You fly to Lukla and begin trekking through the land of the legendary Sherpas into the Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park. Since the successful ascent of Everest, the Khumbu region has been a favorite destination for adventure and nature lovers from all over the world. You follow the footsteps of Tenzing Norgay, Hillary, Bonnington and Messner, the classic trail goes to through Namche bazaar, Khumjung, Pangboche, Dingboche heading towards the Mt. Everest. After crossing the moraines of the Changri Shar Glacier, you reach the sandy plain of Gorakshep. Then the trail climbs up amongst large boulders to the broad summit of Kalapattar (5,545 m), which offers the best view of Everest and Khumbu Glacier. What it may be called Everest, Sagarmatha or Chomolongma, the highest peak of this planet is stunning to behold, you long to see and feel it a lifetime's dream come true. Trip Highlights Trip Type: Lodge to lodge in package service Grade: Strenuous, Max. height 5545 m. Season: Spring, Fall, Winter Elevation: lowest - 2800m highest - 5545m Departure Date: Any date of your choice Best Months: March, April, May and September, October, November ________________________________________ Day 1: Arrival into Kathmandu You will be free on this day to see the sights around Kathmandu and stock up on any essentials you might have forgotten to pack. Be sure to be on time in the evening where your team leader will brief the group about the trek and the first few days to come. Day 2. Fly to Lukla 2800m & trek to Phakding 2600m The flight to Lukla is about 45 mins and the sights are as spectacular as they come, flying through valleys in the lower Himalayas and landing in one of the highest airports in the world is an epic start to what will become an epic journey! Once in Lukla, you will meet up with your Sherpa guides and porters before beginning the first leg of the trek proper heading towards Phakding. Day 3. Jorsale 2550m While many groups ascend on to Namche on the second day of the trek, we will stop en route at Jorsale which is the last stop before Namche Bazaar to let the bodies acclimatize better to the high altitudes while soaking in all the awesomeness of the what is arguable the best mountainous sceneries in the world! Day 4. Namche Bazaar 3444m Also know as gateway to Everest, Namche Bazaar is where the we will spend the next 2 days to acclimatize further before making the push towards base camp. While we're in Namche there will also be short day treks to places like Thame and Khumjung for the body to get the feel of trekking in high altitudes. Day 5. Namche Bazaar Rest or visit Hillary Hospital On this day too we will mostly be in and around Namche Bazaar and you can opt for short treks around Namche bazaar to better attune your body for the following 10 days. This is also be the last day where you can get your creature comforts until we come back next to Namche Bazaar after a week so whether its baked goods or a comfortable rooms with hot showers, this is the last chance. ;) Day 6. Thyangboche Monastery 3875m And here goes, a 6-7 hour trek and the push for Base camp begins! On this day you will be walking through beautiful Rhododendron forests that form a canopy on many part of the route (Rhododendrons are also Nepal's national flower). The peaks within your sights on this part of the route are Thamserku, Kantenga, Ama Dablam, Lhotse and Everest towering over the rest ahead of you. :) Day 7. Dingboche 4360m After a good night of rest at Thyangboche, the route will carry on for another 8km to the tiny village of Dingboche and this will take approximately 6 hours on this day. As we ascent altitude, the Rhododendron forests will gradually give way to alpine vegetation as junipers and wild flowers become abundant. All the while, Everest just sits there at the spearhead of the route reminding you of her magnificence with every step. Day 8. Dingboche Rest and Acclimatization At this point you will have ascended over 1500 meters in a mere 6 days time and the body will start to feel the pressure at this point as the air gets thinner. This will therefore be another acclimitaztion day but you do have the options of hiking to the surrounding areas of Imja Khola or Chukkung. If not then you should rest and drink plenty of fluids in preparation for the following day as we ascend 500 meters. Day 9. Lobuche 4930m As the altitude climbs, the treks get shorter in length and duration so as to not exert too much stress on the body. There will be steep ascents too as you pass through the village of Gorak Shep. You will also trek beside the infamous Khumbu glacier to reach Lobuche which has amazing views of Nuptse peak. The trekking on this day will be restricted to about 5 hours. Day 10. Gorak Shep climb Kala Patthar 5545m At this point, you will almost taste it in the air :p, base camp and Everest inching ever so closer. On this day we will also ascend Kala Pathhar from where many believe the best views of Everest are - from base camp to peak all in a single glance. As exciting as this sounds, this day is also a challenging one and we will be trekking approximately 4 hours on this day. Day 11. Gorak Shep to Everest BC 5337 m. and back to Lobuche The day you've been waiting for! We begin our trek in the morning and after about 4 hours you will be in Everest Base Camp! Cherish the moment for not many make it this far. :) Words or pictures don't do justice to the feeling you get when you're up there. Only a select few know that feeling and if you've made it this far then you are most certainly part of an Elite club who can proudly say they've been to the base camp of the mother of all mountains! After lunch we will begin the trek back to Lobuche where we will spend the night before beginning our descent towards Lukla. Day 12. Tyangboche Monastery In the rush of getting to base camp you may not have fully appreciated the route and it's inhabitants so while you're smiling and patting yourself on the back, take note of the little villages and monasteries that dot the entire stretch of the route. The trek will last approximately 6 hours on this day. Day 13. Namche Bazaar After about 6 hours of trekking you will be back to Namche where you can finally buy yourself a celebratory bottle of wine or beer to honour what you have just achieved with your fellow trekkers. Day 14. Lukla The final day holds about 15km of trekking which is covered in about 7 hours and you're all set to fly back to Kathmandu and then onwards towards home to share your adventure and stories with your friends and family! Day 15. Fly back to Kathmandu INCLUSIVE: Transportation - All airport/hotel and ground transfers as per the program. Tea House Trekking: Full Board, Trekking - National Park entry fee, TIMS fee, three meals a day, accommodation in lodges, guides, porters, insurance for Nepali staff, assistance for travel/rescue arrangements and agency's service charge. EXCLUSIVE: Flights, bar bills, lunch & dinner while in towns, medical and rescue insurance, personal gears & equipments, tips, other expenses of personal nature and any other things not stated as inclusive. Extra: Flight fares, Kathmandu - Lukla - Kathmandu US$ 328/person