CHO LA PASS TREK – 19 DAYS

As you arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, you finish the custom formalities.

Our representative will receive you with a placard displaying your name. After welcoming you to Kathmandu, we will drive you to the hotel.

As you will be transferred to the hotel in a private vehicle, you can have some rest.

Once you freshen up, we will brief you about the itinerary. We introduce you to the crew members and other trekkers.

You can stroll around the hotel and explore the place.

In the evening, we enjoy our welcome dinner. You can taste some authentic Nepali dinner.

After that, you can enjoy the nightlife of Kathmandu.

Overnight in Kathmandu.

Shankar Hotel www.shankerhotel.com.np

or Manaslu Hotel

We tour UNESCO World Heritage Sites today. These sites highlight Nepal’s cultural and religious heritages.

Our first stop will be Kathmandu Durbar Square and then Swayambhunath Stupa, next is Pashupatinath Temple which is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus all over the world, followed by the Buddhist shrine of Boudhanath which is one of the largest stupas in the world.

Lastly, in the late afternoon, we visit our office for a brief orientation on our trek.

Overnight in Kathmandu.

Shankar Hotel www.shankerhotel.com.np

or Manaslu Hotel

After an early morning flight to Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft) and final preparations, the trekking starts.

It will be an adventurous start to the day as the Tenzing/Hillary airport is a steep airstrip that is hanging off the side of a mountain and is one of the most famous airports worldwide that sits at an altitude of 2,800m.

The flight to Lukla is a lifetime experience in itself.

From Lukla, you’ll pass Chaurikharka village (where we have a glimpse of Mt. Khumbila (18900ft), a sacred mountain which has never been climbed) and make a descent towards the Dudhkosi Ghat (2,530m/8,300ft).

The trail follows the bank of the Dudhkosi River until Phakding (2,652m/8,700ft) is reached.

– Overnight at Phakding

The trail crosses Dudhkoshi River over a long suspension bridge and then leads you along the river to Hilary’s Suspension Bridge.

Our trekking permits will be checked at Monjo as we enter the Sagarmatha National Park.

As we climb up towards Namche Bazaar through Jorsale village , the magnificent sights of Kwangde Peak, Kusum peak, Kangaru peak, Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Tawache, and many other fabulous mountains greet us.

– Overnight at Namche bazaar

Today is a rest day taken for the acclimatisation to the region.

Experts believe that it is better to stay active even during rest days for a better trekking experience, and for this reason, we are going to spend the day enjoying small hikes in and around Namche Bazaar.

You can spend it taking a day hike to Thame, visiting Khunde or relaxing and exploring Namche Bazaar itself which is known as the gateway to Mt. Everest.

Our guide can also take us to the Tourist Visitor Centre near the headquarter of the Sagarmatha National Park where we can observe a variety of things related to the first Everest ascenders, Sherpa culture and learn about the various plant and animal life in the Everest region.

– Overnight at Namche bazaar

Today’s route starts by climbing up to the Shyangboche airstrip. Just above the airstrip is the Everest View Hotel, a Japanese scheme to build a deluxe hotel with great views of the highest mountains on Earth.

From here the trail will descend slightly to Dudhkoshi at 3250m.

Then a steep ascent will bring you to the famous Tengboche Gompa.

The monastery is located within the Sagarmatha National Park with stunning background views of Ama Dablam, Mt. Everest and other peaks.

We try to reach the monastery by 3:00 in the afternoon and may even be able to witness a religious Buddhist ceremony.

– Overnight at Tengboche

There’s a slight descent early today through lush forest, before the gradual climb up to the valleys highest year-round settlement of Pangboche (3,860m/12,664ft).

Continue ascending in the afternoon through alpine meadows and yak herds, eventually reaching Dingboche.

The village is a beautiful windy settlement overlooked by chortens and prayer flags and is also known as the ‘summer valley’.

– Overnight at Dingboche

As we are already 4410m above sea level, you must ensure you get enough rest.

Dingboche can be a good place to acclimatise our body to the decreasing oxygen level.

In the day time, you can explore the nearby area and remain active.

Get prepared for the tough climb that is coming in your way.

Overnight in Dingboche

Our walk from Dingboche commences early in the morning. First, we walk along the ridge that is marked by the prayer flags and the Stupas.

Then, we pass along the gradual uphill path that faces a marvellous scenery. Then, we reach the place called Thugla where we can witness the Khumbu glaciers that melt into a torrential river.

Thungla is an ideal place where we can rest and stop for lunch. After a steep climb at Thugla hill, we will again stop for the rest.

From the top, the view of Khumbu and Everest peaks is beautiful. The walk continues on a nice gradual path up to Lobuche.

Lobuche has several beautiful lodges with the stunning views of Lobuche, Pumori, and Nuptse and peaks.

Overnight in Lobuche

Today is the most beautiful and important day of our journey. We will walk towards a final destination of the trip i.e. Everest Base Camp.

Early in the morning, we walk on the open valley to reach above Khumbu glaciers. Walking through moraines, we will stop in a place called Gorak shep.

Gorak Shep has few basic lodges and is our stop for the night. It is the junction point of the Everest base camp and the Kala Patthar route.

Earlier, Gorak Shep was the base camp of Everest-from 1950 to 1970. Later, the camp was shifted.

