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A view from Gokyo Ri When to do the Everest Base Camp trek is probably the most important decision to make when planning your trek. Some months are far too busy with trekkers and other months are affected by the cold, the monsoon, haze and cloud. This blog give you the facts to enable you to make the right decision. Click here to read my other blogs about the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. Contents Mid December to Mid March Trekking Mid March to beginning of May Trekking May Trekking June to September Trekking October to Mid December Trekking Nepal Monsoon Dates Monthly Trekker Numbers for the Everest Base Camp trek Historical Weather Data and Weather Forecasts Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Everest Base Camp Trek from Mid December to Mid March This is the off-season due to the cold winter weather and the increased risk of heavy snowfall. This period has become more popular with independent trekkers recently. Very few groups will do the Everest Base Camp trek at this time of year which is very appealing! There is also a greater chance of clear skies and crisp views. Many lodges on the Everest Base Camp trek will close during the winter due to the cold so even though there are fewer trekkers the lodges will often be busy. There should be at least 1 lodge open at each location, but the few people doing the Everest Base Camp trek will be funnelled into them. Toilets and water pipes will often be frozen and the bedrooms will be very cold. Another important factor to take into account, apart from the cold, is that the days are much shorter. 2. Everest Base Camp Trek from Mid March to Start of May The Spring peak season is probably from about 20th March to about the 7th May. It is almost as busy as the autumn season as per the Sagamatha Park Monthly Trekker Numbers chart . The sky will not be as clear as in the autumn peak season which comes after the monsoon. In recent years there has been terrible air pollution in Kathmandu, and the lower elevations of the Everest region, from wild fires in late March and April. See reports in the Kathmandu Post and on the TripAdvisor Forum . During April the lodges on the Everest Base Camp trek will be very busy and some will be full. Single trekkers may find it difficult to get their own room. So there is pressure to rush from one location to the next to obtain a room. You will always find a place to sleep, even if it is in the dining room. Lobuche and Gorak Shep are the 2 locations where the accommodation will be the most limited and basic! Groups either pre-book the accommodation or send a guide or porter ahead to reserve rooms. Independent trekkers get the remaining rooms! See my blog Lodges & Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek for recommended tea houses. 3. Everest Base Camp Trek in May I have trekked to Everest Base Camp in May twice and haven't had a problem with air pollution. The first week of May could still be busy but after that the number of trekkers drops off. There are less trekkers in May than March, April, October or November. May is pre-monsoon but it is also the month when most climbers summit Everest. You need reasonable weather to do that! Most climbers summit Everest between May 10 and 20. My logic has been that May should therefore be a good month for trekking to Everest Base camp. May is also reasonably warm and the days are long. When we did the standard Everest Base Camp trek in May 2014 we had incredible weather. We only had a bit of drizzle in the afternoon of the acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar and some mist in afternoon when descending from Lobuche to Pheriche. It was so nice and warm at the top of Kalar Patthar that I sat at the summit for over an hour! In May 2022 when I did the Everest 3 passes trek over 17 days the weather wasn't as good. The locals said that the weather was unusually bad for May. However, it only rained 1 day and clouds spoiled the view for a further 3 days. If you are going to do the Everest Base Camp trek in May I recommend going after the first weekend to avoid the crowds. The number of international groups decreases substantially after that. Try and fly into Lukla from the Wednesday after that weekend as a lot of trekkers fly into Kathmandu at the weekend and then fly to Lukla after two nights in Kathmandu. 4. Everest Base Camp Trek from June to September I would definitely recommend not doing the Everest Base Camp trek from mid June to the end of September as it is the monsoon season. The monsoon used to end in September, but the Nepal Monsoon Date chart below shows that it now ends in October due to climate change. Rain isn't necessarily a problem as it can be for just a short period or at night. There is little point in trekking if clouds constantly block views of the mountains. There will also be leeches at lower altitude and dengue fever is a big problem in Kathmandu from July to October. In the first half of June the weather could be okay. If it is then that would be a fantastic time to trek with few trekkers, nice temperatures and long days. I have trekked twice up to the 12th June in the Annapurna and Nar Phu regions and have had good weather both times. I have never done the Everest Base Camp trek during this period. 5. Everest Base Camp Trek from October to Mid December October was regarded as the best trekking month in Nepal as the temperatures weren't yet too cold and the air was clear after the monsoon. In recent years the monsoon hasn't ended until almost mid October as per the Nepal Monsoon Dates chart . Also cyclones originating in the Bay of Bengal have hit Nepal several times in the first half of October. On 14 October 2014 cyclone Hudhud resulted in the death of 21 trekkers on the Annapurna circuit. In early October 2022 a cyclone hit the western and central parts of Nepal and caused great disruption to trekkers. I started a trek in Lower Dolpo in mid October 2022 and there was so much snow on the passes that we couldn't cross them. The beginning of October to mid November is the busiest time of year for the Everest Base Camp trek. If you don't like crowded trails and busy lodges it would be better to start trekking after mid November. The later the better for quieter trails. With regard to weather it would be best to wait until after 20th October to commence the Everest Base Camp trek. 6. Monsoon Dates for the Everest Base Camp trek These dates reflect when the monsoon first enters Nepal and finally exits the entire country. It should be taken into account that the monsoon enters and exits Nepal from the east when analysing these dates. Therefore for the Everest Base Camp trek the monsoon starts a few days later and ends a few days earlier. I have personally experienced how these monsoon dates can be misleading because the monsoon takes time to cross Nepal. The 2022 monsoon start date was 5 June yet we had great weather trekking in the Annapurna region until it rained in the evening of 10 June. The 2019 monsoon end date was 12 October but we had perfect weather in the Manaslu region from 10 October and the weather had been fairly good for about a week before that. YEAR START DATE END DATE ​ 2002 15 June 19 September ​ 2003 16 June 30 September ​ 2004 9 June 1 October ​ 2005 20 June 2 October ​ 2006 1 June 29 September ​ 2007 7 June 9 October ​ 2008 10 June 17 October ​ 2009 23 June 15 October ​ 2010 17 June 1 October ​ 2011 15 June 7 October ​ 2012 16 June 28 September ​ 2013 14 June 19 October ​ 2014 20 June 7 October ​ 2015 13 June 3 October ​ 2016 15 June 12 October ​ 2017 12 June 16 October ​ 2018 8 June 5 October ​ 2019 20 June 12 October ​ 2020 12 June 16 October ​ 2021 11 June 11 October ​ 2022 5 June 15 October ​ 2023 14 June 15 October ​ 2024 10 June 12 October 7. Monthly Trekker Numbers for the Everest Base Camp Trek These numbers are recorded when trekkers enter the Sagarmatha National Park at Jorsale. Most trekkers going to Everest Base Camp are recorded as entering the park on the day after they fly into Lukla. The Official Statistics at the Jorsale entrance I haven't shown the numbers for 2015 as they were affected by the earthquake. Likewise I haven't shown the numbers for 2020 to 2022 as they were affected by Covid. The number of trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek started to increase at the end of 2022 and 11,319 trekkers entered Sagarmatha National Park in October 2022. When reviewing these figures you should take into account that: The majority of trekkers for March will start the Everest Base Camp trek in the last half of March. Therefore from the middle of March the Everest Base Camp trek will be busier than it appears. There will be a lot of trekkers that enter Sagarmatha National Park at the end of April who will be doing the Everest Base Camp trek mainly in May. October is very busy but most trekkers entering Sagarmatha National Park at the end of October will be doing the Everest Base Camp trek mainly in November. Also most trekkers entering Sagarmatha National Park in November will do so in the first half of November. Therefore the first half of November will be busier for the Everest Base Camp trek than the statistics imply and the second half of November less so. Foreign climbing expeditions and Nepali trekkers aren't included in these statistics. Therefore early to mid April will be busier with climbers entering the park and hiking to Everest Base Camp. MONTH 2014 - 19 AVERAGE 2014 2016 2017 2018 2019 JANUARY 1072 930 589 1297 1466 1076 FEBRUARY 1265 975 1078 1363 1654 1256 MARCH 4980 3829 3804 5058 6609 5598 APRIL 8976 6808 5520 9592 10576 12386 MAY 3731 2397 3124 4487 4565 4082 JUNE 494 328 399 557 637 549 JULY 314 254 354 342 335 287 AUGUST 485 484 351 542 498 549 SEPTEMBER 3172 2788 313 4400 4818 3542 OCTOBER 11806 9463 10013 12479 12532 12542 NOVEMBER 7525 6496 6274 7687 8869 8300 DECEMBER 2507 2272 2467 2584 3080 2132 8. Weather Data & Forecasts for the Everest Base Camp Trek Meteoblue provides historical weather data and weather forecasts for several locations on the trail to Everest Base Camp. 9. My Other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek Kathmandu to Lukla and Back What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

The Temple of Apollo We took our UK car to Naxos by taking the car ferry from Syros (see my blog Syros, Greece: Travel Guide ). We spent 5 nights on Naxos island and it was our favourite Cyclades island. Contents 1. Introduction 2. Naxos Town 3. Hikes on Naxos Mount Zas (Zeus) Hike Melanes - Flerio - Potamia Hike Halki to Moni Hike 4. A Drive from Naxos Town to Apollonas Apiranthos Koronos Apollonas Kouroi at Flerio 5. The Beaches south of Naxos Town 6. Halki 7. Filoti 8. Accommodation 9. Links to My Other Blogs 1. Introduction to Naxos Island When planning our trip I was concerned that Naxos might be spoiled by tourism. Naxos Town was certainly busy in June but we still enjoyed walking around the delightful old town every evening. Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades and there is very little tourist development on the remainder of the island. We visited 4 of the Cyclades islands and Naxos was our favourite as: Naxos Town is interesting to explore. There are many old and picturesque villages. Naxos is very scenic and mountainous. There are some excellent sandy beaches south of Naxos Town. We had a couple of good hikes including a hike up Mount Zas. This is the highest point in the Cyclades. 2. Naxos Town 2.1 Parking in Naxos Town There is a very large free car park just north of the centre of Naxos town. It is a 10 minute walk to the harbour. We always found a parking spot when we were there in early June. It is shown as " Naxos Municipal Parking " on Google maps. Be careful as there are a couple of other municipal car parks in the same area with similar names. There is a free municipal car park on the southern side of Naxos town. It is more convenient than the northern car park. It's not quite as large so it is more difficult to find a parking space. It is shown as " Municipal Parking 1 " on Google maps. 2.2 Old Naxos Town Naxos Town is a very picturesque old coastal town on a hill with a Kastro on the top. There is a maze of winding narrow streets and alleyways, some of which pass through tunnels, between the seafront esplanade and the Kastro. There are shops and restaurants on the waterfront and in the alleyways in the lower section of Naxos old town. They cater for tourists rather than locals. It is still very pleasant and interesting to wander around. It is definitely worth walking up to the Kastro but there isn't much to do or see when you get there. The only view is to the east towards the interior of Naxos. There is a cathedral at the top which was closed when we went in the evenings. There is also an Archaeological Museum in the Kastro. 2.3 The Temple of Apollo The Temple of Apollo which was built in 530 BC, but never completed, lies at the end of the causeway leading from Naxos Town. From the Temple there is an excellent view back to Naxos Town. It is a very popular place to stroll to in the evenings. 2.4. The New Section of Naxos Town & the Beaches The newer part of Naxos Town is south of the old town and Evripeou is the main square. The main road north of the square has shops and restaurants aimed more at locals. To the south west of Naxos's main square is the long, sandy and shallow Saint George beach. It has good reviews on Google . The road between the square and the beach has many restaurants frequented by tourists. Grotto beach, just north of the causeway to the Temple of Apollo, is a stone beach. It's not as appealing. A View of Naxos Town from the Temple of Apollo A View of Naxos Town from the Ferry A Church in Naxos Town The Catholic Cathedral in Naxos Town Covered Alley in Naxos Town The View from the Castle in Naxos Town Covered Alley in Naxos Town A Street in Naxos Town 3. Hikes on Naxos Island There were 3 circular hikes that I wanted to do on Naxos island but we only did 2 of them. The Alltrails website provides details of many hikes on Naxos with very useful reviews. The reviews often indicate the condition of the trail. 3.1. Mount Zas (Zeus) Hike Mount Zas is 1,003 metres high and is the highest point in the Cyclades. It is a popular hike as many people like to reach the highest point. Try to do the hike up Mount Zas in good weather so you can enjoy the views from the top. We had low clouds so we couldn't see anything! There are 3 main hiking routes up Mount Zas: Hike from Ayia Marina Chapel to Mount Zas It is a 40 minute drive from Naxos Town to the Ayia Marina Chapel. There is some car parking at the small chapel and also along the road. Enter " Saint Marina Holy Chapel " on Google maps to locate the chapel. This is the easiest and quickest trail up Mount Zas and it was the one we hiked. The trail is well marked, ascends 396 metres and it took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach the summit of Mount Zas. The final 15 minutes is steep and rocky. Take care not to twist an ankle. It was raining when we descended and the rocky trail was very slippery. Luckily we brought walking sticks which made it safer and faster. The Alltrails website and App show this trail up Mount Zas and it can be downloaded onto your phone. It isn't really necessary as the trail is well marked. On the way down don't take the trail forking off to Aria Spring. Hike from Aria Spring to Mount Zas It is a 40 minute drive from Naxos town to Aria Spring. Enter Fontaine d’Aria on Google maps to locate the starting point. The turn off from the main road is clearly signposted. There is limited parking on the road. The Alltrails website and App show this trail up Mount Zas. It is worth downloading the trail onto your phone as the trail isn't clear at one point . The first 20 minutes of the hike is along a paved path to the Cave of Zeus. It then becomes a rocky trail that is more difficult than the Ayia Marina trail. It ascends 484 metres to the summit of Mount Zas compared to 396 metres on the Ayia Marina trail. The hike takes about 2.5 hours. Hike from Filoti to Mount Zas This is the most difficult trail up Mount Zas and normally undertaken by people relying on public transport. The trail ascends 607 metres to the summit of Mount Zas and the hike takes about 3 hours 45 minutes. The route is shown on the Alltrails website . The Beginning of the Walk up Mount Zas Middle Section of the Walk up Mount Zas The Middle Section of the Walk up Mount Zas Near the Top of Mount Zas At the Summit of Mount Zas A View on the Descent from Mount Zas 3.2. Trail 6 Melanes - Flerio - Potamia Hike This is a beautiful hike that passes right by the archaeological site at Flerio on Naxox island. There you can see the 2 famous kouroi dating back to 570 BC. See my blog for further details. You will pass through the pretty and unspoiled villages of Ano Potomia and Mesi Potomia. We hiked clockwise from Melanes and the trail is marked with a red dot and a red number 6 until Mesi Potomia. After that it helps to use the AllRoutes app for a section of the trail. The hike took us 3 hours and 15 minutes. We didn't stop to see the kouroi at Flerio as we were wet from the rain. The hike can be shortened by taking other trails from east to west before reaching Ano Potamia. These trails are shown on the AllRoutes App. The first section from Melanes is down a steep, wet and slippery path and it wasn't raining at the time. Hiking poles would definitely help. The next section was a bit overgrown but after that the trail was very good. The trail descends steeply to Ano Potamia and then climbs up to Mesi Potomia. It is an easy walk once you reach the dirt road after Mesi Potomia. Village of Melanes on Naxos On the Path between Melanes and Flerio Cacti on the Path The Path going down to Ano Potamia Kato Potamia Melanes Village on Naxos Island 3.3 Trail 4 - Halki to Moni Circular Hike I planned to do this hike as it seemed to be an interesting circular hike. Sadly we ran out of time. The route is detailed on the AllRoutes website . The reviews of this route indicate that in 2023: About 30% of it isn't well maintained. The second section of the trail on AllRoutes trail isn't correct and the signs for trail 4 and 4A should be followed instead. The hike takes 3 to 4 hours. Other useful information about this hike is on the Tripadvisor forum and the Cycladen website . 4. A Drive from Naxos Town to Apollonas We took the inland route north up to Apollonas and stopped off at Apiranthos and Koronos. We drove back south on Naxos's coastal road and turned off to see the kouri at Flerio. The drive took about 6.5 hours and it was very scenic. It was tiring driving on Naxos's mountainous roads and there were very few places to pull over to take photos and to enjoy the views. 4.1. Apiranthos We thought that Apiranthos was the prettiest and most interesting village on Naxos island. Apiranthos is quite large and we spent an hour walking around the alleyways. There aren't any particular sights to see. We reached Apiranthos before 10.00 a.m. and there were very few other visitors. There were several restaurants and shops so I am sure Apiranthos would be busy later in the day. There was parking along the main road. A View on the Drive to Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos Apiranthos 4.2. Koronos Koronos is a pretty village but not nearly as interesting as Apiranthos. There is a nice taverna at the bottom of the village, with a good outdoor seating area, but there is no tourism infrastructure. I don't think Koronos is worth visiting. We parked on the main road and walked down a steep road to the bottom of the Koronos and then back up a different way. We couldn't find a car park. Koronos Agia Marina Church in Koronos Koronos 4.3. Apollonas Apollonas is a modern, and not very pretty, village with a couple of beaches. Tavernas surround the beach in the centre of Apollonas. There is not a lot to see or do in Apollonas but it would be a good place to have a swim. There is limited free parking at the southern end of Apollonas. Apollonas Apollonas Apollonas 4.4. Kouroi at Flerio Flerio is a 25 minute drive from Naxos Town. Enter " Faragi Kouros " in Google maps to obtain directions. The parking area and the entrance to the Kouroi are free. Kouroi are sculptures of men. There are 2 kouroi at Flerio and they date back to 570 BC. These 5 metre long kouroi were unfinished due to damage to the stone. There is an ancient sanctuary nearby which dates back to the 7th century BC. There is very little left to see. The marble quarry high up in the hill above the site is much more impressive. It takes about 30 minutes to see the 2 kouroi and the ancient sanctuary at Flerio. They can be visited when doing the circular hike from Melanes to Potamia . A Marble quarry near Flerio Kouros of Flerio Kouros of Faranghi at Flerio 5. The Beaches south of Naxos There are some excellent beaches on Naxos Island and the best ones are south of Naxos Town. We drove south to Agiassos on the tarred interior road that goes via Galanado and Ano Sagri. We then drove up the coastal road to Naxos Town and stopped off at the beaches on the way. 5.1. Agiassos Beach There is a dirt road from Agiassos to Alkyo which is suitable for saloon cars. We swam at Agiassos beach and had the long beach to ourselves. It is a lovely sandy beach but there are sections with rocks in the water. Agiassos Beach 5.2. Alkyo and Hawaii Beach Our next stop was at Alkyo to see the famous Hawaii beach. There are 2 beaches on either side of the promontory at Alkyo. The beach on the southern side had a car park. Hawaii beach is across the road on the northern side. It is known as Hawaii beach due to the vibrant blue colour of the sea. There are no facilities at either of these beaches. Hawaii Beach Near Hawaii Beach 5.3. Mikri Vigla/Orkos Beach There are long sandy beaches on either side of the promontory. The beaches at Mikri Vigla and Orkos are both popular with kite surfers. We spent an enjoyable hour watching people learning to kite surf. It wouldn't be a relaxing place to sunbathe with the kites hovering above the beach. Mikri Vigla Beach 5.4. Agia Anna Beach The beach at Agia Anna was the most developed beach that we saw during our drive along the beaches south west of Naxos Town. This isn't surprising given its close proximity to Naxos Town. It merges into Agios Prokopios beach to the north. Agios Prokopios beach is said to be an excellent beach but we didn't visit it. Agia Anna Beach 6. Halki The village of Halki is very popular with tourists. It has several Byzantine churches including the 9th century Church of Panagia Protothronos. Halki is a pretty village but a bit touristy. There is a large free car park on the north eastern edge of Halki. Halki Halki The Main Square in Halki Halki A Church in Halki Church of Panagia Protothronos in Halki 7. Filoti Filoti is a popular village and there is a large free car park on the left side of the road when driving from Naxos Town. There isn't much to see in Filoti and half an hour is sufficient for wandering around. The main sight in Filoti is the Church of Panaglia Filotitissa which was built in 1718. Entry to the interior is free. The Church of Panaglia Filotitissa in Filoti The Church of The Interior of Panaglia Filotitissa in Filoti 8. Accommodation We stayed in an excellent 2 bedroom apartment in the village of Galanado. It was a 10 minute drive to Naxos Town. We booked it through Booking.com and paid Eur 75 per night. My review of the accommodation is on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 " (number 2). 9. Links to My Other Blogs about Greece Monemvasia, Greece: Travel Guide Mycenae, Greece: Travel Guide Tiryns, Greece: Travel Guide Epidaurus, Greece: Travel Guide Nafplio, Greece: Travel Guide Corinth, Greece: Travel Guide Delphi, Greece: Travel Guide The Monasteries of Meteora: Travel Guide Mystras, Greece: Travel Guide Tinos, Greece: Travel Guide Syros, Greece: Travel Guide Andros, Greece: Travel Guide North Macedonia to Greece - Week 4 Nafplio, Greece to the Peloponnese - Week 5 Peloponnese to the Greek Islands - Week 6 The Greek Islands - Week 7 The Greek Islands to Albania - Week 8

Map of Madeira Contents 1. Introduction 2. When to Visit Madeira 3. Madeira's Main Sights and Activities 4. Funchal and Surrounding Area Funchal Town Centre Monte Palace Tropical Gardens Madeira Botanical Gardens Palheiro Gardens Refuge of the Nuns (Curral das Freiras) Eira do Serrado Viewpoint Cabo Girao 5. South East Madeira Santa Cruz Machico Pico do Facho Viewpoint Canical 6. North East Madeira Santana Calhau de São Jorge, Madeira Miradouro da Quinta do Furao in Arco de Sao Jorge Miradouro de Sao Cristovao 7. North West Madeira Sao Vicente Seixal Ribeira da Janela Porto Moniz Fanal Miradouro da Encumeada 8. South West Madeira Ribeira Brava Paul do Mar Calheta Lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo 9. Hikes in Madeira 10. Transportation - Buses, Taxis & Rental Cars 11. Madeira Guide Books 1. Introduction We had been wanting to visit Madeira for some time as we had heard good reports about the island and in particular the great hikes. We would have liked to have visited Madeira during the winter months so we could escape some of the UK's bad weather. Unfortunately in winter Madeira is often wet and is more mild than hot. We therefore visited Madeira in the second half of April 2025 and stayed in a very nice 2 bedroom apartment in Funchal's hotel zone. We found Madeira to be very beautiful and the people friendly. It helped that most people spoke fluent English. We really enjoyed our 2 week stay in Madeira but that was long enough. I don't think we would go to Madeira again for the following reasons: The hiking trails aren't the sort of trails that I enjoy. Most of the trails in Madeira are through forest and have limited views. I don't mind the odd forest hike but prefer expansive views for my efforts. See the Hiking Section for further information. The few hikes in Madeira that appealed to me were too busy and parking was difficult. The weather was usually fine on Madeira's south coast but overcast and cool on the north coast and in the mountainous interior of the island. Madeira's weather isn't warm or dry enough in winter to make it a worthwhile escape from the UK's winter. We have seen the main sights in Madeira and don't need to see them again. We rented a car for our entire stay - see the section Transportation - Buses, Taxis & Rental Cars . Some of Madeira's smaller mountainous roads were initially a bit challenging and sometimes I had to use first gear on the steep slopes. However, I soon got used to Madeira's roads and driving on the right hand side of the road. Parking in Madeira's towns was usually very straight forward as there were good multi storey car parks with very reasonable rates. However, parking in mountainous areas was often very limited and congested. 2. When to Visit Madeira We visited Madeira from 16 April to 29 April 2025 and had enough time to do everything that we wanted to. We could have made our trip a few days shorter but time wasn't of the essence. We chose the second half of April as the rainfall in Madeira is usually less from mid April to the end of September. We were fortunate as March and early April 2025 was exceptionally wet in Madeira. May, June and September would have been a warmer time to visit Madeira but we had other travels planned for those months. Funchal's Weather by Month Another factor to consider when determining the timing of your visit to Madeira is cruise ships. Massive cruise ships blight many coastal cities around the world and unfortunately Funchal is no exception. It is strange that the main cruise ship season for Madeira is from October to April and cruise ships aren't a problem during the summer months. During Madeira's peak winter cruise season up to 4 cruise ships a day berth at Funchal and there can be as many as 9,000 passengers. New year's eve seems to be the very worst day with 12 cruise ships and 22,000 passengers scheduled for 31st December 2025! Funchal is only a small city and just one large cruise ship can crowd out the main tourist sites in Funchal. Cruise ships have the most negative impact on Funchal. Therefore do all you can to visit Funchal when there aren't any cruise ships in town. There are several websites that show the cruise ships docking at Funchal. Cruisetimetables.com show both the vessels docking and the number of passengers. 3. Madeira's Main Sights and Activities I felt that the main sights and activities for Madeira were: Funchal city centre Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, the cable car ride up and the toboggan ride down Funchal's Botanical Gardens The sea pools at Porto Moniz The seafront promenade between Funchal and Camara de Lobos The hike along the Sao Lourenco peninsular The circular hike along the Levada Nova and Levada do Moinho The Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo hike (Still closed at May 2025 due to land slips) Watching the spectacular surfing at Paul do Mar 4.1. Funchal Town Centre Map of Funchal, Madeira Funchal is a very pleasant small city when it isn't inundated with cruise ship passengers. Most visitors stay on the western side of Funchal in the hotel zone and walk into Funchal's city centre on the Avenida do Infante. The first place to visit is the Parque Santa Catarina which is on the south side of the Avenida do Infante. The Avenida do Infante ends at a roundabout on the eastern edge of Parque Santa Carina. From the roundabout continue walking eastwards through the centre of Funchal along the main streets of Avenida Arriago and the Rua do Aljube. From these 2 main city streets you can wander around Funchal and see several historical sights which are detailed below. Some of the side streets worth walking around are: Rua da Carreira, a bustling street full of shops and restaurants. Rua do Bispo and Rua Queimada for their shops, cafes and historic buildings. After wandering around the western part of Funchal's city centre cross over the Levada and walk eastwards along Rua Fernao Ornelas to the market. After the market stroll along the lively, but touristy, parallel streets of Rua de Santa Maria and Rua Dom Carlos 1. Both these streets lead to the Fortress which is at the far eastern edge of Funchal's city centre. The specific sights to see in Funchal's city centre are: Funchal's Gardens There are 2 attractive and free gardens in Funchal. The Santa Catarina Park is between the centre of Funchal and the hotel zone. It is situated on the hillside and has some beautiful plants and trees plus a good view over Funchal. There are pay toilets in the park (Eur 0.50). The Jardim Sao Francisco is much smaller and is just north east of Santa Catarina Park. It is is packed with interesting plants and trees. There are several benches in this garden and it is a pleasant place to relax. Palacio de Sao Lourenco in Funchal The Palacio de Sao Lourenco was Funchal’s first fortress and was built in the 16th century. Cannons were placed only on the sea side so French pirates attacking from the land easily occupied it in 1566. The fortress was later extended into today's form. From the 18th to 19th centuries it was the palace of the governor of the island. The palace can be visited for free on specific days and times (Mon 12.30, Tues & Wed 10.00, Thur 10.00 & 12.20, Fri 15.00). There is a limit of about 20 people who can enter. Only a few rooms are available to the public, so the whole visit would take around 30 minutes. Inside the fortress there is also a military museum where weapons and old uniforms are exhibited. Even if you don't visit the palace or museum it is worth walking around the exterior. Palacio de Sao Lourenco in Funchal, Madeira Palacio do Governo Regional in Funchal It is possible to freely enter the courtyard of the Palacio de Governo Regional and walk around to the front of the building where the cannons stand. It was built at the end of the 17th century. Palacio do Governo Regional in Funchal Funchal's Cathedral There is free entry to Funchal's Cathedral which dates back to 1517. It is open: Monday to Friday - 07.15 to 18.30 Saturday - 09.00 to 12.00 & 16.00 to 19.00 Sunday - 07.30 to 12.00 & 16.00 to 19.00 The Cathedral in Funchal The Cathedral in Funchal Santa Clara Convent in Funchal The Santa Clara Convent was constructed in the late 15th century and expanded over the following 2 centuries. It was reopened in 2023 after a 5 year refurbishment by the government. The entry fee is quite high at Eur 10 although over 65's receive a 50% reduction. We didn't think that it was worth the Eur 10 entry fee but the Tripadvisor reviews are good. The convent can be quite noisy as the nuns are running a nursery for young children. There are a lot of notices in English providing detailed information about the convent. We found that there was far too much detail and we couldn't absorb it. The Santa Clara Convent is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00 - 12.30 and 14.00 to 17.00. It takes about an hour to tour the convent. Funchal's Main Square Funchal's main square is known as the Praca do Municipio. I thought it was the nicest part of central Funchal. The square itself is very spacious and its surface consists of a striking mosaic of black and white stones. The main square is surrounded by impressive historic buildings. On the northern side is the 17th century Igreja de Sao Joao Evangelista do Colegio (Collegiate Church) to which entry is free. On the eastern side of the main square is the Camara Municipal (Town Hall) which occupies an 18th century palace. There are some guided tours. On the south side of the main square is the Museum of Religious Art which is housed in a former 17th century palace for the bishop of Funchal. There are apparently some outstanding paintings on view. It's open 10.00 to 17.00 Monday to Friday and 10.00 to 13.00 on Saturday. The Market in Funchal The best time to visit Funchal's market is on Friday or Saturday when fishermen, farmers and traders from all over Madeira come to sell their wares. We didn't visit on these days and the market was very quiet and uninteresting. There have been warnings about high prices charged for fruit by some of the shops and stalls in the market. Mercado dos Lavradores, Funchal The Fortress in Funchal When we first visited the fortress we didn't think it was possible to enter the interior as it appeared to be occupied by a restaurant. However, on a subsequent visit we noticed people on the ramparts. We therefore walked past the restaurant sign and gained free access to the interior and ramparts. It is worth entering the fortress and wandering around. Fortaleza de Sao Tiago, Funchal Fortaleza de Sao Tiago, Funchal Bela 5 Snack Bar in Funchal We ate at this restaurant twice and had very good meals there. The portions are generous, the quality is good and the prices are reasonable. It is a popular restaurant and sometimes you may to have to wait a short while for a table. All the staff were very friendly. The restaurant receives very good reviews on Google and Tripadvisor . Bela 5 Snack Bar in Funchal 4.2. Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, Madeira The most popular way of getting to the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens is by cable car. The Madeira Cable Car starts from an area west of Funchal's Fortress and terminates at the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. The cable car operates from 08.45 to 17.45 and it costs Eur 14.50 one way and Eur 20 return. We only had to queue about 10 minutes for a cable car as there were no cruise ships docked at Funchal. I have read that when cruise ships are in port the wait can be over an hour! The Monte Palace Tropical Gardens can also be accessed by car, taxi and bus. Bus numbers 20, 21, 22 and 48 travel between Funchal and Monte. See my section Transportation - Buses, Taxis & Rental Cars for a map showing the location of the bus stops in Funchal. The Monte Palace Tropical Gardens are open from 09.00 to 18.00 every day and the entrance fee is Eur 15. We really enjoyed the gardens. However, I think they would be crowded when there are cruise ships docked in Funchal and that could spoil the experience. The map of the gardens (see below) is displayed in several locations in the gardens. However, it is useful to have the map with you. A map can be downloaded onto a cell phone from the official website for the gardens. From the far western side of the gardens the famous toboggans can be seen sliding down the road to Funchal. After visiting the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens there are a number of choices: Take a toboggan back to Funchal but be aware it doesn't take you all the way to the centre of Funchal. It costs Eur 35 for 2 people. It looked fun but it's a bit expensive. We were going to do it but they closed early as it was a holiday the following day. Return by cable car to Funchal. If you do that it is cheaper to buy a return cable car ticket. Take the bus back to Funchal for Eur 1.90 which is what we did. To locate the bus stop walk down to the toboggan ride office and then take the path to the right. You soon reach the road and the bus stop is on the corner. I think there are buses at least every half an hour. There are numerous taxis queuing at the garden exit but the taxi driver quoted a very high fixed rate. There is another cable car near Monte Palace Tropical Gardens that goes to the Madeira Botanical Gardens. It costs Eur 13.50 for the round trip. We decided to visit the Botanical Gardens on a different day and drove there. The Madeira Botanical Gardens are worth visiting but seeing 2 gardens in one day could be too much. Map of Monte Tropical Gardens in Madeira Toboggan ride from Monte to Funchal 4.3. Madeira Botanical Gardens Entrance to the Madeira Botanical Gardens costs Eur 10.00 and they are open from 09.00 to 18.00 every day. You can get to the Madeira Botanical Gardens by car, taxi, bus or cable car: There is a free parking area on the other side of the road from the Botanical Gardens. About 20 cars can be parked there. When we arrived the parking lot was full but cars soon left. It is a short walk up the road to the Botanical Gardens' entrance. Bus numbers 29, 31 and 31A travel between Funchal and the Madeira Botanical Gardens. Bus number 31A seems to be the best as it stops at the Gardens' entrance gate. There is a cable car from the Monte Palace Gardens to the Madeira Botanical Gardens. It costs Eur 10 one way and Eur 15 return. We really enjoyed the Madeira Botanical Gardens. They aren't quite as expansive as the Monte Palace Gardens but the gardens are of a very high standard. 