Arun Valley Everest Base Camp Trek

Reception at the Kathmandu by the representative of Nepal Trekking Routes on the arrival day. Then, transfer to the hotel booked for your lodgings. After becoming fresh, you can visit the nearby areas from the hotel.

After breakfast, the tour guide takes you around the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley. Patan Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Stupa (the Monkey Temple), Pashupatinath Temple and Bouddhanath Stupa will be visited. In case of mutual understanding, you may also visit other sites: Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, Bhaktpaur Durbar Square and Changunarayan Temple as well. In the evening, the trekking guide gives you briefing about Everest Base Camp trek itinerary.

To trek through the Arun Valley, you take a morning flight to Tumlingtar above cities, valleys, terraced farmlands, and the Himalayas. From Tumlingtar, you move along the trails shared by locals and mules carrying cardamom and other supplies. The beautiful views of Chamalang on your left and Mt. Makalu on the far right inspire you to cover the distance easily.

Traversing for about an hour, you cross a suspension bridge over the Arun River. Then, crossing terraced fields, cattle, and huts, you walk past Chewa Besi and reach Kartike Ghat, which is popular for honey and bees.

Start your journey in the lovely morning after breakfast. In about half hour, you reach Balwa Besi nearby a small river. Now, the trail ascends through a lush forest of cardamom, banana, and papaya. Then, you reach a chautara (place built for travelers’ rest). From this chautara, you see the beautiful Arun Valley and the Arun River.

Moving across Maduwa and Nepali Danda villages, you reach a junction leading to Dingla. Walking past banana trees, you ascend towards the Irkhuwa Khola. Then, following the riverbank, you have to cross two suspension bridges. Finally, you reach at Gothe Bazar. This small hill town is inhabited by Gurung and Rai people.

Have your breakfast and start today’s trekking. On the way, you walk past several picturesque villages such as Lankuwa and Dobani. While moving ahead, you see some local fishermen fishing with their traditional nets. Then, cross a bamboo bridge and ascend along the lush forests to reach Tallo (Lower) Phedi. After taking a short break here, you climb through a small tropical forest and end at Salpa Phedi.

Your trekking starts after breakfast and lovely morning views of the surrounding. Follow the stone steps to reach Upper Salpa Phedi. Climbing for a few hours, you reach Jau Bari Village, popular for barley plantation. Visit a local Sherpa Monastery to take a short pause.

Then walking past terraced farmlands and rhododendron forests, you reach Salpa Pokhari/Lake (3,443m). Moving a little further, you stop at Guranse, a village with several teahouses run by the Sherpa people.

After breakfast, you start ascending towards Salpa Bhanjyag/Pass (3,360m), which divides Solu Khumbu and Bhojpur districts. From the pass, you witness the lovely morning view of Kyarlung Peak welcoming you with a sweet smile.

Then, descend through forests, the Lidung Khola, and several mani walls. Continue the walk along the north bank of the Lidung Khola for an hour to reach Sanam. It is a beautiful Sherpa village with traditional houses amidst the terraced fields.

After breakfast, you contour along the trail that leads to Duire, a small village with few teahouses. Then, you reach Nimsta Gompa from where the Rai culture and tradition overlaps the Sherpa’s. Walking past terraced fields and few huts, you reach Guidel/Gudel Village. From the village, enjoy the magnificent views of Bung Village, Naulekh Mountain and Mera Peak at far end.

Today’s journey begins after you have breakfast. Walk past paddy fields and cardamom plantation areas, then a long bridge to reach Bung Village. “Bung” is a Rai dialect meaning “beautiful flower.” This village is popular for Tongba and Sukuti (millet beer and dried meat). Taste it if you don’t mind!

Now, crossing the Hungu Khola, you enter into Makalu Barun National Park. Traversing along the grassy plateaus, you reach Kiraule-Chamling Gompa, a monastery of Chamling Rai community to spend tonight.

Have breakfast and get ready for a challenge. Walking for about 3 hours along the mountain forests from Kiraule Gompa, you reach Surke La Pass (3,100m). En route, you will see several chortens and mani walls having Tibetan Buddhist images. Enjoy the beautiful view of the surrounding from the pass decorated by colorful prayer flags. Then, descend towards Gai Kharka (meadows for cow grazing) to stop overnight.

