Shortest Rapid Everest Base camp Trek - 9 days

You can fly into Kathmandu from some of the major cities in the world. Enjoy the amazing landscape of this Himalayan country as you enter its airspace. If you are flying during the day, you will be greeted with a breathtaking sight of endless rows of Himalayan peaks rising up towards the sky. At the airport, a guide from Third Rock Adventures will welcome you and escort you to your hotel. Check-in and take rest. 

In the evening you can meet your trekking guide and check your gear list. If you want to buy or rent trekking gear or equipment you can do so from Thamel. There are lots of high-end as well as budget shops selling mountain gear and equipment. In case you need help with your shopping one of our Sherpas will help you out in finding the shop from where you can get the best bargain. Pack for your trek before you retire for the night as you will be leaving for Lukla early tomorrow.

Overnight in Kathmandu. 

Depending on the season you will be trekking you will catch your Lukla flight either from Kathmandu or Ramechhap. During peak season flights to Lukla are rerouted to Manthali Airport in Ramechhap District to reduce airport congestion. Flights to Lukla leave early so you will have to get to the airport early in the morning. Since Manthali Airport is located at a distance of 132 kilometers from the capital city, you will have to make your journey quite early (around 2 AM). The route to Manthali Airport takes you past a winding mountainous road. 

If you plan your trip during the off-season you can fly to Lukla directly from Kathmandu. Helicopter flights depart from Kathmandu, regardless of the season. 
The flight to Lukla is one of the highlights of this trek. The tiny plane flies between huge mountains and lands at a narrow airstrip built on a mountain shelf. The Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla is the point from where you will start your trek. The first day of trekking will take you to the village of Phakding, a beautiful settlement nestled in the verdant Dudh Koshi River Valley. The walk beside the Dudh Koshi River is filled with refreshing views of hills covered with pine trees, waterfalls, pretty cottages and the very first view of Himalayan peaks.    

Overnight in Phakding. 

After a hearty breakfast at the teahouse, you continue your trek and walk towards Namche Bazaar, the most important town of the Sherpas. It's a tiring walk with lots of uphill ascents and switchbacks. But the sights along the way are delightful.

The hike takes you past Buddhist religious structures (chortens, mani walls, prayer wheels) and several Sherpa villages. There will be a brief stop at the entrance of the Sagarmatha National Park in Monjo where guards will check your permit and luggage. There are several crossings on the metal suspension bridges. The last bridge you will cross is the Hillary Bridge which is the highest bridge in the Everest Region. A glimpse of Mount Everest greets you as you approach Namche.

Namche Bazaar is carved on the side of a mountain in the shape of an amphitheater. It is a major trading hub for Sherpas as well as Tibetans from across the border. In this lively mountain town, you will find shops, restaurants, teahouses, spas, banks, bakeries, pubs, museums, etc. 
Climb up the long staircase to the center of the town and head to your lodge. 

Overnight in Namche Bazaar. 
 

Wake up early and enjoy the sight of the mountains surrounding Namche Bazaar – Khumbila, Thamserku, Kongde Ri, and Kantega. You resume your trek after breakfast and take the steep path out of the town. After covering a slightly steep incline you come to a flat area from where you can enjoy glorious views of Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Mount Everest. It's an easy walk on even ground to Sanasa. Here you will find a fork in the trail – the upper trail leads to the Gokyo Lakes while the lower trail takes you to Everest Base Camp.

You take the lower route and continue down towards the Imja River. At Phunki Tenga you will stop for rest and some refreshments. From here it's a steep climb to the village of Tengboche. The trail takes you past a dense forest filled with gnarly rhododendron trees and wildlife. It's a tough ascent to Tengboche, a Sherpa settlement with the most important Buddhist monastery in the Khumbu Region.  The impressive Tengboche Monastery dominates the skyline of the village. You will get a chance to explore the monastery and watch the monks praying together in the richly decorated assembly hall. 

Overnight in Tengboche. 

Today's trek will take you to Dingboche, situated high above the tree line. But before you proceed you can catch the sunrise over Ama Dablam and other snow-covered mountains. You walk down a forested path to Debuche. The area around Tengboche, Debuche, and Phortse has the highest concentration of wildlife in the Everest region. You can encounter a variety of birds and animals like the Himalayan monal, Blood pheasant, Himalayan Griffon, Himalayan Tahr, Musk deer, Red Panda, wild yaks, etc.

