Khumbu

Day 1 — Arrive Kathmandu

Your trip starts in the lively and bustling city of Kathmandu. You will be met at Kathmandu Airport by a friendly face from Active Adventures Himalayas who will accompany you to our hotel. If you arrive early, you can head out to explore the city’s labyrinth of back street courtyards, colourful market stalls and ancient temples on your own for your first taste of Nepal’s culture and friendly people. This afternoon, your guide will meet you at our hotel and run through what to expect from the days ahead. Tonight, we'll take you out for dinner at a local restaurant, for your first experience of Nepalese dining - a culinary crossroad between the influences of China, India and Europe which makes for some really delicious flavour combinations.
Hotel Thamel Eco Resort, Kathmandu (Dinner)
Elevation: Kathmandu - 1400 metres (4600 feet)

Day 2 — Visit Swayambhunath Temple

Today we’ll walk a short distance out of town to an ancient stone pilgrim stairway that leads to the Swayambhunath Temple. Keep an eye out for macaque monkeys as they often join us on the walk up the stairway – they’ve even been known to steal hats on occasion, so stay alert! According to local legend, Swayambhunath (meaning ‘self-arisen’), was said to have risen up from a lake that once covered the land where Kathmandu now stands. Up on the hilltop temple, the smell of incense and butter lamps will follow you as you gaze out over the sprawling city of Kathmandu below. Local devotees come here daily to make a ritual circumnavigation of the centre piece stupa (a dome-shaped Buddhist shrine) and spin the prayer wheels set into its base. Later, we’ll make our way back down into town and make preparations for our journey to Lukla and the Everest region tomorrow.
Hotel Thamel Eco Resort, Kathmandu (All meals)
Elevation: Kathmandu - 1400 metres (4600 feet)

Day 3 — Journey to Lukla

This morning we’ll take a short flight to the mountain settlement of Lukla. This small town high in the Himalayas is the gateway to the Everest region and an important base for mountaineering expeditions. Once we arrive we will meet our amazing porter team based in Lukla. This afternoon we may have a chance to visit the local school and monastery.
Everest Eco Resort, Lukla (All meals)
Hiking Distance: Up to 5 kilometres (3 miles), 2 hours
Elevation: Lukla - 2860 metres (9380 feet)

Day 4 — Hike from Lukla to Jorsalle

After a last gear check with our guides, we’ll lace up our boots and hit the trail, hiking down to the village of Phakding on the banks of the Dudh Kosi River. Our lunch lodge in Phakding has wonderful views out to the surrounding mountains and down to the river and the fertile valleys it supports. After lunch, we’ll set off through a narrow valley divided by the Dudh Kosi River, passing terraced crop fields, small villages and ever-present prayer wheels (always pass on the left and spin them clockwise). As we approach the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park, we’ll be greeted with sensational views of massive snow-capped Himalayan peaks with names you’ll soon become familiar with such as Thamserku and Kangtega.
Nirvana Lodge, Jorsalle (All meals)
Hiking Distance: 12 Kilometres (7.4 miles), 7 hours
Elevation: Jorsalle - 2750 metres (9,022 feet)

Day 5 — Hike from Jorsalle to Namche Bazaar

This morning we’ll begin our ascent to the village of Namche Bazaar, home to the world’s highest marketplace and incredible 360° views. If we’re lucky we’ll be treated to our first views of Mount Everest on this climb, it’s a decent slog to the top, but so worth it! We have the afternoon to relax and soak in our surroundings; Sagarmatha National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to a wide range of plants and animals. Himalayan tahr (a type of wild goat) and Himalayan monals (part of the pheasant family with the largest unbroken band of iridescence of any bird in the world) are known to frequent this area, so keep your eyes peeled and a camera handy if you’re a keen photographer.
Himalayan Cultural Home, Namche Bazaar (All meals)
Hiking Distance: 4.5 kilometres (2.8 miles), 4 hours
Elevation: Namche Bazaar - 3373 metres (11,066 feet)

Day 6 — Rest day/Acclimatisation day, Namche Bazaar (Sherpa capital), hike to view Mount Everest

With its remote alpine setting and outlook across to Kongde Ri at 6187 metres (20,298 feet) and surrounding peaks, Namche Bazaar is one of the most beautiful villages in the Himalayas – a great place for a relaxed, acclimatisation day. Namche Bazaar is a fairly small town so you can wander its narrow, cobbled streets to explore the monasteries and tea houses without worrying about getting lost. This place was historically an important stopping point for trading expeditions across the Nangpa La to Tibet and is still an important supply point for mountaineers and trekkers today, so the local market is definitely worth a look. Those that feel up for it will have an opportunity this afternoon to hike above Namche Bazaar for a great panorama. It’s a steep trail, but the views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam are jaw-dropping and make the effort thoroughly worth it! Look out for Himalayan tahr and the Danphe pheasant (Nepal’s national bird).
Himalayan Cultural Home, Namche Bazaar (All meals)
Hiking Distance: Up to 5 kilometres (3 miles), 2-4 hours
Elevation: Namche Bazaar- 3373 metres (11,066 feet)

