Among the various treks in the Everest region, the Everest Base Camp Trek by Road stands out with its added appeal for those seeking a unique adventure in Nepal. This route invites trekkers to explore the often-overlooked lower stretches of the Everest region, areas that many visitors never get to experience. Instead of facing the struggles of flying into Lukla, you can enjoy an incredibly scenic drive to Phaplu, a vibrant town in the Khumbu Valley. This trek offers a distinctive approach to the world's most beloved trekking destination, providing an unforgettable journey through both familiar and hidden corners of the Himalayas.
This incredible journey begins with your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, where a dedicated team member will greet you and escort you to your hotel for a comfortable start to your adventure. The next day, you’ll embark on a scenic drive to Phaplu, a bustling town in the lower Khumbu region. With its colorful rooftops and the majestic backdrop of the Everest massif, Phaplu sets the tone for the remarkable journey ahead.
From Phaplu, the road leads you to Paiya Village, another serene and lesser-explored gem in the Khumbu Valley. As you venture deeper into the region, you’ll have the chance to immerse yourself in authentic Sherpa culture, experiencing the tranquility of this remote area. Leaving Paiya, the trek continues toward Phakding, following a trail through vibrant rhododendron forests along the Dudh Koshi River. Here, you’ll also join trekkers hiking through the regular Everest Base Camp Trekking route.
Departing Phakding, the journey ascends to Namche Bazaar, the bustling hub of the Everest region. Namche is not only a key acclimatization stop but also a gateway to stunning hikes and excursions offering panoramic views of Mount Everest. From these vantage points, you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking vistas of peaks like Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kusum Kanguru, Kongde Ri, Lhotse, Nuptse, and more, as you prepare for the next stages of your epic trek.
After acclimatizing at Namche Bazaar, the journey continues to Tengboche, a place rich in cultural and religious significance. As you trek through the valley, you'll witness the deep-rooted practice of Buddhism among the local communities. The trail is adorned with gumbas, chortens, mani walls, and fluttering prayer flags, each symbolizing blessings for a safe and successful journey. Tengboche itself is home to one of the region's most important monasteries, where you can immerse yourself in the spiritual atmosphere and observe the daily rituals that reflect the profound connection between the people and their faith.
Leaving the spiritual haven of Tengboche, you embark on a trek toward Dingboche, situated at an impressive altitude of 4,410 meters. Here, you will be spending two days for the second acclimatization. As you hike further, the air grows crisper, and the journey becomes increasingly challenging, requiring trekkers to be vigilant and mindful of the altitude. As you approach Lobuche, the trail becomes increasingly rugged and rough. Lobuche is surrounded by a dramatic high-altitude landscape hence its challenging terrain marks a transition to the more extreme environments of the Everest region.
The next day is the most awaited day of this journey. From Lobuche, you’ll trek to Gorakshep, the last settlement before Everest Base Camp. Surrounded by towering mountains and the Khumbu Icefall, you’ll experience a profound sense of accomplishment. After taking in the awe-inspiring surroundings and capturing unforgettable moments, you’ll return to Gorakshep for the night. The following day, you will wake up early to ascent Kala Patthar and witness a golden sunrise over Mount Everest. After soaking in the stunning scenery, you’ll trek back to Pheriche, another quaint Himalayan town. From Pheriche, you journey back to Namche Bazaar, and then to Surke village, a lesser-explored peaceful hamlet in the lower reaches of Khumbu Valley.
Continuing your descent, you will trek from Surke to Jubing, a diverse settlement of the Sherpa and Rai ethnic communities of Nepal. Just like Surke, Jubing is also rarely explored thus trekkers can enjoy the last leg of their adventure in the peaceful solitude. With Jubing being the last destination, your journey comes full circle as you drive back to Kathmandu. The drive allows trekkers to rejoice in the breathtaking landscapes before joining the vibrancy of Kathmandu.
