If it’s a clear day when you are flying into Kathmandu, then your tour begins right from the skies itself. The sights from the windows of our jet shows us glimmering snow-capped mountain peaks spread out down below us, giving us the first thrills of our just begun vacation, sparking off a whole reaction of unforgettable experiences that stay with us for some time to come. As soon as your plane hits the tarmac of Tribhuwan International Airport, Mountain Sherpa Trekking office representative and driver will be on standby to meet and greet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. The rep will help you check into your designated hotel, and after going to our rooms and refreshing ourselves we will be briefed about our daily activities. The rest of your time is free to move around the neighborhood and get familiar with your surroundings. Your first overnight in the ancient city of temples, probably the most in the world. Breakfast

It takes approximately 35 minutes to fly from Kathmandu to Phaplu and something like about four hours trekking to reach the village of Salleri. We wander around the local market in Salleri and enjoy a visit to the local monasteries which include Chewang monastery and some others. The quiet environs of these monasteries blend so well with the landscapes and this stirs our imaginations as we begin to hike the trails. Overnight at our teahouse lodge – B. L. D

We enjoy a warm breakfast at Phaplu amidst the sweet chirping of birds and then hike up to Ratnage danda via the small sherpa village of Garikhasa; this takes about 2-3 hrs to reach Ratnage from Phaplu. We hike through shady forest and pine trees during our trek. From Ratnage hill, we get great views of the Himalayas and this includes Mt. Everest, Mera peak, Thamserku, Numbur himal and the views of Sherpa villages, green hills, and cultivated land areas. From Ratnage to Mera village the walking downwards takes approx 2 hrs. Mera is a small Sherpa village with 45 houses; these are typical Sherpa villages that are mostly isolated from the main trails of the Khumbu. Mera village is an interesting place with the Ogen choling Monastery nearby. This village is also known as "Chyangmiteng" in Sherpa language and is a name related to the Buddhist religion. This village is a symbol to Sherpa culture and home stays are also available down here. Some trekkers like to spend more time here to enjoy the quietness of the monastery and study the unique Sherpa culture. Overnight at our lodge – B. L. D

After we enjoy our king size b/fast, we will climb up to Kemje Danda at (3500m approx) from Chyangmiteng (Mera) village, for about 3 hrs of walking up, on the way we cross lots of rhododendron and pine trees; from the top of Kemje Danda, we get to see some lovely mountain views that cover some of the highest peaks in the world. Our scenic hike to Thaksindu monastery takes about 3 hrs and we walk all the way through dense foliage forest; there are no teahouse lodges between Mera villages to Thaksindu monastery. Thaksindu Monastery is linked to the Nyingma Pa sect of the Buddhist religion).

Thaksindu is located nearby to the main classic route of the Everest Base Camp trek. We bunk out in our teahouse lodge – B. L. D

It takes roughly five hours as the trail goes from Taksindu to Junbesi via the base of the famous Pikey peak. While trekking below the Pikey peak we get amazing sunrise views of the mountain peaks of Kanchenjunga to Dhaulagiri including the Everest peak. After we enjoy the majestic views, we walk down through some wonderful landscapes to Junbesi village which is also a valley for our overnight in a teahouse lodge. B. L. D

After a warm b/fast and a few cuppers, we hike the trails for about four hours where our destination is to visit Serlo and Thuptenchholing Monastery. At Thuptenchholing we can observe a special traditional Tibetan medicinal therapy that’s used to cure body aches and other illnesses. We enjoy the peace and quiet of these pretty unknown monasteries and also interact with the monks who live here. We can strike up some interesting conversations along with some tasty butter tea which is offered to us. We then return back for an in-depth tour of Junbesi village which will add a long lasting experience to our trek. Hereabouts, we get to sample the tasty local food and some local drinks that include ‘Nigaar’ {brewed from freshly cultivated mountain rice, its tasty, but strong}. This area can also arrange a Sherpa cultural show which can be performed by the local Sherpa belles, on request. Junbesi is a famous village in the Khumbu region of Nepal. Overnight in our teahouse lodge – B. L. D

