*New* - From July 2009, all our prices
include a trekking pack (sleeping bag, trekking poles, down jacket),
all meals on your trek, and your internal Kathmandu/Lukla/Kathmandu
flights. There is no local payment on this tour.
Swayambunath stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal
Your tour begins with a guided tour of Kathmandu. This lively city is a magnet for travellers from all over the world and a fascinating place to wander around. From Kathmandu you then fly to Lukla where this short lodge-based trek starts.
The trek from Lukla takes you up the Dudh Kosi river valley past many small, picturesque Sherpa villages. The valley slopes are covered with magnificent forests of rhododendron, magnolia and giant firs, and the snow-capped peaks stretch away into the distance. Eventually you will arrive in Namche Bazaar, an historical Sherpa trading centre of the Khumbu region where you will stay for a day to acclimatise to the high altitude.
Typical Nepali mountain village, Nepal
From Namche Bazaar you make a short ascent to Thenchboche, where the views of Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Everest are truly fantastic. You can also take time to visit the Buddhist monastery here, at what is considered to be a very spiritually important site. The following morning, you begin your trek back down the valley to Namche Bazaar and then on to Lukla.
From Lukla you catch the morning flight back to Kathmandu where you have some free time to explore the city and perhaps do a little souvenir hunting at the many interesting gift shops and curio stalls that line the mazy streets and alleyways.
You can join one of our regular small-group departures, or do this tour privately with one of our guides, or use it as the base for a tailor-made itinerary. Options are available to extend the tour to try some white-water rafting, or visit one of Nepal's National Parks.
Note: Our
Everest Base Camp trek follows the same route up to Tengboche, but then continues all the way up to base-camp, making a longer and slightly more strenuous tour.