On your last day in Kathmandu, one of our team members will assist you to the airport for your flight back home. World Alpine Trek bids you farewell with hopes you see you soon for your next Himalayan adventure with us.
The first day marks your arrival day in Kathmandu. Clear all the visa requirements and customs clearance, if any, at the arrival section of the airport. As you come out, you will find a representative from World Alpine Treks waiting for you holding a board with your name. You will then be transferred to your hotel in Kathmandu. The representative will shortly inform you about the plans ahead.
The journey begins with a scenic drive from Kathmandu to Phaplu, a charming town nestled in the lower region of Khumbu Valley. The drive takes you through winding roads with terraced hillsides and remote villages on the banks of the roaring Koshi river system of Nepal. Upon reaching Phaplu, you will feel the liveliness of the town with its colorful roofs and breathtaking backdrop of Everest massif. In this journey, Phaplu serves as your gateway to the Everest region, welcoming you for an even more incredible journey ahead.
Leaving Phaplu, we embark on our road trip to Paiya village. The journey takes us from Phaplu to Tham Danda, a drive of approximately 5 hours, depending on road conditions. This route traverses less-traveled paths through lush rhododendron forests, offering a scenic and tranquil experience as you venture deeper into the heart of the Khumbu region. From Tham Danda, we will officially begin our hike as we walk towards the quaint hamlet of Paiya, which is also the destination for the day.
Wake up early to embrace the serene beauty of the Himalayan countryside. After enjoying a refreshing breakfast, embark on the trek along the rhododendron-lined trail by the Dudh Koshi River, heading towards Phakding. As you follow this scenic path, you'll join the regular Everest Base Camp Trek route.
We wake up early and enjoy our breakfast. Then we follow our trail that goes through an undulating path up and down via traditional villages, fields, and rhododendron forests. We gradually ascend and enter Sagarmatha National Park with magnificent views of Mt. Thamserku on sight. We pass villages like Jorsale and Monjo on the way to Namche. Namche Bazaar is an old but lively Sherpa village. It is a gateway to all the trekking routes that go to the Everest region. There are many vibrant shops, cyber cafes, restaurants, hotels, and lodges at this time. Namche Bazaar never rests. It always gets a lot of visitors and is always crowded. We stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Namche for the night. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
The narrow streets of Namche are always crowded. Do not be surprised if the yak bells and other horns wake you up. Today is a day set aside for acclimatization purposes. As we gain height, our body needs to be well adapted to the altitude change. Therefore, we have set aside an extra day in Namche. Today, we hike up to Everest View Hotel for close-up views of the mountains in the Everest region. From the hotel, we can enjoy some striking views of mountains like Kwangde, Thamserku, Kangtega, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, etc. We can visit a museum and a photo gallery on our way back to Namche from the Everest View Hotel. We stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Namche for the night. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
As we ascend, our trail traverses through the forests of rhododendrons with brilliant views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Amadablam, and Mt. Lhotse on sight. After a while, the trail descends to the Dudh Koshi River at Phungi Thanga. From here, the trail further ascends through the forests of pine and rhododendron to Tengboche. Tengboche is accessible from the Tengboche monastery and has astonishing views of Mt. Ama Dablam along with other peaks in the region. Tengboche monastery is considered the largest monastery in the region. Today, we stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Tengboche for the night. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
We leave Tengboche and start climbing up the trail for around six hours to Dingboche. As we ascend, we can notice the change in vegetation. We can find ourselves moving above the tree line with pastures and meadows along the way. On the way, we can see small fields enclosed by stone walls to protect crops from cold winds. As we open up to the meadows of Dingboche, we will find ourselves in a spectacular location with wonderful views of Lhotse and Nuptse Ridge on sight. If the weather is favorable, one can relish the amazing views of the sunset over the Ama Dalam Himal in the Everest region. Tonight, we are staying at a guesthouse/ lodge in Dingboche. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
