Everest Region

As the main approach route to Mt Everest (Sagarmatha), the Solukhumbu region has an almost mystical status in the world of trekking. The two-week climb to Everest Base Camp is perhaps the world's most famous trek, and tens of thousands of trekkers tackle the route every year for grandstand views of the world's highest mountain and its even more dramatic neighbours, Lhotse and Nuptse.

Trekking in the Everest region is a challenge because of the altitude, but the infrastructure for trekking is highly developed and you rarely have to walk more than an hour to reach the next trekking lodge. On the plus side, this means high-altitude Mars bars and an unrivalled trekking camaraderie. On the flip side, viewpoints are crowded and lodges can fill up by mid-afternoon. If splendid isolation is more your thing, focus on the side valleys or stay in smaller lodges between the main stops.