4.4. Palheiro Gardens near Funchal The Mini Rough Guide book says " Spend the day exploring the Palheiro Gardens, the most magnificent of Madeira's splendid gardens ". There are also some excellent reviews on Tripadvisor. We therefore visited the Palheiro Gardens but were very disappointed by them. The Palheiro Gardens aren't very extensive and we only spent 45 minutes looking around. There is a large area of Camellias which would have improved our experience if they had been flowering. The Monte Palace Gardens and Madeira Botanical Gardens are far superior to the Palheiro Gardens. That's probably why there were very few other visitors during our visit to the Palheiro Gardens! The entry price is a very steep Eur 11 and the Palheiro Gardens are open from 09.00 to 17.00. We drove there and it took 15 minutes from Funchal's hotel zone. There is limited parking outside the entrance but there is a very large free parking area past the entrance gate. 4.5. Curral das Freiras (Refuge of the Nuns), Madeira It's a 30 minute drive from Funchal to Curral das Freiras. We parked on the main street but parking was limited. There isn't much to see at Curral das Freiras except the church and the very pleasant mountainous scenery. We were fortunate that during our visit there was an interesting Easter parade through the village. About 30 minutes should be sufficient for wandering around the compact Curral das Freiras. A lot of tours stop here and it would probably be better to visit either early morning or from mid afternoon. 4.6. Eira do Serrado Viewpoint, Madeira The Eira do Serrado viewpoint is near Curral das Freiras and it can therefore be visited on the same trip. There is a large free car park that had plenty of space when we visited in the late afternoon. It is probably a lot busier in the morning. There are some shops near the car park and one shop has pay toilets. It is a 10 minute walk on a good path from the car park to the viewpoint overlooking Curral das Freiras. 4.7. Cabo Girao, Madeira Cano Girao is the only viewpoint in Madeira that has an entrance fee and the views aren't any better than most of the other viewpoints on Madeira. The big attraction at Cabo Girao is the glass floor of the platform but you can't see much below and there are usually far too many people on the platform! It is a steep drive up to Cabo Girao and there isn't a car park there. You have to park on one of 2 roads and they both become very congested. The entrance fee to Cabo Girao is Eur 3 and it is payable at one of 2 machines before the entrance gate. There are paid toilets (Eur 0.50) and tourist shops. In my opinion Cabo Girao is a tourist trap and best avoided. There are plenty of other free viewpoints with similar views, better parking and fewer tourists. Cabao Girao in Madeira 5.1. Santa Cruz, Madeira The pleasant town of Santa Cruz is only a 20 minute drive east from Funchal. Santa Cruz has a 16th century church and the main square is surrounded by restaurants. We had a good meal at the popular Taberno do Petisco . There is a promenade along the seafront that ends near the airport runway on the north eastern edge of Santa Cruz. It is interesting to watch the planes come into land. 5.2. Machico, Madeira Machico is a 25 minute drive east of Funchal. There is a very good, and reasonably priced, underground car park in the centre of Machico called Parking Forum Machico . There is a large supermarket above the car park and discounted parking if you shop there. Machico is Madeira's first settlement and it's where Goncalves Zarco came ashore in 1419. Zarco ruled the south west of Madeira while Tristao Teixeira, his fellow captain, governed the north eastern half of Madeira. The Igreja Matriz is Machico's 15th century church and a statue of Teixera stands in front of the church. From the church it's a short walk to a small fortress on the seafront. It was built in 1706 and there is free entrance to the interior. There are are only a few cannons and a sea view to see. Machico's main beach is stony. However, on the eastern side of Machico there is the sandy Banda Alem beach which had its sand imported from Morocco. 5.3. Pico do Facho Viewpoint, Madeira It's a 30 minute drive east from Funchal to the 280 metre high Pico do Facho viewpoint . There is free parking for about 8 vehicles. It's probably best to avoid going at weekends and holidays as locals like to picnic at the viewpoint. Pico do Facho looks down over Machico and has excellent views of the Sao Lourenco peninsular, the Desertas islands and the planes landing and taking off at the nearby airport. Pico do Facho, Madeira View of Sao Lourenco Peninsular from Pico do Facho, Madeira View of Machico from Pico do Facho, Madeira 5.4. Canical, Madeira Canical isn't a very attractive town and the main reason people visit is to see the Madeira Whale Museum. The Madeira Whale Museum is in a very impressive and spacious new building. There is free parking at the Museum which is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00. Tickets cost Eur 10 and over 65's pay Eur 8.50. There are 2 main halls. The first hall depicts Madeira's whaling industry until whaling was banned. Automated audio guides are used in the first hall. The audio guides can be frustrating as you have to stand in the right spot for the audio to work and it isn't always apparent where to stand. The second hall is about whale evolution, biology and survival and some life size models. 3D glasses are handed out for the videos. We didn't find this hall very interesting but many Tripadvisor reviewers liked it. The videos displayed in the first hall are too gruesome for young children and the audio too long. Children prefer the second hall. I personally wouldn't take children to this museum. At least 1.5 hours is required for visiting the whale museum and some visitors stay for up to 2.5 hours. We had a good meal at Restaurante Bar Amarelo in Canical. 6.1. Santana, Madeira The Mini Rough Guide to Madeira says that " Santana is home to an enchantingly picture book style of housing - A-framed structures known as palheiros ". Unfortunately the few palheiros in Santana have been built for the tourists and have shops inside them. Lots of guided tours visit Santana and bemused tourists mill around these tourist structures. Santana is not an attractive town and there is nothing worth visiting. The few restaurants there don't receive good reviews and are probably frequented by tour groups. Santana is an awful tourist trap. Don't bother visiting it! A Palheiro at Santana 6.2. Calhau de São Jorge, Madeira Calhau de Sao Jorge is a 47 minute drive north of Funchal. There is a large free car park near the beach and restaurant. Calhau de Sao Jorge is in the middle of the Rother Walking Guide's walk number 24. The sections of the walk before and after Calhau are steep! There is a pleasant very short walk northwards along the abandoned coastal road. However, it soon becomes blocked by rockfall. Restaurante Calhau is very good but it is frequented by groups at lunch time. It also has a swimming pool that can be used for Eur 3. Calhau de Sao Jorge near Santana, Madeira Restaurante Calhau de Sao Jorge near Santana, Madeira. Restaurante Calhau de Sao Jorge near Santana, Madeira. 6.3. Miradouro da Quinta do Furao at Arco de Sao Jorge Arco de Sao Jorge is west of Santana. To reach the Miradouru da Quinta do Furao drive to the Hotel Quinta du Furao . There are parking places just outside the hotel and also a large car park in the hotel grounds. Walk to the Pizzeria il Furetto at the hotel. The viewpoint is signposted from there. From the viewpoint there is short walk westwards along the cliffs. Miradouro da Quinta do Furao in Madeira 6.4. Miradouro de Sao Cristovao Restaurante Sao Cristovao owns the Miradouro de Sao Cristavo. There is parking for restaurant guests in front of restaurant and at a car park on the far side of the restaurant. Non restaurant guests can park along the road down to the restaurant. It does become congested and it would be better to avoid weekends and holidays. The restaurant serves excellent food and the portions are very generous. We each had the fish platter for Eur 25 and it was fantastic We had intended to do walk 26 in the Rother Guide but we were both too stuffed after the meal to contemplate climbing up the hill in the picture below. Instead we just enjoyed the fantastic view. View from Miradouro de Sao Cristovao in Madeira Restaurante Sao Cristovao in Madeira Restaurante Sao Cristovao in Madeira 7.1. Sao Vicente, Madeira The Mini Rough Guide says Sao Vicente is " perhaps the prettiest village on the island ". We didn't think Sao Vicente was very special and there is very little to see. There is parking in the main square and also in an underground car park on the other side of the main road. The underground car park is cheap but most of the parking places are reserved for residents. There are toilets above this car park. Church in Sao Vicente, Madeira 7.2. Seixal, Madeira There is only street parking in Seixal. In terms of the actual village there is very little to see. However, it is pleasant walking westwards from Seixal along the coast. There are a few basic restaurants in Seixal but it is better to drive 2 kilometres west to Restaurante Las Caraibas where there is plenty of parking on the road. It's a popular restaurant. The food was good but perhaps a bit pricey. 7.3. Ribeira da Janela, Madeira There is a spectacular rock formation off the beach at Ribeira da Janela. There is a large car park nearby. Many people park on the road leading to the car park and this can give the false impression that the car park is full. There is a viewpoint with parking in the upper part of Ribeira da Janela that has nice coastal views. View from upper Ribeira da Janela in Madeira 7.4. Porto Moniz, Madeira Porto Moniz is in the far north western corner of Madeira and is a 50 minute drive from Funchal. There are several car parks in Porto Moniz but most of them were full when we arrived. We finally found parking at Porto Moniz Public Parking . It is a large car park and I thought there was an hourly charge. However, the Google reviews say it costs Eur 5 for the day. Porto Moniz is known for its natural sea pools. They were formed by the sea eroding areas of a volcanic lava flow. We didn't swim in the pools but they were very interesting to see. It would be a good place to relax in sunny weather and I think it would become crowded at weekends and holidays. The old natural pools on the eastern side of Porto Moniz are free whereas there is an entrance fee for the new pools on the western side. The entrance fee is Eur 3 and sun umbrellas (Eur 5) and sun loungers (Eur 8) can be hired. There are numerous restaurants along Porto Moniz's sea front. 7.5. Fanal, Madeira Fanal is in the north west corner of Madeira. We drove to Fanal to do a short walk which is number 57 in the Rother Walking Guide. The Rother Walking Guide says that " on most days of the year dense fog provides for a primordial atmosphere ". Fanal was certainly like that when we got there! To make matters worse the temperature was only 8 degrees centigrade and there was a biting wind. When we had started driving to Fanal from nearby Ribeira da Janela the temperature was 21 centigrade! We decided not to bother doing the hike! I hadn't realised that Fanal was a popular destination due to the ancient laurel trees. There are 2 large car parks on either side of the road to accommodate visitors. We therefore parked and walked a couple of hundred metres in the fog to see Fanal's laurel trees. It was a bit muddy in places due to the climate and number of visitors. It seems most visitors just have a quick stop at Fanal to take photos like we did. Fanal, Madeira 7.6. Miradouro da Encumeada, Madeira The Miradouro da Encumeada  is 35 minute drive north of Funchal on the road to Sao Vicente. There are 2 small viewing platforms, a shop and toilets at Encumeada. The views aren't that good. The viewpoints on the way from Funchal to Encumeada are better. The first viewpoint is on the on the right side of the road and is signposted. There is parking there. Further up the road there is a layby on the right hand side with space for 2 or 3 cars. Shortly afterwards on the left hand side there is a small building with a small parking are a in front but there isn't a sign.  There  ar e steep steps leading to a viewpoint with good mountain views. 8.1. Ribeira Brava, Madeira Ribeira Brava is a 20 minute drive west from Funchal. The ornate Sao Bento church is adorned with gilded and carved woodwork. Otherwise there isn't much else to see in Ribeira Brava apart from the seafront and the promenade. Waterfront of Ribeira Brava, Madeira Promenade & Beach at Ribeira Brava, Madeira 8.2. Paul do Mar, Madeira Paul do Mar is a 45 minute drive west of Funchal. It is a very spread out town with the centre in the east and the surfing beach to the west. The surfing and waves were very impressive when we visited Paul do Mar and lots of people were watching. Sometimes the surfers were going through tunnels in the waves. The main things to do at Paul do Mar are watching the surfers, walking along the seafront promenade and having a good meal. We had a very good meal at the Sabor aMar Fish Factory on the west side of Paul do Mar and from the restaurant we could watch the surfers. There is parking at the restaurant and also plenty of free parking along the seafront road. View of Paul do Mar, Madeira Surfing at Paul do Mar, Madeira Centre of Paul do Mar, Madeira Sabor aMar Fish Factory Restaurant in Paul do Mar, Madeira The outside seating area of the Sabor aMar Fish Factory Restaurant in Paul do Mar, Madeira View from the Sabor aMar Fish Factory Restaurant in Paul do Mar, Madeira 8.3. Calheta, Madeira Calheta is a 35 minute drive west of Funchal and the main attractions are the 2 sandy beaches. Calheta is a tourist resort but it's well laid out and it's very pleasant walking along the seafront. There is a large underground car park on the eastern edge of Calheta and the cost was very reasonable. There are free toilets along the seafront. Calheta, Madeira Eastern beach at Calheta, Madeira Western beach at Calheta, Madeira 8.4. Lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo, Madeira The lighthouse at Ponta do Parga is on the most westerly point of Madeira and has excellent views. There is a small parking area by the lighthouse and free parking on the road. It is a 50 minute drive from Funchal. View northwards from the Lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo, Madeira View southwards from the Lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo, Madeira 9. Hiking in Madeira As I stated in the introduction we were disappointed with the hiking in Madeira. The best hikes are far too busy and the parking inadequate. In addition the majority of hikes are through forest with poor views and the weather in the interior of Madeira is very unpredictable. Unfortunately the very popular hike from Pico do Areiro to Pico Ruivo has been closed since the fires in August 2024. The fires have destabilised slopes and created a risk of rockfall. The fires have also affected other trails going to Pico Ruivo. This means that there will be more hikers than usual on Madeira's other top trails. We did 4 hikes in Madeira and details are provided below. We didn't do the very popular Levada of the 25 Springs hike as it far too busy and there aren't good views. I used the Rother Walking Guide book and the website Walkmeguide.com to plan our hikes in Madeira. Walkmeguide.com is a Madeiran website detailing over 50 hikes in Madeira and it is free to use. However, if you want to use the GPS facility you have to subscribe. One of the most useful aspects of Walkmeguide.com is the numerous user comments for each trail. This enables one to determine other hikers' opinions of the trails and obtain up to date information on the state of the trails, parking, crowds, trail closures etc. Porto da Cruz to Machico (Verada do Larano) The Verado do Larano hike is walk number 16 in Rother's Madeira Walking Guide. The hike is rated difficult as it states " A cable fence provides security for the exceptionally vertiginous sections but still, you have to be extremely careful here ". I am surprised by the comment as this section isn't at all dangerous or difficult. The reviewers on the Walkmeguide.com really liked the middle section of this hike. They weren't so keen on the section near Machico nor the walk on the road near Porto da Cruz. We therefore decided to drive up the road from Porto da Cruz and park where the road ended. We entered Miradouro de Cabo de Larano in Google Maps for directions. We parked on the road and a lot of other hikers had done the same. We walked to the viewpoint at Boca do Risco and then back again. This meant that we cut out both sections that the reviewers didn't like. The walk took 3 hours. We enjoyed the walk and there were excellent coastal views at several places. Most people turned round at the first viewpoint at Ponta de Espigao Amarelo. I would recommend doing this as the trail from there to Boca do Risco is through forest and there are few views until Boca do Risco. This would reduce the walking time by an hour. Sao Lourenco Peninsular Hike The Sao Lourenco Peninsular Hike is number 14 in Rother's Madeira Walking Guide. This is probably the most popular hike in Madeira as there are spectacular coastal views the entire way and the weather is more reliable than for the hikes in the interior of Madeira. However, wind can be a problem. Unfortunately this means that there are masses of people hiking the Sao Lourenco peninsular and it doesn't help that the trail isn't circular. In addition parking becomes difficult and it is only possible to park a long way from the trail head. Most people advise starting the hike early as otherwise the sheer number of tourists spoils the hike. The trouble is that too many people follow this advice! Also unless you start the Sao Lourenco hike very early you will meet masses of trekkers when hiking back. If you do start early then I would recommend starting at 08.00 at the very latest but 07.30 would be better. We didn't fancy a very early start and had read that the number of hikers, and availability of parking, wasn't bad from around 16.30. We therefore arrived at the Sao Lourenco peninsular trail head at 17.00. We found plenty of free parking places near the trail head. I had read that you had to pay an Eur 3 entrance fee for the Sao Lourenco peninsular hike and that fines of Eur 50 were issued to hikers who hadn't paid. I therefore tried to pay at the trail head but there wasn't a ticket office nor any notices about an entrance fee. It could be that the officials collecting the entrance fee had finished work for the day. For the first half hour of the Sao Lourenco Peninsular hike we passed quite a few other people finishing the hike. After that there were always a few other hikers in sight but it wasn't at all bad. The Sao Lourenco Peninsular hike took us 2.25 hours but we didn't do the final climb up the hill as there was a sign stating access was prohibited. Quite a few other hikers ignored this sign but my wife didn't want to. A few reviewers on the Walkmeguide.com website had complained about the upkeep of this closed part of the Sao Lourenco trail! The metal rope is in poor condition and can cut your hand. Another hiker had to go to hospital as he injured his foot on the steep descent. The slope didn't look difficult to me if hiking poles were used for the descent. We really enjoyed the Sao Lourenco hike and the scenery was excellent. However, I think that you have to start early or late or the sheer numbers of hikers will spoil the experience. The Sao Lourenco Peninsular Levada do Moinho - Levada Nova Circular Hike The Levada do Moinho - Levada Nova hike is number 12 in the Rother Walking Guide and is rated as difficult. It really isn't a difficult hike and it's mostly flat. However, Levada Nova doesn't have barriers along all the sections with steep drop offs. Most of the reviewers on the Walkmeguide.com don't have a problem with the lack of railings on the Levada Nova and neither did we. We thought is was a very good hike and we particularly liked the section of the trail behind the waterfalls. The hike took about 2.25 hours. To get to the trail head enter Igreja da Lombada in Google Maps. There is parking on the street by this church although in peak times it could be difficult to find a spot. As with many of Madeira's hikes it is best to start early or late to obtain parking and avoid crowds. We started at 15.15 and easily found parking and there weren't many other trekkers. We started hiking on the closer Levada do Moinho but the hike can be done either way. Bring a torch for the tunnel. Pico do Facho to Canical Hike Walk 15 in the Rother Walking Guide is a hike from Machico to Canical via the Pico do Facho viewpoint . This involves a steep climb up from Machico to the Pico do Facho viewpoint and then a descent to Canical. We decided to be lazy and drove to Pico do Facho viewpoint where there are about 8 parking spots. Most vehicles don't stay long there except at weekends and holidays when locals like to picnic there. We walked down from Pico do Facho to Canical and it took us an hour. It is all through open terrain and there are good views of the Sao Lourenco peninsular and Desertas islands. We had lunch in Canical and then took a taxi back to Pico do Facho for Eur 8. Very few taxis wait in Canical and we had to ask the restaurant to call one for us. Funchal to Camara de Lobos Walk There is a paved sea front promenade from the hotel zone in Funchal to Camara de Lobos. Unfortunately the final section near Camara de Lobos was closed in April 2025. It is a very pleasant walk with excellent sea views. One section goes through a tunnel in the cliffs but there is lighting. There are free toilets at the beach after the tunnel. It seems to be popular with locals so it would be best to avoid weekends and holidays. 10. Madeira Transportation - Buses, Taxis & Rental Cars We paid Eur 24 for a taxi with Madeira Island Tours for our journey from Funchal airport to our apartment in the hotel zone. Madeira Island Tours were recommended on the Tripadvisor Forum and we booked on their website. A driver met us at the airport and we were pleased with their service. We then rented a car from Driving Madeira for 11 days for Eur 242. They had very good reviews and had offices near the airport and at 2 locations in Funchal. We obtained a good rate as we booked 3 months in advance. We obtained maps (see below) showing the bus routes and the location of bus stops from Funchal's tourist office. The cost was Eur 1.90 for local journeys. We only used the bus to get from Monte to Funchal and from Funchal to the hotel zone. Bus numbers 1 and 2 run between the centre of Funchal and the hotel zone. Madeira Bus Map Funchal's Bus Stops 11. Madeira Guide Books For planning our trip to Madeira we used the Mini Rough Guide to Madeira, the Rother Walking Guide and the Sunflower Madeira Walks & Drives Guide. Unfortunately the May 2025 Rough Guide to Madeira & the Azores was only available after we returned from Madeira. I preferred the Rother Guide to the Sunflower Guide for walks. I thought that Sunflower's information on drives would be useful but it wasn't. There aren't maps for the drives and it was therefore difficult to determine the routes. The drives were also far too long if you did some of the recommended stop offs and walks. The Mini Rough Guide was quite good but I was annoyed that they sung the praises of Santana, Sao Vicente and Palheiro Gardens. Santana is a horrible tourist trap, Sao Vicente isn't the prettiest village and the Palheiro Gardens are certainly not the best gardens in Madeira. There is a Lonely Planet Pocket Guide for Madeira. I used to like Lonely Planet Guide books but a few years ago they were bought by a private equity company. They reduced costs by researching on the internet rather than visiting countries. The quality of Lonely Planet Guide books deteriorated and the number of pages was reduced. However, Lonely Planet's Pocket Guide for Madeira might be alright as there were good reviews on Amazon. Mini Rough Guide for Madeira Rother Walking Guide for Madeira Sunflower Guide for Madeira New Rough Guide for Madeira & the Azores Lonely Planet Madeira

Imja Tsho & Amphu Labsta Tsho near Island Peak This blog provides information on what to pack for the Everest Base Camp trek and details of travel insurance companies for high altitude treks. Click here  to read my other blogs about the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. Contents Introduction Clothes in Main Pack & to Wear Miscellaneous Items Medications Toiletries etc Sleeping Day Pack Travel Insurance Policies Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Introduction I am not a light packer and use a porter or porter/guide to carry my pack. However, this ultra light packing list is by someone who did the Everest Base Camp 3 passes trek in November and everything weighed 4.26 kilos including the pack! I usually have more than that in my day pack! What I pack depends on the time of the year. I have only trekked in the Everest region in May when it is warmer and easier to wash clothes. See my blog My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek . However, I have trekked several times in other areas of Nepal in October, November and December. I have done the Everest Base Camp trek twice. The first time I was too hot in my Rab Ascent 900 sleeping bag so I bought a Rab Ascent 700 for my second EBC trek. It was perfect for the May temperatures, but in the winter months I would take a warmer sleeping bag. If you do forget to bring something for the Everest Base Camp trek you can very likely buy it in Kathmandu, Lukla or Namche Bazaar. I wouldn't recommend buying boots or hiking shoes in Nepal, nor cheap sun glasses as one's eyes are so precious. In 2022 I met a trekker in Gokyo who had to abort his Everest 3 passes trek as the boots he had bought in Kathmandu were falling apart. 2. Clothes in my Main Pack & to Wear 2 light pairs of long trekking pants (they can convert to shorts) 2 trekking T shirts (one synthetic and the other heavier merino wool) 1 light long sleeve synthetic trekking top 1 warm merino long sleeve trekking shirt 1 Rab trekking sweater 3 merino hiking socks 3 liner socks 4 underpants Boots. Some trekkers get buy in hiking shoes but when conditions are bad, like they were in late 2025, boots are better. I used to wear heavy leather boots but now use lighter fabric and suede boots. It is said that every kilo on the foot is equivalent to carrying 5 kilos on the back. Hiking shoes (not essential, but more comfortable in the tea houses, and a back up in case my boots break). Long johns for trekking when it is cold and in the evenings Primaloft pants for cold evenings. In 2022 I bought some for NPR 3,500 at Sonam's in Kathmandu. 3. Miscellaneous Items to Pack Factor 50 sunblock Trekking Map Two pin double USB plug Reading spectacles Spare boot laces 4 Spare Energizer lithium AA batteries (for the Steripen) Petzl rechargeable headlight String (approx 6 metres for drying clothes in the bedroom) 12 Clothes pegs Ear plugs (I don't like using them) Kobo or Kindle Photocopies of relevant pages from guide books Water purification tablets (in case my Steripen breaks) Cellphone charger Earphones for listening to music at night Dried apricots to keep me regular! Spare sunglasses as I tend to lose them and they are so important when there is snow. 4. Medications Paracetamol (I get more headaches at altitude) Azithromycin for bad stomach issues (don't use Ciprofloxacin due to serious side effects risks) Rennies tablets for heartburn Strepsils for coughs (can be bought at some lodges) Plasters (I take lots) Micropore tape Thermometer Diamox (I bring it in case I get altitude sickness but have never needed it) 5. Toiletries etc Shaver Toothpaste Toothbrush Small soap Trekking towel Flip flops for showering Very small bottle of shampoo Small mirror Nail scissors Hand cream as my hands get dry and cracked in the cold weather Small bottles of hand sanitizer as hygiene is so important Comb 6. Sleeping Sleeping bag. I use more expensive down sleeping bags as they are lighter. Light silk liner bag. At warmer lower altitudes I use it with the lodges blankets and duvets. When used in a sleeping bag it adds a bit of extra warmth. Many trekkers use it to keep their sleeping bags clean. I don't as I find it gets tangled up in the sleeping bag. Pillow case (to go over the tea houses' dirty pillows) 7. Day Pack I have mainly used an Osprey 33 litre day pack and found it to have sufficient space when trekking with a porter or porter/guide. In May 2022 when I carried all my gear from Dzongla to Namche, over the Cho La and Renjo La, I had a 45 litre Lowe Alpine day pack and could just about get everything in. I think that a 25 litre day pack would be sufficient if you have a porter but some hikers seem to want more space. A 45 litre day pack is the very most that should be required. The contents of my day pack depend on the weather and temperature: Lightweight waterproof jacket Lightweight waterproof trousers (also used for warmth at times) 2 Trekking poles. I usually use one pole but on descents 2 poles are very useful. Rab down jacket. The porter would carry this at lower altitudes. I mainly use it at the tea houses. Liner gloves. Useful when not too cold and can be worn under mittens when very cold. Warm mittens ( mittens are warmer for fingers than gloves) Buff Wool hat or beanie Microspikes for the Everest 3 passes trek (the porter carries them in good conditions) Two 1 litre Nalgene water bottles (avoid buying the fake ones in Nepal made of poorer plastic) Tilley hat and baseball hat Sunglasses (photochromic category 2 - 4). Don't risk buying cheap sunglasses in Nepal. Category 2 is the minimum required and category 3 is much safer if doing the 3 Passes trek. Steripen for purifying water Plasters and micropore tape Blister kit (never used it) Toilet paper Lip ice (factor 30) and sun block if I haven't put it on beforehand Cellphone Money and passport Garmin Inreach Mini Cover for the day pack 8. Travel Insurance for the Everest Base Camp trek Travel insurance for trekking in Nepal is expensive because of all the scams perpetuated by guides and trekkers themselves. Do ensure that you obtain an insurance policy that will cover you up to 5,500 metres if you are trekking to Everest Base Camp. Jamie McGuinness has climbed Everest 6 times and runs a trekking company called Project Himalaya. He has written a very good blog on travel insurance for Nepal and Ladakh. This blog provides details of companies providing the appropriate travel insurance in the UK, North America and Worldwide. 9. Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp Kathmandu to Lukla and Back Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

