Luxury Everest Trek

After breakfast, we drive to Swayambhunath. Located on a lovely little hill, Swayambhunath Stupa is one of the fascinating architectural jewels of the country. This Buddhist shrine is said to have been built around 250 b.c. The main feature of the Stupa, the white dome, is identified with the spotless, pure jewel of Nirvana and is crowned by a thirteen-tiered golden spire of conical shape. On the cube at the spire’s base is a pair of the Buddha’s all-seeing eyes, painted on all four sides. The Stupa stands on a typically stylized lotus mandala base, believed to have surfaced (self-originated) years ago from the lake that initially filled the Kathmandu Valley.

From the hilltop, one can enjoy a panorama of Kathmandu and the rest of the Valley. A long stairway reaches the Stupa up the wooded hillside and past statues of the Buddha. But watch out for the monkeys! At the top, you’ll see devotees making rounds of the Stupa, spinning the praying wheels as they go around and around.

Another significant thing to be seen here is a magnificent two-tiered golden temple of Harati, the grandmother deity of children and smallpox, believed to be an Ogress until later converted into Buddhist and to be a great caretaker of the children. The Dewa Dharma Monastery is next to the temple, noted for a bronze icon of Buddha and traditional Tibetan paintings, destroyed by the 2015 earthquake and reconstructed.

The huge gold-plated Vajra, set on the Dharma Dhatu mandala at the side of the Stupa, the priestly symbol of Vajrayana Buddhism, is worth a close look.

Then we head on to Patan, located at a distance of 7 kilometres, once an independent Buddhist city-state and a rival of Kathmandu, separated by the Bagmati River. Patan is also known as Lalitpur, literally the city of the Arts. The old centre has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Patan boasts a multitude of temples and wonders of art in and around its Durbar Square (Palace Square). First, we’ll visit the Royal Palace, which occupies one side of the square, where works of art in every piece of wood, stone, and metal are on exhibition in the open air. We also visit the temple of Krishna, the temple of Jagat Narayan, the Golden Temple and the Temple of Thousand Buddha, among other sites.

Around the end of the tour, you’ll also visit the Museum of Patan, located inside the medieval palace, which is a must for anyone interested in Asian Art, the history of Nepal, curatorial science, or religion. It is a world-class museum that displays the traditional sacred art of Nepal in an illustrious architectural setting. Its home is an old residential part of Patan Durbar, one of the royal palaces of the Malla kings of the Kathmandu Valley. The gilded door and window face one of the most beautiful squares in the country.

The museum also exhibits a long span of Nepal’s cultural history and some rare objects. For example, Buddhism and Hinduism are explained in detail in extensive labels within the living traditions and context.

In the evening, we visit Basantapur, Kathmandu Durbar Square, the old palace complex that exhibits a multitude of temples and palaces. The main attractions are the Gaddi Baithak Durba (a Palace constructed in the Rana style in 1908), Basantapur Durbar (the main building of the old royal palace), Kumari Chowk (the residence of the Living Goddess) and Kumari Bahal, where the family of Kumari resides.

Some two hundred years ago, a Western visitor wrote that there were more temples than houses and more idols than people in the city. Indeed, Kathmandu boasts one of the largest assemblages of magnificent historical monuments and shrines ever built. Duly recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Kathmandu Durbar Square lies in the city’s heart. Locally, it is also called Hanuman Dhoka Palace Square. The fascinating part of this Palace complex is the towering Nine Storey Palace, overlooking the beautiful cityscape and the vast Basantapur Square. In 1768 A.D., King Prithivi Narayan Shah built a mansion to commemorate his conquest of the Valley, known for intricately carved wooden doors, roof struts and massive lattice windows full of mythical figures.

Finalize the tour and exit through Ason Bazaar, an old city centre and market, where one can see and experience what the Nepalese use daily. Drive to the Hotel.

Overnight stay in Dwarka Hotel.

A 30-minute flight and a 3 hours trek.

Early in the morning, at 07:30 hour, we drive to Tribhuvan International Airport to board a Helicopter flight to Lukla. It is an exhilarating mountain flight of 45 minutes. During the helicopter journey, we can enjoy exceptional views of the Himalayas and most villages and valleys. Upon arrival at Lukla, we meet the porters and Sherpa staff. At Lukla, we stop for about an hour for refreshments and to reorganize kitbags for porters.

After a short tour of Lukla village, we set out on a trek of about 3 hours to Phakdingma, where we lodge for the night. A pleasant walk on the first day passes through several villages of Sherpa people with a view of Kongde Peak and Dudh Kosi River valley. Phakdingma is a lovely place for an overnight stop on the bank of the Dudh Kunda River.

Overnight at Yeti Mountain Home.

