Himalayan Monastery Trek
Solukhumbu Monastery Tengboche

Himalayan Monastery Trek

Sisterhood - Trekking - Yoga - Exploration

Duration: 10 Days, 9 Nights



Overview


Join us on this incredible journey as we explore Kathmandu’s famous temples and stupas (as well as some of its hidden gems!) before we embark on a truly special Himalayan adventure. From Kathmandu we fly to Lukla where we begin our trek to Tengboche Monastery. Tengboche is a small village nestled among the Himalayas and is home to Dawa Choling Gompa, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the Khumbu. It will take us four days to hike to the monastery and on the way, we’ll walk through gorgeous mountain forests, cross high suspension bridges and spend time in Namche Bazaar, the famous village known as the gateway to the high Himalaya. Once we arrive in Tengboche, we’ll be able to go inside the monastery and watch as the monks recite Buddhist scriptures and mantras during their daily prayer. With daily yoga and meditation practices included, this trip is sure to leave you feeling inspired and fulfilled! 


Trip Highlights    

 

  • Explore Kathmandu’s famous temples, stupas and shrines and get a peak at some of the city’s hidden gems. You’ll learn about daily life in Nepal as well as Hindu and Buddhist traditions and culture.

 

  • Practice daily Yoga and meditation - no experience needed! We want you to feel your best both mentally and physically.

 

  • Together we’ll hike through the Himalayas to reach Tengboche Monastery, the largest monastery in the Khumbu. We’ll see all sorts of beautiful things along the way and will get to watch the sun rise set Everest aglow from this incredible village.

 

  • We’ll have the opportunity to go inside the Tengboche Monastery and watch as monks recite Buddhist scriptures and mantras during their daily prayer

 

  • After we return from the mountains, we’ll spend the night near Patan Durbar Square. This incredible part of the Kathmandu Valley is the perfect place to celebrate our time together!

 

  • Meet an incredible network of local (female!) guides and porters who help to make your experience seamless and authentic. We are incredibly grateful to have such amazing people in our MissAdventures family.

 

  • The best part of all of our trips, of course, are the people you’ll meet along the way. We are going to have so much fun together! 

 


Is this adventure right for me?

 

  • What will we be doing?   Urban exploration, mountain trekking, yoga and meditation.

 

  • Where will we be staying?    In Kathmandu and Patan we stay in beautiful, boutique hotels with modern amenities. While trekking, accommodations are understandably rustic (this is all part of the adventure...after all, we'll be in the high Himalaya!)  Fortunately we have relationships with the best tea houses in the Solukhumbu! For most of the trek we will have rooms with attached toilets, though please understand that in some villages this just isn't available. Generally showers are not available in each room, but common hot showers are available in some villages. 

 

 

  • How hard is the trek?  It's certainly challenging but it's do-able! Be prepared to trek up to 7 hours per day at reasonably high altitude while carrying a pack that weighs about 15 pounds. We recommend that you have some hiking experience before you sign up for this trip, but you don't need to have experience at altitude - we take it nice and slow to minimize the risk of altitude illness. Please give us a call if you have any questions at all! If you are nervous about being ready for the trek physically, we can help support you with ideas to get you ready!   

 

  • Age requirement : 14+ - Travelers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

 

  • Group size: min 4, max 8

 

Day 1 - Arrival Kathmandu

Namaste! Welcome to Nepal! We’ll be at Tribhuvan International Airport to greet you once you’re through customs and have your bags – we can’t wait to finally meet you in person! You may be a bit tired from a long day (or two!) of travelling, so we’ll get you right to your hotel to freshen up. Join us for some easy yoga to make you feel grounded after your journey in the afternoon if you’re interested. We’ll have an early-ish dinner tonight since you may want to get to bed early. In case your flight arrives after dinner, we’ll pick you up from the airport and make sure you have something good to eat before you go to bed!  


Day 2 – Kathmandu Sightseeing, Trek Prep and Welcome Dinner

We’ll start the day with a morning stroll to Swayambunath, also known as the Monkey Temple. Bring your trekking pack, water and camera! Kathmandu sits at an elevation of 4,593’, so for most of us, this will be a nice chance to get used to a bit of elevation while walking and chatting. Be prepared for a climb, as there are 365 stairs leading up to the temple from the main entrance. After exploring, we’ll return to the hotel, drop our packs and freshen up for lunch. Your first full day in Kathmandu can be a bit overwhelming, so after lunch, we’ll take a rest and then all are welcome to join me for some yoga or you can use this time to explore the surrounding area on your own. We’ll have our official welcome dinner tonight, now that everyone is here and a bit rested!  


