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The Everest Circuit Trek is perhaps the ultimate high-altitude trek, in the world’s most spectacular mountains. Think of this not just as a trek, but more as one of the finest mountain journeys you are ever likely to undertake in your lifetime. It is undoubtedly tough – but the scenery provides more than ample rewards.
With this challenging trekking route in the Everest region, you walk through the major Everest valleys, by crossing 3 high passes of above 5,000 m (17,500 ft):
These passes make it a massive adventure in the world’s most spectacular mountain terrain.
Furthermore, this trek includes visiting the following highlights:
About 18 days. However, we can tailor this sample trekking itinerary to your preferences.
From Kathmandu, we fly to Lukla from where we follow the trail to EBC. We trek via Namche Bazaar, Tengboche and Dingboche to Kongma La pass, surrounded by dramatic views of Ama Dablam, Makalu and Lhotse.
From the Kongma La pass, we descend to Gorak Shep. The next morning, we leave our bags at Gorak Shep, and hike to Everest Base Camp. And, we can hike up to Kala Pattar, a great viewpoint for an up-close view of Mount Everest!
We traverse the glaciated Cho La pass to Gokyo where we can explore the valley. And, we can climb Gokyo Ri to enjoy more excellent mountain views, including another angle of Mount Everest and, Cho Oyu on the Tibetan border to the north. Then we scramble across Renjo La, dramatically back-dropped by the Everest range and enter the Bhote Khosi valley.
On our way down again, we will trek along grazing pastures and a trading route used by yak trains from Tibet to Thame. It is a short day from Thame to Namche Bazaar. Here, we will re-trace our earlier steps to Lukla and fly back to Kathmandu.
Yes! Actually, we encourage you to do so. Because that makes this trek unique and truly YOURS! Obviously, you don’t need to figure it all out by yourself. Just send us a message via email or whatsapp. We’re here to make it the perfect adventure.
We are looking forward to hearing from you.
– Govinda & Lilly
Welcome in Nepal! We will pick you up at the international airport in Kathmandu, and bring you to your hotel in the backpackers area of Thamel.
airport transfer – hotel
After a good night of sleep and hopefully beating the jetlag, we will meet again for a pre-trip meeting. You will be introduced to your mountain guide and we will discuss the itinerary. If you have any questions or requests, please let us know.
Note: please, make sure you bring your passport to the meeting, along with your travel insurance policy. Carry both the original policy and a copy for us. We wil also request you to clear the due balance, if any.
What’s next? You can use this day to adjust to the different timezone, altitude and climate. Also, you can prepare yourself for your trek and do some last shoppings at one of the many outdoor gear shops around your hotel.
breakfast – hotel
Early morning, your guide will come to your hotel to pick you up. You wil go the domestic airport together, to take a short but scenic flight to Tenzing and Hillary Airport in Lukla (2,804 m). Upon arrival at Lukla, your guide will introduce you to your sherpa’s before beginning your trek.
After landing, we will take our time to explore the village while your sherpa crew sorts and loads the trekking equipment. Then, we will begin the trek! First, we will descend towards the Dudh Khosi River where we can join the main trail to Namche Bazaar, the main hub of the Everest region. Today, the walk is easy and will take us to Phakding (2,610 m).
breakfast – airport transfer – mountain flight – lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
After breakfast, we will continue our trek along the banks of the Dudh Khosi River. Also, we will be crossing this majestic river many times, on exciting suspension bridges laden with prayer flags. After entering Sagamartha National Park, the trail climbs steeply with breathtaking views.
