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Gokyo Lakes with Everest BC Trek

Number of Days: 18 Days
Highest Point: 5,643m (Kalapatthar)
Trek Difficulty: Demanding
Accommodation: Teahouse
Starting Point: Lukla (Solukhumbu)
Ending Point: Dhangadi
Region: Everest
Walking Time: Approx 6 hrs per day

Trip Highlights

  • Trek to Everest Base Camp and Kalapatthar
  • Cross Cho La pass and hike to Gokyo Ri viewpoint
  • Immerse yourself in the beauty of pristine lakes in Gokyo Valley
  • Stunning views of Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Cho Oyu among other peaks
  • Trek through ancient Sherpa villages and monateries
  • Trek through lush forests, alpine grasslands, and rugged and arid landscape

Overview

The Gokyo Lakes and Everest Base Camp Trek offers you a different way altogether to enjoy the views of Mount Everest and three other eight-thousanders. This trek strings together Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes, a series of glacial lakes in the Gokyo Valley, and takes your through the landmarks of the Khumbu region. You are in the company of soaring mountains, friendly Sherpas, colorful monasteries, rivers and rivulets, ridges and high passes, and glaciers and glacial lakes as you undertake the epic journey to the foothills of Mount Everest. Trek to Everest Base Camp through Gokyo Lakes will be a lifetime experience for trekkers as they will be rewarded with the views of majestic Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Nuptse, Amadablam and Pumori, to name a view from, at three vantage points -- Gokyo Ri, Cho La Pass and Kalapatthar. You get to enjoy culture, tradition and lifestyle of the famed Sherpa people as the trek passes through beautiful villages like Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Khumjung, Gokyo, Lobuche and Pangboche, to name a few. Excursion of ancient monasteries like Khumjung and Tengboche will offer you an insight into Sherpa culture and Buddhism in the Himalayas. The circular trek begins with a scenic flight to Lukla. The trek then progresses through the vilages of Phakding and Namche Bazaar after which it branches out of the busy Everest Base Camp trail and countours the steep landscape above Dudhkoshi River through Dole and Machhermo to Gokyo. A demanding climb through the glaciated Cho La Pass will will take you back to the main Everest Base Camp trail. After visiting Everest Base Camp and the Kalapatthar ridge, you will make descent through the villages of Lobuche and Pangboche to Tenboche and Namche Bazaar before reaching Lukla where your trek concludes.
Trip Inquiry

Trip Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival in Nepal

Welcome to Nepal. Meet our representative at the airport who will transfer you to your hotel after customary greeting. Remaining time is free for independent activities. In the evening, meet your guide and attend trek briefing session.

O/N: Hotel
Day 2
Fly to Lukla and trek to Phakding (2652m)

Your trek begins today with a scenic flight to Lukla. Built by Sir Edmund Hillary, the airport is billed 'one of the most dangerous' in the world. The flight is adventurous and you can enjoy breathtaking views of mountain peaks from the comfort of your aircraft seat. The flight takes around 35 minutes. Upon arrival in Lukla, meet your crew and attend a brief safety talk by your guide before hitting the trail. The trail descends toward the milky white waters of the Dudh Kosi River which you will be following for a couple of days. Stop and watch in awe as caravans of Jopkyos (a hybrid of yak and cow) ferry essentials high into the mountains. The walk is easy and you will pass through beautiful settlements of Thado Koshi and Ghat before you reach Phakding where we will stop for the night. Phakding is a small Sherpa settlement seated on the banks of Dudhkoshi River.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 3
Trek to Namche Bazaar (3440m)

The trek will start after early breakfast at your teahouse. The trails head up the valley. Follow the caravans of porters and Jopkyos as the trail enters rhododendron and pine forest. After crossing the river at Benkar, watch out for snow-capped peaks like Kusum Kanguru (6369m) and Thamserku (6623m) to the north. After sometime, climb to a beautiful village of Monjo where the headquarters of Sagarmatha National park is located. You will be asked to show your permits here. Continue further and reach the village of Jorsalle where we will take a lunch break. After lunch, the trail continues to a river confluence. Cross the river using a high suspension bridge and make a slow ascent to Namche Bazaar. If the weather god is happy, you will get the first glimpse of Everest today. Namche is the largest marketplace on the Khumbu trail. It has facilities ranging from coffee shops to discotheques.

