Dumji Festival is one of the major festivals celebrated by the Sherpa community of the Khumbu region. This festival falls in the month of July and is observed to mark the birth of the Guru Rinpoche. This festival was initially introduced by the Lama Sangwa Dorji, who is also the pioneer founder of the monastery, in Pangboche to correspond the Guru Rinpoche’s birth anniversary and dates back to about 360 years ago.
The Dumji festival of masked dance is a replication of the dominance of the Tibetan Buddhism over the aboriginal systems of belief, the construction of the local community and its distinct tradition. This is a very significant ceremony among the Sherpa community. The masked dance is performed in public and depicts the ritual patterns of the Tibetan Buddhism. The beginning of the festival is somewhat simple with the local neighborhood visiting each other for the purpose of offering food as well as merrymaking and entertainment. The festival is followed by sacred rites and rituals and dances of the monks. This festival is celebrated with much dedication and enthusiasm all over the Khumbu region including Tengboche, Khumjung, Junbesi and Namchhe Bazaar. The head of the Lama of the particular monastery decides on the date and officially carries out the festival; hence, some variation might be found in terms of the date of the event according to the place. The Dumji festival observed in Namchhe Bazaar is quite popular and interesting. The Dumji festival creates a platform in bringing out all the villagers together and to perform their religious and communal duty.
This trekking lets you divulge and explore the beauty and charm of the distinct festival celebrated by the Buddhist people in the Himalayan region.
Trip Highlights
- Adventurous trekking into the Everest and Khumbu region.
- A lifetime experience to be part of a distinct tradition of the people of the Everest region with the majestic views of Himalayan ranges including Everest, Lhotse, Thamserku and Nuptse among many others.
- An ideal package for travel enthusiasts who look forward to get a glimpse of the Himalayan culture of Nepal.
- City touring Kathmandu.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Day
Upon your arrival in Kathmandu, our representative will be there at the airport for your assistance. The rest of the day we leave it for you to relax and get over the jetlag. Saunter around the streets of Kathmandu for some fresh air.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla and then trek to Phakding
Today, we take an early morning flight to Lukla after breakfast. About 45 minutes of a scenic flight amongst the high mountain peaks and we land at the Tenzing Hillary airport in Lukla, our start point of the Everest-Kala Patthar trek. About an hour of steady descent through the village of Lukla, we reach the Cheplung village from where the view of Mount Khumbila (a sacred and never climbed mountain) standing at a height of 18900 ft is spectacular. Follow the trails and gradually descent for another three to four hours to reach Phakding via Tharo Khosi and Ghar along the route.
Overnight at Phakding.
Day 3: Phakding to Namchhe Bazaar
As we leave Phakding village behind, we walk along the beautiful forest of pine trees with the Dudh Koshi River flowing along following the up north trails to the valley of Benkar. Captivating view of Mount Thamserku and walking across the Dudh Koshi River via the suspension bridge will lead you to the checkpoint of Chumoa to Monjo, the entry to Sagarmatha Park. Follow the trails across the small forests crossing over the bridges until you come to the convergent point of Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi Rivers. Continue descending and ascending trails to Namche Bazaar for about four hours via Chautari and Jorsale village.
Overnight at Namchhe Bazaar.
Day 4: Namchhe Bazaar/Acclimatization Day
We take a halt to our further journey so as to get acclimatized towards the higher altitude for the remaining of our trekking. Explore Namchhe Bazaar, the focal center of the Khumbu region with all the modern amenities at your convenience. On this day, you can visit the monastery that is 30 minutes away from Namchhe Bazaar. Or you can hike uphill for two hours to Syangboche and to the Hotel Everest View from where you can relish on the magnificence of the mountain peaks including Everest, Ama Dablam and Lhotse among others. Also, you can hike to the beautiful village of Khumjung (3780m) inhabited by the Sherpa community observing their traditional way of life.
Overnight at Namchhe Bazaar.
Day 5: Namchhe Bazaar to Tengboche
Leaving Namchhe Bazaar behind and continuing our journey today takes us through the combined trails of leveled paths and some ups and downs. Descend towards Dudh Koshi River along the trails that take you through the blooming forests of the rhododendron accompanied by occasional Himalayan Thar, musk deer, leopards and pheasants with the captivating view of Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse, Mount Ama Dablam and Mount Thamserku. Continue the trails to Sansa through the thick pine forest and then after you cross a suspension bridge decorated with multicolor prayer flags, you reach Phunki Tenga from where you climb uphill once along the pine forest reaching Tengboche in a shortwhile.
Overnight at Tengboche.
Day 6: Observe the Dumji Festival
Explore and experience the cultural diversity of the rural Nepal. Observe and be a part of the unique Dumji festival and interconnect with the local community and experience their distinct way of life.
