A short Khumbu trek from Lukla to Namche Bazaar, the terrace of Hotel Everest View at 3,880 m and a night in the Sherpa village of Khumjung, with clear views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam without going above 4,000 m.
A short Khumbu trek from Lukla to Namche Bazaar, the terrace of Hotel Everest View at 3,880 m and a night in the Sherpa village of Khumjung, with clear views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam without going above 4,000 m.
The Everest View Trek gives you the best of the lower Khumbu in a week. We fly from Kathmandu to Lukla, follow the Dudh Koshi river through Phakding and Monjo into Sagarmatha National Park, and climb the long switchbacks below the Hillary Suspension Bridge to Namche Bazaar, the trading village that serves as the gateway to the high Everest valleys.
Above Namche the trail climbs past the Syangboche airstrip to Hotel Everest View at 3,880 m. On a clear morning its terrace looks straight up the valley to Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam, with Thamserku and Kangtega close by. It is the highest point of the trek and the view most people come for.
We pace the itinerary for acclimatisation. After two days of walking you spend a full day based in Namche, climbing to the hotel viewpoint and coming back down to sleep. The next day is short: a walk over to Khunde, home of the hospital Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust built, and on to Khumjung, where you sleep below the sacred peak of Khumbila. Khumjung has the school Hillary founded in 1961 and a gompa that keeps a purported yeti scalp.
From Khumjung we descend through Namche to Monjo and walk out to Lukla, giving a gentle final day before the flight back to Kathmandu. A spare day at the end covers the weather delays that are common on Lukla flights.
The trail is well made and busy, with stone steps, suspension bridges and yak and porter traffic. Lodges are comfortable by mountain standards, most with hot showers, charging and Wi-Fi for a fee. Expect cold nights at Namche and Khumjung, especially from November to February.
This trek suits anyone in good general health who walks regularly. Days are three to six hours, but the trail is steep in places, especially the 700 m climb from the Dudh Koshi to Namche and the climb above Namche to the Everest View Hotel, and the altitude makes everything feel harder than at home. No previous trekking experience is needed. Start training six to eight weeks ahead: walks of three to five hours with some hills or stairs, ideally on consecutive days, and in the boots you will trek in. Stair climbing, cycling and steady running all help. Anyone with heart or lung conditions should talk to a doctor before booking, as you will sleep at 3,440 m and 3,780 m.
An early flight takes us into Lukla's steep mountain airstrip, where we meet the porters and set off down the Dudh Koshi valley. The trail drops gently through Chheplung and past mani stones and small farms to Phakding on the river. It is a short first day that lets you settle into the altitude.
We follow the river north, crossing it several times on suspension bridges, to Monjo and the Sagarmatha National Park entrance, where your permits are checked. After lunch at Jorsalle the trail crosses the high Hillary Suspension Bridge and climbs steeply for two to three hours to Namche Bazaar. On a clear day you get your first glimpse of Everest from a viewpoint partway up the hill.
We climb the steep path above Namche to the Syangboche airstrip and on through juniper scrub to Hotel Everest View at 3,880 m. From its terrace you look up the valley to Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam, with Thamserku and Kangtega across the gorge. We return to Namche for lunch, and in the afternoon you can visit the Sherpa Culture Museum or explore the village's bakeries and gear shops.
A short walk back up past Syangboche brings us over the ridge to Khunde, where we visit the hospital Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust built for the Khumbu. From there it is a level stroll across the fields to Khumjung, a large Sherpa village set beneath Khumbila. In the afternoon we visit the Khumjung school and the gompa with its yeti scalp.
With a last look at Ama Dablam we drop back down to Namche and continue down the long hill to the Dudh Koshi. We recross the Hillary Suspension Bridge and walk on to Monjo, a quiet village of lodges and potato fields just outside the national park gate.
We retrace the river trail through Benkar and Phakding. The final hour is a steady climb back up to Lukla, where we spend the evening with the crew before the morning flight.
Morning flights leave Lukla when the weather allows, landing in Kathmandu, or in Ramechhap followed by the drive back to Kathmandu. We transfer you to your hotel and the rest of the day is free.
This day is held back in case weather delays the flight out of Lukla. If everything ran to schedule, it is a free day in Kathmandu to visit Boudhanath, Pashupatinath or the old city of Patan.
Permits we arrange: Sagarmatha National Park, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu fee
Flights to Lukla run only in clear weather and are often delayed by cloud, especially in the afternoon and during the monsoon. We book the earliest flights and keep a spare day at the end of the itinerary. If your flight out of Lukla is delayed, the spare day absorbs it; if not, you spend it in Kathmandu. In the busy spring and autumn seasons, Lukla flights have in recent years been routed from Manthali airport in Ramechhap, about four to five hours' drive from Kathmandu, which means a very early start. We confirm the departure airport a few days before you fly. The baggage limit on Lukla flights is tight, usually 15 kg in total including hand luggage, so leave anything you do not need at your Kathmandu hotel.
