Day 01: Arrive Kathmandu International Airport- T I A (1300m) and transfer to hotel.

Day 02: After breakfast we set out for an extensive guided sightseeing tour of Kathmandu valleys cultural, historical, religious (world heritage) sites. During the course, we visit the famous Pashupatinath temple of Lord Shiva situated at the holy bank of River Bagmati where we will also observe the Hindu cremation ritual. We then proceed to the Boudhanath stupa, a major pilgrimage centre for the Buddhist faith which also is the largest of its kind in the world. We then have a short break for lunch followed by a visit to Swoyambhunath stupa also known as the Monkey Temple from where we can have a bird’s eye view of whole of Kathmandu valley. Following this we then proceed for a visit to Kathmandu Durbar Square, the oldest royal palace of Kathmandu and a UNESCO world heritage site.  The whole area of Kathmandu Durbar Square is dotted with numerous fascinating Nepalese architect dating back many centuries. The site is also the home to Nepal’s living Goddess – Kumari, where we will also have the opportunity to experience firsthand this unique Nepali tradition.  In the evening we will attend the welcome dinner hosted by Makalu Adventure with live Nepalese culture shows.

Day 03: Kathmandu ( 1310m) - Lukla (2827m) - Phakding (2652m) 3-4 hours
After a very early start, and an early take off from Kathmandu Domestic Airport, a 45 minute flight is all it takes to propel us into the Everest region of Nepal. The landing at Lukla (2800m) is spectacular and on arrival we are greeted by our sirdar and trekking crew who organise the luggage and hustle us off for tea. After a leisurely lunch we start the trek in earnest, setting off for a gentle walk to Phakding (2800m), a further 3 hours to the north. The trail leads through Lukla, past hotels, shops and airline offices to the edge of the Lukla plateauwhere the trail drops to meet the intersection of the Jiri trail at Chablung. From here the trail follows the Dudh Kosi north through the village of Ghat and then finally to Phakding where we spend the night.


Day 04: Phakding - Namche Bazar (3440m) 6 -7 hours
The trail starts through a level path along the right bank. Thamserku looms skyward on the opposite bank. We cross a stream and climb the terraced hill from the Dudh Koshi route, to arrive at Benkar. The trail now climbs from the riverbed on the left bank into the mountain, through a forest to Chumoa. We continue along a path with many ups and downs; cross a stream, and pass by the tiny village of Monjo. Now we descend the path of stone steps and return to the right bank. After a short climb we come to Jorsale’s tea house and hotel, also stop at the National Park entrance counter where National Park fee is collected. After Jorsale we enter a forested mountainside and follow a short walk along the riverbed of this V-shaped valley where the river forks - the right is the Dudh Koshi and the left is the Bhote Koshi that leads to Nampa La. After covering a short distance along the Bhote Koshi River we begin the steep ascent to Namche Bazaar. As the  mountain path zigzags uphill, we will emerge at a ridge atop a rest area that offers excellent views of Everest (8848m) and Lhotse (8516m.), The climb eases somewhat, and Namche Bazar appears ahead of us as we travel along the path surrounded by thick pine forest. We then pass the plateau where the Saturday bazaar is held and enter the ever thriving Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar - (3440m) surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges and opening out only where it faces the Bhote Koshi. The village is a central hub of the area and food, sundries and even mountain climbing equipment may be purchased here.  Overnight at Camp or Lodge.

Day 05: leisure (acclimatization) in Namche Bazaar:  
We will rest a full day at Namche Bazar allowing our bodies to acclimatize to the altitude of 3440m. Namche is tucked between two ridges amidst the giant peaks of the Khumbu and has an abundance of lodges, tea shops and souvenir shops with state of the art internet cafes and bakeries. It is an ideal place to spend a rest day for acclimatization to the high altitude before heading off onwards. There are various options for short hikes within Namche during our acclimatization rest. We can have an hour’s walk up to Syangboche (3800m) where the Everest View Hotel is situated with outstanding view of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Kusum Kangaru, all along. Alternatively we could as well have a leisurely stroll up to the National Park Centre and Museum just above the town and enjoy the mesmerizing views of the Khumbu Himalayas

We return back to the hotel in the early afternoon for lunch and spend the rest of the day either just laying down or on self exploration.

