Mt. Everest Trek 21 Days

Sample Itinerary

Day 1
Meet at Tribuvan Airport in Kathmandu. Get situated at hotel. Lunch and orientation near hotel. Walking or rickshaw tour, explore downtown, Dur Bar Square, Freak Street, the King's palace.

Day 2
Bicycle or taxi to Boda Nath, the Buddhist stupa, and Pashupati Nath, the Hindu temple area. Visit other neighborhoods. Shopping and visit Buddhist monastery.

Day 3
Walk or rickshaw to Sywambu Nath, Buddhist stupas. Spend hours watching the monkeys. Lunch and orientation for trek in Thamel. Afternoon, last minute shopping for trek, snacks, equipment, clothes. Read journals about recent treks.

Day 4
Fly to Lukla at 9,405 feet on morning flight. A guide and porters will be hired for the trek. Hike to Phakding. Acclimatize with a short hike in the afternoon. Dinner at guest house.

Day 5
Hike to Namche Bazaar at 11,355 feet, stopping for lunch on the way. Play pool on world's highest pool table. (Someone carried it up there!) Relaxing evening in Namche.

Day 6
Acclimatization day. Witness famous morning Bazaar in Namche. Hike around neighboring mountains. Visit the National Park Headquarters and the Everest View Hotel. Absorb scenery and distant views of Everest. Shop at all the wonderful Tibetan shops.

Day 7
Hike early to Tengboche, five hours away, at 12,761 feet. Stop for lunch on the way. Visit Tengboche monastery in the evening for meditation service. Dinner at the guest house.

Day 8
Hike early to Pheriche, five hours away, at 14,098 feet. Stop for lunch in Pangboche. Rest in the evening at the guest house.

Day 9
Acclimatization day. Hike over ridge to Dingboche for lunch. Absorb Mountain views. Relax. Dinner at guest house. Visit mountain clinic for presentation on altitude sickness.

Day 10
Hike early to Lobuche, five hours away, at 16,262 feet. Stop in Thulkla for lunch. Visit memorials for climbers who have died on Everest. Rest in the evening and shop at the world's highest store.

Day 11
Wake up at 2-3 AM and hike with headlamps toward Everest. Arrive in Gorak Shep, three hours later, at 17,107 feet. Rest. Hike to 18,312 feet, three hours to the top of Kalapattar, a nearby mountain. Take great photos of Everest. Return to Lobuche (or continue to the Base Camp).

Day 12
Wake up at 2-3 AM again. Hike with headlamps toward Everest. Arrive in Gorak Shep.again. Rest. Hike to 17,678 feet to Mt. Everest Base Camp, four hours from Gorak Shep. Visit with Everest climbers and crews if at the camp. Hike back to Lobuche. (It is possible to combine days 11 and 12, depending on the weather and/or altitude problems.)

Day 13
Hike back to Pheriche or farther depending on speed.

Day 14
Hike to Tengboche. Visit Buddhist monastery.

Day 15
Hike to Namche Bazaar. Visit Everest View Hotel or other sites missed on the way up.

Day 16
Hike to Lukla. Stay the night in Lukla. Hope to get on a morning flight back to Kathmandu. May need to wait a day or two for clear weather.

Day 17
Extra day to account for bad weather, flight delays or altitude problems during the trek. This may also be used as an extra acclimatization day when at high altitudes.

Day 18
Return to Kathmandu from Lukla. Rest in the afternoon or go sightseeing depending on interests. Celebratory dinner at the famous Rum Doodle Restaurant.

Day 19
Taxi to Bhaktapur. Spend the day here or visit Patan. Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan were the three former kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley.

Day 20
Free day or other requested excursion. The trek may take as few as ten days which would allow for more activities in and around Kathmandu.

Day 21
Depart Kathmandu for the United States.