The Ama Dablam Lodge in Khyangjuma I have reviewed and recommended tea houses at the overnights stops on the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. Unfortunately there aren't any tea houses that I can recommend in Gorak Shep! There is also information about food, drinks, showers, internet and charging of electrical devices. Click here  to read my other blogs about the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. Contents Accommodation Food & Drink Drinking Water Showers, Electrical Charging and Internet Cost of Lodging, Food and Drink Tea House Recommendations & Reviews Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Tea House Accommodation on the EBC Trek Nepal is unique in having so much available accommodation on many of the high altitude trekking routes. It is cheap and, unlike in many European mountain lodges, you can get your own room. The rooms even have attached bathrooms sometimes. The comfort and quality of the Everest Base Camp accommodation is probably only matched in the Annapurna and Langtang regions. The Everest Summit Lodges and Mountain Lodges of Nepal have high quality lodges up to Pheriche. The tea houses on the Everest Base Camp trek are fine until you get to Lobuche and Gorak Shep. It would be a big adjustment to stay at luxury lodges up to Pheriche and then have to slum it at Gorak Shep. We did both Everest Base Camp treks with a guide. We have always made it clear to the agency and guide that we would have the final say as to where we stay. It is important to clarify this before the trek. It avoids any upset when the guide wants you to stay in his friend's dismal tea house and you don't! Even when the package includes accommodation and food you should still be able to choose where you stay. It is best to pay for your own accommodation and food. See my blog Guides, Porters & Trekking Agencies in Nepal for further information. When we are trekking we aim for a room that: Has an attached bathroom if possible. Is away from the toilets and dining room. Is an end room so we only have neighbours on 1 side of the thin walls. A room on the top floor for views, brightness and quiet. We also check that the dining room fire that will be lit at a reasonable time. It is possible to negotiate a bit when the tea houses aren't busy. I have never had a free room but have had reductions in the room rate and charging of electronics included. I ask politely and never want to upset the owners by being bargaining hard. 2. Tea House Food & Drink The tea houses make most of their money on the food and it is usually good. I mainly have dal bhat and other local dishes when trekking, but all tea houses offer a variety of western dishes. The food is reasonably priced. It is much faster if every one orders the same dish at lunch time. We always had dal bhat for lunch as this is what our porter and guide would order. If possible our porter would go on ahead to order lunch, as it takes a while to prepare dal baht from scratch. Dal baht is filling and there is always an offer of seconds. Tea houses sell soft drinks, beer and other alcoholic beverages. It isn't advisable to drink alcoholic beverages until you are fully acclimatized for altitude. I didn't drink any beer on our EBC treks so I have no idea of the cost . On another trek it cost from NPR 500 for a large bottle at lower altitude increasing to NPR 800 at high altitude. The tea houses on the Everest Base Camp trek can be leased out so it isn't always the owners running things. As a result the quality of the food, and the welcome you receive, can vary from year to year depending on who is in charge. 3. Drinking Water The tea houses sell bottled water, but it becomes progressively more expensive the higher you go. They have a huge environmental impact as plastic waste is usually dumped down a hillside on the edge of the village. Tea houses also sell boiled at a cost of between NPR 100 to NPR 200 per litre. As with everything the cost increases with altitude. We have always used a Steripen Classic 3 UV water purifier which purifies a litre of water in one minute. It takes 4 AA batteries and we find that the Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries almost last long enough to purify about 8 litres of water a day for a 16 day trek. Always take spare batteries as the ones sold on the trail barely last a day! If the water source is frozen in the morning it can be necessary to revert to boiled water. LifeStraw water bottles filter water as you drink and are very popular now. Some reviewers on Amazon have mentioned a plastic taste, but that may vary with different models. You can buy various water filter pumps. I used one many years ago but I find the Steripen much easier to use. Some of the smaller filters, like the popular Sawyer , can be damaged if they ever freeze . 4. Showers, Charging and Internet 4.1 Showers Most lodges have gas or solar heated showers. It is probably best to skip showering when it's very cold to avoid getting sick. In 2022 the lodge at Namche included the shower in the rate; at Dingboche the shower cost NPR 600 and NPR 800 at Gokyo. 4.2 Charging of Electrical Devices All the tea houses on the Everest Base Camp trek usually provide charging of electrical devices. It was free at the start of the trek at places like Lukla, Phakding, Namche and Kyangjuma. At Pangboche we negotiated free charging but after that we had to pay. Our only record of what we paid was NPR 300 for charging a phone at Dzongla. It costs more to charge power banks. It isn't worth buying a solar panel purely for the Everest Base Camp trek, but if you already have one it will save a bit of money if you bring it along. Recently I used a 3 panel solar system attached to my back pack for trekking in Lower Dolpo and to Makalu Base Camp . It worked very well. 4.3 Internet We bought a Ncell package for the Everest Base Camp trek, but could only use it for internet as far as Namche. After that it was good for phone calls only which we didn't need. We got internet at all lodges, except at Lungdhen, usually costing NPR 500 per day. It is much cheaper to buy an Everest Link internet package in Lukla or Namche which will enable access to the internet at most lodges. The package costs NPR 1,999 for 10 GB and NPR 2,999 for 20 GB and lasts for 30 days. 5. Cost of Lodging, Food and Drink Post 4 of this linked Tripadvisor forum posting will give you an idea of the cost of food and drink in December 2021. Allow about $30 per person a day for room, food and hot drinks. You will need extra for showers and alcoholic/soft beverages. Always bring extra NPR in case, but you may be able to exchange USD. Your flight out of Lukla could be delayed, involving additional costs on food and lodging in Lukla or on alternative travel arrangements (helicopter or jeep). I always bring the tip for our guide and porter in NPR. If I run short of NPR I can use it for my expenses and tip them in USD. 6. Review of Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek 6.1 Phakding We stayed at the Mountain Resort in Phakding. It is on the west side of the river near the suspension bridge. It is a large lodge and we had a spacious room with a good attached bathroom. I forget the cost but it wasn’t expensive. There was only one other couple staying here so it was quiet, except for the TV in the dining room that the staff were watching! I managed to turn the volume down at first and then turn it off later! Groups do stay here and a smaller tea house would be preferable then. 6.2 Namche Bazaar There is a "cartel" in Namche controlling room rates and keeping them higher than they would otherwise be. In 2022 the rate for a room with an attached bathroom was NPR 2,000, which is higher than for lodges up the trail. There are numerous good tea houses in Namche Bazaar. I will just mention a couple that I have stayed at. A Tripadvisor Forum post had recommended the AD Friendship Lodge in Namche. We stayed in the room that he had mentioned which had an attached bathroom and a small balcony. It cost NPR 2,000 including hot showers. The lodge is comfortable but unfortunately it is popular with groups. We weren’t disturbed by noise at night. Porters and guides use the room below it and noise could be an issue. It may therefore be better to take another room, although none of the others have a balcony. In May 2014 we had stayed at Hotel Khangri and had a nice quiet corner room with an attached bathroom. The hotel is very clean and has a good dining room. It isn’t very big so probably not suitable for groups. It is more central and has excellent Tripadvisor reviews. It is about the same price as the AD Friendship lodge and I think it's better. 6.3 Khyangjuma We stayed at the Ama Dablam Lodge & Restaurant in Khyangjuma. The original hotel burnt down in 2017. When it was rebuilt the owner decided that all the rooms would have attached bathrooms with western toilets, sinks and showers. The cost was NPR 1,000, including showers and charging, which is half the very high rate charged by the hotels in Namche! The water pressure was weak on the upper floor. We enjoyed our stay there and the lodge has a huge terrace where trekkers can sit and enjoy the views if the weather is good. It wasn't when we were there! 6.4 Deboche We stayed at the Rivendell Lodge at Deboche in 2014 and liked it. Lani stayed there again in May 2022 and liked it even more! The owners were very helpful and friendly. They have a new wing which is of a western standard. The rooms in the new wing cost $50 which include hot showers, internet, charging, bed linen and even electric blankets! The rooms with attached bathrooms in the old wing cost NPR 3,500. As Lani was sick they gave her room in the new wing for NPR 4,000. In my opinion Deboche is a much nicer place to stay than Tengboche. The only advantage of staying in Tengboche is the proximity of the monastery and the bakery! 6.5 Pangboche We stayed at the Highland Sherpa Resort, which is in Lower Pangboche. We chose Lower Pangboche, which is about 100 metres below Upper Pangboche, to aid altitude acclimatisation. It cost NPR 1,500 for a room with an attached toilet and we negotiated free charging. There was a funny smell in the nicest corner rooms so we took one of the other rooms and it was fine. We were the only guests in the lodge so it was quiet. There was a bad smell in the corridor from the communal toilet however. The 360 View Hotel in Upper Pangboche received a very good write up in a November 2025 trip report on Tripadvisor. The trip report stated "We stayed in Upper Pangboche, at the 360 View hotel, which is relatively new and modern. We had a double glazed room with a private bathroom but the pipes had been frozen for a few days and the flushing toilets didn’t work, so they locked the bathroom and it became a standard room (with the consequent price drop). We were only 3 trekkers there that night. It was a lovely, very clean lodge, and the only one where they asked us to remove our boots and use their sandals to go into the rooms. They even offered to do our laundry for free!" The Highland Sherpa Lodge 6.6 Ama Dablam Base Camp/Mingbo There are 3 lodges near Ama Dablam Base Camp but in May 2022 only the Ama Dablam Base Camp Lodge was open. We only had lunch there and the dal baht was good. The lodge is mainly used by climbers. 6.7 Dingboche In 2014 we stayed at the Mountain Paradise Hotel in Dinboche. It certainly wasn’t paradise the first night! The next day it went from bad to worse when a large Indian group arrived. The smoky yak dung fire gave me the Khumbu cough for the rest of the trek. In May 2022 we stayed at the Hotel Tashi Delek which is fairly central on the east side of the path through Dingboche. We had a bright and comfortable corner room with an attached bathroom. The dining room and food were excellent and the lodge was run by a very pleasant couple. There were very few people staying there and it appeared that groups didn’t stay there. The Hotel Tashi Delek was expanded after our stay. I hope that doesn't result in groups staying there. A November 2025 trip report on the Tripadvisor forum stated " We stayed at the Tashi Delek lodge. Their ensuite rooms were 3000Rs, and the “deluxe” rooms with 24h power and hot showers in the room were 7000Rs but they offered us one for 6000Rs and we decided to splurge and pay the difference (our package included ensuite rooms where possible). They gave us a lovely sunny room, quite large and very warm. The dining room was nice and warm and they also have a sort of sun room next to it which has all day sun and is like a greenhouse, reaching 30°C easily." Hotel Tashi Delek Another November 2025 trip report recommended the Amadablam Lodge and it receives very good Google reviews. There are rooms with attached bathrooms and the newer rooms are in the annex. A room at the Amadablam Lodge in Dingboche The Peaceful Lodge & Restaurant burnt down in 2021 and has now been rebuilt. It has comfortable rooms with attached bathrooms and receives very good reviews. It's the first lodge on the right as you enter Dingboche. The Peaceful Lodge & Restaurant in Dingboche The Dingboche Inn has the best accommodation but also the most expensive. There are 3 luxury cabins with fireplaces and they have a good restaurant and bakery. A cabin would cost about $150 a night if reserved ahead of time. There may be better deals in the off season and if you just turn up. They have received excellent reviews . The Dingboche Inn A Cabin at the Dingboche Inn 6.8 Chukhung There aren’t any lodges with attached bathrooms at Chukhung. We stayed at the Khangri Resort , which is probably the biggest and best lodge in Chukhung. We were shown to a dark corner room on the bottom floor, which I accepted as I wasn’t feeling well. As we were having lunch our guide told us that there were better rooms upstairs and that the owner said we could change rooms. We ended up in a much better corner room which was bright and had good mountain views. Another advantage of being upstairs is that there were less trekkers and we had the large sun room to ourselves. The room cost NPR 500 and the hot shower, and the expensive internet, were extra. The Khangri Resort in Chukhung A November 2025 trip report on the Tripadvisor forum rated the Sunrise Eco Resort very highly. The report stated "The guide went around and found us a lovely room at Sunrise Eco Resort, new, large, double glazed and sunny. They have done some expansion recently and they have a number of new rooms on the second floor. I was pleasantly surprised at how warm it was inside." 6.9 Lobuche The accommodation in Lobuche has improved to some extent and there are more tea houses. I still wouldn't want to spend longer than necessary there, particularly when it is busy. The New EBC Lodge had been recommended on the Tripadvisor forum. There are only 2 ensuite rooms costing NPR 1,500 and we managed to get the last one in May 2022. Internet was NPR 500. I think it is the best lodge in Lobuche. It is also probably the most popular one and also used by groups You can reserve rooms but the reservations aren't always honoured, particularly if you arrive late. Our ensuite room had been reserved by someone else but we got there an hour before him! The New EBC Lodge at Lobuche Alpine Home has 3 rooms with attached bathrooms. On the Tripadvisor forum they mentioned that they might have had some flooding in the rooms resulting in a funny smell. We met a trekker who was staying in one of these rooms with attached bathrooms. He said it was fine initially as the lodge had used air freshener. The smell deteriorated and he had to move into a standard room. The lodge might have sorted this out now, but if you smell air freshener they haven't! We stayed at the Mother Earth House in 2014 and it was the newest, largest, swankiest and most expensive lodge in town. I think the rooms on the main floors were about $35 per night and $25 in the attic. They couldn't charge that much now, particularly since there are no attached bathrooms. Unfortunately Mother Earth House doesn't seem to have maintained standards and there have been some bad reviews. The Pyramid is an Italian research station 20 minutes north of Lobuche. It offers accommodation at the 8000 Inn . It's the most upmarket lodge in Lobuche and has received very good reviews on the Tripadvisor forum and Tripadvisor . Unfortunately it's popular with groups and doesn't have attached bathrooms. The 8000 Inn has various packages. One package has unlimited food, hot showers, a bath towel, electric blanket, in room charging, internet and costs $45. It's best to reserve a room as they can often be full. Their telephone number is +977 1 4518890. The Pyramid and 8000 Inn at Lobuche 6.10 Dzonglha The Hotel Green Valley in Dzongla had been recommended on the Tripadvisor forum. They have a few rooms with squat toilets. There are also pairs of rooms with a shared toilet. These units consist of a shared entrance hall leading off to 2 separate rooms and a shared toilet. There were very few trekkers at the lodge so we took 2 rooms with a shared attached toilet at NPR 500 per room. The food at the lodge was good and the owner was helpful. In winter the rooms with attached bathrooms might be closed due to frozen water as was the case in December 2022. Hotel Green Valley in Dzongla The Cholatse Inn is the newest tea house in Dzonglha and received a rave review in a November 2025 trip report on Tripadvisor. The trip report stated "Cholatse lodge, a brand new lodge with proper insulation, double glazing, and even LED lights and nice blinds in the room. None of the rooms have ensuite toilets but the shared toilets are excellent. We had power sockets in the room. The dining room is really well put together, and has amazing views of AD." Another November 2025 trip report also recommended the Cholatse Guest House. The Trip Report stated " We stayed at Cholatse Guest House, which has recently been renovated, has a very nice, sunny dining room, and was generally quite warm. Very helpful staff as well." 6.11 Dragnag/Thangnak I stayed at the new Hotel Khumbi-La & Restaurant in Dragnag which has at least 4 rooms with attached bathrooms, a good dining room and a sun room. A room with an attached bathroom costs NPR 1,000 (normally NPR 1,500) and the standard rooms were NPR 500. Internet cost NPR 500. I enjoyed my stay there. The Hotel Khumbi - La in Thangnak The Tashi Friendship Lodge also has some rooms with attached bathrooms. The Tashi Friendship Lodge in Thangnak 6.12 Gokyo The Gokyo Resort is currently the best lodge in Gokyo and has excellent reviews . There was a discussion about it on the Tripadvisor forum in November 2024. The Gokyo Resort Gokyo Thanka Inn on the lake shore was the nicest and priciest lodge at Gokyo in 2022. Rooms were $35 a night but they were offering the rooms at $25 a night in May 2022. A November 2025 trip report on Tripadvisor recommended this tea house. In 2025 the full rate for a room in high season was $45 but in the offseason the rooms cost NPR 2,500. Gokyo Thanka Inn I stayed at the Cho-Oyu View Lodge which is on the lake shore next to the Thanka Inn. The lodge is new and has double glazed windows. I didn't think that there were any rooms with attached bathrooms but apparently there is at least one . I had an upstairs corner room with a lake view for NPR 500. This lodge is very comfortable. Cho-Oyo View Lodge in Gokyo The Fitzroy Inn has some rooms with attached bathrooms. It gets good reviews but is used by groups. I had a good lunch there and they also have a bakery. It isn't on the lake but north facing rooms have lake views. 6.13 Pheriche The Edelweiss Pheriche has attached bathrooms and gets excellent reviews. In 2014 we stayed at the Himalayan Hotel in Pheriche which gets good Google reviews . It had a very good dining room and there were some attached bathrooms. 6.14 Lungden I stayed at the Renjo Pass Support Lodge in Lungden which has old and new wings. The rooms in the new wing all have an attached squat toilet (no sink) and cost R500. The food was good and the owner was very welcoming. They lit a fire in the evening even though it wasn't very cold. There was no internet when I stayed there in May 2022. Renjo Pass Support Lodge at Lungden 6.15 Lukla In Lukla it is important to stay at a lodge with good airline connections in case your flight is cancelled. The lodge we stayed at in 2014 couldn't help with the airlines when bad weather cancelled flights and it was very stressful. In May 2022 our guide said that their agency always used the Lukla Numbur Hotel as the owner had good airline connections, having worked for one of the airlines. We agreed to stay at this hotel even though we feared it could be a bit of a dump. We were very pleasantly surprised as it is a very comfortable modern hotel just behind Lukla airport. There are two buildings and I think most rooms have attached bathrooms. We were given a room in the annex building as there was a group of noisy women from the UAE in the main building. The owners were very friendly and helpful. When rain delayed our early morning flight they told us to stay in the dining room and they would let us know when to go to the airport. At midday we were told to go to the airport as flights were coming in from Kathmandu. When we got to the airport the owner and our guide had already checked in our luggage and got our boarding passes. Lukla Numbur Hotel The Hikers Inn in Lukla receives very good review and has rooms with attached bathrooms. The owner seems to have a connection with the manager of Tara Airlines. 7. Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp Kathmandu to Lukla and Back What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Forum Posts, Vlogs & Webcams for Everest Base Camp Trek Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

The View from Renjo La Contents Tripadvisor Posts Vlogs Webcam Nepal Live (Lukla, Namche, Khumjung & Pheriche) Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs 1. Tripadvisor Posts for the Everest Base Camp Trek My blogs on trekking in the Everest Region are based on my trek to Everest Base Camp in May 2014 and the Everest 3 Passes trek in May 2022. See my blog Trip Report for the Everest 3 Passes Trek . I am also an active participant on the Tripadvisor forum for Nepal. I follow this forum every day and obtain a lot of useful and up to date information. I have included some of this information in my blogs. It can be difficult to find relevant and useful trip reports on the Tripadvisor forum later on. I have therefore listed below some of the best trip reports regarding the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks. For easy reference the headings are linked to the posts on Tripadvisor. Some of the posts have over 300 threads and in such instances I have provided a summary of the most relevant and helpful postings. 1.1 Trip Report for the 3 Passes Trek in November/ December 2025 This trek started in mid November 2025 which would normally be an excellent time for 3 Passes trek. The crowds of trekkers are thinning and clear skies are more or less guaranteed. Usually snow isn't an issue until mid December and therefore most of the ground would be clear of snow and ice, except of course on the glaciers. Unfortunately the weather in late 2025 was very unusual. Firstly there was heavy snow in early October. This has happened before and heavy snow in early October 2022 blocked many of the passes in the Dolpo region when I was trekking there. The early October snow hadn't yet completely cleared at higher altitude when another cyclone hit Nepal at the end of October 2025. This was very unusual as cyclones are usually only a risk up to mid October. The snow closed the passes for a few days and then the Sherpas opened the main trail. However, the snow and ice made the 3 Passes trek much more difficult than usual and micro spikes were essential. 1.2 Khumbu Trek Report - November 2025 The trek started at Jhapre and from there it took one week to reach Namche Bazaar via Pikey Peak. From Namche Bazaar they hiked up to Chukhung but didn't cross the Kongma La. They took the standard route to Lobuche and Gorak Shep. After Everest Base Camp they joined the 3 Passes circuit and crossed the Cho La and Renjo La. 1.3 Warning: Heavy Smoke Across Nepal This 2024 post highlights the problem from wild fires and pollution in Nepal during Spring. This wasn't the first year that it has happened but Spring of 2024 was particularly bad. Internal flights in Nepal were cancelled and this included flights to Lukla for trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek. Views on the Everest Base Camp trek were affected by the pollution particularly at lower altitude. The wild fires were put out by rain on 6th May 2024. In the past the pollution from wild fires hasn't been a problem from about this date. See my blog When to do the Everest Base Camp Trek . 1.4 How My Guide Almost Killed Me on the Everest 3 Passes Trek This Thorntree trip report about the Everest 3 Passes trek was written by a Canadian lady in 2014. She had a bad guide and they got lost in poor weather when crossing the Ngozumpa glacier near Gokyo. They spent the night on the Ngozumpa glacier and she suffered frost bite as a result. It is a fascinating trip report and highlights the risk in crossing the 2 glaciers on the Everest 3 Passes trek. In May 2022 I met several trekkers who had got lost on the Khumbu glacier after crossing the Kongma La. Luckily the weather was clear and warm. See my blog Guides, Porters & Trekking Agencies in Nepal . 1.5 Trekking in Nepal after April 1st 2023 - Live Reports The Nepal Tourist Board unsuccessfully tried to ban independent trekking in Nepal from April 2023. This post provides information on this matter. 1.6 A Trek in the Khumbu in October/November 2021 This is a very interesting, and informative, trip report for the Everest 3 Passes trek from a German trekker (aka Dharma Bum) who travels very lightly. He walks to Everest Base Camp from Dhap and does the Everest 3 passes trek. His backpack weighed 4.26 kgs ! He didn't take a sleeping bag even though he did the Everest 3 Passes trek in November. He used the lodges' not so clean blankets and duvets. He is a fast trekker so take that into account when he mentions trekking times. Before the trek he asked Tripadvisor forum members to critique his proposed itinerary for his Everest 3 Passes trek. After the trek he posted trip reports for his 29 day trek. It ends up being a very long thread with 192 posts from himself and other trekkers, many of whom know the Everest 3 Passes and Base Camp treks very well. If you just want to read his trips reports these are the relevant links: Post 114 - Day 1 (Dhap) to Day 3 (Junbesi) Post 118 - Day 4 (Junbesi) to Day 8 (Namche Bazaar) Post 125 - Day 9 (Namche Bazaar) to Day 12 (Pangboche) Post 136 - Day 13 (Dingboche) to Day 16 (Lobuche) Post 140 - Day 17 (Pangboche) to Day 21 (Gokyo) Post 144 - Day 22 (Gokyo) to Day 27 (Namche Bazaar) Post 153 - Day 28 (Namche Bazaar) to Day 29 (Lukla) 1.7 Three Passes Trek Report - Spring 2022 An entertaining, informative and well written live trip report on the Everest 3 Passes trek from an American (Ling) based in Thailand. He has done the Everest 3 passes trek numerous times but until now always in the winter months. His Everest 3 Passes trek started on 30th March 2022 when the number of trekkers was fairly low due to Covid. There are 302 posts in this thread due to all the feedback from Tripadvisor forum members! Post 1 - Day 1: Flight to Lukla & trek to Namche Bazaar Post 21 - Day 2: "Rest day" in Namche and his day hike to Mong and Khumjung. Post 29 - Day 3: Namche Bazaar to Phortse Post 117 - Day 4: Phortse to Dingboche Post 148 - Day 5: Dingboche to Chukhung Post 170 - Day 6: "Rest day" in Chukhung Post 175 - Day 7: Chukhung to Lobuche via Kongma La Pass Post 180 - Day 8: Lobuche to Dzonglha Post 198 - Day 9: Dzonglha to Gokyo via the Cho La Pass Post 211 - Days 10 & 11: "Rest days" in Gokyo Post 232 - Day 12: Day hike from Gokyo to Renjo La Pass Post 256 - Day 13: Rest day in Gokyo Post 272 - Day 14: Gokyo to Namche Bazaar via Renjo La Pass Post 292 - Days 15–18: 3 Rest days in Namche Bazaar & the walk back to Lukla 1.8 EBC and Three Passes Trek Report - December 2022 Another Everest 3 Passes trip report by Ling! Post 7 - Day 1: Kathmandu to Namche Bazaar Post 9 - Day 2: Rest day around Namche Bazaar Post 24 - Day 3: Namche Bazaar to Phortse Post 41 - Day 4: Phortse to Dingboche Post 53 - Day 5: Dingboche to Chukhung Post 58 - Day 6: "Rest day" in Chukhung with a stroll up Chukhung Ri Post 69 - Day 7: Chukhung to Lobuche via the Kongma La Pass Post 77 - Day 8: Lobuche to Dzonglha Post 81 - Day 9: Dzongla – Cho La Pass - Dragnag Post 96 - Day 10: Dragnag to Gokyo & Climb up Gokyo Ri Post 111 - Day 11: Hike to Gokyo Fifth Lake & Scoundrel's Viewpoint Post 132 - Day 12: Gokyo to Thame via the Renjo La Pass 1.9 Trekking off the main trails in the Khumbu - October 2022 A trip report for an extremely exploratory trek in the Everest/Khumbu region. A lot of what he did is beyond the capability of the average trekker. That definitely includes me! The posts of interest to the ordinary trekker, looking to do side hikes during the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks, are: Post 13 - The trail southwards of Thame that climbs up to Kongde and then descends to Toktok. Post 17 - Sunder Peak (5,368 metres) north west of Thame Post 33 - Lodges at Thyangbo (4,320 metres) on the way from Thame to Tashi Lasbsta 1.10 A Scenic Side Trail between Lobuche and Gorak Shep Post 142 provides details of a very scenic route that runs from the Pyramid Lodge (north of Lobuche) towards Gorak Shep. It runs above, and parallel to the main Everest Base Camp trail. The trail is very scenic and not difficult. It is also possible to walk westwards from this path up a grassy slope to about 5,300 metres. 1.11 Daily Meal & Beverage Costs for the EBC 3 Passes Trek from Jiri Post 4 is by Ling again and he details all the daily meal and beverage costs he incurred during his December 2021 Everest 3 passes trek. Costs will have increased since then! 1.12 Pikey Peak on the way to the EBC Trek - where to sleep & eat? This Tripadvisor forum post provides pre Covid information on the trek from Dhap to Namche Bazaar. It is a thread of 20 posts with contributions from some trekkers who have hiked a lot in Nepal. 1.13 Dhap to Pikey Peak Trek Information Another more recent Tripadvisor forum post on the Pikey Peak trek from early 2022. It is a thread of 59 posts. 1.14 Boudhanath This post provides a lot of information on accommodation, restaurants and what to see at Boudhanath. 1.15 Everest 3 Passes Trek Report - December 2023 A trip report for Ling's Everest 3 passes trek in December 2023. In post 138 (written on 4 January 2024) he recounts his near fatal fall while crossing the Ngozumpa glacier near Gokyo! 1.16 A Guide to Side Trips in the Khumbu/Everest Region Information about alternative trails and day hikes when doing the Everest 3 passes and Everest Base Camp treks. 1.17 Number of Trekkers doing the EBC Trek in early November 2024 This post provides information about the number of trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek in the first half of November 2024. Surprisingly it didn't appear too busy as usually it is a very popular and busy period. See my blog When to do the Everest Base Camp Trek . 2. Vlogs There are quite a few interesting vlogs covering the Everest 3 passes and Everest Base Camp treks. Watching one or two will give you a feel for the scenery and what to expect. I find that they usually provide little factual information and are not that useful for planning the Everest Base Camp trek. I have provided links to a few of the better English speaking ones. 2.1 Everest Three Passes Trek This is a vlog by an Australian couple who were driving from Australia to Europe. They drove from Kathmandu to Salleri in their vehicle and then did the Everest 3 Passes trek in 21 days. They were later arrested and imprisoned for almost 3 months in Iran for flying a drone! 2.2 Motor Bike to Bupsa & then the Everest Base Camp Trek This is a video by a Nepalese couple who ride a motorbike from Kathmandu to Tham Danda, which is north of Bupsa. It gives a good idea of the road if you want to drive in rather than fly to Lukla. The road appears better than I thought it would be, but after rain it would probably be a mess. After walking to Namche Bazaar they take the standard route to Everest Base Camp. The only thing I didn't like was that they took a helicopter back from Gorak Shep. 2.3 Gokyo Trek (Part 1) - Lukla to Ama Dablam Base Camp The trekker is German so there is also a German version of this vlog. It covers the first part of his trek to Gokyo. He first hiked to Ama Dablam Base Camp to acclimatize. 2.4 Gokyo Trek (Part 2) - Pangboche to Gokyo This video is of his trek up the Gokyo Valley to Gokyo and then back to Namche via the Renjo La and Thame. 3. Webcam Live Nepal This YouTube site has links to several webcams set up along the trail for the Everest Base Camp trek. There are webcams at Lukla airport, Namche Bazaar, the Everest View Hotel above Namche Bazaar, Khumjung and Pheriche. This is very useful when you are sitting at Kathmandu or Ramechhap airport wondering if the weather will improve in Lukla so your flight can take off! 4. Links to my other Everest Base Camp Trek Blogs My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek Day Hikes on the Everest Base Camp Trek Lodges and Tea Houses on the Everest Base Camp Trek When to trek to Everest Base Camp What to take for the Everest Base Camp Trek Kathmandu to Lukla and Back Guides, Porters and Trekking Agencies

Mount Jannu I did the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek with a porter/guide in November 2023 and this is a daily summary of my trek. I have also written blogs about Planning the Kanchenjunga trek , the Tea Houses on the Kanchenjunga trek and Day Hikes on the Kanchenjunga Trek . Contents Map of the Kanchenjunga Trek 8 September 2023 - Training for the Kanchenjunga Trek 24 October 2023 - Flight from London to Kathmandu 25 October 2023 - Arrival in Kathmandu 26 October 2023 - Trekking Permit & Monkey Temple 27 October 2023 - Patan & Bouddhanath 28 October 2023 - Packing & Durbar Square 29 October 2023 - Kathmandu to Taplejung 30 October 2023 - Taplejung to Chirwa 31 October 2023 - Chirwa to Sekathum 1 November 2023 - Sekathum to Thangyam 2 November 2023 - Thangyam to Phale 3 November 2023 - Phale to Ghunsa 4 November 2023 - Ghunsa 5 November 2023 - Ghunsa to Khambachen 6 November 2023 - Khambachen & Jannu Viewpoint 7 November 2023 - Khambachen to Lhonak 8 November 2023 - Lhonak 9 November 2023 - Lhonak to Pangpema & Back 10 November 2023 - Lhonak to Ghunsa 11 November 2023 - Ghunsa to Sele La High Camp 12 November 2023 - Selele High Camp to Tseram 13 November 2023 - Tseram to Ramche 14 November 2023 - Ramche to Tortong 15 November 2023 - Tortong to Kengsra 16 November 2023 - Kengsra to Taplejung 17 November 2023 - Taplejung to Bhadrapur 18 November 2023 - Bhadrapur to Kathmandu Links to My Other Blogs on the Kanchenjunga Trek Map of the Kanchenjunga Trek 8 September 2023 - Training for the Kanchenjunga Trek I did training hikes on the South West coastal path in Cornwall to prepare for my Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek. There is a path just minutes away from our house and it provides excellent training as it has a lot of ascent and descent. I had regularly walked this path but on September 8th I put my left foot too close to the path edge and twisted my ankle. For the next five weeks I had to have regular treatment from a chiropractor and could only do limited walking on country roads.  That wasn’t good fitness training! The chiropractor felt that I should postpone my treks until the following year as 35 days of trekking would be too much for my ankle. Ten days before my departure date I was able to resume walking on trails and build up my fitness a bit. I decided to go to Nepal and try to do the Kanchenjunga and Langtang treks. 24 October 2023 - Flight from London to Kathmandu I had booked my flight with Qatar Airways in February, departing London on 26 October and arriving in Kathmandu on Friday 27 October. The flights to Nepal had become expensive since Covid and I was pleased to have got a relatively good deal. In August it suddenly occurred to me that I would be arriving in Kathmandu on a weekend as the weekend in Nepal is on Friday and Saturday. The Department of  Immigration issues the trekking permits for restricted areas like Kanchenjunga and their website showed the office closes in the early afternoon on Friday and reopens on Sunday. My flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur was booked for early Sunday morning and for various reasons I didn’t want to postpone this flight. This meant that I had to fly out to Kathmandu earlier and it cost an extra USD 370! An expensive mistake and I also had to pay for 2 extra night’s accommodation in Kathmandu. Lani kindly drove me to Heathrow, which is a four hour drive from our house. The flight took off on time and the flight was as pleasant as it could be in economy class! 25 October 2023 - Arrival in Kathmandu The plane landed in the late afternoon and I managed to buy the visa and get through Immigration very quickly. I was very happy when my 2 bags quickly appeared on the carousel. I always worry about losing luggage and the problems that would involve. I carry my hiking boots in my hand luggage as it would be very difficult to find comfortable replacement boots in Thamel. Last year I stayed at Hotel Thamel House which had only opened a year ago. It was at a very good rate of $50 a night and I was upgraded to a spacious room with a balcony. Unfortunately this year the room rate had doubled so I had to look elsewhere. The new Everest Boutique Hotel in Thamel had been recommended on the Tripadvisor forum and I had booked a room with a balcony for $50 a night. I was very happy with my room and the hotel. Unfortunately it will probably become more popular and the room rates will increase. 26 October 2023 - Trekking Permit & Monkey Temple At 09.00 I met the owner, and his partner, of the trekking agency ( Enjoy Nepal Treks ) . I had to pay for the Kanchenjunga trek and give them my passport so they could obtain the trekking permit from the Immigration Department. I was concerned because the Immigration Department was only open for 2 hours due to the festival of Dashain. The Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek is in a restricted area and at least 2 foreigners must trek together. A solo trekker can circumvent this rule by submitting someone else’s passport (with a valid visa in it) to Immigration. They will then issue a “Ghost Permit” for someone you will never trek with.  One of the reasons that I selected Enjoy Nepal Treks is that their website stated they could obtain “Ghost Trekking Permits” for solo trekkers. I had to pay for 2 trekking permits for Kanchenjunga costing $60 each plus a $35 fee to cover Enjoy Nepal Treks' extra work. I was very happy when Enjoy Nepal Treks called me a couple of hours later to say they had obtained the permits and wanted to return my passport. Luckily they had a contact in Immigration or they may not have succeeded. There was a long line up of people trying to obtain permits during the two hour opening period. The ghost permit was for a young Indian lady who I never met! When on the trek the standard ploy is to state at the permit check points that your trekking partner became sick and had to turn back. I have never heard of a problem arising from doing this. During my meeting with Enjoy Nepal Treks I checked if my porter/guide would carry a duffel bag like most porters do. I was informed that my porter/guide was more of a guide and would need a rucksack.  The guide (Jiwan) was therefore quickly summoned to the hotel so we could go around the shops in Thamel to select a rucksack. Jiwan was 47 years old and seemed very pleasant.  I wanted the largest rucksack possible as I also had a tent and air mattress. The largest rucksacks in Kathmandu are 90 litres and I bought one for NPR 4,500 ($35). It seemed that it would be large enough if my tent was strapped to the outside, which was what I did last year for the Makalu base camp trek (see my blog Planning the Makalu Base Camp Trek ) . In the afternoon I took a taxi over to the Monkey Temple. I would usually have walked but I was still a bit concerned about my ankle. I have been there 3 times before and the last time was a year ago. However, it is always a pleasant outing and good to get off the busy streets of Kathmandu. The View of the Monkey Temple from the Everest Boutique Hotel The Monkey Temple in Kathmandu The Monkey Temple in Kathmandu The Monkey Temple in Kathmandu A View of Kathmandu from the Monkey Temple 27 October 2023 - Patan & Bouddhanath Last year I spent half a day in Patan and really enjoyed it. It is possible to walk on the streets without worrying about being hit by motorcycles and cars. I no longer enjoy walking around Kathmandu as there is just too much traffic and very few sidewalks.  Unfortunately Kathmandu has been spoiled in the 30 years since I first went there. In 1994 I felt safe cycling around Kathmandu and the surrounding villages. I wouldn’t dream of doing that now and would have difficulty in finding my way around. I therefore decided to visit Patan’s Durbar Square again and walk around the streets and temples to the south and north of it. Durbar Square in Patan Durbar Square in Patan Durbar Square in Patan Durbar Square in Patan Durbar Square in Patan The Golden Temple in Patan Street in Patan I visited the residence of the Kumari (living Goddess) of Patan for the first time. It is easy to visit her in a room in her squalid “palace” whereas it is difficult to see the Kumari of Kathmandu. It is sad to see a young girl cooped up and it can’t be a nice life. The Kumari in Patan Afterwards I took a taxi from Patan to Bouddhanath and circumambulated the famous stupa numerous times. It is an atmospheric place and fantastic for people watching. Bouddhanath Stupa Bouddhanath Stupa Bhuddhists circumambulating the Bouddanath Stupa 28 October 2023 - Packing & Durbar Square I spent the morning buying a few things for the trek and packing my rucksack. The porter/guide carries up to 15 kilograms but the owner said that I could exceed that. Unfortunately my tent and air mattress were bulky and weighed 4 kilograms. I took the tent in case the tea houses on the Kanchenjunga trek were full. I planned to spend 2 nights at Kanchenjunga north base camp at Pangpema, which is at an altitude of 5,140 metres. At night it is very cold there and in the past there has been a lack of blankets.  