Everest Mani Rimdu Festival Trek - 22 Days

Your flight to Kathmandu will be scenic as you will see the panoramic view of the Himalayan Range with natural beauty. Upon your arrival in the country of Mt. Everest, a representative from Himalayan trekkers will greet you at the airport in Kathmandu and assist you to the hotel.

Today after breakfast you will be picked up by your city tour guide and takes you to some of the landmarks of the Kathmandu Valley like Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Stupa, Boudhanath, Pashupatinath and so on. You will visit some of these and the rest of the time you can do last moment shopping for trekking by consulting with your guide.

Today you will fly to Lukla which is considered as the world adventurous airport. You will take an early Twin Otter flight to Lukla which is the main entrance to the Khumbu Region. This is an adventurous as well as exciting flight, which provides you the stunning view of Everest in the distance. Upon arrival in Lukla, you will meet our crew members like trek staff and porters and start our trek to Phakding (2600m) or you can continue to Monjo (You can discuss with your guide on the stop if you are physically fit and want to continue). Phakding lies at the bank of Dudh Koshi River which drains the whole of the Khumbu region, this small village is on the main trade route through the area. You will stay in well-built lodges.

You begin this beautiful trek following the Dudh Kosi valley upstream. Expect to be blown away on the first day of the glorious trek to the Everest Basecamp. As the day progresses, you will cross and re-cross the rapid Imja Khola upon sturdy suspension bridges. Since most of the day will be spent traipsing along the banks, the trek will be mostly on a plain stretch. However, towards the end of the day’s trek, you will make a final steep climb to the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar (3440m). The rest of the day is designated for relaxing or exploring the bazaar after having checked into our comfortable lodge.

You desperately need the spare day in order to adjust to the low oxygen levels. Today you will ascend to Syanboche hill (3900m). From this spot, you can see the mouth-watering view of the entire Everest Region including of course Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Kusum Kanguru, Tawache, Kunde and other small snow-capped peaks. Also, people use to say that you have to be at Syanboche before you die. Furthermore, you will visit the high Himalayan Sherpa Village- Khumjung, from where you can see the Hillary school. And a little bit of walk from Khumjung you can reach Khunde where you will visit the Khunde monastery which depicts the clear picture of local Sherpa culture, traditions and you can also see the sculpture of “Yeti”, which you have heard in myths only. In this acclimatization day, you will spend time hiking and rest which will allow fasting acclimatizing in the high region. After this marvelous view, you will return to Namche for an overnight stay.

Today you contour around the hillside to Mong La which is situated at 4000 meters. This place offers a wonderful spot overlooking both the Gokyo and the Kala Pattar valleys. You can also see the scenic view of the Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Malan Palan, Taboche and the newly named Kamzang Peak. In front, you have Phortse, one of the oldest villages in the Everest region, suspended at the intersection of the Khumbu and the Gokyo valleys. To your south down the valley, you have the misty layers of the hills and valleys, as well as Monjo and the bridge to Jorsale.

You will take a break and have lunch at Mong La. Then continue with your journey and descend steeply through the pine forest to Phortse Tenga by the river and continue ascending again. The landscape is a treat to the eyes, as you pass through frozen waterfalls up to the cathedral-like stone staircases, through rhododendron and Himalayan Birch forests and across small rivers, and finally passing through tiny Sherpa settlements. You will keep on hiking for another hour until you have your first view of the 8000 meter Cho Oyu from Dole.

Another beautiful day in the lap of the Himalayas as you will start to continue the hike towards the Gokyo valley. You trail high above the valley floor, while Cho Oyu continues to loom in front of you for the latter part of the walk from the borders of Nepal and Tibet. You will come across some small Sherpa herding huts on your way and after a few more hours of trekking, you will reach the charming Yak-herding settlement of Luza. For the Khunde and Khumjung inhabitants, this is one of the many seasonal settlements, the next one being Machermo which will be arriving in about 45 minutes, after having climbed steeply out of Dole, to a set of prayer flags which marks an end to the settlement then, you will continue climbing up and down once again and finally reach Machermo, where you will camp out for an overnight stay.

You will start the early day as you have to walk to 4800 meters and it is going to be more difficult than usual at this altitude. The lakes are on the verge of freezing and one can often hear the symphony of expanding and retracting ice. As you enter grassy ablation valley by the side of the Ngozumpa Glacier you will get the first glimpse of Gokyo. Gokyo is a seasonal village and grazing area by the side of the third and biggest lake. You will stay tonight at Gokyo. It is a pleasure to admire the lakeside views and watch the shaggy yaks leisurely walking around.

