After a good night’s rest, you will be woken up with a morning call, if you desire, followed by a warm bed tea. Once you finish your breakfast, there will be a guided tour to some of the most historical and spiritual landmarks of the city, all of them being recognized as UNESCO world heritage sites. You will visit the most revered and holy Hindu temple complex of Pashupatinath, the prominent monkey temple, Swayambhunath, one of the largest stupas in the world - a Buddhist shrine at Bouddhanath, and the captivating Basantapur Durbar Square. In the late afternoon, you will visit our office site to make necessary preparations, get your equipment checked, and meet your trip leader, crew members, and other fellow accomplices. You will have a brief discussion about the forthcoming trip and return to your hotel room. Overnight in Kathmandu.

After an early breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu airport from where you will get onboard to one of the most exciting flights of your lifetime. The scenic, yet a scintillating 40-minute flight will soar high amongst the most beautiful air routes with stunning panoramic views of the Himalayas. Terminating on a hillside surrounded by magnificent mountain peaks, you will land at the Tenzing-Hillary airport in Lukla, from where your trek truly begins. You meet up with the remaining members who are a part of this adventure, pack and arrange your requirements and start trekking through the stone paved and gradually descending trails until you reach a quaint settlement of Cheplung village. It is here that you get the first glimpse of a sanctified mountain peak that has never been scaled, Mt. Khumbila. Descending gradually in the route accompanied continuously by lush forest and stunning landscape, you will in due course of time reach Phakding surpassing many prayer walls. Overnight in Phakding.

You begin the day by following the route through pine forests till you arrive at Benkar valley. Crossing and re-crossing several suspension bridges including the famous Hillary suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, you will keep moving ahead passing the villages of Chumoa and Monjo, which is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park. Rewarded with glistening glimpses of Mt. Thamserku and Nuptse, you will again cross another suspension bridge passing by Jorsale village, walking near the confluence of the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. A steep ascent from here brings you to Namche Bazaar, a real paradise for mountaineers, the gateway to the Everest region of Khumbu, and the prime heartland of Sherpa village. Views of Mt. Everest and Lhotse may be visible if the weather consents. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Today is your first acclimatization day, and it is highly recommended to stay active even during the rest day. Walking, climbing and hiking throughout the day and sleeping low is the best way to get properly acclimatized. Hiking up to Sagarmatha National Park for a beautiful sunrise view with tantalizing views of the Himalayan giants such as Everest, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Thamserku, Kongde, Lhotse, and so on is a good bet. You have options to hike up to Khumjung, Thame or Khunde villages or explore Namche Bazaar itself. Being the principal center of the Khumbu area, Namche is adorned with various government offices, ATMs, Internet cafes, a bakery, shops, restaurants and a colorful market. On the other hand, you can observe the traditional Sherpa life, visit the Khumjung Hillary School or merely enjoy flora and fauna at such a high altitude. You may also visit the mountaineering museum and spend some quality time interacting with the fun-loving Sherpas. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

The trek today begins with a descent to the Dudh Koshi River and continues along the rushing glacial waters, then contouring around the hillside offering magnificent views of Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Kongde, Thamserku, Lhotse and many more. You may get to see spotted deer, Himalayan Tahrs, and the colorful pheasant – Nepal’s national bird. You will cross the Dudh Koshi near Phunki Tenga and then enter the Imja Khola Valley. From here it is two hours uphill hike through dwarf conifers and rhododendron forest to the hilltop village of Tengboche. Visit the renowned Tengboche monastery, the largest monastery in the Khumbu region that is set against the backdrop of the beautiful Himalayan giants Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Everest and other peaks. During full moon in October-November, the monastery organizes the colorful Mani Rimdu festival with masked dancing and Tibetan Opera in the courtyard. Inside the monastery, you will find incredibly ornate wall hangings, a 20-foot sculpture of Buddha, and the musical instruments and robes of the monks. Overnight in Tengboche.

