Everest Panorama & Sherpa Culture Trek
The legendary Everest Khumbu area is probably the best known of the Himalayan regions, primarily through its association with the first successful ascent of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, back in 1953.
Although short, this Khumbu trek does not miss out on scenic grandeur, challenging adventure or local culture, while the richness of wildlife in the area is probably even greater than might be experienced on other itineraries in the region. The trek is suitable for people of all capabilities and will fit into restricted holiday time allowances. Without taking on the more strenuous and longer walk to Everest base camp itself, there will be many opportunities to marvel over fantastic views of the mountain; you will stay in comfortable Sherpa lodges and have many opportunities to soak up the culture of this famous region and its people. A visit to one of the area's most important Buddhist monasteries will be part of your trip, as well as seeing some of the first, and famous Edmund Hillary schools in the area, as well as Kunde Hospital. The slightly lower altitude of this trek, renders it suitable for those people who enjoy challenging walking but are not into scrambling over shale, ice and glaciers. Unlike many other companies, we have devised a circular trekking trail which saves repeating a large part of the path from and back to Lukla, and also includes a quieter area overlooked by other tour operators and backpackers..
Excitement begins back in Kathmandu, from where the flight into the Khumbu is short, but dramatic, and the descent to Lukla airstrip, through a remote and craggy landscape, is an adventure in itself. A wonderful antidote to this adrenalin rush, is the relatively gentle start to your trek, which initially descends from Lukla and leaves tackling the uphill push for a day, giving your body time to acclimatize. Our gradual walking, throughout this exclusive trek, which allows plenty of time to soak up the wonderful panoramic views, to meet and chat with local people, to ponder over unfamiliar flora and fauna, to focus on photography, and just 'to stand and stare', gives your body all the opportunities it needs to adjust to the gently ascending altitudes.
On completion of your Everest Panorama is the return to Kathmandu, with its temples, markets, and myriad small shops, gives time to experience yet another aspect of Nepal, including a possible visit to our charitable projects where we work with the most disadvantaged children and women, brings to an end an all-round Nepalese experience before your return to the familiarity of home.
Chitwan Extension....
...fascinating journey, by vehicle, to the Terai flatlands of the South. New scenery evolves as you travel down to Chitwan National Park, including different vegetation, architecture, means of transport and ethnic groups. The journey follows mighty rivers which have had their source in the high mountain range where you have been trekking, but are now flowing on their way, ultimately to join the mighty Ganges, on its way to reach the Bay of Bengal.
In Chitwan you may enjoy the very different flora and fauna of sub-tropical Nepal. Asian Elephants have their home in the jungles and plains here, as do Bengal Tigers, Mugger and Gharial Crocodiles, Monkeys, Wild Boar and an amazing array of colourful birds, including Greater Hornbill, Painted Storks, Indian Cuckoos and Pied Kingfishers. A jungle safari, on elephant back, and a river trip in local dugout canoes, together with a bullock cart ride to the local Tharu village, will give you a taste of the very different way of life and culture of the people of the Terai.
Itinerary at a glance
Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu and transport to Hotel
Day 02: Kathmandu: half-day world heritage sightseeing, optional visit to EPHC, our project in support of disadvantaged children, preparing for trek
Day 03: Flight to Lukla (2840m), trek to Phakding (2610m)
Day 04: Trek to Namche Bazaar (3440m)
Day 05: Acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar
Day 06: Trek to Thyangboche (3860m)
Day 07: Trek to Phorse (3810m)
Day 08: Trek to Khumjung (3780m)
Day 09: Trek back to Phakding (2610m) via Namche Bazaar
Day 10: Trek back to Lukla (2840m) and last day party
Day 11: Fly back to Kathmandu
Day 12: Kathmandu; leisure time or optional visit to Jamarko (EPHC), our project in support of disadvantaged children
Day 13: Transfer to airport for international departure
Date & Price
All ACCESS-HIMALAYA adventure travel trips are small group departures and therefore places can fill quickly. To avoid disappointment, we suggest you book your trip as soon as possible.