Day 7: Tengboche to Dingboche
Wake up early morning and pay a visit to the Tengboche monastery with the mountains covered in thick snow and hues. Thereupon, continue descending through the lush forests of conifers and rhododendrons. Capture the enthralling scenic views of the mountain peaks as you pace against the trails down to the Imja Valley and Lobuche River and continue an uphill hike to Dingboche. Relish the arable fields of barley and buckwheat shielded with stone walls with a purpose to ward off the storm and animals.
Overnight at Dingboche.
Day 8: Dingboche to Lobuche
Our journey to a higher altitude starts from here. Take the encircling trails to Dulgha through the Khumbu Khola valley. Walk further to Phulung Karpo via Dusa, a place of yak herders. En route, Mount Pumori standing tall and proud at 7165 m will be greeting you with its magnificence. Further your hike towards Chupki Lhara and then down to Khumbu glacier moraine. Leaving behind the Khumbu glacier and the elegance of the mountain peaks including Mount Pumori, Mount Khumbutse and Mount Mahalangur, we make our way to Lobuche.
Overnight at Lobuche.
Day 9: Lobuche to Gorak Shep.
Today, we head towards the initial base camp of Everest where mountaineers and trekkers set their camp until the 1950s. It takes about three hours of ascending and descending both up the valley to the end of plain grassland towards the Khumbu glacier through the rocky moraine trails until you reach Gorak Shep, a flat sandy area that makes it look like a desert. Hereupon, we walk along the endless streams and rocky banks back towards the Everest Base Camp at an elevated height of 5365 m. Continue the gentle slopes and then way down to the Khumbu Icefall, the path of which can be misleading as the trail keeps on changing every year because of the movement of the glacier. Thus, it is very much recommended to follow your Sherpa. However, the best vantage point to see the mighty Everest is the summit of Kala Patthar and not the base camp as many might think of. Once you get to the Everest Base Camp, you can see the bustle and commotion with the flock of mountaineers and trekkers and their colorful tents. You can also get a closer view of Mount Lingtren and Mount Khumbuste from EBC.
Trace the easy and flat downhill trails back to Gorak Shep.
Overnight at Gorak Shep.
Day 10: Gorak Shep to Kala Patthar and to Pheriche
Kala Patthar meaning black stone is situated on the south edge of Mount Pumori, the vantage point to get the magnificent view of the Mount Everest and other mountain ranges. Continue ascending to Kala Patthar where you will be greeted with the grandiosity of the gigantic mountains ranges of Khumbutse and Lingtren. Hike up for about 30 minutes until you reach Kala Patthar. Relish the splendid panoramic views from the summit of Kala Patthar. We will continue our way back to Gorak Shep for breakfast and then descend downhill to Pheriche, a popular stop for trekkers, situated above the Tsola River at an elevation of about 4371 m.
Overnight at Pheriche.
Day 11: Pheriche to Namchhe Bazaar
Today, we continue our downhill trekking towards Namchhe Bazaar from Pheriche. It takes about seven hours of walking to cover the distance from Pheriche to Namchhe Bazaar. Crossing across the Dudh Koshi River via suspension bridge bedecked with colorful prayer flags, follow the trails along the Dudh Koshi valley descending into the thick forest of pine, juniper and colorful rhododendron flowers. Enjoy the spectacular views of the Mount Ama Dablam and Thamserku along the windy trails before you reach the busy Namchhe Bazaar.
Overnight at Namchhe Bazaar.
Day 12: Namchhe Bazaar to Lukla
We are almost at the end of our trip, and today our trails will be mostly be flat and leveled with a combination of small ups and downs. Leaving behind the beautiful bazaar of Namchhe, we take the descending trail through the rocky landscape until we come across the Dudh Koshi River and its tributaries from where our trekking trail becomes more level and easy. Continue walking the trails through the rhododendron and pine forests across the traditional Sherpa villages which eventually will lead you to Chheplung from where it is a 45 minutes of uphill walk to reach Lukla.
Overnight at Lukla.
Day 13: Lukla to Kathmandu
Usually, the flights are scheduled for the mornings as the afternoons can be very windy due to which there is a high chance of the flight getting delayed or canceled due to bad weather conditions. Once again, 45 minutes of a scenic flight amongst the high mountain peaks before you take off at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu from where you will be escorted back to your hotel by our representatives. Explore the day sightseeing and exploring the capital city. Visit the pilgrimage sites of Pashupatinath, Boudhanath and Swyambhunath and explore Kathmandu Durbar Square in the evening.
Overnight at Kathmandu.
Day 14: Departure Day
Visit Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square, UNESCO World Heritage Site early in the morning. We leave you the remaining day to yourself for you to explore and stroll around and then finally take you to the airport for your final departure.