Everest Panorama Trek is perfect for those wishing to experience the Everest region’s spectacular landscape without going to altitude extremes and whilst maintaining home comforts. Everest Panorama Trek is a perfect introduction to the Everest Khumbu area, the most famous region in the entire Himalaya. We visit Sherpa villages and Tengboche monastery, which offers views of Mt. Everest rising behind the Lhotse-Nuptse wall and other surrounding peaks.
Trip Duration | 12 Days (Kathmandu to Kathmandu) |
Trekking destination | Thyangboche Monastery at 3867m |
Trip Grade | Easy to Moderate |
Activities | Trekking & cultural sightseeing tours in Kathmandu |
Altitude | Minimum 1350m ( Kathmandu ) & Maximum 3867m (Thyangboche Monastery) |
Best Seasons | Autumn (mid Sept to mid Dec) and Spring(March to May) |
Accommodations | 04 nights at Kathmandu & 07 nights in lodge/teahouse during trek |
Meals | 11 Breakfast, 07 Lunches & 08 dinners |
Trip Starts/Ends: | Kathmandu (Capital of Nepal) |
Transportation | Private vehicle / domestic flights (Kathmandu/ Lukla/Kathmandu) |
Arrive Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport, you will be met and welcomed by our representative. Please look for signage of Natraj Trekking with your name once you come out of Arrival Terminal Hall after collecting your luggage. You will be escorted by our representative to the hotel
Welcome to Kathmandu, capital of the ancient Mountain Kingdom of Nepal. Kathmandu has the air of a medieval city with a maze of narrow streets, wooden temples and beautifully decorated palaces.
Upon arrival at the hotel, guest will be provided welcome drinks along with the room key.In the evening we will organize a Welcome Dinner at a traditional Nepalese Restaurant where you will enjoy a Nepalese cultural program as well as a fine local Nepali meal.
Overnight at the hotel
Meals included: Dinner
After breakfast and trek briefing by your trek guide, we have arranged a walking tour of Kathmandu Durbar Square through Ason (local market) with a local Nepali guide.
Our sightseeing this morning takes in the sumptuous majesty of Durbar Square, with its collection of ornate palaces, courtyards and temples that span some three centuries of dynastic rule by Malla, Shah and Rana kings. We’ll see the Great Bell and the fearsome image of the six-armed Kala Bhairab, the magnificent Taleju Temple and the Kasthamandap, the oldest building in the Kathmandu Valley. We will also visit the Asan Bazaar and the Kumari Ghar, home to the Kumari Devi, a living goddess worshipped by both followers of the Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
This afternoon we will then have an opportunity to visit a local hire shop to pick up any last minute equipment still needed.
Overnight at the hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Fly to Lukla and trek to Phakding – About 3 hrs walking
This morning you will be transferred from your hotel to Kathmandu airport for domestic flight to Lukla. Flying time to Lukla is approximately 40 minutes. Please note that flight is subject to weather conditions. Due to weather, sometime flight may delay and cancel.
Upon arrival in Lukla, you will be met by our trek guide and porters. From Lukla we descend on a wide trail northwest to the village of Choblung in the Dudh Kosi Valley. The valley radiates energy through beautiful pine and rhododendron forest. The walking is easy and we follow the river’s course, passing through the village of Ghat. Our destination is the small village of Phakding where we will spend overnight.
Dinner and overnight at the local lodge (Teahouse)
Meals include: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazaar- About 6 hrs walking
Walking through a beautiful pine forest, the track leads us along the Dudh Koshi River through many suspension bridges, one of which is the famous Hillary Suspension Bridge. First, we catch wonderful prospect of the glistening Mt. Thamserku (6618 m). Through the settlement of Benkar, Chumoa, Monjo, we come to the check post and entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. We pass through the last village of Jorsale before reaching Namche Bazaar. The trail climbs through the forests and bridges until we reach the confluence of the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. After a final steep ascent of about 1 hour we get first sight fist of at Mt. Everest, peering over the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. We stop at Chauatra to admire the view. We still need to walk about 1 hour to reach Namche Bazaar, a gateway to Mt. Everest and main trading centre of this region. We stay overnight in Namche Bazaar.
