Pumori Expedition - 33 Days

Once you exit the arrival terminal at the Tribhuvan International Airport, you will see one of our representatives with your name tag looking to welcome you. Then, you will be escorted to your hotel in the city center and helped till check-in. You can rest for the remainder or opt. to start exploring the city after a short break. 

If you are interested and time allows, we will drive to Boudhanath Stupa, the biggest Buddhist pilgrimage site in Nepal, and spend a nice time and watch the sunset from one of the rooftop restaurants there. As soon as you reach the stupa's gate, you'll notice the tranquil atmosphere and watch pilgrims and guests performing a kora (circumambulation) to the main stupa.

From there, we will drive for 15 minutes to Pashupatinath Temple to catch the evening Aarti which starts around 7 in the evening. Pashupatinath Temple is one of the 4 prominent Hindu sites in the world that is situated near the international airport on the bank of the holy Bagmati River. You can watch an aarti ceremony as well as an open-air cremation on the opposite side. 
We then drive back to the city center, walk in the streets of Thamel, and drop you at your hotel. 

We will spend the two days touring some of UNESCO's world heritage monuments in Kathmandu's valley. 
Your guide will pick you up from your hotel after a delicious breakfast for a full day of escorted touring. We will see the majority of Kathmandu Valley's seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We will skip Boudhanath and Pashupatinath if we were able to see them the day before and instead focus on the remaining sights, such as Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Patan Durbar Square, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square. 

Swayambhunath is one of the major attractions in Kathmandu Valley that stands at a hill tower overlooking Kathmandu city surrounded by high hills. This Buddhist pilgrimage site is around 4 kilometers from Thamel and is equally popular with Hindus and people of other faiths. 
Patan Durbar Square is one of the beautiful examples of craftsmanship of Nepal located in the city of beauty, Lalitpur. A number of historical and cultural sites can be found within the Malla kings' palace complex. Krishna Mandir, Keshav Narayan Chowk, Sundari Chowk, the Royal Palace, and the Royal Bath are all gems of medieval culture. Similarly, the royal complex is home to a number of centuries-old monuments.

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is one of the best-preserved cultural landmarks in the Kathmandu Valley, located in Bhaktapur which is also known as the city of Devotees. The spectacular palace complex, temples, and monuments' craftsmanship, arts, and architecture are truly intriguing. Some of the notable sights here include the Golden Gate, 55-window Palace, Nyatapola Temple, and others. 

Kathmandu Durbar Square is one of the most visited sites in Kathmandu that is located at the center of the city within the walking distance of Thamel. It is the third durbar square in the valley and is a must-see in Kathmandu because of its historical significance and wonderful Newari architectural style. Kumari Ghar, Kasthamandap, Tajeju Bhawani Mandap, Kaal Bhairav Mandap, Hanuman Dhoka Museum, are the most famous spots here. 

Above all, we will complete all of the essential paperwork and make other preparations for the Pumori Expedition. You can also take a stroll around the old markets of Ason and Newroad and get a glimpse of Nepali market life. Interested can also take a rickshaw ride along the streets of Thamel and get a new experience. You can do last-minute shopping at Thamel market for the expedition as Thamel has some wonderful shops for buying or renting trekking and expedition gear. 
Enjoy your dinner and spend the night peacefully before we embark on the expedition journey tomorrow. 

Today we will fly to Lukla at Tenzing Norgay Airport which is considered one of the world’s most adventurous airports. We will take an early Twin Otter flight to Lukla which is the main entrance to the Khumbu Region. This is an adventurous as well as exciting flight, which provides you with a stunning view of Everest in the distance.
Upon arrival in Lukla, we will meet all crew members of the expedition and start our walking journey to Phakding (2610m). Phakding lies at the bank of Dudh Koshi River which drains the whole of the Khumbu region, this small village is on the main trade route through the area. We will stay in well-built lodges.

We begin this beautiful journey following the Dudh Kosi valley upstream. Expect to be blown away on the first day of the glorious journey to Mount Pumori.
As the day progresses we will cross and re-cross the rapid Imja Khola upon sturdy suspension bridges. Since most of today will be spent traipsing along the banks, the trek will be mostly on a plain stretch. However, towards the end of the day’s trek, we will make a final steep climb to the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar (3440m). The rest of the day is designated for relaxing or exploring the bazaar after having checked into our comfortable lodge.

Acclimatization is mandatory when doing high-altitude journeys. So, we will spend a spare day at Namche to adjust to the low oxygen levels. On this acclimatization day, we will spend time hiking and resting which will allow fasting acclimatizing in the high region.
After breakfast, we will ascend to Syangboche hill (3900m). From this spot, we can see the mouth-watering view of the entire Everest Region including of course Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Kusum Kanguru, Tawache, Kunde, and other small snow-capped peaks. 
Furthermore, we will visit the high Himalayan Sherpa Village- Khumjung, from where you can see the Hillary school. And a little bit of walk from Khumjung takes us to Khunde village where we visit the Khunde monastery which depicts a clear picture of local Sherpa culture, traditions and you can also see the sculpture of “Yeti”, which you have heard in myths only. 
After this marvelous viewing sites visit, we will return to Namche for an overnight stay.

