Nepal. Everest Base Camp

Day 0 — November 2. Flight to Kathmandu

We fly to Nepal from our home cities. Flights from Europe usually take around 12–16 hours with connections in Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah.

This is the in-between day: airport coffee, a packed backpack and the quiet realization that the Himalayas are no longer just a saved photo on your phone.

Day 1 — November 3. Kathmandu: From City Speed to Himalayan Rhythm

Kathmandu greets us with horns, incense, scooters, temple bells and a kind of chaos that somehow knows where it is going.

We settle in and handle the practical side together: check the equipment, buy anything missing, get local SIM cards and exchange money. Then we walk through Thamel toward Durbar Square and meet one of Nepal’s most unusual traditions — the living goddess Kumari.

It’s a loud, colorful beginning, but beneath it all, the rhythm is already changing.

Day 2 — November 4. Lukla and Phakding: The Trail Begins

We take the famous flight to Lukla at 2,840 m. Landing here already feels like the first real chapter of the adventure.

From Lukla, we start walking toward Phakding at 2,610 m. The trail passes villages, prayer flags and stones carved with mantras. Everything is still green and soft, and today’s 3–4 hour trek gives us time to get used to our breathing, boots and mountain pace.

We spend the night in a local guesthouse.

Day 3 — November 5. Phakding to Namche Bazaar: First Snowy Peaks

Today the Himalayas begin to show themselves properly.

We walk toward Namche Bazaar at 3,440 m, crossing bridges and climbing gradually higher. The trek takes around five hours, and the first snowy summits appear between the valleys.

Namche is the lively capital of the Sherpa region: bakeries, cafés, an Irish pub, pizza, cinnamon, matcha and travelers from all over the world. It is the last real pocket of city comfort before the route becomes quieter and higher.

Tonight we sleep in a guesthouse and let the body catch up.

Day 4 — November 6. Namche Bazaar: Tea with a View of Everest

Today is for acclimatization, not speed.

We make a lighter climb to Everest View Hotel at 3,880 m. From its terrace, we see Everest for the first time — still distant, but suddenly real. We drink tea, breathe slowly and let the body learn the altitude without pressure.

Then we return to Namche for rest, food and one more night in familiar comfort.

Day 5 — November 7. Namche to Tengboche: The Monastery in the Mountains

We walk through the heart of Sherpa country toward Tengboche at 3,820 m.

The trail drops into rhododendron forest and then climbs again toward a Buddhist monastery standing above the valley. The air smells of smoke and cold earth, prayer flags move in the wind, and the mountains begin to feel less like scenery and more like a presence.

We spend the night in a lodge opposite Tengboche Monastery.

Day 6 — November 8. Tengboche to Dingboche: Above the Tree Line

We continue to Dingboche at 4,410 m, gradually moving above the tree line.

The green landscape gives way to open rock, wide valleys and sharper air. Dingboche sits on a high plateau where the nights feel darker and the stars much closer.

In the evening, we warm ourselves near the stove, drink something hot and listen to stories from the guides.

Day 7 — November 9. Dingboche: Acclimatization Near 5,000 m

Today we climb toward 5,000 m, not for a record, but to help the body adapt.

The pace is calm and deliberate. At this altitude, even ordinary movement becomes more honest: breathe, step, pause, repeat.

After lunch, there is ginger tea, rest and a quiet evening around the stove. No need to be productive. Existing at almost 5,000 metres is enough for one day.

Day 8 — November 10. Dingboche to Lobuche: The Mountains Get Serious

We walk toward Lobuche at 4,910 m.

Along the route, we pass memorials dedicated to climbers who never returned. It is a quiet reminder that these mountains are not a theme park or a backdrop. They are beautiful, immense and completely indifferent to our plans.

Lobuche is a small settlement surrounded by stone and peaks. We eat, prepare our layers and go to bed early. Tomorrow is the day we came for.

Day 9 — November 11. Everest Base Camp: The Meeting

We walk from Lobuche to Gorak Shep at 5,164 m and then continue toward Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m.

The trail moves past glaciers, stone waves and the deep sound of moving ice. And then, after all the mornings, climbs and breaths, we arrive.

This is not a summit and not a conquest. It is a meeting with the place from which Everest expeditions begin — surrounded by glaciers and eight-thousand-metre peaks.

There may be tears, silence, laughter or no dramatic reaction at all. You can simply stand there and let the moment be yours.

Afterward, we descend and stay overnight in Pheriche.

Day 10 — November 12. Pheriche to Tengboche: The Road Feels Different Now

We descend toward familiar Tengboche.

The trail is easier on the body, but nothing looks exactly the same. Maybe because the direction has changed. Maybe because we have.

In the evening, we can attend a puja at the monastery, receive a blessing from the monks and quietly thank the road for bringing us this far.

We stay overnight in a lodge near the temple.

Day 11 — November 13. Tengboche to Namche Bazaar: Back to Warmth and Cinnamon

Those who wish can attend the morning service at the monastery before we continue descending to Namche.

The air grows thicker, the steps easier and the cafés more tempting. Back in Namche, we celebrate the fears and doubts we left somewhere higher on the trail.

An optional walk to Khumjung may also be arranged, where a monastery has preserved what locals describe as a yeti scalp for more than a century.

Tonight we sleep in a lodge.

Day 12 — November 14. Namche to Lukla: Last Bridges, Last Mountain Dinner

We follow the trail back toward Lukla, crossing the final bridges and saying goodbye to the villages, prayer flags and paths that became familiar.

The route still has a few climbs and descents left — the mountains do not give away an easy finale.

In Lukla, we gather for our final dinner on the trail: tired, hungry, proud and already slightly nostalgic.

Day 13 — November 15. Kathmandu: Massage, Rest and Real Beds

We fly back to Kathmandu and check into our familiar hotel.

Today is for a shower that lasts longer than necessary, clean clothes, massage, slow food and final shopping. In the evening, we meet for dinner in an authentic local restaurant and start processing everything that has happened.

The city feels louder now. We feel different too.

Day 14 — November 16. Kathmandu: Temples and the Final Evening

We explore the spiritual side of Kathmandu.

We visit Pashupatinath, one of Nepal’s most important Hindu temples; Boudhanath, a major Buddhist stupa and pilgrimage site; and Swayambhunath, the hilltop temple complex better known as the Monkey Temple.

After days of mountain silence, Kathmandu returns us to bells, incense, people and movement.

In the evening, we gather for our final dinner.

Day 15 — November 17. Kathmandu: Flight Home

We buy the last tea, spices and souvenirs, transfer to the airport and say goodbye.

The backpack is lighter without all the trail snacks. The head is quieter. The legs are probably asking for a chair.

And somewhere between Kathmandu and home, it begins to feel real: we walked to Everest Base Camp.

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A high-altitude route through Sherpa villages, Buddhist monasteries and Himalayan valleys to Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m. The journey includes two acclimatization days, daily trekking, yoga and breathing practices, simple mountain guesthouses and comfortable stays in Kathmandu.

TAYANNA accompanies the group throughout the route and helps create a rhythm where physical effort and inner attention can exist together.

During the trek, yoga and breathing practices support altitude adaptation, recovery and a closer connection with the body. This is not about perfect poses in front of Everest. It is about breathing more consciously, releasing tension and helping the body through long trekking days.

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