Overnight at a local lodge (teahouse) in Namche
Meals include: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Acclimatization day at Namche Bazaar
Namche Bazaar is a highly important village for the Sherpa people. In the morning we visit the Sherpa Museum and Visitor Centre. This contains an interesting display on Sherpa life and culture, lots of information on the wildlife and plants of the area and an exhibit on the history of climbing in the Khumbu.
The afternoon is free for you to make an excursion up the valley beyond Namche towards the village of Thamo (About 4 hours walk round trip). OR you can relax in the village.
Overnight at a local lodge (teahouse) in Namche
Meals include: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Trek from Namche Bazaar to Thyangboche (About 7 hrs walking including lots of stops)
We’ll spend the morning exploring the colorful and lively local market in Namche. Each week, Sherpas from the surrounding villages come to buy food and to socialize. Any food not grown locally, such as rice, corn and some vegetables is brought in by porters from the lowland villages.
Leaving the market we ascend out of the village and follow a high, fairly level path above the Dudh Kosi enjoying spectacular mountain views as we go. We then descend to Sanasa and Tashinga where we pass the various ‘shops’ set up by Tibetans selling trinkets. We then descend again through forests of blue pine to reach and cross the Dudh Kosi to Phungki Tenga 3250m. From here we make an initially steep ascent through forest to reach the spectacularly set Thyangboche monastery.
Overnight at a local lodge (teahouse) in Thyangboche
Meals include: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Trek from Thyangboche to Khumjung–About 4 hrs walking
We visit to Thyangboche monastery this morning, and then the trail drops steeply to the river at Phunki Thanga, and then rises again to traverse high above the river on the winding trail leading back to Namche Bazaar. Shortly after passing through Sanasa, we branch off to the right and take the trail leading gradually upwards to the extensive Sherpa settlement of Khumjung at 3790m. Khumjung is the the largest village in the Khumbu and contains many items of interest for the visitor – the Gompa possesses the supposed skull of a Yeti but this has been scientifically disproved. Also in Khumjung is the Hillary School, and further up the hill at the village of Khunde is the Khunde Hospital, built in 1966 and maintained by the Sir Edmund Hillary Himalayan Trust. This is well worth a visit, and all donations of money or medical supplies are most welcome.
Overnight at a local lodge (teahouse) in Khumjung
Meals include: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Trek from Khumjung to Monzo–About 5 hours walking,
We’ll take a different route from Khumjung to Namche. We may make an excursion to the Everest View hotel for great mountain views from the terrace or continue to Khunde, perhaps making a short visit to see the Khunde Hospital, built by the Himalayan Trust – a charity established by Sir Edmund Hillary to assist the Sherpa people.
From Khunde we climb for a short while to a small pass, enjoying fine views of Thamserku, Kangtega and Ama Dablam & Everest. On our descent we will pass the Government yak breeding farm and continue to the now unused small airstrip at Syangboche at 3720m. From the airport we then make a steep descent south into Namche for lunch. We continue back down to the valley of the Dudh Kosi and on to our night stop at Monzo.
Overnight at a local lodge (teahouse) in Monzo
Meals include: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Trek from Monzo to Lukla – About 5 hrs walking
After breakfast, we continue our descent along the banks of the Dudh Kosi, before making a final ascent to reach the Lukla plateau by mid afternoon. En route we may make an optional excursion to a small monastery above the river near the ghat.
Overnight at a local lodge (teahouse) in Lukla,
Meals include: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
In the morning you take off from Lukla airstrip for a spectacular mountain flight back to Kathmandu (Weather permitting). Upon arrival at Kathmandu domestic airport terminal, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.The rest of the day is free to explore this wonderful city; shopping for souvenirs, trying out the various restaurants in Thamel or simply relaxing.
Overnight at the hotel
Meals include: Breakfast
Breakfast at the hotel
The last day is spent in Kathmandu allowing time to explore the fascinating site of Kathmandu Valley and also a day’s leeway should there be a delay with flights from Lukla due to bad weather conditions.
This afternoon there is then an opportunity to take an optional excursion to the almost perfectly preserved Newari town of Bhaktapur in the eastern corner of the Kathmandu Valley. Also known as Bhadgaon or City of the Devotees, Bhaktapur evokes the feel of a medieval village, a snapshot of a time when the city lay along the prosperous trade routes between Tibet, China and India. The ancient centre of the town is a dazzling collection of temples, palaces that has earned it a place on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.You can spend the evening leisurely, perhaps catch up on some last minute shopping and celebrate dinner together with your Trekking guide if you prefer.
