Ultimate Nepal
- Kandoo Ultimate
- Kandoo Trekking
Contact
our UK team
All trekkers need to organise their own flights to Kathmandu International Airport (KTM). From Kathmandu Airport we will arrange a private transfer to your hotel. That night or early the next morning you will meet your local Kandoo representative and have a full pre-trek briefing.
The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla takes 45 minutes and is an adventure in itself with great views of the Everest region (from the left of the plane) and ending with a hair-raising landing on a steep mountain runway. After meeting our crew, we will start our trek by heading up the Dudh Koshi Valley on a well- marked trail to Phakding.
From Phakding, we cross and re-cross the river on high suspension bridges. Beyond Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park, which was set-up to conserve this fragile mountain environment. We then ascend steeply to Namche and along the way, if the weather permits, catch the first glimpse of Mt Everest. Namche Bazaar is the main trading village in Khumbu and has a busy Saturday market. It is a meeting place for the Hindu traders from the lowlands and Tibetan yak caravans that have crossed the glaciated Nangpa La. You can enjoy an Illy coffee and amazing brownies here!
Namche is tucked away between two ridges and has lots of lodges, tea shops and souvenir shops. Today we will trek up to the Everest View Hotel at 3880m for our first view of Ama Dablam and Mount Everest. Following the ‘walk high, sleep low’ principle, this hike will really help with your acclimatisation
From Namche, the trail contours on to the side of the valley, high above the Dudh Koshi. We will get great views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam. Passing by several villages and numerous tea shops, we descend steeply to a bridge over the river at Phunki Tenga. The village is an ideal stopover for lunch. Here we can rest before making the steep climb to Tengboche, famous for its legendary monastery, the largest in the Khumbu.
We descend through a forest, cross the Imja Khola and climb steadily to the village of Pangboche. This village is directly opposite Ama Dablam (6856m), and has exceptional views of the mountain, the gompa, Mani walls and scattered pine trees. A further two hours walk brings us to Pheriche.
A day for rest and acclimatisation. We also have an opportunity to wander up the valley to look at the Tshola Tsho lake and the perpendicular walls of Cholatse and Tawache. Our guide will take us up onto the ridge overlooking Dingboche for the view of the Imja Valley and the incredible south face of Lhotse.
We continue up the wide valley beneath the impressive peaks of Cholatse and Tawache on the left. We then turn right and take a steep climb towards the foot of the Khumbu Glacier. The tea house at Duglha is a good spot to have lunch. The trail zigzags up through the boulders of the glacier's terminal moraine. At the top of this climb there are many stone cairns, built as memorials to the many Sherpas who have died while climbing Mt Everest. The path then climbs gently along the glacier, to eventually reach Lobuche
To reach our next stop, Everest Base Camp, we follow the Khumbu Glacier. The trail offers superb views of the surrounding mountains, especially where the path is forced to rise to cross a tributary glacier. We stop for lunch at Gorak Shep before finally making our way to Base Camp itself (5364m). This takes several hours as the trail weaves its way through ice pinnacles and past the crevasses of the Khumbu Glacier.
A very early start is required to reach the top of Kala Pattar (5554m) for one of the best viewpoints in the Himalaya. From here we can see the face of Everest and deep into the Khumbu icefield. After lunch we then descend to Dingboche for the night.
From Dingboche we drop down again to follow the river. After crossing it we climb back up through birch and rhododendron forest back to Tengboche. From here we descend over the Dudh Koshi before making our way back to Namche.
Our final day's trekking follows the Dudh Koshi back down to Lukla. This last evening in the mountains is the ideal opportunity for a farewell party with the Sherpa guides and porters, where you can sample some chang, try Sherpa dancing and look back on a memorable trekking experience.
After an early breakfast, we will begin our return journey to Kathmandu.
A free day in Kathmandu to relax by the hotel infinity pool, do some souvenir shopping or visit some of the many temples the city has to offer.
