Everest View Trek — Self-Launched (Kathmandu to Namche Bazaar and Back)

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport, take a prepaid taxi to Thamel (£4–6) and check into a budget guesthouse. Spend the afternoon sorting the two things that make or break this trek: (1) your Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality entry permit (issued locally in Kathmandu or at the Monjo/Lukla checkpoints, ~£20 / NPR 3,000) and your Sagarmatha National Park permit (~£20 / NPR 3,000) — or buy both through the Nepal Tourism Board office on Bhrikutimandu Marg; (2) your Kathmandu–Lukla flight. Book with Tara Air, Sita Air or Summit Air direct online or through a Thamel agent (~£150–190 one way, hold luggage usually 10–15kg). If runway maintenance moves flights to Manthali/Ramechhap, allow a 4–5am shared jeep transfer (~£15–20, 5hrs). Rent or buy a down jacket and sleeping bag in Thamel (~£2–3/day rental) and draw enough cash — there are ATMs in Namche but they fail often. Early night; tomorrow's flight is usually 6–7am.

🚌Prepaid airport taxi ~£5; walk everywhere else in Thamel

🛏Budget guesthouse in Thamel, e.g. simple twin/dorm £10–15

• →Collect Sagarmatha National Park + Khumbu municipality permits
• →Confirm/book Kathmandu–Lukla flight
• →Rent down jacket and sleeping bag in Thamel
• →Buy trekking snacks, water purification tablets and cash buffer

Early flight from Kathmandu to Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla (2,840m, ~35 mins) — sit on the left for mountain views. From the airstrip, walk north out of Lukla through Chaurikharka village, descending gently along the Dudh Koshi river past mani walls and suspension bridges to Phakding (2,610m). It's only 3–4 hours of easy walking, deliberately short to start acclimatising. Teahouse in Phakding: twin room ~£5–8, and expect to pay separately for hot showers (~£2), device charging (~£1.50) and boiled water (~£1.50/litre). Order dal bhat for dinner — it's the best value and comes with free refills (~£4–5). If your flight is cancelled, most airlines rebook you the next morning; agents can also arrange a helicopter seat share (~£250–300) if delays stack up.

🚌Kathmandu–Lukla flight ~£170 one way; 3–4hr walk Lukla–Phakding

🛏Teahouse in Phakding, twin room £5–8 per person

• →Scenic mountain flight into Lukla
• →Trek Lukla to Phakding via Chaurikharka village
• →Cross the Dudh Koshi on classic suspension bridges

The big day: 5–6 hours, roughly 800m of ascent. Follow the Dudh Koshi north through Monjo, where you show your permits at the Sagarmatha National Park checkpost (have passport and permit copies ready). Stop for lunch at Jorsale (~£4–5), then cross the high Hillary Suspension Bridge draped in prayer flags and start the long, relentless staircase climb to Namche Bazaar (3,440m). Walk slowly, drink constantly. Namche has everything: bakeries, gear shops, an ATM, wifi for a fee (~£2–3/day) and Everest Bakery for a celebratory cinnamon roll. Teahouse twin rooms here run £6–10; hot showers and charging cost extra. Optional: hire a porter-guide in Lukla or Namche for ~£20–25/day if you want the company and local knowledge the operator's guide provided — entirely up to you.

🚌On foot, 5–6hrs; no vehicles beyond Lukla

🛏Teahouse in Namche Bazaar, twin room £6–10 per person

• →Sagarmatha National Park permit check at Monjo
• →Lunch stop at Jorsale
• →Cross the Hillary Suspension Bridge
• →Climb to Namche Bazaar (3,440m) — optional porter-guide hire ~£20–25/day

The operator's Day 4, done your way. Leave mid-morning and climb 2 hours up to the Everest View Hotel at Syangboche (3,880m, the trip's high point) — this is the first proper view of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam, and the hotel's terrace serves tea to non-guests (~£4). Carry on for 45 minutes to Khumjung to see the green-roofed monastery (small entry fee, ~£2; the famous 'Yeti scalp' is a curiosity, not a highlight) and the Hillary school. Drop down to Khunde and back to Namche via the airstrip at Syangboche — about 4–5 hours total. Go slow if you feel any headache; this is your altitude buffer day. Alternatively book a short guided acclimatisation hike locally in Namche (~£25) if you'd rather have someone else navigate. Back in Namche: bakery dinner and an early night.

🚌On foot, 4–5hrs round trip from Namche

🛏Teahouse in Namche Bazaar, twin room £6–10 per person

• →Hike to Everest View Hotel, Syangboche (3,880m)
• →Visit Khumjung village and monastery
• →Walk through Khunde and back via Syangboche airstrip
• →Optional local acclimatisation guide ~£25

The descent is long — the operator's itinerary squeezes it into one day, and honest reviews say it's tough: 7–8 hours, ~1,500m of loss. If that feels like too much, break it at Phakding or Monjo and fly out the next morning, or add a night so you have buffer for a delayed Lukla flight. Retrace your route over the Hillary Suspension Bridge, past Jorsale and Monjo, with a lunch stop in Phakding, arriving in Lukla in the afternoon. Confirm tomorrow's flight at the airline desk as soon as you arrive (Lukla flights are notoriously weather-dependent). Farewell dinner in a Lukla lodge with the trekkers you've met along the trail — teahouse-style meal, ~£5–7, and any drinks are on you.

🚌On foot, 7–8hrs (or split over two days)

🛏Lodge in Lukla, twin room £6–10 per person

• →Descend Namche to Lukla via Hillary Suspension Bridge
• →Lunch stop in Phakding
• →Confirm return Lukla flight
• →Farewell dinner in Lukla

Morning flight back to Kathmandu (~£170). If it's cancelled for weather — it happens — most airlines rebook free the next morning; keep one spare buffer day if your international flight is tight, and ask about shared helicopter seats (~£250–300) as a last resort. Back in Thamel, shower properly, drop rented gear back at the shop, and eat a proper momo-and-lassi lunch (~£6). If you want a Kathmandu day of sightseeing, Swayambhunath or Boudhanath stupa plus a walking tour on GetYourGuide costs £15–25 — the operator threw in a city tour, but it's easy to self-arrange. Overnight in Kathmandu or head to the airport.

🚌Lukla–Kathmandu flight ~£170; airport taxi ~£5

🛏None required — or add a Thamel guesthouse night ~£12

• →Fly Lukla to Kathmandu
• →Return rented trekking gear
• →Optional self-booked Kathmandu walking/Swayambhunath tour £15–25