Option 1:

Morning Sightseeing to Pashupatinath and Boudhanath. Then Drive to Ramechhap: 4 hours drive at 2.00 AM in the morning of Day 3.

Today your Nepal adventure begins! After breakfast, at around 9.30am, our tour guide and private vehicle will collect you from your hotel to take you to some of the most historical and interesting heritage sites in Kathmandu.  Kathmandu Valley has no less than seven world heritage sites; today we will cover two of them:

Pashupatinath: Pashupati Temple is the most holy and significant temple among worshipers of Lord Shiva.  Non-Hindus are not allowed into Pashupatinath Temple itself but by standing on the opposite banks of the Bagmati River, visitors can view the ghats where worship and ritual bathing takes place.  A few metres downstream the burning ghats often present a horrific fascination. If that is too intimate, there are plenty of small shrines and trails to explore.

Boudhanath Stupa:  Boudhanath Stupa is one of the most revered Buddhist sites in Kathmandu.  Here in the early morning and late afternoon, hundreds of Tibetan and Nepali Buddhists come to circumnavigate the stupa in prayer with the sound of spinning prayer wheels and the ringing of bells filling the air. It is possible to eat in one of the many good restaurants around the stupa. 

Note: The rest of this afternoon is at your leisure.  We will leave from Kathmandu at 2am in the morning to reach Ramechhap for the flight to Lukla for the following reason:

The Government of Nepal has announced that until further notice most flights to and from Lukla will be from Ramechhap (Manthali Airport).  This will avoid heavy traffic congestion in Kathmandu airport.  The airport in Ramechhap is located 130km from Kathmandu (approximately 3-4 hours drive).  As Ramechhap is a very small town and off the usual tourist route, accommodation facilities are basic and limited.  It is likely that given this new situation, accommodation will be hard to find.  Thus, driving directly from Kathmandu to Ramechhap in the early morning is the only realistic option.

Overnight (until 2am) at a hotel.  Included meals: breakfast.

Option 2:

Entire day sightseeing to Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath. Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu and fly next day from Kathmandu directly to Lukla via helicopter.

Today your Nepal adventure begins!  After breakfast, at around 10.00 am, our tour guide and private vehicle will collect you from your hotel to take you to some of the most historical and interesting heritage sites in Kathmandu.  Kathmandu Valley has no less than seven world heritage sites, today we will cover three of them:

Swayambhunath: Swayambhunath Stupa (or Monkey Temple as its often know) has great importance to the Valley’s indigenous Newar population whose religion is a unique blend of Buddhism and Hinduism.  We reach the top by a long staircase from the east. In addition to devotees, visitors can see many monkeys on the climb up to the stupa (please do not feed or pet them), and have a wonderful view over Kathmandu.

Boudhanath Stupa:  Boudhanath Stupa is one of the most revered Buddhist sites in Kathmandu.  Here in the early morning and late afternoon, hundreds of Tibetan and Nepali Buddhists come to circumnavigate the stupa in prayer with the sound of spinning prayer wheels and the ringing of bells filling the air. It is possible to eat in one of the many good restaurants around the stupa. 

Pashupatinath: Pashupati Temple is the most holy and significant temple among worshipers of Lord Shiva.  Non-Hindus are not allowed into Pashupatinath Temple itself but by standing on the opposite banks of the Bagmati, visitors can view the ghats where worship and ritual bathing takes place.  A few metres downstream the burning ghats often present a horrific fascination. If that is too intimate, there are plenty of small shrines and trails to explore.

There will be time for exploring the tourist hub of Thamel and doing last minute shopping for essential trekking snacks etc before dinner. 

Note: With this option you will avoid the middle of the night drive to Ramecchap and will fly directly by helicopter from Kathmandu to Lukla on the morning of Day 03.

Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu. Included meals: breakfast.