This is a pacy hike as we clamber higher through a forest full of rhododendrons which brings us to the hamlet of Ngaur, situated on the top of a hill. From here, the view towards Gaurishankar and Dudh Kunda Himal is extravagant. Ngaur has six houses and a small monastery. Fifteen minutes from here is a cheese factory, where one can taste and buy cheese made from nak (female yak) and dzom’s milk. It’s a home stay tonight in this pretty hamlet. B. L. D

The climb to the summit of Pikey is pretty steep, but fairly easy. From the top of Pikey, we can see Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu and some other great peaks. At night it’s almost ecstatic to behold the lights of Kathmandu valley which is also visible on a moonlit night. After relishing with our eyes the beautiful views, we head back down to base camp for the night. B. L. D

As we head down, today the trail is pretty cool, and we can see wild orchids and great landscapes as we walk along the Solu – Okhaldhunga border. We also visit Buddhists stupas and quiet friendly monasteries. We get some deep insights about Sherpa culture on this trail. Overnight Jabre – B. L. D

This is a pert little Sherpa village that sits on a saddle of a ridge with some lovely scenery of the high up peaks nearby. A monastery is also found nearby to the village. Visiting this monastery and interacting with the monks is a good experience to encounter. The local folks hereabouts are also very friendly and warm. We enjoy our night at some of the homes in this village. B. L. D

After moving away from Ghorpiteng, we go by a descending path to reach the pretty village of Dhap. We hike along the banks of Indrawati River with lovely views of farming terraces, buzzing villages, green hills as we observe the local folks happily going about their daily chores. Overnight at homes in the village – B. L. D

Phaplu is a small Sherpa village town quite developed with an airport and a hospital; the latter built by Sir Edmund Hillary. This is an ideal place to haul up for a good night’s rest before we head down to Kathmandu. B. L. D

Today, after a hale and hearty b/fast, we fly back to Kathmandu after our more or less spiritual journey. The early morning flight drops us in Kathmandu. We can rest and relax throughout the day at our hotel. If interested, we could buy some gifts to take home from Nepal for loved ones and friends and relatives; we can visit some nearby shops or venture out in Thamel for typical Nepalese goods. This short excursion either can be assisted by Mountain Sherpa’s guides or we can do it ourselves too. Overnight in Kathmandu, the valley of the gods, they say (B, D)

After a good night’s sleep and enjoying a hearty b/fast, we proceed for our tour of Basantapur Durbar Square. Recorded by UNESCO as a cultural World Heritage site, Kathmandu Durbar Square is a bunch of medieval temples, palaces, courtyards and streets that date back to the 12th and 18th centuries. within this square we will find Hanumandhoka Palace Museum, Taleju Temple, Kumari Ghar (House of the Living Goddess), Kasthamandap and other temples and buildings as old as the city itself; from here we head for a tour of the famous Boudhanath Stupa {said to be the largest in the world) and a major centre of Tibetan culture in Kathmandu. The stupa is designed to be like a giant mandala (a representation of the Buddhist cosmos).

We next drive down to Swayambhunath {popularly known as Monkey Temple} “Swayambhu” means “self-created” and refers to the myth that the hill sprung up suddenly from a great lake that once covered Kathmandu Valley. Our next destination is Pashupatinath Temple. This temple is dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Shiva and is said to be the most holy Hindu shrine in Nepal. We then wrap up our Heritage tour with a trip to Patan which is one of the three medieval cities in Kathmandu and a destination for connoisseurs of great arts. We return back to our hotel, refresh, and maybe do some shopping, have an early supper and retire to bed, most probably. Breakfast

After b/fast, our rep and office vehicle will be on standby at our hotel to transfer us to the airport for our connecting flight home. Serving you was a wonderful joy and pleasure, we at Mountain Sherpa Trekkingwill cherish the bonds of our relationship created over the time you spent with us and we thank you for choosing us as your travel partner and for visiting this amazing country Nepal. We are sure that trekking in this beautiful region of the Khumbu [Everest region] will give you lifetime memories of a vacation well enjoyed. Ciao friends! Till we meet again. Breakfast