What to do in Everest

There's no way around it: the Everest region is bucket-list territory. Even if you've no intention of tackling the summit (and let's face it, most of us haven't), the trek to Base Camp delivers that spine-tingling proximity to the world's highest peak – plus bragging rights that'll last a lifetime. The Khumbu Valley is dramatic from the first step, with suspension bridges strung across rushing gorges and Sherpa villages clinging to impossibly steep hillsides. Namche Bazaar makes for a bustling halfway point, while Tengboche Monastery offers spiritual respite with Everest and Ama Dablam as its backdrop. For those craving a different kind of adrenaline, white water rafting on the Sun Koshi or Bhote Koshi rivers adds some serious thrills to the journey in or out – a wet and wild contrast to all that high-altitude hiking.