The Ultimate Everest Trek
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel in Kathmandu. Complimentary airport transfers are provided. KE Land Only package services begin with the evening meal.
Day 2: An early start for the dramatic flight through the mountains to Lukla. After lunch we have a short trek to our first night's halt at Phakding (2610m. / 8563ft.). Camp.
Day 3: Following the Dudh Kosi Valley upstream, we cross and re-cross the river before making a final steep climb to the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar (3440m. / 11,287ft.). Lodge
Day 4: Acclimatisation around Namche. Hiking options include a short, steep climb to the Museum of Sherpa Culture, or a longer day visiting the Sherpa town of Thame. Lodge.
Day 5: Trek via the Sherpa villages of Kumjung and Kunde to Kangjuma (3620m. / 11,877ft.). An easier option on a contour trail which avoids the climb to Kunde and Kumjung is available. Camp.
Day 6: Crossing the Mon La (c. 3900m. / 12,800ft.), we enter the Gokyo Valley which is the main drainage for the glaciers of Cho Oyu. We trek as far as Dole (4050m. / 13,288ft.). Camp.
Day 7: The trail climbs steadily up valley on forested hillside and through open pasture. There are several refreshment halts en route to our camp at Machermo (4465m. / 14,650ft.).
Day 8: Acclimatisation day at Machermo. It is possible to climb quite high on the nearby ridge for magnificent views of Everest and Makalu. Camp.
Day 9: Today we climb past the first and second of Gokyo's five lakes to reach our campsite on the shores of the third and biggest lake at an altitude of 4791m. / 15,719ft. Camp.
Day 10: An early start for the short ascent of Gokyo Ri (5360m. / 17,585ft.). We descend to a late breakfast before crossing the Ngozumba Glacier to Dragnag. (4700m / 15,420ft.). Camp.
Day 11: A big day crossing the Cho La pass (5420m. / 17,783ft.) and descending to the yak grazing area of Dzongla (4830m. / 15,847ft.). Camp.
Day 12: We descend to join the main Everest Basecamp track at Lobuche Village. From here we ascend the ablation valley of the Khumbu glacier to reach Gorak Shep (5140m). Camp.
Day 13: Today we reach Everest Basecamp, firstly on moraine, then on the Khumbu Glacier itself. We retrace our steps to Gorak Shep. Camp.
Day 14: Our camp is at the foot of Kala Patar and we make an early morning ascent of this classic Everest viewpoint (c.5500m. ./ 18,000ft.). Afterwards we descend to Pheriche (4270m. / 14,000ft.). Camp.
Day 15: Our return trek follows the main Everest Trail via Pangboche to Thyangboche where we visit the monastery. After lunch we descend to the Imja Khola before a final steep climb to Kangjuma. Camp.
Day 16: From Kangjuma we have an easy morning's walk to Namche where we have time for some souvenir buying and lunch before a steep descent and final short climb to Monjo. Camp.
Day 17: Mostly downhill today following the fall of the Dudh Kosi River, but there's a sting in the tail as we make the final short climb to Lukla. Lodge.
Day 18: Taking a morning flight to Kathmandu, we will have plenty of time after lunch for further sightseeing or shopping. Hotel.
Day 19: This is a spare day in case of delays with flights from Lukla. A guided sightseeing tour of the city's main attractions is provided, this will include some of the city's colourful Buddhist shrines and Hindu temples. Overnight at the group hotel.
Day 20: KE Land Only package services end after breakfast. Complimentary airport transfers are provided.
Altitude
This holiday involves going to very high altitude. During the course of your trip you will be spending at least one night above 4000 metres and/or trekking to 5000 metres or above. This is not something that you should worry about; the human body is quite capable of adapting to a very wide range of altitudes, but it is important that we follow some simple rules in order to acclimatise successfully. Before coming on this holiday you should read the advice on trekking at high altitude.
