Everest Luxury Lodges Trek

Everest Luxury Lodges Trek

This is a wonderful short trek into the beautiful Khumbu (Everest) region. After time visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites and other key cultural and spiritual sites in Kathmandu, you'll take the short spectacular flight to the mountain airstrip of Lukla, from where your trek begins. Stay at comfortable luxury mountain lodges during your trek, with modern facilities and stylish interiors, all great places to relax at the end of the day and take in the spectacular surrounding views. The Khumbu is home to the Sherpa people, renowned for their trekking and climbing expertise and you'll be accompanied by an experienced Sherpa guide. Trek through traditional Sherpa villages and visit the vibrant Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar, always a great place to explore and relax in. The route takes you through scenic valleys and along beautiful mountain trails where you'll be surrounded by giant Himalayan peaks of the Everest region including Ama Dablam and Lhotse peaks and of course the highest mountain in the world, mighty Everest. A fantastic option if you prefer a shorter trek but still want specatcular views and if you'd like more comfortable lodges and luxury on trek.

Itinerary

• Day 01

  Arrive Kathmandu (1300m).

  Namaste! Welcome to Nepal. One of our local team will be waiting to welcome you at the airport, for the transfer drive to your hotel. The traffic can be busy but there's lots to see en route, providing a little bit of an insight into daily life in the capital. Arriving at your hotel, the rest of your day is free to rest and relax, enjoy the pool and other hotel facilities or perhaps explore locally. This evening, we invite you to a complimentary welcome dinner at one of the best traditional restaurants in Kathmandu. Rest and relax overnight at the five-star boutique Varnabas Museum Hotel.

• Day 02

  Kathmandu - full day guided tour.

  This morning it's time for your guided sightseeing of some of the key cultural and heritage sites in Kathmandu. After breakfast, you'll be met by your guide before heading to nearby Kathmandu Durbar Square, an impressive World Heritage Site and hugely important place in Nepalese history and culture. You'll be able to visit the ancient palace complex and the temple of the Living Goddess of Nepal, the Kumari. You'll also visit Hanuman Dhoka and Kasthamandap Temple. From here, we'll drive to Pashupatinath Temple, the holiest shrine for Hindus, situated on the banks of the holy Bagmati River and an important temple complex and cremation site. We'll also visit Boudhnath Stupa, an important Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimage site and the centre of Tibetan pilgrimage in Nepal. The huge stupa is one of the largest dome stupas in the world and is surrounded by many small monasteries, shops and cafes. This evening is at leisure to rest and relax. Overnight Kathmandu, at the 5-star boutique Varnabas Museum Hotel.

• Day 03

  Drive Kathmandu to Mulkot (1742m).

  This morning it’s time to leave Kathmandu for the scenic drive of around 4 to 5 hours with stops enroute, to reach Mulkot. This is a good place to rest overnight, before the short 1 hour drive to Ramechhap Manthali Airport tomorrow morning and your flight to Lukla. There are better accommodation options here than close to the airport and it’s an interesting scenic drive from Kathmandu. Late afternoon and evening are free to rest and relax and explore locally, ready for an early start tomorrow. Overnight Mulkot.

• Day 04

  Drive to Manthali, fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding (2610m)

  It’s an early start today, around 4 or 5am, for the short one hour transfer drive to Manthali and an early flight of around 20 minutes to the mountain airstrip of Lukla (2840m), the spectacular mountain airstrip from where treks and expeditions to the Everest region begin. The flight itself is awe-inspiring, as you fly parallel to the Himalayan giants bordering Nepal and Tibet.  

  On arrival to Lukla, there's some time to explore the village while your Sherpa crew sort and load the equipment. Lukla lies at an altitude of 2840m and means “Place of Sheep.” From Lukla, the trek is around 4 to 5 hours today. we descend northwest on a wide trail to the village of Choblung in the Dudh Koshi Valley. The valley is covered with beautiful pine and rhododendron forests. The walking is easy as we follow the river’s course, passing through the village of Ghat. Our destination for today is the small village of Phakding (2610m). Evening at leisure. Overnight at Phakding.

• Day 05

  Trek to Namche Bazaar (3400m).

