Your holiday starts at the hotel in Kathmandu. Transfers from Kathmandu Airport are provided. Depending on your arrival time, you may have the opportunity to explore the immediate vicinity of the hotel and get acclimatised to this bustling city. Alternatively, you may prefer to recover from your journey by relaxing beside the hotel pool. Your guide will take dinner with you and will provide an informal briefing about the days ahead.

After a 4am pick up from the Kathmandu hotel, we drive 5 hours to Ramechhap where we check in for a late morning, 20 minute flight to Lukla. (Outside of the peak trekking season, flights to Lukla may operate directly from Kathmandu). Landing at Lukla, on the narrow, sloping runway in the heart of the mountains, is a spectacular way to reach the Khumbu. Here, we meet our trekking crew and set off on the first stage of our trek which leads down to the river, then northwards through a number of villages to our lodge in Phakding (2610m).

A very pleasant walk by the river through pine forest leads to a short climb to escape a narrow gorge section. We pass the entrance to the Khumbu National Park where details of our permits are recorded and then drop down again to the river which we cross on a suspension bridge. We continue up the wooded valley on a good trail and cross the river again before reaching a confluence of rivers, one coming down from Thame and the other from the Khumbu. We make a final crossing here on a spectacular high suspension bridge and then begin an hour and half long ascent to Namche Bazaar (3440m) on a wide switch-back trail. This is the sting in the tail of today’s otherwise quite gentle ascent, and one of the steepest of the trek. Just over halfway up this last hill to Namche, we gain our first views of Everest. On arrival in the Sherpa capital, we check into one of the town’s many lodges. Namche has changed tremendously since trekking first became popular in Nepal. The Sherpa people are very adept at working out what visitors need. Many of the Sherpas that own lodges, cafes and shops in the town have visited cities in the USA and Europe and have brought back all sorts of concepts. Today you can find in Namche, German bakeries, Italian coffee, British pubs, pool halls, and hot tubs.

Namche Bazaar is tucked away between two ridges amongst the giant peaks of the Khumbu. Known as the Trekkers Mecca of Nepal, Namche now boasts an abundance of lodges and souvenir shops. It is an ideal place to spend a rest day, acclimatising to the new altitude before heading off towards Gokyo. Options for acclimatisation walks range from climbing the hill above the town for a visit to the Museum of Sherpa Culture, to a full day’s outing to Thame Monastery located in the Thame Valley - a round trip of approximately 8 hours from Namche Bazaar.

A relatively easy day, though at this altitude the first leg climbing to the airstrip of Syangboche will feel anything but easy. The spectacular views of Ama Dablam, Lhotse and Everest however will certainly help alleviate the pain. Leaving the main trail out of Namche, we climb first to the tiny airstrip of Syangboche, tucked away on a level platform above the town. The great amphitheatre of Namche market becomes well defined below as we continue to the ridge crest where we are confronted with spectacular views of Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Kang Tega and Thamserku. A high level traverse now takes us to the famous Everest View Hotel where we can sit on the terrace and enjoy the usually clear morning views. After a short descent we arrive at the twin Sherpa villages of Khunde and Khumjung. Whereas Namche is (and always has been) the centre of commerce for the Sherpas, this is their traditional home. Much quieter than the busy market town below, we take some time here in these peaceful villages before continuing our descent to rejoin the main trail close to our lodge at Kangjuma (3620m.). The porters will reach Kangjuma by an easier contour trail from Namche and anyone who at this stage is having difficulty with the altitude can take this route instead.

From Kangjuma the main Everest trail drops down to Phunki, whereas our trail now climbs to the prominent skyline chorten of the Mon La (3900m). The Mon La is not really a pass but rather a convenient point to turn the ridge into the Gokyo Valley. However, it will certainly feel like a real pass when we plunge almost 300 metres down to Phortse Tenga just above the river. Our route now begins to climb again through a dense rhododendron forest until after an hour the trees begin to thin and cresting a ridge, we are rewarded with our first view of Cho Oyo. A little way beyond we come to our overnight halt at the tiny settlement of Dole (4050m).

