Duration
60 days
Max. Elevation
8848m
Group size
Min 4 pax
Day
1
The trip officially begins upon your arrival in Kathmandu, Nepal. A transit to Kathmandu makes it easier to obtain a Chinese VISA and the climbing permits. Upon arrival, we’ll greet you outside the airport and drive you to your hotel. Stay in one of the finest hotels overlooking the entire city. Your Sherpa guide will meet you at the hotel and other teammates. He will brief you about the expedition in detail—overnight in Kathmandu.
Day
2
The day begins with a delicious breakfast. You will spend the day assembling needed gear and equipment. Visit the local outdoor shop around Thamel to buy or rent necessary gears. In the meantime, your guide will visit appropriate agencies to obtain necessary permits, including expedition permits, VISA, garbage disposal, expedition permits, etc.
To help prepare for the upcoming climb, you can visit the local rock-climbing arena. Spend another day indulging in a beautiful sightseeing tour of Kathmandu City. Guided by an experienced tour guide, you will visit some of the most famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the city. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day
4
The day begins with a delicious breakfast. After packing your bag, you’ll leave for the airport. From Tribhuvan International Airport, you’ll catch a short flight to Lhasa. The beautiful trans-Himalayan flight lasts almost 1.5hr and will take you along some of the highest mountains on Earth, Mount Everest, Makalu, Dorje Lakpa, and Kanchenjunga. Enjoy the scenic view of the sprawling desert-like Tibetan plateau.
Upon arrival in Lhasa, you will get to catch the majestic aerial sight of Potala Palace. Check into one of the finest boutique hotels in the city. In the evening, you can explore the main market of Lhasa. Overnight in Lhasa.
Day
5
Enjoy a delicious breakfast at the hotel. Embark on an exciting journey around Lhasa City. The tour commences with a visit to the 16th Century fortress, Potala Palace, located atop the Red Hill at the heart of the city. Also known as the winter palace, the Dalai Lama resided in Potala until the late 50s. You will get to witness the Dalai Lama’s private chamber, imperial office, library, and prayer rooms.
Head down from Potala and walk towards the historical Jokhang Temple. The temple dates back to the reign of King Songtsang Gampo in 3rd CE. Explore the beautiful Buddhist temple and witness the pilgrims making circumambulation around the temple. Head outside to explore the majestic Barkhor Street.
Enjoy a delicious lunch before heading to Norbulingka Palace. Also known as the summer palace, the 17th Century palace served as the residence of the former Dalai Lama. Explore the beautiful garden at Norbulingka Palace before heading back to the hotel. Overnight in Lhasa.
Day
6
Enjoy a delicious breakfast at the hotel. Embark on a rather long road journey through the scenic Tibetan Plateau towards Gyantse valley. Leaving Lhasa, you’ll begin driving south via two high passes towards Karo La Pass. Cross the pass overlooking the spectacular glacier hanging from a snowy peak of Nazin-Kang Sa (7252m). Drive past Kamba La and numerous small settlements to reach Gyantse. Overnight at Gyantse.
Day
7
Enjoy a delicious breakfast and then embark on a tour of the Pelkor Chode Monastery and Gyantse Kumbum in Gyantse valley. A short drive towards the foothills of Dzong Hill will bring you to Pelkor Chode Monastery. Explore the monastery and then head towards Gyantse Kumbum, a sizeable gold-domed Stupa with numerous chapels.
Afterward, you’ll head back on the road and begin driving towards Xigatse prefecture. Xigatse or Shigatse is the second-largest city in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Enjoy a short tour to Tashi-Lunbu Monastery, one of the four monasteries of the Gelug Sect, en route to Xigatse. Overnight at Xigatse
Day
8
Explore the beautiful Xigatse prefecture, the part of the historical Tsang province of Tibet. From here, you’ll begin driving for almost 270km to reach Xegar. Along the way, you will cross the scenic high passes of Tropu La (4890m) and Gyatso La (5250m). These passes remain inaccessible because of snow almost half of the year. You can make a brief stop at the Sakya Monastery and explore the beautiful sight before driving towards Xegar. Overnight in Xegar.
Day
9
Leaving Xegar County, you’ll begin driving towards the Everest Base Camp. Xegar connects the famous Nepal-Tibet Friendship Highway that goes along the Rongbuk and Everest Base Camp into Nepal. Begin driving south for almost 90km to reach the majestic Rongbuk Monastery.
Located at 4,980 meters, the 8th Century monastery offers insights into the life of Padmasambhava Guru Rinpoche. Leaving Rongbuk, you’ll begin driving towards Everest Base Camp. Catch the majestic sights of Qomolangma (Mount Everest), Shishapangma, and Makalu North along the way. Overnight in Everest Base Camp.
