Your Ultimate Guide to Hiking Sagarmatha National Park in the Himalayas
Discover the beauty and adventure of Sagarmatha National Park, home to the legendary Mount Everest.
This guide provides essential information on budget travel, trekking options, and the incredible experience of exploring the tallest peaks in the world.
You’ve never been there, but you already know the mystic captivation of this legendary realm could be your heavenly sanctuary.
You’ve seen the epic photographs, you’ve heard the historic tales, and your hair stands on end when you hear the testimony of an auspicious traveler who has witnessed the most grand of all nature’s playgrounds.
You’ve been picnicking in the lush Rockies and Sierras, and now you want to see giants.
You want to stand at the feet of magnificent beasts that touch the ethereal, a place twice as tall as the highest sight you’ve ever seen, a snow sculpture that stretches further than your imagination – You want to experience The Himalayas.
Maybe it’s been on your mind for as long as you can remember, or maybe you stumbled across this article while the idea has been creeping in serendipitously as you fathom if this idea even realistic.
Maybe you’re an experienced hiker and unsure if this foreign trek will break the bank, or maybe you’re looking for an adventurous vacation and unsure if this trek is beyond your capabilities.
Whatever doubt there may be, this dream is much more achievable than you may think.
The Himalayas stretch for thousands of miles, so naturally there are just too many options and epic treks to choose from.
After finding a $700 round trip flight from San Francisco to Kathmandu, I now had narrowed my choice to Annapurna or Sagarmatha (Everest).
I took a leap of faith a couple of days before departure and chose Sagarmatha National Park after hearing how much more crowded the Annapurna circuit would be.
It turned out to be the perfect choice, and my month of trekking just about every major trail in the area quickly turned into the ultimate bliss.
Getting There with a Budget
When you factor in that the cost of living in Nepal is extremely low and that your supply load will be very minimal given that you eat and sleep in guest houses every night, you can begin to understand how realistic this trip may be for you.
Between Kathmandu and the most remote village, I ended up spending an average of $25 per day.
Prices increase the more remote you go, but with a good choice of guest houses and lodges in each village, you will never find yourself having to spend an unreasonable amount of money.
All treks into Sagarmatha National Park begin in the town of Lukla.
You can take the long cheap way there with a day-long bus ride from Kathmandu to Jiri, and then an almost week-long hike to Lukla.
Or you can pay $300 for a round trip flight from Kathmandu.
Fair warning; the sloped landing strip in Lukla is considered one of the most dangerous in the world.
From Lukla, it’s a two-day hike along a single option valley path that weaves its way from 8,500 ft in elevation to 12,100 ft at the town of Namche Bazar..
