Located at an altitude of 3,440m from the sea level, a small and beautiful part of Solukhumbu region, Namche Bazaar is regarded as a gateway to the world’s highest peak “Mount Everest”. Home to people of the sherpa community, it is an important tourist destination of Khumbu region. Located beside the mountains of Thamserku, Kongde Ri, and Khumbila, the small village of Namche is really beautiful.
In this blog, we will discuss the history, present, geographic and socio-cultural importance of this beautiful place.
How to Get to Namche Bazaar?
Namche is surrounded by mountains from three sides and a path from Lukla is attached to it. So, to reach here, one must go through Lukla. There is no direct route for vehicles such as bus or jeep or bike to this remote place so, the only way to reach Namche Bazaar is by hiking or by riding a Khacchar.
Plane
Duration: 30-40 minutes airplane ride and 2 days of Hiking
Starting from Kathmandu, you can take a helicopter ride to Lukla’s Tenzing Hillary airport. The flight to Lukla operates only during morning time from 6am to 9am as the sky is clear only during that hour. After arriving in Lukla, Namche Bazaar is still several hours’ walk away.
It is possible to reach Namche Bazaar in a single whole day but it’s tough to bear for anyone’s body. So instead of a long day walk, the trek can be split for two days for more comfort.
The roads have traffic of fellow trekkers, porters and Khacchar carrying goods to Namche from Lukla.
While the walk can be done in one long day, it’s much more comfortable to spread it over two.
The trail is steadily uphill—even more so on the second day—and follows the Dudh Kosi River for much of the way. The first night of this trek is often spent in Phakding.
On Foot
Duration: 6-8 days
It is possible to take a Jeep to Jiri or Phaplu from Kathmandu (about a 16 hours long journey), and then trek to Lukla and onwards to Namche Bazaar.
The trek route from Jiri is known as the “Pioneers’ Route”. Nowadays this is a lesser travel trail due to the availability of Tenzing Hillary airport in Lukla. The trek route from Jiri to Lukla is not much crowded but offers astonishing scenery on the way. Next stop after Jiri is Phaplu and after Phaplu, Lukla and after Lukla Namche Bazaar which can be traveled in 6 to 8 days in total (Jiri to Phaplu, Phaplu to Lukla, Lukla to Namche Bazaar combined).
Helicopter
Duration: 1 hour approximately
If budget is not an issue for you, you can delve into an unforgettable experience by booking a helicopter ride from Kathmandu to the Everest region. It takes less than an hour to reach Lukla from Tribhuvan International Airport.
Accommodation in Namche Bazaar
There are more than 50 hotels and lodges available in Namche Bazaar for your stay. They provide basic facilities with average rooms and services. Most of the lodges give higher priority to foreigners, compared to Nepalese tourists.
Types of Accommodation
More hotels simply means, there is a wide range of options that can be suited for every budget and preferences. Whether you are someone with a tight budget or someone looking for a luxurious stay, multiple options are available for both.
Basic level
Price: 5 USD to 10 USD
There are several guesthouses and lodges in Namche Bazaar some of them are: Khumbu Lodge, Himalayan Lodge, Hotel Sherwi Khangba, Hotel Khangri, Shangri-la, Hotel Khangri and Himalayan Lodge. They offer basic accommodation with a room for two people and shared bathroom with common areas offering comfortable stay as possible but they are decent for the price. Cost for a night stay ranges between 750 to 2000 NRS (5 USD to 15 USD) depending on the hotel.
Mid level
Price: 12 USD to 16 USD
For mid-range options, Panorama Lodge and Namche Hotel can be good choices. There are wifi, hot showers and private bathrooms available. There is a beautiful garden area in Panorama Lodge with the views of mountains.
Luxury Hotel
Price: 35 USD to 50 USD
If you can extend your budget a bit more up to about 5000 Rs (35 USD) per night, then Yeti Mountain Home and Namche Terrace can be great options. They offer more spacious rooms with private bathrooms and some rooms have bathtubs too. They also have restaurants of their own, serving gourmet meals and spa for relaxation.
Super Luxurious Hotel
Price: 264 USD
Mountain Lodges of Nepal – Namche is the one that costs 35724 NRS (264 USD) per night. This hotel offers: spa, library, hot drinks, full time meal, heated blankets and many more. To summarize, you get almost everything you want and your stay here can be worth the price.