After you had your breakfast, you will set out towards the Gokyo RI (5360 m). On the way, you will cross small glacier streams jumping over the stone bridge. It takes about two hours of switch-backing to reach the prayer flag festoon peak. As you go up, take your time as all along the way you get great views of the valley down past the Gokyo Lake. From the top, it is a treat to the eyes to see the panoramic view of Gokyo lakes, the glacial moraine surrounded by the giant Himalayan peaks; Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse and Makalu, and many others. Towards the west lies the pass: The Renjo La pass (4515), the gateway to the Thame Valley and Nagpa La, which the Tibetans cross with their yaks on their way to Namche.

In the afternoon you can take a walk around Gokyo Lake. There is a beach at the other end and just a walk of 1 to1 ½ hours past that are the Buddhist and Hindu shrines. One should not miss the quick hike up to the Moraine ridge, which gives a glorious view of the sunset colors on Cho Oyu which turns pinker down the valley towards Cholatse, Taboche, and Thamserku.

You will start your journey fresh and energetic, crossing the Dudh Kosi, as you will hike within clear sight of the terminal moraine of Ngosumpa Glacier before ascending to your lofty, open campsite. At an altitude of about 15,000 and 16,000 feet, the air getting thin, you will keep on climbing for six to seven hours through breathtaking hanging glaciers and astonishing 360-degree mountain panoramas. With persistent steps, you will march ahead, while the eye captures all the amazing contrasts of earth and sky, which surrounds you.

After experiencing a mesmerizing view from Ngosumpa, today your view will be restricted to only snow-capped mountains. Today good glacier glasses will aid your focus as you will climb the Cho La Pass (5330m) across blindingly bright snowfields. The roads become treacherous now, and you will pass through the close view of hanging glaciers above you, as you continue on a steep descent through loose rocks and large stone slabs arriving at the years of Dzongla a place suspended on a shelf of land sporting fine views in all direction.

On your way down you will walk through lush alpine pastures and temporary summer villages, where the people from lower altitudes bring their livestock for grazing as well as to cultivate. You will walk along the majestic Tawoche (21,462 feet) and across the Imja Khola River to reach Dingboche, the beautiful stone village surrounded by fields of winter wheat.

Today you have an option of either choosing to go to Kala Pattar or those going for hiking can choose from among the many areas around Dingboche.

If you go to Kala Pattar, you will get to view Everest base camp and Mount Everest. You will also get a clearer view of the Ice Fall and the South Col. Along the way you also come across black Rock a beautiful peak meaning “Daughter Peak “in Tibetan. As you continue with your journey, you will cross the Kongma La for more exciting views before finally rejoining the rest of the group at Chhukhung.

For your next destination, you will make a long but moderate descent to Pangboche the highest year-round settlement in the Imja Khola Valley. Here you will find a gompa above the main village, which was built some 300 years ago when Buddhism was first introduced in Khumbu. It is also said that the relics of the Yeti or the abominable snowman were to be found in the monastery in the past. However, they no longer exist as they had been stolen a few years back.

Festival in Tyangboche
As you will continue your short but steep climb, you will reach Tyangboche (3860m) which is famous for its age-old monastery. This place is said to be the spiritual center of the Everest region. Here you will find the main gompa, which accidentally got burned in January 1989, but it has been beautifully reconstructed later. Tyangboche also boasts of the breathtaking landscapes of the Himalayas, along with the festival of Mani Rimdu, which takes place in the month of November-December during a full moon.

Today you will enjoy the rituals and various dances, performance of the festival. You will also be part of the festival where you will dance with local, enjoy the food and grab the memories for the whole lifetime.

You can also explore nearby villages and be part of a small hike by consulting to your guide.

Today your journey takes you to the familiar territory as you will be heading down the hill to the Sherpa Capital, Namche. Along the way, you can enjoy the view of the alpine forest and have a feel of the rich Sherpa culture and the native Himalayan Nepali way of life. Tonight you will rest and enjoy your time at Namche.

You will wake up early as today will be a long trek back to Lukla. The long hilly trail which you barely managed to climb at the beginning of your journey seems amazingly easy and short now. Jorsale, where you reach just before the bridge to Monjo, is the home of Phuru Diki. Monjo will be visible from the national park gate after one last steep climb. The way back to Lukla is the same trail, yet it looks so different. You’ll have lunch in Phakding and then walk to Lukla for an overnight stay.

Today you will take an early flight from Lukla to Kathmandu as it lies in the Himalayan region and you can't be sure about the bad weather. Upon arrival at Kathmandu, you can go to the spa and massage center to get rid of the pain and tired of trekking.

Today is the free day as you can visit some of the Heritage sites of Kathmandu or you can stroll at Thamel and can do last minutes shopping; souvenir for friends, families, and relatives.

In the evening enjoying the farewell dinner with Himalayan trekkers team with cultural show.

Although, it is a sad moment for us to say goodbye however a representative from Adventure Mission Nepal (AMN) will drop you at the airport before 3 hours of your flight and takes the feedback of the trip. Hope to see you again in the next holidays!!