Today we explored Kathmandu on an organized sightseeing tour. This will include a visit to the Bodhnath Stupa, one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world. We also visit Pashupatinath, located on the banks of the holy Bagmati River and home to the most famous Hindu temple in the country. Here we will see Hindu holy men (sadhus) and pilgrims performing ritual bathing, and occasionally, funeral pyres burning on the ghats. The cremation site here is used by the royal family and also for the simple man living next door. Your early afternoon will be free to relax in the hotel garden or visit Thamel for some curious shopping. You will be supplied with your trek departure information in the afternoon.

After early morning breakfast, we take the super flight from Kathmandu to Lukla at 2827m. Flight time is about 35 minutes to the airstrip built by Sir Edmund Hillary and the Sherpas in the mid-1960s. After landing we will have time to explore the village while the Sherpa crew sort out and load the trekking equipment. In the afternoon, we begin the trek by descending towards the Dudh Kosi River, where we join the main trail to Namche Bazaar, just above Chaurikharka at 2713m. The walking is easy and after passing through the small village of Ghat at 2550m, it’s a short walk to Phakding where we’ll stay overnight.

From Phakding, we cross the river and head up the valley where we’ll see porters from the south ferrying supplies to Namche. The trail is close to the river valley and is lined with beautiful blue pine and rhododendron forest that is quite spectacular in the spring months when the flowers are in bloom. We cross the Dudh Kosi at Benkar where there are tantalizing glimpses of the snow peaks Kusum Kanguru (6369m) and Thamserku (6623m). From here it is only a short walk to Monjo (2835m) where we arrive in time for lunch. We spend the night in Monjo with the afternoon free to do some exploring around the village. The day has been deliberately kept short to aid acclimatization, a very important process that’s good for the body.

Today the walking is a little rough and includes the steep ascent to Namche Bazaar. From Monjo, it is a short walk to the entrance of the National Park before we cross the Dudh Kosi to Jorsale at 2805m. The trek continues upstream on generally flat terrain, crossing back to the right bank, to the confluence of the Bhote Kosi and Dudh Kosi rivers. It is here that we start the steep ascent to Namche Bazaar. After crossing a large and stable suspension bridge high above the river we slowly ascend at a steady pace towards Namche. There are some fantastic photographic opportunities as the peaks of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam and Taweche (6542m) come into view for the first time. After arriving in Namche, we’ll have lunch and the afternoon is free to bargain in the shops for 'Tibetan' artifacts, or relax and marvel at the beautiful scenery. It’s your day.

We remain at Namche for a second night to allow for proper acclimatization to the altitude. Namche is a prosperous village, situated in a large protected hollow. It is recommended that you take the opportunity to see both the sunrise and sunset views from the National Park Headquarters above the village. The view is stunning and offers a superb panorama of the Khumbu peaks with great views of Everest. After breakfast, there are a number of options: perhaps a walk towards Thami (3810m) above the beautiful Bhote Khola river valley, or a visit to the National Park Headquarters to see the interesting displays of Sherpa lifestyle and culture. There is also a mountaineering display and details of the park’s flora and fauna. Your guides will be on hand to offer advice and escort you on your walks.

The trail contours around Khumbilya's lower slopes, passing through beautiful birch forest and on to treeless, grassy slopes to a stupa (3992m) on top of a rocky ridge at Mongla. Once again the views of the mountains are magnificent. Phortse can be seen across the valley, a picturesque village set in a patchwork of stone-walled fields. From the stupa, we descend on a series of switchback trails to the Dudh Kosi River, 300m below, at Phortse Bridge.

Leaving Phortse Bridge, we ascend steeply at first and then contour high above the valley, enjoying excellent views of Kantega, Thamserku, and Ama Dablam (6856m). About an hour's walk from Phortse Bridge, we gain our first views of the mammoth Cho-Oyo (8153m) at the head of the valley. We are now trekking above the tree line and we pass some cascading waterfalls en route to the yak-herding settlements of Tongba (4015m) and Gayle (4050m). From here it is a short distance to Dole (4084m) where we will spend the night. After lunch, we can explore the upper Dole Valley returning via a high ridge above the lodge to enjoy fantastic views of Cho-Oyo and Gyachung Kang (7922m) to the north, and Taweche (6542m) and Cholatse (6440m) across the valley to the east.

Today it’s another short day starting with a climb out of the small Dole Valley before ascending more gradually up the Dudh Kosi valley, high above the river. The walking is easy, but we will still feel the effects of altitude on even the smallest hillock. The barren alpine scenery with only small clusters of scrub juniper is a stark contrast to the snowy white peaks and deep blue skies. After two hours, we will arrive at Luza (4360m), and after a further hour's walk, we reach our lodge at Machhermo (4465m) where you will spend the evening.

A short, steep climb leads from the Machhermo Valley onto the steep grassy slopes of the Dudh Kosi Valley. Keep an eye open for the colorful Tibetan Snow Cocks often found in this area. The valley widens as we pass through Pangka (4390m) and onto the jumbled, terminal moraines of the Ngozumpa Glacier, the largest in Nepal and the source of the Dudh Kosi River. Climbing steeply over a rocky trail we keep to the western side of the glacier to reach a small lake at the head of a wide valley; we soon pass a larger lake at Longponga (4690m) before following the lateral moraines to the third lake at Gokyo (4750m). Gokyo consists of a number of stone dwellings surrounded by stone-walled yak pastures.

