Everest Classic Trekking - 21 Days

After your arrival at the airport in Kathmandu you will be greeted by one of our representatives who will later transfer you to the hotel. After hotel check in you can decide whether you would like to have a relaxing rest at the hotel or roam around the streets of Kathmandu (If you have leisure time). You will be briefed about our trekking plan by our company representative. O/N you stay at the hotel.

Today after breakfast we will set out for a guided city tour where you get to discover several historical and spiritual attractions of Kathmandu. You will be seeing the world heritage sites like historical Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of lord Pashupatinath, Buddhist pilgrimage Swoyambhunath (famous by the name of Monkey temple among tourists), Boudhanath Shrine and many more cultural and natural monuments. Later we will have a discussion session where we discuss about our trek plan and preparation. Our trek leader would be obliged to brief you about our expedition and answer your queries. O/N you stay at the hotel.

We will be driving a long way to reach Bhandar today. We set off early in the morning as our destination for today is approximately 187 km north-east of Kathmandu and we will be travelling on jagged mountain roads. Six to seven hours of continuous drive lands us in Bhandar where our trekking expedition actually begins. We will enjoy the views of Koshi River and eastern Himalayas including Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Dorge Lakpa etc. Overnight, we stay in Bhandar at a guesthouse.

We will gear up for our trekking expedition today. The trail to Sete descends from Bhandar through deep forest. We cross few streams and pass through the village of Dokharpa and Baranda. We then climb through the forest all the way to Surma Khola. We continue to Likhu Khola and climb a ridge to reach Kenja. From Kenja we ascend to Chimbu and continue to walk until we reach Sete. Overnight we stay at a guesthouse.

Today we climb to Lamjura La via forest filled with pine, Mongolia, and rhododendrons and pass through the villages of Dagchu and Goyem. Lamjura La pass with is at the altitude of 3530m is the highest point between Jiri and Namche Bazaar that offers a superb panoramic view of majestic mountains. We later descend down the pass to Tragdobuk and finally reach Junbesi. You many choose to hang around the village and discover lifestyle and tradition of the local people. Overnight we stay at the guest house.

We will set off for Nunthala today. we cross the stream beyond Junbesi and ascend via forest enjoying the majestic views of Himalayas that happen to appear closer as we trek further. We will witness Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Makalu, Mt. Thamserku and other Himalayas. The trail continues to Salung and descend to Ringmo Khola. We then cross Trakshingdo La pass and descend to Trashingdo. We then descend through forest and fields and reach Nunthala.

The trail descends down to the Dudh Koshi River and head upward to Khumbu. After crossing the bridge we climb to Jubling and continue to Churkha. We then ascend the trail to reach Khari Khola and descend to cross a suspension bridge. Few hours of further walk lands in Buspa where we stay overnight.

We follow the trail through forest passing Kharte and ascending to Khari La pass. Khari La pass offers a majestic views of Gyachung Kang, Khumbila along with other mountains. The trail further descends to Puiyan and takes frequent ups and downs before finally reaching Surke. Overnight we stay at a guesthouse.

We will today trek all the way to Phakding. From Surke the trail climbs towards Chaurikharka. We ascend to Chhiplung and descend down to Phakding enjoying the majestic views of beautiful Himalayas and Sherpa settlements. Overnight, we stay at Phakding.

Today we take a stiff walk through a beautiful pine forest that leads us along the Dudh Koshi River and Hillary Suspension bridge to reach the check post and the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. The trail follows the confluence of Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. Walking further we reach chautra where we have the first glimpse of Mt. Everest peering over the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. Two hours of more walk eventually lands us in Namche Bazaar which is a gateway to Mt. Everest and of course trading point for many Sherpa people and Tibetan merchants. Namche Bazaar is an ideal market for visitors to purchase traditional crafts and other mementos. We will spend two days in Namche for acclimatization and visiting local markets and traditions of the people living in the Himalayas. O/N we stay in a guest house.

