Magical Alpine Lakes at the Top of the World!
The Gokyo-Everest Base Camp Trek combines the best of the Khumbu region of eastern Nepal for the most spectacular alpine trek in the world. Beginning in the mystical Kathmandu Valley with its ancient cities, you fly to Lukla to begin your trek. There are high mountain passes that you’ll cross while descending into incredible well-watered green valleys fed by the glaciers high above. You will see the Himalayas from different viewpoints and reach the Gokyo Lakes, a glacier lake.
You will explore more regions than traditional EBC trek. It takes the same number of days, yet costs slightly the same as the classical EBC trek. At times, you will find yourself trekking the path less traveled where you will meet more Sherpa than tourists. You come away feeling a kinship with the people who call this inhospitable land home.
Interested? Then inquire now to book the amazing Gokyo-Everest base camp trek.
Duration: 20 days
Group Size: Minimum 2
Ratings ¶¶¶¶¶
Grade: Moderate with a few challenging passes
Destination: Nepal
Activity: Trekking in Nepal
DAY TO DAY ITINERARY FOR GOKYO-EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK
DAY 1: Arrival in Kathmandu
The trip of a lifetime is becoming reality as your plane descends into Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. Your plane taxis to a stop. Walk through passport control. Pick up your luggage and you’ll be standing in the fresh air of the Himalayas! Here you meet your representative from Himalayan Planet Adventures who will take you to your hotel to freshen up. After a short rest, travel to the office of Himalayan Planet Adventures for a briefing as well as to meet your guide. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner with your new friends where you will sample traditional Nepali food as well as seeing a cultural program.
Elevation: (4,592 ft / 1,400 m)
DAY 2 – Kathmandu Valley Tour
No one should embark on any Nepal adventure without first examining the cultural roots of the country. Surrounding Nepal’s capital city are ten UNESCO World Heritage Sites reflecting the culture as well as the religious roots of the country. You will have time to explore three of them, including Pashupatinath. This is the most holy of Hindu sites not only in Nepal, but one of the holiest sites in the world. Here are nearly 500 temples with holy men performing daily Puja (worship). Travel from here to Boudhanath, the largest Buddhist Stupa in Asia which is home of the largest community of Tibetan refugees in Nepal. Circumambulate this massive Stupa as you explore the small shops filled with Tibetan Buddhist items. In the afternoon, you will travel to the ancient city of Bhaktapur known for its amazing temples and palaces. Return to your hotel for the evening.
Distance: 37.4 km
Duration: Max. 7 hrs
Visiting places: 3 sites
DAY 3: Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding
The trek begins with an early morning flight along the backbone of the Himalayas. It’s a 30 minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla as you gaze down at the various mountain ranges. Once you land, collect your backpacks and spend 3 – 4 hours trekking through primeval forests with fast flowing glacial streams. Our destination is the Sherpa village of Phakding where we will spend the night.
Elevation: (Lukla: 9,184 ft / 2,800 m) / (Phakding: 8,528 ft / 2,600 m)
Distance: (Kathmandu – Lukla 138 km) / (Lukla – Phakding 7.8 km)
Duration: (Kathmandu – Lukla 30 minutes) / (Lukla – Phakding 3 hrs)
DAY 4: Trek to Namche Bazaar
Today we are heading to the capital of the Khumbu region. The village of Namche Bazaar dates back centuries with its colorful buildings constructed like an amphitheater. We trek 5 – 6 hours, walking primarily uphill through forests of rhododendron and pine. We will formally enter Sagarmatha National Park, which is home of Mt. Everest along with numerous other snowcapped peaks. Along the way, we observe a number of snowcapped peaks that touch the beautiful blue skies. We arrive at Namche Bazaar where we will spend two nights.
Elevation: (11,283 ft / 3,440 m)
Distance: (10.4 km)
Duration: (5 hrs)
DAY 5: Acclimatization Day
We’ve cross the 10,000 foot mark which means we need to take a day to allow our bodies time to adjust to the thin Himalayan air. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is a serious medical condition that can be life-threatening. Fortunately, the best way to deal with AMS is to allow the body some acclimatization days. Namche Bazaar is a great place to do this with its many shops and museums to explore. We will take time to climb to the top of the hill for our first good view of Mt. Everest. Return to our hotel in the evening.