A couple of hours from Gorak Shep over the moraine and glacier takes us to base camp. From the base camp, you can enjoy the views of giant peaks such as Nuptse, and Nuptse-Lo la.

In the mountaineering season, the base camp is very vibrant with crews of climbers. We will spend our time in the base camp by savouring the beauty of nature.

After a grand time in the base camp, we head back to Gorak Shep. We can celebrate the stay in the highest overnight stop with the fantastic memories of the day.

Overnight in Gorak Shep

This is another beautiful day of the trek when you get to climb to Kala Patthar.

The trek begins early in the morning so that we can enjoy the beautiful sunrise view. Kala Patthar is ideally the most prodigious viewpoint of Mount Everest.

The sunrise views of Everest, Nuptse, and Changts is stunning from Kala Patthar. This is the highest point of our trek.

About an hour of descending takes us to Dzongla (4830m) where we can enjoy our lunch. Another four hours of the trek takes us to Lobuche.

During the trail, we pass along the forest of Himalayan flora. The views of the while peaks accompany us throughout the trek.

Overnight in Lobuche

Today’s trek is quite easy as we descend through the classic Everest region trail.

From Lobuche, we will begin the walk after breakfast. We walk slowly during Dzong Lha. During the trial, the magnificent view of the Himalayas and the exotic bio-diversity of Sagarmatha National Park will accompany you.

The trail is mostly downhill and easy. We can spend the evening exploring the village and interacting with the locals.

Overnight at Dzong Lha

Today we will trek to Gokyo (4,760m) which is the beautiful valley in the Everest region.

But before that, we need to trek to Cho La. It’s a long climb along the steep path. But once we reach the top, the view is very rewarding.

Then after, the trail continues to Thagak. Also known as Dragnag, Thagak is suited on the Ngozumpa Glacier.

This is Nepal’s longest glacier – 36 km long.

Afterwards, our trail joins the trail leading to Gokyo Lake Valley. We will ascend for a couple of hours before crashing in Gokyo Valley.

Overnight in Gokyo

This is another beautiful day of the trek where we get to explore the beauty of different lakes in Gokyo Valley.

Early in the morning, we ascend to Gokyo Ri at 5,380m. The view from the top is very pleasing. After some rest and beautiful capture, we walk down to our lodge.

After lunch, we will hike to Gokyo 5th lakes. This is a gentle walk to the top that offers an awesome view of Everest and other huge glaciers.

5th lake is the biggest in the Gokyo region. One can also witness the beautiful Cho Oyo (8201 meters), Lhotse (8516 meters), and Makalu (8485 meters) from the top.

Overnight in Gokyo

We will trek slowly from the Gokyo village towards Dole. Initially, we will walk through the stone stairs before we cross the River. After some hours of walk, we stop for lunch.

After some rest, we trek towards Dole. This is an easy walk with a rewarding view.

You can overlook the fantastic views of Amphu Labcha peaks, Island Peak, and Ama Dablam.

Dole is a beautiful village where we can witness the unique Sherpa Culture and enjoy the magnificent mountain views.

Overnight in Dole

The journey downwards is much easier as we lose altitude each hour.

On the trail back, we will cross some suspension bridges and multiple streams. We will walk through the cool forested area and pass the classic Sherpa settlement.

If you are lucky, you might encounter goats, pheasants, yaks, and other wild Himalayan animals and birds.

After crossing the bridge suited over the Imja Khola, the path eventually goes up.

Here, we can enjoy the views of Thamserku, Nuptse, and Amadablam. The trail then leads us to the Namche Bazaar.

In the evening, we might want to have some delicious cuisine in one of the restaurants in Namche Bazaar.

Overnight at Namche Bazaar

After breakfast, we start to trek to Hillary Suspension Bridge. This is a famous bridge in the area.

We will also pass through several local settlements. The walk is long but we can walk slow.

After some hours, we will stop for lunch. And then, we can continue to walk to the lower altitude.

Once we arrive in Lukla, we can rest in the last Tea House. Traditionally, we can have a small party with the crew.

The party denotes-we made it!

This is our very last night on the mountain together.

We can talk about the bittersweet memories made during the trek.

Overnight in Lukla

Our flight is scheduled early in the morning. If the weather is good, we will fly back right after breakfast.

While we wait for our flight to arrive, we can capture some last glimpse of the Himalayas.

We get to enjoy the thrilling 30 minutes flight to Kathmandu. As you land at the airport at Kathmandu, our staff will transfer you to the hotels.

The remainder of the day, you can explore the areas around the hotel. You can also spend some time buying gifts for yourself and your loved ones.

Thamel has some beautiful classic handicrafts that will remind you of this beautiful country.

We have our final farewell dinner in the evening.

Overnight in Kathmandu.

Shankar Hotel www.shankerhotel.com.np/

or  Manaslu Hotel https://hotelmanaslu.com

This is your last morning in this land of Himalayan wonders. You can enjoy the last meal in Kathmandu.

As per your flight schedule, our staff will drop you to the airport- three hours before the time.

After waving goodbye to each other, our wonderful journey ends here.

You return with all the beautiful memories of this Himalayan Nation. We wish a safe journey towards homeward.