We will rise early for an ascent of Gokyo Peak, a straightforward but steep climb that can be tiring due to the altitude. The walk up will take just over two hours and the reward is one of the most absorbing panoramas in the Khumbu…a spectacle of immense beauty. From the rocky summit, four 8000m peaks can be seen: Everest (8848m), Cho-Oyo (8153m), Lhotse (8511m), and Makalu (8481m). Countless other towering snow peaks and rock spires fill the horizons, including Gyachung Kang (7922m) to the east of Cho-Oyo, Cholatse (6440m), Taweche (6542m), and Kangchung (6103m). In addition, there’s a bird's-eye view of the Gokyo lakes, and the huge creaking Ngozumpa Glacier now cutting halfway across the world and snaking its way down the valley far beneath.

Fit and acclimatized, we leave Gokyo to cross the Ngozumpa Glacier. We descend to the second lake and drop down onto the glacier. The route across the glacier is marked by cairns and is generally quite well defined. We climb off the glacier by a small dwelling known as Thaknag and follow a shallow valley by a small Kharka village.

Early breakfast and an early start are necessary today, as not only do we have to cross Cho La, but we also have to make the long descent to reach Lobuche. Continuing up the valley, we cross a ridge and an old lateral moraine, before beginning the rocky scramble to the pass. From the pass, there are excellent views across to the Rolwaling Valley in the west and Ama Dablam to the southeast. The descent from the pass involves the crossing of a small glacier, often covered in snow but is fairly straightforward. There are excellent views of Ama Dablam and the forbidding north face of Cholatse as we descend to the pastures below.

The way to Lobuche contours the grassy slopes above a lake, Tshola Tsho, to join up with the main Everest trail from Pheriche and Thyangboche. The trail flattens out and follows the valley on the west side of the Khumbu Glacier to Lobuche.

From Lobuche, we follow the broad valley running parallel to the Khumbu glacier. A gradual ascent enables us to build the slow, steady rhythm required when walking at a high altitude. When we reach the moraines of the Changri Nup Glacier, we make a series of small ascents and descents over a rocky trail lined with cairns that eventually leads to the surprising glacial sands of Gorak Shep (5160m) after about three hours.

After breakfast, we set off for Everest Base Camp. The trail can sometimes be difficult to follow so keep an eye on your guides and fellow trekkers on this section. The trek to the base camp can be achieved in around three hours. If you are trekking in the popular climbing period of March to May you will almost certainly encounter yaks and porters supplying food and equipment to expeditions. From Base Camp, we do not get views of Everest but we will be able to see the notorious Everest Ice Fall. This particular area is said to be technically the hardest and most dangerous section of the mountain.

Early in the morning, we will make a steep ascent to Kala Pattar. You will need to start real slow and try to ascend at a steady rhythmic pace. Our goal, Kala Pattar, is the rocky hilltop below Pumori. It is a truly roughshod walk due to the altitude but the view from the top surpasses the wildest imagination. It will probably take a good hour and a half to reach the summit from Gorak Shep, although lower viewpoints will provide views almost as good. Pumori, Nuptse, Changtse, Ama Dablam, Taweche, Kantega and Everest surround us. About 3kms away and some 200m below, the area of Everest Base Camp can be seen in a bowl at the bottom of the Khumbu IceFall. For many trekkers, reaching Kala Patar is a very emotional experience and it is worthwhile spending as long as you can to relish this special moment that shows us the love of God for mankind. The descent back down to Gorak Shep is easy; it's then downhill most of the way, as we retrace our steps to Duglha and descend to Pheriche.

From the lodge, we head up through the village of Dingboche, following the Imja Khola Valley. The ascent is gradual, crossing small streams, through open alpine pastures with fine views of Island Peak at the head of the valley. We will reach the Chukkhung lodge in time for lunch, with the afternoon free to rest and acclimatize. If you feel energetic enough, you can head up the valley towards the old moraines that flow down from Lhotse. The views of the massive Lhotse Wall and Ama Dablam are wonderful to look at.

After breakfast follows the Imja Khola valley and trek to Dingboche. From Dingboche, we cross the Khumbu Khola and ascend a short steep trail to the top of a small ridge for great views of the Imja valley, Ama Dablam, and Kantega. We then descend to the small settlements at Orsho and Shomare and later pass through Lower Pangboche to reach the suspension bridge over the Imja Khola River. We’ll then ascend gradually through Debuche and onto Thyangboche where we’ll spend the night.

After breakfast, we descend steeply through beautiful forests of juniper, rhododendron, and fir to Phunkitenga. After a welcome break and perhaps a cup of tea we cross the Dudh Kosi and ascend to Trashing. From here the trail contours high above the valley through Shanasa and it's then a gradual walk to Namche Bazaar where we have lunch and descend to Monjo for an overnight stay.

Today is our last day of trekking. It’s only a short walk along the valley before we make the final climb up to the airstrip at Lukla. We’ll have lunch at our lodge and the afternoon is free for you to wander around, relax or perhaps have a hot shower which is the best thing to do after a trek of this kind! In the evening, we’ll have a farewell dinner followed by a few celebratory drinks.

We get up early in the morning, enjoy b/fast and get ready for the arrival of our aircraft for the flight back to Kathmandu. We will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel and a soft warm bed.