Price Includes
... in Lodge Trek
Accommodation in Kathmandu, bed & breakfast basis, (accommodation in twin room unless otherwise arranged) - accommodation facilities/details outlined belowAll three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) during the trek
All internal transportation as stated in itinerary, including domestic flights (see itinerary above)
In Lodge trek – mostly basic twin room with clean bed and mattress (toilet facilities may be outside – NO ATTACHED BATHROOM, unless otherwise arranged. Extra cost is applicable and subject to availability)
National Park entrance fees
TIMS permit
Experienced staff - (guide, assistant guides, porters or yaks)
Staff and porter insurance
Sightseeing in Kathmandu as stated in itinerary (guide and transport only)
Free gift of Access-Himalaya trekking kit bag for each member of group (to be distributed on arrival in Kathmandu)
Free airport pick and drop
Price Excludes
... in Lodge Trek
Your personal equipmentInternational flights
Charges incurred as a result of delays beyond our control
Your travel insurance, (Make sure the policy covers helicopter rescue and evacuation service)
Medical examination and vaccination costs
Personal expenditure, including bar bills, laundry, telephone calls, tips, shower and bathroom facilities on the trek etc. Hot shower charge could be $2 to $5 per person on trek)
Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu and elsewhere-apart from trek (see itinerary)
Heritage sights/Monastery/Temple entrance fees
Trek and Tour crew tips at end of tour
Availability Explained
- A AVAILABLE - Trip date is available and open for bookings. Go for it!
- G GUARANTEED - Trip is reached minimum numbers and this is 'Guaranteed to Run'
- L LIMITED - Trip is 'Guaranteed to Run' and there are a very limited number of available places remaining. Immediate booking is recommended.
- C CLOSED - Trip has reached maximum numbers and it is unavailable. Please Contact Us to enquire about other trip departure dates or booking this trip as a private departure
Trip Info (Tour/Trek Styles) Explained
- PG Private Group: This style of trip is organized for specific groups of people (families, friends,school and college students, colleagues, business associates etc.), and is closed to outsiders. If you are interested in this particular trip departure date then please get in touch with us.
- OA Open to All: This trip departure is open to all. However, if you are interested in this particular trip departure date but want your own private group, then please get in touch with us.
- LT Lodge Based Trip/Trek: This trip/trek is lodge (teahouse) based. All accommodation, including food, is provided in local lodges. Occasionally however, where a large group is concerned we may choose to send our own cook along, as well, to take care of your food hygiene and to cook some special additional items.We provide all necessary documentation, including permits, and arrange all internal transport. We provide trekking guide, assistant guide(s) and porters/animals for transport of your gear. You merely carry a daysack with essentials, including water.
- CT Camping Based Trip/Trek: This trip/trek is camping (tent) based. We will provide one 3-man tent for every two people, also single tents, where requested, on payment of supplementary costs. All food and drinks are provided by our experienced cook and his kitchen team. We provide all necessary documentation, including permits, and arrange all internal transport. We provide trekking guide, assistant guide(s), cook, kitchen crew, food and drink, and porters/animals for transport of your gear. You merely carry a daysack with essentials, including water.
- GAP Guide, Accommodation & Porter only: In this trip neither food nor transportation is included. Clients are responsible for food and local transportation, and our responsibility is to provide insured guide, insured porter, and all necessary permits. All additional costs are the responsibility of the clients, including charges incurred as a result of delays or cancellation of services beyond our control. Clients pay for their own accommodation. Any additional costs are the responsibility of the clients, We can arrange hotels and international airport transfer, on request.
- SG Self Guided/Budget Trip: This trip is specially designed for low-budget travellers who prefer fairly basic facilities with reduced services. It is a pre-requisite that a porter is hired for any self-guided trip, which is an ideal set-up for those who enjoy independent travel with minimum cost. We have added support to minimise the hard work of planning and costing, and we will be available to help in the unlikely event of an emergency. We will arrange all documentation (including permits), before you arrive in Nepal, so that you are free to get on with your adventure, relying only on your porter to help you on your way. All additional costs are the responsibility of the clients, including charges incurred as a result of delays or cancellation of services beyond our control. Hotel accommodation, local transportation and international airport transfers may be arranged, on request.