You sleep at 3,440 m in Namche and 3,780 m in Khumjung and reach 3,880 m at the Everest View Hotel. That is high enough for mild altitude sickness: headaches, poor sleep and loss of appetite are common on the first night in Namche. The itinerary climbs high and sleeps lower on the acclimatisation day, and your guide checks your oxygen saturation each evening. Drink plenty of water, walk slowly and tell your guide about any symptoms. If symptoms get worse we descend. Ask your doctor about acetazolamide (Diamox) before you travel.
You need a Sagarmatha National Park entry permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit, which the Khumbu uses instead of the TIMS card. We arrange both; the municipality permit is checked at Lukla and the park permit at the Monjo entrance. Bring your passport. Your travel insurance must cover trekking to 4,000 m and helicopter rescue, as a helicopter is the only fast way out of the Khumbu in an emergency.
Namche has ATMs, but they often run out of cash or reject foreign cards, so withdraw enough Nepali rupees in Kathmandu for drinks, snacks, showers, charging and tips. Teahouses charge for hot showers, battery charging and Wi-Fi. Many lodges sell Everest Link Wi-Fi cards and there is usually mobile signal in Lukla, Namche and Khumjung. A power bank is useful.
Do not drink untreated tap or stream water. Use purification tablets or a filter bottle, or buy boiled water from teahouses, which saves on plastic bottles. Stick to freshly cooked food; dal bhat is filling and freshly made. Meat in the Khumbu is carried up from below and is best avoided above Namche.
Walk clockwise around mani walls, chortens and prayer wheels. Ask before photographing people or the inside of a gompa, and leave a small donation if you visit Khumjung gompa. Khumbila is sacred to the Sherpas of Khumjung and Khunde, and is never climbed. Give way to yaks on the mountain side of the trail, never the drop side.
From March to May and September to November days are usually clear and mild, with nights near or below freezing in Namche and Khumjung. Winter, December to February, brings very clear skies but nights down to around minus 10 C. June to August is the monsoon, with cloud, rain and frequent flight cancellations, and we do not recommend the trek then.
Everything is yours to bring, except items marked “We provide” or “Rent locally”.
Down jacketWe provide
On loan for the trek
Waterproof shell jacket
Fleece or synthetic mid layer
Two or three base layer tops
Merino or synthetic, not cotton
Trekking trousers
Thermal leggings
For evenings and nights in Namche and Khumjung
Warm hat and sun hat
Light and warm gloves
Trekking socks
Four pairs
Broken-in waterproof trekking boots
Light shoes or sandals for teahouse evenings
Sleeping bag rated to about minus 10 CWe provide
On loan; bring a liner if you prefer
Day pack of 25 to 35 litres
With rain cover
Duffel bag for the porterWe provide
Keep it under 10 kg
Trekking polesRent locally
Helpful on the steps below Namche
Head torch with spare batteries
Two water bottles
One litre each
Water purification tablets or filter bottle
Sunglasses with UV protection
Power bank
Charging in teahouses costs extra
Sunscreen SPF 50 and lip balm
Personal medicines and blister plasters
Ask your doctor about Diamox
Hand sanitiser and toilet paper
Passport and two passport photos
Needed for permits
Travel insurance details
Including the emergency phone number
Nepali rupees in small notes
For extras and tips
Yes. On a clear day Everest appears above the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge from the trail above Namche, from the terrace of Hotel Everest View and from around Khumjung. Mornings are clearest; cloud often builds by late morning, so we set off early on the viewpoint day. October and November give the most reliable views.
No. We walk up to the hotel on the acclimatisation day for the view and a hot drink on the terrace, then come back down to sleep in Namche. Sleeping lower than the highest point of the day is better for acclimatisation. If you would like to spend a night there it can be added, subject to availability and at extra cost.
It is a moderate trek. Walking days are two to six hours, but the climbs to Namche and above Namche are steep and the altitude slows everyone down. If you can walk five hours with hills at home, you will manage comfortably.
Most people feel some effects at Namche, such as a mild headache or poor sleep on the first night. Serious altitude sickness is uncommon at these heights with our acclimatisation day, but it is possible. Your guide checks your oxygen levels every evening and we descend if symptoms get worse.
Flight delays are common. The spare day at the end of the itinerary covers a delayed flight out of Lukla. If delays go beyond that, we rebook you on the next available flight, and helicopter seats can be arranged at extra cost. We recommend leaving at least one more free day before your international flight home.
The Khumbu uses its own municipality permit in place of the TIMS card, and the rules on independent trekking there have changed several times since 2023. All our trips run with a licensed guide, so you do not need to worry about the current rule.
Fit children who are used to walking can do it, and we run it as a private trip for families. Children are more vulnerable to altitude and less likely to report symptoms, so we keep a close eye on them and can adjust the plan, for example by sleeping in Namche instead of Khumjung.
Rooms are simple twin rooms with beds, mattresses and blankets, mostly with shared bathrooms. Lodges in Phakding, Namche and Lukla often have rooms with attached bathrooms. The dining room has a stove that is lit in the evening, and that is where everyone gathers.
October and November give the clearest skies. March to May is also good, with rhododendrons in flower below Namche in April. September can be cloudy at the start of the month. Winter is possible, with clear views but very cold nights; we avoid the June to August monsoon.
Everest View Trek
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