Secrets of Khumbu: Thame to Tyangboche --- Trip Dates: December 14 to 27, 2023





Rock paintings en route to Thame




Khumjung village

Included:
Twin-sharing bed and breakfast hotel accommodations in Kathmandu, airport transfers in Nepal, sightseeing as specified, trek lodging and three meals a day, trekking guide and staff, national park fee.

Not Included:
International flight and airport taxes, Nepal visa fee, flight Kathmandu-Lukla-Kathmandu, etc (misc: see subsequent literature).

For more information and a detailed itinerary... please contact

KarmaQuest Ecotourism and Adventure Travel
Tel: (650) 560-0101/
Fax: 712-8164
699 Spindrift Way, Half Moon Bay,
California 94019 USA
Karma@KarmaQuest.com
Website: www.KarmaQuests.com


Christmas in Khumbu:
The Khumbu, better know as the Everest Region, is deservingly one of the most popular trekking areas of Nepal. This trek will show you why: you’ll stand in awe of some of the highest peaks on earth - Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse - and get to know the warm-hearted Sherpa people while sharing a cup of Tibetan butter tea -- or hot buttered rum! --‘round their hearth. You'll be staying in cozy Sherpa guest houses where you'll feel like part of the family. Visit the quiet Thame Valley, an active trade route to Tibet, where you’ll encounter Tibetan herders and yaks laden with carpets and Chinese tennis shoes. Visit the ancient Thame monastery and a cliff-top nunnery, before continuing onto Khumjung, and Tyangboche Monastery, beneath statuesque Ama Dablam. The 11-day trek is rated Moderate. Maximum elevation is 12,700 ft. Fly in and out of Lukla.

Itinerary



Day 1
Arrive in Kathmandu, check in and visit Swayambunath Temple

Day 2 Full day sightseeing to Bhaktapur & Patan medieval cities and the award-winning Patan museum.

Day 3 Morning flight to Lukla (9200’). Trek to Phakding (8800’) 3 hrs.

Day 4 Trek to Namche Bazar (11,300’). Follow the Dudh (“milk”) Koshi river before climbing to Namche, a thriving trade center and trekkers’ haven. 5 hrs

Day 5 In Namche. Spend a day acclimatizing, visiting the Sherpa culture museum and national park center. Optional day hike to Everest View Hotel (12,500’).

Day 6 Trek to Thame (12,500’). Watch for Danphe and Thar (a mountain goat) on the high cliffs above the trail. Enjoy the best potatoes in the world at Thame, served boiled with chilies and salt. Rhododendrons line the trail. 5 hrs.

Day 7 Visit Thame monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in Khumbu region, set in a rock wall high above a beautiful view of Thame village. Take a day hike to neighboring side valleys, toward the glaciers or the Tibetan border.

Day 8 Trek to Khumjung (12,400’). Visit a Tibetan Buddhist nunnery en route to Khumjung. Climb through fir forests and by the world’s highest airstrip at Syangboche, emerging for a full-frame view of Everest, Lhotse , and Ama Dablam. Khumjung is a bastion of traditional Sherpa farming life, with rows of stone houses nestled below the sacred mountain Khumbi-la. 5 hrs

Day 9
Trek to Tyangboche (12,900’). Hike to Tyangboche, crossing the Imja Khola, whose headwaters are Everest itself. Tyangboche is one of the most important monasteries in Khumbu region, where mountaineers obtain a blessing before their climb. Attend a guided tour of the monastery. 6 hrs.

Day 10 Day hike to Pangboche, through Rhododendron forests - ablaze with red blossoms in spring - and home to the endangered musk deer. Or hike up a nearby peak for spectacular views up, down and across the valley. Sagarmatha (the Nepali name for Everest) National Park, protects the natural and cultural wonders of Khumbu, including its wildlife and monasteries.

Day 11 Christmas in Namche Bazar! Descend to the Dudh Koshi, crossing a prayer flag adorned high suspension bridge. Last views of Everest. Enjoy a special Christmas Eve dinner with your Sherpa staff and friends. 7 hrs

Day 12
Trek to Lukla. Last night celebration & goodbye to your Sherpa guide. 6 hrs

Day 13 Fly to Kathmandu in the morning and enjoy a free/shopping day in Kathmandu.

Day 14 Depart Kathmandu, overnight en route, and return to home (or extend your stay in Nepal with a 2 night/3 day Jungle Safari excursion to Chitwan, see below)


Trip Cost:

4-6 persons US $3,150/person

7-10 persons US $2,950/person



Single supplement US $400/person


Optional Extension in Nepal: 2 nights/3 days Jungle Safari in Chitwan National Park:
View one-horned rhinoceros, crocodiles, abundant bird life, and an occasional Bengal tiger from atop an elephant, in dugout canoe, and on guided walks through the jungle. Extension Cost: $570 Inclusive of lodging and three meals/day and naturalist guided tours of Chitwan National Park


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