Everest Base Camp Trek with Heli Return

You may arrive in Kathmandu at any time. Upon your arrival, our airport representative will welcome you and explain the program further. He will also help you get transferred to the Hotel. There are no planned activities for the day, so check into the hotel. Enjoy your overnight stay at the hotel.

You will have an early morning transfer to the airport for your Lukla flight. The flight to Lukla is a lifetime experience in itself. The airfield of Lukla is at a high elevation, and the difference between the two ends of the runway is about an exceptional 60 meters only.

The atmosphere is different from Kathmandu, and you can feel the difference in the air immediately as you land at Lukla. From there, you will trek to Phakding, with an arresting, green landscape with a view of the Kusum Kangraru Himal.

From Phakding, we will follow the Dudh Koshi River. Ascending through Himalayan pine and cedar forests, we will reach the celebrated village of Namche Bazaar. The village of Namche is a historic trading post where Nepalese and Tibetan traders exchanged salt, dried meat, and textiles in ancient trading times.

Besides being a splendid destination to shop for traditional crafts, Namche also remains the central trading post in the Khumbu that attracts many Himalayan and lowland merchants. Namche Bazaar is located on a hillside and is structured like a natural amphitheater. The views of the Kongdi RI, Mount Everest, Thamserku, and many other peaks from here are quite fascinating. Overnight stay at the Guesthouse at Namche Bazaar.

This day is especially sectioned for acclimatization. Today, we will hike to the Syangboche Airport (3700m), supposed to be the highest located airstrip in the world. The view of Namche Bazaar from Syangboche is utterly amazing.

Then, we will continue climbing to the Everest View Hotel for great panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Tawache, and many other mountain peaks. The Everest View Hotel is also entered into the Guinness Book of World records as the highest located hotel in the world. It boasts views of Mount Everest from all of its windows. On the way back, we can also visit the Sherpa Culture Museum and the Everest Photo Gallery. 

We will continue the trek to Tengboche today. The uniform and easy trail lead us towards the view of Mount Everest, descending deep into the Dudh Koshi Valley at Pungki Thanka. From this point, it ascends the right flank of the Dudh Koshi valley to the Tengboche Monastery (3860m). The village of Tengboche is considered the spiritual center of the Khumbu.

The climb is lengthy but is more than adequately compensated by gorgeous views of Mount Ama Dablam and on a clear day, views of Mount Everest and its surrounding peaks as well. The views of the mountain peaks from Tengboche’s ridges are out of this world. The village is also surrounded by rhododendron and pine forests and we can catch glimpses of the Danphe bird as well in the woods.

Descending through a beautiful forest, we will cross the Imja Khola and trek through the village of Pangboche (3900m). Today is the most interesting trekking day because you will not lose altitude like on other days. You can also enjoy views of Mount Ama Dablam, Mt. Lhotse, and many other peaks along the trail as well. The route continues through pastures to Dingboche, known as the “Summer Valley”. It has a kilometer-long wall built on the outskirts of the village that serves as a protection for the agricultural crops against the cold winds of the region. It receives more sunlight as well. The crops planted in the village roll serenely against the mountain air.

This would be your second acclimatization day that requires about 6 hours of trekking to an altitude of 5100 meters. After breakfast, you will ascend to Nagerjun (5100m), a hill located on the flanks of the Chhukung valley directly above Dingboche.

The main aim is to climb high and sleep low. The footpath to Nagerjun becomes steep at times, resulting in a physically strenuous day. Ascending the hill could take up to 5 hours at altitude. From this altitude, there are good views of the Lobuche East (6119m), the Lobuche West (6145m), the Taboche Peak (6367m), Thamserku (6608m), the Kangtega Himal (6685m) and the Ama Dablam (6856m). On a clear day, you can even see Mount Makalu, the world’s fifth highest mountain, including great views of the Pheriche Valley.

After a short rest, you will start the descent back to Dingboche. The walk back at altitude takes about 2 hours. After lunch, you can take a well-deserved rest, as afternoon temperatures could drop rapidly as the sun sets over the mountain tops.

Trekking along a broad valley floor to Dughla, we will be passing the Trekkers Aid Post at Pheriche (4240 m). This trek is staffed by Western volunteer doctors and supported by the Himalayan Rescue Association, which offers treatment and consultation to trekkers. Continuing up the valley, we will be gaining altitude. We will come out of the valley to descend to the yak pastures of Lobuche.

After a short climb through meadows, you can look down at the Khumbu glacier. Straight ahead lies Kalapatthar – the best vantage point to view the entire south face of Mt. Everest and the surrounding peaks. After a couple of hours, we will get to Gorakshep and continue our journey to the Everest Base Camp. There is not much elevation gain, but there are a lot of ups and downs and, combined with altitude, this can be an exhausting trek. But the journey is worth it. After approximately 3 hrs of hiking, you will arrive at the base camp. You can also enjoy a magnificent view of the Khumbu glacier and icefall, where the Everest expeditions first began.

The day starts with a hike up to Kalapatthar (5545m), the best viewpoint to witness Mount Everest in all its glory and the spectacular Himalayan range. After spending time looking at the magnificent views of the mountains from Kalapatthar, we will trek back to Gorakshep for breakfast. Then the most thrilling part of the journey commences- the helicopter ride! From Gorakshep, you will get a helicopter ride to Lukla.

The view of the mountains from the helicopter is quite amazing! Looking at the landscape below also presents splendid sights. The terrain below looks like a colorful green and white carpet laid out in the landscape. It is a matter of amazing Himalayan views and rolling hills. The helicopter view of the Himalayan Rivers is like watching a silver ribbon cutting across the land. The experience is quite enriching and full of marvelous and gorgeous sights.

You will say goodbye to the mountains and take a flight back to Ramechhap or Kathmandu from Lukla today, depending on the trekking season. The return flight to Ramechhap or Kathmandu from Lukla takes about 20/30 minutes.

Note: From March to May and September to November, all Lukla flights will be from Ramechhap, which involves a 4-hour drive.

Breakfast at the hotel, and approximately 3 hours before the scheduled flight, a representative from the Nepal Hiking Team will take you to the airport for your departure.