Last year I was cold when camping in Lower Dolpo with my -13 centigrade Rab sleeping bag. I therefore bought a new and expensive Mountain Equipment -30 centigrade down sleeping bag that weighs 1.5 kg. Unfortunately it is bulky and takes up a lot of space in the rucksack. In the afternoon I walked to Durbar Square in Kathmandu. The buildings in Durbar Square are in much better shape than when I was last there. However, they are still repairing some buildings that were badly damaged by the 2015 earthquake. Durbar Square is always very busy with locals and tourists. I prefer Patan’s Durbar Square which is quieter and in better condition. Durbar Square in Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathandu The Kumari Ghar in Kathmandu's Durbar Square A Temple in Kathmandu's Durbar Square Temples in Kathmandu's Durbar Square A temple in Kathmandu's Durbar Square Kathmandu's Durbar Square 29 October 2023 - Kathmandu to Taplejung I had arranged with my guide (Jiwan) to meet me at my hotel at 06.00 and then to find a taxi to take us to the airport. I was a bit concerned about finding a taxi at that time.  However, the evening before the flight Enjoy Nepal Treks' owner recommended that I leave for the airport at 05.00. That seemed way too early since the flight was at 07.40. We compromised with a time of 05.45 and the owner kindly said that his partner would bring Jiwan to my hotel and help obtain a taxi. I should clarify that my personal arrangement with Enjoy Nepal was just to provide a porter/guide for $25 a day, obtain the permits and arrange the flight to Bhadrapur.  The itinerary for the trek, the ground transportation, my meals and my accommodation was my responsibility and the costs for my account. That is what I wanted rather than a more expensive full service trek package. Enjoy Nepal Treks could have provided a full service package if I had requested it. I got up at 05.00 and by the time I got to the hotel reception at 05.45 Jiwan had already found a taxi. At that time of the day there was hardly any traffic and I arrived at the airport at 06.15. It was way too early and we couldn’t even check in! Any way better safe than sorry as I didn’t want to miss my flight. Jiwan and I are about to leave for the aiport I made sure that I got a front seat on the left side when checking in so I would have good mountain views. Our flight was slightly delayed and my guide and I arrived at Bhadrapur at 09.15. It is a small airport and in front of it is a large parking area for taxis. There is a sign showing the fixed price per destination and the cost to Taplejung, where the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek starts, was NPR 20,000 ($150).  We were allocated a driver who had a Datsun hatchback. I was initially sceptical that a saloon car would make it but Jiwan assured me it would be fine. I hadn’t realised that the road to Taplejung was tarred. I had thought the road would be horrendous like the access road for last year’s Makalu base camp trek . It was a 9 hour drive to Taplejung. It wasn't a safe drive on the winding and mountainous roads as the driver took too many risks when overtaking. On the way we passed the tea plantations at Ilam. Ilam is very popular with Nepali tourists and the viewpoints are commercialised and tacky.  Viewpoint of the Tea Plantations at Kanyam in the Ilam District A View of a Tea Plantation at Kanyam A few sections of the road were in poor condition but not too bad. We stopped on the way for breakfast and lunch and arrived at Taplejung in the dark at around 18.30. Some trekkers break up this journey by spending the night in Ilam. I just wanted to get it over and done with. Jiwan (left) and the Driver waiting for Breakfast The hotels in Taplejung used to be awful but I had found good Google reviews for 3 hotels. We went to all 3 of these hotels. They looked fine but they were all busy with pilgrims. It was probably due to Dashain. As the pilgrims wake up at around 04.00 to go to the temple I knew I would have a very disturbed night's sleep at these hotels. I was about to give up and choose one of those three hotels when Jiwan suggested trying the nearby Hotel Blue Star. He had stayed there before and said it was okay. I was sceptical but went to have a look. I decided to stay there as only 1 other room was occupied and it seemed quiet. The bonus was that it was only R1,000 ($7.50) per night for a room with an attached bathroom whereas the other hotels cost around R4,000 ($30). 30 October 2023 - Taplejung to Chirwa It was surprisingly quiet during the night and I had a good night’s sleep. I had fried rice for breakfast as there was very little else on offer. All the food at the hotel was cheap and the dal bhat for dinner only cost NPR 200 ($1.50). Jiwan informed me that the first day of my planned Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek, from Taplejung to Chirwa, was along an unpleasant and dusty road. He suggested that we take a shared jeep instead.  Luckily I had done my homework and I knew there were 2 jeep tracks to Chirwa. Jiwan was referring to the eastern “road” that goes via Lingkhim. I planned to walk along the quiet western jeep track via Mitlung. I had considered taking a jeep but time wasn’t an issue.   We started walking at 08.30 and had to first walk up to the centre of Taplejung. Taplejung looked to be a nice enough town. From there we walked on rough jeep tracks mainly. Fortunately there was very little traffic on this "road" and it was a pleasant walk.  Taplejung A Swing Constructed for the Festival of Dashain We descended about 1,100 metres to the village of Mitlung where we had dal bhat for lunch. It again only cost R 200 ($1.50). There were 2 French trekkers (father and daughter) there and they were the only trekkers we saw on the trail that day. We continued walking on to the village of Sinwa in very hot weather. Jiwan was really suffering from the heat. He was wearing long trousers and had his personal backpack on his front and my rucksack on his back. I think tomorrow he will put his pack on top of mine like I had suggested at the start of the day! Hydro Electric Dam near Mitlung My plan had been to stay at Sinwa but Jiwan continued walking on to Chirwa. I didn’t say anything as I was happy to do this. This meant ascending 300 metres and walking almost another 3 hours. We reached Chirwa (1,185 metres) at 17.00 and the first tea house was more or less full with 5 trekkers. They had one spare room but it didn’t look great. We therefore went across to the only other tea house and it was empty. It was a basic tea house but better than the ones on last year's Makalu Base Camp trek. There were plenty of spiders in the communal toilet but they weren’t large. It was a hard first day of trekking with 8 hours of actual walking in hot and sunny conditions. Chirwa I stayed here at the Kanchanjunga Guest House in Chirwa 31 October 2023 - Chirwa to Sekathum I had another good night's sleep and I was finally over the jet lag. The bill for dinner, breakfast and the room was only R1,470 ($11) of which R500 was for the room. Jiwan and I started hiking from Chirwa (1,185 metres) at 08.30. For the first three hours we were in the shade which made it easier. The trail and scenery were very pleasant. It is now possible to go by jeep from Chirwa to Sekathum but I was pleased to be walking. It took us 4.5  hours to hike to the village of Sekathum (1,650 metres). This was our intended destination for tonight but we hiked on for another 30 minutes to the tiny settlement of Itahari. The next tea house was a 4.5 hour walk away and we were too tired to walk there. My leg was also hurting a bit from yesterday’s long walk and my lack of fitness. There were only 4 simple and clean rooms in the tea house. Some Nepali men who live in the UK passed by and I had a good chat with them. A Greek trekker and his guide came to stay later on and we were the only 2 trekkers staying at the tea house. He seemed to be smoking a foul smelling cigar but it turned out to be weed. Cardamom I stayed at the Itahari Hotel and Lodge 1 November 2023 - Sekathum to Thangyam The tea house was expensive and the cost for all meals and lodging came to R2,900 ($22). They didn’t have a menu so I didn’t know the prices until I settled the bill.  We set off from Sekathum (1,650 metres) at 07.45 and the trail immediately ascended steeply. After a while we crossed a suspension bridge and then followed a path constructed along the side of the mountain and just above the river. It was a proper trail today as the jeep track has ended. We hiked 850 metres up to the village of Amjilosa (2,498 metres) and it took us 4 hours. We had a lunch of dal bhat there. As it had to be freshly cooked the lunch took an hour. The initial Steep Ascent from Itahari There are 2 tea houses at Amjilosa and we had lunch at the basic older one. I had a look at the rooms and they were gloomy and had several beds in each room. The owners told me that a week ago both the tea houses were full and trekkers were sleeping in the dining rooms. I was very glad that I hadn’t started the trek any earlier. The Greek trekker’s guide had told us that there was a new lodge at Thangyam (2,405 metres) which was another 2 hours along the trail to Kanchenjunga Base Camp. We therefore decided to make our way there as it was too early to stop at Amjilosa and I wasn’t impressed with the tea house. I stayed at the Hotel Shingi Namjong at Thangyam The lodge at Thangyam was very nice and cost R500 per night. It was constructed in 2019 but because of Covid was only opened last year. The guy running it spoke perfect English and was very welcoming. He gave me a corner room as requested.  There was a fancy menu with western dishes but I stuck with Dal bhat! This was the first tea house which had a menu. There was a really good shower room, although there was only cold water. I had my first shower for 4 days and it was my last one until I got back to Taplejung on 16 November! The Greek trekker and the French father and daughter were also staying at the tea house. The Greek was pretty stoned as he was smoking weed and drinking Tongba! He was about 50 years old. He irritated me as he played music on a blue tooth speaker whilst walking. This was his first visit to Nepal and thought he knew a lot about Nepal but he was often wrong. The French trekkers’ guide told me that one of his trekkers on the Kanchenjunga trek had to be evacuated last year due to altitude sickness. He then told me that they had only spent 1 night at Khambachen (4,145 metres) whereas the norm is 2 nights. I told him that and he didn’t like it. Later I was speaking to the French father and he was concerned about altitude sickness as he had suffered from it before. When he told me that he was only spending 1 night at Khambachen I strongly advised him to spend 2 nights.  I couldn’t understand why they were only spending 1 night there as they had more days than me for their Kanchenjunga trek. The guide didn’t like me interfering. I was pleased that when I last saw the French trekkers at Lhonak they told me they had spent 2 nights at Khambachen. A noisy Nepali family was staying at the tea house and spent the evening dancing around a fire outside. Thankfully the manager got them to be quiet and go to their rooms at 21.00.  I slept well but started to feel a bit cold in the early morning as the tea house is at 2,400 metres. I had been using the tea houses' duvets so far with my silk liner sleeping bag. I hadn't yet used my new Mountain Equipment -30 centigrade sleeping bag that cost £650. I thought it would be too warm at lower altitude on the Kanchenjunga trek. I will use it tonight as I will be sleeping at 3,200 metres and it will be even colder. 2 November 2023 - Thangyam to Phale My stay at Thangyam cost R1,470 ($11) and my lunch on the trail was R250 ($2). Therefore when taking into account the $25 cost of my porter/guide the total cost for the day was only $38. We started walking at 07.45 on a steep trail that ascended 300 metres to the tea houses at Gyabla (2,725 metres). Gyabla is a very pleasant spot and we must have spent an hour there. There are 2 or 3 tea houses and one of them is large and modern. We continued walking  up to Phale (3,215 metres) and I met a young Nepalese woman coming down the trail. She told me that she was a guide for a group of German and Canadian trekkers doing the trek to Kanchenjunga Base Camp. They had been staying in Ghunsa, which is where I am going tomorrow. She said that a guy working at the Sherpa Guest House in Ghunsa had followed her to her room and forced his way in. He then tried to rape her but she managed to fight him off. The owner of the tea house wouldn't take any action. So she found a temporary guide for her group whilst she was hiking back down to report the matter to the police. We arrived at Phale at 13.30. The few other trekkers on the trail had just finished having lunch there and were walking another 1.5 hours on to Ghunsa. I was in no rush and decided to stay in a simple, but clean, tea house. I ended up being the only trekker in Phale for the night. I stayed at the Lhasa Guest House in Phale Another reason for spending the night there was for acclimatisation as Phale is at an altitude of 3,215 metres. As I was planning to climb Drohmo Ri East (5,935 metres) from Kanchenjunga north base camp I needed to be better acclimatised than most trekkers. Phale is an interesting local village with a monastery. It is a Buddhist settlement and probably the most authentic village on the Kanchenjunga circuit. Phale I had a late lunch of dal bhat in the tea house’s Tibetan kitchen. I tried Tibetan butter tea for the first time and didn't like it. I had enough dal bhat for 1 day and ordered vegetable fried noodles for supper. Making Tibetan Butter Tea Two dogs at the neighbouring tea house were barking incessantly all evening. Luckily they stopped at 22.15 so I could sleep. There was a cow, with its bell clanging, by my room during the night but it was a pleasant sound. During the night the temperature dropped to 5 centigrade in my room and 2 centigrade outside. It will get a lot colder as I ascend to Kanchenjunga Base Camp! I was warm in my new sleeping bag. 3 November 2023 - Phale to Ghunsa There was no rush in setting off today as my next stop was Ghunsa which was only a 1.5 hour walk away. At 07.00 we walked over to the nearby monastery where the monks had started praying. The monastery is only 50 years old and there are 4 Tibetan monks living there. The scenery on the walk to Ghunsa (3,415 metres) was stunning. The trail runs along the river. The foliage on the larch trees had turned golden and there were snow capped mountains in the background. Larch Trees My guide had reserved a small detached hut with an attached toilet at the Peaceful Guest House. It cost R800 ($6) per night and had free charging of electrical devices. I had a very poor dal bhat for lunch and it was by far the worst of the entire trek. The Cottages at the Peaceful Guest House in Ghunsa I found out later that there was a large group of 16 Italian trekkers arriving the next day. I don’t like busy tea houses and groups can be very noisy. Also the Peaceful Guest House has a lot of bedrooms but the dining room is small. I therefore decided to move to another smaller tea house with a similar detached hut the next morning. It was recommended to me by 2 Spanish trekkers. I could have hiked 600 metres up to a viewpoint this afternoon. However, I didn't as my hip was hurting a bit due to my lack of fitness. Instead I wandered around Ghunsa in the afternoon. The southern section of Ghunsa is the trekkers’ section and there are a lot of lodges. The northern section is the older section for the locals. There is a medical centre in the northern section which was meant to have internet. Unfortunately it hasn’t worked for over a year and it doesn’t seem that it will be fixed for a long time. Ghunsa is the largest village on the Kanchenjunga trek. There is a lot of decent accommodation and even a cafe serving cake. Ghunsa is the place to have a hot shower. The Upper Section of Ghunsa 4 November 2023 - Ghunsa The temperature in my room dropped down to zero centigrade in the night and the outside water pipe froze. I was warm in my sleeping bag. The other guests (3 Chinese, 3 Japanese and 2 Israelis) were all having their breakfast at 07.00 so I had ordered my pancakes for 07.30. The other trekkers were very friendly but the Chinese were noisy. I moved over to the other tea house after breakfast. They prepared a packed lunch for Jiwan and myself and we walked up a trail towards the Nango La (pass) that goes on to Olangchung Gola. We reached 4,810 metres before I decided to turn around. My hip was still hurting a bit and I didn't want to overdo it. I had also developed a sore throat and runny nose last night. We therefore only walked for about 4 hours in total and it was at a slow pace. For my 2nd night in Ghunsa I stayed at the Mountain River View Side Lodge 5 November 2023 - Ghunsa to Khambachen I walked up to Khambachen (4,145 metres) today. The walk took 6 hours and I found it hard going. Initially it was cold and icy in places. Then the sun came out and it warmed up. The trail was very scenic. There were a few landslides that had to be crossed. We stopped for dal bhat at a very basic tea house on the way. I stayed at the Khambachen Lodge and got the last detached hut for R700 ($5) per night. There are 4 of these huts plus rooms in the main building. The only downside is that the dining room is small and gloomy. Walking towards Khambachen The Khambachen Lodge A week ago it was so crowded that the neighbouring White House tea house in Khambachen had to put up large tents for the porters and guides. Many trekkers had to sleep in the dining rooms of the lodges. What a difference one week makes. There were now very few trekkers doing the Kanchenjunga trek and I could choose which lodge to stay in and even be fussy about selecting rooms. Just the way I like it! I walked over to the White House lodge. The owner was very friendly and spoke English well. He gave me a free cup of tea and afterwards I ordered more tea and cake. The White House has a good reputation for its food. The White House’s dining room is much nicer than that of the Khambachen Lodge. It is large and bright. However, its cottages are attached and would be noisier than the detached cottages of the Khambachen lodge. I also think that groups tend to stay at the White House. At the Khambachen lodge there were 4 French trekkers, 2 Spaniards, 3 English women and myself. The French didn’t speak much English but it was enjoyable talking to the others. The three English women were going to do the difficult Lumba Sumba trek after going to the north base camp. They had a team of porters waiting for them back at Ghunsa. I was intrigued to discover that I had followed one of the women’s blogs before. I found out later that they completed the trek successfully. I slept well and the temperature in my room dropped to -4 centigrade. My sleeping bag coped well with the cold. 6 November 2023 - Khambachen & Jannu Viewpoint I stayed at Khambechen for 2 nights to acclimatise to the altitude. Most trekkers do this and aid the acclimatisation process by walking up to a viewpoint of Jannu mountain. It is a very scenic walk and well worth doing even if you are already acclimatised. We set off at 07.30 to walk to the view point. Initially it was cold but after 15 minutes the sun came over the mountain and warmed things up. Soon I was taking layers off as it was too warm.  We were walking right into the sun and it was blinding. They have laid a path of rocks up to a Hindu shrine near the viewpoint. Unfortunately it hasn’t been laid well and a lot of the rocks are loose. I was wearing boots but was still concerned about twisting my ankle again. It took us about 3 hours to reach the Hindu shrine where we had our packed lunches of 2 chapatis and an egg. Afterwards we continued on for another 20 minutes to reach the top of the moraine of the Jannu glacier. We reached a height of 4,606 metres and there were fantastic views of the glacier, Jannu and other peaks. Khambachen is in the bottom left There were only 2 other trekkers at the lodge that night. They were 2 retired Germans, a doctor and a teacher. The doctor spoke good English and we got on very well. I ended up staying at the same lodge as them a few more times. The White House was also quiet as only 4 French trekkers were staying there. 7 November 2023 - Khambachen to Lhonak Jiwan and I hiked for five and a half hours from Khambachen (4,145 metres) to Lhonak (4,792 metres). Initially it wasn't particularly scenic but the scenery soon improved. We reached a large landslide area and there was a sign warning about falling rocks. In the middle of this area was a waterfall and we had to cross an ice and snow covered river. Jiwan found a good route across and it wasn't too much of a problem crossing the river. Since falling on ice last year on the Makalu base camp trek I have been very wary of ice. Actually the biggest danger from ice is on the floors of the tea houses’ toilets. You definitely don't want to fall there! The Ice & Snow Covered River that had to be Crossed We reached a basic tea shop at Ramtang at 11.25 and had an excellent vegetable noodle soup for lunch. It was much better than the noodle soups on the Makalu base camp trek. It has been a very pleasant surprise that all the accommodation and food is far superior to that on the Makulu base camp trek. The Ramtang Tea Shop We reached Lhonak at 13.45. I chose the Kanchenjunga Guest House as no other trekkers were staying there and they had attached huts. I took an end unit as usual. The toilet was just a long drop but it was fine. I was pleased to discover that this lodge was one of the few that could charge electrical devices. It was also free for guests! The Kanchenjunga Guest House at Lhonak There are several tea houses at Lhonak, more than at Khambachen for some reason. There seemed to be about 15 trekkers at the other lodges. A week ago it was very busy, like at Khambachen, and all the lodges were full. My tent would have proved useful then but so far it has just been extra weight for Jiwan to carry. 8 November 2023 - Lhonak It was -6 centigrade in my room last night but again I was warm in my sleeping bag. What I dislike is the cold in the mornings. My hands become cold and sore after washing my face, brushing my teeth and packing up.  The fires in the dining rooms of the tea houses on the Kanchenjunga trek are never lit in the morning. The best place for breakfast is in the kitchen if you are allowed in. You normally are if the tea house isn’t busy. As I was the only trekker there I had my coffee and porridge by the fire in the kitchen and my hands soon thawed out. Most trekkers doing the Kanchenjunga trek spend 2 nights at Lhonak. After the first night they walk to the north base camp at Pangpema (5,140 metres) and then return to Lhonak for the night. I intended to spend 3 nights at Lhonak as I wanted to sleep at Kanchenjunga base camp and ascend Drohmo Ri East (5,940 metres) the next day. I intended to acclimatise for 2 nights at Lhonak before going to Kanchenjunga base camp and then spend another night there on my way back. To improve my acclimatisation I walked up the east side of the Lhonak glacier today. The map actually shows the path to be on the west side of the glacier. However, I had read on another blog that there was a better path on the east side.  The lodge owner confirmed that the east path was best and offered to show us the way as he was visiting a mountaineering camp further on. He was too fast for me but we kept up with him long enough to be sure we were on the right route. There was one slightly tricky section early on that went across large boulders. Then we came across a small bridge consisting of 3 icy logs. The blogger had commented on this and said he had crawled across! I was a bit cross as I had mentioned this to Jiwan and he assured me it would be alright. Anyway the river level wasn’t too high and Jiwan found a way across without using the bridge. We walked up to the ridge of the moraine and reached an altitude of 5,124 metres. I could see the confluence of the Chabuk and Chijima glaciers. I could also see the tents of the mountaineering expedition that were at this confluence.  There was little point in going further so we turned back. There was a cold wind on the way back. The entire walk took us almost 6 hours. Before we had set off I had asked the owner of our tea house to radio the tea house at the north base camp to let them know we wanted to come tomorrow and stay for 2 nights. When I returned from my hike the owner told me that the people running the small tea house at Kanchenjunga north base camp were walking down to Lhonak. I met them at Lhonak and they said they were going to Ghunsa for 5 days for the festival of Tihar. Unfortunately I couldn't persuade them to return and open up the basic tea house at base camp for me. I was very disappointed as it meant I would have to go to Kanchenjunga base camp as a day trek instead and wouldn't be able to go up Drohmo Ri East. There were only 6 other foreign trekkers at Lhonak tonight and they all decided to stay at the same tea house as me! They were the 2 Germans and 4 French trekkers that had been at Khambachen during my second night there. Luckily they all spoke English well and I got on particularly well with the Germans.  9 November 2023 - Lhonak to Pangpema & Back I had an early breakfast at 06.00 as I was doing the long day hike to Kanchenjunga's north base camp at Pangpema. Clouds tend to roll in around midday and obscure the peaks. I wanted to get there before that occurred. I ate in the warm kitchen with the 2 Germans as the dining room was freezing. The outside temperature was about -9 centigrade. The previous evening the Germans had ordered Sherpa stew for breakfast. I had decided to try it and ordered it instead of my usual porridge. The sherpa stew certainly makes a good and filling breakfast. Fortunately the 4 French trekkers had breakfast slightly later as there wasn't much room in the kitchen. Jiwan and I set off at 06.30 and followed the west bank of the Kanchenjunga Glacier up to Kanchenjunga's north base camp. The scenery was very impressive. We had to walk steeply up and down a couple of landslide areas. We reached Kanchenjunga's north base camp at 11.00 and stayed there for 75 minutes admiring the views of Kanchenjunga and other peaks. The weather was clear and sunny like it was for the entire Kanchenjunga trek.  Kanchenjunga The Kanchenjunga Glacier We were the first people at Kanchenjunga base camp and it was fairly peaceful for half an hour. Then the other foreign and Nepali trekkers arrived. There were the usual over the top celebrations and silly photo shoots. There was a very small tea house plus 4 tents at Kanchenjunga base camp. Three of the tents would accommodate 2 people in each tent and the fourth larger tent would accommodate a lot of people. However, as I expected the tea house was closed. The Tea House & Tents at North Base Camp On the way back down to Lhonak we stopped at a makeshift tea shop in a tent and had dal bhat for lunch. We arrived back at Lhonak at 16.00. It was a long and tiring day. In the evening I went to warn a group of 8 trekkers with Project Himalaya that the tea house at Kanchenjunga north base camp was closed. I did this as I had trekked in Lower Dolpo with Project Himalaya last year and was aware they were doing the Kanchenjunga trek. They said their guide had contacted the owner and he had promised to return to open it up for them.  When I told the owner of my tea house this he just laughed and said he doubted that the Kanchenjunga base camp owner would return. It turned out he was right. It was surprising as about 30 trekkers and their guides and porters had wanted to stay there that night. The tea house would have made a lot of money, although I am not sure that there would have been room for all of them. A Swiss woman also stayed at the tea house tonight. She was part of a mountaineering expedition and had come down due to a weather warning. Her colleagues were following her down tomorrow. Luckily it turned out to be a false alarm and the weather stayed fine. 10 November 2023 - Lhonak to Ghunsa . It was an 8.5 hour walk, and a 1,400 metre descent, back down to Ghunsa from Lhonak. This included a 1.25 hour stop at Khambachen for dal bhat. Everyone says this is a long and tiring day and it was. I stayed at the Mountain River View Side Lodge again. The only other trekker was a 66 year old Nepali trekker who had lived in London for 3 years. We had a good chat at dinner time. Unfortunately I arrived too late to have a shower. There is free electricity charging in the rooms. I made sure that all my electrical devices were fully charged as I was told that there wouldn’t be another opportunity for 5 days. The Didi at the Mountain River View Side Lodge in Ghunsa 11 November 2023 - Ghunsa to Selele High Camp Jiwan and I left Ghunsa (3,415 metres) at 08.15. The mornings in Ghunsa are cold as the sun doesn’t reach the valley until late. After half an hour we reached a sunny and warm clearing in the forest and we took off a few layers of clothing. It was a steep 600 metre climb to a small tea shop at 4,010 metres and it took 3 hours. It was mainly through forest, although there were clearings at times that enabled us to look down on Ghunsa and Phale. Ghunsa Phale The forest had ended by the time we reached the tea shop. We were joined by the 2 Germans and 4 French trekkers and we lay on mats in the sun for an hour whilst dal bhat was cooked for our lunch. The Tea Shop between Ghunsa and Selele High Camp As we were waiting for our lunch 2 Australian trekkers came from the east side. We started talking and after a while I realised it was Sue and Howard Dengate who provide very useful trekking information on their website. They are now in their mid 70’s and have done many adventurous treks. It was great chatting to them for half an hour. After lunch it was a further 1.75 hour walk to the Selele high camp (4,200 metres) where there are 2 tea houses. Both of them are reasonable and fairly new. I went to the upper tea house as the 4 French trekkers were staying in the lower tea house. The Germans joined me a bit later on. Hill Side Lodge at Selele We sat in the kitchen until the dining room’s fire was lit at around 16.30. This is the usual time that the lodges on the Kanchenjunga circuit trek light the fire in the dining room. Normally no more wood, or dried dung, is put on the fire after about 19.00. This encourages trekkers to go to bed shortly after 20.00! There were 2 sections to the tea house and I had the newer wing to myself. It was very quiet as a result. The toilet floor was becoming icy in the afternoon and by the evening we were told not to risk using it! 12 November 2023 - Selele High Camp to Tseram It was a tough 7 hour walk from Selele high camp (4,200 metres) to Tseram (3,868 metres). There were 3 passes to cross and we had to ascend 450 metres to reach the first pass known as the Mirgin La (4,645 metres). The weather was clear until the first pass and we had good views. I was pleased the weather had stayed clear for us. As we descended the first pass the clouds started to roll in and blocked our views for the next 2 passes. It didn’t clear until we began the final 600 metre descent to Tseram.  The View from the Mirgin La Jannu The Third Pass The Descent to Tseram Tseram The 6 other trekkers had taken packed lunches. We hadn't as we had been told there was a small tea house on the way. Unfortunately it was closed but Jiwan had brought several packets of biscuits. I devoured 2 packets. We were fortunate that there was virtually no snow. It would have been an exhausting walk in snow over the rough terrain. One of the better tea houses at Tseram was closed as the owner was ill. Another was taken over by an Alaskan couple and their entourage of 17 porters and guides! They should have been camping with that many support staff. That left the oldest tea house for myself, the 2 Germans and 4 French trekkers. The tea house was very basic so I pitched my tent and kept my belongings in my bedroom for safekeeping. As the owner of this tea house was sick, Jiwan cooked for everyone and the food was delicious. The Blue Sheep Hotel & Lodge in Tseram 13 November 2023 - Tseram to Ramche I had a good night's sleep in my tent. Jiwan kindly helped me pack away the tent in the morning. I left Tseram (3,868 metres) at 07.40 and hiked for 3.5 hours up to Ramche (4,610 metres). It was a 750 metre ascent. The mountain scenery was absolutely stunning the entire way.  A British father and his son were the only trekkers staying at Ramche the previous night. I met them whilst they were walking back down to Tseram. They were friendly and warned me that Ramche was very cold at night and that the tea house was very basic. There are 2 tea houses at Ramche but the new tea house was closed. That left a very basic tea house with cow dung drying on the walls. The dining room was mainly constructed of clear plastic. It was very warm in the sun but I knew it would be freezing at night as there was no fireplace. Hotel Snow Home in Ramche I put my luggage in a dark and basic bedroom and then had a quick lunch of omelette and chapatis. As the weather was still clear we decided to try walking up to the Oktang viewpoint near the south base camp of Kanchenjunga. My Bedroom It took 1 hour 20 minutes to reach the Oktang viewpoint and we were very fortunate that the weather was clear. The British trekkers had informed me that it had clouded over at 12.30 the previous day, but there was very little cloud when we left Oktang at 14.15. At the viewpoint we had great views of the 3 peaks of Kanchenjunga, the other mountains and the glacier. We walked a bit further northwards along the ridge of moraine towards the south Base Camp for Kanchenjunga. Unfortunately, the path to Kanchenjunga's South Base Camp is blocked by a landslide. Kanchenjunga is on the right The Yalung Glacier The Oktang Viewpoint Most people think that the views from Kanchenjunga's North Base camp are much better than from Oktang. I disagree and prefer the south side. It was the best day of my Kanchenjunga trek. When I got back to Ramche I decided to pitch my tent. The French and Germans had arrived but they decided to go to the Oktang viewpoint the next morning. That suited me as I wanted to get ahead of the French trekkers and stay in tea houses with fewer trekkers. There was an amazing sunset over the mountains and we all stayed out in the cold to watch it. Jiwan ended up cooking supper again as the owner was apparently feeling sick. I was concerned that the owner had cooked my lunch but there was nothing I could do about that now.  Sunset at Ramche The food was fantastic and the portions were huge. It was a cold evening and by 20.00 everyone went to bed. The warmest place had been the kitchen whilst supper was being cooked over a roaring fire. I kept going in to warm up. Jiwan cooking dinner 14 November 2023 - Ramche to Tortong It was a cold night and all the condensation on my tent froze. I tried packing up the tent before breakfast but my hands became too cold when trying to remove the ice. I managed to thaw out my hands in the kitchen where Jiwan was cooking breakfast for everyone. Everyone was having Sherpa stew except me. I had chapatis and omelette. When I saw the sick lodge owner put his dirty hands on my chapatis I wished that I had ordered the Sherpa stew as well! I was concerned I would get sick but fortunately I didn’t. The sun came out early at 07.15 but it wasn't strong enough to melt the ice on my tent. Jiwan kindly scraped it all off and packed up my tent. We left Ramche at 08.30 and got back to Tseram at 10.45. I had an early lunch of vegetable fried noodles and Jiwan had dal bhat. It was far too early in the day to stop walking. I also wanted to get ahead of the French trekkers who I knew would be spending the night here. We started walking again at 11.45 and followed the river down to Tortong (2,980 metres). It took 3.5 hours on a path that descended through forest most of the way. We descended a total of 1,600 metres today. There are 2 tea houses at Tortong and I ended up staying at a tea house where the British father and son were staying. I thought I had selected a quiet room but there were 4 young and noisy Nepali boys in the room below me. I therefore moved my sleeping bag to a vacant room and had a good night's sleep. 15 November 2023 - Tortong to Kengsra A new trail was constructed in 2019 on the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek that avoids the large landslide at Yamphudin. It goes directly west of Tortong (2,980 metres) and follows the river (Simbuwa Khola) down to Hellok (1,700 metres). I had passed Hellok on the second day of the trek, although I was on the other side of the river. The first section of the hike was through virgin forest and there were absolutely no settlements for 5 hours. After a while the forest changed from large trees to bamboo. It is red panda territory but we didn't see any. I was concentrating more on my foot placement as the terrain is difficult. On the way Jiwan found 2 ticks on his clothes. I was going to remove my trouser leggings as it was hot but left them on to protect against ticks. It is the first time I have come across ticks in Nepal. The Suspension Bridge was built in 2019 A good place to refill water bottles After 5 hours we reached a new tea house at Kengsra (2,268 metres). We had descended over 700 metres from Tortong. In reality it was a lot more as the trail went up and down. They call it Nepali flat! It had been a very tough hike. Everyone I have met who has done it felt the same way. Kengsra Hotel & Lodge We had dal bhat for lunch at Kengsra and asked the helpful tea house owner to try and arrange a shared jeep from Hellok to Taplejung the next day. Unfortunately there were not any shared jeeps the next day as it was a holiday (Diwali/Tihar).  