Everest Explorer Trek-12 Days
(ETNNP003)  Everest (Khumbu Region)

Overview

Everest Explorer trek is a perfect introduction to the Everest Khumbu area, perhaps the most famous region in the entire Himalaya. Without going to altitude extremes, we visit Sherpa villages and Thyangboche monastery, which offers views of Mt. Everest rising behind the Lhotse-Nuptse wall.

Flying in from Kathmandu we ascend amid an incredible mountain landscape to the remote yet bustling mountain airstrip at Lukla. Met by our trekking crew we head up the Dudh Kosi Valley to the main Sherpa market town of Namche Bazaar, set in a natural bowl surrounded by glistening snow-capped peaks. Here we acclimatise whilst visiting the nearby traditional villages of Thame, Kunde and Khumjung.

Heading further up the valley, through forest we arrive at the famous Buddhist monastery of Thyangboche, “The Great High Place” where Everest Summiteers seek blessings before their attempts. The Himalayan giants, including Everest and Ama Dablam, tower above this valley, a dramatic and inspiring place.

We have a day to visit Pangboche and the oldest monastery in the Khumbu region before following a slightly different route back to Namche Bazaar and onto Lukla. Our early morning mountain flight to Kathmandu is a fitting climax to a fantastic trek.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu

It is a panoramic thrill flying into Kathmandu on a clear day. The views of snow -capped mountain peaks sprawling
down below you are almost ecstatic, beginning a whole chain of memorable experiences that stay with you for a
long, long time. A representative and driver from our office will meet you at the airport and escort you to your
hotel. The representative will help you check into your designated hotel. At the hotel you will be briefed about
your daily activities.
Overnight at Hotel.

Day 2: Sightseeing tour in Kathmandu. Evening free

After breakfast, commence the sightseeing tour of Kathmandu city, Swayambhunath and Patan.

KATHMANDU CITY:
Kasthamandap, the source of the name Kathmandu means ‘made from the timber of a
single tree’. Also known as Kantipur, the capital Kathmandu is the hub of Nepal’s
art and culture. It is a place for rest, relaxation and easy-day sightseeing of
historic and artistic temples and monuments. Kathmandu Durbar Square with its
arrays of temples, Seto Machhindranath and the ancient palace of the former
Nepali Royals enriches your experience of the centuries old civilisation.

SWAYAMBHUNATH STUPA:
Said to be around 2000
years old, this Buddhist Stupa sits atop a hill. The main
stupa is composed of a solid hemisphere of brick and
earth supporting a lofty conical spire crowned by a pinnacle of Copper gilt. Painted on
the four sided base of the spire are the all seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. The hill of
Swayambhunath is a mosaic of small Chaityas and Pagoda temples. You’ll get a scenic
view of Kathmandu city from there.

PATAN CITY:
Located about 5 km south of Kathmandu, Patan is one of 3 royal cities
in the valley. A destination for connoisseurs of fine
arts, Patan is filled with wood and stone carvings,
metal statues, ornate architecture, including dozens of Buddhist and Hindu
temples, and over 1200 monuments.
Patan is believed to have been built in the third century B.C. by the Kirat
dynasty later expanded and enriched by the Licchavi and the Malla rulers in the
medieval period. Patan Durbar Square, like its counterpart in Kathmandu, is an
enchanting mélange of palace buildings, artistic courtyards and graceful pagoda
temples. The former Royal palace complex is the centre of Patan’s religious and social life, and houses a
beautiful museum.
One remarkable monument here is 16th century temples dedicated to the Hindu god Krishna, built entirely of
stone.
Overnight at Hotel.

Day 3: Fly to Lukla (9216ft/2880m) and trek to Phakding (8486ft/2652m)

Our early morning flight by Twin Otter aircraft takes us to Lukla, the most
renowned mountain airstrip in the world. Originally conceived by Sir Edmund
Hillary’s Himalayan Trust as an emergency evacuation runway for casualties
brought to the Trust’s hospital at nearby Khunde, Lukla is now one of the busiest
runways in Nepal.
On the flight we watch the rugged foothills give way to the snowline of the
Himalaya; many of the world’s highest mountains, including Kangchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu (the world’s 3rd,
t h
4th, and 5
highest respectively) may sometimes be seen from the window of the plane.
After sorting out our gear and meeting our Sherpas and trekking crew, we begin the trek by d escending
to Chaunrikhaka and heading up the Dudh Kosi valley to Phakding, our nights stop by the river (3 hours walking).
Overnight at Tea House Lodge.

Day 4: Trek to Namche Bazaar (11024ft/3445m)

We continue north following the Dudh Kosi river and on to Jorsale where we enter
the Mt. Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park. From here it is a short walk to the
confluence of two rivers, the Imja Drangpa (Imja Khola) and the Nangpo Tsangpo
(Bhote Kosi) followed by a steep climb (around 2 hrs.) to Namche Bazaar, the main
village in the Khumbu. At about halfway up the hill, a gap in the trees allows us to
spy Everest for the first time. If the weather is clear the top of the South-West
Face will be just visible behind the long Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. A plume can often be
seen stretching away from the very summit. Namche is a prosperous Sherpa village
and an important trading centre with a weekly Saturday market; fresh foodstuffs
are brought up from lower villages to be bought by
the Sherpas. The wares on display include meat,
grains and vegetables, tennis shoes and trinkets as
well as hand woven aprons and Tibetan boots. The
Sherpas play host to traders from the foothills, as
well as Tibetans from over the border. Thamserku (6648m), Kwangde Ri
(6187m) and Khumbila (5707m) surround the natural bowl that Namche sits in (5
hours walking).
Overnight at Tea House Lodge.