Namche Bazaar (3,441 m) – known as the Gateway to Everest – is home to many quality restaurants, hotels, lodges, shops, money exchanges, internet cafes and bakeries. Namche is one of the biggest villages along the entire Everest trail.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Today we spend the day here in Namche Bazaar to acclimatize and adjust to the thinner air. If the weather is clear, it’s a great opportunity to hike up to Syangboche for rewarding views of the Khumbu peaks.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Now our trek continues along the rushing glacial waters of the Dudh Khosi river with magnificent views of the mountains. Today we trek to an altitude of 3,860 meters. By reaching Tengboche we see local Buddhist monastery. Inside we can see incredibly ornate wall hangings, a 20-foot sculpture of Buddha and the musical instruments and robes of Lamas. Here we can observe a prayer ceremony either in the evening or morning, depending on how our trek went today.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
From Tengboche the trail drops to Debuche and crosses another exciting suspension bridge on the Imja Khola. Then we climb to Pangboche along thousands of mani stones. Today our uphill trek takes us to the quaint traditional Sherpa village of Dingboche (4,350 m) with its exquisite views of Lhotse, Island Peak and Ama Dablam. We take our time to prevent getting affected by the altitude.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Since this is a challenging trek, we need regularly free days so that we keep our energy. Today we explore the nearby ridge and enjoy striking views of soaring Makalu, Lhotse and the Cho Oyu mountains. The ridge also offers us views over the Imja valley and Lobuche’s and Cholatse’s peaks.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
The trek today begins through crop fields. We climb to the valley of Imja Khola which offers us views of the mountains of Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Then our trail continues through Bibre, a scattered settlement of yak herders. When we walk further, we reach the village of Chhukung that offers us a striking view of Imja Tse that is also known as Island Peak.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Crossing Bibre, we climb all the way to the Niyang Khola valley. To reach Kongma La pass, we head east and cross the gorge with frozen lakes. From the pass we can enjoy the views of mountains in Nepal and Tibet. After a short break we head down to the Khumbu glacier and trek to Lobuche and finally, to Gorak Shep.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Today we explore the lake of Gorak Shep with freezing cold water. When we trek past the Indian Army Mountaineers’ Memorials, we reach Everest Base Camp. We hope for a bright, clear day as this place offers striking views of Nuptse, Khumbutse and the Pumori mountains. But we won’t spend the night here in Everest Base Camp, instead we go back down to Gorak Shep.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
From Gorak Shep we return to Lobuche and trek down further until we will reach the river bank. Then we cross the river and take the ascending trail to the top of the ridge for striking views of Ama Dablam and the Thamserku mountains. And we trek further to Cholatse lake. From here our trail goes through few ups and downs to reach the bridge to reach Dzonglha.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
When we trek to the hilltop of Dzonglha we have a striking view of the Cholatse mountains. Then we head west before descending to the gorge. We climb the gorge and reach the vantage point which offers views of Ama Dablam and again the Cholatse mountains. We climb Cho La pass which offers panoramic views of several mountains and peaks in Nepal. Finally, at the end of our route today we there’s only left the rocky path to Tagnag.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Today we continue following the rocky path with striking views of mountains and valleys. We also pass the Ngozumpa glacier today, which is the longest glacier in Nepal. We cross the glacier and to reach the third Gokyo lake which is located on the verge of Gokyo village (4,750 m).
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
If our trek goes as planned, we have a spare day now. We can either spend it with a visit to the fourth and fifth lake of Gokyo. In total there are six lakes in the Gokyo valley. Or we climb the Gokyo Ri peak (5,360 m).
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
From the Gokyo valley we now head west and trek to the foot of Renjo La pass. Renjo La is the high pass of this trek, with an altitude of 5,320 meter. From the pass we can enjoy the gratifying views of mountains and peaks of both Nepal and Tibet. For instance we can see Kyajo Ri from the western section of Renjo La. Then we continue our trek to reach Lungden where we spend the night.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
A walk along the rocky path leads us to the river. When we reach the Sherpa village of Thame, we explore the village to get to know the local culture, the traditions and way of living. Also we visit Thame’s Buddhist monastery today.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
From Thame we return to Namche Bazaar, cross Dudh Khosi river and move through Sagarmatha National Park to Manjo village. The entrance of the Sagarmatha National Park is at Manjo.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
Finally, today we return to Lukla where our trek began. It seems like a lifetime ago. Together we enjoy our evening and reflect on the trek as a group and the personal achievement of all those who took part.
breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge
When we fly back to Kathmandu, we enjoy our last glimpse of the mountains. On arrival in Kathmandu we bring you back to your hotel.
breakfast – mountain flight – airport transfer – hotel
If it’s the final day of your holiday in Nepal, we will bring you back to the international airport. Goodbye friends! We hope that we will meet each other again in the future.
breakfast – airport transfer
Together, we set a goal and we'll do everything we can to make it happen!
