Pokhalde Peak

You'll go on a full-day tour of Kathmandu's UNESCO World Heritage sites on the second day. The trip includes a visit to the significant places of Pashupatinath, Boudanath Stupa, and Swayambhu Nath, which hold immense religious importance among devotees. You'll also explore the well-known Durbar Squares of Patan and Kathmandu, which contain some of the valley's oldest monuments. Spend the night in Kathmandu.

The journey begins with a short and scenic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. You'll witness a stunning aerial view of the Himalayas before landing at Lukla's small terrain-topped airstrip. From Lukla, you'll trek towards Phakding along the main trail of Churi Kharka and head eastwards along the banks of the Dudh Koshi river. After about 3 hours of walking, you'll arrive at Phakding for the night.

After breakfast, you'll begin trekking towards Namche Bazaar. Namche Bazaar is the gateway to numerous Khumbu region treks, including the popular EBC trek. You'll ascend the trail along the west banks of the Dudh Koshi river, passing the village of Tok Tok and catching a glimpse of Mt Tharmasekhu. Further along the route, you'll reach the settlement of Bengkar, cross a suspension bridge, and head towards Jorsale. You'll continue ascending from Jorsale, passing through lush pine forests until you reach Namche Bazaar, where you'll spend the night.

Take a rest day to acclimatize and relax your muscles. It's crucial to acclimate properly during this trek to avoid altitude sickness. To make the day productive, you'll take a short hike to the villages of Khunde and Khumjung, accessible with a short climb upwards from the Syangboche airstrip. You'll also visit the Everest view hotel, which provides a breathtaking view of the Mahalangur Himalayan Range.

We depart from Namche Bazaar towards Tengboche, trekking for about 5 hours and covering 10 kilometers. The trek begins with an ascent through the green landscapes to Syanboche and Khumjung Village before descending towards the Dudh Koshi River, passing through scattered Sherpa settlements. Then we ascend for another two hours through fir and pine forests before reaching Tengboche. Here, we visit the well-known Tengboche monastery, one of the oldest in the Khumbu region, and stay overnight.

We start the day descending through lush forests and crossing suspension bridges, observing the landscapes changing from meadows to rocky terrains. We pass through the settlements of Pangboche and Orsho, with regular Mani stones engraved with Buddhist supplications along the trail. After four to five hours, we arrive at Dingboche, where we stay overnight.

We trek towards Lobuche, a challenging route that passes through winding paths along the rocky glacier moraine. Along the way, we see numerous stone caves built in memory of the Sherpas who died while summiting Mount Everest. After walking for about six hours, we reach Lobuche, where we stay overnight.

This is the main highlight of the trek, as we visit the base of the world's highest peak. We start early in the morning, ascending and crossing the Lobuche Pass into Gorak Shep, which used to be the official base camp before the government constructed the newer one. From there, we climb to the Everest Base Camp, which takes about three to four hours. At the Base Camp, we get a breathtaking up-close view of Mount Everest and its surrounding giants, the Khumbu icefall, and glacier. After spending some time there, we head back down to Gorak Shep, where we stay overnight.

We start early in the morning, making our way to Kala Patthar, which offers a well-known panoramic view of the surrounding snow-capped mountains, including Nuptse, Changtse, and Mount Everest. We ascend along the rock and icy trails from Gorak Shep for about three to four hours before reaching Kala Patthar. After spending some time there, we head down to Lobuche, where we stay overnight.

We start our venture towards the Pokalde peak by departing from Lobuche and heading towards the Base Camp via the Kongma La Pass. The trails are rocky and the ascent steep, taking about six to seven hours to reach the Pokalde Base Camp. Our representatives guide us with some mountaineering tips for the climb on the following day, and we stay overnight.

The ascent from the base camp to the high camp is only 600m, but loose rocks on some sections add to the challenge. Mountaineering equipment is not required at this stage, as we ascend gradually and enjoy the stunning backdrop of Mt Nuptse (7,861 m), Mt. Lhotse (8,414 m), and Mt. Makalu (8,463 m). We finally reach the high camp after trekking for 4-5 hours. From here, the Pokalde peaks appear as a rough edge, overshadowed by a substantial part of the vast Mt. Nuptse. We will stay overnight at High Camp.

Today is the much-awaited summit day, and it might be one of the toughest days of the trek, but it is also the most rewarding. We start early and begin the climb to the summit of the Pokalde peak. The trail is rocky and challenging all the way to the summit, taking about 4-5 hours. Upon reaching the top, you can witness jaw-dropping views of the surrounding Khumbu peaks, including Mt. Makalu (8,481 m), Mt. Pumori (7,165 m), and Mt. Ama Dablam (6,856 m). After some well-deserved photographs at the top, we begin our descent back to the base camp. The trail then follows further to Chhukung, where we will spend the night.

After breakfast, we descend towards Tengboche. The trail is relatively comfortable as we pass through pine trees along the banks of the Imja river. Along the way, we pass through Sherpa settlements of Pheriche and Pangboche, with magnificent views of the Himalayas in the backdrop. After a six-hour journey, we reach Tengboche, where we will spend the night.

As our trip nears its end, we begin our journey back home with today’s destination being Monjo. Monjo is approximately 8 kilometers away from Tengboche and takes around 6 hours to reach. The trek begins by crossing a suspension bridge and ascending on the other side of the terrain to reach Namche Bazaar. We further descend from Namche Bazaar and cross another suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi River. Along the way, we pass through the settlements of Jorsale and Larja Dobhan to reach Monjo, where we will stay overnight.

We will trek from Monjo to Lukla on Day 16, covering a distance of 9 kilometers over 5-6 hours at an altitude of 2,840m. This will mark the end of our Pokalde Peak climbing adventure, and we will head to Lukla to catch a flight back to Kathmandu the next day. The trail will follow the Dudh Koshi River eastwards, and upon reaching Lukla, you can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Himalayas for your last day in the mountains.

On Day 17, we will board an early morning flight from Lukla to Kathmandu, which will take approximately 35 minutes and offer stunning views of the Himalayan range. Our representatives will pick you up from the airport upon arrival, and you can spend the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel.

Depending upon your schedule International flight, our representatives will accompany you to the airport for your flight back home, ending our incredible 18-day journey. We bid you farewell, hoping to see you again soon!