We continue onwards along the banks of the Imja Khola and make our way to Thyangboche (3867m) today. The start of the trek involves a steep climb out of Namche Bazaar to get to the trail. However, once that’s been overcome, we continue along the well-maintained trail and follow a slight gradient to reach the new elevation. 
Upon reaching our destination, you will not be disappointed with the amazing village located on a ridge below the impressive north ridge of the Kang Taiga. The best part about the hike is that you can see the summit of Mt. Everest from almost every part of the path. Following our day’s hike, we will rest at the lodge close to one of the most important monasteries in Nepal and the biggest in the Khumbu region. 

We determinedly head towards the seasonal settlement of Dingboche (4350m) passing through the highest of the original, permanent habitations in the valley, Pangboche. The trek on this day is a little more challenging as the elevation gain is greater than the previous two days. However, being surrounded by mountains on all sides makes the hike totally worth it. We spend the night in a lodge at Dingboche.

Today, we will gain some elevation to acclimatize ourselves. We begin the day by hiking up to the upper Imja Valley along steep and narrow trails to Chukung (4730m), situated below the tremendous south face of Lhotse. Having acclimatized ourselves to climbing at such high elevations, we retrace our steps back to Dingboche to spend a second night at the lodge.

After leaving Dingboche, our trail leads us downhill to the Pheriche settlement. The journey up a ridge to Dugla and on to the Khumbu Glacier on this day is one of the most spectacular. We will arrive at Dugla at 4,595 meters with a small wooden bridge over the Khumbu glacier river after around two hours of trekking from Pheriche. We'll have lunch at Dugla before continuing our uphill trip for another hour. We will enjoy spectacular views of Mt. Pumori and other high peaks west of Everest during our trek. We continue our journey until we reach Lobuche, where we will spend the night.

Today, we move further to the Pumori Base Camp from Lobuche. Once we get to the campsite, our Sherpa team will swiftly set up base camp and begin making preparations for the rest of the trip up Mt Pumori.

Note: Since Lobuche to Pumori Base Camp takes only two hours of trekking, interested can take a day hiking trip or morning hiking trip for sunrise and mountain views to Kala Patthar at 5,545 meters. Kala Patthar is one of the best viewpoints surrounded 360 degrees by giant white peaks. The top of the hill station offers wonderful glorious views of Mt Everest (8848 m), Lhotse (8516 m), Makalu (8481 m), Cho Oyu (8201 m), and many other nearby peaks.

We'll spend many days practicing climbing skills while getting proper acclimatization. And on the day of summiting, we will follow the footsteps and instruction of our experienced climbing specialists as we tackle many technical climbing sections, fully acclimatized and well equipped with necessary climbing gear. We trek to the summit of Mount Pumori, taking into account the weather conditions. 
Our strenuous journey to the summit of Mt Pumori is rewarded with spectacular views of Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Nuptse, and a slew of other snow-capped high peaks in Nepal's Khumbu region. We'll spend some quality time at the summit before returning to base camp along the same trail we used to go at the top. 

Today, we pack our belongings and prepare for the return trek. We leave the Base Camp after breakfast and begin retracing our ways along the same trail that leads to Lobuche. Our road drops gradually from Lobuche as we pass through the settlements of Pheriche and Dingboche on our way back to Pangboche for the night.

We leave Pangboche behind and start descending toward Deboche. Our trail then climbs for a while through a lovely pine forest before arriving in Tyangboche. After that, our hike follows a level trail for a while before beginning a slow descent to Phunke Tenga. As we approach Kyangjuma, our trail becomes moderate uphill trekking. From there, it's a pleasant trek all the way back to Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital. In the evening, feel free to stroll through Namche Bazaar's local shops and souvenir shops.

The final day of our journey takes us from Namche Bazaar to Lukla via Monjo. Our trail winds its way down through a lush forest of rhododendron, oak, and pine trees. We walk along the grassy banks of the Dudh Kosi River, following the crests and troughs. We should expect a generally downhill journey to our destination, with a small rise in the terrain that we will follow to our Lukla lodge at the conclusion of the day.
Final celebration with all team members of Himalayan trekkers by opening some beers and good food. Overnight.

Today we prepare for an early morning picturesque flight back to Kathmandu from Lukla. You will be transferred to the hotel after arriving at Kathmandu airport. You can either rest at the hotel or opt. for guided sightseeing in the places that you couldn't see on the second day of your vacation. Or, you can go to the spa and massage center to get rid of the pain and tiredness of trekking.

Today is the free day as you can visit some of the Heritage sites of Kathmandu or you can stroll at Thamel and can do last minutes shopping, and buy some souvenirs for friends, families, and relatives.
In the evening, Farewell dinner at an authentic Nepali restaurant with a team of Himalayan trekkers by enjoying a cultural show.

After breakfast, one of our representatives will transfer you to the airport 3 hours prior to your scheduled flight back to your home country or onward destination.