  After crossing the suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi river, the walk is pleasant, with a few short ascents and descents, until we re-cross the river from the village of Benkar, taking in the magnificent views of Thermasarkhu peak (6608 m). We then cross the long suspension bridge over the Bhote Koshi river to reach Monjo village, situated below the spectacular peak of Thermasherkhu and a few minutes' walk from the entrance to Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park. At the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park, your trekking permit will be checked, as the National Park keeps a record of all trekkers in the area. From here, a short descent brings us to another suspension bridge over the Bhote Koshi river, after which we reach a bridge to Jorsalle village, the last village and the only place to shop until we reach Namche Bazaar, so a good place to get any additional snacks if needed. The walk from Jorsalle village is pleasant, following the river until coming to the last bridge over the Imjatse river. The walk to Namche Bazaar traces a winding, uphill path, with a magnificent view of Kwangde Peak and its other sister peaks towards the east and Kusum Kangru to our back. As we climb higher, we'll be able to see the Mount Everest- Nuptse wall, Lhotse, and Taweche Peak, all the way up to Thop Danda, where there is a stone wall for porters and trekkers to rest on. From here, another 1-2 hour trek takes us to famed Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar, where the colourful houses are situated in an amphitheatre style on the side of the mountain. From here you'll have the best views of Everest and the surrounding snow capped Himalayan peaks. Evening at leisure. Overnight at Namche, Yeti Home Mountain Lodge.

• Day 06

  Namche (3400m) - full day rest and acclimatisation day.

  This is a day to rest and acclimatise before we trek to higher altitudes tomorrow. Namche is the main trading hub and key meeting point for trekkers in the Everest region as well as the gateway to longer treks such as to Everest Base Camp and the Gokyo lakes and Everest Three Passes trek. Relax at the teahouse and take in the views of Everest and the surrounding peaks or explore the local area, or do both! Suggested activities include taking the short walk uphill to the Sagarmatha National Park Headquarters, a magnificent spot perched on top of Namche Bazaar, with breathtaking views of the surrounding snow-capped giants and the deep valleys below. There is also an interesting Sherpa museum telling of the history of the Sherpa people, the Himalayas, the geographic information of the area and local cultural practices, mountaineering history, and the flora and fauna of the region. There are plenty of small shops and cafes in Namche too and plenty to explore and enjoy. Overnight at Namche Bazaar, Yeti Home Mountain Lodge.

• Day 07

  Trek to Mende (3736m).

  It's a short trek this morning, along beautiful trails and should take around 3 to 4 hours in total so we'll take our time leaving Namche as we head towards Mende, at the higher altitude of 3736m. Overnight at Everest Summit Lodge at Mende.

• Day 08

  Trek to Tashinga (3450m).

  Today we'll trek to Tashinga, taking us around 4 to 5 hours. Tashinga is a small village in a very picturesque setting, surrounded by snow capped Himalaya peaks, dense forest and deep valleys. The trail takes us through more stunning scenery today before we reach Tashinga from where you can rest and relax and take in the beautiful tranquil surroundings and views this evening. Rest and relax overnight at Everest Summit Lodge at Tashinga.

• Day 09

  Trek to Monjo (2835m).

  Leaving Tashinga we follow the trail for around 5 to 6 hours trek today to reach Monjo (2835m) where we'll rest overnight at another beautiful mountain lodge. The trail twists and turns, ascends and descends at times, typical of Nepal and the Himalayas generally but it's a fairly easy day and we'll take our time, enjoying the spectacular views and scenery along the route. Overnight at Everest Summit Lodge, Monjo.

• Day 10

  Trek to Lukla (2860m).

  Today we'll head back to Lukla, from where we'll fly out tomorrow morning. It's around a 5 to 6 hour trek today, through more spectacular scenery and along established mountain trails. Reaching Lukla, rest and relax at your luxury mountain lodge or take time to explore the small town and local area. Overnight at Everest Summit Lodge, Lukla.

• Day 11

  Fly to Manthali and drive to Kathmandu.

  This morning it's time to leave Lukla and the Khumbu (Everest) region and return to Kathmandu. It's a short flight of around 20 minutes from Lukla to Manthali, with wonderful mountain views (weather permitting) en route. From Manthali it's a drive of around 5 to 6 hours, with some short breaks en route, to reach Kathmandu. In Kathmandu, the rest of your day and evening is at leisure to rest and relax, perhaps enjoy dinner at your hotel tonight, take a dip in the rooftop pool or explore locally. Overnight at the five-star boutique Varnabas Museum Hotel.

• Day 12

  Kathmandu - full day at leisure.

  Today is a full day at leisure to rest and relax, explore nearby Thamel or other local attractions such as Boudhanath stupa. If you're heading into Thamel, there are plenty of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants to enjoy as well as perhaps revisit the central historic Durbar Square area. Browse the shops and pick up some great gifts or souvenirs.  If you prefer a more active day, we've plenty of suggestions for that too from short day trips to zip lines and biking trips, cooking or craft lessons and more - just ask us or one of our local team for details.  Rest and relax overnight at the five-star boutique Varnabas Museum Hotel.

• Day 13

  Depart Kathmandu.

  This morning is at leisure until time to check out and head to the airport. If your flight departs later this evening please let us know if you need late check out from your hotel - subject to availability and additional charge. When time to leave for Tribhuvan International Airport, you'll be transferred around three hours before your departure flight.