Day 01 Welcome to Kathmandu
A Himalayan Holidays representative will meet and welcome you at Kathmandu Airport and transfer you to your hotel. After a welcome drink and check-in at the hotel a pre-trek briefing will be held. The rest of the day is yours to explore the local area.

Day 02 Kathmandu Sightseeing
After breakfast you will be picked up at the hotel to begin an interesting tour around Kathmandu. Your English-speaking guide will escort you to Durbar Square the historic centre of the city and home to the living goddess Kumari. Then on to Swayambhunath or Monkey Temple, situated high on a hill top this stupa is one of the most recognized images of the Kathmandu Vally and affords magnificent views of the city and valley below. From here we travel to Pashupatinath, the site of the most important Hindu temple in Nepal and located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River. Here we will see holy men known as Sadhus performing their religious rituals and you may witness funeral pyres burning on the river side ghats.

Day 03 Kathmandu - Lukla - Phakding 2800m (Approx 3 hours trekking)
You will be transferred from your hotel to Kathmandu airport for your 40 minute spectacular flight to Lukla. A few hours of easy walking takes us up to the picturesque village of Phakding at 2,800 metres and where we spend our first night at a trekking lodge. o/n at lodge

Day 04 Phakding to Namche Bazaar 3480m ( Approx 6 -7 hours trekking)
From Phakding we cross the Dudh Kosi river to follow the trail north up the valley where the trail officially enters the Sagarmatha National Park. Here your trekking permits will be checked before continuing on through the National Park . We walk on through Jorsale continue along the trail, cross the Bhote Kosi River on a high suspension bridge and begin the steady steep climb to Namche Bazaar at 3480 metres. o/n at lodge

Day 05 Rest day for acclimatization
We have a rest day in Namche Bazaar to acclimatize. This town is the hub of Sherpa society and the administrative centre of the Solu Khumbu region. There are many shops selling Tibetan and Nepalese artifacts, restaurants, a bakery, money changer and even an internet service. The National Park Headquarters/information centre is worth visiting and if you have forgotten anything there are plenty of shops selling trekking clothing and equipment. o/n at lodge

Day 06 Namche - Thami return to Namche 3500m (Approx 7 hours trekking)
An acclimatization walk to the west to visit Thami and visit the monastery is a good way to spend the second day in the area. If you are lucky enough to chat with the monks or nuns they can tell you the fascinating origin of the monastery while you admire the religious wall paintings and artifacts. You may also like to visit the local primary school and you will definitely want to spin the huge prayer wheels before we cross the river on our return walk back to our lodge. o/n at lodge

Day 07 Namche Bazaar to Tengboche 3870m (Approx 4 – 5 hours trekking)
Today’s trek starts by walking up from Namche Bazaar to the Syangboche airstrip. From here we trek on to see the Everest View Hotel which affords great views of Mt Everest from its balcony. On the trail you may see Himalayan Thar or if you are lucky the brilliantly coloured impeyan pheasant (the national bird of Nepal), you descend to Dudh Kosi past water driven prayer wheels where you may choose to enjoy a picturesque rest stop before ascending to Tengboche. This very famous monastery which is illuminated at night and looks magnificent with its back drop of the Ama Dablam mountain also has an impressive visitor centre, and if you are lucky you may get to witness the monk’s early morning ceremony of trumpets and prayers o/n at lodge

Day 08 Tengboche to Pheriche 4240m (Approx 5 hours trekking)
From Tengboche, the trail descends to Devuche and crosses the Imja Khola before climbing up to Pangboche for lunch. We then trek onto Pheriche a small settlement in a flat valley. o/n at lodge

Day 09 Pheriche – day for acclimatization
There is a Himalayan Rescue Association Medical Centre amongst the lodges and you may wish to visit the centre for one of the interesting lectures on Altitude Mountain Sickness or just enjoy a walk in the flat terrain. o/n at lodge

Day 10 Pheriche – Lobuche 4928m ( Approx 4 hours trekking)
Although the valley looks flat, it is not long before you are gradually climbing up and you will have gained an altitude of approx 600 metres before Thukla, a good stop for morning tea. As you trek on to Lobuche you might see golden eagles soaring above you, and once at Lobuche you may choose to do an after lunch acclimatization walk up to the 5000m point which will you give you views of the next day’s destination of Kala Pattar. o/n at lodge