DAY 6: Trek to Dole Village
The air up here is so invigorating! We wake up refreshed and ready to start trekking to the Gokyo Valley. Today we gain significantly in elevation as we trek to the little village of Dole. We’re rising to an elevation of 4200 m/13,776 ft. and as we gain in elevation, we are privileged to see snowcapped peaks in all directions. We can see Everest, along with Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and several other magnificent peaks. We will pass by terraced farms at first. It takes us around 4-5 hours to reach Dole. It’s a very tiny village, but has a good guest house where we will eat and spend the night.
Elevation: (13,245 ft / 4,038m)
Distance: (6.9 km)
Duration: (4.5 hrs)
DAY 7: Trek to Machhermo Village
We are now in the land of the yeti, the mystical mountain creature that the locals swear you can hear at night. It is said that one was sighted here in 1974. We will definitely enjoy the breathtaking scenery as we continue to gain in elevation. Its 3 – 4 hours to reach our guest house in the tiny mountain village of Machhermo. It’s definitely an awesome view as we gaze at the mighty Himalayas.
Elevation: (13,152 ft / 4,010 m)
Distance: (4.5 km)
Duration: (3.5 hrs)
DAY 8: Trek to the Gokyo Valley
We cross the pass and gaze down at the beautiful Gokyo Valley. The many lakes shimmer in the Himalayan sun, reflecting off ice-cold waters. From our vantage point, we can now see Mt. Cho-Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world. Its name is Tibetan, meaning turquoise goddess. It is beautiful to behold, rising 8,201 m/26,906 ft. Cho-Oyu marks the westernmost point of the Khumbu region. We trek into Gokyo, visiting some of the beautiful lakes along the way. The crystal clear waters are a deep blue as the white glaciers feed their cold waters into these sacred lakes. We drop our backpacks at our lodge while exploring three of those lakes today. Sleep well tonight after a hearty meal here in Gokyo Valley.
Elevation: (15,711 ft / 4,790 m)
Distance: (5.7 km)
Duration: (4 hrs)
DAY 9: Hike to the Fifth Gokyo Lake to see Mt. Everest in full glory
Oh, yes, it’s going to be a great day! We leave our backpacks at our lodge where we will spend a second night. We are going on a hike to reach the far fifth lake of the Gokyo chain of lakes called Ngozumpa Tso. Once we arrive at the lake, we will be rewarded with the most amazing view of Mt. Everest. Here we can see Mt. Everest in full glory. It’s a massive mountain and its entire formation is brought into view. We hike back along the lakes to reach our lodge for a second night.
Elevation: (16,372 ft / 4,990 m)
Distance: (12.2 km both ways)
Duration: (7 hrs)
DAY 10: Climb Gokyo-Ri, trek to Dragnag
We rise early for one of the highlights of the Gokyo Everest base camp trek: sunrise over the Khumbu! Gokyo-Ri is a trekking peak, rising to an elevation of 5,330 m/17,483 ft. It’s here the effulgent sun rises to illuminate the world. The early morning light breaks forth for amazing views of these imperial mountains. We’re struck by its beauty before heading back to start our trek to the little village of Dragnag. Trekking time is 5 – 6 hours.
Elevation: (Gokyo RI: 16,372 ft / 17,575 ft) / (Dragnag: 15,580 ft / 4750 m)
Distance: (1.5 km one way) / (Gokyo to Dragnag: 2.9 km)
Duration: (Gokyo RI: 2 hrs one way) / (Dragnag: 2 hrs)
DAY 11: Cross Cho la Pass, trek to Dzongla
It will be a day of climbing as we need to crest Cho la pass. This will be probably the most physically challenging day as the path is usually icy and we may need crampons. The pass rises to an elevation of 5,420 m/17,782 ft. It is the only way to reach the village of Dzongla where we will spend the night. It’s not far, but it is challenging to say the least. However, the view from on top rewards all who venture to conquer its crest. Dzongla is a small village with tea houses where we can stay. It is above the tree line with a few hardscrabble farms. The area is popular for yak farmers to bring their yaks for summer grazing. We will spend one night here.
