Khumjung lies in a wide, gently sloping basin north of Namche, hidden from the main Everest trail by the ridge of Syangboche. Its houses are built of stone with bright green tin roofs, set among walled potato fields and stone lanes. Above the village rises Khumbila (5,761 m), the home of the Khumbu's protector deity, which local people do not climb. Ama Dablam and Thamserku stand to the east, and the twin village of Kunde lies just to the west, linked by a 20-minute walk across the fields.
The village is known well beyond Nepal for two reasons. Khumjung School, founded by Edmund Hillary and the Himalayan Trust in 1961, was the first school in the Khumbu and still educates children from across the region. And the small Khumjung Monastery keeps a metal box holding a conical scalp covered in reddish hair, displayed as a yeti relic. Scientific tests in 1960 found it was made from the skin of a serow, a Himalayan goat-antelope, but it remains a much-photographed curiosity.
Most trekkers visit Khumjung on their Namche rest day, walking up via Syangboche and Hotel Everest View, through Khumjung and sometimes Kunde, and back over the ridge to Namche, a loop of 4–5 hours that climbs to about 3,880 m. A few itineraries, including our Everest View trek and some Gokyo routes, sleep here, which is a quieter, more traditional alternative to Namche. Lodges are fewer and simpler, and evenings are very peaceful.
What to see and do
- The yeti scalp at Khumjung Monastery
For a small donation, a caretaker opens a glass case showing a conical scalp of reddish-brown hair said to belong to a yeti. Tests in 1960 linked it to a serow, but it is still the most talked-about relic in the Khumbu.
- Hillary's Khumjung School
Founded in 1961 by Edmund Hillary and the Himalayan Trust, the school now teaches several hundred children up to higher secondary level. Visitors can see it from the gate; a statue of Hillary stands in the grounds. Do not enter classrooms uninvited.
- Khumbila, the sacred mountain
Khumbila (5,761 m) towers directly above the village and is believed to be home to Khumbu Yul Lha, the region's protector god. It is not climbed out of respect. Its dark rock pyramid is the backdrop to almost every photo of Khumjung.
- Kunde Hospital
In neighbouring Kunde, 20 minutes away, the hospital founded by Hillary in 1966 still serves Khumbu villages. It is a working clinic, so visit only if you need care, but it is good to know it is there during your trek.
- Quiet stone lanes and potato fields
Away from the main trail, Khumjung feels like a farming village. Stone walls divide potato and buckwheat fields, yaks graze in autumn, and women spin wool in courtyards. It is the best place near Namche to see everyday Sherpa life.
- Ama Dablam from the fields
The open basin gives a wide view east to Ama Dablam and Thamserku, especially from the upper edge of the village near the chortens. Afternoon light on Ama Dablam's west face is a favourite subject for photographers.
Experiences in Khumjung
How to reach Khumjung
On foot
From Namche, climb via Syangboche (≈ 3,750 m) and Hotel Everest View, then descend to Khumjung: about 2.5 hours. A direct path from Namche via the ridge takes about 1.5–2 hours. From Khumjung, a trail descends east to Kyangjuma on the main Everest Base Camp trail in about 1 hour.
Helicopter
Helicopters land at Syangboche, about 30 minutes' walk from Khumjung, and at Hotel Everest View. Fly-in visits suit short heli tours but involve a fast altitude gain from Kathmandu, so stays are kept brief.
Air
Scheduled flights reach only Lukla (2,860 m), about 35 minutes from Kathmandu or 20 minutes from Ramechhap in peak months. From Lukla it is two to two and a half days' walk via Phakding and Namche.
Where to stay
Khumjung has a handful of family-run lodges along the main lane and near the school, with simple twin rooms, some with attached bathrooms, solar hot showers and warm dining rooms heated by yak-dung stoves. Food is home-cooked, often with Sherpa stew and potatoes from the fields outside. Hotel Everest View, 30 minutes above the village at Syangboche, is the luxury choice nearby, with rooms facing Everest. Most groups prefer to sleep in Namche and visit Khumjung on a loop; staying here suits travellers who want a quieter village night and are already acclimatised to around 3,500 m.
Tips from our trip managers
- Visit Khumjung on your Namche rest day as a loop via Hotel Everest View for the best acclimatisation.
- Carry small rupee notes for the monastery donation box to see the yeti scalp.
- Respect school hours: photograph Khumjung School from outside and keep noise down near classrooms.
- Do not point at or climb towards Khumbila; local people consider it sacred.
- Try a potato pancake (rikikur) with yak butter at a lodge, a Khumjung speciality.