Day 7 — Hike to Khumjung, visit Khunde village

This morning, we’ll set off early with fantastic views of Everest. As we traverse around the foothills we’ll have incredible views of Ama Dablam 6856 metres (22,493 feet) and Nuptse 7861 metres (25,791 feet). Mt Everest and Lhotse begin to loom ahead in the distance. Looking south, we’ll have a view of numerous other peaks such as Kangtega, Thamserku and the jagged ridgeline of Kongde Ri. The first school in the Khumbu region was built here by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary who, along with Tenzing Norgay, made the first successful ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. He makes us proud to be Kiwis! Along with other projects in the region, Hillary built the Khumbu region’s first school in 1961 as part of the Himalayan Trust he set up soon after climbing Mt Everest. The school now provides education for more than 350 children of all ages from surrounding villages. This afternoon you’ll have the option to explore Khunde village.
Hidden Valley Lodge, Khumjung (All meals)
Hiking Distance: Up to 8 kilometres (5 miles), 4-5 hours
Elevation: Khumjung - 3780 metres (12,400 feet)

Day 8 — Visit Khumjung Monastery, hike to Thame

Today, for those that are keen, we'll visit Khumjung Monastery before heading off the beaten track to the village of Thame, passing isolated Sherpa villages, the narrowest gorge of the Bhote Kosi river, and massive rock formations along the way – there’s amazing scenery everywhere you look! When we reach the head of the river valley we’ll begin a short, steep ascent to Thame village – the childhood home of Tenzing Norgay. This isolated settlement set among alpine meadows was once an important stopping point on the salt trade route between India, Nepal and Tibet, and is home to one of the oldest monasteries in the region. It looks like it’s been built straight out of the enormous rock wall that towers above it! We’ll have the afternoon and evening here largely to ourselves to take in the mountain views, the sound of the river below, and the chants coming from the town’s monastery.
Lodge, Thame (All meals)
Hiking Distance: 11 kilometres (6.8 miles), 6-7 hours
Elevation: Thame - 3750 metres (12,303 feet)

Day 9 — Explore Thame and the surroundings

Thame was one of the last year-round villages on the salt trading route that existed between Tibet, Nepal and India. It is the home to many famous Sherpa mountaineers, including Apa Sherpa, who holds the world record for summiting Everest 21 times. It was also a childhood home of Tenzing Norgay, who was (with Sir Edmund Hillary) one of the first men to climb Mt Everest. The monastery is one of the oldest and most spectacular in the region and an amazing place to catch a sunrise. This afternoon is a great chance to walk the 3 hour village loop while reading the information boards along the way.
Lodge, Thame (All meals)
Hiking Distance: Up to 6 kilometres (4 miles), 2-4 hours
Elevation: Thame - 3750 metres (12,303 feet)

Day 10 — Hike from Thame to Jorsalle

The clear mountain views here in Thame are at their best in the morning as the sun hits the peaks and valley where the village lies. En route we’ll descend through high alpine grassland divided by stone walls before making our way down through beautiful pine and rhododendron forests where we’re sure to hear the familiar sound of yak bells as they graze nearby. Keep an eye out for musk deer as we head through the forest as they’re often seen here too. After arriving back in Namche Bazaar we’ll take lunch before retracing our steps down the Everest Khumbu trail. The trail leads down towards the Dudh Kosi River and it’s fairly steep going for a little while. From here, the trail follows the river back to Jorsalle.
Nirvana Lodge, Jorsalle (All meals)
Hiking Distance: 13 kilometres (8 miles), 7 hours
Elevation: Jorsalle - 2750 metres (9022 feet)

Day 11 — Hike from Jorsalle to Lukla

This is our final full day on the mountain trails of the Khumbu region so it’s time to put our boots on one last time. We’ll stop for tea in Phakding village before making the climb back up to Lukla. We’ll share a final meal with our local team of porters and cooks to celebrate our incredible achievements and experiences on the trek, and to thank the team that helped make it all happen.
Everest Eco Lodge, Lukla (All meals)
Hiking Distance: 12 kilometres (7.4 miles), 7 hours
Elevation: Lukla - 2840 metres (9320 feet)

Day 12 — Return to Kathmandu

This morning we’ll take our last look at the Himalayas from Lukla before the short flight back to Kathmandu. For those who are keen this afternoon, we’ll walk to Durbar Square, the place where Nepal’s kings were crowned in past times. The square is in the centre of old town Kathmandu, and is the city’s greatest example of traditional architecture, so much so that it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. Dinner this evening will be yours to explore and experiment at one of the many great restaurants in town.
Hotel Thamel Eco Resort, Kathmandu (Breakfast, Lunch)
Elevation: Kathmandu - 1400 metres (4600 feet)

Day 13 — Free day in Kathmandu

Today you’re free to explore the winding streets, atmospheric temples and markets of Kathmandu. Every now and then, flights out of Lukla can be delayed due to the weather, so there’s a chance we may be flying back into Kathmandu today instead. Either way, you can take the time to soak up the sights and sounds of this energetic, colourful culture. Tonight we’ll meet at a local restaurant for our final dinner together to celebrate our achievements and adventures in the Himalayas.
Hotel Thamel Eco Resort, Kathmandu (Breakfast, Dinner)
Elevation: Kathmandu - 1400 metres (4600 feet)

Day 14 — Depart Kathmandu

Today is the final day of your Himalayas trekking trip with us amongst the highest mountains in the world. If you have extra time after your trip, we’re happy to make suggestions on how to make the most of it. On the other hand, if you’re on your way home today, we’ll send you back refreshed and invigorated from the great hiking and adventures you’ve had with us in Nepal! (Breakfast)