In addition to these options, there are also a number of smaller guesthouses and lodges in Namche Bazaar that offer a more authentic and intimate experience. These include the Sherpa Lodge and the Kailash Lodge, both of which are family-run and offer a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Weather
Frequently changing weather makes Namche have unpredictable weather, one cannot make an accurate prediction on when the clouds will cover the bazaar and release it. It’s as if the village and clouds are playing hide and seek with themselves.
Namche as an Acclimatization Point
Namche is a place for acclimatization and rest for people reaching Namche by hiking from Lukla or Jiri. On the way to Namche by hiking, travelers can witness diverse natural flora and fauna, rivers, birds and numerous bridges as well as a sense of gratitude towards life. Beautiful village in the lap of giant mountains, stone paved pathways, blue and green rooftops, monastery and clouds just beside. Actually, wherever we put an eye on, a sense of beauty can be seen.
Where is Namche Bazaar Located?
In the East there’s 6,808m tall Thamserku Himal and in the west, there’s 6186m tall Kongde Ri and a path filled with colorful flags of Tibeaten culture making Namche a place like nowhere else in the world. The monuments of Buddha and his teachings written in stones reflect the historical importance of the Namche Bazaar.
Geographic Overview
Namche is located in the Solukhumbu district of Nepal, in the Northeastern part of the country. Famously called as “Gateway To Everest”, Namche Bazaar resides in the lap of giant mountains like Thamserku and Kongde Ri. This small beautiful place lies within the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Sagarmatha National Park”. The village is shaped like a horseshoe and everything around this village makes the views seem unreal.
Before delving into the Everest Base Camp, Namche is the only big town that trekkers enter. After Namche, the more difficult trails await. Whether you are taking trails to Everest Base Camp or just exploring the Khumbu region, Namche Bazaar is the place you will be passing through.
Namche Bazaar’s Altitude and Distance from Key Locations
Namche Bazaar lies at an altitude of 3,440 meters which is higher compared to the capital city Kathmandu making it extremely cold. Staying in Namche Bazaar for a day or two helps with acclimatization, preventing altitude sickness.
Namche Bazaar is about 13 kilometers from Lukla (2,800 m from sea level) and 52 kilometers from Jiri. One can reach Lukla in 2 days via trekking and about a week from Jiri. The distance from Lukla to Namche seems short but the trekkers need to take rest and have an overnight stay at Lodges in between as your body needs time to adjust with the higher altitude.
Everest Base Camp is 62 kilometers (approximately 39 miles) from Namche Bazaar. After crossing Namche, the body starts to feel tense both mentally as well as physically and may give up due to extremely long walks.
Importance
Located in the lap of giant mountains, there are many positive sides that this small and beautiful place offers. Namche Bazaar is also a hub to buy goods for people who wish to trek to Everest base Camp or ones who wish to climb the mighty Everest.
History
In the past, travelers had to get all the trekking gear from Kathmandu but in the present, people can carry less and buy necessary gear at Namche Bazaar. Right now, there are hundreds of lodges, dozens of restaurants, cafes and many shops to buy trekking gear in Namche Bazaar. During the night time, just like in major cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara, Namche Bazaar too enjoys the nightlife. Namche is a place that stays awake all night. Even by carrying goods using helicopters, animals or people, restaurants of Namche offer food found in any part of the world. On normal days, Namche is filled with tourists from all around the world.
However, it was not like this about 70 years ago. Foods were scarce and only rich people would eat potatoes. Most people were bound to go hunting in the forests to fetch plants or any wild creature for food in order to survive. These were the statements from the old people who live in Namche.
After the Lukla airport was built for travelers in 1964 and many people got the news of the first successful mount Everest summit climb of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay was spread, tourism of this area started to prosper.
Culture
Namche bazaar exists due to the indigenous sherpa people living there. Beside geographic location, other things that make Namche unique and lovable are food, festivals, language and values of people living in this place.
Namche Bazaar’s Sherpa Museum offers an insight into the custom, rituals and history of this place. Namche Bazaar’s monasteries offer a chance to learn about and engage with the spiritual and cultural activities of the Sherpa community.
For tourism, this place has upgraded its services a lot but the actual soul of the sherpa community remains unchanged. There are houses built by stones and teachings of Buddha written on the trail to Namche.
Things to Do in Namche Bazaar
Visit places
Visit Sherpa Museum
This private museum is owned and run by Lhakpa Sonam, a local photographer from Namche Bazaar. This museum consists of an intriguing collection of photos, press cutting covering all sherpa Everest summiteers and many cultural objects of people living there. From the main Namche’s point, this Sherpa Museum is about 20 minutes walk uphill. Look for the great photo from 1953 of Tenzing Norgay assessing his porter’s loads.The photos of Everest trek can be fine souvenirs.
