Gokyo Lake Trek

A representative from Himalayan 360 will greet you at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. After welcoming you warmly, they will take you to your hotel. You will have some time for refreshments. In the evening, we will hold a brief meeting about the trek and check the trek equipment. After that, you are free to take a walk around the city.

On the second day, you will take an early morning flight to Lukla from Kathmandu. It is a 35-minute flight that will offer you the first glimpse of the Everest region’s landscapes and shining mountain views. You can also fly from Manthali Airport, Ramechhap, to Lukla to avoid air traffic from Kathmandu. For this, you must first take a 5 to 6-hour drive to Ramechhap. The flight takes only 20 minutes from Manthali Airport to Lukla Airport, aka Tenzing Hillary Airport.

It is a thrilling experience to land at an airport surrounded by mountains and famous as the gateway to the main Everest region. After arriving at Lukla, the main trail of the Gokyo Lake trek, you will meet with your guide and porter. Our trek starts from here onwards, and our destination for the day is Phakding. It is a relatively short and easy hike, following the walkway alongside the Dudh Koshi River. We will stay overnight at Phakding.

The next day, we will have a yummy breakfast while enjoying the scenery at Phakding. Then, we will follow the route alongside the Dudh Koshi River again. En route, we will cross several suspension bridges, including the Hillary Suspension Bridge. We will also travel via beautiful Sherpa villages. At Monjo, we will come across the Sagarmatha National Park entrance. There is a checkpoint where we must show our permits.

The pathway now enters the national park through dense pine forests as we cross the Jorsalle village. We will continue climbing uphill with a few descents. Finally, a six-hour walk from Phakding takes us to Sherpa Capital, Namche Bazaar. The picturesque village offers us our first glimpse of Mt Everest.

On this day, we will acclimatize in order to make us familiar with the environment at the higher altitudes. You can explore the area, know about the history and experience the culture of Sherpa community.

We will wake up early and enjoy breakfast with a view before resuming our Everest Gokyo Lake Trek. From here onwards, the pathway begins to ascend to Dudh Koshi Valley. The mesmerizing mountain view will accompany us throughout the journey. After trekking on a winding path for a while, the journey begins to descend through rhododendrons and pine forests from Kayangjuma. Then, we will reach a section separating the trial of Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Valley.

We will take a route on the left leading us to Gokyo Valley. The walkway begins to ascend to Mong La Pass and Mong Village. The small village of Mong offers beautiful scenery of mountain vistas, Tengboche, and more. We will enter the section through dense rhododendron forests and vegetation as we continue moving forward. Similarly, we will also see several cascading waterfalls and bridges. Finally, we will reach Dole village from Namche after walking for 6 hours and covering a distance of 11.3km. Overnight at Dole.

The route from Dole will continue to ascend from here onwards. We will continue our journey after breakfast at Dole. The scenery around us begins to change as we trek forward. The flourishing green vegetation will change into a highland alpine meadow. Similarly, we will climb across a ridge and pass by temporary settlements, such as Lhabarma and Luza.

We also enjoy spectacular mountain vistas and the view of Nepal’s largest glacier, Ngozumpa Glacier. As we continue trekking, we can see the Dudh Koshi Valley below. After hiking for a while, we will arrive at Machhermo village. It is a small but beautiful settlement, and a stream from Kyajo Ri and Phari Lapche flows from here. We will rest at Machhermo tonight.

Today is the highlight day of our trek. We will begin by ascending a ridge that offers a gorgeous view of Kangtega. The hike goes uphill through a narrow valley before getting up to a wider one. Then, we will descend towards the Dudh Koshi River. We will make a steep uphill climb to the Ngozumpa Glacier, and the first main lake of the Gokyo Lake system (Longponga) will come into view. The beautiful lake draws your attention, but we will continue moving forward as more beauty lies ahead.

Walking for a while, we will come across the second lake, Taboche Tsho. We will continue trekking and come across the third Gokyo Lake, known as Gokyo Cho or Dudh Pokhari. From here, we can get a stunning view of Mount Cho Oyu. Covering 7km and 5-hour duration of your trek, you’ll get to Gokyo Valley from Dole. We will stay overnight at a teahouse in the valley.

On this day, we will take our second acclimatization day at Gokyo. We will take a short three-hour hike to Gokyo Ri (5,357m). Gokyo Ri is an incredible vantage point that offers a stunning view of the snow-capped peaks and landscape of the Everest region. You can get spectacular views of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Gyachung Kang, and more from the top of Gokyo Ri.

After our short excursion to Gokyo Ri, we will descend to Gokyo Valley. You can also take an excursion to the fourth and fifth lakes, namely Thonak Tsho and Ngozumpa Tsho. From the fifth lake, Ngozumpa Tsho, you can get a crystal clear view of Nepal’s longest glacier, Ngozumpa Glacier. Overnight at Gokyo Valley.

We will enjoy breakfast while taking in the peaceful atmosphere and spectacular scenery of Gokyo Valley. Then, we will say goodbye to the beautiful valley and its turquoise-colored lakes. We will return our steps to Machhermo and then to Dole. It is mostly a downhill climb as we pass familiar settlements and scenery. We will spend the night at a teahouse in Dole village.

The pathway continues to descend on this day as well. We will have to make a short uphill climb from Phortse Thanga to Mong La Danda, which takes around 40 minutes. The walkway eases up from here as we pass by Kyanjuma before reaching Namche Bazaar. We will stay overnight at Namche. With spare time at hand, you can explore the town and the marketplace for souvenirs.

We will continue descending downhill from Namche, following the route alongside the Dudh Koshi River. As we retrace our steps, the mountain views slowly recede into the distance. We will cross several Sherpa settlements, terrace farms, suspension bridges, and diverse landscapes. After descending for a while, we will reach Lukla, our final destination for the day. This will be our last day in the Everest region, so you can explore and enjoy the scenery fully. Overnight at Lukla.

We will say goodbye to the beautiful Everest region and your crew on this day. We will take a flight back to Kathmandu or Manthali Airport, Ramechhap. If you fly to Ramechhap, you will drive back to Kathmandu on the same day. Once you arrive in Kathmandu, our team will assist you with transferring to your hotel. We will hold a farewell dinner in the evening to honor our successful Gokyo Valley Trek. You can also share your experience with us. After dinner, you can take your time shopping for souvenirs or enjoying Kathmandu’s nightlife.

It is the final day of our 13-day Gokyo Lake Trek. Two hours before your scheduled flight, our representative will help you transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. We hope your time with us was enjoyable and memorable. Thank you for choosing us, and have a safe flight back!