Top Attractions in Namche Bazaar, Everest Region. A famous destination on the Everest Base Camp trek is Namche Bazaar. It appears more like a town than a village cut into the side of a mountain. Being the hub of the Khumbu Valley’s economic heart, Namche is the capital of the Sherpa homeland. Except for roads, this mountain town has everything a tourist might want: stores, lodging, dining options, cafés, pharmacies, banks, ATMs, excellent Himalayan views, and superb phone and internet access. Villagers from as far away as Tibet gather to barter and shop in the town’s biggest weekly open-air market in Khumbu.
To relax and acclimate, trekkers and mountaineers typically spend an additional day at Namche Bazaar. There are several things to do in the town to keep one busy while there. Museums, bars, internet cafés, snooker halls, spas & wellness facilities, bakeries, and more may be found here. For day treks and quick outings, the villages and hills around Namche provide excellent destinations.
Although Namche Bazaar is frequently visited by trekkers in the Everest Region, it is also a stand-alone attraction. Here, visitors may take in the Himalayas’ stunning natural splendor and get fully immersed in its vibrant culture. What is there to do in Namche, then? Some of the best things to do in Namche Bazaar are listed below.
Hike to Shyangboche
There are expansive views of Mount Everest and other mountains from Shyangboche. One must ascend a steep staircase above Namche to reach Shyangboche. Shyangboche features an STOL airstrip and is situated on a level grassland field. The only activity at the airport is helicopter landings. Nonetheless, the location has been utilized for the Everest Skydive event since 2008. When Everest Skydive, billed as the world’s highest skydiving event, took place at the Shyangboche airport in 2008, it brought the airport into the public eye. Commercial skydiving activities continue to take place at the location.
Sherpa Museum
Directly above the hamlet is the Sherpa Museum. Here, you may view Sherpa traditional attire and old relics. The documentation of climbers who have climbed Mount Everest is the focus of one area of the museum. Old photos of Sherpa villages, their inhabitants, and their traditional Buddhist art may be seen in the Sherpa Culture Gallery and Sherpa Himal Art. It is a pleasure to view the extensive collection of Thangka paintings at the museum.
One can explore traditional architecture when visiting the museum, which is situated in a typical Sherpa dwelling.
Visit Sagarmatha Next to learn more about sustainable tourism.
One of the newest attractions in Namche Bazaar, Sagarmatha Next is a garbage management facility, museum, and art gallery. In addition to encouraging eco-friendly travel, the center seeks to implement a sustainable approach to mountain trash management and disposal. The facility has a shop, a café, a waste lab, an art gallery, and a tourist learning center.
Waste materials from the Everest trails are used to produce sculptures, artwork, and digital exhibitions. As part of the center’s crowdsourcing project, Carry Me Back, visitors may return one kilogram of pre-packaged trash when they leave Khumbu.
The center provides a venue for innovative and creative artists to produce artwork using trash gathered from Mount Everest and the Khumbu hiking routes. Those who care about the environment and want to make it better should go there. Sagarmatha Next is situated above Namche Bazaar in Shyangboche at an elevation of 3775 meters.
Hike to Sherpa village
The nearby villages of Thame, Kunde, and Khumjung are excellent places to go on quick walks. A few hours’ walk will get you to these settlements, which are rather near to Namche Bazaar.
It is commonly known that the first school in the Solu Khumbu Region was located in the hamlet of Khumjung. The Himalayan Trust, owned by Sir Edmund Hillary, founded the school in Khumjung. In 1961, the school was founded with only two classrooms and a small number of Sherpa pupils. The school currently includes 17 buildings, 300 pupils, and a dormitory for students from far-off towns. Despite the opening of other schools in nearby Khumbu villages, the Khumjung school is still the only one providing higher education (up to the matriculation level).
The institution has seen several changes since it was initially founded. The infrastructure of the school has been developed with assistance from foreign donors and international relief groups. The Sir Edmund Hillary Visitors Center is located in the original school building, which was constructed to house the first group of Sherpa pupils.
The Khumjung Monastery, which displays a glass box containing a scalp thought to belong to the Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, is another point of interest in the hamlet. By paying a certain sum to the custodian at the monastery, one can view the scalp.
