Nepal: Everest Base Camp Trek

Altitude: 1,400 m. Meeting at Tribhuvan Airport and the first breath of the Nepalese capital – the bustle, the scents of spices and incense, the colors that instantly tell you: you are in another world. After check-in we hold a group briefing: we talk about the route, acclimatization and gear, and answer all your questions before the start. Then – a leisurely walk through the streets of Thamel, the heart of tourist Kathmandu, with its narrow alleys, gear shops and street food. We visit the Swayambhunath Stupa (the "Monkey Temple") on a hill above the city – it offers the first panorama of the Kathmandu Valley and, on a clear day, a hint of the mountains waiting ahead. In the evening – getting to know the team over a shared dinner.

Elevation change: −250 m (descent). The flight to Lukla is one of the most thrilling in the world: it passes through the clouds, and landing on one of the shortest mountain runways on the planet becomes an unforgettable moment. Stepping onto Khumbu soil, we immerse ourselves in the rhythm of mountain Nepal and admire the first views of snow-capped peaks. An easy three-hour trek through picturesque Sherpa villages brings us to Phakding – a village on the bank of the roaring Dudh Koshi River, where we spend our first night in the mountains.

Elevation gain: +830 m. The day we truly enter the high mountains. The trail follows the Dudh Koshi River, crossing it on suspension bridges swaying above the abyss. Today we enter Sagarmatha National Park – home of the highest mountains on Earth – and climb to the amphitheater of Namche Bazaar, the legendary Sherpa market town and gateway to Everest, from where on a clear day you can see the top of the world itself.

Elevation change: +440 m / −440 m (round-trip hike). A rest day doesn't mean an idle day – the body acclimatizes best on the move. We climb to Everest View, one of the highest hotels in the world, with a breathtaking panorama: Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam – a single wall of ice and stone. In the evening we stroll through the narrow streets of Namche and feel the pulse of this mountain trading crossroads.

Elevation gain: +420 m. One of the most scenic stages of the entire route: Everest, Ama Dablam and Thamserku change their silhouettes with every turn. A descent to the river and a new climb through rhododendron forests lead to Tengboche – the spiritual heart of Khumbu and home of the region's most famous monastery. With good timing, in the evening you can catch the monks' Buddhist prayer service.

Elevation gain: +550 m. The forests stay behind, and the landscape becomes alpine, harsh and open. A descent through conifer groves, a river crossing, wide valleys, rocky slopes and the first noticeable signs of high altitude in the air. Dingboche welcomes us with wide views of the valley and the Lhotse – Nuptse mountain wall.

Elevation change: +673 m / −673 m (round-trip hike). The second acclimatization day is one of the most vivid. The climb to Nangkartshang Peak (5,083 m) gives the first real "five-thousander" feeling of altitude, and the panorama from the top takes in Makalu, Ama Dablam and the endless ridges of Khumbu.

Elevation gain: +500 m. The landscape grows ever harsher: the trail climbs onto the moraines of the Khumbu Glacier, past memorials to the climbers who died conquering these mountains. A place of silence and respect, where every stone bearing a name is a reminder of the price of the dream of the top of the world. Lobuche is a tiny settlement among bare rock and ice – our shelter before the final push to the goal of the whole journey.

Highest point of the day: 5,364 m · overnight at 5,190 m. The main day of the whole journey. We walk the icy moraines of the Khumbu Glacier to the camp at the foot of the highest mountain on the planet. And then the moment arrives. Standing at Everest Base Camp, among the ice towers of the Khumbu Icefall, where the path of everyone who set out to conquer the top of the world begins, is a moment that stays with you forever. We return to Gorak Shep for the night exhausted, yet overflowing with unforgettable emotions.

Highest point: 5,545 m · descent to 4,240 m. An early wake-up and the climb to Kala Patthar. The first rays of sunlight touching the summit of Everest and painting the glaciers gold and pink – a panorama worth waking up for at four in the morning at over 5,000 meters. We savor the moment and begin the descent to Pheriche.

Elevation change: −800 m (descent). The way back through the same scenic valleys, but now seen through the lens of everything we've experienced. Forests, suspension bridges, Sherpa villages – everything that amazed us on the way up is now felt with a sense of a goal achieved. Namche greets us warmly: a hot shower, dinner and the atmosphere of a small celebration.

Elevation change: −580 m (descent). The final trekking day of the route – and the most emotional one. Saying goodbye to the mountains that once seemed so out of reach. The evening in Lukla traditionally turns into a celebration of the end of the trek together with the guides and porters.

This is a reserve day: it is built into the program in case bad weather delays flights from Lukla. Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu and a farewell dinner full of shared memories and impressions.