After breakfast, descend through the steep trail to reach the Inkhu Khola. Cross the fragile wooden bridge over the stream and continue walking across a small village. Moving higher, you will enjoy the eye-catching views of the Inkhu River Valley and Mera Peak (6,654m/21,831ft), the highest trekking peak in Nepal. Following the windy path in the wilderness, you end at Pangom/Pangong Village.

After having breakfast, you head towards the main Khumbu Region by leaving several chortens and mani walls behind. Enjoying the distant view of Buspa and Kharikhola villages, you climb Khari La Pass (3,075m). Have a mesmerizing view Kusum Kanguru Peak (6,367m/20,889ft) from the pass to take a short break. Then, descend towards the main Jiri to Everest Base Camp Trekking trail and reach Puiyan Village. Overnight at a local teahouse.

In the morning, you begin moving towards Sebuk Danda to reach Surke Village. Walking for about 2 hours, you reach Lukla Village. Moving along the Tarkhe Khola, you see the magnificent view of Kusum Kanguru. From here, continue for about 4 hours to reach Phakding Village situated on the bank of the Dudh Koshi River.

Today, you move further by following the trail that goes northwards up to the Benkar Valley. When you cross the Dudh Koshi River, the trail moves past Chumoa and Monjo Village. You get your Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit at Monjo as it is the entrance to the highest placed national park in the world. Then, you go across the Hillary Suspension Bridge and Jorsalle Village walking along the Dudh Koshi and the Bhote Koshi River. Afterwards, walking through the steep trail going through Sagarmatha National Park, you reach Namche Bazaar. Namche Bazaar is the largest trading center of the whole Khumbu region, so it is known as the Sherpa Capital as well. The town offers you all the modern amenities like banks, ATMs, hotels, bakeries, restaurants etc.

To be introduced with the climate of the high Himalayan altitude, you have a few things to do here at Namche Bazaar. You can visit the Sherpa Museum to know all about the Sherpa lifestyle, customs and costumes. Similarly, the Hall of Fame shows you the photos of Hillary and Tenzing from the 1953 Everest Expedition.
Next, you can also hike to Everest View Hotel, which is the world’s highest altitude hotels. From the hotel, you can see Mt. Everest and other peaks exposed in the fullest. Alternatively, you can visit Sagarmatha National Park to have the stunning view of Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kongde and many more. Moreover, you can also go to Khumjung Village to observe the Hillary School and the Yeti Scalp.

Measuring the rugged trail, you move towards Tengboche enjoying the gurgling water of the Dudh Koshi River and astounding mountain scenery. Walking through the winding track for about 5 hours taking enough rest, you reach the destination. Tengboche Village houses the largest monastery of the Solukhumbu region. You can visit this monastery and talk to the monks living there to get insight about Buddhist culture and tradition. When you plan Everest Base Camp trek in October, you can observe Mani Rimdu Festival, the greatest festival of the Sherpa people at this monastery premises.

The trail from Tengboche to Dingboche moves across yet another suspension bridge over the Imja Khola. By crossing the trail surrounded and beautified by numerous mani stones, you reach Pangboche. Here, you can visit Pangboche Monastery, which is the oldest in the Khumbu region of its type. Moving ahead along the steep trail, you reach Dingboche, a traditional Sherpa Village of Everest region. Apart from Sherpa culture and tradition, you can relish the awe-inspiring outlook of Mt. Lhotse, Island Peak and Mt. Ama Dablam.

This is another acclimatization day during trekking to Everest Base Camp. In the morning, you can hike to Nagarjun Hill (Nangkartshang Peak: 5,073m) if the weather is favourable. Although the trail to the peak is quite challenging, the view is really rewarding. You can have the top- to- bottom- glimpse of Mt. Ama Dablam (6,812m) from the top. In the daytime, you can stroll around the village, which is famous for a long stonewalls made in the course of collecting them during cultivating the field. You can talk to the friendly Sherpa people of this Himalayan town to know more about interesting anecdotes of their history.

In the beginning, the trail goes across the moraine of the Khumbu Glacier, the world’s largest and highest glacier. Then, it takes you along the stone memorials of the mountaineers who lost their lives in the course of Everest region travel. Finally, you reach Lobuche Village situated at the foot of Lobuche Peak, which is a trekking peak of Nepal. To avoid altitude sickness, you need to make the travel with the slow pace. Next, you should take enough rest, drinking water and hygienic food.