By the time you ascend Dingboche, you will leave the lush green forests behind and enter a sub-alpine landscape filled with scrub grassland and rocky and barren hills. The mountains appear closer and look grander. There are only a few houses and lots of new lodges in Dingboche. The local farms have potato fields fenced by rock walls. This is one of the highest settlements of the Sherpas. 

Overnight in Dingboche. 

You are getting closer to Everest Base Camp. Today you will head to Lobuche, a small stopover point with a couple of lodges. Leaving the village, you climb up a steep path and reach the outskirts of the village. The route follows a gentle slope with flat sections. The trail hugs the side of a hill from where you can enjoy dramatic views of glaciers and jagged summits of mountains.

You stop for a brief rest at the village of Thukla before climbing over the Thughla Pass. Situated at an elevation of 4830 meters, the Thughla Pass is decorated with prayer flags, stone cairns and memorials of climbers who lost their lives on Mount Everest. The most well-known memorials are that of the climbers Rob Hall and Scott Fischer whose disastrous expedition has been immortalized in a book titled 'Into Thin Air' by Jon Krakauer and the movie 'Everest'. 
From Thughla Pass Lobuche is a short distance away. Walk through a rock-strewn path and cross a stream to reach Lobuche. Once there you can head to a lodge and take a rest. 

Overnight in Lobuche. 

You wake up early and press on toward Gorak Shep after breakfast. It's a short hike to Gorak Shep but the low level of oxygen in the atmosphere can make hiking difficult. Enjoying glorious views of Pumori, Nuptse Lhotse, and Lobuche Peak rearing close to the trail, you make your towards the small settlement. Built on the bed of a dried mountain lake, Gorak Shep is not really a village. It's a collection of teahouses built to cater to tourists trekking on this route.

On reaching Gorak Shep you will check into a lodge and leave your luggage behind. After a quick lunch, you continue your hike toward Everest Base Camp. The walk along the Khumbu Glacier filled with debris and glacial moraine is not easy. However, the stark and raw beauty of the Khumbu Icefall and glacier is mind-blowing and motivating enough to push you on. You can catch a glimpse of Mount Everest from the trail but from the Everest Base Camp, the mountain is not visible. On reaching the Everest base Camp you enjoy your success taking selfies at the EBC Rock and celebrating with your team. It has been a tough walk to the base camp of the world's highest mountain and the feeling of achievement is sweet. If it's climbing season and you want to hike further to the campsite of the Mount Everest expedition groups, you can do so. After taking photographs and savoring the views you can walk back to Gorak Shep. 

Overnight in Gorak Shep. 

Wake up while it is still dark and hike to Kala Patthar to catch one of the most beautiful sunrise views in Nepal. Kala Patthar is a brown hill located just behind Gorak Shep. Since Mount Everest is not visible from Everest Base Camp, trekkers flock to this viewpoint to catch a glimpse of the world's tallest mountain. It's a steep and difficult ascent to the top. On reaching the viewpoint you can enjoy a breathtaking sunrise over an unbroken chain of some of the world's highest mountains – Mount Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Pumori, Lhola, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Lingtren, etc.

After enjoying the view, you head down to Gorak Shep and later board a helicopter bound for Kathmandu. The helicopter flight offers mind-blowing aerial views of the Khumbu mountains and Sherpa villages dotting the Everest trail.

You can also enjoy a bird's eye view of Kathmandu Valley before landing at the domestic airport. Our vehicle will be waiting for you at the airport to drive you to your hotel. You can spend your last evening in Nepal shopping for souvenirs and exploring the tourist hub of Thamel. 
Overnight in Kathmandu. 

Today marks the end of your Everest adventure. It’s time to head home after bidding your goodbyes. Our driver will drop you off at the international airport at least three hours before your flight's departure. 
If you want to explore more places in Nepal or the neighboring countries of Bhutan, India, or the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our travel consultant will reach out to you and help you plan another amazing trip in the Himalayas.