This morning we are picked up from our hotel and head out on a cultural tour of Kathmandu and the surrounding temples. Located 13km east of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur is a UNESCO World Heritage site, famed for its rich culture, temples, and wood, metal and stone artwork and is still relatively untouched. It is the home of traditional art, architecture, historical monuments, pottery and weaving industries, temples, beautiful ponds, rich local customs, culture, religion and festivals.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square has many pagoda and shikhara-style temples grouped around a 55-window palace of brick and wood. The square is one of the most charming architectural showpieces of the Kathmandu valley as it highlights the ancient arts of Nepal. Boudhanath is a UNESCO World Heritage site, not only is it one of the largest stupas in the world, it is also the one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu . The stupa's massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal. At the end of our tour we are dropped back at our hotel ready for dinner and an early night in preparation for our flight tomorrow.
Early morning flight from Kathmandu to Bharatpur Airport and transfer to your lodge. You will have time to enjoy a spot of lunch before taking an afternoon village tour by ox cart to find out more about the local culture.
An elephant safari is an ideal opportunity to see some of Chitwan's larger animals such as deer, rhinoceros, wild boar, monkey, leopard and sloth bear. If you're really lucky, you may get to see the Royal Bengal Tiger -sightings are very rare so keep your eyes peeled. In the afternoon you will explore the Rapta River by canoe. Don't forget to take your binoculars to spot some of Chitwan's amazing birdlife and also the two rare species of crocodile: the Marsh Mugger and the fish-eating Gharial. You will complete the day by visiting the elephant breeding centre located within the park.
You spend your last day in Chitwan on a bird watching tour to discover some of the 450 different species that abound. Look out for kingfishers, blue-throats, long-tailed nightjars, lesser adjutant storks, brown crakes and brown fish owl -just a few of the famous birds found in Chitwan. Transfer to Bharatpur airport for onward flight to Kathmandu.
We will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Kathmandu Airport for your departing flight.
There are really just two things that make the Everest Base Camp trek tough. First, even with acclimatisation days you are pretty much trekking 5-6 hours a day for at least 12 days. You need to have hardened your body off to walking to cope with this.
Second, is the effect of altitude. By the time you reach base camp you will have lost almost 50% of the oxygen in the air and this makes any exertion tough. It is important, if you are going to cope with this loss of oxygen, that you train hard before you arrive for your trek, then do everything slowly. This is a 'tortoise challenge'!
In Kathmandu, if you choose to eat outside your hotel, use your common sense when selecting where and what to eat, drink bottled water and avoid ice in drinks.
One word of advice, place your meal order as soon as you can upon arriving at the lodge as it is strictly ‘first ordered, first served’, and the best lodges are quite busy at meal times.
Your full day by day itinerary shows what is included in terms of hotel accommodation and meal basis. All of our pre- and post-trek accommodation is based in Kathmandu. Here your hotel basis is B&B, you can usually purchase snacks or meals at the hotel, which can be paid in Nepali Rupees or US Dollars. Check in time will be between 12:00 and 2:00 pm, depending on the hotel. If you arrive on an early flight into Kathmandu, you may have to wait until this time for your room to be available. Similarly, if you return at the end of your trek on an early flight from Pokhara, you will not be able to check into your room straight away. There is secure storage at the hotel for you to leave bags should you arrive on an early flight and wish to head into Kathmandu before check in.
However, development is still ongoing, and as you get higher into the mountains the lodges become more basic. Furnishing is generally fairly spartan, and most rooms feature little more than a bench bed and a thin mattress, so your sleeping kit will probably see some early use. Showers are not always available and it tends to be just the communal areas that are heated.
