10 Days
16
Moderate
This 10-day Tengboche Monastery trek fulfills a section of the popular and rugged trail towards Everest Base Camp. Starting from Lukla, you’ll climb through the forested Dudh Kosi valley to reach Namche Bazaar, a famous trading village between Tibet and Nepal. You’ll learn about Sherpa culture along the way, culminating with the holy village of Tengboche.
Itinerary
It’s a beautiful flight into the Kathmandu Valley with views of the Himalaya and terraced valley floor. Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, one of our representatives will greet you and transport you to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you’ll have time to explore the city. Some popular sights include Kathmandu’s Durbar Square and its narrow alleyways teeming with small shops, ancient temples, and local restaurants. There’s also Swayambhunath temple, where you can watch the sunset over the valley and the Himalaya to your north. The tourist hub of Thamel is a good place to grab your first meal, with a variety of restaurants to chose from offering both Western and local Nepali dishes. Then, if it’s not too late, head to the busiest bazaar in the city, Asan Tole, which offers an authentic display of spice, fish, and vegetable stands that make for great photo ops. Practice some basic Nepali phrases and chat with friendly locals!
Kathmandu has a special atmosphere during the early morning hours when the city is slowly coming to life yet not too chaotic. It’s a great time to walk and explore the streets or have a chai overlooking one of the local courtyards or durbar squares. After breakfast, there are then a number of ways you can spend your day given the numerous famous sights around the Kathmandu Valley. We provide a local English-speaking guide who knows the city well and can explain the history and significance of the sights (along with a private jeep to take you around).
- Kathmandu Durbar Square (World Heritage Site)
This complex of palaces, courtyards and temples, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, used to be the seat of the ancient Malla kings of Kathmandu. There are also three museums inside the palace building.
- Swoyambhunath Stupa – The Monkey Temple (World Heritage Site)
You can watch over the valley from the top of a hillock on its western side. Swoyambhu is also known as Samhengu and the Monkey temple because of the countless monkeys living in the premises.
- Pashupatinath Temple (World Heritage Site)
Pashupatinath is one of the most sacred Hindu shrines in the world and lies 5 kms east of the city center. The richly-ornamented pagoda houses the sacred Linga, or phallic symbol, of Lord Shiva.
- Boudhanath
It is 2500 years old Buddhist stupa in the Valley built in 5th century with four pairs of eyes of Lord Buddha in four cardinal directions keeping an eternal watch over the people and their doings. You will find Buddhist pilgrims from Tibet going round the stupa spinning the prayer wheels.
- Asan
Asan is a very popular and crowded local market in Kathmandu. It is inhabited by mainly Newar people (indigenous people of Kathmandu).Meanwhile, people from all over the nation and even foreigners are regular customers and visitors there.
Overnight at hotel in Kathmandu.
After breakfast, you’ll fly to Lukla (30 minutes) and land on a steep mountain runway, which brings you to the start of your trek. Try to get a window seat on the left-hand side of the plane and keep your camera close: The flight takes you between mountains and through valleys, with great views of the Himalaya on clear days. You’ll then trek a short distance today through local villages where you’ll likely encounter fellow trekkers, locals, and yaks with their tinkling bells. (Having an easy first day is intentional, allowing you time to get used to the higher elevation.) Continue through the Dudh Koshi Valley on a well-marked trail and stay overnight in Phakding.
After breakfast in Phakding, you’ll start a steady and steep incline towards Namche. This is a challenging day as you’ll start to feel the altitude. The route also consists of a number of high suspension bridges over the Dudh Kosi River that you need to cross. Just beyond the village of Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park, which was set-up in order to protect and preserve the fragile mountain environment (your guide will cover your permit fees here). The trail gets steeper along the way, and if the weather is clear, you will get the first glimpses of Mount Everest. When you arrive at Namche, settle into your accommodations and explore the town. Namche is a great place to stock up on supplies as there are numerous small shops selling snacks and trekking gear, as well as restaurants and bars. If here on a weekend, check out the Saturday market—a meeting place for the Hindu traders from the lowlands and the Tibetan yak caravans that have crossed the glaciated Nangpa La.