Overnight at the hotel
Meals include: Breakfast
You are saying good bye to the mountains as your journey in Nepal comes to an end today! We hope you enjoyed the tour with us and we expect that you plan your next adventure in the wonderful country of Nepal again.Approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight time, a representative from Natraj Trekking will transfer you to the airport.
Meals included: Breakfast
Transport, Entrance Fee, Guide, etc
Accommodations
Airfare
Trekking Portion
The above rates are valid till December 31, 2013
Note: The price does not include: undue escalation in fuel prices, new taxes levies on hotels and transportation services or any hikes in entrance fees. Any large tax hikes and new levies shall be payable extra and shall be billed accordingly with prior notice.
You are advised to consider the following equipments as essentials while packing for Everest Panorama Trek. Please use this list as a guideline. Adjustments to the list can be done according to your needs, interests, duration of your trip, season of your trip, etc. You can find variety of these gears to hire or buy in Kathmandu.
Please remember that at the start of the trek, apart from your day pack, your luggage that will be carried by porters should have weight limitation of approximately 12-15 kg.
Head
Upper Body
Hands
Lower Body
Feet
Accessories
Toiletries
Personal Hygiene
Extras/Luxuries
Everest Panorama Trek is an Easy to Moderate trek suitable for passionate walkers who have ability to walk at least 4-5 hours a day with a light day pack. Walking in higher altitude is physically demanding than walking in the lower altitudes; however, if you are in a good health with average physical fitness and have positive attitude and self confidence you can accomplish the Everest Panorama Trek pretty successfully. Exercising and jogging regularly for some weeks prior of the trip are good idea to enhance your strength and stability. There is no technical skill is required for this trip. It is vital that you consult with your doctor before you decide and set up for the Everest Panorama Trek. Participants with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart, lung, and blood disease should inform us before booking the trek.
Our accommodation whilst on trek on twin room sharing basis in a simple locally run lodges, known as teahouses and it’s a great pleasure to support these small local businesses. Rooms are simply furnished with just a bed and occasionally a small table. You will need to bring a sleeping bag. Please note, normally washing and toilet facilities are shared and may be in a separate part of the teahouse or outside. It’s great to enjoy the company of your fellow travellers and share a tale with other trekkers in the evening in the dining area.
If you are a solo traveler, you will share a room with someone else of same sex of your group. If you prefer a single room, you may indicate your preference and get single rooms on request by paying extra as indicated on cost section. But, you need to understand that in teahouses/lodges of higher elevation area single room is not always possible. We guarantee single room in Kathmandu only. Single room is may not be possible at the local lodge during your trek.
On this trek we provide standard breakfast, lunch and dinner, tea or coffee will also be included with each meal. Your guide will help with menu selection and ensure that you get the best value meals possible. Although the food is usually plentiful and delicious, you should be aware that the menu is not normally extensive. Most teahouses offer a variety of rice and noodle dishes, as well as soup and seasonal vegetables. You can buy packaged water (bottled mineral water) from local lodge and shop en route or you can also ask your guide to fill your water bottle with boiled water (extra cost to be paid) and treat with water purification pills.
During the trek, your main luggage will be carried by porter. Please keep your luggage as light as possible around 12 kg. You simply carry a day pack with water bottle, camera, sun-screen, spare jacket etc. You can leave your valuable items at your hotel while trekking. Many hotels have a locker system and provide a deposit slip for the valuables kept under the hotel’s safekeeping. You may also leave your extra things at your hotel which is not required for your trek in your main luggage. Please note that we will provide complimentary kit bag for you before your trek starts so that you can pack all your necessary things.
On tea house trek you will be accompanied by a team of local crew whose aim is to make the trek as comfortable and enjoyable as much possible. The crew consists of a trek guide/leader and a team of porters to carry all your gear. On average, there will be a ratio of one porter to every two trekkers.
The most important thing that makes your Trek successful, enjoyable and memorable is the skilled, experienced, courteous and helpful trek guide and the crew members with ability of operating your days in the mountain smoothly. Your trip will be led by experienced trek guide. All of our trekking guides/leaders are carefully selected on the basis of their appropriate experience, leadership skills and personal aptitude.
