20 Day Mt. Everest Circuit Trek

Complete Guided Trip

This journey explores one of the most famous regions of the world – the Everest region of Nepal and takes you to Gokyo Lake (the pristine lake), Gokyo Ri, the most favourable viewpoint in the world to see 8000m peaks and the Mount Everest. Mt. Everest is the crown jewel of a range of numerous 8000+ meter (26,000+ feet) snow-covered peaks. The area is a paradise for the mountaineer, the trekker, the photographer, the adventurer and any lover of raw, powerful nature.

Being the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Everest has a mystique and reputation that sets it apart from any other mountain. Everest was first climbed in 1953 by the young New Zealand beekeeper and mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide/companion, Tenzing Norgay. Everest still represents the ultimate challenge for many of the world’s finest mountaineers and since Hillary’s first ascent, there have been more than 3000 attempts to reach the summit.

Participants on this trek will get to enjoy many of the awe-inspiring views that Hillary and other mountaineers have seen without being subjected to the physical traumas and dangers that they endured. Fully supported by experienced Sherpa guides and porters (to carry your baggage), participants will follow Hillary’s footsteps to the base of the famous mountain. Along the way, they will trek past remote monasteries and isolated villages that have changed little over the centuries. The local residents – mostly Sherpas – are curious and welcoming.

Your adventure starts in the colourful, chaotic, magical and utterly fascinating city of Kathmandu. Accompanied by a local guide, you will explore various temples, and wander through bazaars that are likely different from anything you have ever experienced. As you wander through narrow streets and alleys, you will sample the local cuisine and have the opportunity to bargain with merchants and artisans who are keen to sell their exotic items.

The following day, you join other trekkers and mountaineers as you embark on a 45-minute mountain flight to the small airstrip outside of “The Gateway to Everest” – the 230-inhabitant village of Lukla. Final provisions are packed and equipment is checked before commencing your trek. As exciting and exotic as it has been to this point, it only gets better and better. Following the valley of the Dudh Kosi River, the winding dirt path carries you sweeps you upward to the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar and its 1600 residents. Shortly afterwards, you will get your first glimpse of Mount Everest as it peeks above the Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge. The base of the mountain is still many days away, but its pull on you is already strong.

Slowly ascending as you move ever-deeper into the region, your body becomes acclimatized to the high altitude. Slowly ascending in order to acclimatize to the high altitude, you pass through small villages on the way to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Sagarmatha National Park and the Tengboche Monastery. Tenzing Norgay grew up in this village and the connection with Hillary’s Foundation remains strong. Ascending further, one comes to Kala Pattar, a rocky outcrop west of Everest. This vantage point offers fantastic views of Everest’s Ice Fall and the South Col. A stunning view of the southwest face of Everest – first climbed in 1975 – will forever remain in your mind. The journey continues, climbing gradually yet inexorably until you reach the base camp of the most famous mountain in the world. Few people in the world will be able to ever say they have experienced and accomplished what you have – to be at the base of “a larger than life legend” — Mount Everest.