O/N:Teahouse
Day 4
Acclimatization hike to Everest View Hotel

You will spend an extra night here at Namche to acclimatize to higher altitude. There are various options for acclimatization. After breakfast, hike to the Everest View Hotel which commands breathtaking views of mountain peaks all around. The hotel itself is a major landmark on the Everest trail. Built in the 1970s, it is listed in the Guinness World Records as the highest altitude hotel in the world. After exploring the hotel, return to Namche for lunch. In the evening, take a stroll in the streets of Namche.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 5
Trek to Mongla (3970m)

Resume your walk after having breakfast at your teahouse. The trail climbs to the Syangboche airstrip and descends to beautiful Sherpa village of Khumjung. Seated on the lap of the sacred Khumbila mountain, Khumjung is the largest Sherpa village on Everest trail. Stop here for lunch. Local villagers claim there is a yeti scalp in the village monastery. Although scientific investigation has denounced the claim, you can still inspect the scalp after paying certain amount of money to the monastery as donation. Continue your walk after lunch. The trail winds around the lower slopes of Khumbila as it enters birch forest and then to a rocky ridge. You walk on a trail above Dudhkoshi River which drains the Ngozumpa Glacier – the longest and the biggest in the entire Himalaya. Look out for Phortse village and its stone-walled field across the river. Continue further until you reach Mongla – a small settlement on a saddle.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 6
Trek to Dole (4038m)

You will climb above 4,000 meters today. Walk slowly and don't press hard as oxygen level is low in the air that you breathe in. From Mongla, the trail drops some 300 meters to the banks of Dudhkoshi River where it meets another trail coming from Phortse across the river. Leaving the junction, the trail climbs steeply and reaches the national park check post. From here, it contours high above the river valley offering you views of Kantega, Thamserku and Ama Dablam (6856m). Before reaching Dole, you will get the first view of Cho Oyu (8153m) up in the northern horizon. Walk past herders' settlements of Tongba and Gyele before reaching your night's halt at Dole. The settlement of Dole is seated amid lush fields which looks like an oasis in the desert. Enjoy views of Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang (7922m) to the north, and Tawache (7922m) and Cholatse (6542m) across the valley toward east.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 7
Trek to Machhermo (4465m)

Today will be one of the shortest days of the trek. After early breakfast, climb out of Dole Valley. The trail is steep initially but is more or less leveled high above the river. After the steep section is over, the trail enters lush cultivated fields. Though the trail is easy, you will start feeling uneasy as the effects of high altitude start to kick in. A walk of some three hour will take you to Luza (4360m) where you will take your lunch. After lunch, it's a short walk to your night's halt at Machhermo. If you have energy left, a hike to the base cam of Kyajo Ri and Machhermo peaks is worth taking. The village is known for yeti stories. Locals claim an ape-like creature killed three yaks and a Sherpa girl above the village in 1974.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 8
Trek to Gokyo (4720m)

A short yet steep climb out of Machhermo Valley will take you to a saddle from where you enter the Gokyo Valley. Watch out for Tibetan snow cocks which are found aplenty in the region. There are six lakes in the Gokyo Gake complex and they will come before you one after another. The valley widens as you approach the first lake. The first lake is small and look more like a swamp than a lake. Also look out for the moraine of the Ngozumpa Glacier by the side of the lake. Going further, you will reach the second lake which is larger and looks a proper lake. The third lake, which is the most popular among foreign trekkers, is only about a kilometer away. The settlement of Gokyo is perched between the lake and the high ledge of the glacier. There are comfortable lodges and teahouses here. Stay in one of them. After lodge, circumambulate the lake. Look out for migratory water fowls who come here for breeding purpose. Gokyo is also a Ramsar site. In the evening, hike to Gokyo Ri. The sight of snowcapped mountains ablaze in setting sun is a sight you don't want to miss. The summit of Gokyo Ri offers you views of four eight-thousanders – Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse and Makalu – and plenty of other snow-capped peaks.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 9
Explore Gokyo lakes

After early breakfast, get a packed lunch in your bag and hit the trail to explore fourth and fifth lakes. It is possible to hike to the sixth lake, which is situated on the Cho Oyu Base Camp, and return to our teahouse same day. But we won't recommend it as it you shouldn't test you limits in high altitude. Ask for an extra day if you really want to visit the sixth lake. The trail beyond the third lake is narrow and is used by only the herders as only a handful of trekkers visit these lakes. The walk to these alpine lakes offer scintillating view of Cho Oyu, Gyachung Kang, Ngozumpa Tse, Tenzing Peak and Hungchi, as well as the Ngozumpa Glacier.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 10
Trek to Thaknak (4750m)

Leaving Gokyo, start journey to the Everest region today. Make a slow retreat to the second lake and climb a ledge that separates Gokyo lakes from Ngozumpa Glacier. Follow your guide carefully as the glacier has loose rocks and deep crevasses where you can see blue ice dating back thousands of years. After crossing the glacier, make a short climb to Thaknak. Thaknak is a small settlement made of few teahouses below Chola Pass. Everyone you meet here is either going to Chola Pass or coming down from the pass.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 11
Trek to Dzongla (4830m) via Chola Pass (5360m)

Today is the toughest day of the trek as you will cross a 5,000-meter pass and descend to the Khumbu valley. Start early in the morning with a packed lunch in your bag. It's gonna be a long day requiring you to walk on a steep trail and traverse a glacier. Follow your guide and walk carefully as rocks on the trail could go loose after snow starts melting. A short walk from the teahouse takes you to Phedi, or the foot of the pass. From here, the trail climbs through a ravine. After passing by a frozen lake, you will be greeted by the sight of cairns and prayer flags. You are at the top of the pass. Soak the majestic views all around. The magnificent Amadablam commands the skyline which also includes Cholatse on the west and Lobuche East and Baruntse to the right. The descent is tricky too. Walk carefully on the zig zag trail avoiding crevasses until you reach Dzongla. It is a beautiful place to spend a night or two as it offers breathtaking view of Cholatse, Amadablam and Lobuche, among other peaks.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 12
Trek to Lobuche (4930m)

