Chola Pass with Everest Base Camp Trek – 19 days

Our airport representative and a driver will be present to pick you up from the airport and drop you at your respective hotel where you can take a rest. If you have some time then you can explore local markets.  In the evening our manager will brief you about your trip and he will introduce you to your guide. Then we will have dinner at a traditional Nepali restaurant.

We will have our breakfast and fly to Lukla, which takes 30 minutes. Lukla is a very developed town. At the time of your arrival, your porters will be there to welcome you (only if you have booked them from the beginning). Your porters will make your breakfast/lunch arrangements in the tea house in Lukla. We will then start our journey towards Phakding, which takes around 3-4 hours of walking. The way to Phakding is almost trouble-free and flat.

You will see ancient Buddhist monasteries, traditional agricultural farms, and the settlement of the Sherpas on the way. Yaks will be a common view in this journey as they are the means of transporting goods in the Everest region. First, we will cross the Dudh Koshi river, and then we will follow the Thado Khola en route to Phakding. Phakding is a small village where you can see a number of lodges for trekkers. You will encounter the stunning view of Mt. Kusum Kangaru on the way.

We will start our journey towards Namche Bazaar from Phakding. The trek takes around 6-7 hours of walking. We will cross the Dudh Koshi river multiple times via high suspension bridges. We will then reach a place called Monjo. We will encounter the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park after crossing the Monjo river. The park protects the endangered flora and fauna species of the Everest region. Your trekking documents will be checked here.

Most of the path will be uphill from this point. Walking on we will see the very first view of Mt. Everest (8,848 mt). We will also encounter other mountain peaks like Mt. Thameserku, Mt. Kusum Kangaru, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Tawache, etc. Finally, after a long and troublesome uphill trail, we will get the first view of the colorful and beautiful village Namche Bazaar.

Today you will acclimatize and prepare yourself for the further journey because the air gets thinner as the altitude increases. You will discuss with your guide the necessary preparedness steps ahead. Normally, the guides suggest you take a walk to the Everest View Hotel (3962M) from where you will be able to view the magnificent view of mountain peaks like Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Mt. Thamserku, Mt. Kusum Kangaru & Mt. Amadablam. If you still have time left then you can pay a visit to the local Sherpa museum where you get to know about the community, tradition, culture, and musical instruments.

We will walk towards Dole after breakfast. The spectacular view of Mt. Everest will be right in front of your eyes. We will follow the trail on the north side of Namche village. After trekking for a while, we will get to a junction where paths for various trekking destinations meet. From that junction, we will take the path towards Gokyo Lake and leave the trail of the Everest Base Camp trek.

The target is to reach Mong La, a small hill station. We will have lunch at Phortse Tanga. Then we will again continue our journey taking the steep uphill trail to reach Dole. There we will go through Rhododendron and pine forest. On the way, you can capture the stunning view of small and big clear waterfalls inside the jungle. We will reach Dole at the end of the day.

Today our destination will be Machhermo. We will walk through beautiful villages like Lhabarma [4,200 m] and Luza [4,400 m]. As we move forward, the route will be uphill but it is interesting to walk because of the mesmerizing surrounding and snowcapped mountain views. The route is popular and we will encounter many people passing by. To reach the Machhermo, we will have to walk through river banks.

The first reported sighting of Yeti was here in Machhermo in 1974 AD. After reaching Machhermo we will rest and prepare for the Gokyo Lake trek for the next day.

After having our breakfast in Machhermo we will start our trekking to Gokyo Lake. Gokyo is a small town with few facilities for trekkers. The path to Gokyo offers stunning views of mountain peaks like Gokyo Peak, Mt. Thameserku, Mt. Kangtega, and Cho Oyu. This part of the trail is most entertaining and relaxing. We will travel through the villages like Pangram [4,400 m] and Longponga [4,700 m].

In these villages, you can see the footprints of Lamas on the old mud-plastered stupas. Before we start our uphill trail to the moraine of Ngazumpa glacier we will be taking the downhill path to the river. We will cross many small frozen holy lakes before reaching Gokyo Lake. We will spend our night at Gokyo lake.

