Kathmandu is the historical and cultural heart of Nepal and has been a popular destination for tourists ever since Nepal opened its doors to visitors. The city presents a wonderful mix of Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism and Western influence. There will be a guided tour to UNESCO World Heritage SitesBoudhnath, the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal and after that to Pashupatinath, the most popular Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. You take a tour to Patan also called as Lalitpur (the City of Artisans), which is 5km away from Kathmandu. You walk through Patan Durbar Square, and delight in the architectural wonders of Malla era. MahaboudhaTemple, Kumbeshwor Temple, Krishna Temple and Golden Temple are the major attractions at the square.

A scenic flight of thirty minutes from Kathmandu brings you to Lukla airport,a cliff-hanging airport in Khumbu from where your Everest trekkingbegins. After meeting the crew, you head up the Dudhkoshi Valley on a well-marked trail and then stay overnight in Phakding.

From Phakding, you cross and re-cross the river on high suspension bridges. Beyond Monjo is the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park which was set-up in order to protect and preserve the fragile mountain environment. You then take a steep hike to Namche, one of the most important stopovers of the trekking in Nepal. If the weather is clear, you get the first glimpse of Mt Everest from Topdada on the way. Namche is the main trading village in Khumbu and has a busy Saturday market - a meeting place for the localsand the people from neighboring vicinity

Ascending from Namche Bazaar, you pass the airstrip at Syangboche. From there, following the magnificent views of the valley and Everest, you walk to the picturesque village of Khumjungvia Kunde where you can visit a famous hospital built by Sir Edmund Hillary, an important center of health care in the region. Both Kunde and Khumjung villages are nestled on the lap of Mount Khumbila, the patron deity of Khumbu region. Khumjung is known for its monastery which houses the famous yeti scalp.

Heading east, you pass a magnificent mani wall near the gate of Khumjungvillage.The wall considered to be thelongest one not just in the region but in the whole world. Then after walking on a flat trail for some time you slowly descend to PhunkiTenga passing Phortse village. At PhunkiTenga, you cross Imjariver. The trail then ascends through a forest of pine and rhododendron, before arriving at Tengboche Monastery, one of the most remarkable monasteries you visit during the Everest trek. The views here are truly awesome, from the beautiful AmaDablam to Lhotse and Everest at the head of the valley. The monasteryhas been rebuilt since a tragic fire in 1989 destroyed it. The monastery is well worth a visit.

You descend downhill through a forest, cross the ImjaKhola and climb steadily to the village of Pangboche. This village is directly opposite Ama Dablam (6,812 m), and has exceptional views of the mountain, with the monastery, mani walls and scattered pine trees in the foreground. The monastery in Pangboche is one of the oldest of the region. It houses interesting relics including a yeti scalp. After exploring the monastery and the village, you return back to Tengboche.

From Tengboche, you head back down through the forest to PhunkiTenga which has large water-driven prayer wheels. With Everest and Lhotse receding at the distance, you make your way back down to Namche. As you approach Namche, you will be welcomed by the closer views of Thamserku and Kondge peaks once again.

Bidding farewell to Namche, you continue down the valley along Dudhkoshiriverto reach Lukla This last evening in the mountains presents an ideal opportunity for a farewell party with the Sherpa guides and porters. You get to sample chang (local beer), try some Sherpa dance steps and end the trek on a merry note.

As your trek has concluded, you pack up early and head for the airstrip to hop a flight back to Kathmandu. On touchdown, the rest of your day is free to do your own things. You could do some last minute shopping and packing, or even go down for a stroll in Thamel, an internationally known hub for tourists in Asia.

This is a contingency day in case of Lukla flight delays. If you have free time, you can let go the strains of trekking in the Himalaya. You can explore around the Heritage sites in the city, stroll down the streets of Thamel for local cultural experience, visit nearby monasteries, relax at a nearby spa centers or do some souvenir haunting in the local bazaar.

The Nepali support team will take you to the airport for your flight home. If you prefer to stay longer, you can go for short tours such as jungle safari at National parks, rafting, Tibet tours, mountain biking etc.

TREKKING TYPES
Trekkingin Nepalis categorized in three different types based on their way of organization (Camping Trek, Tea House Trek and GAP Trek). A Week below Everest Trek is organized in two ways (Tea House Trek and GAP Trek) due to the abundance of accommodation facilities available in the region.
1. Tea House Trek: This trek includes services like guide, food, accommodation in local Tea Houses and porters.
2. GAP Trek: This trek includes services like Guide (G), Accommodation (A) in the Tea Houses, and Porters (P). Food bills are to be paid directly by the client.

