Mountain Panoramas of the Everest Region

Choose the view by the mountain

Sightseeing in the Khumbu is mostly about mountains, so it helps to plan by peak: which one you want to see, then which viewpoint shows it best. All viewpoints are reached on foot, since no road enters Sagarmatha National Park. Everest stands at 8,848.86 m and is the draw, but the supporting cast is as striking.

Everest

Three places give a strong view of Everest. Kala Patthar (about 5,644 m) offers the sunrise panorama, together with Nuptse and Lhotse. Gokyo Ri (about 5,357 m) shows it with three other 8,000 m peaks. Hotel Everest View on the ridge at Syangboche (about 3,880 m) is the low, comfortable option, with a terrace facing Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Check that the hotel is open for visitors before you go. Everest Base Camp (about 5,364 m) sits on the Khumbu Glacier, and the place itself is the attraction.

Lhotse and Nuptse

Both rise beside Everest. Kala Patthar frames them with it, and Lhotse also appears from Gokyo Ri and from the terrace at Hotel Everest View.

Ama Dablam

This peak stands behind Tengboche Monastery (Dawa Choling Gompa, about 3,867 m), so a visit to the monastery gives a close view of it. The terrace at Hotel Everest View shows it too. Prayer times at the monastery vary by season, and visitors are welcome to watch.

Makalu and Cho Oyu

Gokyo Ri shows these two, which with Everest and Lhotse make up the four 8,000 m peaks visible from the summit. Cho Oyu is 8,188 m. The view lies across the Ngozumpa Glacier and the Gokyo lakes. The lakes form a protected Ramsar wetland and are sacred, so keep to the paths and treat the water with respect.

Villages worth a stop on the way

  • Namche Bazaar (about 3,440 m), with a Saturday morning market.
  • Khumjung and Khunde, where stone-walled lanes lead to Khumjung Monastery and a relic described as a Yeti scalp.

The price of a good view

Every viewpoint above is high. Altitude sickness, pulmonary oedema and cerebral oedema occur on these routes, and sunrise climbs are cold and tiring. Ascend slowly, rest at Namche and Dingboche, and limit your rise in sleeping height above 3,000 m to about 300 to 500 m a day. Go down when symptoms worsen. A licensed guide knows the signs and the route. Base Camp, Kala Patthar and Gokyo Ri cannot be reached in a day from Lukla (about 2,840 m), and the Khumbu Icefall is closed to visitors outside permitted climbing expeditions.

Getting there and fees

Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla in about 30 to 40 minutes, or from Manthali after a road transfer in the busy months, and keep 2 or 3 spare days. Budget about NPR 3,000 for the municipal permit and roughly NPR 3,000 to 3,400 for park entry. The Himal Press report on Khumbu fees covers the municipal charge.

Look at Viator results for Everest region tours if you want a guided trip.

Read more: Walking tours and Attraction tours .