Khumjung is not far from Kunde village. Sir Edmund Hillary selected Kunde as the location for Khumbu’s first health clinic. Sir Edmund Hillary sought to assist the impoverished Sherpas, who were living a challenging existence without access to basic healthcare and education, after his historic summit of Mount Everest. He therefore made the decision to construct a medical facility in Kunde and a school in Khumjung. Volunteer medical staff from Canada and New Zealand worked at the medical facility. However, the hospital’s management was taken over by residents after 2013. The hospital employs lab techs, nurses, and two resident physicians. With 12 beds, the Kunde Hospital is the biggest in the region and provides healthcare to the residents of Namche, Kunde, Khumjung, Phortse, Thame, and other nearby villages.
Tucked away from the well-traveled hiking trails is Thame, one of the Khumbu’s least visited Sherpa communities. The historic settlement has maintained its rustic beauty since so few hikers pass by it. The village of Thame is quieter, smaller, and more serene than Namche Bazaar. Overlooking the town is a monastery worth seeing.
Trip to the Everest View Hotel
A must-see whilst in Namche Bazaar is Hotel Everest View. For sweeping views of Mount Everest, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, and other peaks, the majority of trekking parties climb to the hotel. Takashi Miyahari, a Japanese tourist and businessman who subsequently renounced his Japanese citizenship to become a Nepali citizen, founded the hotel in 1971. At the time, it was the highest luxury hotel in the world, earning the Guinness World Record. Constructed with timber, glass, and stone, the hotel’s tasteful yet understated architecture perfectly complements the stunning surroundings.
It takes around two or three hours to climb from Namche to Hotel Everest View. To reach the hotel, one first ascends to Shyangboche and then continues on a mildly inclining path via a lush meadow. The hotel provides breathtaking views of Ama Dablam, Khumbila, Kantega, Thamserku, Mount Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and other locations, and is surrounded by fir and pine trees. The hotel’s porch is a great place to enjoy a nice cup of coffee and the scenery.
Check out the local market.
Namche Bazaar’s Saturday Market is a major event. It is the largest market in this area, and traders come from as far away as Tibet and the lower villages to sell and exchange goods. To get to this market, Tibetans on the other side of the border must travel a challenging distance past the Nangpa La. They bring with them handcrafted handicrafts and Chinese goods that they may sell to the Sherpas or barter for.
This market is an excellent spot to see the locals and gain more knowledge about the local economy because it is where the majority of the Khumbu villagers gather to purchase and sell. This market sells a wide range of goods, including fresh meat, organic vegetables, cutlery, clothing, shoes, groceries, yak meat, cheese, and more. Only Saturdays are used for the market. Therefore, you must schedule your trip to Namche for the weekend if you want to explore this local market.
The main Namche market is open seven days a week, however, the Saturday market is only conducted on Saturdays. Shops in the daily market provide food, clothing, souvenirs and artwork, trekking gear and equipment, and more. However, keep in mind that because everything must be flown in or carried by mules or porters, the prices are far higher here than in the metropolis.
Relax in cafés and bars.
At 3,000 meters above sea level, Namche Bazaar has some of the greatest cafés, bakeries, and bars you will ever come across. It is the final location where you may genuinely have a satisfying dinner and a strong cup of coffee before continuing on into the high-altitude wilderness. Therefore, you may visit cafés, restaurants, and pubs in Namche to get your fill of “feel-good” food.
The town also has some of Khumbu’s greatest cakes (carrot cake, cheesecake, etc.), brownies, apple pies, and muffins. Some of the most well-liked restaurants in Namche that are visited by hikers include the German Bakery (Hermann Helmar’s), Namche Bakery and Café, Illy Espresso Bar, Sherpa Barista, and Tomodachi Japanese Restaurant.
While it is not advised to consume alcohol while traveling to EBC or any high-altitude location, you can celebrate your trip’s success with a few drinks on your way out. Guinness, Ireland’s national beer, and Jameson Whiskey are served in the Irish Pub. Additionally, there is a pool table where you may play snooker. Another excellent spot to relax in Namche is Café Danphe. Along with free wi-fi and charging stations, the café serves a large selection of food and beverages. T-shirts bearing the signatures of Mount Everest expedition groups adorn the café. This café offers free screenings of Everest documentaries and films.
Activities to do before departing Namche Bazaar
The following should not be overlooked if you are traveling to Gokyo Valley, the Three High Passes, Everest Base Camp, or any other high-altitude location:
- Examine and stock up on life-saving medications (Diamox, anti-cold tablets, etc.).
- If you are short on cash, get some at the ATM.
- If you arrive in Namche without the necessary equipment, purchase or rent warm gear.
- Get plenty of snacks.
- Make contact with your loved ones and send that crucial email. The internet and phone connections will get shoddy as you leave Namche.