Everest Base Camp Trek via Gokyo Lakes

Overview

Everest Base Camp via Gokyo Lakes trek is one of the most beautiful walks inside the Sagarmatha National Park that takes you to both Gokyo valley and Khumbu valley which takes you to the less crowded trail with more astonishing sceneries.

Combing the large trek, we follow the alternative route of the classic Everest Base Camp trek, we initially walk to Gokyo. In Gokyo valley, we explore six lakes system of Gokyo; Gokyo Cho (Dudh Pokhari), Thonak Cho, Gyazumpa Cho, Tanjung Cho, Ngojumba Cho, and Kyajumba Cho, we hike to Gokyo Ri. From this vantage point, we will get 360-degree panoramic views great views of the four 8,000 meters peaks - Cho Oyu (8,261 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,485 m), and, of course, the "mother of the world" Sagarmatha (8,848 m) - this is how the locals respectfully call Everest,  and several other massifs such as Pumori, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam.

Explore the glistening ice trail of the Cho La pass over a glacier before hiking to Kala Patthar, the famed Black Rock, as you savor the views of Everest, Pumori, Lhotse, Nuptse, and other peaks. We’ll then spend a thrilling day at the Everest Base Camp, and follow the classic trail down the mountain.

Enjoy every moment, follow the steps of our trained, experienced guides and get help from porters who help you each step of the way. Get an authentic experience of Himalayan vista, stay in the local yet quaint teahouses, and be accompanied by the friendly, welcoming mountain locals. Your trip is fully customizable - we love helping you make the memories of a lifetime.

An adventure to EBC via Gokyo Lakes begins with your arrival at Kathmandu. Spending a day in Kathmandu for sightseeing, acclimatization, and trip preparation, we will fly Lukla and begin our actual trek. In the initial days (till Namche Bazaar), we follow the same classic route of Everest Base Camp. The path diverges once from Namche Bazaar and we head towards Dole and Machhermo (Gokyo route) instead of Tengboche and Dingboche (EBC route).

Walking northwest lands with majestic views of the vast pastures, glaciers, small religious monasteries, and occasionally seen settlements, ultimately we reach Gokyo Lakes in the next few days. 

Here, before the village of Dole, we pass a mountain pass; Mong La Pass (3957m / 12982ft). Standing at the pass, we will get breathtaking views of Mt. Ama Dablam and Mat. Khumbila. The path now continues through rhododendron and pine woodlands.  

The next day, we will be heading to Machhermo. Today, the trail is quite gentle, and the views are unstopping. Today, we will begin to see Mt. Cho Oyu (8201m), the world's fifth tallest peak. Maccchermo is the pastureland having a couple of teahouses around for the trekkers and is a summer village for Sherpas.

The next day, leaving Machhermo, we continue our trek to reach Gokyo Lakes. Gokyo Lakes is a chain of five lakes and some of them are frozen partially even in March and April. We will be staying at the bank of the third lake where some teahouses are built. All the lakes seem glimmering while sunshine. 

Early in the morning, we hike to Gokyo Ri, one of the most popular viewpoints in the Everest region. Standing at Gokyo Ri, we truly will have some of the best views of the entire Everest region. Some of the major peaks that will be in view include Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Cho Oyu, Pumori, and Makalu among plenty of others. Catching all those happy moments and sceneries in our cameras, we hike back to our teahouse and give rest to our tired muscles.

On our 10th day’s trip, we set a new journey and it will be a high mountain pass ultimately we will reach Everest Base Camp in a couple of days’ trek through Ngozumpa Glacier and several yak pastures. Eventually arrive at Thangnak, where we will stay for the night.

The next day, was a big day for us, and we will walk passing one of the highest trekking passes in the Everest region, Cho La Pass. This pass connects the Gokyo Region with Everest Base Camp; i.e. Gokyo Valley with Khumbu valley.  A portion of this trail requires you to walk on the glacier itself! By reaching Cho La Pass, you will have acquired more than 2000-ft elevation, but then the way to our destination for the day Dzongla is downhill so, easier.

Next morning, we will hike to Lobuche and the trail is quite easier than the previous days. Today we will join the main trail of the classic Everest Base Camp trek. Now the Khumbu glacier accompanies us alongside the undulating trails for a while. Eventually, we reach Lobuche passing the memorials constructed to honor those who succumbed to this harsh terrain and spend overnight.

The thirteenth day will be special, exciting, and most important because, we will set our foot on the foot of Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world. Initially, we hike to Gorekshep through the Khumbu glacier. Upon reaching there, we leave our belongings there and climb to Everest Base Camp.

Everest Base Camp is surrounded by high mountain massifs and glaciers. Stepping at the foot of the tallest peak is a remarkable achievement as it requires strong physical and mental effort. The entire experience you gained by coming this far will probably change as you become more determined and ambitious.

Spending every memorable moment at EBC, we hike back to Gorekshep and spend overnight. The next day, we hike early morning to Kala Patthar (5545m/18192ft). Kala Patthar is a viewpoint that witnesses the early sun rays hitting on Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and several other mountain peaks. The scenery looks dreamlike, and it transports you to a whole new world. It is the best place to click many pictures of the gleaming peaks and glaciers.

 Spending quality time on Kala Patthar, we trek back to Gorekshep. Getting breakfast there, we set a return journey. On the same day, we hike to Pheriche and spend overnight. We gradually be losing elevation, the path is substantially easy, and the trek should last about five hours. We will spend the night at Pheriche, itself.

The next day’s hike takes us to Namche Bazaar. Though Namche Bazaar has a lower elevation still, the trail is not direct, and you need to pass through several ups and downs. We gradually leave the mountains behind and move to the lower lands and we will get to enjoy the last views of Everest.

On our sixteenth day, we wake up with the beautiful rays of the sun at Namche, get our first meal, and begin our last-day trek to Lukla. The path takes us walking through Dudh Koshi River Valley, crossing several suspension bridges and high-altitude forests to reach our day destination – Lukla.

If everything goes as planned, we fly back to Kathmandu on the seventeenth day. A spare day is scheduled for rest in Kathmandu. Spending another night in Kathmandu, we leave you at Kathmandu airport for your international departure.