Two nights in Namche Bazaar at 3,440 m

Namche Bazaar is the gateway to the high Khumbu, built in a steep, horseshoe-shaped bowl at 3,440 m above the meeting of the Dudh Kosi and Bhote Kosi rivers. The walk up from Monjo takes 4 to 5 hours and includes a long, steep climb after the high suspension bridges over the Dudh Kosi; the first glimpse of Everest appears through the trees on the way. In Namche we stay at the Yeti Mountain Home lodge, with heated rooms and views across the valley to Kongde Ri.

The second day is for acclimatisation, following the rule of climbing high and sleeping low. After breakfast we walk up to the national park headquarters and visitor centre on the ridge above town, where Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam come into view on a clear morning. The small Sherpa culture museum nearby has household objects, photographs and climbing history. Fit guests continue up to Syangboche and Hotel Everest View for tea at 3,880 m before walking back down to sleep in Namche.

Namche's lanes are full of lodges, bakeries, outdoor shops and stalls selling Tibetan crafts and yak wool. On Saturdays a market draws traders and porters from the lower valleys, selling rice, vegetables and goods carried up on foot. In the late afternoon the town quietens, the light softens on Thamserku and Kongde Ri, and lodges fill with trekkers swapping stories. Two nights here are essential for anyone going higher, and pleasant for anyone making Namche the end of the walk.