Elevation: (Cho La Pass: 17,783 ft / 5,420 m) / (Dzongla: 15,847 ft / 4,830 m)
Distance: (9.38 km)
Duration: (8 hrs)
DAY 12: Trek to Gorakshep
The community Gorak Shep exists for one reason. It’s the closest place to Everest Base Camp where there is lodging and food. We trek here in order to spend two nights. The trail is almost all rock and pebbles as we trek around 5 – 6 hours to reach Gorakshep. We arrive where we will drop our backpacks and sit down for a hot meal.
Elevation: (16,942 ft / 5,164 m)
Distance: (10 km)
Duration: (6 hrs)
DAY 13: Trek to EBC
Our goal has been Everest Base Camp, and today we reach that goal. This is where mountain climbers begin their upward ascent. We trek there to enjoy our achievement. In the spring this camp is a busy place with climbers who come during this short climbing season. Sadly, we can’t see Everest from here, but we can see other mountains. Tomorrow, we will get a close-up view of the world’s highest mountain.
Elevation: (17,598 ft / 5,364 m)
Distance: (3.4 km one way)
Duration: (5 hrs in total)
DAY 14: Climb Mt. Kala Patthar, Trek to Dingboche
The best close-up view of Mt. Everest is on top of Mt. Kala Patthar. Rising to an elevation of 5,644 m/18,519’, it is the best vantage point to see the world’s highest mountain. Its name means black rock and it is a trekking peak. It takes us about two hours to climb, take pictures and then descend. We grab our backpacks and now trek about 3 – 4 hours to reach the village of Dingboche. It’s a small village with Mani walls, carved by faithful Buddhists with sayings of Lord Buddha. The farmland is poor with most crops being potatoes, carrots and buckwheat. It is here we will spend the night.
Elevation: (Kala Patthar: 18,209 ft / 5,550 m) / (Dingboche: 14,465 ft / 4,410 m)
Distance: (Kala Patthar: 1.4 km one way) / (Gorakshep to Dingboche: 15.5 km)
Duration: (2+1 hrs) / (Gorakshep to Dingboche: 6 hrs)
DAY 15: Trek to Tengboche
We are now dropping in elevation, although we are still high up. Our journey is taking us through the mountains to reach the village of Tengboche, which is home of one of the oldest and largest Buddhist monasteries in the Khumbu region. Tibetan Buddhist is strong in the high mountains, unlike the lower elevations in Nepal that tend to be more Hindu. Here we can see an alleged yeti scalp. The scenery is awesome. The backdrop of the monastery is Mt. Everest. What a sacred view it is. We trek 5 – 6 hours to reach Tengboche where we will spend the night and explore the village.
Elevation: (12,661 ft / 3,860 m)
Distance: (10.8 km)
Duration: (5 hrs)
DAY 16: Trek to Namche Bazaar
We know this place! We’ve spent a couple of nights in Namche Bazaar and we’re happy to see it on the horizon. It offers so many amenities that we’ve been lacking on this trip. Great food awaits us here. It takes us about 5 – 6 hours to reach.
Elevation: (11,283 ft / 3,440 m)
Distance: (5.9 km)
Duration: (5 hrs)
DAY 17: Lukla
It’s our final day of trekking as we make our way downhill into the beautiful forests of the Khumbu lower lands to reach the airport at Lukla. It will be a 7 – 8 hour trek to reach our place of lodging.
Elevation: (Lukla height: 9,184 ft / 2,800 m)
Distance: (18.2 km)
Duration: (7 hrs)
DAY 18: Fly to Kathmandu
We reached the end of our long trek. We catch our 30 minute return flight to Kathmandu. The rest of the day is a free day to relax or do some further exploring of the Kathmandu Valley.
DAY 19: Free Day
Himalayan Planet Adventures always schedules a free day at the end of the trek because of the uncertain weather in the Khumbu region. Sometimes due to the unique weather patterns of the Himalayas, the planes can’t fly. This way, we have a day of grace. Today, enjoy the free time. There’s great shopping in Kathmandu, or do some sightseeing. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with your guide and porters as well as your fellow trekkers.
DAY 20: Departure
It’s the final day. Your representative from Himalayan Planet Adventures will come to your hotel to take you by private car back to the airport. But wait – you can always extend your Himalayan holiday. You can even make plans for a return trip. All of this can happen as you consult your new friends at Himalayan Planet Adventures!
