The 200km flight to Lukla (2840m) has great views of the eastern Himalaya; sit on the left-hand side of the plane for the best views. From the airport head north along the main paved trail crowded with shops to a kani, where you head downhill. After 45 minutes you should reach Chheplung (2660m), the first of many collections of teahouses and carved mani stones, prayer wheels, and chortens built by all Buddhist communities throughout the Himalaya.

The trail now undulates through Nurning and Ghat, punctuated by short sections of scrubby pine forest and painted mani stones, until you reach Phakding (2610m, 2 hours). We then continue Zam Fute (2730m), and then passing a pretty waterfall, enter the peaceful community of Benkar (2630m, 1 hour).

Begin by crossing the Dudh Kosi to the true left bank and climbing a little to the village of Monjo (2835m, 40 mins). Ahead, you can see the trail climbing to a cleft between a huge finger of rock and the hillside, which is the site for the Sagarmatha National Park entry post where we register.

Stone steps descend to another suspension bridge, which you cross to Jorsale (2740m, 45 mins) on the true right bank. Continue on a broad trail to another bridge, which you cross to the true left bank and follow an easy riverside track before a slight climb to Larja bridge (40 mins) festooned with prayer flags. Cross the bridge and begin a long climb during which you can look forward to finally sitting down and resting in Namche (3440m, 2.5 hours).
Early on the first section of switchbacks, the trail turns a sharp left on the edge of the ridge and you can catch your first glimpse of Mt Everest. The trail climbs switchbacks, which gradually ease as the trail follows a route that winds northwest through pine forest. There is a police checkpost 15 minutes before entering Namche where you must register.

As you have now passed the 3000m mark, it is a good idea to take an acclimatisation day and rest from the previous day’s climb. Namche is an extensive market town, where there is always something to see and places to explore. If you are here on a market day (Saturday), make sure you get up early to see Tibetan and Sherpa traders bargaining before the tourists arrive.
If you have the time, it is worth completing a looped day walk to Sagarmatha National Park Museum (on the ridge above the town), and the combined villages of Khunde (3840m) and Khumjung (3780m), which is the site of the first Himalayan Trust school, as well as many chorten and mani walls.
Another excellent place to visit is Sagamartha Next, waste reuse and re-purposing into art program located next to the Syangboche Airstrip.

It is a good idea to get an early start today, as the trail up to Tengboche can be hot and dusty in the afternoon. First, climb to the ridge above Namche and Sagarmatha National Park Museum and then continue along a slightly rising trail to Khyangjuma (3550m, 45 mins), where a couple of teahouses and a wonderful view of Ama Dablam on the far side of the valley. A stone paved trail descends to Phunke Tenga (3250m, 1.5 hours), before climbing switchbacks through pine forest and traversing across Tengboche hill to a final switchback only 5 minutes from the gompa (see Day 5), campsite, and some teahouses (3860m, 2.5 hours). Accommodation has been problematic in Tengboche for many years as the local teahouse owners sometimes take a very ‘commercial approach’ to trekking groups. A way to avoid this is to visit the gompa and then continue to Deboche (3820m, 20 mins) or Milingga (3750m, 40 mins) through a delightful pine, rhododendron and birch forest.

Wake up early and head back up to Tengboche for the morning puja (prayers), which you should try to get to by 7-7:30 am. Please enter the gompa as quietly as possible and remember to donate before you leave. Bring a khadag (silk blessing scarf) to offer as thanks if you want to receive a blessing from the abbot or senior monk. This Nyingmapa-sect gompa is a World Heritage site, originally built in 1916 but destroyed by an earthquake in 1934. The rebuilt gompa was again destroyed in 1989 by fire, but the grand new buildings are true to the original designs and form an idyllic setting for the thirty or so young monks who live here.

Once you have finished exploring the gompa it is worth the effort to climb the ridge that rises from Tengboche. Views of the surrounding peaks including Mt Everest and Ama Dablam improve with height once you reach a chorten after climbing for 30 minutes.
Leaving Deboche you first descend an easy trail before crossing a bridge and climbing to Pangboche (3930m, 1 hour), which boasts the oldest gompa in the region.
Note: Many people stay at lower Pangboche as part of a slower acclimatisation programme.
The trail from Pangboche follows the Imja Khola and leads to a major trail junction (4175m, 1.5 hours) and the site of a teashop. The left fork leads to Pheriche (site of the Trekker’s Aid Post), but take the right trail and descend to and then cross a bridge. The trail continues up above the Imja Khola on a broad trail to Dingboche (4410m, 1 hour).