We spend another day in Dingboche. This day in Dingboche is a part of acclimatization. As we have already gained enough height, acclimatization is a necessity. Therefore, we enjoy our day in Dingboche today. After breakfast in the guesthouse, we hike up to Nagerjun for close-up views of mountains in the Everest region. We will be blessed with amazing views of Mt. Makalu, Mt. Ama Dalam, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, and many more. After enjoying the spectacles of the mountains from Nagerjun, we walk back to the guesthouse in Dingboche for the night. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Leaving Dingboche, the trail climbs up a ridge with some magnificent views of Taboche Peak and Cholatse. Further, the trail continues through yak pastures until we cross a wooden bridge over a stream to Duglha. From Duglha, we ascend for an hour along a steep route above the moraine of Khumbu glacier. From here, we ascend the valley to Lobuche, enjoying the views of Khumbutse, Pumori, and Lingtren. Mt. Everest becomes invisible as it is hidden behind the towering peaks of Lhotse and Nuptse. On reaching Lhotse, we stay at a guesthouse/ lodge in Lobuche. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Today is one of the most rewarding days of our journey. Our week-long hard work is going to pay off as we will be stepping into the Everest Base Camp – the dream of every single travel lover. From Lobuche, we follow a rocky path to the last village of the trail – Gorekshep. From Gorekshep, we continue towards the world’s highest base camp, i.e., Everest Base Camp, through the Khumbu glacier. It is considered one of the most dangerous sections of the Everest Base Camp Trek. As we reach the base camp, we will be showered with some mesmerizing views of glaciers, lakes, caves, and icefalls. Though the views of Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Nuptse are quite clear, Mt. Everest hides back behind the shades of Lhotse and Nuptse. After spending some time in base camp, we return to Gorekshep via the same route. Tonight, we are staying at a guesthouse/ lodge in Gorekshep. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Today, we woke up a little early to catch the sunrise views from Kalapatthar. We hike up for around two to three hours from Gorekshep to Kalapatthar. As we ascend, we get the first glimpse of the mighty Mt. Everest along with the other peaks like Mt. Pumori, Mt. Lingtren, Mt. Khumbutse, Mt. Changtse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Cho Oyu, Mt. Ama Dablam, etc. The golden rays of sunrise glittering over the snow-clad mountains in the region look amazing. After having this amazing view from Kalapatthar, we retrace our steps back to Pheriche. Tonight, we are staying at a guesthouse/ lodge in Pheriche. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Today, we descend to Namche Bazaar via the same path that we had taken earlier. We descend the same path to Namche Bazaar. Tonight, we are staying at a guesthouse/ lodge in Namche. (Inclusive of Breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Leaving Namche, we venture onto the trail toward Surke Village, diverging from the standard Everest Base Camp route to a less-traveled path. This quieter route allows you to enjoy the solitude and charm of a more secluded trekking experience. As you traverse uneven and rocky paths, you’ll cross suspension bridges and occasionally encounter local villagers, adding a personal touch to the adventure. Upon reaching Surke Village, you’ll find a peaceful respite and the opportunity to fully appreciate the serene and picturesque surroundings.
We depart Surke and descend to Jubing. On the way back, we walked past Paiya, one of the villages we passed at the beginning of our journey. The trail is sparsely habituated but will offer a good chance to encounter locals and have a glimpse of their life in the secluded mountain region. The trail can be slippery so it is important to be careful. We walk past a few perfectly well-built cobblestone paths but mostly walk through uneven and off-the-beaten paths before we reach Jubing.
Today, we head back to Kathmandu from Jubing. We have a long day ahead, as most of today, we will be on the road. Although long, it will be a scenic journey as you will get to enjoy the cascading rivers and roadside villages of Nepal, one last time. Upon reaching Kathmandu, our team member will assist you to your hotel.
Before a few hours of your scheduled flight, you will be transferred to the international terminal of Tribhuwan International Airport. (Inclusive of Breakfast)
