Namche Bazar Trekking - 7 Days | Nepal Guide

01 / THE EXPERIENCE

Discover the journey

Ideal 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 unofficial capital of the Khumbu region. You'll trek through Sagarmatha National Park—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—with its famous suspension bridges, alpine forests, Buddhist sites, and, of course, panoramic snow-capped views of the Himalayan peaks including the tallest in the world: Mount Everest.

02 / WHY GO

The memorable moments

Highlights

03 / YOUR ROUTE

Journey at a glance

Day Day 1: Welcome to Kathmandu! — Flying into Kathmandu, you'll have views over the valley, the Himalaya, and the terraced fields below. After completing customs, a representative will be waiting to greet you outside the airport and to 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 chose from offering both Western and local Nepali dishes.Overnight: Kathmandu Day Day 2: Explore Kathmandu — After breakfast, take your pick between numerous ways to experience Kathmandu—either on your own or with a private tour (optional add-on). If you really want to feel like a local and experience all that Kathmandu has to offer, hook up with an English-speaking guide and get an exclusive tour around town. Your specialist can arrange different options like a cultural tour of the Kathmandu Valley, visiting three sacred sites: 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. Other suggested activities include: Boudhanath (1 hour): Explore the city, perhaps by Vespa, visiting various religious sites like Boudhanath, 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. Another attraction is Pashupatinath, 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): If you’re feeling adventurous, consider touring Kathmandu by Vespa or taking a mountain flight to see Mount Everest (one hour). Shivapuri National Park (half-day): You can also 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 free day, you’ll return to your hotel in Kathmandu in the late afternoon and meet your trekking guide who will go over details for tomorrow’s adventure. Overnight: KathmanduAccommodation: Hotel (on own)Meals included: Breakfast Day 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 Himalaya 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: PhakdingMeals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 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 the 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 BazaarMeals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 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 the 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 town.Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerOvernight: Namche Bazaar Day 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 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, DinnerOvernight: Lukla Day 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 from 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 minutesMeals included: BreakfastOvernight: Kathmandu Day Day 8: Depart Kathmandu — It's time to say farewell to Nepal. Enjoy your last moments in Kathmandu with breakfast in a café, a final stroll through the narrow alleys and temples, and some final souvenir shopping. A driver will be waiting for you at your hotel to take you to the airport for your return flight home. It's best to be at the airport at least two hours prior to departure.Meals included: Breakfast

YOUR DAY-BY-DAY ROUTE

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1Welcome to Kathmandu! — Flying into Kathmandu, you'll have views over the valley, the Himalaya, and the terraced fields below. After completing customs, a representative will be waiting to greet you outside the airport and to guide you through the initial culture shock of Kathmandu’s narrow, winding streets to your hotel.+