Day 11 Lobuche - Kala Patter 5545m – Lobuche (Approx 6 – 7 hours trekking)
We make a very early start and ascend the trail along boulder fields and glacial debris to the edge of the Khumbu Glacier then continue up to Gorak Shep at 5160 m which is nestled below the coned summit of Mt. Pumori 7161m. and the sheer west face of Nuptse. This is a good place for breakfast and a rest before making a steep ascent to the top of a small peak, Kala Pattar 5545m meaning "black rock". On the way up you will probably be able to spot the expedition camps at Everest Base Camp below. On a clear day you will able to see the Khumbu Glacier and the ice fall, you may even see climbers walking on the glacier. When you reach Kala Pattar the view is magnificent enough to make us forget the difficulty of the climb. Everest, Nuptse, Ama Dablan, Kantega, Tamserku, Tawatse and Pumo Ri all present themselves in a 360 degree panorama. You will want to try to capture this awesome scenery both with your mind and your camera so take the time and enjoy being “on top of the world”. After soaking up this incredible experience we walk back down to Gorak Shep and have another break and something to eat and drink. Heading back down over the rocky moraine we get a chance to savor the last views of the glacier as we retrace our steps back to Lobuje, This is a long day involving about 6/7 hours trekking, and some people take the option to shorten by staying at Gorak Shep but it is generally agreed that it is more pleasant to return to Lobuje due to the better facilities and lower altitude. o/n at lodge

Day 12 Lobuche to Pangboche 3930m (Approx 4 - 5 hours trekking)
From Lobuche we descend and retrace our steps to Pangboche. o/nlodge

Day 13 Pangboche to Khumjung 3790m ( Approx 4 – 5 hours trekking)
From Pangboche we continue our trek onto Khumjung at 3790 metres. Sir Edmund Hilary established a school and science laboratory in this town, it has several lodges, a bakery and is a pleasant town to spend the night. The Khumjung Gompa posseses what is supposed to be a Yeti skull. o/n at lodge

Day 14 Khumjung to Phakding 2800m (Approx 4 - 5 hours trekking)
We return to where we spent our first night on the trek

Day 15 Phakding to Lukla 2840m (Approx 3 hours trekking)
A mostly uphill walk on our return to Lukla where we catch our flight back to Kathmandu but you can have a leisurely walk and still reach there before lunch. In the afternoon you might like to explore the town of Lukla or visit the local “Thangka Painting School” and witness the students learning the art of these intricate and beautiful religious paintings. For many groups this may be the point where you say goodbye to some of your trekking crew so hopefully you will enjoy a good farewell dinner together. Your crew may even prepare a farewell treat for you will you be invited to join the singing and dancing too o/n at lodge

Day 16 Fly to Kathmandu
Fly to Kathmandu, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel, the remainder of day is yours to spend as you wish. o/n hotel

Day 17 Explore Kathmandu
Explore Kathmandu. There is opportunity to arrange further sightseeing if you wish, perhaps to Patan, the second largest city in the Kathmandu Valley, the Durbar Square in Patan has the best display of Newari architecture in Nepal. Or perhaps you may wish to visit Bhaktapur, the medieval city and sometimes described as a living museum. You may like to explore the market and many shops in Kathmandu’s tourist area of Thamel for some unique handicraft as a souvenir of your wonderful experience in Nepal.

Day 18 Morning transfer to the airport for your international departure

Not Included :
International Airfare
Visas $U.S.30
Airport Departure taxes/Excess baggage charges $U.S3 for domestic, $U.S.25 for international
Meals
Items of personal nature ie. Soft/hard drinks, tips etc.
Travel Insurance (this is a mandatory condition of booking)
Medical evacuation in case of emergency
Personal spending money

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary, but as this is adventure travel in a remote mountain region, we cannot guarantee it! Weather conditions and the health of trekkers can all contribute to changes. The guides and their Sherpa assistants will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but please be prepared to be flexible if necessary.

Experience Required:
This Trek is suitable for keen walkers who are able to walk for 6 – 7 hours in a day, with a light rucksack. Some of the days are quite long, and the walking feels more strenuous at altitude. Generally the trail is a good track, but occasionally it will be uneven and rocky.

Food & Accommodation :
You are accommodated in lodges whilst on trek. This trip does not include meals in the cost as appetites vary from one person to another, you choose what you want to eat and how much you want to eat and you pay accordingly. The menus at the lodge which provide good simple food appropriate for the type of physical activity you are undertaking. In Kathmandu and in Lukla there is much greater variety of types of food and restaurants to suit all budgets

Cancellation Fees
If cancellation in writing is received by Himalayan Holidays more than 45 days prior to departure, the non-refundable deposit will be retained (maximum 10% of total land price) plus any air cancellation fees that may apply.

If cancellation is received within 45 days of departure, the following per person cancellation fees will apply:
15 - 45 days prior to departure: 25% of total price
7 - 14 days prior to departure: 35% of total price
less than 7 days prior to departure: 50% of total price (except for the total cost of government fees)
On departure day or later: 100% of total price.

The penalties for cancellation are designed to safeguard the company, which will have to make certain payments in advance of the trip departure, and are adopted in a similar form throughout the travel industry.