Everest trek with Overnight at Everest Base Camp

This day is scheduled for the tour of the UNESCO sites of Kathmandu which are ancient archeological, spiritual, and historical.  We pay a visit to Swyambhunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, and Boudhanath. We will be roaming around with a guide who will explain Nepal’s culture and traditions in a transparent way. Admix Hindu and Buddhist cultures and traditions, people, and their way of living will be explored vividly today.

 Spending the entire day in this sightseeing and later will be dropped off at the hotel again. In the evening, it is time to buy the gears and equipment if necessary as suggested by the trekking guide.

Our adventure for Everest begins as we head to Tribhuvan International Airport for a short [35 minutes] flight to Lukla, Tenzing Hillary Airport to start our trekking adventure. Upon landing at Lukla, we hand over our duffle bags to our porter crews and begin our trekking following the footsteps of our trekking experts.

Passing some Sherpa settlements, interacting with other fellow travelers, and walking on the banks of the gushing Dudh Koshi River, we reach Phakding for our overnight stay. It will be our first night's stay in the Himalayan foothills.

It will be quite a longer and tougher day today. We will get the first view of Mt. Everest during our walk today. After Phakding, we cross the Dudh Koshi river via a high rickety suspension bridge and trek passing pristine pine forest and some beautiful settlements to reach the village of Monjo. 

Here, we will enter the Sagarmatha National Park and get our permits checked. Now, we descend to Dudh Koshi river bank and walk towards Jorsalle. Now, we will have great lunch here before moving further up. We also get some water bottles as well for the next two hours because there are no teahouses available until you reach Namche.  After Jorsalle, we cross two high suspension bridges and one of them is “Hillary Suspension Bridge”

Now we have a tough climb up the hill till we reach ‘Top Danda’ [Danda means Hill] which is a resting place with a view of Everest, we will be rewarded with the first glimpse of Everest in its majesty. After resting while, we further climb to Namche Bazaar. Namche Bazaar is one of the biggest Sherpa towns with numerous showcases; banks, bakeries, ATMs, gear shops, museums, and many more. After checking in one of the teahouses, we spend our second night there.

Namche Bazaar is the gateway to Everest and is the best acclimatization place. We recommend you to explore Namche Bazaar, as this town has numerous wifi-linked cafes and restaurants, souvenirs, and gear shops.

Although there are several acclimatization hiking options available around Namche Bazaar. Hillary School, other Sherpa settlements, Syangboche airstrip, yak pastures, and Everest View Hotel are some of the most popular ones. Most trekkers prefer to hike Everest View Hotel among all those destinations as we can see the bewildering sceneries of Mt. Everest from here.

It will be a good acclimatization hike and we will gain elevations around 500 m today. “Trekking high, and sleep low” is the main motto of the acclimatization hike and we will hike up to 3880m/12000ft and will sleep at 3440 m. While being back, we will visit Sherpa Museum on the way. Overnight will be at the same lodge at Namche Bazaar.

Our 6th day’s journey heads towards Tengboche village. Although there are some ups and downs during the treks, there are not many steep ascents and descents today. There will be plenty of time to concentrate on photography as the views today are splendid ones. Along with the mountain views such as Ama Dablam, there will be chances to see the Himalayan fauna such as musk deer, pheasants, and Himalayan Thars while passing the forests.

Walking some hours, we will find ourselves descending to Phunki Tenga village and getting our lunch there before ascending the village of Tengboche. Tengboche seems as it is a combination of natural and cultural beauty which opens up the majestic views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. It is also the home of the biggest Buddhist monastery in the entire Khumbu – the Tengboche Monastery.

We begin our hike for Dingboche after a yummy breakfast at hour lodge. As usual, we hand over our duffle bags and carry our daypacks and move ahead following the steps of our trekking leader having the beautiful alpine backwoods. Now, we will witness only small shrubs on the way instead of big trees.

On the way, we will pass several small Chortens, Mane walls, Yak pasture lands, and small Sherpa settlements such as Pangboche. And, from Pangboche, we will have the best views of Mt. Ama Dablam [6,812m]. We will be moving forward along the Lobuche riverbank, entering the Imja Valley to reach Dingboche.

We gradually are gaining altitudes and we must be careful enough about AMS and should maintain the speed accordingly. Around the Dingboche, you can see fields surrounded by stone walls to protect crops. In this hostile environment, the locals manage to grow barley, buckwheat, and potatoes this way. Upon arriving at Dingboche we choose the best available teahouse and spend overnight there.

We should not forget the altitude problems such as Acute Mountain Sickness [AMS], High-altitude Pulmonary Edema [HAPE], and High-altitude Cerebral Edema [HACE]. As we already are 4400 m above sea level, should acclimatize properly to succeed in the journey easily. For acclimatization, we have several hiking options; hiking to Chhukung village or hiking to Nangkartshang peak, and so on.

We will be greeted by the first rays of the sun over the mountain peaks as we wake up. Viewing the stunning sunrise, we take tea/coffee in the yard of our teahouse. After breakfast, we head for Nagarjun hill also known as Nangkartshang Hill. 

