Painted gateway
The entrance.
Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vyacheslav Argenberg — CC BY 4.0 · Vyacheslav Argenberg — CC BY 4.0
The largest and best-known monastery of the Khumbu, on a high saddle among juniper and rhododendron forest at about 3,860 metres, ringed by the world's highest peaks in one of the Himalaya's grandest views. It was rebuilt after an earthquake in the 1930s and again after a fire in 1989. The monastery is a white building with colourful window frames and a red roof, entered through a stone gateway painted in bright colours, with a prayer hall of colourful murals inside. In the square in front are small white stupas and prayer flags flapping in the wind. From the square a colossal wall of peaks fills the horizon: Everest and Lhotse, with the elegant Ama Dablam close by, the peaks turning pink at sunrise. In autumn the monastery holds the Mani Rimdu festival with traditional masked dances. Entry is free and donations are welcome; you may attend the monks' prayers in silence at set times. Altitude sickness can strike anyone above 2,500 metres, so climb slowly, take acclimatisation days and descend at once if symptoms worsen. The monsoon brings landslides in the mountains, and Nepal now requires a licensed guide on many treks, so check permit and guide rules before you travel. The clearest months are October to December and March to April; in the June-September monsoon the mountains hide behind cloud.
The entrance.
An elegant peak.
In silence.
On the Everest trail, about 3,860 metres, a day's walk from Namche Bazaar
Usually in autumn, October or November depending on the lunar calendar, with traditional masked dances.