Everest Gokyo Lake Trek

Your flight from Kathmandu to Lukla will definitely be the one you remember for years since it is exciting and scenic, to say the least. This flight lasts only 35 minutes, but if you were to walk to Lulka, which is a viable option if you are up for the challenge, it would take 2 days. After we reach Lukla, we will take a look around, finding ourselves in immense greenery and a remote location.

Grabbing our bags, we will begin our trek to Phakding. Our porters will be responsible for the heavy bags while you have to have a light daypack with you. This daypack’s primary purpose is to have easy access to water and energy bars. You can also put your phones and camera in it, which is recommended.

Day 2 of the Gokyo Lakes Trek requires only 3 hours of trekking to reach Phakding, and we will only cover a distance of 6.2 km. Since Phadking is at a lower altitude compared to Lukla, it works best as a preventive measure of altitude sickness. One of the ways to steer clear of altitude sickness is to climb high but sleep at a lower elevation compared to the peak elevation of the day’s trek.

As we reach the end of Lukla, we will be required to get to the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Office at a checkpost. The trek guide will help you get this permit without any cost, as the expense is covered by the Gokyo Lake trekking package.

Day 3 of the Gokyo Lakes Trek requires almost 11 km of trekking, which can be covered in about 6 hours. We will gain 825 meters of altitude today, reaching a final altitude of 3440 meters at Namche Bazaar. Since we have 6 hours of trek to cover, we will start out early in the morning. We should be ready to move at 8:30 AM sharp.

First off, we will cross Zamfute, home to a small hydropower project, which is rare in the Everest region. From there, another notable place would be the waterfall at Toktok village.

This waterfall is best seen in the season of Monsoon (June to September). Moving on, we will get to Monjo, where we have to obtain our Sagarmatha National Park permit.

Passing multiple hanging suspension bridges from Phakding, we will get to Jorsale, our lunch spot. Note that Jorsale and Monjo are the same place; they just have different names for it. After a heavy meal, we will resume the trek and get to Mislung, where we will get our permits checked at a checkpost.

During today’s trek, you will get to see views of Everest, Thamserku, Kongde, and Taboche peaks. We will also pass a couple of Sherpa villages and settlements on the trail as we make our way, passing by mani walls, stupas, and fluttering prayer flags.

Acclimatization day is also known as rest day since there is less trekking and more roaming around and resting. Namche Bazaar is a lively little town, and there is so much to do here that you will be busy the whole day. You can visit the multiple museums there to learn about the Sherpa culture, the brave pioneer mountaineers, or you can hike up a little to get wide views of the nearby peaks, or you can go around the town visiting the establishments and the local bazaar.

If you decide to go on a short acclimatization hike, we will take you to the Everest View Hotel. The most famous hotel in the Everest region, and it’s a luxurious one as well. From Namche it’s a 5.4 km hike to Everest View Hotel, which takes about 2 hours to reach.

The open balcony of the Everest View Hotel is one to not miss. The view it offers is a stunning combination of the spacious valley and the high peaks in the distance. After we are done with the hike, we will get back to Namche Bazaar and spend the rest of the hours visiting a few places within the town.

Today is the day we part ways with the standard Everest Base Camp itinerary; up to this point we were on the same track. We will move towards the Gokyo region, aiming for Ngozumpa Glacier. Getting out of Namche involves hiking up a little with views of Everest, Kantega, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam.

We will first arrive at Kyangjuma and stop for a short break; you can have a cup of warm tea to energize yourself or a granola bar, anything that gets you fired up. From there, we will get to Sanasa and get off the EBC trail to get to Gokyo Valley. The trail then gets steep and passes through a thin forest. Woodlands in the higher region are sparse as the conditions are harsh and only specific types of trees grow there.

Continuing the trek, we will soon reach Mong La, a beautiful and calming village where we will have our lunch. After an energizing meal, we will descend down to Phortse Tenga; this junction point joins the EBC trail with the Gokyo Lake trekking route. As we have descended, we need to regain the altitude, which means hiking up again. This time through a moss-covered green rhododendron forest following the slopes of the Dudh Koshi valley.

Day 6 of the Everest Gokyo Lake Trek is an easy trekking day. We need to take it slow as we have now reached the 4000-meter mark. We will begin the day trek at around 9 in the morning, following a ridge that takes us out of Dole. As we get out of the village, the landscape changes to tiny grass patches and small bushes with no trees in sight.