Day 5: Day at acclimatization (11024ft/3445m)

A day for acclimatization. Visit the National Park museum just above Namche or
the almost level trail up the Bhote Kosi valley, towards Thami, once a popular
trading route into Tibet. Along the way we pass many prayer flags and Mani stones,
all indicative of the Tibetan/Buddhist culture of this area.
Overnight at Tea House Lodge.

Day 6: Trek to Kunde (12288ft/3840m)

Leaving Namche we will walk to the airstrip at Shyangboche directly above
Namche and on to the Everest View hotel. This hotel was built with Japanese
money to provide very expensive accommodation for people flying into
Shyangboche. This has never really worked as Shyangboche at 3900 metres is
too high to just fly into from Kathmandu and many people doing this suffered
serious altitude problems. However the hotel does provide a wonderful view of
Everest and sipping tea on the veranda overlooking the valley with Everest
above is a pleasant way to acclimatise. From here we take the trail to Kunde, a
much quieter village than Namche and provides excellent views of Ama
Dablam. Kunde is well known for its excellent hospital, which was set up in 1966 and funded by the Himalayan
Trust. It is staffed by either New Zealand or Canadian doctors and is well worth a visit (and a donation). The
village of Kunde virtually joins the village of Khumjung but the two villages are quite separate communities (3
hours walking).
Overnight at Tea House Lodge.

Day 7: Trek to Thyangboche (12352ft/3860m)

Leaving Kunde the mountain views just get better as we head towards Sanasa,
a small cluster of teahouses with many Tibetan souvenir stalls. Continue to a
wooden suspension bridge and on to Phunki Tenga before the long climb to
Thyangboche Gompa (monastery) is situated. This is the traditional site for
expeditions to the big mountains to receive their blessing from the High
Lama, from the trekkers point of view, Thyangboche is the place where one
of the best mountain panoramas can be found: Kwangde, Tawache, Nuptse,
Lhotse, Kangtaiga, Ama Dablam and Everest loom above. The walk up the
ridge behind the Gompa is definitely worth the small effort required (5 hours walking).
Overnight at Tea House Lodge.

Day 8: Excursion to Pangboche and trek back to Thyangboche (12352ft/3860m)

Today there is time to visit the monastery and make an optional excursion to
Pangboche village, situated on the banks of the Imjatse River it is the highest
year round settlement in the valley and h as the oldest Gompa (monastery) in
the Khumbu. We return to Thyangboche.
Overnight at Tea House Lodge.

Day 9: Trek to Monjo (9072ft/2835m)

From Thyangboche we descend through forest to the bridge over the Dudh Kosi
at Phunki where there are water driven prayer wheels. We follow the contours
around the hillside climbing to Sanasa and on to Namche Bazaar. This is a lovely
days walk, the descent is easy and relaxed with the hard work behind us and our
return journey provides different views of the mountains and villages that we
passed on our ascent. We continue descending from Namche to Monjo. Most
people leave Namche and the Khumbu with a heavy heart. There is something
very special about the setting, the villages and the people of the high Khumbu hills. Our night’s stop at Monjo is
midway between Namche and Lukla (6 hours walking).
Overnight at Tea House Lodge.

Day 10: Trek to Lukla (9216ft/2880m)

Continue descending, although it is not all downhill. At Choplung we leave the valley
trail to ascend gently and contour around the hillside to Lukla (4 to 6 hours
walking).
Overnight at Tea House Lodge.

Day 11: Fly to Kathmandu

Today weather permitting, we pack up early and fly to Kathmandu (35-minute
flight). Transfer to hotel
and welcome hot showers.
Overnight at Hotel.

Day 12: Final departure

Breakfast at the hotel.
We ensure that you will leave Kathmandu with cherishing memory and an experience of a lifetime.
Our representative from office will drive you to the airport in time for your flight back
home.

Tour Cost & Schedule in 2022 & 2023

• Calendar
• List

Value Added

We are ready to welcome you with all the necessary safety measures (Post -19 Pandemic Halt). Hence we assure you of safety and security by following the optimal precautions.

Safety Assurance from Us (Tour/Trekking Operator)

• Vehicles fully cleaned and disinfected
• Foot bath mat available at entrance
• Extra masks available (if required)
• Safe distancing
• We carry limited number of passengers
• Our crew wear full PPE while disinfecting the vehicle
• Temperature screening available
• Our crew tested fit to travel
• Sanitizers available
• We carry additional deep wipe down cleaning of high touched areas
• Hygiene kit available for sale
• Our crew wear face mask and face shield

Safety Rules for Travelers (You)

• Namaste over handshake
• Do not travel if unwell
• Wear face mask all the time
• Maintain safe distancing
• Use foot mat while boarding
• Undertake temperature screening
• Ventilators over air conditioning
• Avoid unnecessary surface touching
• Wash/Sanitize hands regularly
• Follow sneeze etiquette
• Follow safety instructions (from local authority)
• Carry your personal hygiene all the time

Customer Reviews (17)