School Expedition: Everest Panorama and Chitwan National Park
The Everest Solu Khumbu – home to the famous Sherpa people - is probably the best known of the Himalayan regions, primarily through its association with the first successful ascent of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, back in 1953.
This exciting expedition through the Solu Khumbu takes in the highest and lowest reaches of Nepal, from Solu Khumbu and Mount Everest, the world’s ultimate peak, to the Terai and Chitwan National Park, in the flat jungle grasslands of the Gangetic plains.
Following a breathtaking mountain flight from Kathmandu, the trek trails in the footsteps of the first intrepid Himalayan mountaineers, through this predominantly Buddhist region, and you may visit the world-famous monastery at Tyangboche, with its stunning silk hangings and unique artefacts.
Dwarfed by the sheer size and proximity of snow-clad peaks, you trek past rushing whitewater rivers, observing wide, glaciated valleys and passing by Alpine meadows with herds of Yaks, the unique pack animals of Nepal and Tibet.
Khumbu is the ancestral home of the mythical Yeti, and while sightings of this creature are extremely unlikely, there is a strong probability of spotting rare wild animals, such as Blue Sheep, Thar, Red Panda and even a slim chance of seeing a Snow Leopard!
Forests of Rhododendron and Azalea offer welcome shade along the trail, where you may see many birds indigenous to the region and altitude, including bright-plumaged pheasants such as Danfe, with all the colours of the rainbow, Snow Pigeons and the magnificent bearded vulture, Lammergeier.
After return to Kathmandu for a single night, your next adventure is to visit an area of complete contrast, Chitwan National Park, in the Terai region of Nepal. The main ethnic group in the Terai is Tharu, who are closely related to Indians, and follow the Hindu religion.
Chitwan itself affords a sub-tropical climate, with flora and fauna to match. One of many highlights of a visit here is to share the world of Asian elephants, with a jungle safari, elephant bathing and a visit to the Elephant Breeding Centre.
You will be able to experience something of Nepal’s harmonious and main religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, when you visit Kathmandu’s amazingly preserved, yet living, World Heritage Sites of architectural and cultural interest, including Monkey Temple, Boudanath and Durbar Square, not to mention local outdoor markets teeming with daily life.
There is an opportunity for you to visit two charity projects for disadvantaged children and adults: a daycare centre and informal school, and a women’s skills development project, in Kathmandu. In both cases you will be warmly welcomed to share in daily experiences.
Shopping opportunities abound and there will be plenty of time to buy small gifts and souvenirs of your memorable expedition to Nepal.
Itinerary at a glance
Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu and transport to Hotel. Overnight at hotel
Day 02: Kathmandu World Heritage sightseeing, and preparing for trek. Overnight at hotel
Day 03: Flight to Lukla (2840m) and trek to Phakding (2610m). About 40 minutes’ flight and 3 to 4 hours’ walk; 230m altitude lost; Overnight at lodge
Day 04: Trek to Namche Bazaar (3440m). About 6 to 7 hours walk; 830m altitude gain; Overnight at lodge
Day 05: Acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar. Overnight at lodge
Day 06: Trek to Thyangboche (3860m) or Debuche (3710m). About 6 hours walk; 420m altitude gain; Overnight at lodge
Day 07: Trek to Phorse (3810m). About 4 to 6 hours walk; 50m altitude lost; Overnight at lodge
Day 08: Trek to Khumjung (3780m). About 5 hours walk; 30m altitude lost; Overnight at lodge
Day 09: Trek back to Phakding (2610m) via Namche Bazaar. About 6 hours walk; 1170m altitude lost; Overnight at lodge
Day 10: Trek back to Lukla (2840m) and last day party. About 4 hours walk; 230m altitude gain; Overnight at lodge
Day 11: Fly back to Kathmandu; Shopping /leisure time. About 40 minutes’ flight; Overnight at hotel
Day 12: Drive to Chitwan, and transfer to jungle resort. About 5 hours drive; Overnight at resort or jungle lodge
Day 13: Chitwan; jungle adventures. (see additional attached document for details). Overnight at resort or jungle lodge
Day 14: End of Chitwan activities and drive back to Kathmandu. Overnight at hotel
Day 15: Kathmandu; leisure time or optional visit to Jamarko (EPHC and Craft Village), our project in support of disadvantaged children and wider community, and last night farewell. Overnight at hotel
Day 16: Transfer to airport for international departure
Note: If you have a very tight schedule, as regards time allowance, we could arrange this trip without Chitwan National Park, for under 2 weeks.
Date & Price
All ACCESS-HIMALAYA adventure travel trips are small group departures and therefore places can fill quickly. To avoid disappointment, we suggest you book your trip as soon as possible.