However, the lack of trees is a sign that we have now reached the absolute Himalayan altitude, and this means scenes of high peaks will be throughout the hike. Today you will see Mt. Kantega, Cho Oyu, Cholatse, and Taboche.

Moving further, we will get to the village of Luza, which sits at 4340 meters altitude. This village is seasonal, meaning people migrate and live there only during the peak travel season. This is due to the fact that the village receives heavy snowfall during the winter, and heated houses are not a thing in the Everest region.

At Machhermo, you might see some trekkers having a hard time coping with the altitude, but since we are taking it slow, we will be safe from it.

The village of Machhermo can get quite cold, and sometimes the water in toilets freezes as well. Day 7 of the Gokyo Lake trekking is the day we reach the Gokyo village. First things first, we will descend to Pangka, which is not a village but a spot with only one teahouse and a grazing field for local cattle. From there, the path combines with the moraine following an icy stream. After about 20 more minutes of trekking, we will get to see the Longponga Tsho Lake, which is one of the 6 Gokyo Lakes. Unlike the other Gokyo Lakes, this one does not have that signature blue turquoise color.

Following our first lake visit, the trail turns plain, and soon enough we visit another Gokyo Lake, Taboche Tsho. Continuing our trek through the valley, we will soon reach Gokyo Tsho, which is the biggest of the 6 Gokyo Lakes. Our final destination of the day, Gokyo village, is visible and nearby the lake.

Machhermo to Gokyo is just about 6 km, which takes at most 3 hours as we will be taking it slow to avoid altitude sickness. Since we will have plenty of time on our hands, we will climb the ridge behind the village for a spacious view of the Ngozumpa Glacier. This is the largest of its kind in the entire Everest region and is covered in pebbles and loose soil. A few cracks in the glacier reveal the icy insides. After a while we will get back to the village, ending the day 7 of Gokyo Lake trekking.

Getting out of bed in Gokyo village can be the hardest challenge of the Everest Gokyo Lake Trek. As one would assume, it is very cold where streams and waterfalls freeze. But you got to get out of comfort and warmth with all your might since we have a challenge to conquer. Today is the day we will climb up the Gokyo Ri viewpoint.

The trail to Gokyo Ri starts with a steep ascent, which can be exhausting as there is less oxygen at such altitude. We will divide the hike into bite-sized goals to make it more doable for you. Even if you are more than capable of climbing it easily, you should follow the pace of the guide, as he knows how not to get altitude sickness.

Taking short breaks throughout the hike, we will get to the top in about 2 hours, covering a tiny distance of 1.5 km in the process. From the summit, you will see the signature blue water of the Gokyo Lakes paired with the multi-colored Buddhist prayer flags. The top of Gokyo Ri reaches 5360 meters above sea level, which allows for an uninterrupted, clear view of the glaciers, peaks, and lakes nearby.

After spending some time at the summit, we will descend back to our accommodation for lunch and spend the rest of the hours getting back to Dole and getting some much-needed physical rest.

The next morning, it will again be a challenge to leave the warmth of your bed, but we have to get to Namche Bazaar; the trek continues no matter what. From Dole, we will first trace back our steps to Mong La village and continue on to Namche after a short break. Arriving at Sanasa, we will stop for lunch and get to our destination in about 2.5 hours, covering 4.3 km in total.

Day 10 of the Everest Gokyo Lake Trek is accompanied by a descending trail most of the way combined with scenes of distant peaks in the background. The Dudh Koshi River is our guide, and we’ll follow it all the way to Lukla, the place where our journey began. There is not another way out of the Everest region. We will not be getting on a flight back to Kathmandu on the same day, as only morning flights are available.

The following morning, after a restful night in Lukla, we will pack our bags and get on a flight out of Lukla. After getting to Kathmandu in about 35 minutes, we will get to rest at our hotel for the night.

The next day is also an exciting day of the Gokyo Lake trekking, as we will take you on a sightseeing day tour to visit the attractions of the Kathmandu Valley. If you are interested in visiting any particular place, we can arrange it for you and add it to the day’s itinerary.

Day 13 is the end of the Everest Gokyo Lake Trek, and we will drop you off at the airport as per your flight schedule. We hope that you had a time of your life trekking with us and to see you again.