Everest Panorama Trek
Overview
- Duration: 10 days / 9 nights
- Departures: Private, any date
- Group size: Private, from 1 traveller
- Accommodation: Comfortable 3–4★ hotel in Kathmandu and simple family-run teahouses on the trek
- Country: Nepal
A shorter, lower walk into the Everest region of Nepal: fly to Lukla, climb to the Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar and on to the monastery at Tengboche, with Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam on the skyline.
This trek suits walkers who would love to see Everest with their own eyes but do not have three weeks, or would rather not sleep at very high altitude. It is a good first Himalayan trek for fit couples, friends and solo travellers, and for older teenagers who enjoy hill walking.
From Kathmandu you fly into the Everest region and spend six days on foot. The route follows the Dudh Kosi valley to Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa trading town built in a horseshoe on the hillside, then continues to Tengboche, whose monastery faces Everest and Ama Dablam across the valley. You return the same way, which means the second half is mostly downhill and you see the views from a new angle.
Nights are spent in simple, friendly teahouses run by local families, where you eat around a stove in the dining room. A licensed guide walks with you and a porter carries your main bag, so you only need a light day pack. A few honest notes:
- Altitude: Namche and Tengboche are high enough to feel. A rest day at Namche is built in, and you never rush the climbs.
- Weather and flights: Lukla flights are often delayed, so a spare day is kept in Kathmandu.
- Comfort: lodges are basic and nights are cold, especially outside the main seasons.
We can extend the trek towards Pangboche or Dingboche, add sightseeing in the valley, or follow it with a few slow days in Pokhara. Share your dates and walking background, and we will shape the trek around you.
Day-by-day itinerary
Your driver meets you at Kathmandu airport and takes you to your hotel. In the afternoon or early evening, your trekking guide comes by to meet you, check your gear and talk through the days ahead, from what to pack in your day bag to how the lodges work. Any missing items, such as a warm jacket or poles, are easy to buy or rent nearby.
Overnight: Kathmandu
An early start for the short mountain flight to Lukla, a small airstrip on a slope at around 2,800 metres. Over tea you meet your porter, then walk gently downhill and along the Dudh Kosi river, past mani stones carved with prayers, to Phakding, at around 2,600 metres. This first half day lets your legs and lungs ease into the mountains.
Overnight: Phakding · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Follow the river upstream, crossing it several times on high suspension bridges hung with prayer flags, and enter Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo. The real work comes after lunch: a long, steady climb to Namche Bazaar, at around 3,400 metres. On a clear day, a bend in the trail gives your first glimpse of Everest. Walk slowly and drink plenty of water.
Overnight: Namche Bazaar · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today you rest the way trekkers do here: by climbing a little higher and sleeping low. Walk up to the ridge above the town for a wide panorama of Everest, Lhotse and the sharp summit of Ama Dablam, then perhaps continue to the villages of Khumjung and Khunde. In the afternoon, browse the shops and bakeries of Namche or visit the small Sherpa museum.
Overnight: Namche Bazaar · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A trail cut into the hillside contours high above the valley, with Ama Dablam ahead for much of the morning. After dropping to the river at Phunki Tenga, you climb through pine and rhododendron forest to Tengboche, at around 3,860 metres, the highest point of your trek. If timing allows, sit quietly at the back of the monastery during the monks’ afternoon prayers.
Overnight: Tengboche · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Step outside early, wrapped up warm, to watch first light reach Everest and the peaks around it. After breakfast, retrace your route down through the forest and across the river, then make the climb back round the hillside to Namche Bazaar. The thicker air at lower altitude makes the walking feel easier, and a hot shower and a bakery treat wait in town.
Overnight: Namche Bazaar · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A longer day of about six to seven hours takes you down the steep hill below Namche, back across the suspension bridges and along the river to Lukla. The final climb into the village is short but noticeable at the end of the day. In the evening, share a last meal with your guide and porter, and settle the tips you would like to give.
Overnight: Lukla · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Morning flights from Lukla usually run when the weather is clear, so expect an early start and some waiting at the airstrip. Back in Kathmandu, rest at your hotel and enjoy a long hot shower. At busy times, flights may land at Ramechhap instead, followed by a drive of several hours to Kathmandu; we confirm the arrangement when we book.
Overnight: Kathmandu · Meals: Breakfast
This day is kept free in case cloud delays your Lukla flight, which happens often in the mountains. If you are back on time, spend it seeing the valley with a local guide: the stupas of Boudhanath and Swayambhunath, or the old royal square of Patan, with its temples and metalwork. In the evening, celebrate the trek with a Nepali dinner.
Overnight: Kathmandu · Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, your driver takes you to the airport for your flight home, or on to the next part of your trip. If you have more time, a few days by the lake in Pokhara or on safari in the lowlands make a gentle contrast to the mountains. End of your trip.
Overnight: — · Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
- Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu with breakfast
- Teahouse lodges on the trek, usually with breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Private airport and hotel transfers in Kathmandu
- Short flights between Kathmandu (or Ramechhap) and Lukla
- Licensed English-speaking trekking guide and a porter
- Trekking permits and national park entry (we arrange them; confirmed in your quote)
- Local guide and entrance fees for sightseeing on the spare day, if flights run on time
- 24/7 support during your trip
Not included
- International flights
- Visas
- Travel insurance that covers trekking at altitude and helicopter evacuation
- Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu
- Drinks, hot showers, device charging and wifi in the lodges
- Tips for your guide and porter
- Personal trekking gear
Good to know
Sample itinerary: we adapt the route, hotels and dates to you and confirm everything in your written quote. Best October–November and March–May.
You fly between Kathmandu and Lukla on a short mountain flight that depends on the weather and is often delayed. At busy times, flights may use Ramechhap, a few hours by road from Kathmandu; we confirm this when we book. On the trek you walk every day, usually about four to seven hours, while a porter carries your main bag. In Kathmandu you have private transfers.
Frequently asked questions
It stays lower and is much shorter. The highest night is at Tengboche, at around 3,860 metres, compared with well over 5,000 metres on the way to Base Camp. You still see Everest and its neighbours, but with fewer days of walking and less risk from altitude.
If you can walk for five or six hours on hilly ground, with some steep climbs, you can manage this trek. The climb to Namche Bazaar is the hardest section. Some regular walking in the weeks before you travel makes a real difference.
Many people notice a mild headache or poorer sleep in Namche and Tengboche. The rest day helps, and your guide watches for symptoms and adjusts the pace. Talk to a doctor before you travel, and make sure your insurance covers trekking at altitude and evacuation.
Weather often delays flights to and from Lukla, which is why this plan keeps a spare day in Kathmandu. Leave some margin before your international flight home, and we help you rearrange plans if delays run longer.
