Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu,
On your arrival at Kathmandu International airport, our representative will pick you up and transfer you to the Hotel. After arriving at the hotel, you can rest and spend the remaining day as per your preference.
In the evening, the tourist hub of Thamel is a good place to grab your first meal, with a variety of restaurants to choose from offering both Western and local Nepali dishes.
Overnight 3-Star Hotel, Meals included: breakfast
Day 02: Kathmandu sightseeing tour and trek preparation,
Today after breakfast, you will leave for a half day sightseeing tour in Kathmandu valley. Some of these landmarks are considered World Heritage Sites including the historic Durbar Square, the famous ‘Monkey Temple’ (Swayambhunath), or the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath and Buddhist shrine (Boudhanath) which is one of the largest stupas in the world.
At noon, our represetative will meet you at your hotel where there will be short trip briefing and introduction with your trekking guide. After short briefing, you will have some time to do last minute arrangements before trekking. For example changing money, ATM, market etc. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner hosted by Griffon Travel Pvt Ltd. For dinner, you will be served excellent Nepalese cuisine.
Overnight 3-Star Hotel, Meals included: breakfast, dinner
Day 03: Drive to Dhap and trek to Jhapre,
You'll start the day with a long (8-9 hour) drive from Kathmandu to Dhap. From a ridgeline south of Dhap, you'll start the trek, and as you near Sigane, the mountains that you will get to know very well come into view - the peaks of the Numbur Himal section of the Himalayan Range.
The trail from Sigane follows a road under construction for the first couple of hours. The first village you reach is called Jhapre (2920 m/9580 ft), perched above a deep valley with nice views of Mt. Everest and Numbur Himal. There’s a pretty little gompa and stupa here, and this is your stop for the night.
Driving Time: Approx 8-9 hours and trekking Time: Approx 4 hours
Overnight Teahouse, Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 04: Trek to Pikey Peak Base Camp,
After Jhapre, the trail climbs up to a grassy ridge at Bhulbhule. There’s a single lodge with no name and nice views of the Everest range from here. Soon after Bhulbhule, the trail splits and you'll turn right to Pikey Peak. You’ll pass some old yak houses and a long mani stone wall. The trail then contours the hillside below Taklung Danda and goes through a beautiful forested trail.
There are many rhododendrons here along a level path (which you can see in bloom if trekking in the spring). As you leave the forest, it’s not far to Pikey Peak base camp, about 2 hours away. From here, it's a short climb to the summit at 4065 m / 13336 ft. Unless you have an unusually clear evening, it’s better to climb to the summit in the morning for sunrise.
Trekking Time: Approx 6-7 hours
Overnight Teahouse, Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 05: Sunrise at Pikey Peak and trek to Loding,
Starting early in the morning, you'll follow a gradual trail to the summit, covered with prayer flags. The views are breathtaking! If the weather is clear, you'll be rewarded with panoramic views from Annapurna to Kanchenjunga.
From the top of Pikey Peak, you'll follow a ridgeline which starts flat and then steepens as you enter the forest to Jase Bhanjyang, where breakfast will be waiting. After breakfast, you'll continue your walk down to Loding, which passes through some steep sections in the forest. At Loding vllage, you'll have a couple choices for accommodation which are both simple and charming.
Trekking time: 8-9 hours
Overnight Teahouse, Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 06: Trek from Loding to Junbesi, Visit Thubtenchoeling Monastery,
You'll start the day by heading down the ridgeline for breakfast at Jase Bhanjyang. Leaving there, there are a few options for the descent to Junbesi. The most likely is a stunning shortcut trail that leaves the ridge shortly after Jase and descends steeply through spectacular old growth forest to Taktor. This path meets the Everest Base Camp trail coming from Jiri. The tea houses from here are a little more developed, and you're likely to meet a few other tourists for the first time.
From Taktor, it is a couple of hours on a lovely trail to Junbesi. Junbesi is a traditional Sherpa village sitting at an altitude of 2675 m/ 8776 ft, and is the cradle of Sherpa culture and architecture. The Sherpas consider the Solukhumbu a sacred valley. In this remote part of Nepal that borders Tibet, Buddhism flourishes and there are numerous Buddhist monasteries along the way.
Trekking time: 4 -5 hours
Overnight Teahouse, Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 07: Trek from Junbesi to Taksindu,
This morning, hit the trail bound for Taksindu. Cross the river at the bottom of town and climb through the forest up to Salung, from where there are views of Mount Everest (8848 m/ 29,028 ft), Chamlang (7319 m/ 2,4012 ft) and Makalu (8481 m/ 27,824 ft), weather permitting. There are also gorgeous views out across the valley to Chiwong Monastery and down towards Phaplu.
Continue on the trail, contouring and then dropping down to a stream before a short climb up into Ringmo, famous for its apple orchards and interesting apple products such as apple rakshi (alcohol), cider and apple pie. From here, there's a final short climb to Taksindu La, from where there are again great mountains views, and then a short descent to the Taksindu Monastery and your lodge. The Taksindu Monastery was built in 1946 and is usually open early morning or late afternoon. Please make sure to leave a donation if you visit.
Trekking time: 5- 6 hours
Overnight Teahouse, Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 08: Trek from Taksindu to Phaplu, Visit Chiwong Gompa,
Today, leave the main trekking route again and take a beautiful path down to Phaplu through the forest. There's also the option of hiking up to Chiwong Gompa, perched high on a cliff overlooking the valley. This monastery was founded in 1923 and has magnificent celebrations for the Mani Rimdu festival in autumn. Continue on down into Phaplu and celebrate the completion of a great trek at your cozy tea house in the Sherpa region.
Trekking time: 5- 6 hours
Overnight Teahouse, Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 09: Flight from Phaplu to Kathmandu,
Today we walk to the Phaplu airport from where we take a short 30- minute scenic flight back to Kathmandu. Our private vehicle will be waiting for your arrival at domestic airport. (If the flight doesn't operate, it's 6/7 hours drive from Salleri to Kathmandu by private vehicle.)
On your arrival, our representative will transfer you to the hotel. You can spend the rest of the day by relaxing or shopping for gifts and souvenirs. In the evening if you wish to have a group meal, choose from a selection of Nepali, Bhutanese, Tibetan, Vietnamese, Middle eastern and western dishes in Kathmandu now.
Flight time: 30- minutes
Overnight 3-Star Hotel, Meals included: breakfast
Day 10: Final Departure,
In the morning after breakfast, we will take you back to the Tribhuvan International Airport for your scheduled flight to your next destination. It's good to be at the airport at least 3 hours prior to departure.
Meals included: breakfast