Overview
The Short Everest Panorama Family Lodge trekking is an ideal trek for those who have a limited amount of time, are new to trekking or trekking with a young family. It is a total of 10 days, with seven actual days of trekking in the beautiful region of Mt. Everest. The Mt. Everest region is literally the roof of the world. Three of the world’s highest peaks are here including Mt. Everest (elev. 8848 m). These snowcapped peaks rise majestically above the surrounding area.
This is the land of the famed Sherpa people. We will visit the capital city of the Sherpas (Namche Bazaar) along with some very ancient Buddhist monasteries. The monastery at Tengboche is the highest monastery in the world. This is also the land of the mysterious yeti. The cries of the yeti can still be heard at night in the mountains. Don’t believe in yetis, you say? Well, the locals do, and they have stories about them that will entertain you in the evenings before going to bed.
There are, of course, incredible scenic views of Mt. Everest and the other high peaks along the way. There are incredible glaciers to see, beautiful waterfalls and so much more. This trek is the best way to get acquainted with the Everest region without having to make the difficult trek to Everest Base Camp (EBC). This is a great family trek, but not just for families only.
Itinerary
You arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport where a representative of Vertical Expedition will greet you and take you to your Three Star Hotel by private car. You will enjoy a welcome drink as well as an evening orientation about your trip as well as equipment check. Spend the night in the hotel.
After breakfast, we will take a domestic flight to Lukla where we begin our trek in the Everest region. It is just a 45 minute flight, and what a flight it is! We literally follow the backbone of the Himalayas eastward. On the flight you will see not only Mt. Everest, but also the peaks of Kanchenjunga III, Mt. Lhotse IV, and Makalu V. Each of these peaks is over 8,000 meters, literally forming the roof of the world. We land in Lukla village where we begin our trek. There are no roads to Lukla, so this village is only accessible by air or a seven day trek from Jiri village. We will be heading toward Phakding village. We actually go downhill from Lukla as we travel through the rugged foothills of the Everest region. Trekking time is around three hours and we will stay in a local lodge at Phakding.
Our walk begins early in the morning. It is a fairly easy trek, even starting out rather level as we follow the Dudh Koshi River. The land will start to move uphill gradually as we make our way toward the main district city of Namche Bazaar. We will cross the Hillary suspension bridge, and until we finally come to the steepest part of today’s trek that leads us to Namche Bazaar. There are plenty of views of the high mountains along the way, as well as becoming immersed in the local Buddhist culture of the Sherpa people. We will check into a local guesthouse for the night.
It is important to spend a day acclimatizing to the higher elevation as altitude sickness can be quite serious. The day will not be spent just lying around, but we will hike to Everest Viewpoint for a magnificent view of Mt. Everest. From here, you will see the spectacular peaks of Everest, Amadablam, Nuptse and many more. It is only a two hour hike to Everest Viewpoint and we will spend a few hours there enjoying the view as well as having lunch. We will return to Namche Bazaar where you can spend the afternoon exploring the village. There is a lot to see here. We will spend the night in our local guest house.
Today’s trek will lead us to the famed monastery of Tengboche. It is the highest monastery in the world at 3,860 meters. This monastery features the footprint of the Buddhist lama St. Milarepa. This monastery is famed for its incredible views of Mt. Everest and the 8,000+m peaks in the area. It is a pleasant trek to this place, taking around seven hours. There is some steep climbing just before reaching Tengboche, but otherwise the trail is relatively level. We will spend the night at a mountain lodge.
It is a shorter day of trekking today as we leave Tengboche and make our way to the Sherpa village of Khumjung. This is the largest Sherpa village in Khumbu region. We will trek downhill to the Dudh Koshi River, crossing it and then up again on the other side. There is a wonderful monastery to visit here as well as enjoying great views of the roof of the world.
We leave Khumjung in the morning, passing the Hillary School. Sir Edmund Hillary was a great advocate of the Sherpa people, building schools, bridges and hospitals in this area. We pass through Namche Bazaar, but we keep going onto the village of Monjo. Here we will spend the night in a local lodge.