ACCOMMODATION
Everest trekking doesn’t need tremendous logistics in terms of accommodation as you will find plenty of clean and friendly lodges along the trail.
You often have to share rooms but you can also stay in single rooms where possible.Rooms are basic, normally just a bed with a pillow and blankets. A few have electric blanket, hot bags (luxury lodges) and all have a spacious dining room-lounge. We will accommodate you and your group in a comfortable local lodge each day. The Guide coordinates with the local lodge owners and a porter is sent ahead to book the required rooms for the group (rooms cannot always be booked in advance).
Please remember that some of them are very basic and a sense of adventure is necessary. It is cheaper to stay in lodge rather than organizing a camping trek.

FOOD
Lodge Trek:
Meals are included in our price and are taken in lodges available along the trail. You can find a considerable variety of Nepali (rice, curry & lentil, momo, noodles, chapatis etc.) and Western food (pizza, pasta, sandwich, chips, porridge, toast, pancake, soup etc) as well as drinks (coffee, tea, milk, soft drinks, and beer). The Guide suggests you the best option as per the availability.
GAP Trek:
You will have to make your own eating arrangements in the lodges available along the trail. Expect to spend around $25-$30 a day for food. Guide, accommodation and porters are covered in the price.

WATER
On GAP trek and Lodge trek, you will be provided filtered water about 3-4 liters per person per day. The good thing about such water is it doesn’t smell chlorine. We normally use Sawyer Filters. However, you can also buy bottled water in tea houses. You can also bring water purification pills in case you want to drink water from local taps.

PERSONAL EXPENSES– MONEY TO TAKE ON TREK
Money requirement depends largely on type of trek style, duration and trekking region.
For a week Everest trek, you can take about $100-150, more if you intend toget more table drinks (alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages), snacks while walking (a few smaller shops are available along the trail in some areas), souvenirs, battery charge, internet, hot shower (available in some places) etc. If you are on ‘GAP’ trek style you need to pay for all your meals. Approximately $25-30 a day should be enough to cover your meals. We pay for your accommodation at mountain hut (tea house) along the trail and bear all the expenses of staffs assigned by us, plus extra bar bills, snacks, hot shower, battery charge, internet etc.

CHANGING MONEY
You can change money at a Bank or the money exchange counter in cities like Kathmandu. Many tourist class hotels have money exchange facilities. For Trekking, there are banks and exchange counters at major tourist hubs like Namche and Lukla. These days, there are availability of ATMs everywhere in Kathmandu and some in Lukla and Namche.

TIPS
Tips are appreciated by your support team after the completion of your trekking in Nepal. The amount depends on your budget and appreciation of their work. As a suggestion, we advise that you can allocate 5- 10 % of the total tour cost as tips.It is recommended that you talk to the members and hand it over individually as per the hierarchy on the last day of the trek.

GROUP SIZE ON FIXED DEPARTURE
If you opt to join our ‘fixed departure trip’, you are likely to be joining people from different countries of any age group except minors. The size of group varies, minimum no of persons required to operate a trip is 2 the maximum is 15 people.
For a Private Booking, any number size from 1Pax to 20 is acceptable and can be comfortably organized. We go for special planning for handling group size bigger than 20 Pax.

GROUP LEADER AND CREW
We provide different options concerning leadership in order to match your requirements:
1) Western leader
2) Trained Nepali Trek leader (experienced and knowledgeable)
3) Sherpa Guide (handles the logistics and guides you and your team on the trek)
The Sherpa guide (commonly called Sirdar) will be accompanied by a crew of porters. We provide 1 porter for 2 members.

COMMUNICATION
Communication during trekking in Everest region is not challenging but there are certain things to be considered. For using internet, Wifi service is available in lower altitudes. You have to pay extra charge for this service about $5 (per stay) up to Namche though you can’t be really sure about signal strength. Beyond Namche, teahouses normally don’t have WiFi facility. A better option is to use Everest Link network which works throughout the region. It has better connectivity and faster speed. You can buy the data package at approximately $10 (1GB) and $5 (512 MB) valid for 30 days. You can also use local service provider(both for internet and mobile network) but they don’t work properly in some places as you go higher. If it is crucial for you to keep in contact with your family or others, we can provide you a mobile satellite phone (rental charge on request). As this short Everest short trek doesn’t go beyond Tenngboche (3864m), you don’t have to worry much about communication.
FLIGHT / LAND TRANSFERS
The starting and ending point of this Everest Trekis Lukla, which is connected by a 30 mins’ flight from Kathmandu. We will arrange flight and airport pick up and drop transfers as per the itinerary.