The ascent to Dingboche (or Pheriche) frequently produces mild altitude sickness symptoms so an acclimatisation day is an excellent idea. There are three options for a day walk from Dingboche of varying difficulty. Perhaps the most impressive, and exerting, is a trail that crosses the Imja Khola by a small wooden bridge at the southern end of the village. From there, climb about 400m (2 hours) to a valley with a series of small lakes at the base of the north face of Ama Dablam. Continue up a slight ridge on your left, where you can see the pyramid summit of Makalu in the distance.
For a walk of a similar duration but on easier trails it is a good idea to follow the main trail to Chukhung (4730m, 3 hours) but stop short and return. As you climb through the Chukhung Valley, the popular Island Peak becomes increasingly dominant, and the massive Lhotse wall dwarfs everything. There are good views of Tabuche, Cholatse, and Ama Dablam.
The easiest and shortest walk climbs the ridge to the north of Dingboche to a series of chortens and good views of all the surrounding peaks.

Take any one of several trails that lead to a white chorten (0.5 hours) on the top of the ridge behind Dingboche. The ridge is the edge of an ancient lateral moraine and the trail takes an obvious route along the top, providing views of Ama Dablam (behind), Pheriche (below), and Loboche Peak (ahead) among other peaks on either side.
The trail will then descend to cross a small river that emits from the end of the Khumbu Glacier, on the far side is the small settlement of Dughla (4620m, 2 hours). Climb the lateral moraine on the north side of the glacier snout on a well-defined trail to a series of stone memorials for climbers killed on the surrounding peaks. Cross a bridge over a stream flowing from Loboche Peak and continue to the often crowded teahouses of Loboche (4910m, 2 hours).
For those who arrive early, there is a small trail that climbs to about 5400m (2.5 hours) and really good views of the surrounding peaks including Everest. Alternatively, cross the Khumbu Glacier on a good trail and climb a scrambly, rocky track to Khongma La (5528m, 3.5 hours), where it is possible to continue to the summit of Pokalde (5806m, another 1.5 hours), but remember it is a long descent to Loboche (or the Chukung/Dingboche valley) so exercise caution if you decide to go.

The trail continues on the same side of the glacier past the trail junction to the Italian Research Centre pyramid and over the Changri Shar glacier snout. Kala Patthar (meaning black rock) is seen ahead and Gorak Shep is the cluster of teahouses beside the small lake. Once at Gorak Shep (5140m, 3 hours), you should take a rest to check everyone for symptoms of altitude sickness before attempting to climb Kala Patthar. It is important to take your time and monitor your group for symptoms of altitude sickness throughout the climb and when resting on the summit. From the teahouse, climb north by north-east to a prayer-flag-covered rocky summit (5550m, 1.5 hours) for one of the best views of the highest point on earth, Mt Everest, and the surrounding peaks of Nuptse, Lhotse, and Pumo Ri. Your descent will take 45 minutes, or longer if you wait until sundown (when it gets very cold very quickly).

From Gorak Shep the trail curls around the base of Kala Patthar, continuing along the side of the Khumbu glacier. After an hour you will move on to the glacier itself and care needs to be taken not to walk off the track. As you approach EBC (5350m, 1.5 hours from Gorka Shep) views of the notorious Khumbu Icefall appear on your right, it looks far more intimidating from here than from other viewpoints. Most expeditions do not appreciate you walking around their camps for security reasons, so respect their wishes and avoid intruding. The return trip to Gorak Shep along the same trail takes about 45 minutes when you can collect your packs.
Then retrace yesterday’s trek to Loboche (2 hours) and then down to Dughla (4620m, 30 mins) where you then take the lower trail to Pheriche (4240m, 1 hour).

Today will probably go down as an ‘equal-best’ day for views along your trek! Begin by following the regular trail down to Somare (4010m, 1.5 hours), and about 30 minutes after the village, take the right-hand fork that gently climbs away from the main trail. In 20 mins you’ll reach the old Pangboche settlement with the gabulous gompa, which is well worth a visit.
You now continue on the upper trail to Phortse (2.5 hours), but what a trail it is! Stunning views of the whole region spread out beneath our feet, with the majestic Ama Dablam dominating the valley. The village of Phortse has remained the most authentic in the whole of Khumbu where traditional life is preserved.

An easy trail descends from Phortse to the Dudh Koshi Nadi bridge (3420m, 30 mins) before a long climb up to Khyangjuma (3650m, 2 hours), where the trail eases to make the final stretch to Namche (3440m, 1.5 hours) feel like we’ve been mountain trekkers our whole lives! We’ll be celebrating in Namche tonight!

It’s an easy day today to retrace our steps to Benkar, so there is no rush to get going early from Namche.
Head down through the community and then back down the hill trail you climbed seemingly weeks ago! It only takes 2.5 hours to reach Benkar.

From Benkar to Phakding takes less than 1 hour to walk, and then another 3.5 hours Lukla where you can spend the afternoon celebrating the end of your trek, before flying to Kathmandu on the following morning.