Today is a rest day, so feel free to sleep in and relax this morning. Namche, tucked between two ridges amidst the giant peaks of the Khumbu, is an ideal place to spend a day acclimatizing to the new altitude. There is an abundance of lodges, tea shops, and souvenir stands that you can visit. You can also head to the Khunde Hospital set-up by Sir Edmund Hillary, or take a highly-recommended one-hour walk up to the Everest View Hotel above Namche for views of notable peaks like Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Everest. There are also good views from the Sherpa Culture Museum just above town.
After breakfast in Namche, you’ll follow the trail along the side of the valley high above the Dudh Kosi River. You’ll get your first views of the Khumbu region’s giant peaks: Mount Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam. Pass by several villages and numerous tea shops, and descend steeply to a bridge over the river at Phunki Tenga. The village is an ideal stopover for lunch and you can rest before making the steep climb to Tengboche. Although this next zigzag path is tiring, your views will include beautiful rhododendron forests, colorful birds, and superb mountain scenery. Tengboche is famous for its legendary monastery, the largest in Khumbu, and a spectacular panorama of the aforementioned peaks can be seen from where you’ll stop for the night.
After breakfast in Tengboche, you’ll return to Namche Bazaar for lunch and any last-minute shopping before starting your hike down to Monjo. The route takes you steeply down along the Dudh Kosi River. You’ll cross the river and follow it to Jorsale, and then continue crossing the river a few more times to Monjo where you’ll stay overnight.
After breakfast in Lukla, you’ll take an early morning flight back to Kathmandu. Upon arrival, you’ll be transferred to your hotel and will be able to enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening at your leisure. Explore Kathmandu’s streets on foot, bicycle, or rickshaw, perhaps shopping for souvenirs or seeing anything you may have missed at the beginning of your trip. Other ideas include rewarding your muscles after the trek with a massage service at Seeing Hands (services are offered from the visually impaired), or the more upscale Kinjalla Spa. You can also take an early evening yoga class at Pranamaya Yoga, with two locations in Thamel and Patan. In the evening, choose from a selection of Nepali, French, Vietnamese, and Middle Eastern dishes in Kathmandu. In the evening we will have a farewell dinner in a traditional Nepalese restaurant with cultural performances.
It’s time to say farewell to Nepal. Enjoy your last moments in Kathmandu with breakfast in a café, a city stroll, and/or souvenir shopping. A representative will meet you at your hotel and drive you to the airport for your return flight home. It’s good to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure.
Cost Includes
- Food & drinks
- Dinner
- Lunch
- Breakfast
- Standard twin-sharing accommodation in a three-star hotel in Kathmandu including breakfast
- Airport / Hotel / Airport pick up & drop off service by a private tourist vehicle
- Guided city tour in Kathmandu valley by a private tourist vehicle
- All standard meals during the trek (Breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Guesthouse accommodationduring the trek in mostly twin-share and occasionally dormitory-style rooms
- Licensed English-speaking trekking guide
- The required number of local staff and porters to carry your luggage during the trek
- Food, accommodation, salary, insurance, equipment and medicine for all staff
- Everest National Park permits and TIMS permit for trekking
- Airfare from Kathmandu – Lukla – Kathmandu including airport departure taxes
- Free duffel/kit bag
- Farewell dinner in a traditional Nepali restaurant with cultural performances
- All our government taxes, vat, tourist service charges
- Official expenses
Cost Excludes
- Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu
- Travel insurance which covers emergency high-altitude rescue and evacuation
- International airfare and airport departure tax
- Nepal entry visa
- Alcoholic, hot and cold drinks
- Personal trekking equipment
- Tips for trekking staff and driver (Tipping is expected.)
- Any others expenses that are not mentioned in the Price Includes section
Notes
- Animals or pets allowed
- Public transportation nearby
- Passport required
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not stroller accessible
- Infants must not sit on laps
- Infant seats unavailable
- Not recommended for people with heart conditions
- Our airport representative will receive you from the airport to your hotel. Upon arrival, your guide will meet and brief about the trip.
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