Country(ies): Nepal
Tour type: Small Group
Group size: Min: 2 | Max: 12
Accommodation: 3-star hotels & trekking lodges
Meals:
Transport: A/C minibus & flight
Highlights: Kathmandu, beautiful 3 day hiking route avoiding flight up to Lukla, classic Everest Base Camp trek, Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar, side walks from Dingboche, amazing views from Kallar Patar and friendly trekking lodges.
This is a world-class trek that takes you through beautiful wooded valleys, along cold, clear mountain rivers, and into the soaring, snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. The trek culminates in a climb to the high mountain glacial region of Everest Base Camp. The trek is justifiably famous for being both challenging and rewarding, and yet remains open to most who have the stamina and determination to make it.
You start this tour in Kathmandu where you meet your trekking guide to travel by road to Salleri where your trek to Everest Base Camp begins. Starting in Salleri means you avoid the flight into Lukla and instead add 3 beautiful days of trekking through the foothills of the Himalays in areas with few other tourists. This is a lodge-based trek, which gives you the chance to spend time meeting and talking with other trekkers and guides in the evenings, as well as enjoying a little more comfort at the end of each day and ensures you contribute to the local economy.
From Salleri the trek spends the first few days climbing gradually through the Himalayan foothills, crossing several deep, wooded river valleys before following the Dudh Khosi up to Namche Bazaar, an historical Sherpa trading centre of the Khumbu Region. From here you enter into the Sagarmatha National Park area, and tremendous mountain scenery surrounds your trail as you make your way towards the high mountain glacial region of the Everest Base Camp. Several acclimatisation days are built in en-route to ensure you ascend safely.
Beyond Lobuche, snow-capped mountains close around as you follow the Khumbu Glacier up to Gorak Shep (5,288m), and ascend Kala Pattar (5,545m). The view of Nuptse, Ama Dablam and Everest, from the summit of Kala Pattar, is truly breathtaking. The following morning, you trek up to the Everest Base Camp area, from where so many expeditions have begun. From Base Camp you retrace your steps back to Lukla, along the way appreciating spectacular views of peaks from angles you may have missed on the way up.
From Lukla you catch the morning flight back to Kathmandu where you have a little free time to do some last minute shopping or a little more sightseeing around the city and surrounding valley.
All those joining our Classic Everest Trek will receive free trekking pack hire (normally costs $45), containing a down jacket and sleeping bag; suitable for the season in which you are travelling.
If you prefer a slightly shorter trek, you may consider our 15 day Everest Base Camp Trek, which starts with a flight to Lukla.
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During busy periods, flights from Lukla may return to Ramechhap instead of Kathmandu. This is a shorter flight, less prone to weather delays, but does require an early start and a 4-hour drive from Ramechhap airport to Kathmandu. Where this is the case, a shared transfer will be included between Ramechhap Airport and Kathmandu (the cost of this is included in the tour price).
If you are looking for a tour and not finding what you are looking for, have a look at our best other related tours to check out for your travel plans. At Encounters Travel, we offer a variety of tours to suit your needs. So sit back, relax, and let us help you plan the perfect getaway.
This tour is also available for booking privately for travel anytime through the year, and we can also customise the itinerary to fit your personal requirements. Please contact us for details and prices.
The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often use on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level. In general, specific hotels cannot be guaranteed on our group tours, but you may select your preferred options if you are booking a tailor-made trip.
Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the destination youre visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.
All accommodation based options (e.g. Single supplements, extra nights, cruise upgrades) should be booked and paid for in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Other options may either be booked and paid for in advance or while you are on the tour, though we recommend booking in advance to ensure there are no issues with availability.
Many options are priced the same throughout the year, but some may incur single or high season supplements - full details are given on the tour reservation form or on request.
The detailed Tour Notes below have been written to give you some more detailed information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday. We recommend downloading an up to date copy of these shortly before you travel in case of any changes.
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