EBC Trek, with Cho La and Gokyo Ri extension

After landing on Tribhuvan International Airport and getting the visa, we'll meet our local representative that will provide the transfer to our hotel in Kathmandu. In the afternoon/evening (depending of the schedule of our flights) we'll have some time for exploring Thamel and enjoying dinner in a local Nepalese restaurant.

Today we have our first immersion into the Nepalese culture, by visiting some of the main attractions of Kathmandu: Pashupatinath and Swayambhunath temples, Bodhnath Stupa and Durbar Square.

Early in the morning, we will fly from Kathmandu to Lukla. It is one of the most "interesting" flights in the world. In about 30 minutes, weather being friendly with us, we'll admire the spectacular views of the mountains and we'll enter deeper into the canyon of Dudh Kosi Valley.
After landing on Lukla Airport, we'll meet our porters and we'll start our trek to Everest Base Camp. For the beginning the sceneries of Nupla (5885m), Kusum Kanguru (6367m) and Kwongde (6011m) will make our day.

Our trail continue following the valley of Dudh Kosi river to the North. Soon, we might get the chance (weather permitting) of admiring, for the first time, the summits of Thamserku (6608m), Everest (8848m) and Nuptse (7879 m).
After a steeper ascent we will arrive soon in Namche Bazaar (3440m).

Set in a natural amphitheater that offers a magnificent view of the Kongdi Ri mountain range (6187m), Namche Bazaar is one of the most important and picturesque settlements.
Here we will enjoy a day of acclimatization so we avoid further problems. During this day we will visit the Hillary Memorial, we will climb to the Everest View Hotel to enjoy the first panoramic views of the peaks that surround us (Everest, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Nuptse, Lhotse, Tawche, and Kwangde) and descend to Khumjung, a beautiful Sherpa village, located not far from Namche (but at a higher altitude).

We will start the day with a slight descent that will lead us, after about 1-2 hours walking, in Phungithanga.
From here, the trail ascends through a mature Rhododendron forest; if luck will surprise us, we will be able to meet the Musk deer or the Himalayan goats (tahr).
The village of Tengboche is set along a wide and grassy saddle, sheltered by a grove covered by juniperus and puddles. From the point of view, on a nearby platform, we can admire the summits of Amadablam (6856m), Everest (8848m), Nuptse (7861m), Lhotse (8501m) in all their spending. Here we can visit the Buddhist monastery, the largest in the Khumbu region.

In the morning, the views of the mountains, as well as the Buddhist monasteries, are truly impressive. From Tengboche we will head north and soon we will cross the Dudh Kosi River again. During this day we will have ample pictures of Mt.Tawache, Ama Dablam as well as Pokalde peaks (5806m), Kongma-tse (5849m).
Dingboche is the gateway to Chukung and, furthermore, Mount Makalu. We will have the opportunity to admire the arrangement of agricultural land, where the locals cultivate barley, buckwheat and potatoes.

It is very important to spend here an extra day to ease the acclimatization process. Optionally, and only if the physical resources are sufficient, we can make a climb of about 400m to Nangkartshang Gompa, on the northern crest of the Dingboche massif, where we have a superb view of the sea. Makalu (8463 m).

Today we will continue our adventure and follow the 3 High Passes Trek route to Lobuche. We will begin to feel more and more altitude, being close to 5000m.

On the first section of the trail we follow the narrow aisle between the glacier and the mountain walls, intersecting the path leading to the Italian Pyramid. We will take a short walk to admire the Kumbu Glacier, and continue to Gorakshep, where we will also serve lunch. In the afternoon, we will celebrate reaching Everest base camp (5364m) and we'll return back to Gorakshep for a well-deserved rest.

Today's day is a long and demanding one, but rewards will also be worthwhile. In the morning, very early, we will climb with the head lamps on Kala Patthar (5545m, the highest altitude during this expedition). From where we have the most beautiful pictures of Everest, Lhotse, Pumori, and the Khumbu Valley (guarded by Ama Dablam and Cholatse).
We will return to Gorakshep to serve breakfast, after which we will start hiking to Dzongla via Lobuche. This is the beginning of a new stage of the expedition, through which we will cross the Cho La pass.

There is another demanding day, but also extremely spectacular with the views that will accompany us during our ascent to the Cho La high pass.

Today we will have a shorter day to recharge our "batteries", especially because the next day we go to Gokyo Ri. After breakfast, we will cross the Ngozumpa Glacier, the longest of the Himalayas, to arrive in a relatively short time at Gokyo. Once we get here, we will have enough time for rest and admire the superb lakes here.

We will start the day with a climb on the top of Gokyo Ri, where Gokyo lakes, Ngozumpa Glacier, and the peaks of Cho Oyu, Everest or Makalu can be admired on clear days. After returning to Gokyo, we will begin descending to Machermo.

We continue to descend, crossing today one of the wildest areas; here we have the best chance of seeing snow cocks or Himalayan goats.In the afternoon we arrive at Mong La, a magnificent place with wide openings to Thamserku, Kangtega and Ama Dablam.

Today we continue to descend, re-entering the classic route to the EBC. Once we get back to Namche Bazaar, we are heading for the small village of Benkar where we spend the night.

The last day in the mountains will take us back to Lukla. We will look with nostalgia behind us, and we will certainly want to come back as soon as possible.

After the flight back to Kathmandu and returning to the hotel, we will take a guided tour of Patan to visit the royal palace and the museum that hosts exhibits of priceless value.

Free day for shopping or more sightseeing in Kathmandu.

All good things come to an end. Today we fly back to our home countries.