Max Altitude
5416 meters
Trip Grade
Strenuous
Arrival and Departure on
/ Kathmandu
Activity
- Trekking
- Hiking
Suitable For
15+ years
Experience
Pre-Hiking experience of any high altitude trek, at least 1 treks above 4000m
Fitness
Should walk 2-4km in 1 hour
Accomodation
- 12 nights hotel and local lodges
Meals
- 12 Breakfast
- 10 Lunch
- 10 Dinner
Trip Facts
Overview
Gokyo Lake trek is one of the most popular treks in the Khumbu region in Nepal. There’s a good reason why it’s so popular. The views are simply incredible: Sacred glacial lakes high up in the mountains fitting perfectly with a panoramic view of the sparkling Himalayan Mountains in the background.
The largest glacier in Nepal lying right beneath the Cho Oyu (8,188m). And the highest mountains of the world at your sight. Gokyo Lake Trek is an ultimate opportunity to the witness the brilliance of the Mt. Everest and its surroundings. Because of its elevation and terrain trekkers get to gaze out over vast stretches of striking terrain.
The trek involves a climb to Gokyo Ri (5483m), which is located just above the Gokyo Lakes. From Gokuo Ri trekkers get to see beautiful views of Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse and Makalu.
Other major highlights of this trek includes the Ngozumpa Glacier. The Ngozumpa, located below Cho Oyu (8,188m) is the largest glacier in Nepal with a length of 36 kilometers, composed of nothing but ice!
Gokyo Lake Trek is also a good opportunity to discover the culture of the region. Through the trip, trekkers will be making their ways through Sherpa villages. It’s an awesome way to observe the local Buddhist culture, Tibetan Monasteries and know more about the culture and traditions of the Sherpa people.
The trek begins after a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. From Lukla the trail goes through Sherpa villages like Namche moving upwards through beautiful high altitude landscape to the Gokyo lakes and Gokyo Ri. The can be extended to Everest Base camp via Chola Pass.
Breif Itinerary
Overview | Overnight |
---|---|
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,350m/4,428ft) | Kathmandu |
Day 02: Fly to Lukla then trek to Phakding (2,651m/8,700ft): 40 minutes flight; 8km, 3 - 4 hours trek | Phakding |
Day 03: Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,438m/11,280 ft): 11km, 5 - 6 hours | Namche Bazaar |
Day 04: Acclimatization Day - Namche Bazaar(3,440m/11,284ft) | Namche Bazaar |
Day 05: Trek from Namche Bazaar to Phorse (3810 m/ 12,496 ft): 5 - 6 hours | Phortse |
Day 06: Trek from Phorse Village to Machhermo(4,470 m/ 14,663 ft): 5 - 6 hours | Machhermo |
Day 07: Trek from Machharmo to Gokyo (4800 m/15,744 ft): 5 - 6 hours | Gokyo Lake |
Day 08: Exploration at Gokyo Valley: Climb Gokyo Ri (5357 m/17,570 ft | Gokyo Lake |
Day 09: Trek from Gokyo to Dole: 3 - 4 hours | Dole |
Day 10: Trek to Namche Bazaar from Dole: 4 - 5 hours | Namche Bazaar |
Day 11: Trek from Namche Bazaar to Lukla (2,860m/9,186ft): 19km, 6 - 7 hours | Lukla |
Day 12: Fly to Kathmandu | Kathmandu |
Highlights
- Scenic Flight to and from Lukla
- Experience the Sherpa Culture and Sherpa Mountain Life
- Walking on the street of Namche Bazaar
- Stunning views of Mount Everest and Gokyo Lakes from Gokyo ri
Itinerary
After landing at the Tribhuwan International Airport, you will be picked up by our representative who will drop you off at the hotel. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Our journey starts with a scenic flight to Lukla. There, we will meet up with rest of the team and begin our trek. We descend towards the Cheplung village. The view ofMt. Khumbila from Chplung is truly outstanding. Mount Khumbila (5761m)also known as “God of Khumbu” sacred mountain which has never been climbed. Our journey then continues towardsPhakding. Overnight in Phakding.
This is a big day as we’ll be covering a height of over 800 meters and that too mostly on the last part of the trail. Also, we will be crossing through loads of long suspension bridges over the Dudhkoshi river. The first part of trail is easy, we cross the Dudkoshi and walk along the path west of the river. We pass through pine forests and small villages along the way. We continue up north the Benkar valley, we cross the Dudhkoshi again and continue forwards passing through the Chumoa and Monjo villages.At Jorsalle, we find ourselves at the entrance of the Sagarmatha National Parkwhere all the climbing passes are checked and verified. Here, you will start seeing more sights of the snow-clad mountains ahead. The last parts of the trek get tougher. We must climb a steep incline to reach the Hillary bridge. The Hillary bridge is the last one on today’s journey, it is also the longest and the highest. We then continue hiking up a steep path leading up to Namche Bazaar.Namche Bazaar is a famous town in the region. It is the starting point for all expeditions in the Everest region. It is a historic town with markets selling everything from Tibetan artefacts to trekking and climbing equipment. There you will get good views of the mighty snow-clad peaks in the region. It is rich in history and culture, so there’s a lot more to see. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.