LUGGAGE WHILE TREKKING
DuringEverest trekking, your main luggage will be carried by porter. Please keep your luggage as light as possible around 12 to 15 kgsfor flight safety and porter welfare as per IPPG standard. You simply carry a day pack with water bottle, camera, sun-screen, spare jacket etc. You can leave your valuable items at your hotel in Kathmandu while trekking. Many hotels have a locker system and provide a deposit slip for the valuables kept under the hotel’s safekeeping.

TYPICAL DAY ON TREK
Lodge/ Tea House Trek, GAP Trek
A typical day while trekking in Nepal consists of about 7-8 hours of activity. Each morning after packing our bags and having a good breakfast, we set off on the day’s walk. After walking for 3-4 hours we stop for lunch at around midday. The afternoon’s walk is generally shorter and we usually arrive at our destination in time for afternoon tea. The remainder of the afternoon can be spent exploring the village, doing a bit of washing or simply relaxing with a good book. On some days, we will arrive at our destination by lunchtime and the entire afternoon will be free. After dinner, the evening will often be spent playing cards and reliving the day’s adventures, before heading off to bed for a well-earned sleep.

TREKKING GEARS & EQUIPMENT
You will need walking boots, sleeping bag (4 seasons/ -20C rated), waterproof jacket and trousers, fleece jacket, warm hat and gloves, sunglasses, water bottle, sun-screen and day pack. Comprehensive list of equipment will be provided once you book your trip. It’s not necessary to spend a lot of money buying extra equipment and clothing before your trip. Majority of these gears can be bought or hired at reasonable rates in Kathmandu.

GEARS AVAILABLE IN KATHMANDU
There are numerous suppliers of trekking gears in Kathmandu supplying genuine branded items or imitations depending on your choice and price. You can get anything from down jackets and sleeping bags to socks or thermal wears that you need for your trek. They might not be the best but good enough for the trek considering the price.

TREK SECURITY
Security of our clients is our foremost priority. All our guides are licensed by Nepal Government. Our guides and support crew are carefully chosen for your trips. They will ensure your safety and security throughout your trip.
During your trek, you will be sleeping in local teahouses. You have to take precautions yourself at all times. Never leave your baggage unattended and keep your lodge room locked when you go out.

MEETING AND GREETING AT AIRPORT
You need to pass on your International flight details to us for a “meeting and greeting” service at airport. You just pass the customs desk and come out of the terminal building where you will see someone standing with a placard with either ‘Explore Himalaya’ or your name written on it. Our airport representative or tour officer will greet you and welcome you with a garland.

TREK DURATION
We ensure liability as indicated in itinerary and list of services. If the holiday is cut short or completed earlier than the projected period upon client’s wish, we shall not be responsible or make refund against unutilized days or services. Clients need to pay for hotels/services incurred in Kathmandu or elsewhere in such cases.

CLIMATE AND BEST TIME TO GO
The best seasons fortrekking in NepalareAutumn (from mid-September till November end), and Spring (from the beginning of March until mid-May). Temperatures will drop considerably as you trek higher every day. The nights are cold (between -10 C to 5C) but the days are sunny and hot (between 10C to 20C). The mornings are usually clear, with clouds building up during the afternoon, disappearing at night. Trekking during the monsoon and winter is not recommended, as the visibility during monsoon is limited, upper parts and high passes could be covered with snow in winter.
March, April, October and November are the most favored months. Please choose the date that is convenient for you.

ITINERARY CHANGES
The itinerary for this Everest trek is a standard itinerary. Depending on the prevailing situationwhile on trek, you can modify it to some extent after consulting with your guide. However, the date of trek completion should always coincide with the original itinerary. You should keep in mind that this is an adventure trip into the remotest region, where many unforeseen events may contribute to the need for a change in itinerary. In such cases, we or your guide will suggest the best alternative similar to your original.