The exception to that rule is Namche. Namche features some really great lodges, including the Hil-Ten (this is not a region that makes much of copyright infringement) and if you are in need of refreshment there both Illy and Lavazza coffee are available
Kandoo has a list of lodges that we prefer to work with, all of which are regularly inspected to ensure the best quality rooms available. Even at the worst, they are clean and well-kept. When the route is busy, we send a porter ahead to hire rooms for the night, as they cannot be reserved in advance.
The general standard of driving throughout Nepal is poor and badly regulated. Roads in Kathmandu are very congested, many drivers are not properly licensed and vehicles are poorly maintained. During the monsoon season (June to September) many roads outside the Kathmandu valley are prone to landslides and may become impassable.
Duffel bags
You will be provided with a large duffel bag at the pre-trek briefing that will be yours to use for the duration of your trek. Your equipment will then need to be transferred into this bag. If you are travelling with a duffel bag then it is up to you which bag you choose to use for the trek, if you are travelling with a suitcase then this will need to be left at the pre-trek hotel and collected upon your return as our porters need the bags they carry to be flexible.
All items must be packed in your main equipment bag. They should not be attached to the outside, as we are not responsible if items fall off when the bags are being carried on the trek.
If you are relying on a credit or debit card for emergency funds, make sure you tell your card issuer that you will be using it abroad, or you may find that it won't work when you really need it.
We are members of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal and the Nepal Mountaineering Association, and follow their guidelines when recommending tip levels for guides and porters. We would suggest you budget $150-$200 per trekker for your tip contribution.
We say goodbye to our porters in Lukla before we return to Kathmandu. Any tips that you wish to give to the porters will need to be carried on the trek with you.
Duffel bags
You will be provided with a large duffel bag at the pre-trek briefing that will be yours to use for the duration of your trek. Your equipment will then need to be transferred into this bag. If you are travelling with a duffel bag then it is up to you which bag you choose to use for the trek, if you are travelling with a suitcase then this will need to be left at the pre-trek hotel and collected upon your return as our porters need the bags they carry to be flexible.
We do not have other gear available for rental but there are many places offering gear for rental in Kathmandu and we can recommend a number of places for you. The quality of rental gear is very variable and it is your responsibility to check carefully the condition of any item you rent. We accept no responsibility for the quality of equipment hired. An indication of the likely rental costs is below.
Most of the rental shops close around 8pm, so if you are arriving on a late flight the day before the trek starts there will not be an opportunity for you to visit a rental store. If you are planning on renting equipment, you need to make sure you have allowed sufficient time at the beginning of your trip.
All rental equipment is included in your overall trekking bag weight, so make sure you have allowed for this when packing your bag at home. A sleeping bag will weigh around 2kg.
UPPER BODY
LEGS
OTHER ACCESSORIES
From | To | Price | Availability | Book | Enquire |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
12/10/2024 | 30/10/2024 | $2,925 £2,249 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
02/11/2024 | 20/11/2024 | $2,925 £2,249 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
15/02/2025 | 05/03/2025 | $2,925 £2,249 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
15/03/2025 | 02/04/2025 | $2,925 £2,249 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
05/04/2025 | 23/04/2025 | $2,985 £2,299 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
03/05/2025 | 21/05/2025 | $2,985 £2,299 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
20/09/2025 | 08/10/2025 | $2,925 £2,249 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
11/10/2025 | 29/10/2025 | $2,985 £2,299 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
01/11/2025 | 19/11/2025 | $2,985 £2,299 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
14/02/2026 | 04/03/2026 | $2,879 £2,299 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
14/03/2026 | 01/04/2026 | $2,879 £2,299 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
04/04/2026 | 22/04/2026 | $2,939 £2,349 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
02/05/2026 | 20/05/2026 | $2,939 £2,349 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
19/09/2026 | 07/10/2026 | $2,879 £2,299 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
10/10/2026 | 28/10/2026 | $2,939 £2,349 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
31/10/2026 | 18/11/2026 | $2,939 £2,349 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
Want to ask us a question or book a private trip? Don't hesitate to contact us!
Contact us