Feel the breath of cool air freshening you up accompanied by great 360° views of the region from the top of the hill. Mountains, terrains, and amazing landscapes are core attractions of the day to view. We will have stunning views of Mt. Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Island Peak, and other snowcapped Himalayas during our hike today.

We are trekking to Lobuche village, the second highest elevated village of the Everest Base Camp Trek. Trekking to Lobuche will start on the trail that leads to a short uphill near the ridge above Pheriche Village. During the walk, we will be familiar with the Khumbu Glacier hike that takes you higher to Thukla Hill.

On the way, we will cross a beautiful monastery and will get astonishing views of Mt. Taweche and Cholatse Peak. Now, we will follow the way that opens up to a wide valley for a few hours. Although the incline is not very harsh, we need to be careful about the high altitude problems. Continuing the trek, we can see the small yet beautiful town of Thukla on the other side of the river. Now, we will follow the trail that leads to this place by crossing through the bridge.

The trekking routes onwards here are tricky as we will be walking a zigzag route to the Thukla Pass. We continue the walk passing the steeper trails till we reach the Khumbu glacier. Afterward, we cross the Khumbu River from Dugla and have our lunch at the foot of the terminal moraines. After lunch, we climb on a solid and steep rocky trail to reach the top of the moraines from here.

Now, we trek along the ridge passing the line of memorials built in the remembrance of climbers and Sherpas who passed away while climbing the mountains including Mt. Everest. From the top, we will have picturesque views of Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori, and several neighboring peaks. We then enter in the Lobuche village following the stream and a well maintain trekking trail.

After breakfast, as usual, we begin our trek towards Gorekshep. It might be a challenging hike due to the high elevation. So we will hike slowly maintaining our own pace. As we trek over boulders over the Lobuche Pass, and the Khumbu glacier all our concentration and energy are taken because of the altitude gain and we need to stop often. Despite tiredness, we keep gradual walking and become more excited as we get closer and closer to the giant mountain massifs.

The entire scenery is barren and grey but looks dazzling from all sides. Continuing the trek, we reach the last settlement; Gorekshep. It is the original base camp for the adventures summiting Everest and Lhotse. Now, the base camp is moved near the mountain and the settlement is quite busy as it is the last place to spend overnight for those who wish to spend overnight at the local lodge.

Our most awaited adventure is ahead. It will be our final ascent to Everest Base Camp [EBC] and it might be challenging as it is increasing the altitude and we have to walk passing rocky dunes and moraine and accumulated glacial debris. 

Now, we find ourselves surrounded by snow-capped mountains including Mt. Everest. We feel overwhelmed by the sparkling beauty of the surroundings. Upon arriving at Everest Base Camp, we will be welcomed by the team [the team might include the Everest summiteers]. Throughout the day, we explore the Everest base camp, hike there around, interact with the summiters, and exchange experiences. Overnight will be at the tented camp at EBC.

Awaking early in the morning with the first rays of the sun, we enjoy every moment at the base of the tallest peak on the planet- Mt. Everest. We get some hot soup, tea/coffee, and breakfast and set our journey back to Pheriche.

Now, we retrace our steps back and Lobuche village is our first point to stop and get some drinks and snacks. Almost every step will be alongside the Khumbu Glacier, surrounded by mountains and views of glaciers today.

With a few tricky sections, the trekking path is mostly easily manageable. Most of the time, we will be descending to reach the village of Pheriche. Trekkers having ankle and knee problems are requested to walk gradually with the help of trekking poles.

It is the second last day of the entire trekking adventure, and trekking is relatively easier than going up as we are hiking down. While trekking past the rhododendron forests, we might see the Himalayan wildlife - mountain goats, colorful pheasants, and snow leopards, and many more. Greeting the mountains for the last time, we enter in the Namche Bazaar and spend overnight there.

Leaving Namche Bazaar, we trek down to Lukla today and it will be the last day on the trekking trail. Initially we trek down to Hillary bridge, continue the trek to Monjo and further to Phakding. Now we will be passing several small villages, narrow forests, and thrilling suspension bridges to reach Lukla.

Upon arriving at Lukla, we celebrate our accomplishment with all the trekking crews. As our porters might leave us here there will be a farewell dinner with the team and spend overnight there awaiting the early morning flight the next day.

If everything is as per our schedule today, we will be flying back to Kathmandu today catching an early flight after the morning breakfast at our teahouse. It is a just  35 minutes flight to Kathmandu and it will be a relaxing one. We all will be overwhelmed with the memories that we created throughout the trek.

The rest of the time can be spent own way. Our trekking leader will leave you at the hotel welcoming you for a farewell dinner organized by Outward Adventure Treks and Expedition.

This day is scheduled as a contingency day. If the weather is worsening and the flight the Lukla canceled on the previous day, your international flight can be missed. If everything is okay, you can visit other unexplored places in Kathmandu or go for a day hike. Strolling around the local market and testing the traditional cuisines also be possible.

This is the last day of the entire trip. With plentiful memory of the EBC trek, you are heading to another destination. Hope we tried our best to make your dream come true. One of the representatives will shift you to Tribhuvan International Airport at least three hours before your scheduled flight.

Have a safe flight !!!