Today’s trek goes through the villages of Toktok and Jor Salle and on to Namche. The entire route is picturesque and full of nature. The surrounding hills are covered with dense forest, and beyond them are mountaintops capped with snow. After a lunch stop in Jor Salle, we continue to Namche Bazaar. Next, you ascend to a vantage point called Top Danda, near Namche Bazaar along the trail. If the weather permits, we can glimpse Mt. Everest, the Tengboche Valley, and its famed monastery. Half an hour further trek, we reach Namche Bazaar, the “capital of the Khumbu valley”.

Namche Bazaar, surrounded by beautiful mountains from all directions, is the commercial centre of the Khumbu region. If you arrive on Friday, you can view the weekly bazaar the next day, when local people converge from the surrounding area. In the Khumbu Valley, it is forbidden to kill any animals, threfore people from lower valleys come on Saturdays to sell meat and everyday supplies and the local people and hotel/lodge operator from around buy.

Overnight at Yeti Mountain Home.

Namche Bazaar, encased in a beautiful mountain landscape, is an excellent place to rest for a day to acclimate your body. Then, depending on your choice, your guide will take you to visit the monastery of Namche, the Sagarmatha National Park Museum and Sherpa House Museums or other attractions.

After or before lunch, we take a short hike to the Everest View Hotel, the only five-star hotel situated at the highest place in the World, at an elevation of 3,880 meters above sea level. The hotel has a spectacular view of Mount Everest, 8,848m., from every room. In addition, the hotel offers a panoramic view of Everest and many other high peaks, including the most imposing Ama Dablam (6,812m.), described by many as the most beautiful mountain they have ever seen.

Overnight at Yeti Mountain Home.

Today we enjoy one of the most beautiful days of the trek. After breakfast, we make a scenic Namche to Khumjung trek. The trail leads through the nose ridge above Namche to Syangboche, a short landing field for Pilatus porter planes. The higher we go, the more scenarios are open. The Dudh Kosi Valley, Kongde Himal, Khumbila, Tawoche, Everest, Ama Dablam, Kangthega, Thamserku and Kusumkangru are some great masses of mountains in the World surrounding us from all directions.

We further cross a beautiful ridge and enter Khunde, the upper section village of the Khumbu. We visit the village, its monastery and a hospital and walk to Khumjung. At Khumjung, we stop for a hearty lunch with beautiful views of Khumbila (the sacred mountain that towers over Khunde and Khumjung village), Ama Dablam and Kangthega.

In the evening, we take a short hike to the Everest View Hotel, the only five-star hotel situated at the highest place in the World, at an elevation of 3,880 meters above sea level. The hotel has a spectacular view of Mount Everest, 8,848m., from every room. In addition, the hotel offers a panoramic view of Everest and many other high peaks, including the most imposing Ama Dablam (6,812m.), described by many as the most beautiful mountain they have ever seen.

Overnight at Everest View Hotel.

After breakfast, two and a half hours of beautiful walk to Thamo. The trail is the main entry route to Tibet through Nangpa La, which passes nearby Mount Cho Oyu 8,012m, first summated in 1954. The Nangpa-la, one of the world-famous high passes, was the only trade route between the Sherpa and the Tibetan people. This trade route traces the important history of the Sherpa people, who had migrated from Tibet to Nepal via the Nangpa La. Many Tibetans and Sherpas crossed this pass for centuries to be a part of the open market in Tibet and Namche Bazaar and further down to Solu. Unfortunately, this trade facility between Nepal and Tibet has been closed since around 2010.

Stop for our lunch at Thamo, the village of late Ang Rita Sherpa, the World record holder of 10 times Everest Summits without bottled oxygen. A further two hours walk from Thamo reach Thame, the village of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, the first Everest Summiteer, and Apa Sherpa, who holds a record of summiting Mt. Everest 21 times. Thame is one of the ancient villages of the Sherpa people.

Overnight at Yeti Mountain Home.

After breakfast, we walk up to Thame Gonpa (Thame Monastery) and visit. Depending on weather conditions, we may continue hiking up to Sumdur Peak, 5,229m, situated at the head of Thame Gonpa. If we reach the top of this hill, we get to see the beauty of Teng Kangpoche, Kongde, Everest, Makalu, Pharcharmo, Cho Oyu, Thamserku, Kangthega and Kusum Kang Guru. The view also takes us over the Nangpa La and Tashi Laptsa Peaks.

Or, optionally, hike toward the Nangpa-La pass and visit the villages. The Nangpa-la, one of the world-famous high passes, was the only trade route between the Sherpa and the Tibetan people. This trade route traces the important history of the Sherpa people, who had migrated from Tibet to Nepal via the Nangpa La. Many Tibetans and Sherpas cross this High Pass for centuries to be part of the open market in Tibet and Namche Bazaar and further down to Solu. Unfortunately, this trade facility between Nepal and Tibet has been closed since around 2010.

