Dream Above the Clouds

It is a panoramic thrill flying into Kathmandu on a clear day. The views of snow-capped mountain peaks sprawling down below you are almost ecstatic, beginning a whole chain of memorable experiences that stay with you for a long, long time. A representative and driver from Yeti Holidays will meet you at the airport and escort you to your designated hotel. The representative will help you check into hotel. At the hotel you will be briefed about your daily activities.

Check In and Overnight at Hotel.

Meals: None.

After breakfast at the hotel, commence the sightseeing tour of Kathmandu city, Swayambhunath and Patan city.

KATHMANDU CITY Kasthamandap, the source of the name Kathmandu means ‘made from the timber of a single tree’. Also known as Kantipur, the capital Kathmandu is the hub of Nepal's art and culture. It is a place for rest, relaxation and easy-day sightseeing of historic and artistic temples and monuments. Kathmandu Durbar Square with its arrays of temples, Seto Machhindranath and the ancient palace of the former Nepali Royals enriches your experience of the centuries old civilisation.

SWAYAMBHUNATH STUPA Said to be around 2000 years old, this Buddhist Stupa sits atop a hill. The main stupa is composed of a solid hemisphere of brick and earth supporting a lofty conical spire crowned by a pinnacle of Copper gilt. Painted on the four sided base of the spire are the all seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. The hill of Swayambhunath is a mosaic of small Chaityas and Pagoda temples. You’ll get a scenic view of Kathmandu city from there.

PATAN CITY Located about 5 km south of Kathmandu, Patan is one of 3 royal cities in the valley. A destination for connoisseurs of fine arts, Patan is filled with wood and stone carvings, metal statues, ornate architecture, including dozens of Buddhist and Hindu temples, and over 1200 monuments.

Patan is believed to have been built in the third century B.C. by the Kirat dynasty later expanded and enriched by the Licchavi and the Malla rulers in the medieval period. Patan Durbar Square, like its counterpart in Kathmandu, is an enchanting mélange of palace buildings, artistic courtyards and graceful pagoda temples. The former Royal palace complex is the centre of Patan’s religious and social life, and houses a beautiful museum.

Overnight at Hotel.

Meals: Breakfast.

A spectacular flight and a creepy gutsy landing on a steep mountain runway bring us to the start of our trek at the village of Lukla [2850m]. After meeting the crew and sorting out details for the long hike and the limb crunching climb, we head up the Dudh Kosi Valley on a well-marked trail to our first camp near the river at Phakding. And it’s our first over night amidst the natural wonders of nature.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

From Phakding, we cross and re-cross the river on high suspension bridges. Beyond Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park which was set-up in order to protect and preserve this fragile mountain environment. We then ascend quite steeply to Namche and along the way, if the weather is clear, catch our first glimpse of Mt. Everest in the distance. Namche is the main trading village in the Khumbu and has a busy Saturday market - a meeting place for the Hindu traders from the lowlands and the Tibetan yak caravans that have crossed the glaciated Nangpa La.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Namche is tucked away between two ridges amidst the giant peaks of the Khumbu and has an abundance of lodges, tea shops and souvenir shops as well as a magnificent outlook that seems to meet western standards, even at this remote mountain outpost. The amazing Sherpa folks down here have learnt a lot from the big expeditions that have passed this way. It is an ideal place to spend a rest day, acclimatizing to the new altitude before heading off towards Tengboche. Options for acclimatization walks include a visit to Khunde hospital which was set-up by Sir Edmund Hillary, or a one hour walk up to the Everest view hotel above Namche for the sunset view of Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse and Everest. There are also good views from the national park centre and museum just above the town. We have a nice time at Namche and then settle in for the night.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

From Namche the route turns west and the trail is almost level as we head up the Bhote Kosi Valley, once a popular trading route into Tibet. Along the way we pass many prayer flags and mani stones, all indicative of the Tibetan Buddhist culture of this area. After descending to the Bhote Kosi the trail climbs steeply to Thame. From here there are good views of the peaks of Teng Kangpoche and Kwangde. To the north is the Nangpa La, the pass leading to Tibet. Thame Gompa is situated above the village overlooking the valley and is the site for the spring celebrations of the Mani Rimdu festival.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

We retrace our route down the Bhote Kosi Valley towards Namche and branch off to follow a quiet trail to Khumjung. It is a picturesque village which also has its own gompa at the top end of town. From our camping spot we have excellent views of Thamserku, Kantega and Ama Dablam.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Soon after leaving Khumjung the trail climbs to a large Chorten on top of a ridge. This ridge descends from Khumbila, a 5734m peak, said to be the abode of the patron God of the Khumbu region. The trail descends towards the Dudh Kosi where we stop for lunch near the bridge leading to the village of Phortse. We then pass through Phortse Tenga and from there, the trail climbs steeply to Dole, through rhododendron and birch forest festooned with hanging mosses and lichens.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

