- Day 01
Arrive in Kathmandu from international destination. Your guide will meet you at the airport and transport you to your hotel Rest. (No meals included. Hotel.)
- Day 02
Rest in Kathmandu. Visit Swayambu temple on foot if you like and do last minute shopping for any missing trekking items. (No meals included)
- Day 03
Take a 30-minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. The wait at the airport can be long if there is bad weather that delays the
flight, so bring a book to read and some snacks. If you get motion sick, take Dramamine 30 minutes before boarding your flight. Once you arrive in Lukla, you will have a short rest and begin your trek to Phakding. (B,L,D. Lodge)
- Day 04
Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazar. This is a difficult day and your first exposure to high elevation. Take 125mg of acetazolamide (Diamox) in the morning and again in the evening if desired to help you adjust to the elevation. You can see Everest for the first time through a break in the trees along the path. (B,L,D.Lodge)
- Day 05
Acclimatization day. You will do a day hike to Tenzing-Hillary View Point for Panoramas including Mt. Everest, Lhotse, AmaDablam, and the Rowaling Himal. This is a seldom-visited ridge worth the trip to Nepal in itself. Next, visit Khumjung
Village, home of Tenzing Norgay who was Hillary’s partner during the first ascent of Mt. Everest. Finally, stop by the Everest View Hotel for some delicious tea and views of Mt. Everest before heading back to your lodge in Namche. (B,L,D. Lodge)
- Day 06
Trek to Thame. Thame is home to a beautiful ancient monastery, and monks are frequently heard chanting in the morning and
evening. Enjoy stunning views of Mt. Thamserku. (B,L,D. Lodge)
- Day 07
Today you will do an acclimatize hike to Sundar peak which is more than 15,700 ft. high. The vantage point offers panoramas that include four of the highest peaks on earth: Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Makalu, and Everest. This hike will take between six and seven hours round-trip. Rest in the lodge afterward. (B,L,D. Lodge)
- Day 08
Trek from Thame to Lhunde Village. This is an area that sees less tourism than many other parts of Everest Region. Enjoy watching young monks walk to and from school and enjoy the idyllic mountain scenery. (B,L,D. Lodge)
- Day 09
Today will be a long and difficult day, but rewards include views north into Tibet, west into the remote Rowaling Region, and east to Mt. Everest, Makalu, and on a clear day even Katchenjunga. Today you will trek over the 17,500 ft. high Renja La
(pass). This pass does not require any special equipment, and there is a trail across, but caution must be taken to cross during good weather. On the other side you will reach the famed Gokyo Lakes. Their blue waters have long been a pilgrimage site for trekkers, and make for some of the most striking photography opportunities in the region. (B,L,D. Lodge)
- Day 10
Today you will wake early to hike to the top of Gokyo Ri, a rocky hill above the village. Although it is a “hill” by Himalayan standards, and there is a trail to the top, it is more than 17,500 ft. in elevation. By reaching the top near sunrise you will see the golden light of early morning strike the surrounding peaks, including Ngozumpa Kang, Gyungchang Kang, Cholatse, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Makalu, and Mt. Everest. After returning to the lodge for some rest and breakfast, you will set out again to walk up-valley to see the five lakes that are found in the Gokyo Valley. If you have time and energy, you can travel as far as the Nepali Cho Oyu basecamp. (B,L,D. Lodge)
- Day 11
You will begin your descent back to Lukla. Trek from Gokyo to Dole Village, passing down a different valley for new views
of granitic peaks such as the impressive Kyajo Ri. (B,L,D. Lodge)
- Day 12
Trek from Dole to Namche Bazar. Feast on baked goods, yak steak (if desired), and even see a movie at a local pub/theater. You will be well acclimatized by this time, and Namche will feel low in elevation. (B,L,D. Lodge)
- Day 13
Trek from Namche back to Lukla. Celebrate a successful trek, and prepare for your flight back to Kathmandu the following morning. (B,L,D. Lodge)
- Day 14
Flight back to Kathmandu.
