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Day 1: Kathmandu to Lukla and trek to Phakding(2610m)
Early in the morning nearly about 6 am to 10 am, we drive to Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu for a 35-minute scenic flight to Tenzing and Hillary Airport in Lukla (2,804m).
On arrival at the airport, your guide will brief you about the trekking and introduce our porters. Before we begin our trek towards Phakding (2,610m), we have time to explore Lukla while our Sherpa crew sort and load our trekking equipment.
We start the trek by descending towards Dudh Kosi River where we join the main trail to Namche Bazaar, located just above Chaunrikharka (2,713m). The walking is easy and after passing through the small village of Ghat (2,550m) it is a short walk to Phakding.
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Day 2: Trek to Namche Bazaar (3440m)
We continue trekking along the banks of Dudh Kosi, crossing the majestic river many times via suspension bridges laden with prayer flags. After entering the Sagamartha National Park, the trail climbs steeply with breathtaking views.
Namche Bazaar (considered the gateway to Everest) is home to many quality restaurants, hotels, lodges, shops, money exchange services, internet cafes and bakeries. Namche is the biggest town along the Everest trail.
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Day 3: Acclimatization day at Namche.
We spend a day in Namche Bazaar in order to acclimatize and adjust to the thinning air.
We will trek a short distance to a museum that is celebrated for its exhibits of traditional customs of the Sherpa people. We also hike up to Everest View Hotel. From this point we can see rewarding views of the Himalayas with a stunning sunrise and sunset over the panorama of Khumbu peaks.
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Day 4: Trek to Tengboche (3790m)
From Namche, the trail contours around the side of the valley, high above the river and, as we go, we will get to see great views of the great peaks of the Khumbu including Mt Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and AmaDablam.
After dropping down steeply to the river at PhunkiTenga and having lunch, we have a long steep climb up through beautiful forest to tonight’s lodge.
Tyangboche is famous for its legendary monastery, the largest in the Khumbu and we will stay near this monastery with Everest, Lhotse and AmaDablam in full view.
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Day 5: Trek to Dingboche (4350m).
After breakfast we head on up the trail to Dingboche. We first descend through stunning forest to Deboche and then cross the river and have a short climb to Pangboche which is a good lunch spot.
On this side of the river stunning Ama Dablam is prominent and a stunning distraction from the trail as we continue up to Dingboche for the night.
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Day 6: Day trip to Chhukung valley and back to Dingboche
After breakfast we head on up the trail to Dingboche. We first descend through stunning forest to Deboche and then cross the river and have a short climb to Pangboche which is a good lunch spot.
On this side of the river stunning Ama Dablam is prominent and a stunning distraction from the trail as we continue up to Dingboche for the night.
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Day 7: Trek to Lobuche (4950m).
Today we head up a wide valley beneath the impressive peaks of Cholatse and Tawache on the left. we ‘turn right’ and climb more steeply towards the foot of the Khumbu Glacier, passing many stone cairns, built as memorials to the many Sherpas who have died helping people climb Mt Everest. The path then climbs gently along the glacier to reach the cluster of houses at Lobuche
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Day 8: Trek to Everest base camp via Gorekshep
Today we will walk 3 hours to Gorakshep along Khumbu Glacier and after the lunch we will continue to Everest Base Camp. The walk to base camp and back would require about 5-6 hours, following the Khumbu glacier, sometimes on moraine and sometimes on the glacier itself.
On reaching the base camp, please respect the space of the expeditions based there, but enjoy this crowning moment, before returning down the long trail back to GorakShep.
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Day 9: Early morning climb up to Kalapather and then Dzongla
Up to now we have covered major destinations of this trek, seen some of the exotic places, captured the best scenery.
Among all of these now we trek further to Kalapather. With the starting of the morning air we will also cover Dzongla.
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Day 10: Cross Cho la pass (5420m) trek down to Tagnag(4600m)
Cho La is one of the high passes of this region and it can be slippery due to ice along the route. It is steep climbing until we reach the top of Cho La Pass.
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Day 11: Trek to Gokyo (4800m) visit fifth lake back to Gokyo
The Gokyo Lakes are also part of an extended Everest Base Camp trek known as the EBC trek via Gokyo Lakes.
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Day 12: Sunrise hiking up to Gokyo Ri then trek to Dole(4200m)
Early in the morning we have a steep climb up to the top of Gokyo Ri at an elevation of 5,483m. There are ample rewards for those who attempt this trip – you get stunning views of Gokyo valley, the massive Ngozumpa glacier and an incredible panoramic view of the whole Khumbu Himalayas,. Views include the giants Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu and Gychung Kang.
We will also use this day for acclimatization so we will be back down to the camp in the afternoon.
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Day 13: Trek to Namche bazaar.
We continue walking through a typical Sherpa village of Khumjung, leaving the mountains behind us as we descend back to Namche Bazaar.
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Day 14: Trek down to Lukla.
Finally we return to Lukla where we started our trek which might seem like a lifetime ago.
We’ll spend some time enjoying and reflecting back on the trek as a group and the personal achievements of all those who took part. We also have some spare time to explore the town some more.
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Day 15: Lukla To kathmandu
On your flight back to Kathmandu as you leave Lukla, you can enjoy some last-minute glimpses of the mountains you just visited.
You might want to take a rest day after the exhausting trek or you can go sightseeing in Kathmandu.
In the evening, we will have a farewell dinner in a traditional Nepalese restaurant with cultural performances. Your guide(s) and an office staff will accompany you for the dinner.