Everest Base Camp Trek

Our adventure begins in Kathmandu! As soon as you land, a driver will be waiting to take you to your hotel.

After a tasty breakfast, your guide from Mac Treks and Tours will give you a rundown of the exciting trek ahead. They'll also double-check all your gear to make sure you have everything you need. If anything's missing, no worries, you can rent or buy it in town. Fueled by breakfast and prepared for adventure, we'll head out on our first sightseeing stop: Pashupatinath Temple. This incredibly holy place is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is super important for Hindus. It's a bustling center of daily worship, and you might see devotees offering prayers or witnessing rituals within the temple grounds, including cremation ceremonies. Next, we'll journey to Boudhanath Stupa, a significant Buddhist shrine. Here, we can visit monasteries and observe the peaceful practice of monks in prayer.

We catch a thrilling early morning flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, a small mountain town nestled at 2,827 meters. Get ready for stunning views! As we soar through the sky, keep your eyes peeled for the majestic Himalayan giants that line the border between Nepal and China. Once we land in Lukla, we'll meet our porters who will help carry our gear on the trek. Before we hit the trail, there's some free time to explore the charming village of Lukla. Our trek kicks off with a gentle downhill walk towards the Dudh Koshi River. Here, we'll join the main trail that leads to Namche Bazaar. The path is easy to follow, and we'll reach our cozy lodge in Phakding after a relaxing 4-5 hour trek.

On our trek, we'll take it slow to allow our bodies to adjust to the higher altitude (acclimatization). Leaving Phakding, we'll cross the river and enter a beautiful forest of blue pines and rhododendrons. These flowers are especially stunning in spring when they're in bloom! The Dudh Koshi River crossing at Benkar offers fantastic views of Kusum Kangaru and Thamserku, snow-capped peaks that will leave you speechless. After Monjo, the climb gets a bit tougher as we ascend more steeply towards Namche Bazaar. Here, we'll get our permits checked at the National Park entrance before a steeper descent to Jorsale. The trail then follows the river upstream on flat ground until we reach the meeting point of the Bhote Koshi and Dudh Koshi rivers. We'll cross a high suspension bridge before tackling a steep climb to Namche Bazaar, our destination for the day (3,440 meters). Take it slow and steady on this climb – you'll be rewarded with incredible photo opportunities as iconic peaks like Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, and Taweche come into view. The high altitude might slow you down a bit, so listen to your body and pace yourself. Once we reach Namche, we'll settle into our lodge in the village. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore, shop for souvenirs, or simply soak in the breathtaking scenery. This trek is roughly 6-7 hours.

In Namche Bazaar, we'll take a rest day to let our bodies adjust to the new altitude of 3,450 meters. It's important to acclimatize properly! In the morning, if you're feeling energetic, you can join an optional hike up to the Everest View Hotel, located at 3,900 meters. We'll return to Namche Bazaar for lunch.

Leaving Namche Bazaar, the classic Everest trail winds along the valley side, high above the Dudh Koshi River. This route offers our first clear views of the Khumbu giants: Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam. We'll pass charming villages and plenty of tea shops, before crossing the Dudh Koshi River. Then, we'll tackle a steeper climb to Tengboche (3,867 meters), a village famous for its impressive monastery. Once we reach Tengboche, there'll be ample time to explore and relax in our cozy lodge. This trek is approximately 5-6 hours.

The next morning, we'll pay a visit to the Tengboche Monastery before setting off on our trek. Today's path winds down through a beautiful forest filled with birch, fir, juniper, and rhododendron trees. Remember, we'll be taking it slow again as we ascend due to the increasing altitude. So listen to your body and adjust your pace accordingly. After crossing the Imja River, the trail leads us to the village of Pangboche, nestled under the majestic Ama Dablam peak. This is where we'll stop for lunch. In the afternoon, our trek continues through open alpine meadows before we cross the Imja River again (along with some old glacial remnants) and finally reach our lodge in Dingboche, situated at 4,410 meters. This leg of the journey takes about 6-7 hours.

Instead of climbing higher right away, we'll spend a rest day in Dingboche to adjust to the altitude (acclimatise). This charming village is surrounded by small fields protected by stone walls. For some stunning views, you can hike up the hill behind our lodge. You'll even see Makalu, the world's fifth-highest mountain, which is hidden from the valley floor! Or, take a walk up the valley towards Chukkung. This valley offers incredible scenery: Lhotse to the north, Island Peak in the center, and dramatic ice walls on the southern end. Unfortunately, Everest isn't visible from Dingboche itself.

Get ready for a challenging but rewarding hike today! We'll climb up a small ridge behind Dingboche for breathtaking views of Taweche, Cholatse, Lobuje Peak, and the Cho La snowfields. We'll stop for lunch at Dughla, located near the massive Khumbu Glacier moraine (piles of rocks and debris left by the glacier). In the afternoon, we'll reach a ridge marked by cairns (piles of stones) built in memory of climbers. Here, you'll be treated to stunning views of Pumori, Lingtren, Khumbutse, and even Changtse (across the border in Tibet). While Everest is hidden behind Nuptse and Lhotse, the other giants will leave you speechless. Our final climb for the day is a gentle descent to our lodge in Lobuche (4,930 meters), arriving by early afternoon. This trek is about 4-5 hours.

After breakfast, we'll follow a wide valley alongside the Khumbu Glacier. The hike is gradual until we reach the Changri Nup Glacier moraine. From there, the trail gets rockier with some small ups and downs marked by cairns (stone piles). Finally, we'll reach Gorak Shep (5,200 meters) for lunch. In the afternoon, we'll tackle the climb to Kalapatthar (5,545 meters) for a breathtaking sunset view. It takes about 1.5 hours to reach the summit from Gorak Shep, but there are great views from lower viewpoints as well. You'll be surrounded by Pumori, Nuptse, Changtse, Ama Dablam, Taweche, Kantega, and of course, Everest! Since we'll be coming down in low light, don't forget to bring a headlamp for this hike. This leg of the journey is roughly 6-7 hours.

Today is optional! If you're feeling up for it, we'll take an early morning hike to Everest Base Camp (5,364 meters) which takes about 3 hours. During peak season (March-May), you might see yaks and porters carrying supplies for climbers. While Everest itself isn't visible from Base Camp, you'll get a close-up view of the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, the most challenging part of the climb. We'll return to Gorak Shep for lunch before heading back to Lobuche. This is a tough day, so listen to your body and rest at Gorak Shep if needed.

Our journey continues along the main Everest trail, offering scenic views as we descend the valley. We'll pass through the village of Pangboche before reaching Tengboche, a famous village with a magnificent monastery. This trek is approximately 7-8 hours.

On our way back, we'll pass through Namche Bazaar again. This bustling town is a great place to relax, grab a celebratory drink or pastry, and browse the shops for souvenirs after conquering Everest Base Camp! The trail involves a steep descent down Namche Hill, but the views are worth it. We'll cross a suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi River before reaching Monjo, our stop for the night (2,835 meters). This quieter village is also a nice break for our porters before their trek back to Lukla tomorrow. This leg is estimated to be 6-7 hours.

The trail now flattens out and we cross the river twice more before a rising traverse up the hillside, past numerous tea- houses to Lukla. 7-8 hours trek.

We'll catch an early morning flight back to Kathmandu, where you'll have a free day to relax and explore the city at your own pace.

It's time to say goodbye to Nepal! We'll provide a transfer to the airport for your departing flight.