Gokyo Lakes Trek

Upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), you will complete all your customs procedures and retrieve your luggage. Then you will head to the terminal where our company representative will be waiting for you. They will extend the gesture of a warm welcome and transfer you to your designated hotels.

After checking in, you can take a rest to refresh yourself from the jet lag and fatigue of the long flight. Afterward, you will join the briefing session along with other trekkers. Our guides will explain about routes, accommodations, history, topography, etc. This briefing session will give you a general idea of what your trek will be.

Our company has prepared a welcome dinner for you at an authentic Nepalese restaurant. In the evening, you will join the dinner, where you can enjoy the traditional Nepali food. Moreover, we have prepared a cultural program for you to keep you entertained throughout the inner program.

It would be a waste of time if you do not see any of the UNESCO-listed world heritage sites while you are in Kathmandu. So, our 14-day Gokyo Lake trek includes the optional sightseeing tour.

After having a hearty breakfast in the morning, you will follow our guide and head towards Swayambhunath, also known as Monkey Temple. This temple at the hilltop will give you an expansive view of the dense Kathmandu valley. Moreover, you can witness the beautiful intermingling of Buddhism and Hinduism. You can also visit the Pashupati Nath temple, which holds a huge religious essence for Hindu people.

Furthermore, the Boudhantha Stupa, with its dome structure, will introduce you to Buddhism. The ambrosial smell of incense with the melodious Buddhist song playing in the background can cleanse your soul. You can also stroll the alleyways of the Basanatapur Durbar square. This exploration will give you insights into architecture along with the royal history of Nepal.

After sightseeing for half a day, you will return to your hotel rooms, where you will make the necessary preparations for your almost 2-week Gokyo Lake trek.

You will be picked up by our staff from your hotel in the morning and transferred to the domestic airport. It will take about 35 minutes from Kathmandu to Lukla. This short yet thrilling flight will give you an aerial introduction to eastern Nepal.

Flying above the highly populated Kathmandu valley, villages, pasturelands, and forest, you will arrive in Lukla, situated high on the mountainside. After landing in Lukla, you will finally walk on the trails to Gokyo Lake.

Today's trek will be short, but it will be plenty enough for the first day. There will be almost a 200 m loss in elevation with many uphills and downhills. You will head north from Lukla to reach Phakding. As you are walking on the trail, you will have to cross a few suspension bridges to reach Chaurikarka village. Now, you will descend downward by trekking across the ridge to arrive at Dudh Koshi Ghat alongside the sight of the beautiful Dudh Koshi River. Crossing the Dudh Koshi River, you will hike a few more miles, passing the dramatic landscapes to reach Phakding.

Phakding is a moderate-sized village located in the lower Khumbu region. This village is a famous stopping point for major Everest region treks, including the Everest base camp trek. Upon arriving at Phakding, you will take a short break at the local teahouse before exploring the village. You can't miss out on visiting Rimishung Monastery, located peacefully high up in the village.

Leaving Phakding behind, you will continue to walk at the bank of the Dudh Koshi River and cross various suspension bridges over the marvelous path to reach Monjo. You will walk uphill along the ridgeline to enter the Sagarmatha National Park, where you will get your permits registered. Your trail will be followed by many suspension bridges.

However, during the final stretch of today's hike, you will cross the iconic Hillary Suspension Bridge. This bridge, hanging between two hills over the fast-flowing Dudh Koshi River, is decorated with prayer flags. This is a good spot to capture the beauty of the Khumbu region.

As you follow the trail between the lush forest of the national park, you will be awestruck by the first glimpse of Mount Everest. Moving ahead, you will have to take a few steps over the stone-paved path to finally arrive at the getaway of Everest, Namche Bazaar.

You can hear the hustling and bustling of the locals and tourists upon arriving at this beautiful Sherpa town. Enjoying the vibe of Namche Bazaar, you will stay overnight at a local teahouse.