Following the scenic trail through birch, conifer and rhododendron forests, today’s trek is a short descent to a scattered stone village Deboche. Crossing the Imja Khola through a suspension bridge, the trail ascends to Pangboche amongst thousands of Mani stones and a closer view of the towering Ama Dablam. Moving towards the Imja valley and Lobuche River, the trail continues to the quaint traditional Sherpa settlement Dingboche with its exquisite views of Lhotse, Island Peak, and Ama Dablam. You can witness a beautiful array of fields of barley, buckwheat, and potatoes at Dingboche. These fields are walled to protect crops from icy-cold winds and the grazing animals. Overnight in Dingboche.

Today is the second scheduled rest day kept aside for proper acclimatization before proceeding to higher altitudes and to avoid altitude mountain sickness. You may take short distance hikes to Nagarjuna Hill or the Chhukung Valley, which offers glorious views of Makalu, Chalotse, Tawache, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Another option for you would be a few hours climb up to Nangkartshang peak that houses a monastery and lies just above Dingboche. This peak is an excellent viewpoint, which provides incredible views of Ama Dablam from its summit to its base in the floor valley. Overnight in Dingboche.

After breakfast today, you will embark on a pleasant walk leaving behind Dingboche through stone- walled fields and alpine landscape. With Lhotse on your left and Ama Dablam on your right, you will pass the Imja Khola valley before entering the glacier moraines and continue to Bibre, a yak herdsman’s place. Directly across the valley, the views of Amphu Laptsa are stupendous while straight ahead, beyond a terminal moraine wall, soars the glorious Island Peak (Imja Tse) that looks awesome. Icy stream intersects the trail ahead. Continuing from here for a short while, you will reach Chhukung, a great place to explore the Himalayan glaciers and massive stunning snow-laden mountains all around the area. After having lunch in Chhukung, you will resume the trek by climbing up to Chhukung Ri, which involves some easy scrambling near the summit. The top of Chhukung Ri offers stunning views of Lhotse, Island Peak, Ama Dablam, Makalu, Baruntse and Amphu Laptsa peaks. After spending some time at the summit, you will descend back to Chhukung to spend the night. Overnight in Chhukung.

You will begin the trek at daybreak as it is the first big day of the trek reaching the highest part of the entire trip, the Kongma La Pass. As it is quite a tough and a challenging day today, it is advised to carry along sufficient water, snacks and packed lunch because you will not find any tea shops on the way before Lobuche. However, you will get to enjoy the remoteness of the region and the unconditional nature. There are two trails to Kongma La to follow; one is by climbing over the hill towards the northwest of Chhukung over the Nuptse Glacier moraines, and the other one is by walking back the valley to Bibre and following a high trail above the Niyang Khola. After trekking for a while, you will catch brilliant sights of the Island Peak valley and the jagged ridge of Amphu Laptsa. Upon reaching the top of the pass, you can observe the beautiful cairns wrapped in colorful Buddhist prayer flags. Behind you is the landscape of icy lakes and down ahead of these lakes is the Khumbu Glacier. Descending from the top of the Kongma La Pass is the toughest part of the trek today, and at times when the trail is covered with snow or ice, it becomes more exhausting. The path turns north through the Khumbu Glacier upon climbing the moraine on the far side, thereby leading you to a small village, Lobuche. Here you can enjoy the magnificent views of Mt. Pumori and Nuptse. Overnight in Lobuche.

Today’s walk requires extra attention as AMS may start taking effects on some people due to the thin air in the high altitude of Everest Base Camp. Beginning the trek by following the wind-blown rocky path along the barren Khumbu moraine, you arrive at the last village of Gorak Shep. After a short rest and having lunch in Gorak Shep, you will continue straight ahead crossing the Indian army mountaineers’ memorials, the trail passes through rocky dunes, moraine, and streams and brings you to your ultimate destination, the Everest Base Camp, on the Khumbu Glacier. The Khumbu glacier is one of the biggest glaciers in the world. The view of the dreaded Khumbu Icefall, the most dangerous section of an Everest ascent, from the base camp is spectacular. We get glimpses of Nuptse, Khumbutse, Lhotse, and Pumori from the base camp. On a lucky day, you will also be able to enjoy some of the avalanches on the other side of the Khumbu Glacier. You will return to Gorak Shep after spending some quality time at the base camp. Overnight in Gorak Shep.