This is the greatest day of the entire Everest Base Camp trek as you are reaching the most awaited place in your whole life. Comparing to the previous days, today is quite hard trekking as you have to go across the Khumbu Glacier. But the rewarding view of the snowcapped peaks all around, you can measure the trail up to Gorakshep. In fact, until the 1953 Everest Expedition, it used to be the original base camp. It is the last human settlement area of the Khumbu region closest to the base camp of Mt. Everest. By leaving the backpack at the hotel in Gorakshep, you move towards the base camp. The trail goes past the Gorakshep Lake, once one of the largest glacial lakes in the region. Trekking for about a couple of hours, you reach the height of 5,364m, which is the closest place to from the Everest Summit. In the peak seasons, you come to meet many Everest expedition teams preparing for climbing Mt. Everest. From the base camp, you have the spectacular vistas of Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Cho Oyu, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Pumori, Mt. Ama Dablam and many more except Mt. Everest. The appearance of the Khumbu Glacier and the Khumbu Icefall are spellbinding from this height. After enjoying the lively peaks gazing at one another, you climb down to Gorakshep for the night rest.

After enjoying Kalapatthar Trek, you trek down to Gorakshep and then, towards Lobuche Village. Having lunch at the village, you end up at Dzongla Village. The Lobuche-Dzongla trail is less followed by the Everest Trekkers unless they have to do Everest Cho La Pass Trek. Leaving the classic Everest Base Camp Trek route, you follow the other route. Walking for about 2 hours through the uphill trail, you reach Dzongla.

Today is a rewarding day as you are about to cross Cho La Pass (5,420m) to reach Thangnak Village. Begin the trek early in the morning because the strong wind after midday might be obstacle to cross one of the three high passes of the Everest Region. Especially, in the winter and the monsoon, the weather can change all of a sudden that you might not be able to cross the pass easily.

When you reach the pass, enjoy the breath-taking views of the entire Everest Region plus Maklu and Kanchenjunga Regions. From here, you descend towards Thangnak to stay overnight at a teahouse.

Have your breakfast and continue the rugged trail towards the Ngozumpa Glacier. Then, within a couple of hours, you reach the Gokyo Lakes Valley which is not less beautiful than Heaven if any. One by one, you walk past the Three Gokyo Lakes and end up at Gokyo Village. Enjoy the food and hospitality of the Sherpa villagers. In the leisure, walk around the village and interact with the villagers to get firsthand knowledge about their culture, tradition, and lifestyle.

Today, you will experience a quick climb to Gokyo Ri at about 5350meters and explore the entire Gokyo lake region to get stunning views of Mount Cho Oyu, Mount Lhotse, Mount Gyachung Kang, Mount Makalu, Mount Tawache and Mount Cholatse and other mountain peaks.

You begin the retreat journey after having breakfast. You follow the trail that was used a couple of days earlier. You will enjoy the same scenery of the Himalayas, green forests and Sherpa villages. Walking past Machhermo Village, you arrive at Dole for the night station.

Walking along the trail that runs through the dense forests of pine, oak and rhododendron, you begin the journey. You will also have the glimpses of the Himalayan birds and animals as well. As the downhill trail is slippery, you need to walk carefully to avoid any accident. When you arrive at Namche Bazaar, you can take a short walk around this wonderful Himalayan town.

Walking across the dense forests of Sagarmatha National Park and the Dudh Koshi Valley, you continue the trip. You will walk past some suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi River as well. Walking leisurely for about 7 hours across a few Sherpa ethnic villages, you get to Lukla at the end of the day. As this is the last trekking day, try to make it more memorable by enjoying the Himalayas, nature and culture.

After breakfast, you fly back to Kathmandu from the Everest region. It takes around 30 minutes to arrive in Kathmandu. Then, the representative of our agency relocates you to the hotel. When you are fresh, you can go outing to visit around Thamel. Similarly, you can also purchase some relics, garments and handcrafted items. I hope, your people back in the home country love them as well. In the evening, we cordially invite you to farewell dinner at a cultural restaurant around Thamel. You will really enjoy the typical cuisines and cultural shows while having your lot.

This is your free day in Kathmandu after your adventure trek in Nepal

Our team will drop you to the Tribhuvan International Airport at Kathmandu for your final departure from Nepal.