As yesterday was a long and tiring day, you can start the trek late today. The trail from Dzongla is downhill until you meet a stream. After crossing the stream, it starts climbing gradually to the other side. Walk on a ridge above the magnificent Chola Tsho glacial lake with the vertical faces of Cholatse and Taboche rising straight up the lake. You will pass by the base camp of Lobuche as the Khumbu valley spreads before you dominated by Amadablam. After rounding a spur, the trail heads northward toward the Everest Base Camp. The small settlement of Dughla lies on the valley floor. Going forward, watch out for the Everest memorial on the other side across the Khumbu Khola which flows from the Khumbu glacier. The trail makes a gradual descent and meets the busy Everest trail after reaching the valley floor. Lobuche is only and one and half a kilometers away from here. The walk to Lobuche is on a flat trail beside the moraine of the Khumbu glacier.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 13
Trek to Gorakshep (5140m) and further to EBC (5364m) and back

From Lobuche, the trail slopes gradually upward through the moraine of Khumbu Glacier toward Italian Pyramid. The distance from Lobuche to Gorakshep is only about four kilometers but you will gain some 230 meters in the process. But the walk is exhausting as you are walking above 5,000 meters. After gentle initial incline, the trial goes down before the final climb leading to Gorakshep -- the last settlement before Everest Base Camp. The trail is dusty and full of loose rocks due to years of glacial activities. Cross a large moraine of Changri Shar glacier before reaching Gorakshep. Mount Pumori stands right above you while Nutpse and other mountains of Everest range are to your right. Take your lunch at Gorakshep and start walking toward Everest Base Camp. The walk is gaining as you will gain around 200 meters of altitude. Negotiate a difficult trail along the Khumbu Glacier for nearly three hours. After crossing a difficult moraine, make one last climb and you are finally at the base camp! If it’s spring, we can see lot of activities as the area will be buzzing with climbers from all over the world. It’s almost empty on other seasons nevertheless. Take photographs, savor the views and gradually make a retreat to the comfort of your lodge at Gorakshep.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 14
Hike to Kalapatthar ridge (5,643m), and trek to Shomare (4060m) -- Approx 8 hrs

Wake up early in the morning for a hike to Kalapatthar ridge. The hike of about two hours will take you to the highest point of your trek. The trail is easy but high altitude will slow your progress. The view from the top, however, is rewarding. The view of sun rising between Everest and Nuptse will remain etched in your memory for long. Enjoy panoramic views of Chantse, Everest and Lhotse and Khumbu glacier below you, and return to your lodge for Gorakshep. After lunch, start a long walk to Pheriche. You will walk past Lobuche, Dughla and Pheriche before reaching your night halt at Shomare.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 15
Trek to Namche Bazaar (3444m) -- Approx 8 hrs

You will lose 600 meters of altitude today. Leaving Shomare, the trail passes on a ridge above Imja Khola through the beautiful settlement of Pangboche. After Pangboche, the trail descends to the river and climbs to the other side. Enjoy walking on a beautiful forested section through the settlement of Deboche. The trail makes a gradual climb to Tengboche Monastery, one of the oldest in the region, and descends to river crossing at Phungi Tenga. After crossing the river, it’s a tiring uphill to a ridge from where a levelled trail will take you to Namche Bazaar.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 16
Trek to Lukla

Last day of you trek! Leaving Namche, the trail makes a descent through pine forest to Jorsalle at the confluence of Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi Rivers. Hike for some three hours along the river to reaching the bustling settlement of Phakding. Take your lunch here, and continue through the settlements of Thado Koshi and Ghat before making one last climb to the plateau of Lukla. Walk to your teahouse. The Gokyo Lakes Trek is done and dusted. Celebrate the success of our trek in the evening with your support team.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 17
Fly back to Kathmandu

After breakfast, walk to the airport for a flight to Kathmandu. Enjoy the thrilling take-off and bid adieu to the mountains from the comfort of your aircraft seat. A flight of some 35 minutes will take you to Kathmandu. Board a waiting car and drive to your hotel. Take the much needed rest in your hotel room or you can take a stroll in the neighborhood to buy souvenirs for your friends and family back home. In the evening, join us for a farewell dinner to celebrate the success of your trek. Share your trek experiences over a bottle of beer or two and enjoy Nepali cuisines and typical Nepali songs and dance. O/N: Hotel

O/N: Teahouse
Day 18
Departure

Your last day in Nepal! Our representative will transfer you to the airport for your return flight to home. Adieu, until we meet again.

***Tour Ends***

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Gokyo Lakes with Everest Base Camp Trek

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