Day 06: Namche Bazaar – Dole (4040m.):
After breakfast in Namche, we head on the trail to Dole. After having breakfast, we headed on the trail to Dole. This is a long day which also marks the departure from comfortable accommodations to more "basic" one (from this point on, no more electricity, except for solar panels, or running water). The most outstanding feature of this segment of the trail is the abundance of wildflowers and wildlife including pheasants, mountain goats, and the elusive musk deer as well as the stunning views of Mt. KangTega (6783m) and Thamserku (6618m).
 
After lunch, we start a long downhill towards the Dudh Kosi where two trails separate; one that goes directly to Everest base camp, and another, detours to Gokyo before heading to Everest base camp.  The trail in this area is amazing, with long staircases built into cliffs which then eases off and drops to Dole, a beautiful village with a few lodges. But what makes this place the most special is the views of the surrounding mountains. Overnight at Camp or Lodge

Day 07: Dole – Machermo (4410m) 3-4 hrs:
From Dole we start down the path by crossing the fields and climb uphill to the chorten above the village (30 minutes). We then pass a summer settlement and fields and continue on the level which ultimately come to pass the Holyday Inn (1 hour 45 minutes) from where there are a stunning and panoramic views of the mountain, the  view west of Machermo in the evening is specially breathtaking. We continue further along a level path until we come to Luzas where there are a couple of lodges here and cross the village fields and walk gently up through the high altitude meadows. The smooth compacted turf of these ancient yak meadows is a sight to behold and is wonderful underfoot. Eventually we will reach a chorten and prayer flags. From here we can see Machermo. It's a pleasant walk downhill from here to Machermo (3 hours 50 minutes).  Overnight at Camp or Lodge.

Day 08: Machermo – Gokyo (4750m) 5 hrs:
Today we head for the holy lakes at Gokyo following a very scenic path to Pangka (4548m.) then descend slightly, following one of the melt water rivers which flow down the west side of the Ngozumba Glacier. The walk offers spectacular views of the incredible ice face of Cholatse and is easy until we reach a steep rocky incline into the ablation valley by the side of the glacier and get to the first of the holy lakes. Then it flattens out and we soon arrive at the second of the lakes, crossing the path which heads across the glacier to the Cho La.  The third lake is known as Dudh Pokhari and on its east shore is the summer settlement of Gokyo (4800m.). Walking by the side of the lake, the scenery is magnificent with the summits of Cho Oyo and Gyachung Kang reflected in its emerald green waters. There are several lodges for trekkers.

A short walk up the hill behind Gokyo village we then reach the top of the lateral moraine of the Ngozumba Glacier. With a length of around 40km is the largest glacier in Nepal. Like all large Himalayan glaciers it is covered in debris and rock and we can only see the ice in parts. Sitting over Gokyo at almost 5000m looking at this glacier and watching the play of evening light and clouds on it is an unforgettable experience. Overnight at Camp or Lodge.

Day 09: Early morning visit Gokyo-Ri (5360) and return to Gokyo, 6 hrs:
Climbing up Gokyo Ri is technically very straightforward: we just walk right up the steep hill. The problem is of course that this hill is located at above 5000m so we can expect the going to be very slow and quite breathless unless we are already well acclimatized.

But if we manage to pace ourselves and stop often enough we will be rewarded with some of the best views on offer in the region of Khumbu.  If the weather is clear we will be rewarded with views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu, four of the eight highest mountains on earth.

The descent from Gokyo Ri follows the same route as the ascent. The second part of the day is spent going back down to the second lake of Gokyo then crossing the Ngozumba glacier.

Himalayans glaciers, especially large ones, are covered with rocks and debris and we don't really see the huge masses of ice that they contain when looking at them from a distance. The roughly two hours spent crossing the glacier make us realize that under the rock there is plenty of ice, deep crevaces, pools, even torrents of fast flowing water. Then suddenly we find ourselves crossing sand dunes (the grinding of the glacier produces lots of fine sand).
Eventually we reach the lateral moraine and return to Gokyo for overnight.

Day 10: Trek to Machermo Base Camp (5140m), 5 hrs:

Day 11-13: Climbing period of Machermo Peak (6237m)

Day 14: Trek to Machermo.

Day 15: Trek to Khumjung.

Day 16: Trek to Monjo/ Phakding.

Day 17: Trek to Lukla.

Day 18: Fly to Kathmandu and check into hotel.

Day 19: Free day at Kathmandu.

Day 20: Final Departure

Should you prefer a different route or itinerary for this program, just let us know your interests and we will be more than happy to craft a tailor made trip for you in line with your specific preference.