As a result we arranged for a private jeep to come from Taplejung the next morning and take us back there. The cost was R15,000 ($115) for the 3 to 4 hour very rough jeep ride from Hellok to Taplejung. We decided to stay at Kengsra for the night and then walk 3 hours to Hellok the next day to meet the jeep. When we arrived at Kengsra it was very hot and sunny. However, by 14.30 the sun went down behind the mountains and it really cooled down. The British father and son (35 years old) arrived soon afterwards and also decided to spend the night there. Jiwan and I had flights booked from Taplejung to Kathmandu on 19 November. As we hadn’t stayed the night at the Kanchenjunga's North Base Camp it was now possible for us to fly one day earlier. I asked Jiwan to contact Enjoy Nepal Treks to see if our flights could be changed. I was keen to get back a day earlier as I was starting the Langtang trek on 21 November and needed time to wash clothes. I also fancied sleeping an extra night in a good hotel! There is a very limited Nepal Telecoms signal at Kengsra and you can only get the signal with an older type phone. Jiwan borrowed the lodge owner’s phone and managed to arrange for the flight to be changed. There was no extra cost for me but it cost an extra R2,560 ($20) to change Jiwan’s ticket. In the evening we sat outside by a fire and celebrated Diwali with a freshly slaughtered chicken and locally brewed Rakshi. The British son and his guide had far too much Rakshi and felt it the next morning! Fortunately I found the Rakshi tasteless and I stopped the tea house owner from continually refilling my mug. Usually tea houses use wood very sparingly. However, wood was plentiful here and we had a roaring fire all evening. 16 November 2023 - Kengsra to Taplejung We left the tea house at 08.15 and a few minutes later passed another new hotel on top of the hill but it was closed. The terrain was much easier after Kengsra. There were many settlements and lots of cardamom plantations. We walked slowly and it took us 2.5 to 3 hours to reach Hellok. The Kengsra Hotel & Lodge The Other Hotel at Kengsra On the way Jiwan spoke to the driver who was coming from Taplejung. He was intending to pick up a person who was seriously sick from drinking too much the previous night whilst celebrating Diwali. Jiwan told the driver that I would have to authorise this. I told Jiwan that I wasn't keen as I envisaged the sick person vomiting in the jeep as the road is very rough. We had a very good dal bhat at a home stay in Hellok and at 13.00 the jeep arrived. The driver wasn't friendly and ignored me. The family of the sick man offered to pay half the cost for the jeep and they insisted he had to sit in the front. I didn’t agree to this and was still concerned that the sick man would be vomiting in the jeep. In the end the family of the sick man agreed to pay the driver R20,000 to take the sick man. The driver agreed, although it was Jiwan and I who had arranged the jeep. So at 14.00 I didn't have any transport to Taplejung. Jiwan contacted the lodge owner at Kengsra who was very annoyed with the driver for reneging on the agreement. He arranged for another jeep to come to pick us up for R15,000. However, the jeep was at Taplejung and it would take another 3 to 4 hours to reach us. I decided to walk half an hour down to Ranipur to meet the jeep there. I waited in a tea house for the jeep to arrive and fortunately there was wifi. The first time for 2 weeks. Whilst waiting for the jeep the British father and his son arrived at the tea house. The father had found a tick on his body that morning at Kengsra and was very worried. There was an ominous red rash where it had been and that can be a sign of Lyme disease. I was surprised when the 2 Germans arrived about 17.00. It was good to see them again. They had trekked from Tortong to Hellok in 1 day. A very hard hike and the one German looked very tired. The jeep finally arrived at 18.00. We drove in the dark and arrived at the Hotel Blue Star in Taplejung at 21.30. When we stayed there at the start of our Kanchenjunga trek the hotel was empty and quiet. It was therefore a shock to see that the hotel was packed with families and was very busy. We stayed as Jiwan had made a reservation. It was too late to look around for another hotel and most of the hotels in Taplejung are full at this time of year. I knew that the other guests would be going to the temple at around 04.00 and I was certain that they would disturb me. I thought we might be too late for dinner but everyone at the hotel, including young children, were waiting for dal bhat to be served. The dining room was full so we ate after the other guests at about 22.30. It was a very long day. As I expected my sleep was then disturbed at 04.00 with all the people setting off for the temple. 17 November 2023 - Taplejung to Bhadrapur Jiwan arranged for another jeep to take us on the 8 to 9 hour journey to Bhadrapur airport. The cost was R20,000 ($150) which is what I paid when driving from Bhadrapur to Taplejung.  We left at 08.30 and after an hour had excellent mountain views back to Kanchenjunga. We stopped for lunch and had a good dal bhat for R200 ($1.50). This is the local price and so much cheaper than on the trek. Jannu & Kanchenjunga We arrived at Bhadrapur at 17.30 and spent a night at a small hotel by the airport. It was quiet until 22.30 when several Nepali arrived singing loudly! 18 November 2023 - Bhadrapur to Kathmandu The departure time for our flight to Kathmandu was 09.00. We left the hotel at 07.35 and it was only a 5 minute walk to the airport. Jiwan got me a front seat on the right hand side of the plane so I could enjoy the views of the Himalayas again. The plane was only 30 minutes late. Jannu & Kanchenjunga The small domestic arrivals area at Kathmandu airport is always crowded and chaotic. I was relieved when my bag appeared and we then took a prepaid taxi to the Everest Boutique Hotel . I thanked Jiwan for the trek. We were meeting again on 21 November to do the Langtang and Gosainkund/Helambu treks. I didn’t have a booking for a room but got a room with a balcony which is what I wanted. I immediately started washing clothes in the sink and hung them out to dry on the balcony. I didn’t use one of the cheap laundry services in Thamel as I was concerned they might damage my trekking clothes. It was good to be back in a comfortable hotel with a clean bathroom. I had 3 nights of comfort and good food before starting the Langtang trek on 21 November! Links to My Other Blogs on the Kanchenjunga Trek Tea Houses on Kanchenjunga Trek Planning your Kanchenjunga Trek Day Hikes on the Kanchenjunga Trek

A map showing the route of my Langtang trek I did the Langtang trek in late November 2023 with a porter/guide and this is my daily trip report. Click here to read my other blogs about the Langtang trek. Contents Introduction 21 November 2023 - Kathmandu to Sherpagaon 22 November 2023 - Sherpagaon to Gumba Danda 23 November 2023 - Gumba Danda to Kyanjin Gompa 24 November 2023 - Hike up Kyanjin Gompa 25 November 2023 - Yala Peak Base Camp & Tserko Ri 26 November 2023 - Langtang Lirung Base Camp & down to Mundu 27 November 2023 - Mundu to Pairo 28 November 2023 - Start of the Gosainkunda & Helambu Treks Links to my other Blogs on the Langtang, Gosainkundu & Helambu Trek s Introduction I flew from the UK to Kathmandu on 25 October 2023 and did the excellent Kanchenjunga trek  from 29 October to 18 November with a porter/guide from Enjoy Nepal Treks . I then had 3 nights in Kathmandu to wash clothes and relax before starting the Langtang, Gosainkunda and Helambu treks  on 21 November. I continued trekking with the same porter/guide but he hurt his leg on the second day and Enjoy Nepal Treks sent a replacement porter/guide. I had excellent weather on the Kanchenjunga trek and this continued for the Langtang trek. In Gosainkunda there were a couple of days when the weather wasn't as good and we had half an inch of snow one afternoon. After that the weather was perfect again. Even though it wasn't peak season I found the trail on the Langtang trek too busy for my liking. The first section of the trek was too forested thus obscuring the views but after that it was scenic. What I really enjoyed were the excellent day hikes around Kyanjin Gompa . There are at least 4 excellent day hikes so it is worth staying 4 or 5 nights at Kyanjin Gompa. In my opinion the Langtang trek is only worthwhile if you do several of these day hikes. I spent 7 days doing the Langtang trek and then another 7 days on the Gosainkunda and Helambu treks. The Langtang trek is so short that it makes sense to continue trekking to Gosainkunda and Helambu while you are in the region. 21 November 2023 - Kathmandu to Sherpagaon I paid $180 for a private jeep to take Jiwan (my porter/guide) and myself from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi. We left at 05.00 to avoid the traffic congestion in the Kathmandu valley and arrived at Syabrubesi at 10.30. It isn't an attractive town and I am glad I didn't stay there. I took the upper trail of the Langtang trek to Sherpagaon. This meant I could avoid the busier and dilapidated tea houses on the first section of the lower main trail. The trail to Sherpagaon is steep and ascends 1,050 metres. The views weren’t as good as I had expected as the initial section was through forest. The scenery improved as we got closer to Sherpagaon. It took 5.5 hours to reach Sherpagaon and it was a tiring walk. There are a number of tea houses and I chose the Namaste Guest House where a very friendly Canadian couple were staying. It was a new guest house and I had a large room with a thick mattress and an attached bathroom for R500 ($4). A view on the way up to Sherpagaon View of Syabrubesi The high trail from Syabrubesi to Sherpagaon A view from the trail up to Sherpagaon Sign on the trail to Sherpagaon View from the village of Bhanjyang View from Sherpagaon 22 November 2023 - Sherpagaon to Gumba Danda Jiwan pulled a muscle in his leg when stepping up to get into his room after breakfast. Initially he could hardly move but he recovered enough to walk, although he was in pain. I normally followed him at a distance, but after a while I went ahead and waited for him when I reached a village.  It was a longer hike today but much easier than yesterday's 1,050 metre ascent. Initially we descended down to Rimche and then followed the river through the rain forest. We stopped for a quick lunch of dal bhat at the settlement of River Side.  Soon after leaving River Side we came across a troop of Langur monkeys in the forest. After a while the scenery opened up and there were good views of Langtang mountain. There were a lot of trekkers coming down the trail and most of them were Nepali. I hoped that it wouldn't be too busy when we reached Kyanjin Gompa tomorrow since not so many trekkers were going up. The Canadians at Sherpagaon had recommended the Langtang View Guest House in Gumba Danda, which is just before Langtang village. It took us 7.5 hours to get there including our lunch break. I had a good room, with a clean bathroom for once, for R1,000 ($7.50). It was very peaceful until 4 very noisy Nepali trekkers arrived. I moved out of the comfortable and very warm dining room to the less comfortable kitchen. Luckily they slept in a different building to me so it didn’t affect my sleep. View between Sherpagaon and Rimche View between Lama Hotel and River Side View between Lama Hotel and River Side View between River Side and Ghoratabela View between River Side and Ghoratabela View between Thyangsyap and Gumba Danda 23 November 2023 - Gumba Danda to Kyanjin Gompa It was quiet during the night and I slept well. The tea house is at an altitude of 3,400 metres and the temperature dropped to 4 degrees centigrade. Jiwan's leg seemed to have recovered but Enjoy Nepal Treks informed me last night that they would send another guide to replace him. The new guide would reach us in 2 days’ time. I felt very sorry for Jiwan. We set off at 07.45 and shortly after reached a landslide, triggered by the massive 2015 earthquake, that had wiped out Langtang Village. There is a memorial to all those killed but someone has painted over all the names and they are no longer legible. Trees on the other side of the valley were flattened by the blast of air from the landslide. A new trekking village has been built a few hundred metres away. Hopefully it is out of the path of any future landslides! The landscape was now open and the mountain scenery was impressive. Unfortunately there were more trekkers than I have ever encountered on previous treks in Nepal. The Langtang trek must be exceedingly busy in the high season. It took us 3.25 hours to reach Kyanjin Gompa (3,830 metres). Kyanjin Gompa was unlike any other trekking village I have seen as there are numerous modern 4 to 5 storey hotels. I looked at 3 hotels and decided to stay at the Buddha Inn. I had a room with an attached bathroom for R500 ($4). The official rate was R1,500 ($12) but it was off-season. There were only 4 other trekkers staying there but a Swiss group was due to arrive the next day. I was told that they were only staying 1 night so it wasn't a problem.. After lunch we hiked for an hour up to a 4,160 metre viewpoint that overlooks the Langtang Lirung glacier. When I returned I went to the well known Dorje’s bakery and had apple pie and a coffee. The coffee was good but the apple pie was disappointing. The 2015 landslide over Lantang Village The memorial to the people who died in the 2015 landslide at Langtang village The new Langtang village Scenery between Langtang village and Kyanjin Gompa Scenery between Langtang village and Kyanjin Gompa Scenery on the Langtang trek between Langtang village and Kyanjin Gompa Scenery between Langtang village and Kyanjin Gompa Scenery between Langtang village and Kyanjin Gompa Kyanjin Gompa 24 November 2023 - Hike up Kyanjin Gompa Jiwan and I started hiking at 07.45 and reached the lower summit of Kyanjin Ri (4,324 metres) an hour later. There were great views of Langtang Lirung (7,227 metres), Langtang 11 (6,596 metres) and many other mountains. ‌We continued hiking up and reached the upper summit of Kyanjin Ri (4,596 metres} 45 minutes later. As we hiked up the descent back down looked tricky. However, it turned out that there was an easier circular route back to Kyanjin Gompa. ‌The entire hike took 4 hours and I got back in time for a lunch of dal bhat. It was a relaxing afternoon and I had a hot shower in my bathroom. On the Kanchenjunga trek I didn't shower for 17 days and I didn't want a repeat of that! I went to Dorje’s bakery again and had another cake. It wasn’t any better than yesterday’s disappointing apple pie. The owner also annoyed me by playing an Indian movie with the volume on. I didn’t go back there again. A group of 7 Swiss female trekkers arrived in the afternoon. I found out they were staying 3 nights rather than the 1 night the lodge owner had told me. They were very noisy in the dining room but I decided not to go to the hassle of changing tea houses. My new guide (Niru) arrived in the late afternoon and I got on very well with him. I had met him very briefly on the Kanchenjunga trek that I had done just before this Langtang trek. He spoke English better than Jiwan and we had a good conversation about the Kanchenjunga trek. He was only 31 years old and is getting into mountaineering. View of Kyanjin Gompa on the way up View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri The Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri View from the Lower Summit of Kyanjin Ri Upper Summit of Kyanjin Ri The start of the downward path from the upper summit of Kyanjin Ri 25 November 2023 - Yala Peak Base Camp & Tserko Ri The group of 7 Swiss women were getting up early to hike up Tserko Ri (4,984 metres) and were setting off at 06.00. I knew they would disturb me so I had an early night and then had breakfast at 06.30. I had planned to do an 8 hour hike to Numthang and Langshisha Kharka. It is a long hike along the Langtang Khola with only a little gain in altitude. The following day I intended to do the more difficult hike up Tserko Ri. Niru and I set out at 07.30 and after crossing a river, ascended the first section of the path up Tserko Ri. I could see a number of trekkers in front of us who were struggling up Tserko Ri due to the altitude. I had thought that the path to Numthang would be fairly level so I queried this steep ascent with Niru. He said that we would soon branch off from the path to Tserko Ri and the terrain would level off.  Thirty minutes after leaving the hotel we turned off the path to Tserko Ri. However, the path continued to slowly ascend along the mountainside which was very puzzling. I had little choice but to continue and see where the path would lead. The terrain was very open and there were excellent views along the valley and down to the Langtang Khola. We were following the Langtang Khola eastwards as planned but it certainly wasn’t a level path! We stopped at 10.30 by some derelict buildings and my Garmin Inreach showed that the elevation was about 4,700 metres. An ascent of 900 metres was not a flat path even by Nepali standards! We ate our packed lunches there as it was sheltered and there were excellent views. It was now a very scenic trail and eventually we reached the top of a ridge and I could see 2 tents. We assumed it was Numthang which was our destination for the day.  We reached the tents at 11.30 and there were 2 Thai climbers and 3 Nepali camping there. They informed us that we had reached Yala Peak Base Camp and that Numthang was 900 metres below by the river! The derelict buildings where we had eaten our lunch was Yala Kharka. The good news was that we could see the summit of Tserko Ri and the climbers’ guide told us it would only take 40 minutes to get there. As the weather was still clear I opted to go to Tserko Ri as I didn't fancy another 1,100 metre ascent tomorrow. Niru was very apologetic but I was actually very happy with the improvised route. The scenery was fantastic and there were no other trekkers. It was a far better hike than the one I had planned. We decided not to go to Tserko Ri immediately as there was some fantastic scenery to the north. We ascended a ridge above the base camp and reached a grassy plain with absolutely stunning scenery. We walked slowly for another 30 minutes and got to an altitude of 4,914 metres. From there we walked across the grassy plain to Tserko Ri which is 4,984 metres high. There wasn't a path but the terrain was easy. We reached the summit at 12.40 and there were 20 to 30 other trekkers there. The weather was still perfect and none of the mountains were obscured by clouds. It wasn't cold and windy like it had been on Kyanjin Ri so we sat and enjoyed the views for about an hour. The other trekkers soon started to descend and we were the last people on the summit. All the trekkers were descending on a southerly route rather than returning on the steeper western route that they had ascended. We also took this southerly descent and after a while it joined the path that we had walked along in the morning. It took 2 hours and 20 minutes to descend back to Kyanjin Gompa on this route. I regretted not taking the shorter and steeper western route.  Just before we reached Kyanjin Gompa there was a junction with another path. We saw a sign that said it led to Langshisha Kharka which had been our original destination for the day! We hadn’t seen the sign as it wasn’t visible from the path we had been on. We had walked for 9 hours and about 16 miles. I was tired and cold by the time I reached the hotel. I took a couple of paracetamol and ordered a pot of ginger and lemon tea. Fortunately the Swiss women were much quieter that evening and it was very pleasant having dinner and relaxing in the dining room. First section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp The first section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp The middle section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp The middle section of the hike to Yala Kharka and Yala Base Camp. Yala Kharka View from Yala Kharka View from Yala Kharka View from Yala Kharka Getting close to Yala Peak Base Camp Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp Views from the plateau above Yala Peak Base Camp View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri View from the top of Tserko Ri 26 November 2023 - Langtang Lirung Base Camp & descent to Mundu This was my final day at Kyanjin Gompa. I had a choice of hiking to Langtang Lirung Base Camp or to yesterday’s intended destination of Langshisha Kharka/Numthang. I decided to hike to Langtang Lirung Base Camp as I had already seen much of the scenery along the route to Langshisha Kharka during the previous day’s hike. After 1 hour and 20 minutes we reached a Buddhist shrine near the lateral moraine of the Langtang Lirung glacier. We went up to the top of the moraine and had excellent views southwards along the glacier to a lake named Chu Haa Tso.  Looking northwards up the glacier there were very good mountain views. We had to be careful at the top because of the vertical drop down to the glacier. We could hear rocks tumbling down while we were there. It took another 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach Lantang Lirung base camp, although that included numerous stops for photos and an early lunch. There wasn’t a sign indicating Langtang Lirung base camp’s location but it was the last flat grassy area by the moraine. There was a basic table made from stones there. The scenery was superb as the mountains surrounded, and towered above, the base camp. We climbed up the lateral moraine to get a good view of the Langtang Lirung glacier. The altitude was 4,407 metres and this was the highest point of the hike. This was almost 600 metres higher than Kyanjin Gompa. It took 1.5 hours to hike back to Kyanjin Gompa. There were no other trekkers on the trail. As it was only 13.30 I decided to check out of the guest house and start the return section of the Langtang trek. I had intended to hike to the guest house at Gumba Danda where the noisy Nepali trekkers had spoiled my stay on the way up. However, the owner of the Buddha Inn warned me that Gumba Danda was popular with Nepali trekkers and that it was likely to be noisy again. As a result we walked to the village of Mundu instead where there were 2 very good guest houses. We stayed in the first one which was the Golden Holiday’s Guest House. I had a very clean corner room with an attached bathroom.  The only other guest was a 50 year old South Korean who was carrying his own pack. He was suffering from altitude sickness and several times he said he was scared. It was only his second night on the Langtang trek and Mundu is at an altitude of 3,530 metres. He should have stayed a bit lower down for his second night. He told me that he wanted to hike to Kyanjin Gompa (3,830 metres) the next day and then hike up Tserko Ri (4,984 metres) the day after that! I advised him about altitude sickness and warned him not to go higher unless he felt better. He said he would make a decision the next morning. First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp First section of the trek to Langtang Lirung Base Camp Shrine in the middle section of the trek View of the Langtang Lirung Glacier from above the Shrine View of the Langtang Lirung Glacier from above the Shrine. View from the Langtang Lirung Base Camp View from the Langtang Lirung Base Camp View of Kyanjin Gompa at the end of the trek 27 November 2023 - Mundu to Pairo It was a warm night and the temperature in my room only dropped to 10 degrees centigrade. I had to unzip my sleeping bag to cope with the heat! The South Korean still had a headache but said he would start hiking to Kyanjin Gompa later in the morning. He still intended to hike up Tserko Ri the next day as that was the main objective of his trek. I didn’t see him again but he would have struggled to hike up Tserko Ri. Niru and I left Mundu at 07.45. After the first 3 hours we were hiking through forest and there were minimal mountain views. At 12.30 we stopped for lunch at the settlement of Lama Hotel. After that we continued to Pairo (1,800 metres) which is the last settlement before the turn off for the trail to Gosainkunda.  The difference in altitude between Mundu and Pairo is 1,750 metres but we actually descended more than that as the trail was undulating. It took 7.75 hours to reach Pairo, including lunch. All the tea houses on this lower section of Langtang are very basic. There were 2 tea houses in Pairo and I chose the slightly less bad one! Initially I was the only guest at the tea house. However, while I was eating my meal I could see several lights coming up the trail.  Six Nepali trekkers had hiked in the dark and chose my tea house. My guide said they worked in the tourism industry and fortunately they were quiet. The Mani wall west of Mundu Scenery west of Ghoratabela Scenery at Chhunama Scenery at the village of Bamboo View from Pairo 28 November 2023 - Start of the Gosainkunda & Helambu Treks I had a good night's sleep and  we left Pairo at 07.45. Shortly afterwards there was a fork in the trail and we took the path southwards to Thulo Syabru and Gosainkunda. See my blog on the Gosainkunda and Helambu trek . Niru told me that it would have taken about 2 hours to hike from Pairo to Syabrubesi. Links to my other Blogs on the Langtang, Gosainkunda & Helambu Treks Planning the Langtang Trek Day Hikes on the Langtang Trek Planning the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek Gosainkunda & Helambu Trip Report

Map of Gosainkunda and Helambu Trek Contents Introduction 28 November 2023 - Pairo to Chyolangpati 29 November 2023 - Chyolangpati to Gosainkund 30 November 2023 - Surya Peak 1 December 2023 - Gosainkund to Ghopte 2 December 2023 - Ghopte to Kutumsang 3 December 2023 - Kutumsang to Chisapani 4 December - Chisapani to Kathmandu Links to Other Blogs on the Langtang, Gosainkunda & Helambu Treks Introduction I spent a week doing the Langtang trek ( click here to see my other blogs on the Langtang Trek ). I then continued on to the Gosainkunda and Helambu treks which took that another week. I like longer treks and it made sense to do all 3 of these short treks while I was in the area. I had considered adding on the 5 day Tamang Heritage trail as this links up with the Langtang trek. However, it didn’t appeal to me as it is a low altitude trek and I prefer the alpine scenery at high altitude. I met 2 Canadians who had done this trek and there were huge spiders in a couple of their tea houses. I was glad I didn’t do that trek! I was trekking with Niru who was a 31 year old porter/guide arranged through Enjoy Nepal Treks . He was a good guide and it was enjoyable trekking with him. For information on planning the Gosainkunda and Helambu trek see my blog Planning the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek . 28 November 2023 - Pairo to Chyolangpati Niru and I set off from Pairo on the Langtang trek at 07.45 and soon reached the junction of the trails for the Langtang and Gosainkunda treks. We turned southwards onto the trail for the Gosainkunda trek and the trail immediately ascended steeply.  After 1.25 hours we reached a suspension bridge and met the first and only other trekker on this quiet trail to Thulo Syabru. It was so different to the busy Langtang trek. This other trekker was a 70 year old Swiss woman who didn’t speak any English and her 50 year old guide. After the end of the trek I sadly learned that the guide was found dead in his room at a tea house at Gosainkunda Lake. After the suspension bridge there was a trail that ascended. Unfortunately that isn’t the trail to Gosainkunda which descends before climbing up to the village of Thulo Syabru. We later met some Nepali trekkers who had taken the upper trail at the suspension bridge and they wasted several hours hiking the wrong way. From Pairo it took us 2 hours to reach the very pleasant village of Thulo Syabru (2,210 metres). Most of the village is modern and there are several good hotels. This was the nicest village since the start of the Langtang trek. It was only 09.45 when we arrived at Thulo Syabru and so unfortunately it was too early to spend the night there. We therefore ordered an early lunch of dal bhat at the Hotel Mona Lisa. We spent 1.75 hours having lunch and relaxing before continuing the relentless ascent. Most itineraries for the Langtang and Gosainkunda treks take the trail from Thulo Syabru to Shin Gompa (Chandanbari) and then onto Gosainkunda the following day. I don’t understand why as there is a more direct route via Mukharka.  We took the more direct trail via Mukharka and reached our destination of Chyolangpati (3,620 metres) at 16.30 after 7 hours of walking. I descended 1,750 metres yesterday and ascended 1,800 metres today! There is a new tea house at Chyolangpati which is a vast improvement on the other old lodge. Initially there were only 2 other guests but at 19.00 six Nepali arrived in the dark. I had only seen 3 other trekkers on the hike the entire day. It was therefore a surprise to see many Nepali pilgrims passing Chyolangpati on the way back down to Shin Gompa. I learned that most pilgrims don’t stay at Gosainkunda lake due to the high altitude and visit Gosainkunda lake as a day trip from Shin Gompa. There were a lot of high clouds during today’s hike and it spoiled the mountain views. However, the weather cleared in the evening and there was a fantastic sunset over the mountains.  Looking back to Pairo View from the trail between Pairo & Thulo Syabru Suspension bridge before the final hike up to Thulo Syabru A water powered prayer wheel View from Thulo Syabru Scenery between Thulo Syabru & Chyolangpati Scenery between Thulo Syabru & Chyolangpati Sunset at Chyolangpati 29 November 2023 - Chyolangpati to Gosainkunda Lake It was a quiet night and the temperature fell to 2 centigrade in the room. I feel the cold the most in the mornings and there was no fire in the dining room for breakfast as usual. The path from Chyolangpati (3,620 metres) to Gosainkunda Lake (4,420 metres) was fairly busy with pilgrims going up to the Gosainkunda holy lakes for the day. The path had been concreted in places and safety railings had been installed where there were drop offs. It was sunny but unfortunately high clouds blocked the views of the mountains again. It took 52 minutes to reach Laurebina which has 2 tea houses. There were good views despite the high clouds. We reached a view point near Ganesh Mandir (4,365 metres) after another hour. It then only took another hour on an undulating trail to reach Gosainkunda lake. There are four old and basic tea houses at Gosainkunda lake. Unfortunately they are very similar to the old and dilapidated tea houses on the first section of the Langtang trek! The Tibet Hotel seemed to be the best out of a bad bunch and I reluctantly took a room there. There were no other guests when I checked in. Shortly afterwards 3 Nepali and 2 Chinese flew into Gosainkunda by helicopter and checked into the tea house. They were a strange group and I contemplated moving to another tea house. Later on I wished I had! In the afternoon I slowly walked around the main Gosainkunda lake and enjoyed the views. It was sunny but there was a cold wind. Whenever there was some shelter from the wind  it was warm enough to comfortably sit out. The group of 3 Nepali and 2 Chinese guests were weird. The Chinese man believed in aliens and drew strange images on paper. They were at Gosainkunda for religious reasons and at one point they started chanting and swaying. Two of the Nepali were a mother and daughter. They were unconcerned about altitude sickness even though they were unacclimatised and had flown to Gosainkunda Lake, which is at an altitude of 4,420 metres. They were obviously wealthy as the return helicopter flight cost $4,000! The View from Laurebina The View from Laurebina The View from Laurebina The View from Ganesh Mandir The Trail from Ganesh Mandir to Gosainkunda A Hindu Shrine at Gosainkunda Lake A Hindu Shrine at Gosainkunda Lake A Hindu Shrine at Gosainkunda Lake One of several lakes at Gosainkunda The main lake at Gosainkunda View of the main lake at Gosainkunda from a viewpoint. 30 November 2023 - Surya Peak The Chinese in the room next to me were noisy last night. When they started talking at 01.30 I shouted at them to be quiet and they were. Niru wasn't so lucky and couldn’t sleep well because the young Nepalese woman in the room next to him had altitude sickness and her mother was administering oxygen.  The group had intended to spend 2 nights at Gosainkunda Lake but they left by helicopter at 07.00 the next day because of the altitude and primitive conditions.  I had a spare day as we had hiked faster than I had intended after leaving Kyanjin Gompa on the Langtang trek. One option was to return to Kathmandu a day early and the other option was to hike up Surya Peak (5,150 metres). Not many people  hike up Surya Peak as it is difficult to locate and the terrain is very rocky.  Niru was keen to go up Surya Peak as he hadn't been up before. He found out details of the route from the owner of the tea house. The owner estimated that it would take us 4 hours to ascend and 3 hours to descend. We set off for Surya Peak at 07.00 with a packed lunch of Tibetan bread and boiled eggs. My Garmin Inreach said that it would be sunny all day but it was cloudy and cold. Niru found the turn off to Surya Peak and I was surprised to see cairns marking the way. The terrain was extremely rough. We walked across stones and boulders the entire way and had to ensure they were stable before treading on them. There was some scrambling and in a couple of places a slip could have been fatal. I find it easier to ascend than descend on tricky sections and I was concerned about the safety of the descent. It took 3 hours to reach the summit of Surya Peak and I was very happy to have made it. The trail had been well cairned the entire way. There were a lot of prayer flags at the summit but I was surprised that my Garmin Inreach showed the altitude to be only 5,049 metres. Surya Peak is meant to be at an altitude of 5,150 metres. I later learnt that we had climbed to the wrong peak. Someone on the internet called it "Gosainkunda Ri". See my blog on Planning the Gosainkunda Trek for further details. It was cloudy and cold but we could see a few peaks. We probably only spent 20 minutes at the top because of the cold wind. I was relieved when Niru said there was a safer, but longer, way back to Gosainkunda lake. We had hiked up the south side of Surya Peak and the safer descent was initially down the north side. After the initial steep and rocky descent from Surya Peak we ate our packed lunches. We didn’t stop for long as it started to snow lightly. Niru was concerned about the deteriorating visibility as he was relying on being able to see the mountains for navigation. The route back to Gosainkunda lake was far less hairy than the route up although it still involved constant boulder hopping and the terrain was very rough. Every so often we would come across an isolated cairn and it provided reassurance that we were on the correct route. We reached Gosainkunda lake at 13.30 and the circular hike took us 6.5 hours. I immediately ordered lunch and found that there were several other Nepali trekkers in the dining room. In the afternoon it started to snow and up to an inch of snow settled on the ground. I relaxed in the warm dining room for the rest of the day. In the evening a young Nepali couple arrived in the dark. They live in the U.S.A. and were very friendly. The tea house was now full, which I never like. Fortunately it wasn’t noisy during the night and I slept well. The red line shows my route. I went anti-clockwise. Gosainkunda Ri View at the beginning of the hike up Gosainkunda Ri (the Trekker's Surya Peak). The lake on the right is Surya Kund. The rough terrain on Gosainkunda Ri (Trekker's Surya Peak) The rough terrain on Gosainkunda Ri (Trekker's Surya Peak) The rough terrain on Gosainkunda Ri (Trekker's Surya Peak) View from the top of Gosainkunda Ri (Trekker's Surya Peak) View from the top of Gosainkunda Ri (Trekker's Surya Peak) Niru at the top of Gosainkunda Ri (Trekker's Surya Peak) The Altitude at the Summit The terrain on the first section of the descent from Gosainkunda Ri (Trekker's Surya Peak) An easier section of the descent Back to rocks and boulders on the descent Looking back to the final section of the descent Back to the main Gosainkunda Lake 1 December 2023 - Gosainkunda Lake to Ghopte We left Gosainkunda lake at 08.00 and ascended 130 metres to the Suryakund/Laurebina pass. There was some snow on the trail but fortunately the weather had improved today and it was sunny. After the pass we descended steeply for over 2 hours until we reached a tea house at Phedi (3,630 metres). There were 2 newsworthy events here in the early 1990's: In July 1992 a Thai Airways jet crashed just below Phedi and 113 people died. A trainee air traffic controller was at fault. There were parts from the plane at the tea house. A young Australian doctor (James Scott) got lost here in December 1991 and survived for 43 days without food. He was eventually found through the great efforts of his sister. Unfortunately he suffered permanent damage to his eyesight from vitamin deficiency. I had read his book about this and was interested to see where it had happened. James Scott got lost in snow as when he turned back he wrongly thought he had to descend at Phedi. In reality the path from Phedi to Ghopte ascends steeply before descending. Unfortunately we had to do this ascent after having dal baht! We reached the settlement of Ghopte (3,430 metres) after about 7 hours of walking from Gosainkunda lake, including a stop for lunch. There are 2 basic, but reasonable, tea houses at Ghopte. We were the only people staying at the Namaste Hotel & Lodge. It was quieter and warmer than at Gosainkunda lake. There were 2 other trekkers from the Czech Republic and Australia staying at the other tea house. The trail from Gosainkunda lake to Helambu is so quiet compared to the busy Langtang trek and the trail from Chyolangpati to Gosainkunda lake. Gosainkunda Ri (Trekker's Surya Peak) Suryakunda/Lauribina Pass Suryakunda/Lauribina Pass View eastwards from the Suryakunda/Lauribina Pass View southwards from the Suryakunda/Lauribina Pass The east side of Gosainkunda Ri View during the descent to Phedi The Descent to Phedi The Descent to Phedi Between Phedi and Ghopte 2 December 2023 - Ghopte to Kutumsang The day started with a 300 metre ascent to Thadepati Pass (3,730 metres) and it took 1 hour 40 minutes. There are good mountain views from a metal lookout tower at Thedepati . There are 3 or 4 tea houses at Thedepati and we stopped for tea.  