Sagarmatha National Park Visitor Center
The visitor center of Sagarmatha National Park offers a variety of information at The Film Salon where documentaries and movies are displayed. It is an exhibition area with digital touch screens, virtual reality stations making exciting visual experiences. IVAR Studio puts together the content of Visitor and Learning Center, along with the footage on the lens of Martin Edstrom.
To reach the visitor center, you need to hike up to Chhorkhung saddle then follow the path beside the local army barrack. This place is worth a visit for its displays on Himalayan flora and fauna and the culture of the Khumbu Sherpas. From the flat area in front of the visitor centre, you can soak up an eye-watering panorama of Himalayan peaks, from Nuptse (7861m) and Everest (8850m) to Ama Dablam (6856m) and Thamserku (6608m).
Khumjung and Khunde Villages
This place is further from the Namche Bazaar. It takes about two hours of walking to reach Khunde and just 15 minutes walk from Khunde via a cobbled path will take you to Khumjung Village. Khunde and Khumjung are both historic Sherpa farming villages.
These are not very popular destinations like Namche and Lukla but are beautiful with their flavor untouched. While at Namche, these are the places you should not miss out.
Everest View Point (Nangkartshang Peak)
Nangkartshang Peak is located at an altitude of 5,083 meters. This is one of the best view points near the Namche Bazaar. Nangkartshang Peak resides in the northern part of Dingboche Village and below the Nangkartshang Peak.
Before getting to Everest Base Camp and Kalapathar, Nangkartshang Peak can be an ample destination for trekkers who need to acclimatize. It takes about 2 hours to walk from Dingboche to get to the top of Nangkartshang Peak. It is worthwhile to visit this peak, from where you have the best view of Imja Valley. Including three highest mountains in the world; Mt. Makalu (8,463m), Lhotse (8,749m), Cho Oyu (8,201m) and Island Peak (6,189m), Amadablam (6,812m), Kangtega (6,782m), Thamserku (6,623m), Taboche (6,542m), Cholatse (6,440m), etc. and Imja Glacier can be seen from Nagkartshang Viewpoint. The best view from this viewpoint is of Amadablam. Visiting the Nangkartshang Peak can be one of the best decisions during your stay at Namche Bazaar.
Visit Namche Monastery
Located in the beautiful backdrop of the tourist village Island Peak (6,189m) of Namche, like many other things the Namche Monastery manages to collect appreciation and wonder from most of the people that visit them. There are 3 major monasteries in Namche. The Namche monastery which is right in the bazaar and the other two monasteries, namely Thame monastery and Tengboche monastery which are both a medium climb from the main bazaar. The monasteries in Namche are like no other monasteries, they are secluded, serene and utterly true to their purpose, it’s a heavenly sight to see when the colorful flags fly in the stark blue skies and the murmurs of the monks flow in the wind fast and gushing through your souls and cleansing you for all other time to come.
Trekking Routes and Day Hikes
Everest View Hotel Hike
Hiking from Namche Bazaar to Everest view Hotel takes about 2 to 3 hours of hiking. On the way here, you can visit the National Park Museum, take excellent pictures at the View Point (which is near the Nepal Army camp) with the beautiful snow capped mountains in the background.
To reach the Everest View Hotel, you need to walk across the hill. It may be possible to spot yaks grazing nearby, or a Himalayan Tahr (wild goat) balancing on the cliffs. The hotel is behind a ridge, surrounded by tall fir trees. You can enjoy the spectacular view of the Everest range from here.
Khumjung Village and Khunde VillageTrek
It takes about an hour or two to reach the Khumjung Village. Khumjung village is located in the higher altitude of Khumbu region. Khumjung Village lies in the base of Khumbi-La 5,761 meters high. Khumjung Village is quite unique from other villages on the trail of Everest Base Camp. The village near Khumjung is Khunde.
The Khumjung Gomba possesses a rare Yeti skull. Generations ago, before Khumjung Gomba was established, the people of Thame, Namche, Khunde, and Khumjung celebrated the festival of Dumji together at Thame every year. After some time, a dispute arose over management of the festival, and the people of Khunde, Khumjung and Namche left Thame to celebrate at Khumjung. When they left, the people of Khumjung expected a cultural gift of some significance-perhaps prayer flags, Buddhist scriptures, or ritual instruments- from the people of Thame, but were surprised to receive only a Yeti skull. The villagers of Khumjung were so offended by this meager gift they kicked the skull all the way home. Only now, after increased interest from Western scientists, tourists, and mountaineering heroes Including Sir Edmund Hillary and local leaders like Konchok Chumbi Sherpa, has the cultural and biological value of the skull been recognized.
