Short Everest Base Camp Trek

We take an early morning flight to Lukla which is where all Everest treks begin. We meet the rest of our team in Lukla and start trekking from there. We walk on a trail that gradually descends to Cheplung village from where we get a glimpse of Mt. Khumbila, a sacred mountain that has never been climbed. From here, we gradually descend until Phakding. Overnight in Phakding.

Our trail passes through a pine forest and we continue our walk on the trail that goes north up the Benkar valley. We cross the Dudh Koshi River and pass Chumoa and Monjo villages before reaching the entrance of the Everest National Park. Then after crossing a suspension bridge, we pass Jorsale village and walk alongside the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. We ascend on a steep trail and reach Namche Bazaar which is probably the biggest town in the Everest region. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Today we’ll tour Namche Bazaar, which is the primary town of the Everest or Khumbu region and has government offices, ATMs, internet cafes, shops, restaurants, and a colorful market. We can hike-up to Sagarmatha National Park and enjoy the sunrise over the Himalayas including Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kongde and so on. If we are interested in a day hike, we can trek to Khumjung village. Today we also visit the Hillary School and a monastery which houses a yeti scalp! Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

The trek to Phunki is an easy walk. From here we ascend towards Tengboche village which houses the very famous Tengboche monastery which is the biggest monastery of the Everest region. It is located within the Sagarmatha National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery is blessed with panoramic views of the Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Thamserku. The Tengboche Monastery opens at 3:00 pm, so if we reach there by 3 o’clock we can observe a Buddhist religious ceremony.Overnight in Tengboche.

Our trail descends and passes through lush forests of birch, conifer and rhododendron trees. While trekking, we can admire good views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. We walk downhill to Debuche and cross the Imja River to reach Pangboche. We choose the upper Pangboche trail and admire the Himalayan vista and the Pangboche Monastery. We continue our walk to the Imja Valley and Lobuche River before ascending to Dingboche. It is a picturesque village with beautiful barley, potato and buckwheat fields complete with grazing animals dotted along those fields.

We ascend to the steep terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. The trail passes through boulder-strewn slopes as we ascend Chupki Lhara which is a ridge that provides spectacular mountain views. The top of the ridge is filled with prayer flags and stones which are memorial shrines for climbers who lost their lives on Mt. Everest. As the trail drops to the Khumbu Glacier moraine, we find ourselves facing several great peaks including Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori and Mahalangur Himal. As we are crossing Khumbu Glacier we can also see Mt. Nuptse.Overnight in Lobuche.

The trek to Everest Base Camp is not very difficult. However, we ascend and descend mostly on a glacier path. There is also a lot of meandering on rough terrains. As we reach the base camp, we enjoy the incredible melt patterns and admire the gently rounded ice towers on the upper part of the Khumbu glacier. The Everest Base Camp is stunningly beautiful. We can enjoy amazing views of Nuptse, Khumbuste, and Pumori mountains from the base camp. After soaking in the beauty, we walk back towards Gorak Shep where we spend the night. Overnight in Gorak Shep.

We wake up early for the walk up to Kala Patthar. It is dark outside with cold temperatures and most likely chilly winds. We walk on a fairly steep trail at a comfortable pace. As we are climbing up the hill we can see Lingtren, Khumbutse, and Changtse mountains. The view from the summit is outstanding. We can see the world’s tallest mountain Everest along other mighty Himalayan peaks. After spending some time at the summit of Kala Patthar, we walk back to Gorak Shep which is relatively easier than hiking up to Kala Patthar. Trekkers who visit the Everest Base Camp today will have an early breakfast as the hike up to the Everest base camp takes longer than the hike to Kala Patthar. After returning to Gorak Shep, both the groups will have lunch together. After lunch, we descend to Pheriche to spend the night. Overnight in Pheriche.

We lose approximately 2,000 feet in elevation today and walk on a trail with a lot of ups and downs. We descend through a hillside filled with rhododendron and juniper trees and cross a bridge over the Dudh Koshi River. We descend rapidly through pine forests where we can easily spot mountains goats, pheasants, and other wild animals and birds common to the area. The path eventually reaches Sansa from where we can enjoy views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Nuptse mountains. We walk on winding trails followed by another walk through a forest before reaching Namche Bazaar. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

We begin our trek to Namche Bazaar today on a rocky terrain. It is mostly a downhill trek on a trail alongside the Dudh Koshi River. We cross several suspension bridges, pass by several monasteries and villages before reaching Lukla. After reaching Lukla, we spend the rest of the day taking rest as today will be our last day in the mountains. Overnight in Lukla.

We catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu after our long mountain journey. After reaching Kathmandu, we can take a rest or do some souvenir shopping. If we want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu, we may do that today. Our guides can help you with both souvenir shopping or sightseeing. There will be a farewell dinner in the evening to celebrate the successful completion of our journey. Overnight in Kathmandu.