Here is a comprehensive travel-plan featuring day-to-day activity and major highlights of Everest Base Camp trek package.
Total duration of the package = 24 Days
Day 01: Arrival at Kathmandu
As soon as the jet you are flying on lands at the airport of Kathmandu, you will be approached by tour staffs and escorted to your hotel. Later, you may want to enjoy the night-life around the tourist-center Thamel or take an early rest to relax your travel exhaustion.
Day 02: Detailed Itinerary Sightseeing in Kathmandu
After breakfast, your guide will take you to the premises of Syawambhunath- the monkey temple and afterwards, to the national museum of Nepal. Then, you will be guided to the UNESCO heritage of Kathmandu- renowned Durbar Squares. Durbar Square is actually a common name of the heritages in all 3 districts of Kathmandu valley where Malla kings (medieval rulers) dwelled and carried out all their royal duties from. Here, you can observe ancient temples with inimitable structures and architecture. There is also a 500 year old temple built of a single tree trunk – the kasthamandav, after which Kathmandu got its name. The places worth visiting here are Kumari (living goddess) temple, 9-storey palace, Taleju Bhawani temple, Hanuman Dhoka palace, the fierce statue of Kal Bhairabh and several other temples and statues.
From here, you will drive to Baudhanath which is the holiest shrine for the buddhists of Nepal, especially the Tibeto-Buddhists. There are numerous monasteries, shops of handicrafts, bookshops (chiefly comprising books on Buddhism and Nepal) and clean cafes in the area. After spending some time here, you will be guided to the next Durbar Square – Bhaktapur Darbar square. The place is also similar in architecture to that of Kathmandu Dhoka Durbar Square you visited the earlier day, but has its own artistic significance if closely observed. Your guide will provide detailed information before taking you to last sight-seeing spot- Patan Durbar Square. Apart from the temples and museum around Patan Durbar square, you will also visit a 14th century Buddhist monastery which is the center of rituals of Newar Buddhists of that area. Their ritual is quite different than that of Tibetan Buddhists. Subsequently, you will drive back to your hotel or may instead shop around markets. Since next day you will be heading for your trek, an early bed would be preferable to the late night stay.
Day 03: Kathmandu – Shivalaya/Jiri (6250 ft)
Estimated time: 8 hours
An 8 hour ride through a snaky highway will fetch you to Jiri, the land of Jirel ethnics. The Swiss people often compare Jiri to Zurich not only due to similarity in the name but also topography. The Swiss government is credited with the infrastructural development of Jiri who also established a cheese factory here. Alternately, you may choose to go directly to Shivalaya instead of Jiri, which is further 1.5 hour ride (3.5 hrs trek) from Jiri. However, this is a temporary route closed during the monsoon. Jiri abounds with luxurious hotels and Shivalaya also has plenty of lodges, though not as sophisticated as that of Jiri.
Day 04: Jiri/Shivalaya – Bhandar(7200 ft)
Estimated time: 8 /4.5 hours
Estimated height gain: ~750 ft.
If you overnight at Jiri, then you should start your journeyat the breaks of dawn no later than 8 AM. If fortunate enough, you will get the first glimpse of peak in first day of your trek. You will pass a beautiful rhododendron forest and a couple of swinging bridges before arriving at Shivalaya (Sanskrit: the home of Lord shiva). From Shivalaya, a steep slope ascends to the summit of Deurali. After the first half of a perspiring and at times frustrating climb, you start descending down towards the village of Bhandar. In case you
Day 05: Bhandar – Sete(8450)
Estimated Time: 6 hours
Estimated height gain: ~1250 ft.
You will leave the dotted village of Bhandar towards Kenja, a popular stop for the trekkers. As you start climbing the precipitous path towards Sete, a beautiful view of mountain range shows up. In about 3 hours from Kenja, you arrive at Sete which sits a small Gompa above it.
Day 06: Sete-Junbesi (8775)
Estimated time: 6 hours
Estimated height gain: ~325 ft.
After breakfast, you continue through the grove of oak and rhododendron towards Goyun, a small village with several tea-shops. The mani wall and yaks that you encounter on the way to Lamjura-La will remind you that you are entering a Tibetan (Sherpa) province. From the pass, you keep on going downhill through the forest of fir and rhododendron, till you arrive at Junbesi for overnight.