We have set this day for acclimatization. A few hours of walk is recommended by health experts even during the rest day so we will be discovering Namche Bazaar and its vicinity. Today we will either spend the day hiking to Thame or Visiting Khunde or exploring Namche Bazaar itself. Namche Bazaar is a junction for many trekkers and climbers in the region. It is also a trading junction for many local and Tibetan traders. A special market draws attention of tourists during every Friday evening and Saturdays. Namche bazaar is a hub of many restaurants, pubs, hotels, bakery, café along with many government offices. A few hours of walk would be really helpful for acclimatization. Our guide will lead the way to guide you through the Tourist Visitor Center near headquarter of the Sagarmatha National Park where we can observe the collection if things related to the first Everest ascenders, Sherpa culture and traditions and more about the lifestyle of people living in the Himalayas. You will also be pleased to learn about the various plant and animal life of the Everest region. Namche Bazaar is simply a great place to hang around. Overnight we stay at the guest house.

We set out towards the trail that leads us to magnificent village of Tengboche enjoying the awe-inspiring views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Ama Dablam and close-up view of Mt. Thamserku. Our journey today would rather be an exciting one for it offers magnificent view of the Himalayas and the Himalayan range throughout our expedition. On the way, we can spot wildlife musk deer, a herd of Himalayan Thar and multicolored pheasants. The trail via Kayangjuma eventually reaches Sansa, which is the major trail junction to Gokyo valley and Everest Base Camp. We walk further through the beautiful pine forest crossing prayer flags festooned bridge over the Dudh Koshi river to reach Phunki Thenga. After few minutes of halt for lunch we climb through the forests for few more hours to reach Tengboche where we spend our night. Tengboche is a great place for close up views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Ama Dablam and Mt. Nuptse. The biggest Buddhist Monastery of the Khumbu region “Tengboche Monastery or Gompa” is the central attraction of Tengboche. We pay our visit to the monastery and witness some ceremonies out there. We will also spend plenty of time capturing the scenic beauty of the Himalayan range in our cameras. Overnight, we stay at a guest house in Tengboche.

Early morning view of the towering peaks and Himalayan range from Tengboche is something that leaves your eyes wide open. After spending couple of hours snapping the scenic view, we gear up for our expedition to reach Dingboche, also known as Summer Valley. We choose the upper trail and pass through several chortens and Mani walls and small villages. We cross Imja Khola and trek through the village of Pangboche (3900m). The majestic views of Mt. Ama Dablam and the Himalayan range is still keeping our expedition energetic. We enter the Imja Valley and descend into the Lobuche River and a continuous climb from there will eventually take us to Dingboche. We will see beautiful green fields protected by stone walls to them safe from cold wind and animals. O/N we stay at the guest house.

We start our day ascending to Duglha via Khumbu Khola valley. We walk through the barren landscape enjoying the majestic views of mountains on all side. After reaching Dusa we continue trekking via narrow valley until we reach Phulung Karpo; one of the camp sites during first successful Everest Expedition in the year 1953. Chola Lake resides above Phulung Karpo. The majestic view of Mt. Pumori (7138m) makes our expedition even exciting. The trail further ascends to Dughla after crossing a small bridge. We can witness the Himalayas like Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Cholatse, Mt. Thamserku and other Himalayas from this point. Overnight, we stay in Duglha.

We will be taking a short walk today. The trail ascends via Chupki Larkha, an eerie ridge that offers great view of scenic mountains. The top of the ridge we find the array of stones festooned with prayer flags used as a memorials to Scott Fischer (American Mountaineer) and Babu Chiri Sherpa (10 times Everest submitter) who perished on a mission to climb Everest. The trail then descends down to the Khumbu Glacier Moraine, we find ourselves surrounded with raising peaks of Mt. Khumbutse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lingtren, Mt. Pumori and Mahalangur Himal. We are now quite close to the Everest but it still remains hidden. As we continue along the stream the Khumbu glacier slowly disappears because of its lateral moraine wall. We might feel some discomfort on breathing due to high altitude. Upon reaching Lobuche you may choose to hang around the region at your convenience. We stay overnight in Lobuche.