On tea house trek you will be accompanied by a team of local crew whose aim is to make the trek as comfortable and enjoyable as much possible. The crew consists of a trek guide/leader and a team of porters to carry all your gear. On average, there will be a ratio of one porter to every two trekkers.
The most important thing that makes your Trek successful, enjoyable and memorable is the skilled, experienced, courteous and helpful trek guide and the crew members with ability of operating your days in the mountain smoothly. Your trip will be led by experienced trek guide. All of our trekking guides/leaders are carefully selected on the basis of their appropriate experience, leadership skills and personal aptitude.
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.
On this trek breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided during your trek. You only need money for table drinks (alcoholic/non alcoholic beverages), snacks while walking (a few smaller shops are available along the trail in some areas) tips, souvenirs, hot shower (available in some places).
You need to pass on your International flight details to us for a ‘meeting and greeting’ service at the Kathmandu Airport. You just pass through the Customs and come out of the Arrival Terminal Hall after collecting your baggage where you will see our representative /guide standing with a placard that states Natraj Trekking’ with your own name.
Autumn (mid Sept to mid Dec) and Spring (March to May) are the best seasons for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek. The weather is sunny and warm, with outstanding views but the nights are cold and can fall to freezing. Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb) is also good for Annapurna Sanctuary Trek, only colder (obviously). The trekking routes are crowded during spring and autumn but during winter the routes are not packed and you could enjoy rather best of nature. However, please note, there may be snowfall / avalanches during the winter.
Depending on the prevailing situation, itinerary can be modified to some extent after consulting with your trek 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.
All visitors except the Indian nationals must hold passport and valid visa. Visa can be obtained at the Nepalese diplomatic missions and consulates abroad. Visa is also issued at the entry points. It can be extended at the Department of Immigration, Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu. Children under 10 years need not pay any visa fee. People willing to get entry Visa at the air port or any of the land entry points are required to fill a visa form with passport photograph.
If you are obtaining Nepal Visa upon arrival (please note that some of nationalities cannot get visa upon arrival), please be noted that Nepal Visa Application Form can be received through us by e-mail. Two passport size photo graphs are required and following visa fee to be paid at the airport as per your stay in Nepal
Note: Please note that visa fees and rules are subject to change.
In case of a serious sickness or a casualty, which we hope will not happen; you shall be rescued by a helicopter. Since you are entirely liable for all the expenses incurred in evacuation please make sure that it is covered by your insurance before assigning for it or be prepared to pay on your own after getting back in Kathmandu.
It is recommended of joining any of Natraj Trekking trips that be protected against comprehensive expenses potential to incur due to medical issues or accidents (to include air ambulance, helicopter rescue, and treatment costs). Please be noted that we do not arrange or sell insurance. Altitude 4130m to be covered by Insurance Company
Natraj Trekking is the one of the leading and oldest trekking agency in Nepal since 1967. We organize Tibet, Bhutan & India tour as well. We excel in this field because we genuinely love what we do and are committed to providing you with the best services as we commit you.
Responsible travel
The beautiful environment of the Himalayas is also an extremely fragile one. At Natraj Trekking, we are extremely conscious about the environment and aim to minimize the detrimental impact on the environment as much as possible.
Care for porters and staffs
We make sure that all porters and all other staff climbing in high altitude conditions are provided with adequate clothing and equipment. We also ensure that the porters we hire are insured. We run the trek according to the guidelines of the International Porter Protection group (IPPG- www.ippg.net).
Know before you go
We strongly recommend that you check your government’s travel advisory for up-to-date information and advice about your destination: safety and security, entry requirements, health, local laws and customs, including advice re: the legality of and local attitudes towards same-sex relationships.
Tipping
Tipping is the accepted way of saying ‘thank you’ for good service. Tips do not form part of the wages of your guides, porters and trek crew but they are very much appreciated. It is important to remember that tipping is voluntary and should be dependent on good service. Normally the tips are given at the end of the trek and this is best done as a group. Most groups will give the tips with a bit of ceremony (or sometimes a party) on the last evening, to mark the end of the trip. The amount depends on your budget and appreciation of their work.