After Thedepati we left the trail for the Gosainkunda trek and started a section of the Helambu trek. We were going to hike south on the trail for the Helambu trek until we reached Sundarjal. We could have hiked east on the Helambu trek instead but it would have been more difficult to travel back to Kathmandu from that end of the trail. We hiked for another 1.5 hours to Magengoth (3,390 metres) and had lunch there. Three British trekkers arrived from the other direction. They were very poorly prepared for their Gosainkunda trek and didn’t even have enough cash. They were trying to use a debit card at the tea house and I was surprised that they might be possible. After another 2.25 hours we reached our destination of Kutumsang (2,470 metres). We found a new hotel which had good rooms and my guide negotiated a rate of R800 ($6). It was the best accommodation for some time. I even had a hot shower. The only problem was that the room had a funny smell, even with the windows open. Another trekker told me that it was probably because there wasn’t a U bend in the shower drain pipe to prevent smells coming from the sewer pipe. It seems to be a common problem with cheap hotels in Nepal.  There seemed to be only 3 other trekkers staying in Kutumsang. There was a Czech trekker staying at my hotel and a French trekker and an Australian trekker staying at other hotels.  The French trekker was in a rush to get back to Kathmandu and didn’t have time to finish the Helambu trek. He was taking a local bus from Kutumsang to Kathmandu early the next morning. The bus stops at most of the local villages and takes about 8 hours. Trail between Ghopte and Thadepati Pass The Lookout tower at Thadepati Pass A view from the lookout tower at Thadepati A view from the lookout tower at Thadepati A view from the lookout tower at Thadepati Descending from Mangengoth to Kutumsang 3 December 2023 - Kutumsang to Chisapani The trail had been beautifully quiet ever since we left Gosainkunda lake on 1 December and there were only 2 other trekkers descending on the Helambu trail. The pilgrims that go to Gosainkunda lake fortunately go back down the same way rather than continuing on to Helambu. The scenery was not as spectacular as higher up. However, when looking back there were often views of the Ganesh Himal, Langtang and Everest mountain ranges. Manaslu could be seen and it's the world's 5th highest mountain. After leaving Kutumsang we followed rough dirt roads for a while which I am not keen on. Fortunately the traffic on the dirt road was very minimal. Although we were descending towards Kathmandu there was also a lot of ascent! It took 3 hours to reach Chipling. There are 2 or 3 tea houses there and I had vegetable fried noodles for lunch. After Chipling there was a steep 500 metre descent followed by a steep 400 metre ascent to Chisapani. That took 3 hours. I stayed at a good hotel again and took their best room for R1,500 ($12). The other rooms cost R1,000. There were only 2 other trekkers staying there. There was a youngish trekker from the Czech Republic, who I was now friendly with, and a very quiet South Korean woman. Both were trekking by themselves. The hotel was temporarily being run by a 17 year old girl as her parents are in Kathmandu. She could only cook dal baht for supper. Luckily I hadn’t had dal baht for lunch. For breakfast she could only cook Tibetan bread and omelette and I liked that. In the evening I had a beer with Niru to thank him for the trek and I gave him his tip. I had enjoyed his company and he had been an excellent guide. The room was quiet and very nice except for the noise from stray dogs. A pack of them fought outside my room at 23.00 and 05.30. A view between Kutumsang and Chipling A view between Kutumsang and Chipling Terraced land near Chipling Dried maize at a house near Chipling A view between Chipling and Chisapani A view between Chipling and Chisapani 4 December 2023 - Chisapani to Kathmandu Niru and I walked through Chisapani, passing an abandoned building that had been drastically tilted by the 2015 earthquake. After Chisapani the Helambu trek enters the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. I had to buy an entrance permit for R1,000 ($8) and I paid R100 for Niru’s entrance permit. The trail for the Helambu trek steeply ascends 300 metres from Chisapani and afterwards descends 1,000 metres to the town of Sundarjal. The trail goes through forest and there are very few views. It took less than 4 hours to reach Sundarjal. We stopped for lunch and then took a taxi to Thamel that cost about R1,000 ($8). A house at Chisapani that was damaged by the 2015 earthquake 5 & 6 December 2023 - Kathmandu My flight back to the U.K. was at 02.30 on 6 December. I had one full day in Kathmandu and occupied my time with a visit to Bhaktapur. I had been there last year but I always enjoy walking around its quiet streets. The Qatar Airways flight went well and I arrived back in the U.K. on the afternoon of 6 December. I had spent 42 days in Nepal and had trekked for 33 days in Kanchenjunga, Langtang, Gosainkunda and Helambu. It was a very enjoyable trip. Links to other Blogs on the Langtang, Gosainkunda & Helambu Treks Langtang Trek Blogs Planning the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek

False Creek, Vancouver Contents Introduction Walking or Cycling around Stanley Park Historic Gas Town Yaletown Cycling Route around Vancouver Granville Island Market Coal Harbour, Vancouver Best Beaches in Vancouver A Walk along the Main Shopping Streets of Downtown Vancouver Museum of Anthropology Grouse Mountain Capilano Suspension Bridge Queen Elizabeth Park Deep Cove Golden Ears Provincial Park Buntzen Lake Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler Squamish Loggers Sports Festival Hotels in Vancouver Transportation in Vancouver Best Time to Visit Vancouver Links to my other blogs on Canada 1. Introduction We lived in Vancouver for 9 years and in September 2025 went back and spent 11 days there. It had been over 20 years since our last visit. Friends had warned us that Vancouver had changed a lot and about the drug problems in the downtown area. I was pleased to find that many of the changes in Vancouver were for the better. Much of False Creek and Coal Harbour used to be an industrial wasteland but these areas have now been developed well. As a result you can now walk or cycle for hours along Vancouver's seafront on dedicated cycle lanes and walkways. There is certainly a big drug and homelessness problem in Vancouver. It isn't very evident in the main area of interest for visitors which is north of Granville Street. However, it is noticeable south of Granville Street and the areas around Gastown and China Town can be impacted. Safety in downtown Vancouver isn't really an issue but I would be very careful walking south of Granville Street at night. We were really impressed with Vancouver although it helped that we had excellent weather. Vancouver does tend to have good summer weather but the wet winters are another matter! There is enough to do and see in Vancouver to justify spending at least 2 whole days there. The main places of interest for visitors are Stanley Park, Granville Island market, Grouse Mountain and the downtown area. You can easily spend more days in Vancouver, particularly if you explore some of the outlying areas. There are several very scenic lakes with good beaches within driving distance. There is also the Sea to Sky highway to Whistler with several sights along the way. Information on Vancouver's main sights and activities is provided below. 2. Walking or Cycling around Stanley Park Map of Stanley Park, Vancouver Stanley Park's main attraction is the 9 kilometre long sea wall that runs from Coal Harbour to English Bay. From the sea wall there are great views of the North Shore mountains, downtown Vancouver's skyline, English Bay and Coal Harbour. From the sea wall sea planes can be seen taking off and landing. Cruise ships and freight vessels often sail by. There are several points of interest along the sea wall which include the Totem Poles, Brockton Point, Prospect Point, Siwash rock, Second Beach and Third Beach. Third Beach is an excellent spacious and sandy beach. Second Beach isn't quite as nice but there is a popular outdoor swimming pool there. Vancouver's aquarium is in Stanley Park but I didn't visit it. See the aquarium's website for details. If you want to walk around Stanley Park, but feel that 9 kilometres is too long, there is a way of shortening it by a couple of kilometres. On the east side of Stanley Park you can cut across the peninsular by Brockton Point. There is a paved path between the starting area for the horse drawn carriages and Lumberman's Arch. This path passes to the west of the aquarium. Cycling is a popular and fun way to see Stanley Park and there is a designated bike path around Stanley Park. It's a one way bike path and everyone must cycle anti clockwise. Mobi operates a bike sharing scheme but it is expensive at $1 for unlocking the bike and then 29 cents a minute. In comparison the bike share in Toronto only costs 12 cents a minute. It is better to rent a bike from one of the many bike rental stores on Denman Street near the intersection with West Georgia Street. I used Spokes which is probably the largest bike rental store in Vancouver. It was very easy to rent a bike and they provided a helmet and bike chain. I cycled around Stanley Park twice and walked once. It's also possible to drive around and I also did that. It was the only time that I visited Prospect Point viewpoint which is high up above the sea wall. Prospect Point viewpoint is near Lions Gate Bridge and there are excellent views of ships passing under the bridge. The interior of Stanley Park is massive but most of it is dense forest. The exceptions are the Lost Lagoon and the area around the aquarium. View of Coal Harbour from Stanley Park, Vancouver The Totem Poles in Stanley Park, Vancouver View of the North Shore from Stanley Park, Vancouver SS Empress of Japan Figurehead at Stanley Park, Vancouver Brockton Point Lighthouse at Stanley Park, Vancouver Cruise Ship passing under Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver Siwash Rock at Stanley Park, Vancouver Third Beach in Stanley Park, Vancouver 3. Historic Gas Town Gastown is the oldest part of Vancouver and one building dates back to 1887. The buildings aren't very special when compared to historic buildings in European towns. However, it's good that the area has been preserved and it's pleasant to stroll down Water Street, which is Gastown's main street. Gastown's main attraction is the steam clock which looks old but was actually only made in 1977. It's meant to whistle and shoot steam every quarter of an hour. When I was there the time on the clock was wrong and some visitors had been waiting a long time for it to whistle. It finally whistled just as I was about to leave. I was surprised that there are now some upmarket businesses in Gastown. Unfortunately they aren't of interest to visitors. There are a couple of shops that sell the usual tourist junk that has been made in China. Many years ago they used to sell quality native handicrafts but not any more. I saw a couple of comments on Tripadvisor about problems of homelessness and drug use in Gastown. Although Gastown is south of Granville Street I didn't experience such issues. The Steam Clock in Gas Town 4. Yaletown Yaletown used to be the western terminus of the Canadian Pacific railway. The warehouses on Hamilton Street and Mainland Street were transformed after Expo 1986 into restaurants, shops, offices and apartments. The entire area has been gentrified with high rise apartment towers built on the nearby north shore of False Creek. The 2 main streets in Yaletown are usually very quiet during the daytime but liven up in the evenings. Some visitors have reported on Tripadvisor that there isn't much to do in the daytime. The nearby False Creek waterfront is a real pleasure with its pedestrian walkway and cycle path. From there it is easy to take one of the frequent water taxis along False Creek and to Granville Island market. Opposite the Yaletown Sky Train station is the old railway roundhouse. There is a small museum there which is free to enter. The museum's main exhibit is the first locomotive to haul a trans continental passenger train into Vancouver in 1888. There is also an interesting exhibit about the Chinese workers who helped construct the trans continental railway. Yaletown The Roundhouse in Yaletown The Steam Engine that pulled the 1st Passenger Train into Vancouver 5. Cycling Route around Vancouver Vancouver's Coastal Cycling Path As I had hurt my foot I hired an electric bike from Spokes Bicycle Rentals and spent the day cycling along Vancouver's fantastic cycle paths. It was one of the best days of my 38 day holiday in Canada. I started near Coal Harbour and cut across the southern edge of Stanley Park to reach English Bay. From there I cycled to Burrard bridge and crossed over to Vanier Park. After Vanier park I rode past Kitsilano beach, Jericho beach, Locarno beach and Spanish Banks. They are all excellent wide and sandy beaches. I turned round shortly after Spanish Banks and retraced my route. Instead of crossing the Burrard bridge back to downtown Vancouver I continued cycling along the south shore of False Creek. I stopped at Granville Island Market for lunch. When I reached the end of False Creek there were great views of the futuristic Science World dome, BC Place Stadium and the Rogers Centre. From there I cycled along False Creek's north shore back to English Bay and retraced my route through Stanley Park to Spokes Bicycle Rental. I changed bikes there as the battery was becoming a bit low and then cycled around Stanley Park. I paid $93 for the day's rental and it was worth every cent. A manual bike would have been about $40 less but I did enjoy the ease of riding an electric bike for the distance I covered. It was totally worth it and it's the best way of seeing the area. First Beach at English Bay A-Maze-Ing Laughter art work at English Bay False Creek's North Shore Near Vanier Park on South Side of False Creek View of English Bay and Sunset Beach Jericho Beach in Vancouver View of Downtown Vancouver from near Jericho Beach Locarno Beach in Vancouver View of North Shore Mountains from Spanish Banks View of Downtown Vancouver from Granville Island Science World at False Creek BC Place, Vancouver 6. Granville Island Market Granville Island is one of the most popular places in Vancouver for visitors. The main attraction is the large indoor market. Granville Island Market is a great place to buy produce and have lunch or a snack. You can either eat inside or at the picnic tables by False Creek. There is often a musician playing there. Granville Island Market is only a small part of Granville Island and there are lots of shops and restaurants on the island. It's very pleasant wandering around. The indoor market is open 7 days a week from 09.00 to 18.00. The best and nicest way to reach Granville Island from downtown is by one of the very frequent water taxis. Aquabus and False Creek Ferries both operate water taxis on False Creek. The water taxis serve the entire False Creek area from Vanier Park in the west to Science World in the east. The fares are reasonable and there are great views along the way. Route of the False Creek Ferries Granville Island Public Market Food Court at Granville Island Public Market Musician at Granville Island Market Outdoor eating area at Granville Island Market Aquabus serving Granville Island Market 7. Coal Harbour, Vancouver Coal Harbour runs from the Cruise Ship Terminal in downtown Vancouver to Stanley Park. Prior to 1995 the southern part of Coal Harbour's waterfront was occupied by Canadian Pacific Railways and it wasn't a very attractive area. Since then Coal Harbour has been developed well and the railway tracks no longer exist. There is a wide walkway all the way from Stanley Park to the Cruise Ship Terminal. There are are excellent views to Stanley Park and over to North Vancouver and the north shore's mountains. The sea plane terminal is located at Coal Harbour and it's fascinating watching, and hearing, them take off and land. Coal Harbour isn't used by freight vessels but is frequented by pleasure boats, cruise ships and ferries to places like Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. There are many interesting information plaques along the walkway about historical events in Vancouver and British Columbia. Vancouver's Cruise Ship Terminal Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal & Convention Centre Coal Harbour, Vancouver View of the North Shore Mountains from Coal Harbour View of North Vancouver from Coal Harbour 8. Best Beaches in Vancouver Vancouver has several good sandy beaches that can be easily accessed by visitors. The closest beach to downtown Vancouver is First Beach which is at the western end of Denman Street. It's an excellent wide and sandy beach with logs to rest on. Third Beach on the western side of Stanley Park is very similar but not quite as accessible. To the south of English Bay there are excellent sandy beaches from Kitsilano to Spanish Banks. In between these 2 beaches are Locarno Beach and Jericho Beach. There is convenient paid parking at all these beaches. There are outdoor pools at Kitsilano and 2nd Beach in Stanley Park. First Beach at English Bay Third Beach in Stanley Park Jericho Beach in Vancouver 9. The Main Shopping Steets of Downtown Vancouver Map of Downtown Vancouver The streets with the most activity in downtown Vancouver are Robson Street, Denman Street, Davie Street and Granville Street. They can be seen by doing an interesting circular walk. Robson Street is my favourite street in Vancouver and it's lined with shops and some of them are exclusive. Robson Street slopes down to Denman Street which has lots of reasonably priced restaurants. Both Robson and Denman Streets are safe and very pleasant to walk around at night time. Davie Street runs parallel to Robson Street. Many years ago Davie Street had a notorious reputation but it has now been cleaned up. There are shops and restaurants along Davie Street but it isn't as busy as Robson and Denman Streets. Davie Street becomes more vibrant nearer the junction with Granville Street. I enjoy walking along Davie Street in the daytime. It isn't particularly interesting at night time and also a bit rough near Granville Street. Granville Street is probably the main street in downtown Vancouver but not the most pleasant one. There are shops, cheap eateries, bars and night entertainment. Unfortunately there are also homeless people and drug users, particularly as you get closer to the intersection with Davie Street. It's worth wandering along Granville Street but watch where you step! The street comes alive at night time with all the neon lights. At night time it becomes a bit rough near Davie Street. At th e junction of Granville and Robson there is access to the underground Pacific Centre shopping mall. It's probably about a 2 hour circular walk. It's likely to take much longer with stop offs for food, drink, shopping etc. 10. Museum of Anthropology The Museum of Anthropology is at the University of British Columbia and is about a 30 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. There is parking at the museum which costs about $4 an hour. The museum can also be accessed by bus. The Museum of Anthropology is housed in a spectacular building designed by the renowned Canadian architect Arthur Erickson. It's open from 10.00 to 17.00 each day and the entry fee is $26 for an adult and there are discounts for seniors and children. The Museum of Anthropology mainly receives very good reviews but some reviewers complain about the lack of information about the artifacts, history and culture of the indigenous population. I thought that the building was very impressive but was disappointed with the actual museum. There are masses of artifacts with no meaningful narrations. I wanted to learn about Canada's indigenous population, and their history, but that wasn't covered. Some reviewers said they spent several hours in the Museum of Anthropology but we spent just over an hour there. We didn't learn any more by paying to visit the museum than if we had freely walked around the exterior of the museum and peered through the huge glass windows. We were also disappointed with the museum's shop. The museum displayed so much indigenous handicrafts but very little was for sale in the shop. Most of the items for sale were the usual tourist tat. Exterior of the Museum of Anthropology The Main Display at the Museum of Anthropology 11. Grouse Mountain Grouse Mountain is one of the top visitor attractions in Vancouver. I didn't take the gondola up this visit as I had skied at Grouse Mountain many times in the past and didn't want to pay the admission fee. The views from Grouse Mountain are fantastic if the weather is good. I personally wouldn't spend the money to go up if it was cloudy or there was smoke from wild fires like I experienced in early September. There are many free and paid activities at the top of Grouse Mountain. Most visitors enjoy the ranger and owl talks, the grizzly bear habitat and the lumberjack show. These activities are all free but be aware that outside the peak summer season the lumberjack show is only at weekends and holidays. The online entrance fee is $82 with discounts for seniors and children. Online tickets cannot be bought on the day of admission. Tickets can be bought at Grouse Mountain and Canada Place but cost a bit more. During the summer season there is a free coach service between Canada Place and Grouse Mountain. Coaches run about every half an hour from 09.00 to 18.00. It's also possible to hike up Grouse Mountain and take the gondola down at a reduced fee. The hike up is called the Grouse Grind and it has an elevation gain of 800 metres. Grouse Mountain states that it takes 2 to 2.5 hours on average. However, many people hike up faster. I did the Grouse Grind many years ago. The hike is completely through forest and there aren't any views before the top. The only reasons to do the Grouse Grind are the challenge, fitness and to save a bit of money. 12. Capilano Suspension Bridge Capilano Suspension Bridge was free when I visited a very long time ago. Since then I have crossed numerous spectacular suspension bridges in the Himalayas for free. Therefore when I saw that the entrance fee for the Capilano Suspension Bridge was an outrageous $78 I decided not to visit. There are other activities included in the entrance fee and there is a free shuttle from Canada Place. However, if you drive there is a charge for parking. I feel that Capilano Suspension Bridge is an expensive tourist trap. Surprisingly there are a lot of positive reviews on Tripadvisor. If you want to experience walking over a suspension bridge it is better to visit the nearby Lynn Valley Canyon Park which has free entry. 13. Queen Elizabeth Park Queen Elizabeth Park is a 130 acre municipal park that's free to enter. The main attractions are in the centre of the park where there were 2 quarries. The quarries have been turned into very spectacular gardens. There are also good views of Vancouver's skyline and the North Shore mountains from Queen Elizabeth Park. The Bloedel Conservatory is near the quarry gardens and it consists of a glass domed building housing a botanical garden. The entrance fee is $9 with discounts for seniors and children. Queen Elizabeth Park is a 15 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. Fountains in front of the Bloedel Conservatory The Bloedel Conservatory, Vancouver Queen Elizabeth Park's Main Quarry Garden Queen Elizabeth Park's Main Quarry Garden 14. Deep Cove Deep Cove is on the eastern side of North Vancouver and is a 30 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. Parking at Deep Cove is very limited at weekends and holidays so we went by Uber. Deep Cove is on Indian Arm which is a tributary of Burrard Inlet. The water is usually calm and is popular for boating and canoeing. Canoes can be rented at Deep Cove. There are a few small beaches and also open parkland at the waterfront. It's a pleasant place to wander around. Deep Cove has a small high street with a few restaurants and shops Deep Cove Deep Cove Deep Cove's Shops and Restaurants 15. Golden Ears Provincial Park Golden Ears Provincial Park used to be one of our favourite places to go to for swimming when we lived in Vancouver. It has a large pristine lake surrounded by mountains and the water temperature is fine as the lake isn't glacier fed. It's a one hour drive eastwards from Vancouver. Unfortunately with Vancouver's expanded population Golden Ears Provincial Park is now very popular. In peak summer time a day pass is required up to the beginning of September. Day passes for Golden Ears Provincial Park are free and can be applied for online 2 days in advance. It's better to avoid weekends and holidays. There are 3 main areas at the lake for swimming. South Beach is the first beach off the access road and it's the nicest and largest beach. It has a large grassy picnic area by the beach and there are good toilet facilities. Further along the access road there is parking for Gold Creek and North Beach. It's a one kilometre walk along Gold Creek to North Beach. The first part of Gold Creek is too shallow for swimming but nearer the lake it's deeper and is a popular swimming spot. The North Beach area is very scenic but the beach is stony and the water too shallow for swimming. It's popular with dog owners as dogs aren't allowed on South Beach. Entrance to Golden Ears Provincial Park The main beach at Golden Ears Provincial Park North Beach at Golden Ears Provincial Park Gold Creek at Golden Ears Provincial Park 16. Buntzen Lake Buntzen Lake is 45 minute drive eastwards from downtown Vancouver. It's similar to Golden Ears Provincial Park but there is only one beach accessible by vehicles. From the middle of May to beginning of September a free permit must be obtained online from BC Hydro . Beach at Buntzen Lake 17. Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler We drove the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler in mid September and weren't as impressed with the scenery as we thought we would be. It didn't help that it was a bit cloudy. Unfortunately trees frequently block the views from the highway which is a common problem in British Columbia. Whistler is a pleasant destination to visit but if you are visiting outside the main summer season do check before you go that the gondolas and peak chairlift are open. See my section on Whistler for further information about that. It only takes 1.5 hours to drive on the Sea to Sky Highway from downtown Vancouver to Whistler. Most visitors take a lot longer as there are a few places worth visiting on the way. Information about the main stops is provided below. Porteau Cove Provincial Park Porteau Cove Provincial Park is a 35 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. There's free parking and a picnic area just off the highway. On a clear day there are good views of Howe Sound and the coastal mountains. Porteau Cove Picnic Area & Parking at Porteau Cove Britannia Mine Museum The Britannia Mine operated from 1904 to 1974. At one time it was the largest copper mine in the British Commonwealth and it supplied 17% of the world's copper. On the hillside above the Britannia Mine there is a 20 storey building that was used for processing the copper ore. The exterior looked more impressive before they renovated it in 2007. The interior hasn't been renovated and is very impressive. As a result it's a popular filming location. The $42 entrance fee for the Britannia Mine Museum includes a 75 minute guided tour with an underground train ride. You should allow at least 2 hours for a visit. The Britannia Mine Museum is a 45 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. We visited about 20 years ago and enjoyed it. Most of the reviews are very positive but some visitors feel that it isn't worth the $42 entrance fee. In t he peak summer period it's advisable to make an online reservation as the Britannia Mining Museum can be fully booked. Exterior of the Britannia Mine Museum Interior of the Britannia Mine Museum Shannon Falls Shannon falls is only a 7 minute drive north of Britannia Mine Museum and is a popular stop. There's a free car park and flush toilets. It's a 350 metre walk along a good path to the main viewpoint of the falls. There's another viewpoint a bit further up but we didn't walk there. After seeing several spectacular waterfalls in Banff National Park I wasn't so impressed with Shannon Falls. We visited in mid September after several dry months. Shannon Falls is more impressive in winter and spring. Shannon Falls Brandywine Falls Brandywine Falls is a 1.25 hour drive from Vancouver. There's free parking but the car park can be very busy at weekends. It's a 10 minute walk to the falls and there are 2 viewing areas. Brandywine Falls Whistler Hikers and mountain bikers could spend days at Whistler in the summer time. Visitors not participating in outdoor pursuits can easily keep themselves fully occupied for a day. Gondolas at Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains The top activity is taking the gondola: there is a gondola up Whistler and another up Blackcomb. The Peak 2 Peak gondola connects the upper stations of the Whistler and Blackcomb gondolas and spans 4.4 kilometres. The Peak Express chairlift goes from the upper station of Whistler's gondola to the top of Whistler Mountain (2,181 metres). This saves a one hour hike up and provides access to the Cloudraker Skybridge. This is a 130 metre bridge between Whistler Peak and West Ridge. Tickets cost around $100 and covers the 3 gondolas, the Peak Express chairlift and the Cloudraker Skybridge. Before buying tickets check online as to what is open. During the peak summer period from mid June to Labour day all of these attractions should be open. However, at other times they may only be open at weekends or only some of the attractions may be open. I discovered that after Labour day only the Blackcomb and Peak 2 Peak gondolas were open and even these gondolas stopped operating after 21st September. It seemed a rip off that the full price was being charged when the Peak Express chairlift to the Cloudraker Skybridge was closed. There are a couple of attractive lakes at Whistler. Lost lake is the nearest to the centre of Whistler. In summer the water temperature is warm enough for swimming. Green Lake is a bit further north. It is larger and the water isn't as warm as it's glacier fed. Whistler Town Centre Green Lake, Whistler Lost Lake, Whistler 18. Squamish Loggers Sports Festival The Squamish Loggers Sports Festival is the largest and best loggers festival in Canada. It has a fantastic action packed show highlighting the skills of British Columbia's loggers. Be prepared for the noise of the chain saws! The Loggers Festival is normally held on a weekend at the end of July or start of August. The main show is on the Sunday and tickets should be booked early online as this show sells out. Squamish is a 50 minute drive from Vancouver along the Sea to Sky Highway. 19. Hotels in Vancouver Hotel rooms are very expensive in Vancouver during the summer season. In 2025 a decent hotel room cost around $400 a night. Staying outside of downtown Vancouver saves very little. We spent a few nights in the Holiday Inn Express in Metrotown, Burnaby and even that cost $400 a night. Hotel costs are high as Vancouver is a major cruise ship terminal for Alaska cruises. Also British Columbia has placed restrictions on the short term rental of apartments. We initially rented a 2 bedroom apartment near the Rogers Centre as our son was with us. This cost a whopping $850 a night through VRBO . It was a nice apartment and it should have been for the price! We then stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Metrotown, Burnaby as we wanted to visit some areas outside the downtown core. I booked directly with Holiday Inn as they had a better deal than Booking.com. The Holiday Inn Express in Metrotown, Burnaby was very good and included breakfast and free parking. It was right next to the huge Metrotown shopping centre and opposite the Skytrain station. It only took about 20 minutes to reach downtown Vancouver. At the end of our road trip around British Columbia we stayed at the Blue Horizon Hotel on Robson Street. Again I booked directly with the hotel as they had a special summer deal. As a result we paid $350 a night for a superior room. It would have cost over $400 on Booking.com. The Blue Horizon was built in the 1970's but was completely refurbished in 2025. All rooms are corner rooms with balconies. We had a room on the 23rd floor with views over Vancouver to English Bay. The room was huge and had been refurbished very well. We were delighted with the hotel and it was very central. It's worth paying for a sea view room as they are sunnier. Also the rooms on the other side of the hotel look onto apartment towers. 20. Transportation in Vancouver We used Uber a lot in Vancouver as there were 3 of us and it often didn't cost much more than public transport. We also used the very efficient and regular Skytrain and the Canada Line which is connected to the Skytrain network at the waterfront station. Skytrain and the Canada Line are automated light railway systems that run mainly above ground. The Canada Line runs frequently between the airport and downtown Vancouver. The fare is about $4.85 but it depends on the time of day. There's a $5 surcharge on top of Canada Line's fare for rides originating from the airport. This surcharge doesn't apply to rides to Vancouver airport. Visitors might find the Skytrain useful for travelling to Chinatown, Yaletown and the large shopping centre at Metrotown, Burnaby. The fare for travelling to these locations in central area of Vancouver is $3.35 and it can be paid by tapping a credit card at the start and end of each journey. There is a good bus network in Vancouver but we didn't use buses during this visit. We rented a car for a few days but unless you are travelling some distance out of downtown Vancouver it's cheaper and easier to use Uber. Most hotels and parking areas charge for parking and car rental isn't cheap. 21. Best Time to Visit Vancouver Vancouver is notorious for it's rainfall and it's pretty miserable when it rains for days on end. Fortunately most of the rain falls in winter between October and May. Vancouver tends to have good summers unlike in the U.K. The official weather statistics for Vancouver are taken at the airport which is about the driest and sunniest place in the Vancouver area! The rainfall increases, and the number of hours of sun decreases, the closer you get to the mountains. Fortunately the climate in downtown Vancouver isn't too much worse than at the airport. Another factor to take into account is smoke from forest fires. Summer forest fires have become a big problem in British Columbia and the smoke can obscure the scenery. Vancouver isn't as badly affected as inland areas. 22. Links to my other Blogs on Canada Vancouver to Canadian Rockies Road Trip Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hike Kootenay National Park Travel Guide Yoho National Park Travel Guide The Icefields Parkway Drive

