Everest High Passes Trek - 20 Days

Upon your arrival in the Kathmandu airport you will be greeted by one of our representatives who would be waiting for you at the arrival gate holding Breakfree Adventures display board. You will be then transferred to the hotel. After check in you can either take rest or hang around the city as per your convenience. We may organize a welcome dinner in one of the fine traditional Nepali restaurant where you will enjoy a Nepalese cultural program with a fine meal. Overnight at the hotel.

Today after breakfast we will organize a guided city tour to several historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu. We will visit the world heritage sites like historic Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupati Nath, the famous ‘Monkey Temple’ (Swayambunath) and Buddhists shrine (Buddha Nath) which is one of the large Stupas in the world. Later we will have a pre-trip discussion with our trek leader and crew members. A team of Breakfree Adventures will brief you on your trek plan and itinerary and also answer your queries regarding our adventure. Overnight at the hotel.

Today is the first day of your trek expedition. After early breakfast you will be escorted to the domestic terminal of the airport to catch an early morning flight to Lukla (2800m), a gateway of our trek. The forty minutes of scenic flight over the beautiful Himalayas lands us in Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla. This is considered to be one of the most beautiful air routes in the world. Upon arrival at Lukla, we will meet our other crew member and start trekking through the prosperous village of Lukla until we reach Phakding. Overnight at the guest house.

Today after breakfast in Phakding, we will set off for Namche Bazaar. Our walk today is going to be rather a pleasant one with few climb ups and climb downs with numerous crossings over the Dudh Koshi River. The magnificent view of Mt. Thamserku (6608m) from Benkar village is really awesome. After crossing few bridges we reach the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo which is habitat for varieties of floras and faunas found in the Himalayan region. Our trekking permits are checked by the authorities for the record purpose. A descend and steady walk from Monjo brings us to Jorsale and further walking we reach Hillary Suspension Bridge. As we climb up hill towards Namche Bazaar, we can see the emerging sight of Kwangde peak along with its neighboring peaks like Kusum Kangaru, Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Tawache along with other Himalayas. A short halt at Chautra for the scenic view and photograph would a great idea. Finally we reach our destination for the day; Namche Bazaar, the main gateway of Khumbu region. Overnight we stay at a guest house in Namche.

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.

Today we would be taking a pleasant walk leaving Dingboche behind following the trail via Imja Khola valley with magnificent views of the Himalayas en route. We will be having a relaxed walk of just 3-4 hours today. As we walk through the trail we can see towering peaks of Mt. Lhotse on our left and Mt. Ama Dablam on our right. Walking further we reach at yak herdman’s place called Bibre. As we take further steps we can see the Island Peak (Imja Tse) which is one of the most popular trekking peak of the region. We will cross some icy streams en route before we reach Chhukung. Approximately, thirty minutes of walk from Bibre takes us to Chhukung. We can behold scenic view of glaciers and massive mountains all around us. You have all the choice today whether you want to have a relaxing time resting in Chhukung or hike to the rocky knoll of Chhukung Ri wthat offers stunning views of Mt. Lhotse, Island peak, Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Makalu and other Himalayas. Overnight we stay at Chhukung.

Today is yet another scheduled day for acclimatization. Trekking experts strongly recommend acclimatization in Chhukung before marching for Kongma La Pass. We will be active throughout the day exploring Chhukung. The views from Chhukung and above on the moraines towards the Island peak is simply breathtaking. We will also take the opportunity to climb and explore Chhukung Ri or climb to the base camp of Island Peak. The magnificent views of Mt. Lhotse, Amphu Lapcha and other Himalayan range have added more beauty in this region. Overnight, we stay at the guest house.

Today we would be ascending the highest pass of expedition; Kongma La Pass. We start early in the morning after breakfast and continue our trekking. Make sure that you carry plenty of water, some snacks and packed lunch to quench your hunger as there are no tea shops on the way. The trail is absolutely exquisite and worth walking enjoying the nature of the Khumbu region. The trail offers two options whether you wish to climb over the hill northwest of Chhukung over the moraine of the Nuptse Glacier or walk back to Bibre and follow a high trail above the Niyang Khola. Few hours of walk lets you discover the beauty of Island peak viler and ridge if Amohu Lapcha. Ascending through Niyang Khola valley, turning west and a continuous walk through the stony trail takes you to a wide basin filled with small frozen lakes. The trail further leads us to Kongma La. After reaching the top of Kongma La we can see marks of the pass; cairn wrapped in prayer flags. Khumbu glacier is yet another attraction of this region. We will continue or trek turning north through Khumbu Glacier which takes us to Lobuche. Overnight, we stay at the guesthouse.