Overnight stay at Yeti Mountain Home.

After breakfast, we trek for about 6 hours of beautiful trek. The trail passes through beautiful rhododendron, pine and bamboo forest. This is the ancient trail used by the Sherpas of the Khumbu region before 1950. From Thame village, the trail goes downhill for 30 minutes to Khumbu Electric Power House, and after another 15 minutes of walk, we come across a typical small Sherpa village called Pare. Walking through pine and bamboo forests, we arrive at the glacier of Kongde Mountain, with fantastic views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. After one hour’s scenic trek, we reach Kongde, one of the most beautiful spots in the Everest Region, with 360-degree views. Any of our efforts to describe the divine nature of the site will go in vain because you will find it more beautiful.

Overnight at Yeti Mountain Home.

On this day, we walk for about 3-hours to a viewpoint called Farak-Ri, named after the Farak region, the lower part of Khumbu, and the Solu region’s upper part. The Farak-Ri offers greater panoramic views of the entire Khumbu Valley, including Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Cholatse, Tawoche, Island Peak, Kusum Kang Guru and the villages of Tengboche, Pangboche, Chhukung, Namche, Khumjung and Phortse. In the afternoon, get back to the resort for lunch and dinner. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the spellbinding panoramic view from your resort. The panorama from our resort site is one of the best; one might have ever seen from anywhere.

Overnight at Yeti Mountain Home.

After breakfast, about 4 hours of a steep walk down to Phakding. The skyline is soared by magnificent views of Thamserku and Kusumkangru and tiny Sherpa Villages, and the green mountain slopes with tiny Sherpa villages fill the lower river valleys. We stop at Phakdingma for a late lunch and continue to Lukla, passing through the same villages we walked on our first-day trek, but the views differ.

At Lukla, you spend your last night in the Khumbu Valley. This evening is the occasion to enjoy a farewell party with your Sherpa friends who have accompanied you. They depart separately on a two days trek and one-day bus ride to Kathmandu or stay at Lukla to continue another trek back to Everest Base Camp!

Overnight at Yeti Mountain Home.

After breakfast, we walk to the airport for check-in formalities early morning and fly back to Kathmandu. Finally, arrive at Kathmandu airport, where a vehicle will be waiting for our arrival and get transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to rest and relax, or if you wish, stroll around the high street of Kathmandu or spend time doing things of your choice, or you can also go shopping for your friends & family as a souvenir from Nepal.

Overnight stay in the Dwarika hotel.

After breakfast, we set off to Pashupatinath temple, considered one of the holiest Hindu shrines. Pashupati has remained the presiding deity of all Hindu Nepalese royalty. The precinct occupies an area of 281 hectares. The main temple, displaying a golden tiled roof, is off-limits to non-Hindus. To view the main temple and one of its few main gates, you’ll have to cross the river and climb steps to the terrace lying opposite. Along the way, you may cross Hindu sadhus and Santas on a pilgrimage. These ghats (cremation group) along the Bagmati River are where the bodies of recently deceased Hindus of the Valley get cremated.

The trip takes us to Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur, located about 15 kilometres east of Kathmandu, is the third major city in the Valley. Bhaktapur or Bhadgaon, literally “the City of Devotees”, is a living museum. There is the 55-windowed Royal Palace, the temple of Taleju, the palace of the Kumari, the temple of Pashupati, the main square of Tanmadhi Tole, Nyatapola (the temple of the Five Pagoda Roofs, the tallest such in all of Nepal), the temple of Akash Bhairab (the second most important temple of Badhgaon). We will also visit the Dha Hateya Square and the Potters Squares. UNESCO recognizes Bhaktapur as a World Heritage Site. Finalize the tour and drive back to Kathmandu to visit the Boudha Nath Stupa.

Boudhanath stupa lies in the centre of Kathmandu and is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the World. The base of the Stupa comprises three successive mandalas, geometrical representations of the cosmos. The base represents the element earth, the dome on top symbolizes water, the cube represents fire, and the pinnacle represents air. Finally, the culminating flame symbolizes ether. This great Stupa is much like Swayambhunath except for its pinnacle. Also, it is much bigger and lies on the valley floor. This Stupa is said to have been built in the 5th century A.D. The site attracts the highest numbers of Buddhist pilgrims from all over the Himalayan region and the World.

Finalize the visit. The guide and driver will put you back to your hotel or any part of the city you wish. The trip is over. Enjoy a farewell dinner in the evening at one of the best local restaurants in Kathmandu.

Overnight stay in the Dwarika Hotel.

Breakfast and the rest of the day are leisure on your own. The Representative of Happy Feet Nepal will arrive at your hotel with transport three hours before your departure flight time. Get escorted from the hotel to the International Departure Terminal, see off formalities, and go through the immigration and departure.