Namche Bazaar Trek is one of the most popular trekking routes in the Everest region, known for the beautiful Everest Panorama trek
Duration
PriceIdeal for those with limited trekking time, this fast-paced Nepal trip takes you along the first few days of the trail to Everest Base Camp up to Namche Bazaar, a traditional Sherpa village and the unofficial capital of the Khumbu region. You’ll trek through Sagarmatha National Park with its famous suspension bridges, Buddhist sites, and of course, panoramic views of the Himalayas—including Mount Everest.
Highlights:
-Visit the heartland of the Sherpa people of Nepal
-Catch views of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain
-Follow the first several days of the famous Everest Base Camp Trek
Day 1: Welcome to Kathmandu!
Flying into Kathmandu, you'll have views over the valley, the Himalayas, and the terraced fields below. After completing customs, a representative will be waiting to greet you outside the airport and guide you through the initial culture shock of Kathmandu’s narrow, winding streets to your hotel.
Once you've settled in, head out and explore the city. Kathmandu Durbar Square is a great place to start your exploration, where you'll walk through narrow alleyways teeming with small shops, ancient temples, and local restaurants. If you want to stretch your legs, Swayambhunath, the white stupa rising above the valley, is the perfect spot to catch the sunset over the valley.
In the evening, the tourist hub of Thamel is a good place to grab your first meal, with a variety of restaurants to choose from offering both Western and local Nepali dishes.
Overnight: Kathmandu
Day 2: Kathmandu:
Free day, Evening Trek Briefing
Private group
Kathmandu has a special atmosphere during the early morning hours when the city is slowly coming to life yet not too chaotic. It's a great time to walk and explore the streets or have a chai overlooking one of the local courtyards or durbar squares.
After breakfast, there are then a number of ways you can spend your day given the numerous famous sights around the Kathmandu Valley. You can use this as a free day or we can provide a local English-speaking guide who knows the city well and can explain the history and significance of the sights (along with a private jeep to take you around).
Optional Day Tours:
Sacred Sites of the Valley (Full day): Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, and Patan Durbar Square. This is a full-day tour and you'll stop for lunch at a local restaurant during the day.
Boudhanath (1 hour): A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world’s largest spherical stupa (Buddhist shrine). Check out the site’s numerous monasteries, as well as an enormous adorned statue of Maitreya Buddha.
Pashupatinath (1 hour): The most sacred of all Hindu temples in Nepal, located on the holy Bagmati River. This is a large temple complex where you can easily spend an hour exploring.
Bhaktapur (3 hours): A 30-minute drive outside of Kathmandu is the ancient city of Bhaktapur, home of medieval art and wood carving. Founded in the 9th century, visit the town’s narrow alleys and observe villagers going about their day-to-day life.
Everest Mountain Flight (1 hour): A unique opportunity, consider taking a mountain flight to see Mount Everest (one hour).
Shivapuri National Park (half-day): Go hiking or mountain biking in this scenic national park located on the northern fringe of Kathmandu Valley. There are hundreds of species of flora and fauna, including medicinal herbs, as well as historical and religious sites.
However you choose to spend your day, you’ll return to your hotel in Kathmandu in the early evening and meet your trekking guide who will go over the details for tomorrow’s adventure.
Later in the evening, head out for dinner at one of the city's great eateries, or your specialist can arrange a home-cooked dinner with a local family.
Day 3: Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla, Trek to Phakding (8,563 feet / 2,610 m)
After breakfast, you'll fly to Lukla (30 minutes) and land on a steep mountain runway, which brings you to the start of your trek. Try to get a window seat on the left-hand side of the plane and keep your camera close: the flight takes you between mountains and through valleys, with great views of the Himalayas on clear days.
You'll then trek a short distance today through local villages where you'll likely encounter fellow trekkers, locals, and yaks with their tinkling bells. (Having an easy first day is intentional, allowing you time to get used to the higher elevation.)
Continue through the Dudh Koshi Valley on a well-marked trail and stay overnight in Phakding.
Trekking time: 3-4 hours (4.7 miles / 7.5 km)
Overnight: Phakding
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazaar (11,290 feet / 3,440 m)
After breakfast in Phakding, you'll start a steady and steep incline towards Namche. This is a challenging day as you'll start to feel the altitude. The route also consists of a number of high suspension bridges over the Dudh Kosi River that you need to cross.
Just beyond the village of Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park, which was set up in order to protect and preserve the fragile mountain environment (your guide will cover your permit fees here). The trail gets steeper along the way, and if the weather is clear, you will get your first glimpses of Mount Everest.
When you arrive at Namche, settle into your accommodations and explore the town. Namche is a great place to stock up on supplies as there are numerous small shops selling snacks and trekking gear, as well as restaurants and bars. If here on a weekend, check out the Saturday market—a meeting place for the Hindu traders from the lowlands and the Tibetan yak caravans that have crossed the glaciated Nangpa La.
Trekking time: 4-6 hours (4.6 miles / 7.4 km)
Overnight: Namche Bazaar
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar
Today is a rest day so take time to relax and sleep in. Namche is tucked away between two ridges amid the giant peaks of the Khumbu and has an abundance of lodges, tea shops, and souvenir markets. It is an ideal place to spend a day acclimatizing to a higher altitude.
To speed up the acclimatization process, you can also head to the Khunde Hospital set up by Sir Edmund Hillary, or take a highly-recommended one-hour walk up to the Everest View Hotel above Namche for views of notable peaks like Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Everest. There are also good views from the Sherpa Culture Museum just above the town.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Namche Bazaar
Day 6: Day 6: Trek from Namche Bazaar to Lukla (9,186 feet / 2,800 m)
Wake up for an early breakfast in Namche, then retrace your steps back to Lukla following the Dudh Kosi river valley. It's a long day, but it won't be too difficult as it's downhill and you'll be in good shape from all the previous days of trekking.
You'll make your way through villages like Chumoa, Benkar, Phakding, and Chuthawa, eventually reaching the Pasang Lhamu Memorial Gate signifying the end of the trek. Though most of the route is an easy downhill slope, the last section of the trail before arriving takes you uphill—a fitting way to finish.
With Lukla’s handful of shops, bars, and cafes—and even a faux Starbucks!—there are plenty of things to occupy your time as you reflect on your experience.
Trekking time: 6-7 hours (11.1 miles / 17.9 km)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Lukla
Day 7: Fly from Lukla to Kathmandu
After breakfast in Lukla, you'll take an early morning flight back to Kathmandu.
Upon arrival, you'll be transferred to your hotel and will be able to enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening at your leisure. Explore Kathmandu's streets on foot, bicycle, or rickshaw, perhaps shopping for souvenirs or seeing anything you may have missed at the beginning of your trip.
Other ideas include rewarding your muscles after the trek with a massage service at Seeing Hands (services are offered by the visually impaired), or the more upscale Kinjalla Spa. You can also take an early evening yoga class at Pranamaya Yoga, with two locations in Thamel and Patan.
In the evening, choose from a selection of Nepali, French, Vietnamese, and Middle Eastern dishes in Kathmandu.
Flight time: 30 minutes
Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight: Kathmandu
Day 8: Transfer to Kathmandu Int. Airport (KTM), Departure
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