Gokyo Lake Trek, often regarded as the best alternative to Everest Base Camp trek, is a journey to the pristine valley of Gokyo overlooked by mountain Gokyo Ri (5357m) & several other mountains of height over 7000m. Carrying a religious value for both Buddhists & Hindus, Gokyo Lake lies at an elevation of 4790m, comprised of six different lakes from an elevation of 4700m to 5000m, this shining turquoise lake falls within Sagarmatha National Park & is surrounded by snow-capped mountains all around. Get a panoramic view of Mount Lhotse, Mount Cho You, Mount Makalu & Mount Everest, etc while crossing various small local settlements, Buddhist monasteries & lush green forests on the way. Ngozumpa glacier, considered to be the longest glacier in the Himalayas, is one of the main highlights of this trek. A perfect option for trekkers searching for something different & a quieter trekking trail with picturesque views, diverse landscapes & hidden valleys in the lap of the Himalayas, this trek has it all.
Also, a few extra days for city sightseeing & leisure activities can always be added in the itinerary & customized according to your preference.
Daily Tour
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Unlimited
We’ll start our trek with an early morning flight to Tenzing Hillary Airport, Lukla on a small aircraft which takes around 30 min. During the flight we can get the panoramic view of several Himalayan ranges. After landing, we’ll start our trek from Lukla towards Phakding. We follow the trail alongside the Dudhkoshi river & pass through village Ghat before reaching Phakding. Overnight stay in phakding.
We’ll be starting our trek early in the morning to Namche Bazaar which is known to be the gateway to Everest. Today’s trail follows the bank of the Dudh Koshi river, pine forest & we cross monju before approaching the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park. We then ascend upward & cross the high Tenzing-Hillary Suspension bridge from where we get the very first glimpse of Everest. Continuing our trek, we ascend through pine forests that lead us to a town named Namche bazaar which is the biggest & most popular town in the Everest region. Overnight stay at Namche Bazaar.
This is a day to get much-needed rest & get acclimatized to the altitude as we’ll be trekking to a higher altitude in the coming days. Today, we’ll visit the Everest View Hotel which is the Hotel situated in the HIghest altitude in World. You can have breakfast or just tea here while enjoying the view of Everest along with several other mountains. We also get to explore Namche bazaar which has every facility you need like; cafes, restaurants, ATMs & colorful markets, etc. Another attraction you can visit today is the Sherpa museum to learn about Sherpa culture & the history of mountaineering. This will be our second night in Namche Bazaar.
After taking a rest for the whole day, we continue our journey as we trek to Dole. Heading out of Namche Bazaar, the trail takes us on a short hike along the main trail to Everest before moving towards Mung Danda. We then pass through several woodlands, forests & villages from where we'll be able to enjoy the amazing view of majestic mountains & the culture of Sherpa people. Overnight stay at Dole.
Today, we'll be heading toward Machhermo which is believed to be the home for Yeti, a mythical snowman. From Dole, we climb steadily along the side of the valley & cross a bridge over the Dudh Koshi River where we are likely to come face to face with local wildlife like pheasants, mountain goats, and musk deer. We can get a view of Mt. Cho Oyu, Mt. Kantega, and Mt. Thamserku on our way. We continue walking through small villages before finally reaching Machhermo. Overnight stay at Machhermo.
Today, we'll be heading toward our main destination Gokyo valley which is a small settlement area on the base of Gokyo Ri. Following a very scenic path to Pangka, We descend to the river bank before climbing up to the final moraine of the Ngozumpa Glacier on an abrupt path. On the trail, we can witness marvelous views of mountains like; Mount Everest, Mount Cho Oyu, Mount Makalu, Mount Kanchenjunga, and Mount Lhotse, etc. Overnight stay at Gokyo valley.
This’ll be our second rest day of the trek as we spend another day in Gokyo to acclimatize to the high altitude. We'll also be exploring Gokyo Ri, the fifth lake & its surroundings. We can get panoramic views of the Himalayan sight and the tranquil Gokyo lakes from the top of Gokyo Ri. Remarkable views of Mt. Cho-Oyu, Mt. Gyachung Kang, Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, and Mt. Makulu, etc can be seen from the top. Overnight stay at Gokyo Valley.
We'll be descending to Dole today on a trail along the Dudh Koshi River and passing the Gokyo lakes. On our way, we'll pass through several forests & small villages as we enjoy views of the Cholatse and Taboche peaks. We’ll walk past Machhermo, Luza and Lhafarma villages before reaching Dole. After trekking for around 4 to 5 hours we'll reach Dole. Overnight stay at Dole.
We’ll resume our downhill trek from Dole to Namche today. The trail passes through rhododendron forests and several Sherpa settlements. On our way to Namche, we can admire the view of Mt. Taboche, Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Thamserku, and Mt. Kangtega, etc. After walking for around 5-6 hrs, we reach Namche Bazaar where we'll be spending the night. Overnight stay at Namche Bazaar.
Today is the last day of our trek leading us to Lukla from Namche Bazaar via Phakding. We descend on a rugged trail and cross several suspension bridges before walking on a surfaced trail. There'll be a few short uphill climbs and then a downhill walk to the Bhote-Koshi River. Overnight stay at Lukla.
We will fly back to Kathmandu early in the morning today from the mountain town of Lukla. We will witness enchanting snow-capped mountains and lush green hills for one last time during the flight to Kathmandu which is for 40 minutes. You can either rest or take a stroll around the city for the remaining day today. Overnight stay at Kathmandu.