The Sherpas distinguish three different types of yeti: Drema, or Telma the messenger of calamities; Chuti which preys on goats, sheep and yaks; and Mite or Midre which also attacks animals and sometimes men. Sherpas believe that the findings of mysterious footprints in the snow and several incidents of yaks killings support the legend, and Sherpa accounts say the yeti’s height is approx. 6-8 feet with a conical scalp, pointed ears, hairless chest area and a human-like face. The creature is said to have a very bad temperament and will attack anyone who ventures close enough.
Syangboche Hike
Syangboche is one of the most lovely and enchanting places throughout the trails of Everest Base Camp. Syangboche lies at the base of Khumbila and on the top of Namche Bazaar, at an altitude of 3,841 meters. It takes about an hour’s long walk from Namche Bazaar to reach Syangboche, three hours walk from Thame, about 30 minutes walk from Khumjung and around 30 minutes walk from Khunde and approximately four hours walk from Tengboche. You can get a clearer view of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam from here.
Visiting Tengboche Monastery
Tengboche Monastery is the largest Monastery in the entire Khumbu region. Tengboche likes amidst the Sagarmatha National Park, offering the breath-taking views of Himalayan Mountains including, Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Thamserku and Ama Dablam.
Tengboche monastery was built by Lama Gulu in 1916 with strong links to its mother monastery known as the Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet. In 1934, it was destroyed by an earthquake and was subsequently rebuilt. In 1989, it was destroyed for a second time by a fire and then rebuilt with the help of volunteers and international assistance.
Tengboche is the terminus site of the “Sacred Sites Trail Project” of the Sagarmatha National Park, making it an attraction point for visitors. It is a circular trail that covers 10 monasteries in a clockwise direction terminating in the Tengboche Monastery.
It takes about two hours to reach Tenhboche Monastery from Namche Bazaar by hiking and it is a must visit place in the Khumbu region.
Can You See Everest from Namche Bazaar ?
Yes, you can see Mount Everest from Namche Bazaar. Well it’s not directly visible from every part of the town due to the surrounding peaks but there are several vantage points near the village such as: Everest View Hotel or the hike to the Everest View Point, from where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the world’s highest peak “Everest”.
What are the Facilities for Emergency Services in Namche?
This section is made so that you can be prepared mentally. It is important to know about the emergency services in Namche Bazaar to stay safe, during your visit to Namche, here’s what you should know:
- Medical Facilities: Namche Bazaar has some basic medical services and small clinics. The Namche Hospital, run by the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA), provides first aid, treatment for altitude sickness, and general health care. This hospital is a big help for trekkers in the area.
- Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA): The Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) is a voluntary non-profit organization formed in 1973 with an objective to reduce casualties in the Nepal Himalayas, especially keeping in view the increasing number of Nepalese and foreigners who trek up into the remote wilderness.One of the most important tasks of the HRA is to try to prevent deaths from Acute Mountain Sickness that confronts foreign trekkers and Nepali people. For the last 43 years, the HRA has helped make a safer Himalaya for tourism. Since its inscection, it has manned a small aid post in the Khumbu village of Pheriche at an altitude of 14,343 feet. The Pheriche aid-post is manned twice yearly during the trekking season by volunteer doctors.
- Rescue Services: During a serious emergency, like some medical issue, rescue services are available during a visit to Namche Bazaar. It is important to know that the helicopter rescue service is provided, taking into consideration the weather condition. So, it is best to be prepared on your own. During your trip with manasukh, it is our duty to make sure nothing goes wrong.
- Local Support: Local guides as well as the trekking agencies in Namche Bazaar are trained well to handle any kind of emergency conditions. They can work with medical facilities as well as rescue services to make sure the casualty is less and get the help you need quickly.
With the information of these emergency services, a peace of mind can be achieved. With medical facilities and organizations like the HRA nearby, you can enjoy your visit to Namche more freely.
Conclusion
Due to its very location itself, closer to Everest, far from the noise and world outside. Hiking and doing yoga in the trails where no vehicles can go could be an exciting as well as a peaceful journey. Namche’s beauty is unmatched to any place in the world and will remain so. If you are planning to go on an adventure, Namche can be a really good option as it is suitable for seasonal travelers as well as beginners. You can book your trip to Everest Base Camp with Manasukh today by clicking here.