Day 07: Junbesi – Nunthala(7210 ft)
Estimated time: 6 hours
Estimated height loss: ~1565 ft.
After a few walk, you will be at the foremost Everest view point of your trek. If the weather is clear, you can see a range of peaks adjoining the Everest. You will cross the Ringmo river to reach Ringmo, famous for apple juice. The trail now widens and passes through a juniper forest to Thragsindo-La pass abound with stupas and mani walls. There is a large monastery- Tragsindho Gompa which follows Gelugpa tradition. You will descend down towards the Sherpa village of Nunthale or ManiDingma for the night stay.
Day 08: Nunthala- Bupsa(7710 ft)
Estimated time: 5 hours
Estimated height gain: ~500 ft.
After crossing a bridge over Dudh Koshi and passing terraces to forest, you arrive at Pharak which boasts with an impressive agriculture of vegetables and fruits. You will move towards Jubing which is occupied by the Rai ethnics. This is the only total Rai settlement throughout your trek. After about an hour, you will arrive at Khari Khola which is inhabited by Sherpas along with Rai and Magars. There are plenty of options of accommodation as it is a bigger village. But instead, you will climb for 1.5 hours to a village of Bupsa, perched up on a hill.
Day 09: Bupsa – Lukla (9350 ft)
Estimated time: 7 hours
Estimated height gain ~1660 ft.
Passing a series of Mani walls, prayer flags and stupas and treading through crests and troughs of hills en route, you will finally arrive at Lukla. Your somewhat lonely trek ends here as you will meet a plethora of fellow tourists flying here from Kathmandu and join them towards the common journey- Everest base camp.
Day 10: Lukla –Phakding(8560 ft.)
Estimated time: 3 hours
Estimated height loss: ~ 790 ft.
Lukla, whose meaning in Tibetan is “the place of sheep”, has now converted into a place of luxurious hotels. Nevertheless, the splendid sceneries of the mountains are intact. From here, you will follow the trail to Choplung and ascend to Phakding for the overnight stay.
Day 11: Phakding – Namche Bazaar (11217 ft.)
Estimated time: 4.5 hours
Estimated height gain: ~ 2657 ft.
After crossing a bridge over Dudh Koshi River, you will pass through the forest chiefly of rhododendron and pine towards Benkar village. The place has good vegetation. From Benkar, you step into the zone of Sagarmatha (Everest) national Park. After crossing a suspension bridge, you reach Jorasle which is the last village before Namche Bazaar abounds with inns and tea-shops. From here, you will take a vertical path and after 2-3 hours of a strenuous climb, you will relieve your exhaustion after entering the vista of Namche Bazaar- the tourist center of Khumbu region.
Day 12: Acclimatization at Namche Bazaar (11300 ft.)
Resting another day for acclimatization at Namche is mandatory. However, the marketplace at a height of more than 11000 m under clear blue sky with snow-capped peaks peeking from the boundary of the sky and hills will convince you that this is more than acclimatization. Being the major commercial center, you will find almost every facility ranging from Internet cafes to pool house. The impressive thing about Namche Bazaar is that it is one of the few places in Nepal where you can enjoy a bazaar atmosphere and a pollution-free environment hand on hand.
Day 13: Namche Bazaar – Tengboche (12694 ft.)
Estimated time: 5 hours
Estimated height gain: ~1393 ft.
You will follow the trail enclosed with pine and rhododendron towards a small village of Pungo Tenga which teems with several Buddhist prayer elements – the water driven Manis. Leaving prayer wheels, you will ascend towards Tengboche. If you are lucky enough to arrive here during November-December, you will get a chance to observe the Sherpa festival Mani-Rimdu that celebrates the subdual of Bon by Buddhism. However, you may pay a visit to the rebuilt monastery and a Sherpa cultural center initiated by the abbot of the monastery.
Day 14: Tengboche to Pheriche (13907 ft.)
Estimated time: 4.5 hours
Estimated height gain: ~1213 ft.