Govinda & Lilly tailor these sample trips to your preferences and budget.
With memories that last a lifetime!
Our guests give us 5-star ratings on Tripadvisor.
Merel L07/04/2024Best organisation to book your hike We loved our 4-day trip to the Muldai Viewpoint and Poonhill! By Mountain People suggested to do the Muldai Viewpoint combined with Poonhill in 4 days. The hike to Muldai was a climb but doable for everyone with basic condition. We walked to the Muldai top practically on our own with amazing viewpoints during the hike. From the Poonhill viewpoint there were lots of other tourist but also a little bit more comfort so we loved the combination. Especially our guide Pratap made the trip unforgetable. He knows everything about the nature, birds and animals. By Mountain People helped us with the preparation and fixed everything for us. Permits, food, overnight homestays etc. Would recomment to everyone. Was the best four days of our trip to Nepal
Angela M17/03/2024Crafting Memories with By Mountain People in Annapurna When we decided to go to Nepal for our holidays, we knew we wanted to do a trekking in the Annapurna region, but we didnt know from where to start. That's when we met Govinda, who helped us with everything related to our trip, providing a personalised proposal for the 4 days we had, giving us all the information needed, and being a reliable and helpful point of contact during our whole journey before, during and after our trek. In the end we went for the Mulde peak trek, a less crowded route that exceded all expectations. Our guide Ganesh, was the best guide we could have wished for, always with a smile he knew every little secret of the Annapurna range, explaning not only the different routes, but also about the plants & animals present in the area, and about Nepal and its traditions. He was very caring and he made our experience unforgettable. We can only recommend to do a trekking with By Mountain People, they know what they are doing, accomodation and food was included in the total price and we didn't have to worry about anything. Having a guide in the Annapurnas is really an added value, and we can't wait to be back with a little extra time to do the Annapurna circuit next time. If you're looking to get most out of your experience in the Himalayas, and for a personalised and personal approach, then By Mountain People is the right party to team up with.
Jess M07/03/2024Keep your head in the clouds but your feet on the trail. The hard miles brought big smiles on this trip with By Mountain People. They were flexible, positive, and really just a joy to be with. Made for a fun and easy trip. I continue to recommend By Mountain People to both friends and family if they have a thought of doing a trek in Nepal. Many Thank You Guys!
Sean G18/02/2024Great people for a great adventure! I can't say enough about how well everything was orchestrated. Our guide and porter were wonderful and very friendly. Nepal is a beautiful country with very friendly people. It's been a few months now and I still think of the trekking almost daily. If I ever have another opportunity to hike in Nepal, I would be blessed! Thank you Govinda!
Anouk K10/12/2023Jiri - Everest Base Camp My friend and I booked a 20+ day trek with Lily & Govinda from mid-nov to begin-dec. We loved their personal approach in arranging the trip, from preparations and choosing which trek to go for, to regular check-ins during and a great feedback/debrief session afterwards! We started from Jiri instead of the popular way of flying to Lukla. That was a great experience and an absolute recommend to start lower if you have time!