From Dole we climb steadily along the side of the valley. As the altitude increases, the rhododendron forests give way to scrub juniper. The trail passes many summer settlements [yersa], which are used when yaks are taken to these pastures to graze in summer. Ahead of us are excellent views of Cho Oyu, while back down the valley are the peaks of Kantega and Thamserku. This is a short trek and we will arrive at Machermo in time for lunch.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Today we head for the lakes at Gokyo. We follow a very scenic path to Pangka and then descend slightly, following one of the melting rivers which flow down the west side of the Ngozumpa Glacier. We climb a steep rocky incline into the valley by the side of the glacier, passing the first of the holy lakes. We soon arrive at the second lake, crossing the path which heads across the glacier to Cho La - our route to Lobuche and Everest, later in the trek. The third lake is known as Dudh Pokhari (Milk Lake) and on its eastern shore is the settlement of Gokyo. Walking by the side of the lake, the scenery is magnificent with the summits of Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang reflected in its emerald green waters.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Gokyo Ri looms above the village on the northern edge of the lake. We leave camp just after first light, following a steep path up the hillside. As we climb, the summits of Everest, Lhotse and Makalu slowly come into view and the sight from the summit of Gokyo Ri itself, is one of the finest to be had in the Everest region - some say it is even better than that from Kala Pattar. After lunch it is a short walk to the village of Na, situated at the foot of the Ngozumpa Glacier.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Now we descend back along the valley to Phortse, a village which seems unaffected by the advent of trekkers. The quiet rhythm of life continues as it has always done in the village. We camp among the potato fields in the upper part of the village and savour the magnificent mountain views.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

From Phortse the trail climbs and contours around the west side of the Imja Khola valley, providing excellent views of Ama Dablam, the Nuptse-Lhotse wall and Everest. We enter Pangboche on the high trail and after lunch visit the monastery which has relics said to be the skull and hand of a yeti. From Pangboche we walk through alpine meadows and pass beneath the towering Ama Dablam to Dingboche.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

After passing the teahouses of Duglha, we climb higher onto the terminal moraine of the Khumbu glacier, passing a row of stone monuments built in memory of Sherpas who have died on mountaineering expeditions to Mt Everest. From here the trail drops and follows the west side of the valley to Lobuche. The sunset on Nuptse from here is quite spectacular.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Our next step over is Kala Pattar. The trail at first follows the valley beside the Khumbu Glacier, and offers superb views of the surrounding mountains, especially where the path is forced to rise to cross a tributary glacier. We stop for lunch at our camping place for the night, Gorak Shep. Later in the afternoon, when the sun begins to set over the Everest peak, we make our way to the top of one of the finest viewpoints in the Everest region, Kala Pattar [5554m]. As the light begins to fade we stroll back to our camp at Gorak Shep and have an early night in preparation for our trek to Everest Base Camp the following day.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

To reach Everest Base Camp, a very early start is required. It takes several hours on the trail which weaves its way through ice pinnacles and past the crevasses of the Khumbu Glacier. On the return leg, we can take a higher route to get a spectacular view of the Khumbu icefall and the route to the South Col. We return to either Gorak Shep or Lobuche to camp for the night.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Today is downhill most of the way, as we retrace our steps to Duglha and descend to Pheriche. The Himalayan Rescue Association has a trekkers’ aid post here and it is quite interesting. After lunch we cross the Khumbu Khola on a wooden suspension bridge and follow the Imja Khola to the village of Pangboche.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

We continue to follow the river and, after crossing it, climb back up through birch and rhododendron forest to the famous monastery at Thyangboche. The views from here are magnificent and Kwangde, Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Kantega and Thamserku are just a few of the Himalayan giants to be seen. From Thyangboche we descend to the bridge over the Dudh Kosi at Phunki Tenga, where there are water driven prayer wheels, before making our way back to Namche.

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Our final day's trekking follows the Dudh Kosi back down to Lukla. This last evening in the mountains is the ideal opportunity for a farewell party with the Sherpa guides and porters, where we can sample some chang (local beer - a favorite drink on the mountains), do a jig to some Sherpa dancing and reflect back on a memorable trekking experience..

Overnight at Local Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

We pack up early and head for the airstrip to hop a flight back to Kathmandu. On touchdown, the rest of your day is free to do your own things.

Check In and Overnight at Hotel.

Meals: Breakfast.

Free day in Kathmandu or explore Thamel.

Thamel is the epi-center for shopping in Kathmandu. It can be a stressful place because of the street vendors, rickshaw drivers and high speed motorbikes. But there is no question that it is jam- packed with shops, selling everything from ready-to-wear Western clothes, embroider T-shirts, Tibetan carpets, clothing, Thangkas (Buddhist paintings) and curios (“singing bowls” etc), Pashmina shawls, Nepali souvenirs like khukuris (Gurkha’s traditional knife) and madals (drums), jewellery, paper products (the local lokta plant is used to make a fine & unique paper – a nice and practical souvenir or gift), colorful masks and puppets, metalwork & woodcarvings.

Overnight at Hotel.

Meals: Breakfast.

We ensure that you will leave Kathmandu with cherishing memory and an experience of a lifetime. Our representative from Yeti Holidays will drive you to the airport in time for your flight back home.

Meals: Breakfast.