Since you have come across a reasonable altitude, you will stay an extra day at Namche Bazaar for acclimatization. You will let your body adapt to the lower percentage of oxygen present in the thin air. To adjust the body, you won't sit idle but will go for a few short hikes to witness the highlights around Namche Bazaar.

You can make a tour of Everest View Hotel, from where you will get a stunning view of Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kantega, Khumbiyela, and other surrounding peaks. Moreover, you can climb uphill for about an hour to Syangboche Airport (3,780 m). This is an unpaved airstrip, which is often used as a STOP for aircraft and helicopters. Moving forward, you can make your way to Kunde and Khumjung villages, which are located at the foot of the sacred mountain, Khumbiyela.

At Kunde, you can visit Kunde Hospital, made by Sir Edmund Hillary. During this side hike, you can visit one of the oldest monasteries in the Khumbu region, Khumjung Monastery. It has a big statue of Guru Rinpoche, and people believe that this monastery houses a Yeti scalp. After returning back from these side hikes, you can stroll for some more time to explore Namche Bazaar.

After having a light breakfast at the teahouse, you will climb uphill, passing Kunde and Khumjung. After crossing the village, you will find that the path has divided. You will take the route leading you to Mong. Mong is the native village of Lama Sangwa Dorje, a revered Buddhist saint. You will descend abruptly till Mong La pass (3,957 m), followed by Phortse Tenga. As you move forward with the trek, you will be accompanied by the amazing views of Amadablam and Khumbiyela. Now, you will make an ascent on the steep hill draped with rhododendrons and birch trees before arriving at Dole.

Leaving the village behind, you will hike on the steep section to an exposed ridge. You will pass by shrines and chortens decorated with prayer flags before arriving at Lapahrma. Upon arriving at Lapahrma, you will be bestowed with an expansive view of Mount Cho Oyu (8,201 m). Further proceeding with the trek, you will catch quick glimpses of Mount Kantega (6,782 m) and Thamserku (6,623 m).

Today’s hike will keep amusing you as you can enjoy the yaks grazing in the pastureland and meadows while making your way to Luja Valley. Crossing the settlement area at Luja, you will walk by picturesque views to reach the beautiful village of Machhermo.

You are just a few miles away from your destination, Gokyo Lake. So, with the high spirit of setting eyes on pristine Gokyo lakes, you will return to the trails of the Gokyo Lake trek. As you move forward, leaving the Macchermo village, Mount Kantega will come closer, while Cho Oyu will be making its existence prominent from a far distance.

After walking for about an hour, you will arrive at Phanga, where you can see the memorials for people who lost their lives in landslides. Expressing your condolence, you will get back on your track towards an iron bridge. This bridge will connect you to Longpongo Lake (4,690 m). Passing the lake, you will make your way through the messy Ngozumpa Glacier moraines.

While you are traversing the ablation valley of Gokyo, you will get the sight of the first Gokyo Lake. Further proceeding with the rocky path, you will witness the stationary second Gokyo Lake. After meeting with the second Gokyo Lake, you will now hike with more anticipation. After walking for an hour, you will arrive at this massive third lake, Dudh Pokhari.

The symphony of the vivid emerald hue in the sequence of the Gokyo lakes surrounded by the mountains glistening with snow is just unbelievable. That view is just beyond this world. The valley lying at the eastern shore of Dudh Pokhari is a beautiful Gokyo Valley. Immersing yourself in the picturesque backdrop of Gokyo Lake, you will end your day.

The Gokyo Valley will engross you in its beauty. You will just want to keep looking without even blinking your eyes. Just yesterday wouldn't have been enough for you to soak in the unparalleled beauty of Gokyo. So, we have allocated one more day for you to explore the valley to the fullest.

Early in the morning, you will ascend uphill to Gokyo Ri. The trails are not easy with loose stone and scree, but you will enjoy every second of the ascent. Once you make it to the top, the magnetic views of sunlight falling over the snow-capped mountains are unquestionably stunning.