This is our final day of trekking, and a chance to enjoy some lower elevations along the way. There are wonderful Sherpa villages along the way where we can enjoy and appreciate the local culture. Today’s trekking time is 5 – 6 hours, and we will spend the night in a local mountain lodge.
We will take an early morning flight to Kathmandu. It is important to remember that the Lukla airport often experiences fog, so we may have some delays before we can take off. Upon returning to Kathmandu, we will take you to your hotel where you can relax or do some sightseeing around Thamel or visit Kathmandu’s Durbar Square. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with a local cultural show and great local food.
All good things must come to an end, and your trip to Nepal is no exception. Before leaving, why not talk to your representative at Vertical Expedition about returning to Nepal for your next holiday. The vast majority of people make a return trip to Nepal because they are impressed by not only the beauty, but also the local people. Vertical Expedition offers trips into neighboring Tibet, Bhutan and India. Be sure to discuss your interests and plans with them today.
Trip Information
- All airport/hotel transfers
- Accommodations at Three Star Hotels in kathmandu
- Only basic lodges while in the Everest region.
- A full day guided tour of the Kathmandu Valley with an English speaking guide and all entrance fees.
- An experienced English speaking guide on the trek that is government licensed and trained. There will be an assistant leader (1 assistant leader for every six trekkers), plus Sherpas and porters (2 trekkers = 1 porter). This includes insurance, salaries, flight, equipment, food and lodging for all staff on your trek.
- Sleeping bag, Vertical Expedition T-Shirt, Duffle Bag and trekking maps. (Sleeping bags & duffle bags are to be returned after the trip completion.)
- All necessary paperwork and permits (TIMS, Sagarmatha National Park permit)
- A farewell dinner along with one cultural show.
- A comprehensive medical kit.
- All government and local taxes.
- Nepal Visa fee ( bring USD cash and four (4) passport size photographs)
- International Airfare to/from Kathmandu
- Excess Baggage charges
- Personal clothing and gear
- Lunch and Evening meals in Kathmandu (and also in case of early return from mountain than the scheduled itinerary.)
- Travel insurance that covers emergency evacuation.
- Personal expenses (phone calls, laundry, bar bill, battery recharge, extra porters, bottled or boiled water, hot showers in mountains, etc.)
- Cost raise by cancellation, landslide, weather conditions, political instability, and illness will not be our responsibility since these factors are above and beyond our control.
- Tips for guides, drivers, Sherpas and porters.
Extras
FAQS
What will be the crew and group size during this trip?
For this trip, there will be a Trek Leader and Sherpa Porters for carrying luggage (2 trekkers = 1 porter). This arrangement ensures that if anyone in the group is sick, the trip can still go ahead as planned. However, Vertical Expedetion can run this trek for the group of any size. Generally, the maximum number of trekkers that the company has found optimum is 12.
Where will you be staying during the trip?
All accommodations for the Short Everest Panorama Family Lodge Trek are on twin-sharing basis with inclusive costs and are chosen based on standard hygiene and standard of food, services, locations, etc. There will be two styles of accommodations during this trek. We will spend two nights at a Three-Star Hotel in Kathmandu. During the trek, we will spend seven nights at standard tea houses or lodges with unheated rooms with wooden beds and foam mattresses. We can provide you with attached bath in some major towns; however, tea houses and lodges in some places have only shared washing and toilet facilities. We share a room with someone else of the same sex of our group if you are a solo traveler. If you prefer a single room, you may indicate your preferences and obtain a single room for an additional fee. Please understand that single rooms are not always possible at tea houses and mountain lodges. We will do our best to try and make the appropriate arrangements.
What Will Be the Meals Arrangements During This Trip?
During this trek, you can enjoy the typical Nepali food along with different ethnic cuisines as well as all types of international cuisine (Tibetan, Continental, Italian, Indian, etc.) with items from pizza to chips to apple pie. You can even enjoy hot chocolates, a variety of breads, drinks and snacks. Breakfast of a day will be served from the tea house or lodge where we spend the night. Lunch will be served on the way to our destination with dinner served where we are spending the night. During your stay in Kathmandu, a farewell dinner along with breakfasts will be served.
