Everest Panorama Trek

We set off early morning from our hotel to domestic airport for Lukla flights. After a 35 minute scenic mountain flight by a small aircraft, we land in Lukla airport (Tenzing-Hillary airport). Today’s trek from Lukla to Phakding is only about 3-4 hours. The trail from Lukla is seen broad and clear. From the airstrip it heads north through a kani (arch) and then slopes downhill to a low agricultural land. A splendid view of the difficult trekking peak Kusum Kangaru (6,367m/20,889ft) is seen while walking ahead. The trail is rich with teahouses, prayer wheels, gompas (Buddhist monastery) and huge boulders decorated with Buddhist mantra (prayer chant). Finally we arrive in the village separated in two parts with about a 10 minute trek between them, and a long suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi River. This village is called Phakding where we stay overnight.

Today’s trek is about 5-6 hours. After crossing the suspension bridge at Phakding, we trek for 2-3 hours following the climbs steeply up rough stone steps before reaching the long paved Monjo village on the edge of Sagarmatha National Park. In addition to the lodges, single-roofed houses and a few basic shops, there is a small gompa nearby. The trek from Monjo to Namche Bazaar will take another 3-4 hours. There is an entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park where an entry permit must be showed or obtained and kept safely for showing on exiting the park. Once passed through the gate, the trail drops to river level which is set among fields of huge cabbages, crosses to the west bank of the Dudh Koshi river on a long suspension bridge and passes teahouses and lodges in Jorsale (2,775m/9,104ft). This is the last available accommodation before Namche Bazaar. About halfway up, at a bend on this ascent we should get our first brief view of Mt. Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse. As our trek continues up mostly among trees, we will eventually come to a group of buildings, then broad stone steps and finally arrive in one of the lower streets of our overnight stop Namche Bazaar. This town is known as the Sherpa “Capital” and gateway to the Mt. Everest. Namche Bazaar has many facilities – a post office, banks, ATMs, money exchange centre, a health post, a dental clinic, numerous shops, restaurants, cyber cafés and telephone facilities, a gompa and several chortens. The headquarters of the Sagarmatha National Park and a military post are situated above the town. We stay two overnights in Namche Bazaar for acclimatization and excursion around. Trekking time 5-6 hours.

Today we stay in Namche Bazaar for acclimatisation. Because of the altitude, it will be necessary for us to spend a minimum of two nights here. On this day, we have the choice of just relaxing and roaming round this interesting hill town, or alternatively trekking round a nearby 3-4 hour circuit with stunning views.

Today our trek starts by passing the town’s gompa and continues round the steep hillside to cross the rim where there is a profusion of mani stones, carved boulders and prayer flags. The trail then proceeds through pine and juniper woods to reach the village of Phurte (3,390m/11,122ft) which has simple teahouses, lodges, traditional Sherpa homes, a mani wall and a chorten. The trail now loses height, winds round several wooded spurs, passes through a kani (arch), crosses a wooden cantilever bridge and enters the village of Thesiyo. From this point the route starts to rise, passes another chorten and reaches the large strung-out village of Thamo (3,493m/11,460ft) with a school, mani stones, prayer flags, lodges and teahouses. Now climbing fairly steeply the trail passes through a number of houses at Samde and reaches a point from which there is a fine view to the east of the trekking peak of Pharchamo (6,187m/20,300ft). The trail now makes a short steep descent, passes a rock face decorated with three brightly painted Buddhas, crosses a bridge over the Bhote Koshi River, zigzags up to run alongside the Thame Khola (River) and comes to the walled fields and typical Sherpa homes of Thame, our overnight stop. Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who ascended Mt. Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, spent his childhood in Thame. There is a school in the village, built by Sir Edmund Hillary’s Himalayan Trust and to the west a gompa perched almost 150 meters above the fields. Thame is the village where the Everest region and the Rolwalling valley join. Trekking time 4-5 hours.

Our trek today is to reach the famous Khumjung village. Khumjung is the traditional Sherpa village and there are many Sherpa climbers from Khumjung village. Trekking time 3-4 hours.

Our trek from Khumjung goes through westward down the valley, passing numerous picturesque Mani walls and chortens along the trail. Tengboche is our ultimate destination for Everest Panorama trekking. Tengboche or Thyangboche Monastery, also known as Dawa Choling Gompa, is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Sherpa community located in the Everest Base Camp trail of Nepal. It is the largest gompa in the Khumbu region which was built in 1916 by Lama Gulu with strong links to its mother monastery known as the Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet. We stay overnight in this beautiful Tengboche village. Trekking time 4-5 hours.

While trekking from Tengboche to Namche Bazaar, a large white chorten is found along the trail to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest on 29 May 1953. We walk through the rhododendrons and some small settlements on this popular trail and finally reach Namche Bazaar. We stay overnight in Namche Bazaar. Trekking time 4-5 hours.

Again we proceed southward, retracing the route trekked on day 1 and 2, crossing and re-crossing the Dudh Koshi at intervals. We stay overnight in Lukla. Trekking time 6-7 hours.

We take the 35 minute breathtaking flight from Lukla.
Option available for extending your trip with Jungle Safari adventure, white water rafting or a trip of your choice.