eliza b19/11/2023Magnificent slow trek and bird watching to Khopra Danda! Magnificent trek!! In October 2023 the two of us did this beautiful trek organized by BMP. It all started 6 months earlier, when I was looking for a company that would put people first in organizing treks in Nepal. What a nice coincidence when I learned that Govinda, a former language student of mine, happened to be the owner of By Mountain People, an organization that had customized and small scale treks as its core business! We had very nice and informative preparative talks about our wishes. Being almost 70 years of age, we wanted to have sufficient possibilities to adapt our journey on the way, in case the altitude would cause problems. Also we wanted to visit places off the beaten track and see something of village life on the way. Govinda suggested the Khopra Danda trek with some extra days so we could shorten the daily walking distance. This was a very good advice and he organized it very well! We met Govinda again in Kathmandu before we started out. He introduced us to our guide Pratap Gurung. Pratap was really a very excellent guide!! His knowledge of the natural surroundings and especially of the birds were truly amazing!! He was very attentive to our wellbeing and patiently answered our many questions. He taught us so much about the different species and habitats of all the birds he would point out to us. His experience made that we always felt safe and well looked after. Also we learnt that Govinda stayed regularly in contact to ensure that everything went well. Following our 2 weeks of trekking, BMP also organized an extra 4 days visit to Chitwan National Park. Here we stayed in the nice Safari Club hotel. Her also we were very happy with our guide Yadav Duwadi He is a nice and calm guide with a lot of knowledge and very attentive. We absolutely recommend this “slow trekking” by BMP! Specially for senior travellers such as us, but also for everybody who wants to fully enjoy the beauty of the Himalayas. A guide such as Pratap Gurung was perfectly suited for this type of trekking. Thank you BMP!! Thijl and Linda
Gira_sv12/09/2023Tilicho Lake and Annapurna Circuit I went on a 19-day trek on the Annapurna Circuit. I had great communication with Lily and Govinda before arriving in Nepal and throughout my trip. They shared with me all the information that I needed. Ganesh, and a porter, Nima. Both of them were incredibly kind. They literally held my hand through the toughest parts of the trek and we also had lots of fun playing cards, sharing anecdotes and trying to learn each other’s languages. The Annapurna circuit itself is incredibly beautiful and diverse. Since I arrived at the end if the monsoon season there were still some rains and landslides which made the days at lower altitudes a little tricky but once we started to ascend the weather changed and we had wonderful views of the mountains on this range and visited several Tibetan towns and Gompas. Overall, I had a great experience with them I would take a trip again with them in a heartbeat. Thanks, Ganesh, Nima, Lily, and Govinda!
Explore5828402007330/07/2023Small but super professional trekking company! Wish we could go back already! Govinda and Lilly just went above and beyond for my friend and I!! Shortly before arriving in Nepal, I started experiencing knee pain. I got so worried about the trek, but they changed our itinerary without any fuss whatsoever. They got us the most caring and knowledgeable trekking guide Ganesh. And they checked in with me frequently during the trek, to check if I was doing ok and enjoying. After the trek they even organized a very nice jungle safari to Chitwan NP for us. Their great tips and flexible attitude before and during our trip made it a HUGE succes!! Govinda and Lily thank you so much for your patience and helpful advice. I will be back for sure!Jonatan D27/02/2020Otrolig resa i Nepal Vi hade en jättebra resa i Nepal! Govinda på By Mountain People var superhjälpsam med att tillgodese våra önskemål och att skräddarsy en resplan som passade oss perfekt. Han såg till att vi fick med alla våra önskemål. Vi hann med vandring i de fantastiska bergen samt en otrolig dag med fågelsådning strax utanför Kathmandu. Jag kan verkligen rekommendera By Mountain People om du vill ha en unik upplevelse!
Gabriel G22/02/2020Father and son Nepal trek By mountain people organised an incredible trip through Gokyo Lake and EBC. Everything ran smoothly, they took care of all the little details and genuinely care about you and your experience throughout. Handled everything with a smile and extreme professionalism - can not recommend them enough! Our amazing guide Ganesh is the reason we can look back on the trek successfully, he helped us at every step and is an all round great guy - be sure to ask for Ganesh he will make your trip unforgettable I cannot wait to book again:)
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