12-Day Everest Base Camp Trek from Kathmandu with Kala Patthar

• Arrive at Kathmandu International Airport, where you will be warmly welcomed by our representative and transferred to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free to explore this historic and vibrant city.

Overnight in Hotel.

Meals: Welcome Dinner

• Take an early morning flight from Kathmandu to Lukla and begin the trek to upper Phakding.
• Descending above farmlands, we pass through the Sherpa villages of Chheplung, Ghat, and Sano and Thulo Gumela, as well as the shrines and monasteries of Drangdrak Gompa and Pema Choling Gompa, with breathtaking views of the sacred mountain Kumbila and the sister summits of Kusum Kanguru.

Overnight in Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Heading for Namche Bazaar, we cross through the hamlets of Zamphute and Tok Tok to see dazzling Thamserku glistening in the sun, a peak that stays with us through much of the trek.
• Passing through the scenic Sherpa villages of Benkar, Chumoa, and Monjo, we reach Utche Choling Gompa on a bluff above the Dudhkoshi River. From there, we continue between the bluffs to the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• After completing halfway to Namche Bazaar, we continue on the second half of the march, which will likely take more time due to the steep climb at the end.
• Crossing through the last village of Jorsale, a steep stepped path leads us to an amazing high bridge over the Dudhkoshi River gorge. Just before this bridge, the Dudhkoshi is joined by its tributary, the Bhote Koshi.
• Beginning the final uphill climb slowly, we reach the heights above Namche, from where we catch our first look at Mt. Everest peering over the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. Finally, after about 1.5 km/0.9 mile, we reach Namche Bazaar.

Overnight in Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• From Namche, we take the easy trail that cuts around the ridge from Chhorkung to reach the end of a bluff, a viewpoint over a grand panorama of peaks from Thamserku to Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and Everest.
• From here, we reach Kyangjuma (3550 m), and a short walk takes us to an important trail junction at Sanasa (3600 m), from where we follow the trail to Tengboche. The path runs gently downhill toward the river, dropping gradually to Lawichasa, and on the descent the thumb-like peak of Ama Dablam soars into view above the trail.
• From Lawichasa, a narrow trail branches north to reach Tashinga (3380 m), and then the trail drops down steep stone steps to Phunki Thenga (3250 m) and onward to a bridge.
• From the bridge, the trail climbs past some water-powered prayer wheels and begins a sustained ascent through a forest of tall, mature rhododendrons. We might see musk deer and Himalayan tahr among the trees before following the path to a Kani and a pair of chortens marking the start of Tengboche village, scattered across a wide grassy saddle below a crescent-shaped ridge covered with scrub pines and rhododendrons. The focal point of Tengboche is the famous Tengboche Monastery.

Overnight in Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• From Tengboche, we follow the trail through a forest of conifers and rhododendrons, keeping an eye out for monal pheasants and musk deer, until we reach the village of Debuche. Here we visit Debuche Gompa, which has expressive old thangkas and murals painted on wooden panels. Debuche also has a small Buddhist nunnery on the east hillside. The trail continues through dense forest to Milinggo and then drops steeply to a suspension bridge over the Imja Khola.
• After crossing the bridge, we climb the opposite hillside past a white stupa with Buddhist eyes. A short distance farther, we see another stupa crowning an exposed bluff, mirroring the soaring tower of Ama Dablam at the end of the valley. East of the stupa is a footprint of Khumbu's patron saint, Lama Sange Dorje.
• We soon reach Pangboche village, home to the oldest monastery in Khumbu, Pangboche Gompa, founded by Lama Sange Dorje. Following the Imja Khola, the trail climbs toward the village of Shomare. Beyond the treeline, we walk across a rolling arid stretch of alpine terrain with patches of scrub, isolated pastures and fields, and grazing yaks.
• Crossing yak pastures and herdsmen's stone huts at Orsho and Tsuro Wog, we turn right where the trail descends near the confluence of the Imja Khola and Khumbu Khola. Finally, climbing a low ridge, we reach the sprawling settlement of Dingboche, a cold and windy place with sub-zero night temperatures even in summer.