We continue up the valley on a fairly level path for one hour to Lhabarma Kharka and a further 45 minutes to Luza Kharka, eventually skirting around a ridge to gain our first views of Machermo Village (4465m) spread out in the valley below. After checking into the lodge there are plenty of possibilities for exploration above the village. Just above our lodge there is an excellent view encompassing Cho Oyo (8210m) and all the mountains that flank the Ngozumba Glacier.

We spend an acclimatisation day at Machermo. There is the option of a walk above the village, on an excellent ridge, which offers tremendous panoramic views of the Khumbu peaks. This is also an opportunity to catch up on laundry, diary writing etc.

Today we head for the holy lakes at Gokyo. We follow a very scenic path to Pangka and then descend slightly, following one of the meltwater rivers which flow down the west side of the Ngozumba Glacier. We climb a steep rocky incline into the ablation valley by the side of the glacier, passing the first of the holy lakes. We soon arrive at the second of the lakes, crossing the path which heads across the glacier to the Cho La - our route to Lobuche and Everest, later in the trek. The third lake is known as Dudh Pokhari and on its east shore is the summer settlement of Gokyo (4791m). Walking by the side of the lake, the scenery is magnificent with the summits of Cho Oyo and Gyachung Kang reflected in its emerald green waters. Our lodge here is close to the lake shore.

Gokyo Ri lies at the northern edge of Dudh Pokhari and is the first of our Everest viewpoint peaks. This is a walk-up peak requiring no technical expertise - merely resolution and the ability to keep going in the thinning air. We leave the lodge just after first light, crossing the ablation valley and following a zig zag path up the hillside. As we climb, the summits of Everest, Lhotse and Makalu slowly come into view and from the summit of Gokyo Ri itself (5360m) we have one of the finest views of Everest to be had in the Khumbu - some say it is a finer view than that from Kala Patar (a similar peak which is much closer to Everest and one that we climb later in the trek). We return to the lodge for a breakfast or brunch before setting off on the next leg of our journey. Descending to the second lake, we then climb to the crest of the moraine overlooking the Ngozumba Glacier. The route across the glacier changes from year to year but is usually well-marked by cairns. The crossing can take anything from 45 minutes to 90 minutes. We climb off the glacier at the place known as Dragnag (4700m) where we check into a simple lodge.

An early start for the long day across the Cho La (5368m). Approaching the pass, we cross a large boulder field. Beyond this ancient moraine, the climb to the pass is steep in places, involving some easy scrambling over boulders and loose scree. The upper part of the route can be snow-covered, particularly after November. From the pass, there are excellent views including a completely different aspect of Ama Dablam, now seen from the north west. The descent from the pass involves the crossing of a small glacier (often snow-covered) which is fairly straightforward. As we descend to the grazing pastures below, the trail becomes more and more defined and walking beneath the impressive north face of Cho La Tse we reach the several lodges of our overnight halt at Dzongla (4830m).

We have a reasonably short day today to set us up for the trek up to Everest Basecamp tomorrow. Leaving Dzongla, there's a short descent to a river, which we cross and then begin the traverse around above the lake of Chola Tso, with views across to two impressive 6000 metre peaks, Cholatse and Taboche. Crossing an open spur, we find ourselves in the Khumbu Valley and have views of the Khumbu Glacier as we arrive at the seasonal settlement of Lobuche (4910m). We reach our lodge accommodation here in the late morning and have the afternoon free to relax.