The trail to Gorak Shep heads through the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. On our way to Gorak Shep we will witness north ridge of Mt. Everest along with Mt. Pumori, Mt. Mahalangur, Mt. Nuptse etc. Climbing further through the Changri Glacier we have a first glimpse of Kala Patthar. Upon reaching Gorak Shep we will be amazed to see ourselves surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains including mighty Everest. After a brief halt we take the trail to Everest Base Camp via Gorak Shep Lake. After approximately three hours of steady hiking we will reach at the base camp where we will enjoy the natural splendor of Khumbu Glacier and icefall. This is the point from where the Everest expedition actually begins. One can truly salute the courage and bravery of Everest climbers witnessing the deadly trail that leads to the peak of the Everest. After enjoying the scenic trail to EBC we get back to Gorak Shep for the night’s stay.

Today we set off for yet another exciting and adventurous hike to the Kala Patthar; Climax of our expedition. We start in the early morning to catch the spectacular view of Mt. Everest and the Himalayan range from Kala Patthar. We need to gear up with some fine cloths so as to protect ourselves from the cold wind which is quite common in the region. En route we can see some scenic mountains like Lingtren, Changtse, Khumbutse etc form a distance. We can also witness Mt. Everest revealing itself as we continue our trek. On our way we can stop for some time to snap the beautiful natural scenes and the Himalayan range. A long and stiff walk for several hours we will reach Kala Patthar. Climbing a distance we will reach an altitude marked by cairns and prayer flags. The natural scene of mountains and the Himalayan range are superb from this point. You cannot take your eyes off from the views that you will witness from this point. We will capture scenic beauty in our cameras and get back to Gorak Shep and finally climb down to Pheriche for the night’s stay.

We trek down the trail through the hillside filled with Rhododendron and Juniper trees. We will halt for lunch either in Pangboche or in Phunki Tenga. We cross the prayer flag festooned bridge over the Dudh Koshi River and follow the gorge descending through the pine forest until we reach Sansa which is a major trail junction in the region. We then continue to Kyangjuma. We pay our visit to Tengboche monastery and discover the scenic view of raising Himalayas. The trail then follows to Namche Bazaar passing a Chorten and taking few ups and downs. Upon reaching Namche, we have may choose to hang around the bazaar and enjoy the beauty of the region. Overnight, we stay in Namche Bazaar.

We will be wrapping up our trekking expedition today. Leaving Namche Bazaar behind we descend down the rocky trail crossing suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi river. As we walk the trail becomes more smooth and easy. We find the environment really warm and cozy compared to previous days of our expedition. We can feel the fresh air blowing from Himalayas that makes our expedition more energetic and vibrant. We pass through beautiful forest filled with Rhododendron, pine trees and different natural vegetations. We get to snap beautiful mountains and the panoramic views on our way. We will be pleased passing through Sherpa villages that offer a unique blend of Sherpa culture and tradition. Upon arrival at Lukla we conclude our long expedition and have a relaxing time with our friends and crew members. Overnight, we stay in Lukla.

We will wave our final goodbye to the beautiful mountains today. The flights from Lukla to Kathmandu are usually scheduled for the morning because the windy afternoon may cause difficulties flying the aircraft. The early morning scenic flight over the Himalayas drops us at the domestic terminal of Kathmandu airport from where you will be escorted to the hotel. Today we have the whole day to relax at the hotel or hang around in the city for buying gifts to your near and dear ones. You will be joining a special farewell dinner in a cozy traditional Nepali restaurant hosted by Breakfree Adventures and its team. O/N at the Hotel.

Your trip to the majestic country of Nepal comes to an end today! You will be escorted by one of the representatives of Breakfree Adventures to the international terminal of Kathmandu airport approximately three hours before your flight schedule. We exchange our last good-byes and now you will be leaving Nepal with all the good memories you had during the wonderful trekking adventure. We hope you had a lovely time with us. Breakfree Adventures would be obliged to be your travel partner during your next adventure in Nepal. Have a safe flight back home!