Overnight in Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• On the trail to Lobuche, we find ourselves truly in the lap of the Himalayas, with awesome mountains on all sides.
• Passing by a place called Dusa, where we see some uninhabited herdsmen's stone huts, we reach Dughla and then Chupki Lhara, where large heaps of stones with prayer flags commemorate mountaineers who perished while attempting to climb Mt. Everest. At the top of the valley is Chola Lake, where we catch a glimpse of blue waters from the high trail.
• From Chupki Lhara, the trail drops to the Khumbu Glacier moraine, after which we see three great peaks - Khumbutse, Lingtren, and Pumori - straight ahead. Walking the final steps along a murmuring stream, we reach Lobuche.

Overnight in Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• This will be a long and hard day for us. Walking across somewhat grassy terrain and scattered boulders, we see the snowy wall of lofty mountains ahead throughout the route. A 60 m/200 ft ascent takes us to the top of the lateral moraine wall of the Changri Glacier, to a level spot called Thangma Riju, from where there is a spectacular 360-degree panorama of the surrounding mountains - Taboche and the Lobuche peaks, Pumori, and the rest of the Mahalangur Himal peaks, with Changtse in Tibet now more visible and Nuptse filling the eastern horizon. The trail then crosses the moraine of the Changri Glacier, which joins the Khumbu Glacier from the west, and after a steep climb up a stony slope, we reach Gorak Shep, where we catch our first glimpse of Kala Patthar.
• From Gorak Shep, we continue toward Everest Base Camp to be amidst the mountains rather than viewing them from afar, as EBC is not a viewpoint. Walking by the shallow blue waters of Gorak Shep Lake, the Changtse peak in Tibet and the Lho La depression can be seen straight ahead.
• Crossing several glaciers, icefalls, frozen pools of meltwater, exposed icy walls, and large boulders, we finally reach Everest Base Camp, where trekking ends and mountaineering begins. We then descend back to Gorak Shep for the night.

Overnight in Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Finally, this is our date with Everest, the climax of the trek. We start after an early breakfast without a hurry.
• Crossing the wide sandy bed of the dried-up lake and steep zigzags, we ascend about 100 m to enjoy great views of Lingtren, Khumbutse, and Changtse.
• As the climb begins again, we are rewarded with grand views of the Khumbu Glacier and the Nuptse massif. At last, we reach the rocky viewpoint of Kala Patthar. It is a slow, tough climb, but every meter gained reveals a little more of Everest, until we find ourselves sitting on the Kala Patthar rocks in the middle of an unbelievable Himalayan panorama.
• We then return downhill, which takes much less time. Retracing our route, we pass through Gorak Shep and Lobuche, and from Dughla, instead of heading toward Dingboche, we descend to Pheriche, making our way along the Khumbu Khola for the night stay.

Overnight in Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• From Pheriche, the trail descends to Tsuro Wog after crossing the bridge over the Khumbu Khola, with great mountain views along the way.
• From Tsuro Wog, we continue descending, retracing the route we came up through Orsho, Shomare, and upper Pangboche, and finally reach the beautiful place of Tengboche. Tengboche Monastery is Khumbu's largest gompa.
• From Tengboche, we continue toward Phunki Tenga and then descend to Sanasa and Kyangjuma before finally reaching Namche Bazaar.

Overnight in Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Our final day's trekking follows the Dudh Kosi down to Lukla, retracing the way we came up.

Overnight in Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Fly back from Lukla to Kathmandu and transfer to the hotel. This is a leisure day that can be used for buying gifts and souvenirs for your friends and family. In the evening, you will be invited to join the farewell gathering to review great photos and share experiences from the trip.

Overnight in Hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

• Today you have leisure time until your departure flight. Our representative will drop you at the airport for your flight back home.

Meals: Breakfast

If you prefer to stay longer, you can consult us for short tours such as game drives at national parks, rafting, mountain biking, or tours to Tibet, India, or Bhutan.