Day
10
You’ll wake up early and begin trekking towards the Advanced Base Camp. You do not require a climbing permit to trek through the 22km long trail. The same route is undertaken by climbers attempting to summit Everest through the North Col and the Northeast Ridge. You’ll trek along the Rongbuk River to arrive at the Interim Camp. After a brief rest, you’ll continue climbing uphill along the Changtse Glacier to reach Advanced Base Camp.
Day
11
You’ll spend a few days at Advanced Base Camp. This will help you to acclimatize to the altitude and thin-air before undertaking the climb. You’ll spend four days preparing for the expedition. Your Sherpa guide will assess your entire equipment and gear. A brief training session will follow with your teammates. Your Sherpa guide will provide you with the necessary training for using ascenders, carabineers, ice-ax, and ropes.
Day
15
Leaving Advanced Base Camp, you’ll begin to climb down along the Changtse Glacier and head towards Rongbuk Glacier. The easy trail will take you alongside the Rongbuk River towards Interim Camp. As the name suggests, the interim camp lies just between Everest Base Camp and Advanced Base Camp. George Mallory first discovered the trail in 1922. Overnight in a tented camp.
Day
16
Leaving Interim Camp, you’ll begin climbing the rugged, icy trail towards Advance Base Camp. The base camp lies on a flattened gravel mound next to Changtse glacier. Witness the beautiful snow and rock moraines along the path. A half-day of the trek will bring you to Advance Base Camp. Catch the majestic sight of Mount Everest from the base camp. Overnight in a tent.
Day
17
After preparing for the climb, you’ll embark on the expedition and begin climbing towards Camp I (7010m). The scenic trail goes through the snow moraine towards North Col. Some section of the climb requires using a fixed rope.
The comparatively safe climb will take you towards North Col., where you’ll make your first camp. Leaving Camp I, you’ll approach the rocky northeast ridge to climb towards Camp II (7775m). A reasonably angled snow slope may prove to be challenging to climb. Camp II site is often windy. Leaving Camp II, you’ll descend back towards the Advanced Base Camp. Overnight in a tent.
Day
25
Leaving Advance Base Camp, you’ll begin climbing the snowy path towards Camp I. Take the same approach as before and head towards Camp II at the North Col. From the North Col., you’ll make a push towards Camp III. Climb along the North Face and cross the Yellow Band to reach the campsite at Camp III. Catch the beautiful sights of some of the highest mountains, hanging glaciers, and Tibetan plateau en route to Camp III. Overnight in a tent.
Day
28
You’ll spend some essential days recuperating and acclimatizing before commencing the climb to the summit. You can use these extra days to discuss with your Sherpa guide, ascertain route and difficulty, assess weather conditions, and practice.
Day
30
After optimum rest, you’ll embark on the climb towards the summit. You’ll make numerous ascents and descents to help acclimatize your body. The route climbs along the Northeast Ridge and goes past Camp I, Camp II, and Camp II towards the summit.
Leaving Camp III, the 8-10 hours long climb goes past the natural snow and rock trail towards Chinese Ladder. Chinese ladder is a ladder placed semi-permanently in 1975 by a party of Chinese climbers, which is virtually used by all climbers on the Northeast Ridge.
After crossing the Second step, you’ll begin climbing towards the Third Step. The altitude rises from 8,690m to 8,800m. After completing the third step, you’ll make your way towards the summit. The final climb encounters a snow slope of 50 degrees.
Upon climbing the summit, you will enjoy the majestic panoramic scenery of the Himalayan giants such as Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam. Catch the beautiful view of the sprawling Tibetan plateau from the top. You’ll retrace your path and continue climbing down towards the Camp I.
Day
54
After clearing the camp, you’ll begin trekking downhill towards Advanced Base Camp. Your staff will follow later with the Yak Caravan. Take a brief rest at Changtse Glacier and enjoy your lunch. Afterward, you’ll begin heading down to Advanced Base Camp. You can choose to head down towards Interim Base Camp. Overnight in a tent.
Day
57
Retrace your path and head towards the Friendship Highway. Here on, you’ll drive south towards Nepal. The scenic highway goes along the beautiful landscape towards Tingri County. From here, you’ll continue driving past Thorong La to arrive at Paige-Tso Lake. Continue driving along the massive Brahmaputra River to reach Kyirong.
You’ll exit Tibet at Kyirong overlooking the beautiful peaks of Shishapangma, Cho Oyu, Melungtse, and Gauri Shankar. Enter Nepal at the Nepal-China border and continue driving along the forested hills and massive Bhote Koshi River towards Syabrubensi. From here, you’ll make your way towards Kathmandu.
Day
60
You can choose to spend the rest of the vacation touring Kathmandu or other parts of Nepal. We’ll drop you off at Tribhuvan International Airport on time for your flight back home.
