- Overview
- Trip Outline
- Trip Includes
- Trip Excludes
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- Booking
- FAQ
Highlights
- Explore the unique and vibrant Sherpa tradition, culture and lifestyle
- Trek inside the Sagarmatha National Park, the habitat of exotic animals like Musk deer, Himalayan giant Thar and Snow Leopard
- Enjoy the panoramic view of mountains like Tawache, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Cho Oyu, and Thamserku
- Ascend Gokyo Ri for sunrise view over mountains
- Visit the highest freshwater lake system in the world, Gokyo Lakes
Gokyo Lake Trek is the second most famous Everest Region Trek. Similar to all other treks in the Everest region, Gokyo Lake Trek offers outstanding views of the Himalayas, gives an opportunity to explore the culture of people residing there, fills your trek with feelings of a great adventure. Additionally, it also offers the awe-inspiring beauty of turquoise green lakes. The five lakes, collectively known as Gokyo Lakes, are part of the highest freshwater lake system in the world.
Unlike Everest Base Camp Trek, this trail takes only 13 days to complete and is less crowded, even in peak seasons. However, the unique trail through Gokyo valley is no less impressive. One of the major attractions of this trek is Gokyo Ri, the highest place you will get during the Gokyo Lakes Trek. Climbing up to its top to witness the beaming sunrise is truly unforgettable. Gokyo Ri also serves as a viewpoint to get clearer views of Mount Everest and surrounding peaks.
Apart from the adventure and beautiful sights, this trek is also an amazing opportunity to learn about the beautifully preserved culture of Sherpas residing within the area of Sagarmatha National Park.
Itineraries
First Day
Day 1:Arrival in Kathmandu
• Accommodation: 3-Star Hotel
• Altitude: 1345 m
Upon your arrival at Kathmandu, our representatives will come to pick you up at Tribhuvan International Airport with your name on a board. You will be transferred to a 3-star hotel where you will be taking a rest for a while. After having lunch you can go shopping for your trekking journey or stroll around the streets of Thamel and explore things. You will be given a short tour briefing of the tour. You can explore the cafes and restaurants around in the evening.
Second Day
Day 2:Fly to Lukla and trek to Phakding
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Trek Hours: 35 mins + 3-4 hours
• Altitude: 2610 m
• Domestic Flight
You will have your breakfast early in the morning and set off for the flight to Lukla. In around 35 minutes of flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, you will get a plethora of scenic views. You will catch a glimpse of the panorama of the Himalayas, bird’s eye view of the beautiful landscapes, forests and rivers.
Upon your arrival at Lukla airport, you will be introduced to your porters. Your trekking journey begins from here. You will walk for a few hours to get to Phakding. As the trail is fairly straight and you won’t have to ascend the altitude as Phakding is almost at the same altitude as Lukla. Few hours of trekking to Phakding can be taken as a warm-up for your trek journey. You will spend your night in Phakding at a teahouse.
Third Day
Day 3:Trek to Namche Bazar
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Trek Hours: 6-7 hours
• Altitude: 3440 m
You will get up early in the morning and walk towards Namche Bazaar. During the first half of the day, you will be walking alongside the Dudhkoshi river. You will cross many of the suspension bridges, and forests. After walking for a few hours, you will reach Monjo valley where you will have your lunch. You will enter to Sagarmatha National Park from here. You cross some beautiful forests and ascend uphill to get to Namche Bazaar. You may encounter the porters and Yak carrying goods for Namche Bazaar. You will spend your Night at Namche Bazaar at guesthouses.
Fourth Day
Day 4:Namche Bazaar Acclimatization
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Altitude: 3440 m
Our body needs time to adapt to the rapidly changing altitude. To prevent the altitude sickness you will have to take acclimatization breaks while trekking on Everest region. As your first acclimatization rest, you will be staying at Namche Bazaar. However, you can trek around the village. You can hike up to Syangboche airport, go to Everest View Hotel, you can trek along the Dudh Koshi river as well. You can enjoy the spectacular sunrise and sunset views over the Himalayas. You can hike over the Namche village. You will enjoy the views of Mt. Ama Dambal, Cho Oyu, etc.
As Namche Bazaar is the trade hub for the Himalayas, you can shop the missing gears and equipment for your trekking. Besides, you can explore the peoples and their lifestyles, foods etc while you stay at Namche Bazaar.
Fifth Day
Day 5:Trek to Dole
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Trek Hours: 7-8 hours
• Altitude: 4200 m
From Namche Bazaar, you will trek along with the pine and oak forests crossing the settlement of Kyangjuma. You will deviate from Everest Base camp trek route and walk uphill from the left towards the Mongla hill. The trek is quite steep and challenging and it follows the Cho Oyu mountain. You get to see mountains like Everest, Ama Dablam and Lhotse. You will also see a hamlet of Kyangjuma. You will walk a narrow and thrilling trail to reach Dhole. You will spend your night in Dhole at a teahouse.
Sixth Day
Day 6:Trek to Machhermo
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Trek Hours: 4-5 hours
• Altitude: 4470 m
You will have your breakfast early in the morning at Dole and set out for Machheromo. You will walk along with the pine and Oak forests along the way. You will be walking gentle uphill slope so it will not be as difficult as the previous day. You can catch a glimpse of peaks such as Taboche, Cholatse, Cho Oyu and Everest along the way.
Seventh Day
Day 7:Trek from Machhermo to Gokyo
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Trek Hours: 4-5 hours
• Altitude: 4790 m
From Macchermo you will descend to the river bank. Then you will climb to the Ngozumpa glacier and reach the first Gokyo Lake. Then you will follow the terrain of the first mountain and reach the second and third Gokyo Lake. You will spend your night in Gokyo village at a teahouse.