You will be surrounded by mountains on every side, including four of the tallest mountains in the world: Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Mount Everest, and Makalu. In addition to having mountains all around you, you will have a fantastic view of Nzogumpa Glacier and Gokyo Valley. After savoring all the beautiful scenery from the top, you will descend slowly back to the teahouse, where you will have a fulfilling lunch.

Then, you will explore other highlights of the Gokyo Valley, including Gokyo villages. This is an amazing opportunity to interact with people living in the highest settlement area in Nepal.

After spending an entire day exploring the Gokyo Valley, it is time to bid farewell to the shimmering Gokyo lakes and retrace your path back to Dole.

The path from Gokyo to Dole is mostly downhill with some switchbacks. In the first leg of the day, you will walk through the glacial moraines of the Ngozumpa glacier. The narrow trail will soon start to widen with distant views of Thamserku and Kantega. Moreover, you will encounter shrines, chortens, and prayer flags on the route to Dole. Even though you may feel the exhaustion of trekking, the panoramic Himalayan views throughout the journey will somehow reduce your exhaustion.

You will pass by several villages and settlement areas and make your way over the Dudh Koshi River Valley to finally return to the charming village of Dole. You can enjoy the sunset at Dole. Khumbiyela and Tawoche peak under the golden hues of the sun and look exceptionally beautiful from Dole.

Usually, this itinerary in the Gokyo Valley revolves around the third lake, Gokyo Cho. However, if you think that you do not want to miss out on visiting the fourth and fifth lakes, then we can add an extra day for witnessing them.

Leaving the village of Dole behind, you will continue to retrace your trail. Today, your destination is the getaway of Everest, Namche Bazaar. After having breakfast in the morning, you will walk on the pasturelands and meadows, where you can witness yaks grazing during the spring seasons. Then, you will walk in the shade of rhododendrons, junipers, pines, and other coniferous trees before reaching Phortse Tenga. You will ascend alongside the Dudh Koshi River and cross Mong La Pass to arrive at Khumjung village. Making your way by passing the village of Kunde, in no time, you will arrive at Namche Bazaar.

Upon arriving at this bustling town, you will rest in a teahouse for a while. Then, you can stroll around the stone-paved alleyways and even visit the bakeries, souvenir shops, geas shops, cafes, and many more. You can use this spare time to devour the doughnuts and cakes, witnessing the views of snow-clad mountains. Additionally, you can buy some small yet unique things to take back home to relish your Gokyo Lake trek journey.

Since today is your last day on the trails of the Gokyo Lake trek, make sure you enjoy it to the fullest today. Early in the morning, after having a fulfilling breakfast, you will kick off your trek on well-maintained stone-paved trails. After walking for almost an hour from the foothill of Namche, you will have a final look at Mount Everest. Capturing this last glimpse of mighty Everest in your eyes, you will continue to take downhill on the stony route.

Even though today's trek is all downhill, be prepared for some steep uphills too. Passing the villages and forests, you will soon reach the entrance of the Sagarmatha National Park, where you can get your permits registered. Then, you will walk alongside the Dudh Koshi River to reach the hamlet of Phakding. During the final stretch of the trek, you will cross the Dudh Koshi River through suspension bridges and pass some more villages in the lower Khumbu region before arriving at Lukla.

It is time to fly back to Kathmandu. So early in the morning, you will take a 35-minute flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. This thrilling flight will be a wonderful memory as you will be soaring parallel to the Himalayan ranges like a bird. After arriving in Kathmandu, you will be transferred to your designated hotel.

We have not scheduled any plans for you in the afternoon. So, it is up to you whether you want to rest in your hotel rooms or carry on with your individual activities. You can visit Ason, Indra Chowk, and Thamel to experience the vibe of bustling Kathmandu. You can also visit Nagarkot if you want to enjoy the beautiful sunset. So, you can choose what to do at your leisure on the thirteenth day.

After creating wonderful memories in Nepal by daring yourself with the Gokyo Lake trek, you will return back to your home and carry on with your daily activities. Despite being busy in your life, you will always cherish this accomplishment. So, by packing the memories, you will take an international flight to your home country. We hope that you are satisfied with our services.

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