This day is primarily meant for an acclimatization trek to a higher altitudeand then back to Namche to sleep one more night at the current altitude. In a span of around 48 hours you will have had climbed up to 11,290 ft / 3,440 m at Namche from 4,600 ft / 1,400 m at Kathmandu, therefore it is very necessary for you properly acclimatize. We will be hiking up to Khumjung village. It is a small but vibrant Sherpa village. There we will be visiting the Hillary School and the Khumjung Gompathat has a scalp on display, which the monastery claims that it belongs to the mythical Yeti. This is a good opportunity to learn more about the Sherpa culture, taste local cuisines, and observe the never-tiring views of the Himalayas. After our day of exploration, we make our way back to Namche Bazaar. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.
On today’s trek we have a high chance spotting the Himalayan pheasants, musk deer and Himalayan Thars as we go sometimes up and sometimes down moving through different places. We descend on our way to Kyanjuma. As we reach Sansa we follow the Gokyo trails. Once we reach Mongwe see amazng views ofAmaDablam, Thamserku, Tawoche and Khumbila mountains. During the last phases of our journey for today we first descend toDudhkoshiKholaand then climb up going through rhododendron forests to reachPhorse. Phorse is a good sight for spectacular vistas ofTawache and Cholaste mountains. Overnight in Phorse.
Today we embark on a journey into the wild, we are most likely to spot pheasants, mountain goats, and musk deer. We first cross a bridge over the DudhKoshi River to enter forests, waterfalls and bridges before reaching Dole. Expect stunning views of Cho Oyu, Kantega, and Thamserku mountains on the journey. Once we reachLuza village, we start a climb walking above the DudhKoshi River. We continue through small villages and sandy trails to reachMachhermo. At Machhermo, we will make a visit to the Himalayan Rescue Hospital to get valuable info aboutAcute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Overnight in Machhermo.
Today, just like any other day on this expedition, we sometimes go up and then sometimes down, but the difference is, today, we get mind boggling views of the DudhKoshi valley and Kangtega, Thamserku and Cho-Oyu mountains. On the first part of the trail we ascend a hill with views as mentioned before. On the first part of the trail we ascend a hill. We continue going beyond the ridge, soon the valley starts widening as our trail passes through a Chorten to reachPhangga. Now we descend to the river bank from where we head upwards on a steep trail towards the terminal moraine of the Ngozamba Glacier. Before we make it to Gokyo, we spend some time admiring the spectacular lakes of Longpongo, RabocheTsho and DudhPokhari.You can spot what allegedly are footprints of a Lama (Buddhist priest) at Longpongo. Overnight in Gokyo.
This is going to be an exciting day- there’s going to be loads of hiking, mouthwatering views, and a sense of complete satisfaction.On this day we shall make some climbs to reach the fourth and fifth lakes of Gokyo, we head towards a viewpoint called the Scoundrel’s Viewpoint and if the weather fits we will alsoclimb theGokyo Ri, the views of the Gokyo lakes and the surrounding mountains is breathtaking from the top at Gokyo Ri. Expect marvelous views of Cho-Oyu, Gyachung Kang, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse,Makulu, andNgazumpa Glacier- the largest glacier is the world. Overnight in Gokyo.
Today we retrace our steps, it is as simple as that. We first descend on a path along the DudhKoshi River. As we make it through the first of the Gokyo lakes we marvel at the great views of Cholatse and Taboche peaks. We descend further and then ascend, as we reach a chorten, we start seeing the Thamserku, Cho Oyu, and Kangtega mountains. After this we just follow the same steps we took before strolling past the villages of Machhermo, Luza and Lhafarmato reach Dole. Overnight in Dole.
Our journeys back to Namche are great opportunities to get those views we might have missed as we huffed and puffed our way up to Gokyo. So, lookout for wonderful views of mountains, rhododendrons, wildflowers and waterfalls as we make our journey back to Namche. Expect great views of Taboche, AmaDablam, Thamserku,Kangtega, Lhotse, the tip of Everest and Tengboche for one last time before reaching Namche. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.
It’s again all downhill from here. Enjoy the views and reflect upon what you just achieved in these last two weeks. It is a wonderful time to fully look back at the entire journey. After passing some rocky path, it is just a quick descent, crossing several suspensions bridges on the way until we reach our destination. We will also be passing by many monasteries, too. And finally, we make it back to Lukla. This will be the last day in the mountains! Time to rest, reflect and relax! Overnight in Lukla.
We will catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu, where we can do some last-minute souvenir shopping and some celebration!You can also check out some other places in Kathmandu, we will be assisting you with that as well. A farewell dinner is arranged to celebrate your success. Overnight in Kathmandu
Includes
- All the transportation between airport and hotel
- 2 nights in a 3-star hotel in Kathmandu with breakfast
- 10 nights in standard lodges/teahouses during the trek
- Welcome and farewell dinners
- All accommodation and meals during the stay in the trek
- All domestic flight fares and airport taxes
- An experienced English speaking guide and one porter for 2 persons each of the group
- All necessary paper work and permits (National park permit, TIMS)
- All government and local taxes
Excludes
- Nepal Visa fee (bring accurate USD cash and two passport photographs)
- International airfare to and from Kathmandu
- Excess baggage charges
- Extra night accommodation in Kathmandu because of early arrival, late departure, early return from mountain (due to any reason) than the scheduled itinerary
- Lunch and evening meals in Kathmandu (and also in the case of early return from mountain than the scheduled itinerary)
- Travel and rescue insurance
- Personal expenses (phone calls, laundry, bar bills, battery recharge, extra porters, bottle or boiled water, shower etc)
- Tips for guides and porters
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