Lobuche is the traditional start point for the final day's trek all the way to Everest Basecamp. We begin by following a trail through the ablation valley at the side of the Khumbu Glacier, gaining height steadily. At this point the glacier is still hidden from us by the moraine, but as we climb to cross the rubble of a tributary glacier, we can see the great Khumbu Glacier stretching away down valley and also up towards the area of basecamp. Beyond this tributary we reach an island of sparse grasses below the famous hill known as Kala Patar. This place is Gorak Shep (5140m), once a summer yak herding meadow in the middle of nowhere, this remote spot now boasts several of the highest lodges in Nepal. Above Gorak Shep, it is a steady trek to Everest Basecamp (5364m), walking at first on the moraine crest and finally on the Khumbu Glacier itself. We will spend an hour or so in this inspirational place, close beneath the stupendous Khumbu Icefall, before returning to our lodge accommodation at Gorak Shep. As might be expected at this altitude and in this remote spot, the lodges here are quite basic but they do have heated dining rooms and offer a degree of comfort.

Aiming to make the most of the usually fine morning weather, we have an early start for another highlight of our trip, the short ascent of Kala Patar (5550m). This is one of the finest viewpoints for Everest and the Khumbu Valley. The climb is not particularly difficult and will take less time than the ascent of our previous viewpoint Peak of Gokyo Ri. We should also now be well acclimatised from our previous ascents. At the top we are rewarded with the classic view of Everest seen across the Khumbu glacier and in spring we can make out the tents of the climbing expeditions below. The view down the glacier towards the peaks of Ama Dablam and Kang Taiga is no less spectacular. Returning to Gorak Shep, we first retrace our steps to Lobuche before descending the Khumbu Valley on the main Everest trail. We pass several memorials to Sherpas and other climbers who have died on Everest. as we descend to the tea houses of Dugla. Here we have a choice of routes either directly down the main trail to Pheriche (4240m) or via a high level traverse to Dingboche. We will stay overnight in a lodge at one of these Sherpa settlements.

A rather easier day today although still a long one as we walk through greener pastures beside the Imja Khola. First we trek mostly downhill to Pangboche, where we may make an optional climb to visit the monastery, the oldest in the Khumbu. From Pangboche, it is a short and pleasant walk down to a bridge slung spectacularly over a narrowing of the river as it plunges through a rocky gorge. Just beyond the bridge we enter a forest of rhododendron, birch and pine, the first trees we have seen for over a week. It is a short climb through the rhododendrons and pine trees to the top of the ridge and one of Nepal’s finest monasteries at Tyangboche. Here, we will take a tour of the main gompa and its visitor centre. Leaving Tyangboche we descend a steep path to the village of Phunki where there is a bridge crossing the Dudh Kosi. Climbing once again we meet our original path to Gokyo and a short way beyond this junction we have the welcome site of the lodges of Kangjuma where we stay overnight.

An easy morning’s walk as we follow the contour trail around the hillside to reach Namche Bazaar. We will take lunch here and there is plenty of time for a second look round the town or to do some souvenir buying. Leaving Namche the trail drops steeply down to the river and then more gently as we follow the Dudh Kosi to Monjo and our overnight halt.

We retrace our first day’s walk to Phakding before the final climb up to the airstrip at Lukla. Arriving at this bustling airstrip settlement, we check in at our lodge and have some free time. In the evening we will no doubt have a party to celebrate the end of a great trek and to say goodbye to our trek crew.

After saying goodbye to our Sherpa crew, we board the flight to Ramechhap and from there transfer by road to Kathmandu. (Outside of the peak trekking season, flights may operate directly back to Kathmandu). Arriving late afternoon, the rest of the day is free for sightseeing or shopping amongst the streets and bazaars of the Nepalese capital. In the evening there will be a celebratory meal and time to reflect on our Khumbu adventure.

This is an important contingency day in case of delays to the flights from Lukla. If we have experienced no delays this is another opportunity for independent exploration amongst the colourful streets and temples of Kathmandu.

Your holiday ends after breakfast. Transfers to Kathmandu Airport are provided. To extend your holiday in Nepal, why not pre-book a day's sightseeing tour in the Kathmandu Valley, or a multi-day excursion to the wildlife reserve at Chitwan. Contact our office for details.