Everest View the best short trek in the world

Patan is the most rewarding of the old cities of the Kathmandu Valley, with the best preserved Durbar Square, small streets rich in traditional architecture, a marvelous museum and the very best of the beautifully restored Newari inns for us to stay in. If your international flight arrives in the afternoon, it is well worth adding an extra night at the wonderful Patan Inn to make the most of it. This fabulous converted Newari town house has delightful rooms centered around a richly carved traditional courtyard and an excellent restaurant, one of many that are highly recommended in Patan.

Overnight: Patan Inn, Patan | Meals: Not included

There is so much to see right here in Patan, exploring its marvelous little streets and hidden courtyards. We start with an early visit to the famous Golden Temple, the Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, in fact a monastery with the unique Newari fusion of Buddhist and Hindu features. This is a very devout place, and we do our best to be unobtrusive during the daily rituals that are the lifeblood of the temple. The intricate gilded copper work introduces us to the incredible artisan skills that Patan is famous for.

We go on to Patan Durbar Square itself, densely packed with diverse and beautifully crafted temples and now the best restored of the Kathmandu Valley's Durbar Squares. There is so much to see, but we end at the award-winning Patan Museum, full of fabulous treasures, intricately carved windows and history. For those interested, in the afternoon we can also visit artisan workshops, as Patan is the center for much of the best woodcarving and metalwork that Nepal is famous for. The trek briefing also takes place today.

Overnight: Patan Inn, Patan | Meals: Breakfast

The Lukla flight now departs from Ramechhap for most of the season, which is several hours' drive from Kathmandu, so it involves a very early start. Arriving in Lukla (2,860 m), we are immediately among the Khumbu peaks in the beautiful Dudh Koshi Valley. Along the trail there are fantastic carved mani stones, chortens and monasteries so special to this Buddhist Sherpa area. A three-hour morning walk takes us to Phakding (2,610 m), where we have an excellent lunch at the first of our Yeti Mountain Home lodges on this trail.

These are the most comfortable lodges in the Khumbu, with great en-suite rooms, gorgeous dining rooms with lovely warm stoves and plenty of delicious food served by dedicated and welcoming staff. In the afternoon, we carry on gently up the valley for two hours to Monjo, where our favorite Yeti Mountain Home lodge awaits us with warm drinks. All these lodges provide electric blankets on their very comfortable beds: we are doing this in style and comfort.

Overnight: Yeti Mountain Home lodge in Monjo | Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

An hour up the valley, we come to the thrilling high suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi gorge that marks the start of the climb to Namche. Everyone on any Everest trail has to plod up the Namche hill; there is no getting around it, and it is the only way up to those fantastic Everest views. Sensible walkers like us know to take our time and enjoy it, through beautiful pine and rhododendron forest with wonderful views of the peaks through the trees. It can take us three hours, or more if we like, before we finally arrive at the famous amphitheater of the Sherpa capital.

Our lodge is perfectly placed well above the lively hub of the village, enjoying the best views of the peaks and well placed for tomorrow's acclimatization walk. On our arrival night, we make sure to relax completely and get used to the altitude, and there is no more comfortable or welcoming place than this wonderful lodge to do just that.

Overnight: Yeti Mountain Home lodge in Namche Bazaar | Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Walking up to this fabulous viewpoint is the best way to establish our acclimatization fully. After breakfast, we gently wind up the ridge path just above our lodge, already enjoying good views of Everest and the surrounding peaks. We stroll over the old Syangboche airstrip, then climb another good ridge path up the Kunde ridge to the Hillary viewpoint at just over 4,000 meters, with its evocative chortens built in honor of the great climber who did so much for the Sherpa people.

Now the view is really fantastic, and most likely to be clear at this early hour: Everest, Lhotse, beautiful Ama Dablam and many nearby peaks. From here we can see in all directions, back down the valley to Namche, west toward Thame and over to the great monastery of Tengboche. We then descend by another good path to Kunde, home of the first school built by Hillary, and contour on to Khumjung, visiting both wonderful little village monasteries. These important Sherpa villages are little affected by tourism and give us a real insight into Khumbu life. We complete this perfect walk by looping back down to Namche for lunch, with the afternoon free to put our feet up in style or stroll down into Namche for some souvenir shopping.

Overnight: Yeti Mountain Home lodge in Namche Bazaar | Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Having acclimatized well yesterday, we are now ready to stay at the remarkable Hotel Everest View (3,880 m), known as one of the highest hotels in the world. Truly Old Nepal, having opened in 1971, the hotel has been transformed by the more recent addition of electricity into the rewarding destination it deserves to be. Its main inspiration, the awesome panoramic views, with Everest and Ama Dablam right there from many of the windows, can now be enjoyed in genuine comfort. It is only an hour or so up from Namche, so we can settle in for lunch and a truly memorable stay.

Overnight: Hotel Everest View | Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Today we aim to do little but enjoy just being here. The hotel itself is a design masterpiece, built with local materials but with an inspired twist from its original Japanese owners. Dining rooms feature existing stone crags, corridors wrap around natural outcrops, and surprise windows reveal the stunning views again and again. You can fully immerse yourself in staying up here at the top of the world. When you want to stretch your legs, take a stroll in the craggy pine woods that surround the hotel.

Overnight: Hotel Everest View | Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

The return to our lovely lodge in Monjo takes much less time on the way down, so we don't have to leave too early, leaving time to enjoy one last morning of our fabulous Everest view. After settling in at Monjo, we can visit the small local monastery, or gompa, the perfect place for a moment of spiritual calm as we reflect on the depth of experience our short Everest trek has given us. Back at the lodge, we might indulge in a more traditional celebration.

Overnight: Yeti Mountain Home lodge in Monjo | Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

We follow the Dudh Koshi back down the valley to Lukla. Nicely away from the bustle of the airport, our lodge here is yet another of our favorites, spacious and welcoming. We arrive with plenty of time to unwind and enjoy the evening while our flights are reconfirmed for the morning.

Overnight: Yeti Mountain Home lodge in Lukla | Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

After the return flight (or flight and drive via Ramechhap), we arrive at the Gokarna Forest Resort, set in its protected 470-acre forest, a haven of peace and beauty in the Kathmandu Valley. The hotel is comfortable and luxurious, with an indoor pool, spa, golf course and fantastic restaurants, but the highlight will always be the forest itself. Huge mature fig trees dominate the site, and deer and many other kinds of wildlife roam these former private hunting grounds of Nepal's rulers.

Overnight: Gokarna Forest Resort, Kathmandu | Meals: Breakfast

A dawn walk in the forest, the best time to see wildlife, makes one last fantastic memory of this unforgettable Old Nepal itinerary before we drive you to the airport for your departure from Kathmandu.

Meals: Breakfast