergencies and can tackle minor injuries with a well-equipped first aid kit. In case of serious injuries, the patient is carried on a stretcher to the nearest road-head and is led to nearest medical centre.
Risk: Lack of communication devices
In the remote areas of the Himalayas, mobile networks do not reach. On a trek, one is cut off from the world of calls, SMSs or watsapps.
Response: We rely on walkie-talkies and runners to communicate between the campsites and the base camps.