Moraine Lake We lived in Vancouver for 8 years and returned for a visit in September 2025. We spent 4 weeks travelling around British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies. We had a great trip and excellent weather. The only issue was smoke from forest fires but that only affected us for 3 days. See my Vancouver Travel Guide for information about visiting Vancouver. Contents Itinerary for Vancouver to Canadian Rockies Driv e When to visit Banff and Jasper National Parks Rental of Cars and RV's in Canada Accommodation in British Columbia & the Canadian Rockies Drive from Vancouver to Okanagan (Penticton) 2 Days in the Okanagan Drive from Penticton to Nelson Drive from Nelson to Invermere 1 Day at Invermere and Radium Hot Springs Drive from Invermere to Canmore 2 Nights in Canmore and Banff Drive from Canmore to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway 2 Nights in Jasper Drive from Jasper to Field along the Icefields Parkway 4 Nights in Field, British Columbia Drive from Field to Salmon Arm Drive from Salmon Arm to Whistler 2 Nights in Whistler Drive - Whistler to Vancouver along the Sea to Sky Highway Links to my other Blogs on Canada 1. Itinerary for Vancouver to Canadian Rockies Drive Our route is indicated in black I had thought about driving one way from Vancouver and dropping the rental car off in Calgary. However, the additional charge for a one way rental was far too much. I therefore planned an itinerary that wouldn't mean driving back to Vancouver on the same route. The only road that we drove both ways was the Icefield Parkway between Banff and Jasper. It is actually a good idea to drive the Icefield Parkway both ways. The road is very scenic and there's lots to do and see along the route. If you like hiking then 2 full days are needed for the Icefield Parkway. Also if the weather is bad one day then hopefully the weather will be good the other day. When planning our itinerary I wanted to allow plenty of time so that we could explore areas rather than just driving past them. On the other hand Banff and Jasper National Parks are very expensive destinations and I didn't want too much down time. We had initially intended to spend a 3rd night at Jasper, a 5th night at Field (Yoho National Park) and a 3rd night at Whistler so we could do some hiking. Unfortunately my wife had a foot problem so we couldn't do so. Also the 2024 fires in Jasper resulted in a couple of popular hiking areas being closed in 2025. From Vancouver we took the scenic highway 3 eastwards along the U.S. border. The other option was highway 5 (Coquihalla Highway) but the scenery along that highway is too forested for my liking. As it turned out highway 5 was closed due to forest fires so we had no option! There were several options for the return route: Highway 5 from Jasper to Vancouver. Trans Canada highway 1 from Banff National Park all the way to Vancouver. Trans Canada highway 1 to Cache Creek and then highway 99 to Vancouver via Whistler. I decided on the third option as we had never driven on the highway 99 from Cache Creek to Whistler. Our itinerary was: Vancouver Several nights Penticton 3 nights Nelson 1 night Invermere 2 nights Banff 2 nights Jasper 2 nights Field 4 nights Salmon Arm 1 night Whistler 2 nights Vancouver 3 nights Continue reading for more information about this itinerary and what to see and do at the places we visited. 2. When to visit Banff and Jasper National Parks The main season for visiting Banff and Jasper National Parks is from April to October. Our recent visit was in mid September and many years ago we visited in late April. We had excellent weather both times. April and May are offseason for summer activities. There will still be snow on many hiking trails and ice on some lakes. The access roads to Moraine Lake and Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park will be closed. June isn't a good month to visit as usually it's the wettest month of the year. Also in very early June some of the higher altitude lakes like Lake Louise and Moraine Lake may still be covered with ice. July and August are the busiest and most expensive months. I would therefore avoid those months if possible. The weather should be good but there is a high risk of forest fires and the smoke can obscure views. September is a popular month but is not as busy as July and August. The weather is usually good although it will be getting cooler in late September. There can be snow at higher altitude when hiking in late September. There could still be a problem with smoke from forest fires for most of the month. A big attraction towards the end of September is the golden larch trees. Unfortunately this also brings a lot of local visitors into Banff and Jasper National parks. October is offseason and the first half of October could be a reasonable time to visit if you don't mind cooler, and shorter, days. If you are driving through British Columbia winter tyres are required on certain routes from 1st October. 3. Rental of Cars and RV's in Canada We rented a SUV with Avis through Booking.com . We booked a few months ahead and car rental prices increased in the months after that. If prices had come down we could have cancelled our reservation up to a day before the rental began. It's therefore better to book a vehicle early. When we went to pick up our vehicle Avis upgraded us to a Grand Cherokee Jeep. It was way too big and difficult to park. We therefore swapped it the next day for a BMW X1 SUV and we really enjoyed driving it. A lot of visitors rent large RV's to avoid paying the exorbitant hotel costs in Banff and Jasper and to avoid high restaurant prices. I am not convinced about the benefit of renting a RV as: They are more difficult to drive and park due to their size. Everything has to be packed away when you drive somewhere. They are a lot more expensive to rent than cars when all the extras are taken into account. Fuel consumption is much worse than for a car. Food costs can be kept at a reasonable level when staying in apartments and hotels. Most hotels have fridges and some have microwaves. We often bought food from the supermarket delis and ate it on paper plates. At apartments we also bought roast chickens from the delis and had takeaways. For breakfast we had porridge or bread and marmalade. 4. Accommodation in British Columbia & Canadian Rockies We found that accommodation in Vancouver, Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper was very expensive. In summer time it would be very difficult to find reasonable accommodation for less than $400 a night. Usually this wouldn't include breakfast. The hotel prices in Vancouver are high as it's one of the main ports for Alaskan cruises. In addition there are restrictions on short term apartment rentals and that also applies to some other areas in British Columbia like the Okanagan. It's difficult to avoid the high accommodation prices in Vancouver. However, for Banff a good alternative is to stay in Canmore which is a 20 minute drive south of Banff. The accommodation in Canmore is more reasonably priced and better quality. Apartments can also be rented in Canmore. We preferred Canmore to Banff as it's less touristy and it is a very pleasant and scenic town. A good alternative to Lake Louise is the the small railway town of Field which is a 20 minute drive west of Lake Louise. Field is in Yoho National Park and there are several interesting sights to see there. Banff could also be visited from Field as it's only a 1 hour drive away. The Truffle Pigs Restaurant & Lodge is the only hotel in Field and the other accommodation in Field is provided by guest houses. We stayed in the Truffle Pigs Lodge and had a good room with 2 queen beds for $315 a night. The Truffle Pigs Lodge is near the railway and there is noise from both stationary and moving trains. As there isn't air conditioning we had to have the window open. The noise didn't bother us but it could disturb light sleepers. At Jasper we paid $460 a night for an excellent cabin at Pine Bungalows . Accommodation in Jasper is in even shorter supply than usual due to the devastating fire in July 2024. It's important to book accommodation early in Banff, Jasper and Yoho national Parks as demand often exceeds supply. Even if you find last minute accommodation it's likely to be expensive and/or not the best quality. 5. D rive from Vancouver to Okanagan (Penticton) We drove from Vancouver to Penticton on highway 3 which is British Columbia's most southerly highway. We stopped off on the way at Harrison Hot Springs, the Hope Landslide and Manning Park. This route is very scenic but the smoke from forest fires was so bad that we could see very little of the mountains and it spoiled the journey. To make matters worse there was road construction after Manning Park and it delayed us by over 3 hours! The actual driving time from Vancouver to Penticton should have been 5.5 hours. However, it took much longer and with the stop offs we only reached Penticton at 20.00 despite starting out at 09.00. Our first stop was Harrison Hot Springs which is a resort town set on a scenic lake with a large sandy beach. It has expanded a lot since we were last there. We walked along the waterfront but only had glimpses of the mountains through the smoke. Our next stop was the Hope Slide which was a huge landslide that occurred in 1965 and covered part of the highway killing 4 people. We could just see it through the smoke! We had driven by Manning Park in the past but had never visited it. We drove to Lightning Lake where there is a pleasant day use area and we ate our lunch there. My plan had been to also drive up to the Cascade Viewpoint on the other side of highway 3 from Manning Park. It's a 15 minute drive up a curvy road to this viewpoint and there are excellent views in good weather. We didn't bother doing this as there was far too much smoke. We had been advised by a friend to stop at one of the numerous fruit stall at Keremeos, which is a 45 minute drive before reaching Penticton. Unfortunately we were just too late and tired to do so. It looked to be the best place in the Okanagan to buy fruit. Harrison Hot Springs The Hope Landslide Lightning Lake at Manning Park 6. Two Days in the Okanagan Map of the Okanagan I had booked an apartment near Penticton 6 months prior to our trip. A couple of months afterwards I received a request to cancel the reservation due to the new laws restricting the short term rental of apartments. I therefore had to book a hotel for 3 nights and we stayed at the Balcomo  in Penticton at a rate of $250 a night. It's a fancy motel rather than a hotel but we enjoyed our stay. Unfortunately it was very hazy during our stay due to smoke. If it hadn't been for the smoke we would have had sunny weather and hot temperatures. We found that 3 nights in the Okanagan were ample. One of the main attractions of the Okanagan are the numerous wineries but Lani (my wife) doesn't drink. The other main attraction is the beaches and lakes but it wasn't swimming weather due to the haze. Penticton is situated between 2 lakes. Okanagan lake is to the north and it has a sandy beach. The SS Sicamous is at the western end of this beach. Skaha lake is on the southern edge of Penticton and has a bigger sandy beach. The SS Sicamous is a paddle wheeler that was launched in 1914 and was used for transport on Okanagan lake. It's now a museum and it receives good reviews. The entrance fee is only $10 but unfortunately it was closed when we were there. On Saturday mornings there is a popular farmer's market in Penticton and it's worth wandering around it. The most popular section of the decommissioned Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) runs 16 kilometres from Penticton to Naramata on the east side of Okanagan lake. It's a well maintained trail for both walkers and cyclists. Bikes can be rented from several bike shops in Penticton. There are wineries and breweries along this trail. Kelowna is a 1 hour drive north of Penticton. It's a scenic drive along the western side of Okanagan lake. However, the southern suburbs of Kelowna were unattractive. We liked City Park and the waterfront walkway in downtown Kelowna. Okanagan Lake Beach in Penticton SS Sicamous, Penticton Skaha Lake Park, Penticton Kettle Valley Rail Trail in Penticton Vineyard on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail in Penticton Brewery & Pub on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail in Penticton Kelowna City Park 7. Drive from Penticton to Nelson It's a 4 hour drive from Penticton to Nelson but with stops along the way it took about 8 hours. It wasn't as hazy as it had been the last few days and as we drove south towards Osoyoos the sky cleared. We stopped briefly at Osoyoos and it looks like a nice small town. Probably nicer than Penticton and Kelowna. After Osoyoos the road ascended steeply into the mountains. We were pleasantly surprised that the mountains weren't very forested and there was scenic open countryside. We stopped at Christina Lake Provincial Park for lunch. Nelson is on Kootenay Lake and is an attractive town not spoilt by modern development. Unfortunately there isn't much decent accommodation in Nelson and the only good hotel seemed to be the expensive Prestige Lakeside Resort . When I booked the room at the Prestige Lakeside Resort it was over $400 a night. I was therefore annoyed to find the day before we checked in that the room prices had dropped to around $300 a night. Unfortunately it was too late to change our reservation. Luckily the hotel was good and they upgraded our room. We didn't do much in Nelson due to a lack of time and I had been there a couple of times before on business. If we had had more time I would have done the popular hike to Pulpit Rock . This hike takes 1.5 to 2 hours. In the evening we went into the old town centre for a Mexican meal at the Cantina del Centro . We had a table outside on the main street and the food and service was excellent. Vaseux Lake south of Penticton Osoyoos Lake Christina Lake Provincial Park Kootenay Lake near Nelson The Main Street in Nelson View of Kootenay Lake from Nelson 8. Drive from Nelson to Invermere If the hotel in Nelson hadn't been so expensive we might have stayed a second night as there is a scenic circular drive that had been recommended on the Tripadvisor forum. This drive goes north of Nelson on the highway 6 to New Denver. The Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre  is at New Denver and it's where 22,000 Japanese Canadians were interned during the 2nd World War. The entry fee is $9 with discounts for seniors and children. The road from New Denver back to Nelson runs along Kootenay Lake on highway 31. It's worth stopping at the pretty village of Kaslo on the way. The SS Moyie  is located there and is the world's oldest passenger sternwheeler. From New Denver it's a short 10 minute walk to Fletcher Falls . There are two routes from Nelson to Invermere. The quickest route goes south of Nelson on highway 6 and then east on highway 3 to Cranbook. From Cranbook highway 93 goes north to Invermere. The driving time is about 4 hours. The other route goes east from Nelson to Balfour which is on the west side of Kootenay Lake. From Balfour there is car ferry to Kootenay Bay on the east side of Kootenay Lake. This is the world 's long est free ferry ride! From Kootenay Bay highway 3A runs south along Kootenay Lake to Cranbrook. We took the second route as it seemed more interesting. On the way from Nelson to Balfour we stopped at Kokanee Provincial Park to see the salmon spawning. The Kootenay Lake ferry  runs about every 40 minutes and there was plenty of space on the vessel. Whilst waiting for the ferry we treated ourselves to a coffee and freshly baked cake at the excellent Old World Bakery. The ferry ride takes about 30 minutes and is very scenic. We were wondering whether to make a slight detour to Kimberley on the way from Cranbook to Invermere. We were glad we didn't as it would have made the journey too long. Luckily we had gained one hour during today's journey as Invermere is in the Mountain time zone. I booked a 3 bedroom condominium in Invermere for $315 a night through VRBO . It was excellent as it was a spacious corner condo on the top floor with views of Lake Windermere. A condo like that in Vancouver would cost over $1,000 a night. In the evening we bought a roast chicken and salads from a supermarket deli and ate it in the apartment. Salmon at Kokanee Provincial Park The Ferry between Balfour and Kootenay Bay View from the Balfour to Kootenay Bay Ferry 9. One Day at Invermere and Radium Hot Springs In the morning we stopped off at the Parks Canada office in the town of Radium Hot Springs to buy an annual pass for Canada's National Parks. The annual Discovery Pass costs $75.25 with a discount for seniors. A daily pass costs $11 and it is therefore cheaper and more convenient to buy an annual pass if you are spending more than 7 days in Canada's National Parks. We then went on to the Radium Hot Springs pools in Kootenay National Park. The pools open quite late in September and even later in winter. Check the opening hours  before going. Radium Hot Springs costs $17.50 for an adult and there are discounts for seniors and children. We really enjoyed the Radium Hot Springs pool and spent about 2 hours soaking in it. It was very sociable and we chatted to several people. There are changing rooms, toilets, drinking water and free lockers there. Towels cost extra so it's best to bring your own. There's also a cooler pool for swimming but we didn't use it. On the drive back to Invermere we stopped at Sinclair Canyon and walked through it. It's worth stopping but it isn't a haven of peace as the main road runs through it! Invermere has 2 popular beaches on Lake Windermere. There is a stony beach at James Chabot Provincial Park which was right by our apartment. The more sandy Kinsmen beach was a short drive away. Radium Springs Hot Pool Sinclair Canyon in Kootenay National Park Beach at James Chabot Provincial Park, Invermere Kinsmen Beach in Invermere 10. Drive from Invermere to Canmore Kootenay National Park's attractions are in the southern and northern ends of the park and there is little to do in between. We saw Sinclair Canyon and Radium Hot Springs in the south of the park yesterday. Today we visited the sights in the northern end of Kootenay National Park as we had to drive through Kootenay National Park to reach Canmore, our next destination. As it's only a 2 hour drive from Invermere to Canmore we had plenty of time to sightsee. Map of the northern section of Kootenay National Park Numa Falls in Kootenay National Park was the first stop. The car park is just off Highway 93 and the falls are a 2 minute walk from the car park. There's a bridge over the river which provides a good view of the falls. It doesn't take long to see Numa Falls. The parking lot for the Paint Pots is only a 5 minute drive from Numa Falls. The Paint Pots are 1 kilometre from the car park and it's a 15 minute scenic walk. The Paint Pots are 3 colourful pools of mineral water. Marble Canyon is a short drive further along Highway 93. It's possible to hike between the Paint Pots and Marble Canyon but it didn't appear to be a scenic trail. The trail to Marble Canyon follows the canyon upwards and there are 7 bridges to cross. The 700 metre long path is steep at times.  There  a re good views of the canyon and river along the trail. If you want to do a scenic hike the Stanley Glacier Trail  is in this part of Kootenay National Park. The hike takes about 4 hours. The Continental divide is at the boundary of Kootenay and Banff National Parks. The continental divide is the dividing line between the Pacific and Atlantic watersheds. We quickly stopped to take a photo of the sign. The mountain scenery from here to Canmore is spectacular. When we reached Canmore we checked into a one bedroom apartment that I had booked through VRBO  for $380 a night. The apartment was fine but I wouldn't recommend it. Kootenay River in Kootenay National Park Numa Falls in Kootenay National Park Trail to the Paint Pots in Kootenay National Park A Paint Pot in Kootenay National Park Marble Canyon in Kootenay National Park Castle Mountain in Banff National Park The Continental Divide between Kootenay and Banff National Parks View when driving from Kootenay National Park to Banff 11. Two Nights in Canmore and Banff Canmore Map of downtown Canmore After checking into our apartment we walked around Canmore's very pleasant downtown area. 8th Street is Canmore's main street and it's pedestrianised in summertime. It's very similar to Banff's main street with lots of shops and restaurants and there are good views of the mountains. Canmore's main street runs from west to east and the Policeman's Creek Boardwalk is at the eastern end. The first section of the Policeman's Creek Boardwalk is the most scenic as the trail becomes forested after the first bridge. I therefore crossed the creek at the first bridge and walked back to main street along the pleasant Spring Creek Drive. Bow River is at the western end of main street. I walked on both sides of the Bow River between Canmore Engine Bridge and Bridge Road as it's very scenic. I also walked southwards from Bridge Road along the east side of the Bow River until it became forested. There are good views of the Three Sisters on this section. My route is shown in yellow on the map. Drivers can park on the western side of Bridge Road where there is a small parking lot at the Canmore Public Boat Launch  that costs about $4 an hour. I wanted to visit Quarry Lake  which is a 7 minute drive from downtown Canmore. Quarry Lake is in a beautiful setting and is a popular location as a result. I didn't go there as the parking cost has been increased to $10 an hour and there is a 2 hour minimum. Main Street Canmore Policeman Creek Trail at Canmore Policeman Creek Trail at Canmore Walk along the Bow river in Canmore. The 3 Sisters in the background Walk along the Bow river in Canmore Banff Town Map of Banff Town There is a free parking lot at Banff Train Station  with 500 parking spaces. It's about a 10 minute walk from Banff Avenue which is Banff's main shopping street. We parked at the Cascade of Time Garden which is just across the bridge from Banff Avenue. We arrived at 09.15 and were delighted to find plenty of free parking and public toilets. We didn't walk around the attractive garden and only went to the popular viewpoint that looks down Banff Avenue to Cascade Mountain. From the Cascade of Time Garden we walked over the bridge and along Banff Avenue. Not all the shops were open yet but it was starting to become busy. It's a pleasant main street but we aren't keen shoppers and many of the stores were very exclusive. We returned to the bridge and started walking along the 1.2 kilometre long Bow River Trail to Bow Falls. I thought it would be a scenic trail but trees obscured the views. As Lani had a foot problem we turned back and drove to Bow Falls instead. We were pleased to find a large car park at Bow Falls with plenty of free spaces. This car park can be used to see both the Bow Falls and the Banff Springs Hotel. The hotel can be viewed by walking further along the road to the nearby bridge over the Bow River. Surprise Corner Viewpoint is on the opposite side of the river to Bow Falls. The car park is small and we parked in the last available space. There are excellent views of the Banff Springs Hotel. When visiting Banff I recommend stopping first at Surprise Corner Viewpoint due to the lack of parking. Then drive to the Cascade of Time Garden car park. There are plenty of parking spaces at Bow Falls so there is no urgency in driving there. View from the Cascade of Time Garden in Banff Banff's Main High Street View of the Banff Springs Hotel from Surprise Corner Viewpoint View from Bow Falls Viewpoint in Banff Sights around Banff Town Lake Minnewanka Circular Drive After visiting Banff Town we drove a short distance to the Vermillion Lakes. There are 3 lakes and a few places where you can pull over and enjoy the views. There are many cyclists as the Vermillion Lakes are close to Banff. It should take less than an hour to see Vermillion Lakes. From Vermillion Lake we did a circular drive to Lake Minnewanka. We stopped at 3 scenic lakes on the way. The first stop was at Cascade Ponds where we had a picnic lunch before doing the short walk around the ponds. Our second stop was at 2 Jacks Lake. The weather was quite warm and people were sunbathing, swimming and using inflatables on the lake. It's a very pleasant place in good weather. Johnson Lake was our last stop before reaching Lake Minnewanka. Lake Minnewanka is 21 kilometres long and is the second largest lake in the Canadian Rockies. There are regular one hour boat cruises on Lake Minnewanka that cost around $70. We didn't go on a boat cruise due to the cost. The Banff Upper Hot Springs were closed for maintenance during our visit. I wasn't bothered about going anyway as I had been before and in summer time the hot springs can be too crowded. Entry costs $17.50 with discounts for seniors and adults. It's open from 10.00 to 22.00. There are 2 gondolas and 1 chairlift in the vicinity of Banff Town. I researched them before our trip but we didn't go up on any of them due to the cost. The Banff gondola is the most popular out of the three options. It has the best views but also the highest cost! Tickets cost around $90 but the price varies as there is dynamic pricing.  Booking  in advance is encouraged but I would be wary of booking more than a day in advance as mountain weather is unpredictable. The Sunshine gondola is a bit cheaper and the best option if you want to hike at the top on scenic trails. The Mount Norquay chairlift is the cheapest of the 3 options but the views aren't as good as from the Banff gondola. Vermillion Lakes near Banff Cascade Ponds in Banff Springs National Park 2 Jacks Lake in Banff National Park Johnson Lake in Banff National Park Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park 12. Drive from Canmore to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway We spent 8.5 hours driving from Canmore to Jasper in excellent weather and stopped at all the places we wanted to see. It's a fantastic drive but also very popular. We managed to quickly park at all the places but the car parks were pretty full. I was glad we weren't driving a RV as it makes parking so much more difficult. I have highlighted in red on the map all the places we stopped at and the photos are below. We didn't do any hikes apart from the short hikes to see the waterfalls, lakes, glacier etc as we didn't have time. We didn't do the Columbia Icefield Adventure which involves travelling on a huge vehicle onto the Columbia Glacier and spending about 30 minutes on the glacier. This tour costs a whopping $125! This cost includes the Columbia Icefield Skywalk which is a glass floor walkway suspended from the hillside. We didn't do the Columbia Icefield Adventure for several reasons: The cost is far too high. We had done it in 1980 when the cost was reasonable and the Columbia Glacier was larger and quicker to access. I have hiked on more impressive glaciers in Nepal for free. The Columbia Icefield skywalk is a touristy gimmick. You have to allow 2.5 to 3 hours for the tour but only 30 minutes is spent on the glacier. You can walk to the toe of the Columbia Glacier for free and it's only a 15 minute walk each way. If you want to walk to the toe of the glacier you turn off to the left once you reach the huge parking lot for the Columbia Icefield Adventure which is on the right hand side of the road to Jasper. Don't stop at the first parking area which is a long way from the glacier but drive to the parking area at the end of the road. From the last parking area it's a 15 minute walk up a slight hill to the toe of the Columbia Glacier. There are markers along the trail indicating the position of the glacier over the last 100 years. The Columbia Glacier has been receding for a long time. View of Cascade Mountain from the Canmore to Banff highway View from the highway after Lake Louise Bow Lake Peyto Lake Waterfowl Lakes Viewpoint Mistaya Canyon in Jasper National Park Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park Tangle Creek Falls in Jasper National Park Sunwapta Falls in Jasper National Park Goats and Glaciers Viewpoint Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park 13. Two Nights in Jasper Map of the area around Jasper Map of Jasper Accommodation in Jasper is in short supply and expensive. I booked 9 months ahead and paid $460 a night for a studio cabin at Pine Bungalows . We were very happy with the cabin apart from the price! The resort is well run and the cabins nicely furnished and in excellent condition. It wasn't rustic. I only booked 2 nights at Jasper as the terrible fire in July 2024 meant that the popular Maligne Canyon trail, Valley of 5 Lakes trail and the Mount Edith Cavell area were still closed. We went grocery shopping in Jasper the evening we arrived. The 2 main grocery stores are The Grocery Place (TGP) and Nesters Market. We used TGP as the hotel receptionist recommended it and it also has free parking. We bought a roast chicken and salads for our 2 nights in Jasper. It saved a lot of money and time. We were travelling in Canada for 5 weeks and we didn't feel like eating out every night. The weather forecast for our one full day in Jasper wasn't good. Unfortunately the weather forecast was correct but it only rained in the early morning and late afternoon. It meant that we could do everything we wanted but the scenery didn't look spectacular in the cloudy conditions. We drove to Maligne Lake in the morning and stopped off at Medicine Lake on the way. Both lakes are beautiful but they would have looked so much better in the sun. We walked along a popular trail on the eastern side of Maligne Lake to a viewpoint. The most beautiful part of Maligne Lake is at the southern end and is only accessible by boat. There are 1.5 hour boat cruises to Spirit Island that cost about $100. It would have been a waste of money for us in the cloudy weather. I also didn't like the idea of being in a covered boat. On the way back we stopped off at the Maligne Lookout which is just off the Maligne Lake Road. The Maligne Lookout used to overlook a beautiful forested valley but it's now desolate due to the 2024 fire. It's a good place to see the impact of the fire. We were fortunate to be there whilst an amazing tour guide explained about the fire. The scenic Edith Lake and Lake Annette are close to the Maligne Lookout and make a good detour. There is a 2.7 kilometres paved trail around Lake Annette and a longer unpaved trail around Edith Lake. There were very few other people when we went. We ended the day by driving over to Patricia Lake and Pyramid Lake which are very close to each other. Pyramid Lake is on the itinerary of tour groups who cross the wooden bridge to the small island on the lake. We also walked over to the island but there is little to be gained by doing so. The best views are from the parking area along the lakeside road. It started to rain at Pyramid Lake and the lake didn't look very special in those conditions. We returned the next morning in the sun and it made a big difference with the mountains reflected in the lake. Patricia Lake was also very beautiful and it's worth driving to the beach. Medicine Lake is next to the Maligne Lake Road Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park Maligne Lake cruise boat View of burnt forest from Maligne Lookout Lake Annette in Jasper Edith Lake in Jasper Pyramid Lake in Jasper Beach at Patricia Lake, Jasper 14. Drive from Jasper to Field along the Icefields Parkway In the morning, after visiting Pyramid and Patricia Lakes for a second time, we left Jasper and drove back along the Icefield Parkway. The weather was excellent and we enjoyed seeing the fantastic scenery surrounding the Icefield Parkway from another direction. We had visited the main sights that we had wanted to see on the drive to Jasper. We stopped off at a few viewpoints to enjoy the scenery and have a break from driving. The Weeping Wall wasn't very impressive and isn't worth stopping for. If Lani hadn't been suffering from plantar fasciitis we would done the 4 hour Wilcox Pass trail  which seems to be the best hike off the Icefields Parkway. The Parker Ridge trail  is a shorter option and takes about 2 hours. We checked in to the Truffle Pigs Lodge at Field and were happy with our room. The only restaurant in Field is at the lodge and it's very popular with people waiting outside for tables. We had a good meal at the restaurant in the evening. Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint in Jasper National Park Viewpoint south of Tangle Falls The Weeping Wall 15. Four Nights in Field, British Columbia We stayed in the small town of Field to visit Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, Yoho National Park and the Bow Valley Parkway. Getting to Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and Lake O'Hara Advance planning is very important when visiting Moraine Lake, Lake Louise and Lake O'Hara in Yoho National Park as access is restricted due to their popularity. Visitors are no longer permitted to drive to Moraine Lake. Visitors must either book a Parks Canada shuttle bus in advance for $8 (with discounts for over 65's and children), plus an admin fee of $3.50, or pay about $70 for a private bus service. The private bus service may be cheaper if booked online . Visitors can drive to Lake Louise but the car park becomes full by 06.30 in the peak summer months and costs $37 for the day! I assume most of these early visitors come for the Lake Agness and Plain of 6 Glaciers hikes. In the afternoon parking becomes available once hikers have departed. The cheapest way to visit Lake Louise is by booking in advance  a Parks Canada shuttle which costs $8 plus a $3.50 admin fee (with discounts for over 65's and children). A private bus service costs $55 but may be a bit cheaper if booked online . Parks Canada's shuttle buses to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake depart from the free park and ride at the Lake Louise Ski Resort. It's a huge parking lot and capacity isn't an issue. The expensive private buses also leave from the Ski Resort. At the Lake Louise Ski Resort proof of the reservation has to be presented at the Parks Canada booth. They issue a ticket (see below) to be shown to the bus driver. The ticket doesn't state whether the destination is Lake Louise or Moraine Lake. Therefore the system could be manipulated and a shuttle bus taken to either lake. It isn't necessary to buy separate Parks Canada shuttle bus tickets to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake when visiting both lakes on the same day. After visiting the lake specified on the Parks Canada reservation there are 2 options: a shuttle bus back to the Park and Ride or a shuttle bus to the other lake. After visiting the second lake the shuttle bus to the Park and Ride can be taken. Reservations  for the Parks Canada shuttles are for 1 hour departure time slots from the Park and Ride. Any shuttle bus can be taken back to the Park and Ride or the other lake. The ticket must be presented to the driver. There isn't so much flexibility with the private buses as the return time must be booked when purchasing tickets. In 2026 the shuttle buses for Lake Louise and Lake Moraine can be reserved from 08.00 Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) on 15th April 2026. It's advisable to create a Parks Canada account well beforehand and to gain an understanding of how the reservation process works. We flew to Madeira on the 16th April 2025 (the day reservations opened) and couldn't make reservations until the evening. The very earliest departure times had been taken but there was still plenty of space for departures from 09.00. For early departures times log in before 08.00 MDT on the day the reservation process begins. Parks Canada releases additional tickets 2 days before each departure day for the Lake Louise and Moraine Lake shuttles. I logged in before 08.00 MDT and at exactly 08.00 tried to purchase tickets. The site churned and after refreshing the page the morning tickets had been taken. I managed to buy tickets for the early afternoon. Lake O' Hara in Yoho National Park can only be accessed by a Parks Canada shuttle. The only chance of getting to Lake O' Hara is by taking part in a random draw  between March 2nd and 23rd. However, shuttle tickets are very hard to obtain as Parks Canada only allows 3,000 day use visitors at Lake O'Hara for the entire summer season. Each application for the Lake O'Hara's random draw costs $10 and up to 6 different times/dates can be entered on each application. I completed 2 application forms and wasn't successful. Moraine Lake in Banff National Park It's around a half hour drive from the Park and Ride to Moraine Lake. Unfortunately very little mountain scenery can be seen due to all the trees. The Rockpile is the best viewpoint at Moraine Lake and the short trail up to the top is incredibly crowded as a result. Every one wants to walk to the top even if they are hardly capable of doing so. I dislike crowded viewpoints but the view from the Rockpile is worth it. We only walked along the Lakeshore Trail due to Lani's plantar fasciitis. The very first section was a bit busy but the number of people soon thinned out. The trail goes through forest but has good views of the lake and mountains. The hike is about 1.8 kilometres each way. The best hike at Moraine Lake is through Larch Valley to Sentinel Pass. Larch Valley is stunning in late September when the larches turn golden but it's also busy. The Sentinel Pass trail is 11 kilometres long and the hike takes about 5 hours. Rich visitors can rent a canoe for $160 per hour plus taxes! I was surprised at how many people do this. View of Moraine Lake from the Rockpile The Rockpile at Moraine Lake Line up of people on the Rockpile! Lake Louise in Banff National Park As it was my birthday I went to Lake Louise to do the Plain of 6 Glaciers hike by myself. The first section of the trail follows the northern shoreline of Lake Louise and there were excellent views. After that the trail ascended to the Plain of 6 Glaciers teahouse. There were other people on the trail but it wasn't too busy. The official trail terminates at the Plain of 6 Glaciers tea house but there is a good unmaintained trail for another half an hour past the tea house. I continued on the trail and after a while the trail is on glacial moraine with open views. I ate my packed lunch at the end of the trail. On the way back I decided to take the Highline trail to Lake Agness rather than returning the same way. There were very few hikers on the highline trail. Initially the trail was through open terrain but it became forested. After a while a steep trail turned off to the Big Beehive. I took the forested trail up to the Big Beehive and it was a relentless steep slog up with few views. I expected there to be a small viewpoint at the top but there was a large fairly open area with fantastic views down to Lake Louise and the Chateau Lake Louise. It was definitely worth the steep hike up. From the Big Beehive I descended steeply to Lake Agness. It's a beautiful trail and surprisingly there were virtually no other hikers. I think most people hike to Lake Agness and the Big Beehive in the morning and it was 14.30 when I descended. There is a popular tea house at Lake Agness and there were quite a few people there. After that the trail wasn't crowded but it was more forested than the trail from the Big Beehive to Lake Agness. Mirror Lake is passed on the descent and there is an excellent view of the Big Beehive. I had thought the Lake Agness hike would be too busy and forested for my liking. Neither were an issue and I really enjoyed the circular hike to the Plain of 6 Glaciers and Lake Agness. The hike took 5.5 hours. See my blog on the Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hike for further information about this hike. Map of Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hike Lake Louise from the Chateau Lake Louise Lake Louise with the Chateau Lake Louise in the background Trail to the Plain of 6 Glaciers View of Lake Louise from the Plain of 6 Glaciers Trail The Plain of the 6 Glaciers Tea House The final ridge to the Plain of 6 Glaciers Viewpoint Highline Trail from Plain of 6 Glaciers to the Big Beehive View of Lake Louise from the Big Beehive Descent from the Big Beehive to Lake Agness Lake Agness Lake Agness Tea House Yoho National Park Map of Yoho National Park Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park Emerald Lake is the highlight of Yoho National Park and it's popular as a result. It's reached by turning off Highway 1 onto Emerald Lake Road. The Natural Bridge rock formations on the Kicking Horse River are reached shortly after the turn off. It was worth the quick stop to see the Natural Bridge. The car park at Emerald Lake isn't large and it was full when we arrived just before 10.00 a.m. There were still plenty of parking spaces along the road though. There was a queue of people waiting for the canoe rental office to open at 10.00. Canoe rentals cost $100 an hour which is cheap compared to the $160 an hour charged at Moraine Lake! It's still far too expensive for us. We did the 5 kilometre scenic walk around Emerald Lake. Most people walk clockwise as the trail on the west side of the lake is maintained. We went anti clockwise and the trail on the eastern side initially runs through Emerald Lake Lodge. The trail on the east side of the lake can be muddy but in September it was fine. Some board walks were being constructed along the worst sections. The trail on the east side goes through forest but there were plenty of views of Emerald Lake and the surrounding mountains. The northern end of the lake is very open and there are beautiful views and some benches to rest on. Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park Takakkaw Falls is reached by driving along Yoho Valley Road. There are a few very tight hair pin bends along this road. They aren't a problem for cars but vehicles over 7 metres long must reverse down one section! Shortly after turning onto the Yoho Valley Road there is a viewpoint of the Upper Spiral Tunnel. We were fortunate to see a long CP Rail freight train passing through the spiral tunnel and saw both ends of the train on either side of the tunnel. It was a distant view of the train and unfortunately I didn't have a good telephoto lens for a photo. The trains are infrequent and you have to be lucky to see one. I was particularly pleased to see it as I used to work for Canadian Pacific. Shortly after the Upper Spiral Viewpoint there is a car park for the Meeting of the Waters Confluence. This is where the Yoho and Kicking Horse rivers meet but there is very little to see and it isn't worth stopping. There's a large car park at Takakkaw Falls and there was plenty of space when we visited in mid September. It's a 10 minute walk from the car park to the base of the spectacular waterfalls. The Takakkaw Falls are the second highest waterfalls in Canada. The Takakkaw Falls car park is the trailhead for the Iceline Trail which is the best hike in Yoho National Park. It can either be done as a 20 kilometre circular hike  or a 14 kilometre there and back hike. The hike up and down is through forest but the middle section of the hike is through spectacular alpine scenery. Lower Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint in Yoho National Park The Lower Spiral Tunnel viewpoint is just off Highway 1 between Lake Louise and Field. There's a large car park and many interesting information boards. We stopped 4 times but never saw a train passing through the tunnel. Unfortunately trees around the tunnel block most of the view of the trains. Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park View on Walk around Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park Natural Bridge in Yoho National Park Bow Valley Parkway Map of the Bow Valley Parkway The Bow Valley Parkway is a road between from Banff to Lake Louise. It's a quieter and slower option to Highway 1 which runs parallel along the other side of the Bow River. The Bow Valley Parkway between Banff and Johnston Canyon is closed to motorised transport during May, June and September. During these months the remaining section of the Bow Valley Parkway can only be accessed from Castle Junction and Lake Louise. The main attraction on the Bow Valley Parkway is Johnston Canyon. We didn't visit it as the reviews revealed that Johnston Canyon would be extremely crowded and the parking difficult. It's just the sort of experience that we dislike. Some reviews recommend going very early in the morning to avoid the crowds. A very early start didn't appeal to us and it's likely that Johnston Canyon would be crowded on the way back to the car park. Other reviews suggest going at the end of the day. We drove southwards along the Bow Valley Parkway from Lake Louise and returned the same way when we reached Johnston Canyon. We enjoyed the drive and stopped off at Morant's Curve, Storm Mountain Viewpoint and Castle Mountain Internment Camp. There's a small car park on the other side of the road by Morant's Curve. We waited for a CP Rail train to arrive and a few other people were doing the same. We gave up waiting after 20 minutes but stopped again on our way back. We were lucky and a train came past. Our next stop was at Storm Mountain Viewpoint. There are excellent view of the spectacular Castle Mountain and the Bow River with the CP Rail track running along it. We were fortunate that a train passed soon after we arrived and I thought the view was better than at Morant's Curve. On the way back we quickly stopped at the site of the Castle Mountain Internment Camp. This is where over 8,500 people were detained during World War 1 as they originated from countries at war with Canada. There isn't much to see except an interesting information board. CP Rail train at Morant's Curve Castle Mountain from Castle Mountain Viewpoint Storm Mountain Viewpoint on the Bow Valley Parkway 16. Drive fro m Field to Salmon Arm The drive from Field to Salmon Arm takes about 3.5 hours without stopping. The journey took us 9 hours as we visited Wapta Falls and Mount Revelstoke National Park on the way. Our first stop was Wapta Falls in the western section of Yoho National Park. Wapta Falls isn't signposted when driving westwards on Highway 1 which might be because it's dangerous to cross the highway. We went sailing past the turn off as I had entered "Wapta Falls" in Google Maps. It didn't take us to Wapta Falls but to Wapta Falls Campsite! This is several kilometres past the correct turnoff from Highway 1 and then along several kilometres of dirt road to Wapta Falls Campsite. There was nothing there! I could see from the map that the Wapta Falls car park was on the other side of the river and it would mean driving back. I entered "Wapta Falls Main Trail" on Google maps and it took us the correct way. We wasted at least 30 minutes due to this mistake. It was a good road to Wapta Falls car park and there were parking spaces available. In peak season parking can be difficult. From the car park it's a 2.2 kilometre hike through the forest to Wapta Falls. There are 3 viewpoints above Wapta Falls and it's worth continuing to the last one. The third viewpoint involves a bit of descent but it isn't much. Some people hike all the way down to the river and then right up to Wapta Falls. The spray near the falls is tremendous and it's advisable to wear a waterproof. Glacier National Park is an hour's drive from Wapta Falls. There are a number of short trails off the highway but after reading reviews we didn't do any of them due to lack of views and poor maintenance. These trails are Hemlock Grove, Rock Garden, Bear Creek, Skunk Cabbage and Giant Cedars. We stopped at Rogers Pass to have a picnic lunch and use their facilities. We couldn't visit the Discovery Centre as it was being renovated. Mount Revelstoke National Park is west of Glacier National Park. We drove 26 kilometres up the Meadows in the Sky Parkway. It ascends 1,365 metres through forest to a car park below the summit (1,835 metres). There are several viewpoints on the way but unfortunately the visibility was poor due to smoke from forest fires. From the car park it's a 1 kilometre walk to the summit area. There used to be a shuttle but it no longer operates. There are several short walks at the summit and the best walk is the Fire Tower trail. None of these short trails are worth the 35 minute drive up and the walk to the summit. I only recommend driving up the Meadows in the Sky Parkway for the long hike to Eva Lake, Miller Lake and Jade Lake. We reached Salmon Arm at 18.00 and checked into the new and reasonably priced Fairfield by Marriot Inn . We then rushed to meet an old friend of Lani's for dinner. We went to the excellent Barley Station Brew Pub . Wapta Falls in Yoho National Park View from Rogers Pass Discovery Centre in Glacier National Park View from the top of Revelstoke National Park 17. Drive from Sa lmon Arm to Whistler We continued driving westwards on Highway 1 from Salmon Arm. Shortly after passing Kamloops we could have turned south on Highway 5. It's a fast route back to Vancouver. Instead we continued driving west on Highway 1 along Kamloops Lake to Cache Creek. There Highway 1 turns southwards to Vancouver. It's a scenic route that follows the Thompson River and goes through the Fraser Canyon. However, we had driven to Vancouver on the Highway 1 before and wanted to try a new route. We therefore continued south westwards to Whistler on Highway 99. The scenery was good but it was spoiled around Lillooet by scruffy Indian housing and abandoned vehicles. The traffic on Highway 99 was much lighter than on Highway 1 which made driving more enjoyable. We stopped off at several viewpoints on the way from Salmon Arm to Whistler and had a picnic lunch at Marble Canyon Provincial Park. Half an hour before reaching Whistler we stopped at the impressive Nairn Falls. It's a 1.5 kilometre walk from the car park to Nairn Falls. It began raining soon after we left Nairn Falls. We did some grocery shopping at The Grocery Store in Whistler before checking into our 1 bedroom apartment at Horstman House . The apartment was excellent, and wasn't expensive, but the free parking space was very tight for a SUV. Kamloops Lake The Fraser river in the Marble Canyon near Lillooet Seton Lake near Lillooet Marble Canyon Provincial Park Nairn Falls 18. Two Nights in Whistler The most popular activity at Whistler is taking the gondola up Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. The Peak 2 Peak gondola connects the upper stations of the Whistler and Blackcomb gondolas and spans 4.4 kilometres. The Peak Express chairlift goes from the upper station of Whistler's gondola to the top of Whistler Mountain (2,181 metres). This saves a one hour hike up and provides access to the Cloudraker Skybridge. This is a 130 metre bridge between Whistler Peak and West Ridge. I discovered that after Labour day only the Blackcomb and Peak 2 Peak gondolas were open and even these gondolas stopped operating after 21st September. The full price of $100 was being charged even though the Peak Express chairlift to the Cloudraker Skybridge was closed. I had intended to take the gondola and chairlift to the top of Whistler Mountain and hike the popular High Note Trail. This hike takes about 4 hours. Unfortunately the weather was bad in the morning. By the time the weather had cleared there wasn't enough time to do the hike. The Peak Express chairlift was closed and an extra 2 hours of walking would have been necessary. In the afternoon we walked around the attractive centre of Whistler and visited  a couple of attractive lakes at Whistler. Lost Lake is the nearest to the centre of Whistler. In summer the water temperature is warm enough for swimming. Green Lake is a bit further north of Whistler. It's larger and the water isn't as warm as it's glacier fed. Gondolas on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains Lost Lake in Whistler Green Lake near Whistler 19. Drive - Whistl er to Vancouver along the Sea to Sky Highway I wasn't that impressed with the scenery on the Sea to Sky Highway but it didn't help that it was overcast. Unfortunately trees block a lot of the views and this is a common problem in British Columbia. It only takes 1.5 hours to drive from Whistler to downtown Vancouver on the Sea to Sky Highway. However, there are a few places worth visiting on the way and the drive could take most of the day. We had visited the interesting Britannia Mine a few years ago so we didn't visit it again. We stopped off at Brandywine Falls, Shannon Falls, Porteau Cove Provincial Park and Whytecliffe Park. It's a short walk to both Brandywine Falls and Shannon Falls. We had lunch at Porteau Cove Provincial Park which is just off the highway. There are proper toilets and picnic benches there. Our final stop before downtown Vancouver was Whytecliffe Park in West Vancouver. There is just one good viewpoint and a large picnic area at Whytecliffe Park. Parking has to be paid for. It isn't a worthwhile stop for most visitors. Shannon Falls Porteau Provincial Park Whytcliife Park in West Vancouver 20. Links to my other Blogs on Canada Vancouver Travel Guide Plain of 6 Glaciers & Lake Agness Hike Kootenay National Park Travel Guide Yoho National Park Travel Guide The Icefields Parkway Drive

Lake Bled, Slovenia Contents Introduction to Slovenia Piran Koper Izola Ljubljana Skofja Loka Radovljica Lake Bled Lake Bohinj Vrsic Pass Road Trip My Other Blogs on Slovenia 1. Introduction to Slovenia We visited Slovenia for one week at the end of April 2023 while driving from the UK to the Greek islands. We were on a 3 month road trip visiting interesting places on route to and from Greece. The aim wasn't to cover everything in the countries that we visited. See my blog Venice to Serbia - Week 2  for the daily trip report of our week in Slovenia. It would have been preferable to visit Slovenia towards the end of our trip in late June. The weather would then have then been warm enough to swim in the sea and in the lakes. By then the snow would have melted on the Julian Alps and we could have hiked in the higher alpine areas that I enjoy. Unfortunately Slovenia is too busy and expensive in summer. So we decided to visit Slovenia at the start of our road trip and to enjoy the coasts of Albania, Montenegro and Croatia on the way back. We were lucky with the weather as it was warm and sunny when we were on the coast. It was cloudy, but dry, in Ljubljana. The weather forecast for our 3 nights at Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj was abysmal, but it was dry until the day we left Slovenia. Then it poured! We were very impressed with Slovenia and it was a very easy country to travel in. The roads weren't busy and driving was very straightforward, even for someone used to driving on the wrong side of the road! Most Slovenians spoke English and were very courteous and friendly. The accommodation in Slovenia wasn't particularly cheap and we found cheaper accommodation in all the countries we visited south of Slovenia. Petrol though was about 20% cheaper in Slovenia than in the UK, France, Switzerland Italy and even Greece. Map of Slovenia 2. Piran, Slovenia 2.1. Accommodation in Piran Piran is similar to the many historic towns further south in Croatia. However, the accommodation is more expensive than Croatia, even in the off peak season. This might be because Slovenia has a very small coastline for Slovenians to visit. Piran is absolutely packed in July and August. We rented a compact apartment in the nearby small village of Pobegi for 1 night at a cost of Euro 75 through Booking.com . Pobegi is 4 kilometres from Koper and a 25 minute drive to Piran. The apartment was very well equipped and in pristine condition. I have reviewed the accommodation on my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 6). 2.2. Parking in Piran Parking in Piran is very expensive and it cost Euro 2.60 per hour. We parked in the Fornace parking lot and there is a free shuttle for the short distance into Piran. 2.3. What to do in Piran Half a day in Piran is ample for wandering around the old town. Piran is an unspoiled historical town with Venetian architecture. The main square in Piran is Tartinijev Trg and it is surrounded by attractive historic buildings. It is very near the sea front as it was originally the inner harbour of Piran. In 1894 the harbour was filled in to create the main square. The tourist office is in this square. We climbed up the road to the Cathedral of St George and its Bell Tower. We continued up the hill to the old Walls of Piran. It costs Euro 3 to enter a small section of the walls and 3 of the towers on the walls. There are very good views of Piran from the towers. The walls were open until 20.00. We wandered around the streets in Piran's lower town and there were hardly any other visitors. Most of the restaurants and cafes are along the seafront. It was warm enough in late April for us to sit outside on the waterfront for our evening meal of calamari and sardines. From the parking lot below the entrance to the walls there are steps that descend steeply back to the Piran's old town centre. It makes a good circular walk around Piran. The Harbour at Piran, Slovenia The Seafront Promenade at Piran, Slovenia View of Tartinijev Trg in Piran, Slovenia Tartinijev Trg in Piran, Slovenia The Cathedral of St George in Piran, Slovenia The Interior of the Cathedral of St George The City Walls of Piran, Slovenia The City Walls of Piran, Slovenia A View of Piran from the City Walls 3. Koper, Slovenia We visited the coastal towns of Koper and Izola on the drive to Ljubljana and we had most of the day to explore them. 3.1. Parking in Koper We stopped off at Koper first and there were plenty of parking spaces, unlike at Piran. It would usually cost Eur 1 per hour but a kind local told us that parking was free as it was a public holiday in Slovenia. We had all our luggage in our car. It seems that Slovenia has less theft than many other European countries. 3.2. What to see in Koper We walked into the centre of Koper along the seafront promenade and then to the main square called Titov Trg. It is an attractive square surrounded by historic buildings. The tourist office is also located there. Surprisingly there were very few other tourists in Koper, just like at Piran. We paid Euro 4 each to climb up the 36 metre high City Tower and there were good views of Koper from the top. Every town in Slovenia seems to have a tower to climb and we decided not to go up towers in future as the cost soon mounts up. Koper's historic centre is very interesting, but not that extensive, so it took less than 2 hours to see. 3.3. Restaurants in Koper It was lunch time when we finished sightseeing and we went to a cheap seafood eatery outside Koper's market called Fritolin . Fritolin is recommended in the Lonely Planet guide to Slovenia and it was busy with locals. We ordered 2 portions of grilled calamari and french fries for a total cost of Euro 21 and ate it at an outside table. It was very tasty and the portions were good! There are many other cheap eating spots and cafes in Koper's market area. The Cathedral of the Assumption & the City Tower in Titov Trg A View of Koper from the City Tower A View of Koper's Port from the City Tower View of Titov Trg from the top of the Bell Tower at Koper, Slovenia The Praetorian Palace in Titov Trg, Koper Venetian Gothic Loggia in Titov Trg, Koper The Fontico at Koper, Slovenia The Promenade at Koper, Slovenia The Cathedral of Assumption at Koper, Slovenia The Da Ponte fountain in Prešernov Trg in Kroper, Slovenia The Barbabianca Palace in Koper, Slovenia 4. Izola, Slovenia Koper's helpful tourist office had told us that it was a 6 km walk from Koper to Izola along the seafront promenade and that we could then take a bus back to Koper. We decided to do this as we needed the exercise and didn't fancy trying to find parking in Izola. The walk to Izola took 1 hour and 15 minutes. It was a very pleasant walk and was popular with the locals who were cycling, roller blading and walking. There were several free toilets along the way. We had a quick walk around Izola and then took the short bus ride back to Koper. Izola is a pleasant town but there aren't many historic sights to see. The bus runs regularly between Izola and Koper. Even on a holiday the bus ran every half an hour most of the day. The tourist office at Koper provided us with a sheet detailing the departure times and told us where the bus stops were. Our bus ride from Izola to Koper cost Euro 1.30 per person. Besenghi degli Ughi Palace at Izola, Slovenia The Parish Church of St Maurus at Izola, Slovenia The Church of St Mary at Izola, Slovenia 5. Ljubljana, Slovenia Map of Ljubljana, Slovenia 5.1. Introduction to Ljubljana Slovenia is such a compact country that it only takes an hour drive from Ljubljana to the coast, 40 minutes to Lake Bled and 30 minutes to Skofja Loka. The roads in Ljubljana weren't congested at all. Ljubljana would be a convenient base to visit places like Lake Bled and Skofja Loka. I wondered if there would be enough to do in Ljubljana as I had read that there wasn't much to see apart from Ljubljana Castle. Ljubljana is a picturesque city and we enjoyed wandering around for a couple of hours. Half a day is adequate for sightseeing in Ljubljana unless you want to visit the museums. 5.2. Ljubljana Castle Ljubljana Castle is the main site. It is a steep 15 minute walk from the city centre. There is also a funicular railway from the centre of Ljubljana to Ljubljana Castle and it costs Eur 3.30 one way or Eur 6 return. Entrance to the central courtyard of Ljubljana Castle, and a small section of the castle's wall, is free. To see a bit more of the castle is expensive and, in my opinion, not worth it. Much of the castle's interior has been renovated and doesn't look ancient. The entrance ticket for Ljubljana Castle costs Eur 15 and it includes the viewing tower and the Puppetry and Slovenian History museums. To appreciate the History Museum you need to pay an additional Eur 4 for an audio guide as there aren't sufficient signs in English. It is worthwhile seeing the Ljubljana Castle from the outside and the free interior sections. I wouldn't buy a ticket unless you want to take a photo from the tower or are interested in puppetry. Details of the current ticket prices are on the Ljubljana Castle website . Ljubljana Castle Viewed from Congress Square (Kongresni Trg), Ljubljana, Slovenia A View of the Julian Alps from Ljubljana Castle 5.3. The Bridges in Ljubljana The Ljubljanica river bisects Ljubljana and there are 3 well known bridges crossing it. They are not very old, nor particularly beautiful, but most travel books refer to them. You would probably have to cross them while looking around the Ljubljana. The Dragon Bridge was built in 1888 and has a dragon on each corner. It is northeast of the Ljubljana's old town. There are public toilets on the southwest side of the bridge. The Triple Bridge is south of Presernov Trg. The central section was built in 1842 and in the 1930's two pedestrian side bridges were added. The Cobbler's Bridge was rebuilt in 1931 and is south of Ljubljana's other 2 bridges. It is a pedestrian bridge and in medieval times shoemakers lived and worked on the bridge. The Dragon Bridge at Ljubljana, Slovenia One of the Dragons on the Dragon Bridge, Ljubljana The Triple Bridge in Ljubljana, Slovenia The Ljubljanica River 5.4. A Circular Sightseeing Walk in Ljubljana A good way of seeing Ljubljana is to do a circular walk. You could start anywhere. We began at St James Bridge in the south and walked northwards to Dragon Bridge along the west bank of the river. We then crossed Dragon Bridge and walked back to St James Bridge on the east bank of the river. Some of the main areas of Ljubljana that we saw were: Novi Trg, an old area of Ljubljana. Kongresni Trg, which has an excellent view of Ljubljana Castle. There are some attractive buildings in the square like the University of Ljubljana and the Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity. Presernov Trg, Ljubljana's main square and is surrounded by some beautiful buildings like Hauptman House and the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation. The Triple Bridge. Miklosiceva Cesta, which runs from the railway station to the river. This street has some of the finest a rt nouveau buildings in Ljubljana. Trubarjeva Cesta, a bustling street lined with shops, restaurants and cafes. Dragon Bridge. Ljubljana Castle. The Central Market in Vodnikov Trg, which has a large open air food market. Pogacarjev Trg, which has a covered market and a fish market. On Fridays there is a weekly food fair known as the Open Kitchen. Ljubljana's Old Town, which runs along the east side of the river from Triple Bridge in the north to Hercules Fountain (near St James Bridge) in the south. Hauptmann House in Presernov Trg, Ljubljana Franciscan Church of the Annunciation in Presernov Trg, Ljubljana The University of Ljubljana in Kongresni Trg, Ljubljana Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity in Kongresni Trg, Ljubljana The Fruit and Vegetable Market in Vodnikov Trg, Ljubljana Open Kitchen in Pogacarjev Trg, Ljubljana Hercules Fountain in the Old Town of Ljubljana 6. Skofja Loka, Slovenia 6.1. Driving to Skofja Loka It was surprisingly easy to drive out of Ljubljana. Once we had got off the highway we drove on pretty, rural roads with the snow covered Julian Alps in the background. We reached the historic town of Skofja Loka after about 30 minutes. Parking was easy to find in Skofja Loka and free. Scenery on the Drive from Ljubljana to Skofja Loka 6.2. What to see at Skofja Loka Skofja Loka has quite a large historic core and we spent about 2 hours wandering around. If you visit the castle museum you will need longer. The main site in Skofja Loka is the 13th century Loka Castle and it is a steep 10 minute walk up to it. There are good views from Loka castle and it is pleasant wandering around the grounds. Otherwise there isn't much to see unless you visit the museum and the entrance fee is Eur 5. Loka Castle at Skofja Loka, Slovenia The other main place of interest in Skofja Loka is Mestni Trg. It is surrounded by colourful 16th century houses. The most famous of these is Homan House which was built in 1511. Other things to see in Skofja Loka are: Jakoba Church dating back to the 13th century. It is free to enter. Capuchin Bridge dating back to the 14th century. Spodnji Trg with a 16th century granary. Mestni Trg in Skofja Loka, Slovenia Mestni Trg in Skofja Loka, Slovenia Homan House in Skofja Loka, Slovenia A Street in Skofja Loka, Slovenia Jakoba Church in Skofja Loka, Slovenia The Interior of Jacoba Church in Skofja Loka, Slovenia 7. Radovljica, Slovenia The Lonely Planet guide book says that " The town of Radovljica is filled with impossibly cute, historic buildings ". That is very misleading as the historic part of Radovljica is limited to Linhartov Trg. Trg means Square but in reality Linhartov is a street. Linhartov Trg is lined with 16th and 17th buildings. It doesn't take long to see them. We spent half an hour wandering around Radovljica. There is nothing else of interest to see in Radovljica. Vidic House at Radovljica, Slovenia Linhartov Trg in Radovljica, Slovenia Linhartov Trg in Radovljica, Slovenia Church of St Peter in Radovljica, Slovenia 8. Lake Bled, Slovenia 8.1. Driving to Lake Bled It is only a 45 minute drive from Ljubljana to Lake Bled as Slovenia is a compact country. We visited Lake Bled during a warm and sunny weekend in late April and it was very busy. I dread to think what Lake Bled would be like in summer! We turned off at the first parking sign we saw near Lake Bled and the charge was Euro 15 for 4 hours or Euro 25 for the whole day! That's as expensive as it was in Venice. We decided to pay Eur 15 for 4 hours rather than drive around Bled's congested streets to find somewhere cheaper. 8.2. Walking around Lake Bled There is a 6 kilometre paved path going all the way around Lake Bled. It was congested near the town of Bled but not bad otherwise. Apart from the number of people it is a very beautiful and easy walk with great views all the way around Lake Bled. It should only take about 90 minutes but we took 3 hours with a lot of stops for photos. Lake Bled is very photogenic with the island, the castle perched above the lake and the snow covered Julian alps in the distance. Some people were swimming in Lake Bled and the water didn't feel too cold, even though it was the end of April. 8.3. Bled Island You can take a boat over to Bled Island. Only row boats and electric boats are allowed to prevent noise pollution. We didn't bother as it is expensive and Bled Island appears to be a tourist trap. A Pletna boat, which looks like a large gondola row boat, costs Eur 15 per person. An electric boat from Bled town costs Eur 14 per person. You can also rent your own rowing boat but it doesn't work out much cheaper. On Bled Island you have to fork out another Eur 12 to enter the church and bell tower. So for the 2 of us it would have cost Eur 54 for a 1 hour to 1.5 hour experience at a tourist trap! 8.4. Bled Castle It is a steep 15 to 20 minute walk up to Bled Castle, but that is not as steep as the Eur 15 entrance fee! You can also drive up and there is paid parking at Bled Castle. The main reasons to visit Bled Castle are for the views and the museum. Bled Island, Slovenia Bled Castle, Slovenia Bled Island, Slovenia A Church on the Shore of Lake Bled, Slovenia 9. Lake Bohinj, Slovenia 9.1. Towns and Accommodation at Lake Bohinj There isn't a town called Bohinj. The only settlement on Lake Bohinj is Ribcev Laz on the south eastern corner. It's the main hub for Lake Bohinj. We stayed in nearby Stara Fuzina, an unspoiled village a 10 minute walk from Lake Bohinj. Ukanc, the only other settlement near the lake shore, is a very small village on the western shore of Lake Bohinj. We booked a 1 bedroom apartment through Airbnb for Eur 98 per night. I have reviewed it in my blog " UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 1 " (number 8). Stara Fuzina on Lake Bohinj, Slovenia A View from Stara Fuzina on Lake Bohinj, Slovenia A Church in Stara Fuzina, Lake Bohinj, Slovenia 9.2. Hiking around Lake Bohinj The Lonely Planet guide says that Lake Bohinj is more beautiful than Lake Bled. I don't agree with that but Lake Bohinj is certainly less crowded and less touristy. We hiked from our apartment in Stara Fuzina clockwise around the Lake Bohinj. The hike is 12 kilometres long and it took us 3 hours. Unfortunately the trail on the south bank of Lake Bohinj follows the road and the views are often blocked by trees. At the western end of Lake Bohinj it was more open and there were good views of the lake and mountains. The north side of Lake Bohinj is more popular for walking. There isn't a road nearby but unfortunately trees often obscure the views. This is the more popular side of Lake Bohinj for walking and I can understand why. In my opinion it is better to hike there and back on the north side of Lake Bohinj. The disadvantage is that the north side of Lake Bohinj is busier but you could probably avoid most hikers by starting early in the morning or late in the afternoon. View on the Walk from Stara Fuzina to Lake Bohinj The Church of St John the Baptist at Ribcev Lab on Lake Bohinj Lake Bohinj from the South East Shore near Ribcev Laz The Holy Spirit Church between Ukanc and Rivcev Laz on Lake Bohinj Lake Bohinj from the Western End near Ukanc Lake Bohinj from the North West Shore 10. Vrsic Pass Road Trip 10.1. About Vrsic Pass The Vrsic Pass is in north western Slovenia near the border with Italy. It was built during the first world war and there are 50 hair pin bends up and down the 1,611 metre high Vrsic pass. Vrsic Pass is closed in winter which means it is closed from November to April, depending on the snow. You can check whether it is open on the AMZS website . The road to Vrsic pass goes from Kranjska Gora on the eastern side to Bovec on the western side. The drive to Kranjska Gora takes 45 minutes from Lake Bled and 1 hour 15 minutes from Lake Bohinj. 10.2. Driving up the Eastern Side of the Vrsic Pass The road up Vrsic Pass was a bit narrow going around some of the hair pin bends, but otherwise it wasn't a difficult drive. There are several parking spots on the road from where you can enjoy spectacular views of the Julian Alps. When you reach the top of Vrsic pass you could turn around and drive back down. The longer alternative is to drive down the western side of Vrsic pass and complete a circular route back to Lake Bohinj or Lake Bled. It would make the drive even longer if you started at Lake Bled. 10.3. Driving down the Western Side of the Vrsic Pass We did the circular drive and continued over Vrsic pass down 24 hair pin bends to Bovec. The hair pin bends weren't as tight, and the scenery wasn't as dramatic, as on the way up. We looked out for the Russian Chapel built as a memorial in 1916 by the Russian prisoners of war who constructed the road. Unfortunately we missed it and decided not to drive back up Vrsic Pass to find it. From Bovec we drove south on road numbers 203 and 102. We then turned east on the narrow and mountainous road number 403 to return to Lake Bohinj. It took us 3 hours 45 minutes to drive back from the top of Vrsic pass to Lake Bohinj. In comparison it only took us 2 hours to drive from Lake Bohinj to the top of Vrsic pass. On the way up Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View On the way up Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View On the way up Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View On the way up Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View On the way up Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View at the top of Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View at the top of Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View at the top of Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View on the way down Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View on the way down Vrsic Pass, Slovenia View on the Drive back to Lake Bohinj, Slovenia Church of the Virgin Mary in Pri Cerkvi-Struge, Slovenia View on the drive back from Vrsic pass to Lake Bohinj 11. My Other Blogs about Slovenia Venice to Serbia - Week 2 UK to Greek Island Accommodation - Part 1