The journey begins with an adventurous trek leading closer to Mt. Everest in northern Nepal and ends with a luxurious jungle safari in southern Nepal
The Everest Region
The Everest Region is the most popular trekking destination in Nepal and one of the most sought-after destinations in the world. The trek takes you closer to the highest peak in the world, Mt. Everest (8848.86m). While Mt. Everest is undoubtedly the prime attraction of the trek, the stunning mountain views, beautiful valleys, Sherpa culture, lush forests, river banks, and encounter with Himalayan blue sheep, Himalayan impeyan pheasant, musk deer also contribute to making this trek one of the most demanding trekking destinations in the world.
The trek typically starts with a 35-minute thrilling flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (2850m), which is the most standard way to begin the trek. However, one can also drive from Kathmandu to Paiyan to start the trek. Similarly, a helicopter charter flight is another option to start or end the trek. This allows travelers to fly to/from their desired location to commence or conclude the trek. Nevertheless, if you lack recent experience of travelling to high altitude regions, we do not recommend flying to higher elevations to start the trek.
Kathmandu Valley
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city of Nepal. The city showcases a blend of tradition, history, culture, religion, medieval art and architecture, and modern technology. Popularly known as the city of ancient temples, Kathmandu is one of the rare places in the world where Buddhism and Hinduism coexist harmoniously. Technically, Kathmandu refers to one of the three districts in the valley along with Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. However, the entire valley is popularly known as the Kathmandu valley. The name “Kathmandu” is the deviated from “Kasthamandap,” a popular wooden temple erected in the city center.
In the medieval era, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur were three separate kingdoms with powerful Kings. Today, all the palaces (durbar squares) of these districts are popular tourist sites known for their medieval art and architecture. Alongside Boudhanath, Swoyambhunath, Pashupatinath, and Changunarayan, all three durbar squares are UNESCO World Heritage sites located within the valley.
Kathmandu also showcases the tradition of worshiping Living Goddess known as Kumari, a rare tradition existing in the world. Similarly, it also entertains visitors with vibrant and colorful festivals celebrated by different communities throughout the year.
Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park is the best-known wildlife conservation area not only in Nepal but also in south Asia. Established in 1973, it was the country’s first national park. Located at an elevation between 100 to 850 meters, the park spans four districts in southern Nepal. It comprises dense forests, grasslands, and wetlands that provide a suitable habitat for diverse flora and fauna, including the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, sloth bear, Asian elephant, and 544 species of birds. It also boasts the third largest concentration of Royal Bengal Tigers in the world, following India and Bangladesh.
Visitors to Chitwan National Park can engage in various activities such as jeep safaris, jungle walks, boating, canoeing, bird watching, and village walks. The park offers world-class luxury hotels and resorts where visitors can enjoy a luxurious vacation experience amidst the wilderness.
WELCOME TO NEPAL, the land of the Himalayas!
Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will receive a warm welcome from the company representatives of Osprey Adventure, who will assist you with your luggage and guide you to the hotel. After checking into the hotel, the company representative will provide you with a comprehensive briefing about your upcoming trip, including inclusions and exclusions, safety precautions, cultural norms and other important information that will be useful during your stay in Nepal.
Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Your city tour guide will arrive promptly at the hotel with a private vehicle and driver. After breakfast, you will process to visit the following religious and historical sites, all of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1979 AD.
Swayambhunath is situated atop an elevated hill station in the heart of Kathmandu city, standing 77 meters above the city’s level, providing panoramic views of the entire Kathmandu valley. It is also famously known as “Monkey Temple” among tourists due to the abundance of monkeys found on the site. While primarily a Buddhist pilgrimage site, you can also find a Hindu temple harmoniously coexisting alongside the main temple of Swayambhunath.
Kathmandu Durbar Square, situated in the heart of Kathmandu, is the former Royal Palace of Nepal. “Durbar” translates to ‘palace’ in Nepali. It stands out as one of three durbar squares in the Kathmandu valley. Today, it serves as a key attraction for tourists, renowned as the center of medieval art and architecture.
Within the Durbar Square, your tour will encompass visits to several historical landmarks, including the ancient palace museum, the temple of Kumari (the living goddess of Nepal), Hanuman Dhoka, the Kasthamandap Temple, and the statue of Kal Bhairav.
Boudhanath is the largest stupa in Nepal, situated 11km northeast from the heart of Kathmandu city. Its magnificent size and mesmerizing shape are sure to leave you stunned. Historically, it is believed to have been built in the early 5th century and now stands as a beacon of Buddhist belief. Surrounding the stupa, there are many terrace restaurants where you can enjoy a lunch break.
Pashupatinath Temple stands as one of the largest and most revered shrines for Hindus worldwide. Situated on the western bank of the holy Bagmati River, which flows through the center of the Kathmandu valley, it also serves as a popular cremation site for Hindus. The majority of Hindus who pass away in the Kathmandu valley are brought to Pashupati for cremation, so it is highly likely that you will observe open-air cremations during your visit. Entrance to the main temple is restricted to Hindus only. However, even if you are non-Hindu, you can still observe the main temple from the eastern bank of the river.