Depending on your choice, today we fly from Ramechhap or from Kathmandu to Lukla. Estimated arrival time in Lukla is the same for either option. After your arrival in Lukla, your guide and porters will meet you and from here we trek to Phakding. The trail starts by descending to Cheplung village. We may be able to catch sight of Mt Khumbila from here.  This is a sacred mountain which, as such, has never been climbed. From here the trail descents till Phakding where you overnight.  This is where your climbing adventure begins!

Overnight at a lodge. Included meals: breakfast (packed breakfast for those on Option 1), lunch and dinner.

Today the trail takes you upwards over steep inclines and across high suspension bridges. If you come in the springtime, your journey through the rhododendron forests will be filled with red and pink flowers. On the way you may be lucky to catch a glimpse of Mt Everest from the viewpoint on this part of the trail.  But don’t worry if the clouds are hiding the view – you will have plenty more opportunities to see this and other stunning mountains.  You have now entered Sagarmatha National Park, and tonight you sleep in the famous town of Namche Bazaar.

Today’s acclimatization day is designed to allow your body to get used to the altitude.  It also gives you a chance to explore the town or hike to Khumjung Village to visit the school and hospital set up by Sir Edmund Hillary as a thank you to the Sherpa people.  You can also visit Khumjung Monastery, where they have a Yeti scalp as it’s believed!  You can soak up the atmosphere in Namche.  In the past this was the last stop for mountaineers to stock up on goods before setting off to scale Everest.  It still is a good place to purchase any chocolate or snacks you forgot to bring with you. 

On our way from Namche to Debuche, we visit Tengboche monastery - the largest monastery in the region.  It is also perhaps the monastery with the best views of the surrounding mountains!  We explore this monastery for a while and then head towards Debuche which is 30 minutes walk from Tengboche. The entire trail switches back and forth, along rushing rivers and through lush woods. Then almost abruptly the vegetation gets less and the scenery becomes rockier.  Overnight in Debuche.

As the hike goes on the scenery changes dramatically from green forests to more stony paths.  The approach to Pheriche is through a large glacial valley.  Overnight at Pheriche.

The day starts out with an easy walk towards Dugla where it then turns upwards, over terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier.  Continuing, you pass through boulders on the ascent of Chupki Lhara where there is a memorial to Scott Fisher, an American, and Babu Chiri Sherpa. A chorten with prayer flags has been set up to remember these two mountaineers, Babu Chiri Sherpa being a very experienced 10-times summiter of Everest.  The trail then takes you through more moraines until you come face to face with several great mountains, including Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori and Mahalangur Himal. Staring at these giants you get a sense of why people would want to risk their lives to summit Everest.  Overnight at Lobuche.

Gorak Shep is the name of a small, seasonal settlement which is the best place to set off for the ascent of Kalapatthar, also known as the ‘Everest view point’.  Gorak Shep was base camp for the 1952 Swiss expedition to Everest.  Although unsuccessful, on that climb was Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who the following year made the first summit of Everest with Edmund Hilary.  Its takes approximately three hours to reach Everest Base Camp from Gorak Shep. From this vast open vista you will be able to see mountaineers setting up camp in the distance (it is not possible for trekkers to enter the exact same EBC area) and take in the magnificent and treacherous beauty of the Khumbu Icefall.  Overnight at Gorak Shep in preparation for a dawn ascent of Kalapatthar.

While trekkers are attracted by the fact they will visit Everest Base Camp, the real spectacular views of Mount Everest are from the top of Kalapatthar.  At 5,545m this is the highest altitude we can trek in Nepal without requiring climbing permits. Its name means black rock and it is not so much a mountain but a ridge. But what views can be seen and photographed from here! Everest, Changtse and Nuptse mountains are so close you feel you can just reach out and touch them.  For most people, this is the closest they will get to Mount Everest.  And this is quite an achievement in itself! Sunrise and sunset from Kalapatthar are equally as spectacular. Which you see may well depend on weather conditions that day.  However, we are aiming for sunrise so will set off early in the morning. After spending some time basking in Nature’s glories, descend Kalapatthar, return to Gorak Shep for breakfast, then head to Lobuche where you overnight.