The trek today begins very early in the morning before breakfast to catch dramatic views of the first ray of the sunshine gleaming on the face of Mt. Everest from Kala Patthar. You are surrounded by darkness and freezing temperatures (-10 to -15˚C) in the pre-dawn, which may vary according to the season. Also, you may have to face chilly winds which are quite common making this climb a testing hike to Kala Patthar owing to the high altitude and shivering cold. You may see familiar peaks like Lingtren, Khumbutse, and Changtse towering to the east even as Everest begins revealing itself emerging between the west shoulder crest and Nuptse. After a couple of hours of ascending, you will be on the top of Kala Patthar, the best viewpoint of the world that offers 360 degrees panoramic views of the Everest, and is marked by beautiful cairns and colorful prayer flags. After savoring the experience of the mind-blowing views of the Everest as well as other surrounding peaks, it is time for descending back to Gorak Shep for breakfast. After breakfast, you will begin walking towards Lobuche, a small village surrounded by rocky mountains and the Himalayas, where there is the mostly old type of lodges and teahouses. But in the recent times, more facilitated lodges and teahouses have been established. Overnight in Lobuche.

Today is another short and easy day with almost flat trail during the whole walk except for some gentle downhill walks. From Lobuche, you will begin walking downwards on a path alongside the Khumbu Glacier heading in the southeastern side which provides you with lovely views of towering heights of Ama Dablam, Kantega, and Thamserku. After walking for quite some time, the trail divides into two, the right side leading up to Dzongla and Cho La Pass, and the left side descending to Pheriche and Dingboche. You will follow the right side to head towards Dzongla. On the way, you will catch a glimpse to admire the view of the looming Awi Peak passing through a stupa and tombstones in the distance. Walking for a while and continuing to ascend, you will see Chola Tsho Lake nearby spread below Mt. Cholatse. The views of peaks in front – Ama Dablam, Cholatse, and Taboche are spectacular during the whole journey. The ancient village of Pheriche is also clearly visible during our trek. We will go through mound in Chupki Lhara which will bid you goodbye with fresh memories. You will continue further and pass another lake which is a lot similar that the Chola Tsho Lake. Crossing the Chola Khola on a bridge within an hour, you will finally reach Dzongla and spend a night here before making another ascend of the second pass, the Cho La Pass. Overnightin Dzongla.

Today is one of the most terrible days of the trip where you will be gaining height as the Cho La Lake begins to appear and the Ama Dablam presides over a range of remarkable mountains on the south and Cholatse soaring in the west. Starting very early in the morning with trails descending to a basin across which a murmuring stream meanders with ice at places. The final climb to Cho La can be a little deceitful as the trail curves around a crevasse. Upon reaching the top, you will see colorful prayer flags fluttering in the strong wind that is strung across beautiful Cairns. Magnificent views of high Himalayan snowy peaks surround you all the time during the trip, namely Thamserku, Kantega, Ama Dablam, Cholatse, Taboche, and Cho Oyu. Descending from the Cho La Pass is quite strenuous, challenging and slippery, and often dangerous once the sun comes up. Although long, the path leading down to Thagnak is not difficult. This is where you will stop for lunch today. After lunch, you will start climbing gently uphill to Gokyo Lakes. The trail brings you to the edge of the Ngozumpa Glacier, which is the longest glacier in Nepal. The path after Thagnak is mostly over glaciers; some blue ices are spotted along the route. There are series of six lakes where the third one is the Gokyo Lake. Reaching the other side of the glacier, you will see the second Gokyo Lake. A short distance away is the third Gokyo Lake. On the edge of the Gokyo Lake, Gokyo village is situated, which is the final destination for today. Overnight in Gokyo village.

After a long and tiring previous day, you will have the third resting day of the trip for acclimatization. As the name suggests ‘resting day,’ you will however not stay idle but instead, do some hiking at higher altitudes. So, early in the morning, you will have a steep climb to the top of Gokyo Ri, a small peak above the village at an elevation of 5357 meters, from where you can enjoy views of the stunning vista of the Gokyo valley. Gokyo Ri will undoubtedly give you unforgettable memories of a lifetime as it is one of the most spectacular and ineffable places of your adventure. You will also tour the fourth lake of Gokyo, Thonak Tsho, lying only 3 km north of the valley, and from here you will further continue to the fifth lake, the Ngozumpa Tsho. The view from Scoundrels Viewpoint located at the edge of the 5 th lake is mind-boggling. The sight of Ngozumba Glacier, the most extended glacier of the Himalayas, at this point is captivating. At this point, you will be surrounded by anoramic mountains like Kusum Kanguru, Thamserku, Taboche, Makalu, Changtse, Nuptse, Kantega, Cholatse, Everest, Gyachung Kang, Cho Oyu, Pumori, and Lhotse. You will descend after this acclimatization walk to Gokyo village. Overnight in Gokyo.

