Everest Base Camp & Annapurna Circuit Trek

Namaste! Welcome to Kathmandu, the colourful capital of Nepal where ornately carved balconies mingle with beautiful shrines and temples. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 2 pm today. Tonight, enjoy an included welcome dinner and Nepalese cultural performance. If you arrive with time to spare, maybe check out the storied stupas and pagodas of Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple) or take a walk around Durbar Square. If you’ve got limited time in the city, you might also like to consider an Urban Adventure. ALTERNATIVE ITINERARY IN THE CASE OF FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS Weather conditions in the Himalayas can change rapidly, leading to flight cancellations and varied on-ground conditions. This means you need to be prepared for possible changes to your itinerary while you’re travelling. Flights between Kathmandu/Ramechhap and Lukla are particularly prone to delays. If bad weather prevents fixed-wing aircraft flights from Kathmandu/Ramechhap to Lukla, the itinerary will be as follows: Day 2 – We will attempt to fly as planned. If this flight is cancelled, we will return to our hotel in Kathmandu/Ramechhap for an additional night. Day 3 – We will again attempt to fly, but if this flight is cancelled, we will endeavour to charter a helicopter for the group to fly to Lukla. This is reliant on availability of safety audited helicopter operators and that the weather conditions don’t prevent helicopters taking off as well. You will need to use your emergency funds to cover the cost of the chartered helicopter. The exact cost will depend on how many travellers are in your group and could be up to USD 500 per person. It is common practice for helicopter companies to charge varying prices, so you may pay different amounts to others on the flight. If we reach Lukla on Day 3, we will pick up the planned itinerary to Everest Base Camp, but take one less day to descend so that we can fly from Lukla to Kathmandu/Ramechhap on Day 14. Day 4 – If both fixed-wing planes and helicopters are unable to reach Lukla on the morning of Day 3, then on Day 4 we will drive back to Kathmandu. From there we will trek to Annapurna Basecamp. While this trek doesn’t reach Everest Base Camp, our travellers have found it a highly enjoyable trek, with scenery of glaciers, mountain pastures and the Himalayas.

Today we have a very early flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. If the weather is good, the views of the Himalayas from the small plane are amazing! After breakfast in Lukla (2840 m), a short safety talk and an introduction to your porters, gear up and commence your trek. Today is a fairly gentle introduction, following the milk-white Dudh Kosi River approximately three-hours to Phakding (2610 m).

Today you’ll trek to Namche Bazaar, where you’ll spend two nights acclimatising to the altitude – and might even get your first look at Everest itself. From Phakding, you’ll begin to head up the valley. The trail, lined with blue pine forest, follows the river valley and is especially spectacular in spring when the rhododendron flowers are bright in bloom. Cross the Dudh Kosi river at Benkar, and look way up above 6,000 metres to see the peaks of snow-capped Kusum Kanguru (6369 m) and Thamserku (6623m). Press on to Monjo (2835m), a good place to break for lunch. From here the walk starts to get a little tougher, with a steep ascent to Namche Bazaar. Enter into the national park, cross the river through the village of Jorsale (2805m) and then continue upstream. Cross the spectacular Hillary Bridge and begin the ascent to Namche Bazaar. Get your camera out as on a clear day you’ll get your first glimpse of the peaks of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Taweche. Namche will be your last chance to check your equipment and hire any additional gear for the high altitudes from Dingboche onwards.

You’ll stay at Namche Bazaar for another night so that you can properly acclimatise to the altitude. One of the best ways to do this is to take a strenuous walk up to a high altitude then come back down to sleep. Your optional (but recommended) walk today will take you to see views from the Tenzing Norgay Memorial and Sagarmatha National Park Museum above the village. If the conditions are right, this stunning vista includes a panorama of the Khumbu peaks and great views of Everest. The national park museum is also home to interesting displays about Sherpa lifestyle and culture, and the local flora and fauna. Then, continue your hike to higher elevations with a visit to Sagarmatha Next, who support local communities to create and implement a sustainable waste handling system in the region. Return to town and enjoy a free rest of your day. Namche gained its importance during the period when Tibetan salt was traded for the lowland grains of Nepal. There's still a roaring trade in the village centre, so be sure to use this chance to stock up on any extra supplies you might need.

Not many groups stop in Phortse – a traditional Sherpa village that offers an insight into their life and culture – so today will be something special. Leave Namche and weave your way above the valley, then take the less-travelled fork in the road just after Sanasa. Most travellers follow the same path to and from Base Camp, while you’ll make more of a loop to see more of the national park. Climb for some epic views of the valley below, and then stop for a mini acclimatisation lunch at around 4000 m. After lunch, make your way downhill to cross the Dudh Koshi again, then make a final uphill push to your teahouse in Phortse. The dramatic mountain views, peace and quiet of this village make this one of the highlights of the trek. Here you’ll be almost completely above the treeline, so the sunsets make for perfect pictures.

Enjoy the stillness of Phortse at sunrise, and then set off along the trail taking in the incredible views of Kangtega, Ama Dablam (6812 m) and – if the skies are clear – Mt Everest. Perhaps stop for a tea in Pangboche, and after lunch in Shomare you’ll notice the scenery around you start to change, with forests being replaces with rocky outcrops. Once you arrive in Dingboche, you’ll find a beautiful patchwork of small fields enclosed by stone walls. The scenery is once again spectacular and although Everest will be hidden behind the Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge, the huge peaks that tower above the eastern end of the valley are more than worthy. If the weather’s right, then there will be gorgeous sunsets illuminating the peaks – Ama Dablam, the south face of Lhotse to the north and Island Peak in the centre of the valley.

Today is another acclimatisation day. You'll take morning hikes to Nagarjun Hill or Chukkhung, returning to Dingboche for lunch. Then, take some time to in the afternoon to explore the town or rest up at your teahouse.