Everest View the best short trek in the world

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu, transfer to Patan Inn (B&B),

Patan is the most rewarding of the old cities of Kathmandu with the best preserved Durbar Square, small streets rich in traditional architecture, a marvelous museum and the very best of the beautifully restored Newari inns for us to stay in. If your international flight is an afternoon arrival it is well worth adding an extra night at the wonderful Patan Inn to really make the most of it. This fabulous converted Newari town house has delightful rooms centred around a richly carved traditional courtyard with an excellent restaurant, one of many that are highly recommended in Patan. O/N in Patan.

Day 2: Patan historical walk, Patan Inn (B&B)

There is so much to see, right here in Patan, exploring it’s marvelous little streets and hidden courtyards. We start with an early visit to the famous Golden Temple, the Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, in fact a monastery with the unique Newari fusion of Buddhist and Hindu features. This is a very devout place and we do our best to be unobtrusive to the daily rituals that are the life blood of the temple. The intricacy of the copper gilt work introduces us to the incredible artisan skills that Patan is famous for. We go on to the Patan Durbar Square itself, densely packed with very diverse and beautifully crafted temples, now the best restored of any of the Kathmandu Durbars. There is so much here to see, but we will end at the award-winning Patan Museum which is full of fabulous treasures, intricately carved windows and historical narrative. For those interested, in the afternoon, we can also visit some artisan workshops - it is the centre for much of the best woodcarving and metalwork that Nepal is famous for. O/N in Patan.

Day 3: Fly Lukla, trek to Monjo, Yeti Mountain Home Lodge

The Lukla flight now departs from Ramechhap for most of the season, which is several hours drive from Kathmandu so involves a very early start. Arriving in Lukla (2860m) we are immediately among the Khumbu peaks in the beautiful Dudh Kosi valley. Along the trail there are fantastic carved mane-stones, chortens and monasteries so special to this Buddhist Sherpa area. A 3 hour morning walk gets us to Phakding (2600m) where we have an excellent lunch at the first of our Yeti Mountain Home lodges on this trail. These are the most comfortable in Khumbu with great en-suite rooms, gorgeous dining rooms with lovely warm stoves and plentiful provision of delicious food served by such dedicated and welcoming staff. In the afternoon we carry on gently up valley for 2 hours to Monjo (2850m) where our favorite YMH lodge awaits us with warm drinks. All these lodges provide electric blankets on their very comfortable beds - we are doing this in style and comfort! O/N Hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 4: Trek to Namche Bazaar, Yeti Mountain Home Lodge

An hour up valley we come to the thrilling high suspension bridge over the Dudh Kosi gorge that is the start of the climb to Namche. Everyone on any Everest trail has to plod their way up the Namche hill. There is no getting round it, it’s the only way up to those fantastic Everest views. Sensible walkers like us know to really take our time. Enjoy it, these are beautiful pine and rhododendron forests with wonderful views of the peaks through the trees. It can take us 3 hours, or more if we like, finally arriving at the famous amphitheater of the Sherpa capital. Our lodge (3340m) is perfectly placed well above the lively hub of the village, enjoying the best of views of the peaks and well-placed for our acclimatisation walk tomorrow. On our arrival night we should be sure to completely relax and get used to the altitude, there is no more

comfortable or welcoming place than this wonderful lodge to do just that. O/N Hotel in Namche.

Day 5: Acclimatisation walk to the Hillary Memorial viewpoint, Kunde & Khumjung monasteries, Namche Yeti Mountain Home Lodge 

Walking up to this fabulous viewpoint is absolutely the best way to fully establish our acclimatisation. After breakfast we gently wind up the ridge path just above our lodge. Already we are getting some pretty good views of Everest and all our surrounding peaks. We stroll over the disused Shyangboche airfield and then ascend another good ridge path up the Kunde ridge which leads us to the Hillary viewpoint at just over 4000 metres with it’s evocative chortens built in honour of the great climber who did so much for the Sherpa people. Now the view is really fantastic, and most likely to be clear at this early hour: Everest, Lhotse, beautiful Ama Dablam and so many near peaks. From this great location we can see in all directions, Namche and back down valley, up to Thame to the west and over to the great monastery of Thyangboche. We then descend by another good path to Kunde, home of the first school built by Hillary and Lowe, and contour on to Khumjung, visiting both wonderful little village monasteries. These important Sherpa villages are little affected by tourism and give us a real insight into Khumbu life. We then complete this perfect walk, looping round to descend to Namche for lunch. A fantastic morning and the afternoon to put our feet up in style, or maybe stroll down into Namche for a little light souvenir shopping?

Day 6: Short trek to Hotel Everest View

Having acclimatised well yesterday, we are now safe to actually stay at the ‘world’s highest hotel’, the remarkable Hotel Everest View (3880m). Truly ‘Old Nepal’, having opened in 1971, the more recent addition of electricity has transformed this into the really rewarding destination it deserves to be. Now it’s primary inspiration, it’s awesome panoramic views, Everest and Ama Dablam right there from many of the windows, can be enjoyed in genuine comfort. It is only an hour or so up from Namche, so we can settle in for lunch and a truly memorable stay. O/N Hotel in Everest View Hotel.

Day 7: Hotel Everest View, total enjoyment day!

Today we aim to do little but enjoy just being here. The hotel itself is a design masterpiece, all local materials but with an inspirational twist from the original Japanese owners. Dining rooms feature existing stone crags, corridors wrap around natural outcrops, surprise windows reveal the stunning views again and again. You can fully immerse yourself staying up here at the top of the world, it is sensational. When you want to stretch your legs, just take a stroll in the fabulous craggy pine woods that surround the site. O/N in Everest View Hotel

Day 8: Trek to Monjo, Yeti Mountain Home Lodge

The return to our lovely lodge in Monjo takes much less time on the way down, so we don’t have to leave too early - time to thoroughly enjoy one last morning of our fabulous Everest view. After settling in at Monjo, we can visit the small monastery here, the local ‘gompa’ as they are known, and the perfect place for a moment of spiritual calm as we reflect on the incredible depth of experience our short Everest trek has given us. Back at the lodge we might indulge in a more traditional celebration. O/N in Yeti Mountain Lodge.

Day 9: trek to Lukla, Yeti Mountain Home Lodge

Nicely away from the relative hubbub of the airport, this lodge is yet another of our favorites, spacious and welcoming. We get here with plenty of time to unwind and enjoy, while our flights are reconfirmed for the morning. O/N in Yeti Mountain Lodge.

Day 10: Fly/drive to Kathmandu, Gokarna Forest Resort

After the return journey, we arrive at the Gokarna Forest Resort in it’s protected 470 acre forest, a haven of peace and beauty nestled in the Kathmandu valley. The hotel is comfortable and luxurious, with indoor pool, spas, golf course and fantastic restaurants, but the highlight will always be the forest itself. Huge mature fig trees dominate the site, and fallow deer and myriad other wildlife roam these former private hunting grounds of Nepal’s rulers. O/N in Gokarna Forest Resort.

Day 11: Departure day: early forest walk, drive to airport and depart Kathmandu

The dawn walk in the forest, the best time to see wildlife, makes one last fantastic memory of this unforgettable Old Nepal itinerary.