Eighth Day
Day 8:Trek to Gokyo Ri and 5th Lake
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Altitude: 4790 m
Gokyo is the final destination of your trekking journey. This day will be trekking to the highest elevation so far (Gokyo Ri 5357 m). You will trek to Gokyo Ri to witness the mesmerizing view of the sunrise. You can get a panoramic view of mountains like Makalu, Everest, Cho Oyu, Nuptse, Pumori, Makalu, Amadablam, Cholatse and Kwangde from Gokyo Ri.
After returning back to the village and having lunch, you will head out to the fourth and fifth Gokyo Lakes. They are almost about 2 miles north from Gokyo. You can see Ngozumpa glacier and Cho Oyu Base Camp from the northern part of the 5th Gokyo Lake. You can hike up to Scoundrel’s Hill which is a beautiful vantage point for sightseeing Himalayas.
Ninth Day
Day 9:Gokyo to Dole
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Trek Hours: 7-8 hours
• Altitude: 4200 m
You will have your breakfast early in the morning at Gokyo village, descend down the moraine valley to the bank of a river. Then you will ascend up to get to Machhermo. You will have your lunch at Machhermo and take a rest for a while and descend for Dole. You need to be extra careful while crossing this rocky and steep trail. You will reach Dole at the end of the day and rest at a teahouse there.
Tenth Day
Day 10:Dole to Namche Bazaar
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Trek Hours: 6-7 hours
• Altitude: 3440 m
You will set out for Namche Bazaar early in the morning after having breakfast at Dole. You will descend down to Phortse Thanga during the first half of the day. The trail is steep and full of beautiful forests and waterfalls. You will catch a glimpse of mountains such as Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Kangtega. Upon your arrival at Namche, you can stroll around the Namche Bazaar exploring things, places and people.
Eleventh Day
Day 11:Namche to Lukla Airport (2804 meters)
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Trek Hours: 6-7 hours
• Altitude: 2860 m
You will walk down the rocky terrains to book a flight to Lukla enjoying the mesmerizing landscapes and Himalayas along the way. You will spend your day at Lukla strolling around and relaxing. You can visit the School established by Sir Edmund Hillary. You will spend your night at Lukla waiting to get back to Kathmandu the next day.
Twelfth Day
Day 12:Flight to Kathmandu and Farewell Dinner
• Accommodation: 3-Star Hotel
• Travel Time: 35 minutes
• Altitude: 1345 m
• Domestic Flight
You will have an early morning flight from Lukla to Kathmandu full of Scenic views. However, whether in the Himalayas is unpredictable. So there is always a possibility of flight delay. Once you get to Kathmandu, you can roam around the streets of Thamel and explore souvenirs, or go shopping, etc. You can explore the cafes and restaurants around.
Thirteenth Day
Day 13:Departure
We will drive you to the airport and bid you a warm farewell. You will return your home this day with all these beautiful and thrilling memories in your heart.
- Meals:
12 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches, 10 Dinners - Accommodation:
3-Star accommodation in Kathmandu for 2 days
Tea house accommodation along the way for 10 days - Transportation:
All land transportation with pickups and drops
Domestic Flight to Lukla and back - Guides and Porters:
One guide and assistant guide between 6 people
1 porter for two people (A porter can carry up to 30 kg) - Entry Fees and Permits:
Sagarmatha National Park Entrance Fee
TIMS Card - Miscellaneous:
Down jacket, a Sleeping bag which should be refunded to the company after the trip
Necessary paperwork with the government of Nepal and Tax department
All the necessary insurance for the guides and porters
First Aid service in case of minor injuries
Salary, food, and accommodation for guides and porters
- Any meals other than breakfast in Kathmandu
- Rescue & travel insurance, trip cancellation costs, accident or health emergency, evacuation, loss, theft or damage to baggage and personal effects (We strongly advise you to take out personal travel insurance.)
- Extra night accommodation in Kathmandu due to any reason
- Personal expenses (phone calls, internet, laundry, bar bills, battery recharge, extra porters, cold drinks, bottled or boiled water, hot shower, etc.)
- All the alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks including mineral water
- Nepal entry visa fee
- Tipping for the Sublime crew
Route of Gokyo lake is comparatively more serene and less travelled. It gives you the feeling of communicating with nature and the lakes are outstandingly beautiful. But, Everest Base Camp trek is equally rewarding but is a lot more popular. You can see several trekkers, expedition teams and locals quite so often. Both treks are similar if compared which one is more difficult. If you want to feel a sense of accomplishment and love talking to fellow trekkers, you should choose Everest Base Camp trek. If you want to enjoy solitude and experience the overall landscape of the Everest region, you should choose Gokyo Lake trek.
No, Gokyo Lake trekking doesn’t require you to cross any high mountain pass. If you wanted to go to Everest Base Camp in addition to Gokyo Lakes, you would have to cross Cho La pass. Gokyo Ri serves as the viewpoint to get an outstanding view of Gokyo village, lakes, glaciers, and several mountains.
In addition to the outstanding view of Ngozumpa glacier, the longest glacier in the Himalayas, you can also view mountains like Tawache, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Cho Oyu, and Thamserku during Gokyo Lake trek. Gokyo 4th & 5th lakes are the best places to get amazing views of Everest.
There are two major service providers NTC and NCELL which cost just around $1. The network quality, however, decreases as the altitude increases. There are at least a few places during a day’s trek where you can make calls. You can also use these sims for internet subscribing to data packages. Charging your cell phones and batteries may cost you extra money.
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