Price Includes
... in Lodge Trek
Accommodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara, bed & breakfast basis, (accommodation in twin room unless otherwise arranged) – see itinerary above for dates - accommodation facilities/details outlined belowAll three meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) during the trek
All internal transportation as stated in itinerary (see itinerary above)
All lodge accommodation on trek – twin room with clean beds and mattresses, toilet facilities may be outside – no attached bathroom, unless specifically arranged, and where available.
Annapurna Conservation Area entrance permit
Trekking Permits (TIMS) for Annapurna area
Experienced English speaking government licensed guide/s
The required number of local porters to carry your luggage during the trek (We assign one porter for every two guests on lodge treks)
Staff and porter insurance
Guided world heritage sightseeing tour in Kathmandu with private tourist vehicle (2 or 3 sites - Durbar Square/s and Swayambunath (Monkey temple)) (English speaking licensed guide & private transport only)
Lunch on the overland travel (see itinerary)
Welcome dinner in Kathmandu
Free gift of Access-Himalaya trekking kit bag for each member of group (to be distributed on arrival in Kathmandu)
Free hire of four seasons Sleeping Bag and fleece liner for trek (should be returned after the trek).
Free airport pick and drop
... in Chitwan
All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)Twin room with a/c and ceiling fan
Elephant-back safari and possibility of elephant wash as well
A short walk inside national park with a jungle guide
Visit to elephant breeding centre, and brief bird watching
Dugout canoe excursion with probable observation of Marsh Mugger & Gharial crocodiles
Brief visit to typical local Tharu village, and evening cultural programme presenting local tribal dances
After your exciting daytime activities, you may enjoy starting your evening by taking a dip in the outdoor swimming pool or relaxing on the banks of the Budi Rapti River viewing the sunset and bird watching
Price Excludes
... in Lodge Trek
Your personal equipmentInternational flights
Charges incurred as a result of delays beyond our control
Your travel insurance, (Make sure the policy covers helicopter rescue and evacuation service)
Medical examination and vaccination costs
Personal expenditure, including bar bills, laundry, telephone calls, tips, shower/bathroom facilities on the trek etc.
Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu and elsewhere-apart from trek (see itinerary)
Heritage sights/Monastery/Temple entrance fees
Trek and Tour crew and driver gratuity/tips at end of tour/trek
Any others expenses which are not mentioned in 'Price Includes' section
Availability Explained
- A AVAILABLE - Trip date is available and open for bookings. Go for it!
- G GUARANTEED - Trip is reached minimum numbers and this is 'Guaranteed to Run'
- L LIMITED - Trip is 'Guaranteed to Run' and there are a very limited number of available places remaining. Immediate booking is recommended.
- C CLOSED - Trip has reached maximum numbers and it is unavailable. Please Contact Us to enquire about other trip departure dates or booking this trip as a private departure
Trip Info (Tour/Trek Styles) Explained
- PG Private Group: This style of trip is organized for specific groups of people (families, friends,school and college students, colleagues, business associates etc.), and is closed to outsiders. If you are interested in this particular trip departure date then please get in touch with us.
- OA Open to All: This trip departure is open to all. However, if you are interested in this particular trip departure date but want your own private group, then please get in touch with us.
- LT Lodge Based Trip/Trek: This trip/trek is lodge (teahouse) based. All accommodation, including food, is provided in local lodges. Occasionally however, where a large group is concerned we may choose to send our own cook along, as well, to take care of your food hygiene and to cook some special additional items.We provide all necessary documentation, including permits, and arrange all internal transport. We provide trekking guide, assistant guide(s) and porters/animals for transport of your gear. You merely carry a daysack with essentials, including water.
- CT Camping Based Trip/Trek: This trip/trek is camping (tent) based. We will provide one 3-man tent for every two people, also single tents, where requested, on payment of supplementary costs. All food and drinks are provided by our experienced cook and his kitchen team. We provide all necessary documentation, including permits, and arrange all internal transport. We provide trekking guide, assistant guide(s), cook, kitchen crew, food and drink, and porters/animals for transport of your gear. You merely carry a daysack with essentials, including water.
- GAP Guide, Accommodation & Porter only: In this trip neither food nor transportation is included. Clients are responsible for food and local transportation, and our responsibility is to provide insured guide, insured porter, and all necessary permits. All additional costs are the responsibility of the clients, including charges incurred as a result of delays or cancellation of services beyond our control. Clients pay for their own accommodation. Any additional costs are the responsibility of the clients, We can arrange hotels and international airport transfer, on request.