Today we go via the Khumbu Glacier to Kongma La Base Camp.  Climbing over the high pass (5,000m) is the most challenging part of the day.  Descending the other side of the pass, we reach the Imja Khola Valley and then descend further to Chhukung, a small summer settlement where we will stay overnight.  Here we will check our equipment in preparation of the next few days. 

Note: if the group collectively does not want to go over the pass, there is another, lower altitude route.  This can be discussed with your guide.

The trail to Island Peak Base Camp is steep, and at times a winding path below the Lhotse Glacier’s moraine.  Following a stream the walking is a little easier here until again the trail crisscrosses through moraine from the Imja and Lhotse glaciers, making the going more difficult.  Eventually you come out into a wide valley on the south west side of Island Peak.  Here we overnight.

This morning we will start the pre-climb training.  Although it is not necessary to have prior climbing experience to ascend Island Peak, it would be useful in terms of your confidence level.  However, our guides will provide training on peak climbing techniques, and use of the gear.  The gear you will learn about includes ice axe, crampons, harness ascender and how to use the ropes properly.  With this training your chances of a successful summit will be boosted.  The goal is not only to summit Island Peak, but to enjoy the experience too!  After the training, use the rest of the day to acclimatize by hiking up to High Camp or simply relax at Base Camp. You and the team will sleep early tonight at Base Camp.

Today is the big day!  Wake up for breakfast around midnight or 1am.  Breakfast is important to fuel the climb. And the early morning start is important to enable you to reach the summit before the afternoon strong winds.  A rock gully needs to be tackled before emerging on its right side to follow a ridgeline leading to an exposed traverse onto the snout of the summit glacier.  Our guides will fix ropes where necessary and it may be required that the climbers rope up, particularly going over the glacier.  The glacier contains several crevasses which present a challenge.  On reaching the summit there is time to take a breath, take in the icy air and take in the views. Don’t forget to take some pictures for future memory.  Bask in the knowledge you did it! Then climb back down to Base Camp where the crew will have a welcome lunch waiting for you.  Overnight at Base Camp.

After a good night’s sleep and a filling breakfast, pack up camp and head towards Pangboche.  Passing through the Khumbu Khola Valley and Sherpa villages we can do a side trip to visit the Gompa in Upper Pangboche.  This is reportedly the oldest gompa in the Khumbu Region. Panboche is surrounded by Everest to the north, Ama Dablam, Thamserku and the Kongde mountain range in the south.  Here the valley is fertile, thanks to the Imja Tse river flowing through it. 

The trail today takes you down to the Imja Khola and then up through forests to reach Tengboche.  We will stop for lunch in Tengboche. Following lunch, we then return back the same route that we travelled on our way up. Now Namche is within reach and our thoughts turn to the wonderful dinner ahead of us!  Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Enjoy your breakfast then wave goodbye to the friendly Sherpa people of Namche.  Make your way slowly over the rocky paths and high suspension bridges over raging rivers to Lukla where you will stay before your early morning flight.

After breakfast fly out of Lukla. Take in your final views of the mountains from your plane window.  You can either fly to Ramechhap and drive (3-4 hours) to Kathmandu or take a helicopter from Lukla to Kathmandu.  Please ask us about the helicopter option. 

To be prudent, we keep one extra day at the end of the trek just in case there is a flight cancellation out of Lukla (due to bad weather).  You can use this day to explore on your own or ask us about arranging sightseeing to other cultural heritage sites. Please let us know and we can arrange this for you. Tonight a farewell dinner will give you the chance to relive your adventure! But first, perhaps you want to do a little souvenir shopping?

Depending on your flight time, you will be transferred to the airport three hours prior to the departure time. In case your flight is late evening please let us know if you require half day use of the hotel which will incur extra charges as the check out time is usually 12 pm. Your airport representative will pick you from your hotel accordingly and take you to the international airport for your onward flight.

Bon voyage and pheri bhetaula!

Included meals: breakfast