Day 3 – Flight to Lukla and Trek to Phakding

The big day is here! Buckle up for a breathtaking flight from Kathmandu to Lukla! Once we arrive, we’ll meet up with our porters and start the trek to Phakding. The hike from Lukla to Phakding isn’t very long – 4.66 miles and we actually decrease in elevation. Don’t be fooled though! We’re still at a relatively high altitude – Lukla sits at 9100 ft and Phakding is at 8563 ft – and there are quite a few ups and downs on the trail. We’ll have lunch once we arrive at the Namaste Lodge and spend the afternoon relaxing and stretching with some yoga in the afternoon. We will plan on an early dinner and bedtime so that we can get an early start the next day! 


Day 4 – Trek Phakding to Namche Bazaar

Good morning! We’ll have an early breakfast before hitting the trail today. We like to get an early start to give us the best chance of avoiding rain that sometimes moves into the mountains in the afternoon. Today is a really fun, challenging day as we climb just over 3000 vertical feet to Namche Bazaar, which sits at 11,290’. We officially enter Sagarmatha National Park in Monjo, and soon after the real climb begins. We’ll take our time – slow and steady always wins this race! – and have a chance to glimpse Everest for the first time. We will make it to Namche Bazaar in time for a late lunch (our total walking time is about 6 hours – we’ll snack on the way!) and then can spend the afternoon taking it easy. We encourage you to take your down time seriously here! It’s important to rest your body so that you feel plenty strong for the rest of the trek.  Tomorrow is an acclimatization day!


Day 5 – Acclimatize in Namche Bazaar

We’ll meet for a leisurely breakfast before our acclimatization hike. Get ready for lots of pretty views – definitely bring your camera for today’s hike! We’ll climb high and then head back down to our lodge for lunch before taking the afternoon to explore the village of Namche. We can do some easy restorative yoga this afternoon and then have an early dinner so that we can get on the trail again first thing tomorrow morning. 


Day 6 – Trek to Tengboche

Today we walk from Namche Bazaar to the village of Tengboche. We climb about 1500 feet today, although there’s a big downhill portion before we hit the huge uphill portion! Again, we’ll snack on the trail and get to Tengboche in time for lunch. This village is exceptionally beautiful and is home to Tengboche Monastery, the largest gompa in the Khumbu region. After lunch, we’ll have a chance to visit the monastery where we can observe the monks chanting. Layer up – it can be very chilly inside the monastery! 


Day 7 – Back to Monjo

Today is a long day, as we descend through Namche Bazaar to Monjo. We’ll take our time though and stop to have lunch.  Afterwards we'll continue to Monjo to spend the night.


Day 8 – Return to Lukla 

A relatively steep uphill greets us first thing today, but we’ll take it slowly. As it turns out, the downhill parts are a bit tricky also! We’ll have lunch once we arrive in tropical Phakding – it’s amazing how much warmer it is there!  Afterwards, we'll hike the final leg to Lukla.


Day 9 -  Flight to Kathmandu - Patan - Farewell Dinner

We catch an early morning flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. One last chance to glimpse at the beautiful mountains that we’ve called home for the past couple of weeks as we fly amongst the clouds back to Kathmandu. We will stay in Lalitpur tonight so that you can see a different part of the Kathmandu Valley. We’ll spend the afternoon exploring Patan Durbar Square. Tonight we have our farewell dinner where we’ll celebrate all that we’ve accomplished and the friendships that have been built. 


Day 10 – Departure Kathmandu

Today we all go our separate ways…for now! Time to start planning our next great adventure!


We strive to make our MissAdventures as carefree and seamless as possible. 


Literally (almost) everything is included in your trip.  Even the tips for your guides and porters!


  • Adventure hosted by owner Shelby Howe
  • A local (female!) guide to accompany us on our trek to explain the local culture and customs
  • Porters to help us carry our gear from village to village
  • Daily yoga and meditation practices for those who are interested
  • All lodging 
  • All transfers, flights and transportation while in Nepal
  • All permits, park entry fees and sightseeing costs
  • All meals
  • All drinks in Kathmandu (yes, even a glass or two of wine if you’d like!)
  • All group sightseeing activities in Kathmandu
  • All tips for everyone along the way
  • All snacks along the trail
  • All filtered water, coffee and tea on the trek
  • An Internet Card for use on the trail
  • Hot showers where available
  • Laundry where available
  • Charging of electronics
  • A waterproof duffel bag for the porter to transport the clothing and gear
  • All Insurance for porters and guides
  • Carbon offset towards a portion of in-country transportation
  • 1% of profits go to benefit local women's groups and collectives

Unlike most companies, we include pretty much everything in the upfront cost of our MissAdventures! 


Below are the very few items that are not included in our trips:


  • Airfarefrom where you live to Kathmandu.
  • Your gear for the trek. 
  • Your Nepal Tourist Visa
  • Your personal Travel and Evacuation Insurance
  • Alcohol on the trek (we highly recommend that you abstain from alcohol when at these altitudes – we want you to feel really good in the mountains!) 

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