The day starts early in the morning as you fly to Lukla. Flights from Kathmandu to Lukla usually operate early in the morning because the weather in Lukla tends to become unstable in the afternoon. You will begin your 13-day trek by taking a 35-minute scenic flight to Lukla. The flight itself is an adventure as you will fly amidst towering snow-capped mountains. Once you land in Lukla, you will meet all the staff members and begin the trek. The trail initially descends and follows Dudh Koshi River with some uphill climbs towards the end. After three and half hours walking, passing through beautiful Sherpa villages such as Chaurikharka, Chhaplung, Thadakoshi and Ghat, as well as picturesque terraced green fields and forests you will reach Phakding, situated on the bank of Dudh Koshi River.
| Villages on route | Chaurikharka (2619m) – Chhaplung (2660m) – Thadakoshi – Ghat |
Breakfast will be served at 7:00am. You must pack your luggage and day bag before breakfast. Right after breakfast, you will start walking. This will be your usual routine for the next six days. The path follows Dukh Koshi River, which is relatively easier for the first two and a half hour, and becomes steep uphill in the second half. After five hours walking, passing thorough beautiful villages such as Toktok, Benkar, Monjo and Jorsale, dense pine forests and crossing suspension bridges over Dudh Koshi River five times you will reach Namche Bazar, the unofficial capital of Sherpa villages.
| Villages on route | Toktok (2710m) – Bengkar (2740m) – Monjo (2835m) – Jorsale (2740m) |
| Mountain views | Kusum Khanguru (6367m), Thamserku (6608m), Kongde Peak (6187m) |
Rest days are important while travelling to high elevation zones, as your body needs time to acclimatize to the new environment. The objective of the rest days is not to stay idle in the hotel, but to hike to higher places and return to the hotel to rest. You will hike to Everest View Hotel (3,880m) and Khumjung village (3790m). It requires a four-hour walk to reach the destination and two hours’ return. You will spend some time at the Everest View Hotel enjoying hot tea with panoramic views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Amadablam, Thamserku, Kusum Khangru, Tabuche peak and many more. You will also get picturesque views of Phortse, Pangboche and Tengboche villages. Afterwards, you will descend down for 45 minutes to Khumjung, where you will stop for lunch. There, you will see a school which was built by Sir Edmund Hilary after he became the first human to summit Mt. Everest. Following lunch, you will return to Namche by visiting Khunde village and the health post.
| Mountain views | Mt. Everest (8848.86m), Amadablam (6812m), Kangtega (6782m), Thamserku (6608m), Tabuche (6495m) |
Today’s journey offers views similar to those you experienced from Everest View Hotel. It requires about a five-hour walk to reach Phortse. For the first one and half hour, you will walk on a relatively straight and well-built path until you reach Kyangjyuma. From there, the path climbs uphill for another two hours to Mong La Danda (3975m). After reaching Mong La Danda, you will stop for lunch. From there, path descends steeply downhill for about an hour to Phortse Tanga. Then, it is a 45 minute gradual ascent to the village of Phortse.
| Villages on route | Kyangjyuma (3600m) – Mong La (3973m) – Phortse Tanga (3680m) |
| Mountain views | Mt. Everest (8848.86m), Amadablam (6812m), Kangtega (6782m), Thamserku (6608m), Tabuche (6495m) |
Today, you will be walking for the first three and a half hours on isolated path without seeing any houses and lodges until you reach Pangboche. After breakfast, you begin to ascend gradually uphill followed by straight for one and a half hour. Along the way, you will enjoy picturesque views of Tengboche village, Amadablam, Kangtenga and trail to Everest Base Camp on your right side. Before reaching Pangboche, you will ascend uphill for an hour and then continue on a straight path for another one hour. You will stop for lunch at Pangboche, which marks the last point of this trek. From there, you will start descending gradually downhill for about half an hour until you reach the river. After that, it will take another one hour to Tengboche, with a short gradual ascent just before reaching Tengboche. In Tengboche, there is a monastery that is the largest and spiritually most significant in the region, where Everest climbers receive blessing for the successful ascent.
| Villages on route | Pangboche (3985m) – Debuche (3820m) |
| Mountain views | Mt. Everest (8848.86m), Amadablam (6812m), Kangtega (6782m), Thamserku (6608m), Tabuche (6495m) |
Early in the morning, you will fly to Lukla by a chartered helicopter. The flight duration is approximately 5 minutes. From Lukla, you will then take a scheduled fixed-wing aircraft to Kathmandu, which take about 35 minutes. Upon landing at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will be picked up by our driver and transferred to your hotel. Upon arrival, our office representative will meet you to gather your feedback about the trek.
After breakfast, you will drive to the Domestic Terminal of Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. The flight duration from Kathmandu to Chitwan is 25 minutes.
Lunch will be served upon your arrival in Chitwan, before embarking on a cultural walk to a Tharu village. If time permits, you will then proceed to enjoy a riverside sunset view. In the evening, you will observe a Tharu cultural stick dance performed by local people.
You will receive a wake-up call early in the morning. After breakfast, you will proceed with bird watching, canoeing, a jungle walk, and a visit to the crocodile breeding center. Lunch will be served before embarking on a three-hour jeep drive in the national park.
After breakfast, you will drive to Bharatpur Airport. The flight from Bharatpur to Kathmandu takes 25 minutes. Once you arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will be picked up by a private car and driven to the hotel.
Today marks your final day in Nepal. We will drive you to Kathmandu International Airport three hours before your flight time.
Note: If you would like to spend more time in Nepal, you can join our leisure or adventure extension trips such as City Sightseeing, White-water Rafting, Jungle Safari, Paragliding, Bungee Jumping etc.
Choosing the proper equipment for trekking in Nepal is crucial for a safe and enjoyable experience. Most trekking destinations in Nepal are remote, with few accessible markets. Even where markets exist, prices tend to be high. Therefore, it is essential to prepare all necessary equipment before starting your trek. Kathmandu, particularly the Thamel area, is the ideal place to acquire equipment if you haven’t brought it from your home country. Alternatively, Pokhara offers equipment at similar prices to Kathmandu.
Below is a list of general equipment. Not all items may be necessary depending on your destination. Consult your travel consultant or guide if assistance in selecting the appropriate equipment.
*Note: FYI, you can also rent a sleeping bag and a down jacket in Kathmandu. The cost varies from $2 to $3 per day for each item, depending on the quality.