Accompanying an impressive view of Ama Dablam, you head towards Pangboche through the forest of rhododendron followed by juniper. The trail now splits and following the higher fork, you will reach an 18th century Gompa when Buddhism was introduced to Khumbu. The monastery contains the “supposed “relics of Yeti- the notoroius Sasquatch of the Himalaya which can be observed after paying few. Though you may not buy the idea of Yeti, the money you donated will be invested in the maintenance of the gompa. After crossing a bridge over Khumbu khola, you will reach the destination of the day- Pheriche.
Day 15: Acclimatization at Pheriche
Another obligation – you may feel. But this is mandatory unless you want to share the fate of the imprudent trekkers who force themselves up and later have to be carried down to save their lives. But this time also, your stay for adaptation has something to offer. You can exploit an excursion to one of the nearby villages at a height more than 15000ft. Besides the spectacular views of mountains, your lungs will get used to the high-altitude atmosphere, essential for the rest of the trek.
Day 16: Phreiche – Dughla (15154 ft)
Estimated time: 2 hours
Estimated height gain: ~1247 ft.
As you are ascending above 4000m in a steeping gradient, you will walk 2-3 hours and take a rest for the day. But rather than staying 2 days at Pheriche, as many trekkers do, you will ascend a thousand feet further to Dughla with a 2-hour trek. The views of Cholotse, Ama Dablam and Tabuche are magnificent from Dughla.
Day 17: Dughla to Lobuche (16175ft.)
Estimated time: 2 hours
Estimated height gain: ~1021 ft.
Following the moral of a story by Aesop about the race between hare and turtle, you steadily move towards the next destination. On the way, you will notice stone memorials erected in memory of 8 expeditors who succumbed to an avalanche in 1996. Details of this fateful incident can be read in the best-seller Into Thin Air, by John Krauker who was a member of that expedition. After crossing a melt-water stream , you will reach Lobuche which is comparatively a larger settlement than Dughla. The glimpses of Khumbu valley and Nuptse are just breathtaking.
Day 18: Lobuche to Gorak Shep (17000 ft.); Kala Patthar (18188 ft.) excursion
Estimated time: 3.5 hours + 4 hrs
Estimated height gain: ~825ft.
You will follow a steep route whose second half is as strenuous as the first half is effortless. As the vista of Khumbu glacier widens, you will enter the majestic territory of the Everest which is not possible to describe in few words or even with a picture. An extra effort is required as the trail is now completely on rocks but the snow-white peaks will keep on congratulating you for your hardship. After a few hours from Lobuche you will arrive at Gorak Shep where you have a full day either to go towards Kala Patthar or Everest Base Camp. You may encounter a Tibetan snow-rooster here. Since Kala Patthar can be accessed in a shorter time than the Base camp and provides better view than the latter, the excursion to Kala Patthar is advantageous. From Kala Patthar, you can see the immense figure of the majestic peak of the world.
Day 19: Everest Base Camp Excursion; Gorak Shep to Lobuche (16175 ft.)
Estimated time: 6 hrs + 2 hrs
Estimated height loss: ~825ft.
Everest Base Camp takes 6 hours to reach and return back from Gorak Shep, so you shall start early in the morning, no later than 8 Am. The base camp which is full of tents during the summer is a wide open space during other seasons. The Khumbu icefall is the main feature observable from the base camp as the view of Everest itself is more spectacular from Kala Patthar than from here. After you reverse your trek to Gorak Shep , you will descend back to Lobuche which takes about one and half hour.
Day 20: Lobuche to Pheriche (12464 ft.)
Estimated time: 3 hours
Estimated height loss: ~3711ft.
You will retrace your steps back to Pheriche from Lobuche. The descent of-course is less tiresome than ascent but you should take care that you don’t sprain your legs while walking down hastily. So, instead of hurrying down you will prepare your legs for descending while enjoying the panoramic vista.
Day 20 to 22: Pheriche to Namche Bajaar to Lukla (9180 ft)
Estimated time: 13 hours ( in two days)
Estimated height loss: ~3284 ft. (in two days)
In the next two days, you will traverse through the forests of rhododendron and pine, cross few bridges, pass Buddhist monuments in clockwise fashion and stay overnight in the tourist-center Namche Bazaar before reaching Lukla.
Day 23: Lukla to Kathmandu
Day 24: Departure or Prolongation of Stay (As your wish)
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