Today we will be trekking to Gorak Shep, explore Everest Base Camp and later climb down to Gorak Shep for the night stay. The trail to Gorak Shep goes ahead via the moraine of Khumbu Glacier. We will be setting a long walk enjoying the majestic views of the Khumbu region. We pass through the pyramid sign post and trek further witnessing the crest of north ridge of Everest along with Mt. Pumori, Mt. Mahalangur, Mt. Lingtern, Mt. Khumbutse, Mt. Nuptse and other neighboring Himalayas. Climbing further we find ourselves in Thangma Riju that offers a 360 degree panoramic view of snowy mountains. Climbing through the stream of Changri Glacier we have our first sight of Kala Patthar. Reaching Gorak Shep we find ourselves surrounded by snowy mountains including Mt. Everest. After a brief halt at Gorak Shep we continue the trail straight ahead through Indian Army Mountaineers’ memorials that takes us to Everest Base Camp. After reaching EBC we really feel like appreciating the bravery and courage of Everest climbers who dare to invade Everest passing through the hazardous Khumbu icefall. We can see mountains like Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Khumbutse and Mt. Pumori from the Everest Base Camp but Mighty Everest remains hidden. We will be spending tonight at Gorak Shep in a guesthouse.

Today we set off for yet another exciting and adventurous hike to the Kala Patthar and further to Lobuche. 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 Lobuche for the night stay.

We will be having a short and relaxed trek today. We have set our destination to Dzongla for the day. Leaving Lobuche behind we follow the trail crossing a stream and ridges that leads to Dzongla. As we walk we can see soaring heights of Mt. Ama Dablam and Mt. Thamserku. We can also see Mt. Taboche peering at a distance. The village of Pheriche looms in a distance offering a great view. The trails also offer the scenic view of Chukpi Lhara and its memorials. We pass through Chola Laka below Cholatse and the trail later climbs up a spur and further descends steeply to a wide basin. A steady walk from the basin and crossing a shaky bridge finally lands us to Dzongla. Overnight we stay at Dzongla in a guesthouse.

Today we gear up for our expedition to one of the high passes of the Everest region; Cho La pass. We set off early in the morning after breakfast. Today is probably going be a toughest day of our expedition. We will follow the trail that descends to a basin across the icy streams via which we reach the top of the basin and further set off to invade Cho La. We move on ascending the rough trail enjoying the beauty of Chola Lake. As we gain height we witness the soaring Ama Dablam on the south and Cholatse on the west. We have to be very careful as we scramble further through the rocky trail. The rocks can be glazed by ice so being alert is very important. Climbing Cho La is really a tough job but worth climbing. Upon reaching the top we can see the prayer flags flapping in the strong wind. The awe-inspiring view that it offers is really something that leaves your eyes wide open. The rocky trail leading down to Thangnak can easily made out from the pass but cautiousness is required as rocks are glazed by ice. After few hours of walk we will find ourselves in Thangnak, a small village. As we walk further leaving Thangnak behind, we can see admirable views of beautiful mountains and the Himalayan range. A short walk will later take us to Ngozumpa glacier (longest glacier in Nepal). Walking further we find ourselves in Gokyo village where we stay for the night.

Today is yet another rest day of our expedition. We would rather walk for few hours and stretch our muscles instead of sitting idle. We would climb Gokyo Ri to enjoy the majestic scene from the best viewpoint of the Everest region. After hiking for a couple of hours we reach the viewpoint of Gokyo Ri. The viewpoint offers astonishing views of Mt. Cho-Oyu, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Makalu along with mighty Everest. We would also exploring some lakes of this region. We can also enjoy the scenic view of Cho-Oyu base camp and the biggest glacier of the world; Ngazumpa Glacier. After discovering the scenic Himalayan views we descend down to Gokyo . O/N we stay at a guest house.

Leaving Gokyo behind we will today gear up to expedite our expedition to Renjo La and Marlung. We set off early in the morning leaving the main trail we take the trail to Renjo La via Dudh Pokhari. A couple of hours of walk will lead us to Renjo La where we would be enjoying the alluring views of the Himalayas. We will see the views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Cholatse etc shining bright with the first rays of the sun. We will halt for capturing the wonderful Himalayan beauty in our cameras that would make your adventure a memorable one. We will later descend down the icy trail to reach Lumde. En route we will see Relama Tsho and Renjo Lake. We will walk further from Lumde and reach Marlung which is situated on the east bank of Bhote Koshi. O/N we stay at guesthouse in Marlung.

Today we would be setting off to Namche Bazaar. We would be concluding our expedition in next few days. We will follow the trail that descends from Marlung to Thame. From Marlung we cross the Bhote Koshi river and descend down to Taranga to reach the valley of Langmuche Khola. Few hours of further walk will land is in Thame. Mt. Thamserku, Mt. Kusum Kangaru, Mt. Katenga etc care major attraction of Thame. The ancient Gompa (Monastery) is yet another must see monument of Thame. The Gompa has three big images of Avalokiteswara, Guru Rimpoche and Buddha Shakyamuni. The famous Mani Rimdu festival is held in this Gompa in May which features colorful mask dances with other traditions. We will climb down crossing a bridge to reach Samde that offers breathtaking views of the Himalayan region. Further ascending down to Thamo village we pay visit to Khari Gompa which is a home to some Buddhist monks and nuns. We continue our trek passing through check post and hydroelectricity power station to reach a small village of Phurte. The Laudo Monastery which is popular among westerners for Buddhist study and meditation center is situated at Phurte. Passing through some Gompas, prayer flags, Mani stones and Chortens we will eventually reach Namche Bazaar. Overnight we stay at the guesthouse.

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!