- SG Self Guided/Budget Trip: This trip is specially designed for low-budget travellers who prefer fairly basic facilities with reduced services. It is a pre-requisite that a porter is hired for any self-guided trip, which is an ideal set-up for those who enjoy independent travel with minimum cost. We have added support to minimise the hard work of planning and costing, and we will be available to help in the unlikely event of an emergency. We will arrange all documentation (including permits), before you arrive in Nepal, so that you are free to get on with your adventure, relying only on your porter to help you on your way. All additional costs are the responsibility of the clients, including charges incurred as a result of delays or cancellation of services beyond our control. Hotel accommodation, local transportation and international airport transfers may be arranged, on request.
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Food on LodgeTrek
On lodge treks clients are provided with three meals a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Menus will be fairly standard, according to the region visited, but will vary in style from place to place, according to availability of ingredients, and in more remote areas choice will be relatively restricted ... read more.. -
Travel Insurance
It is a strict condition of joining an Access-Himalaya adventure holiday that you must be insured against all medical and personal accident risks, including repatriation if necessary. Helicopter evacuation, in the unlikely event of your being injured or taken seriously ill on trek, is very costly - an average rescue ... read more.. -
Travel Money
Travellers' cheques are no longer accepted in Nepal, so please do not bring these as your currency. However, ATM facilities are widely available in Kathmandu, Pokhara and other large towns, so a Visa, or other internationally-recognized credit/debit card, would be useful. Larger shops accept payment by credit/debit card, although they ... read more.. -
Tipping and Service Charges
Tipping is an entirely personal and optional matter and at the discretion of the individual. Should you wish to give a tip in a restaurant, if there is not already a service charge included you may consider a tip of 10%. Recently there has been a recommendation for 10% charge ... read more.. -
Accommodation in Kathmandu
It is our policy to use Nepali-owned accommodation, always, as we feel this is an aspect of fair trade, and the hotels we use in Kathmandu are comfortable, clean, efficient and friendly. Most hotels are also family-run; we visit, and stay in the hotels ourselves, to ensure that facilities are ... read more.. -
Accommodation in Chitwan
In Chitwan, the wildlife resort facilities are slightly different to those of the hotels in Kathmandu and Pokhara, because of its situation in the National Park buffer zone, although each room has en suite facilities and air conditioning. There is also a swimming pool, large and airy restaurant with bar, ... read more.. -
Accommodation on lodge treks
Accommodation will be in simple lodges offering twin-bedded rooms with standard foam mattresses (if you require additional comfort you might consider taking along Thermarest or similar self-inflating mattresses). Toilets are mostly of the squat type, situated outside the main building. Toilet paper is not provided, so you should bring this ... read more.. -
Nepal Visa and Passport
All visitors to Nepal require a passport (valid for at least 6 months after your return to your home country) and an entry visa. A visa application should be obtained from the Nepalese Embassy, in London (click here to download Nepal visa application form ), or in your own country ... read more.. -
Arrival in Nepal
At Kathmandu airport you should proceed through Immigration (you apply for your Visa here) to the baggage collection area. Once you have collected your baggage you should move on to the Customs officers to have your baggage cleared and chalked up, before leaving the Arrivals lounge. Immediately outside, you will ... read more.. -
Trekking Clothing & Equipment Guideline
The following is a guideline, not a prescription: we hope it will help you find your way through the minefield of items of clothing and equipment which fill the catalogues of outdoor adventure outfitters! Jacket x 1This should be breathable, wind-proof and waterproof (not showerproof), with attached hood. Suitable fabrics to ... read more.. -
Getting Around in Kathmandu
Your first day in Kathmandu is usually dedicated to settling in, and exploring the city. The next morning may include a sightseeing tour to Pashupatinath, Boudanath or the Monkey Temple (Swayambunath). During your free time, the best way to explore your environs is to walk, as this enables you to ... read more..
If our fixed departure dates are not convenient for you or your group, we can also arrange private departures on all of our small group tours. Private group departures will follow the same itineraries as our usual small group tours, or itineraries may be tailormade to suit your own convenient tour date/budgets.
Itineraries may be tailor-made to suit your dates. So if you can’t find a date to suit you or if you want to have your very own tour just with your friends or family then we can help you.
Customised Private Groups:
For most of our usual tours, or itineraries, where there is a group numbering 2 or more, we can customise and organise private group trip(s) where we design the itinerary and activities exclusively for you, according to your requirements and budgets, such as Honeymoon, Anniversary, Family, Scouts, School, College, Fundraising or Charity trips. Find out more about our private group tours.
To enquire about booking a private departure of this tour or about organising your own private group tour, please fill in the form below and we will get back to you shortly with details.