You need to make an early start today, as it is a long day and you have to trace the trails to Marlung after the conquest of the Renjo La Pass. It is also because you do not have any option in between Marlung and Gokyo to spend the night. The path begins with a gentle climb up the flank of Gokyo Ri and then meanders up to a mass of small stones covering the slope above the corner of the lake. Following the Dudh Pokhari, the third Gokyo Lake, and leaving the main trail for a little over 3 hours, you will reach the Renjo La Pass that offers dazzling vistas of Everest, Lhotse, and Taboche against the gleaming sun. Leaving the Renjo La Pass, the trail drops down on a staircase that leads to the south bank of a small lake, Angladumba Tsho. As you walk past the Relama Tsho Lake and Renjo Lake, the trail descends through narrow valley clogged with giant boulders. Walking for about an hour, you will arrive at Marlung, which lies on the east bank of the Bhote Koshi River. Overnight at Marlung.

After a satisfying breaking, you will begin descending from Marlung towards Namche Bazaar crossing the Bhote Koshi River further descending to Taranga to reach the Langmuche Khola valley. This Khola drains from the glacial lake named Dig Tsho. From here a few hours of walk leads to Thame, a sprawling village with a few teahouses and stunning mountain mountains like Thamserku, Kantega, and Kusum Kanguru, etc. Thame houses the ancient monastery that is famous for the enormous images of Avalokiteswara, Guru Rinpoche and Buddha Shakyamuni that is believed to be established some 325 years ago. After a few descend and crossing streams over a bridge, the trail will lead you towards Samde, from where you will further drop to Thamo village. Thamo village houses the Khari Gompa, a nunnery being home to some nuns and monks. From Thamo, the trail further descends continuing to pass a check-post and a hydro-electricity power station to reach Phurte village. This village is known for the Laudo monastery which is popular among the westerners for Buddhist study and meditation center. After traversing through some monasteries, Mani stones, and chortens, the trail finally brings you to Namche Bazaar amidst the fluttering colorful prayer flags. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Today is your final trekking day, where most of the trail is flat though you will encounter some descends and brief ascends as well with Kwangde peak visible in the backdrop. Passing Phakding and Cheplung villages, the trail begins with a steep descent until it cuts up to the airstrip in Chauri Kharka. These Sherpa villages on the trail display faith in Buddhism and cultural practices associated with it as the prayer flags flutter in the wind. Crossing the Dudh Koshi three times through suspension bridges adorned with prayer flags, and crossing Thado Koshi, you will make a final ascent of around 45 minutes from Cheplung to reach Lukla. The last evening in the mountains is a perfect opportunity to spend few moments with your crew members and celebrate your accomplishment because the porters who accompanied you on the trek will stay behind at Lukla. Overnight in Lukla.

From Lukla, you will board an early morning flight to Kathmandu. On your flight back, you will be hit by nostalgia due to the glimpses of the stunning snow-clad mountains and the memories of your recently concluded trip in the Himalayan suburbs. On arrival at Kathmandu, you will be transferred to your hotel where you may take a rest, or wander around Thamel for souvenir shopping to carry back home. If you feel energetic enough after the tiring trip, then you may explore around popular tourist attractions nearby. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Today is the day your holidays in Nepal has come to an end, and you will be flying back home with ample memories of the experiences you’ve had in the Himalayas. A representative from Aid Journeys will drop you off at the Tribhuvan International Airport well ahead of your scheduled flight for your onward journey. With plenty of time onboard, you may plan your next trip in the Himalayan realms of Nepal. For those willing to stay back and extend your holidays, Aid Journeys will be glad to plan your trip according to your craving.