Today we will acclimatize for further journey. You will also take part in a short hike towards Gokyo RI. Gokyo RI offers a clear and magnificent views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Cho Oyu, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Thamserku, Mt. Kangtega, Bancharo Peak, Gokyo Peak, Mt. Cholatse, etc. The mountain view is breathtaking at sunrise. You will have a marvelous time at the top of the peak.

Explore the places around Gokyo lake after coming back from the short hike. Please let your guide know about your health if you have any kind of difficulty.

Thagnak is a beautiful small village near Cho La Pass. The path is quite difficult since the air is thin and the altitude is high. We will have to walk through the slippery paths of the glacier to reach Thagnak. You will see pristine blue glacial ice on the way. In Thagnak, there are very few numbers of lodges for trekkers. We will spend our night there and prepare for the next day’s trek to Cho La Pass.

Today we will have to move early in the morning, probably at 4 or 5 am, because there is a chance of stone fall during windy daytime. This day’s trek will be difficult compared to other days. It is difficult to walk through the passes where the air is thin and the altitude is high. We will have to be careful while moving forward. Don’t panic because you will be guided by our experienced crew to cross this path.

Once we reach the top of the Cho La Pass, the path starts to go downhill to Dzongla. Dzongla is a beautiful village in the Everest region that has limited resources for trekkers.

Compared to the uphill trek to Cho La Pass, the trek to Gorakshep is easier. First, the route is slightly downhill and then goes uphill to Lobuche. From Lobuche, it is a small trek towards Gorakshep. The path is easy and offers you a beautiful view of various glazing mountains. Lobuche is rich in resources for trekkers in comparison to Dzongla. A number of trekkers camp in Lobuche but we will move to Gorakshep as it will be easier for the trek to Everest Base Camp and Kalapatthar.

In the very first hour of the morning, we will make our way towards Everest Base Camp. To reach the camp we may need to walk through the moraines of glaciers. The trails will look flat but will be difficult because of the lack of enough air and high altitude. Khumbu Glacier is one largest glacier in the world and we will be walking along the side of that glacier.

On the way, you will have a very close view of mountains like Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Pumori, Mt. Amadablam, and a number of other smaller peaks. On the way to the Everest Base Camp, you will see stones that have names on them. They are the tombstones of climbers who didn’t make their destination. The route to Everest Base Camp is busy in the main expedition season. Normally it takes 3-4 hours of walk to reach Base Camp and the same duration to return to Gorakshep.

Kalapatthar is an amazing place. From the top of it, you can see 360 Degree View of Mountains and glaciers and Massive Everest in front of you. And The sunrise over the mountains of Pumori right in front of you. The place will you give the experience of your lifetime. The reason for calling it Kalapatthar is the presence of black rocks. Mt. Everest is also called the shy mountain because it is seen hiding behind two other mountains from Kalapatthar.

After spending an amazing moment on top of Kalapatthar we will then start our journey towards Dingboche via Gorakshep. We have breakfast At the Guest house and start walking to Dingboche. Dingboche is also known as the gateway to the Island peak. Island peak is popular among climbers with less technical knowledge regarding climbing and trekking.

After having our breakfast in Dingboche we will start our journey toward Tengboche. We will walk through beautiful villages in the region with the side by side view of Mt. Amadablam. Moving on we will have to climb a little to Tengboche. The place is famous for many old Buddhist monasteries including the legendary Tengboche monastery.

Today our destination will be to reach Monjo. We will start our walk after having breakfast. The path towards Monjo is slightly downhill but easy for trekkers. The uphill and downhill path continues until we reach Namche Bazaar. The walk for this day is quite long compared to others since we will walk for 7-8 hours to reach Monjo.

Today we will head back to the place where we started this journey. After having our breakfast in the morning we will move towards Lukla via Phakding. We will follow the same trail which we used on the first and second day of our trek. You will reach Lukla and have a proper rest for the next day’s trip. Here you can say goodbye to your porter and local guides and offer them something from your side if you want. This is your last day in the mountains.

Today Morning we will head back to Kathmandu by air which takes around 30-40 minutes. The flight will be the same as we experienced while going to Lukla. Arrive in Kathmandu Transfer to Hotel.

You will rest after a long and tiring trek. You can rest and also shopping. And if you like to sightseeing in the temple we can organize a car and guide with extra cost.

You will head back to your destination today. We will drop you at the airport following a small traditional Nepali ceremony marking your departure.