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Accommodation in Kathmandu
It is our policy to use Nepali-owned accommodation, always, as we feel this is an aspect of fair trade, and the hotels we use in Kathmandu are comfortable, clean, efficient and friendly. Most hotels are also family-run; we visit, and stay in the hotels ourselves, to ensure that facilities are ... read more.. -
Food on LodgeTrek
On lodge treks clients are provided with three meals a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Menus will be fairly standard, according to the region visited, but will vary in style from place to place, according to availability of ingredients, and in more remote areas choice will be relatively restricted ... read more.. -
Travel Insurance
It is a strict condition of joining an Access-Himalaya adventure holiday that you must be insured against all medical and personal accident risks, including repatriation if necessary. Helicopter evacuation, in the unlikely event of your being injured or taken seriously ill on trek, is very costly - an average rescue ... read more.. -
Nepal Visa and Passport
All visitors to Nepal require a passport (valid for at least 6 months after your return to your home country) and an entry visa. A visa application should be obtained from the Nepalese Embassy, in London (click here to download Nepal visa application form ), or in your own country ... read more.. -
Travel Money
You are advised to take travellers\' cheques with you for safety, and these should be American Express (preferred) or similar, as local bank cheques can be extremely difficult, or even impossible, to cash. ATM facilities are becoming increasingly available in Kathmandu, Pokhara and other large towns, so a Visa, or ... read more.. -
Arrival in Nepal
At Kathmandu airport you should proceed through Immigration (you apply for your Visa here) to the baggage collection area. Once you have collected your baggage you should move on to the Customs officers to have your baggage cleared and chalked up, before leaving the Arrivals lounge. Immediately outside, you will ... read more.. -
Tipping and Service Charges
Tipping is an entirely personal and optional matter and at the discretion of the individual. Should you wish to give a tip in a restaurant, if there is not already a service charge included you may consider a tip of 10%. Recently there has been a recommendation for 10% charge ... read more.. -
Trekking Clothing & Equipment Guideline
The following is a guideline, not a prescription: we hope it will help you find your way through the minefield of items of clothing and equipment which fill the catalogues of outdoor adventure outfitters! Jacket x 1This should be breathable, wind-proof and waterproof (not showerproof), with attached hood. Suitable fabrics to ... read more.. -
Accommodation in Chitwan
In Chitwan, the wildlife resort facilities are slightly different to those of the hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara, because of its situation in the National Park buffer zone, although each room has en suite facilities and air conditioning. There is also a swimming pool, large and airy restaurant with bar, ... read more.. -
Accommodation on lodge treks
Accommodation will be in simple lodges offering twin-bedded rooms with standard foam mattresses (if you require additional comfort you might consider taking along Thermarest or similar self-inflating mattresses). Toilets are mostly of the squat type, situated outside the main building. Toilet paper is not provided, so you should bring this ... read more.. -
Getting Around in Kathmandu
Your first day in Kathmandu is usually dedicated to settling in, and exploring the city. The next morning may include a sightseeing tour to Pashupatinath, Boudanath or the Monkey Temple (Swayambunath). During your free time, the best way to explore your environs is to walk, as this enables you to ... read more..
If our fixed departure dates are not convenient for you or your group, we can also arrange private departures on all of our small group tours. Private group departures will follow the same itineraries as our usual small group tours, or itineraries may be tailormade to suit your own convenient tour date/budgets.
Itineraries may be tailor-made to suit your dates. So if you can’t find a date to suit you or if you want to have your very own tour just with your friends or family then we can help you.
Customised Private Groups:
For most of our usual tours, or itineraries, where there is a group numbering 2 or more, we can customise and organise private group trip(s) where we design the itinerary and activities exclusively for you, according to your requirements and budgets, such as Honeymoon, Anniversary, Family, Scouts, School, College, Fundraising or Charity trips. Find out more about our private group tours.
To enquire about booking a private departure of this tour or about organising your own private group tour, please fill in the form below and we will get back to you shortly with details.