HEALTH ISSUES AND VACCINATIONS
As vaccination requirements change frequently, we suggest you to consult your doctor at least 2 months prior to the beginning of your trip. We recommend protection against malaria, tetanus, typhoid, hepatitis and polio.
The main health consideration during Everest Trekkingis Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). You may experience some mild symptoms initially, such as headache, lethargy, nausea and difficulty sleeping, but these should lessen within a few days. To avoid Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), people take pills called ‘Diamox’. You can also use these pills after consulting with your doctor and purchase them in Kathmandu. Our itinerary will allow your body to acclimatize properly and handle the low oxygen rate.
If you have ever suffered from altitude sickness, or have a heart or breathing complaint, we highly recommend you to consult your doctor about your suitability for trekking in high altitude areas before booking. We suggest that you take some pain-killing pills with you and enough medicine for cold, diarrhea, nausea and fever. Some nasal ointment and throat-moistening pills will greatly help for those who are sensitive to chilly or freezing weather conditions.

FIRST AID KIT
We supply a medical bag with standard medicines prescribed by trekking doctors and a user’s manual. Since our staffs/guides are not qualified for suggesting medications to western clients, we would request you to use the medicines upon your own risk. It is safer and more reliable if you have your own medicine kit and not depend on what we have.

VISA
All visitors except the Indian nationals must hold passport and valid visa. Visa can be obtained at the Nepalese diplomatic missions and consulates abroad. You can also get “On Arrival Visa” at entry points. For doing Everest Base Camp Trek, you can come with a 30 day visa which costs US $ 50. You should have a passport size photo to get it at airport upon arrival. Some countries’ nationals need to get visa prior their arrival. Please check http://www.nepalimmigration.gov.np/page/tourist-visafor detailed information.
JOIN A GROUP OR PRIVATE TRIP
Our trips are available on both fixed departure and private basis. If you are looking for a group to join this Everest Trek please, check our ‘2022/23 departures’ link for availability, dates and price. If you would like to travel independently, or with your friends, families & colleagues, you are invited to choose any of the trips at your convenient timeframe for any number of people (minimum 1 & maximum 20 at a time).
If you want to do something that is not included in our trip list, we are ready to tailor your trip to suit your exact requirements. In short, we will make every effort to meet your needs.

RESCUE / EVACUATIONS
We take your safety and security very seriously, and make sure that nothing untoward happen to you. However, if anything serious like sickness or a casualty occurs, we will do everything to transfer you to the nearest hospital. As you are responsible for all the expenses incurred in evacuation, please make sure that it is covered by your insurance before assigning for it.

INSURANCE
Before joining this short Everest Trekking, we recommend you to take a travel insurance which should cover cancellation, medical expenses, helicopter evacuation and emergency repatriation.Our staff will collect your insurance details before you leave for the trek.

RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
We are among the few companies in Nepal to receive Travelife Certificate Award https://www.travelife.infofor our long-term efforts in sustainable practices.

1. Care for porters and staffs
We ensure that all the porters and other staffs going into high altitude conditions during the Everest treksare provided with adequate clothing and equipment.All our porters carry less than 30 kg and underage porters are strictly prohibited in our operations. We run the trek according to the guidelines of the International Porter Protection group (IPPG – www.ippg.net)
2. Environmental Responsibility
Wonderful environment of the Himalayas is also an extremely fragile one. Increasing population density and numbers of trekkers threaten the very beauty of Nepal. At Explore Himalaya, we are extremely conscious about the environment and aim to minimize our impact as much as possible.

As deforestation is one of the greatest environmental threats, we do not have camp fires and use LPG gas or kerosene for cooking as an alternative fuel to wood. We don’t use plastic bottles. We also discourage trekkers from using wood-fuelled hot showers in lodges along the way. Many lodges, however, now provide solar hot showers, a far more eco-friendly alternative.

Garbage disposal is another major problem and some of the busier trails can, at times, appear strewn with litter. Our staff members are well motivated towards eco-friendly practices. Our staff carry garbage bag with them all the time and collect our garbage and other litters they find on trail, and dispose them on the designated area. We also volunteer to bring garbage down to Lukla while returning back. Our aim is to help protect and preserve this beautiful environment for future generations of trekkers to enjoy.
3. Social Responsibility
Explore Himalaya works with the motto ‘Development through Tourism’. Keeping in line with this motto, Explore Himalaya Community Service Project (EHCSP) has been conceived to empower underprivileged, marginalized, poor and minority segments of Nepal.
Since its inception, EHCSP has been incessantly facilitating and advocating for school education, health, community development, forest conservation, agro practices and culture preservation. A certain amount of your trip money goes to these projects. For more details on our CSR initiatives, please visit https://www.explorehimalaya.com/csr/