Mountain Lodges of Nepal (formerly Yeti Mountain Home), Everest Region

Where it is

The chain runs up the valley from the airstrip at Lukla through Phakding and Monjo to Namche Bazaar, then west to Thame and up to Kongde, so each night is a little higher than the last. Kongde, perched well above 4,000 metres, is the wildest and has the finest Everest panorama.

Most trekkers fly from Kathmandu, or in busy seasons from Ramechhap, to Lukla's tiny airstrip, then walk through Sherpa villages, forests and over suspension bridges to Namche Bazaar, the trading town that is the gateway to Everest, inside the Sagarmatha National Park World Heritage Site.

Rooms

Each lodge has around 20 rooms in traditional Khumbu style, with plenty of wood, warm duvets and electric blankets or heated mats. Unusually for the region, every room has an en-suite bathroom with hot running water, a real comfort after a day on the trail.

Food and the rest

Dining rooms are warmed by stoves and serve Nepali, Sherpa and international food, including the dal bhat that fuels every trekker in the Himalayas, and you are given a thermos of boiled water each evening. The lodges can arrange guides, porters and itineraries, and many specialist trekking companies use them. Facilities are simpler than in the valleys, as everything arrives by porter or yak.

The moment

Your first sight of Everest from the trail above Namche Bazaar, with Lhotse and the needle of Ama Dablam alongside, followed by a hot shower and a warm bed that night.

Why we chose it

Yeti Mountain Home makes the Everest trails realistic for fit, adventurous travellers who want comfort at the end of each day. A shorter itinerary to Namche and the Everest View hotel area, or to Kongde by helicopter, can bring the mountains within reach without walking to Base Camp.

For gentler Himalayan views, start or finish at Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge.

When to go

The lodges operate in the trekking seasons. October and November bring clear skies and the sharpest views; March to May is warmer, with rhododendrons in bloom. Winter is cold, very quiet and often clear. The monsoon, from June to September, brings cloud and rain, and some lodges close. Flights to Lukla are often delayed by weather, so build in spare days.

The longer stay

A classic lodge-to-lodge trek to Namche, Thame and Kongde takes around 10 to 14 days including acclimatisation, plus spare days in Kathmandu. Take altitude seriously: go slowly, build in rest days, and choose an operator with good guides.