Everest Base Camp with Gokyo Lakes Trek

Everest base camp and Gokyo lakes trek is an amazing and adventurous trek that alternatively leads to famous Everest base camp chasing the lesser hustle trail. Gokyo lakes are located in Khumjung village in north-eastern Nepal at the head of the Dudh Koshi River. Gokyo Ri (5000 m) is the main highlight of the trek which provides breathtaking views of world highest Mt. Everest (8848 m) with other peaks such as Lhotse (8516 m), Makalu (8463 m) and Cho Oyu (8201 m) with 27 snowcapped mountains of the Khumbu Glacier. We can also enjoy the beautiful Gokyo valley, Tibetan culture and lush valley through the trek. Gokyo lake trek also offers to observe peaceful turquoise lakes. Gokyo Cho, also called Dudh Pokhari, is the main lake and Thonak Cho is the largest lake. The trek is challenging and adventurous so the physical fitness of the trekkers is most important.

Short Itinerary for Everest Base Camp and Gokyo lakes trek

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu

Day 02: Kathmandu City Tour

Day 03: Katmandu to Lukla - Trek to Phakding (2700m.)

Day 04: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3440 meters)

Day 05: Acclimatization in Namche (3440m.)

Day 06:  Namche Bazaar to Khumjung (3550m.)

Day 07:  Khumjung to Dole

Day 08:  Dole to Machermo

Day 09:  Machermo to Gokyo

Day 10:  Gokyo Valley: Acclimatization Day (Hike to Gokyo Ri-5357m)

Day 11:  Gokyo Ri to Thaknak (4750 m)

Day 12:  Thaknak to Cho-la Pass (5367 m) – Dzongla.

Day 13:  Dzongla to Lobuche (4940 m)

Day 14: Lobuche to Everest Base Camp back to Gorakshep.

Day 15: Gorkshep to Kalapathar to Pheriche

Day 16: Pheriche to Namche

Day 17: Namche to Lukla (2840m.)

Day 18: Flight to Kathmandu

Day 19: Final Departure

Important Note About Itinerary 

You don’t have to think more when trekking with Actual Adventure. Please note that Actual Adventure Trekking leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the itinerary if it is deemed necessary due to safety concerns or weather challenge. travelling in remote mountainous regions, we cannot guarantee that we will not deviate from it. Weather conditions, health condition of a group member, unexpected natural disasters, etc., can all contribute to changes in the itinerary. The leader will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but please be prepared to be flexible if required.

Please note that often the Kathmandu-Lukla-Kathmandu flight gets delayed by a few hours or may even be canceled for one, two, or more days due to unfavorable weather conditions. Such conditions may arise even in the best seasons. Hence, in such cases, you must be prepared for long waits either at Kathmandu or Lukla airports, as this can happen either at the start or end of the trek or even both! We will do our best to avoid such delays, and arrange the next flight for you. We also organize Helicopter rescue in such conditions, if it is available and upon request by our clients. The helicopter charges around USD 2800 and it can lift 4-5 persons per flight. Still, we suggest you to be prepared for possible delays/cancellations, and if possible to come with some extra buffer days (1-2 days) at the end of the trip to accommodate such delays. If everything runs smoothly and you still have a few days of your buffer days left then you may even engage yourself in optional activities which can be arranged by Actual Adventure upon request. The optional activities may include visiting places/landmarks of your choice, adventure sports, shopping, etc. 

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Everest Base camp with Gokyo Lake Trekking Itinerary 

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu

After you arrive in TIA (Tribhuvan International Airport), Kathmandu you will meet our representative in the airport. They will welcome you and take you to the hotel where you will meet the rest of the team members. We will offer you a warm welcome dinner at the evening in a typical Nepali restaurant with live music and dance. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 02: Kathmandu City Tour

After breakfast, you start your visiting sites tour in Kathmandu valley. First you will visit Swayambhunath, from where you can see the beautiful view of the entire Kathmandu valley. Swayambhunath is the oldest temple of Nepal which is the holly place for Buddhism. Meanwhile you will be guided along the historical  places around Patan, like Patan Durbar Square, Mahaboudha Temple, Kumbeshwor temple, Krishna Temple, Golden Temple, etc and also you will get chance to visit the handicraft centre in Patan. After lunch, you will drive to visit Boudhanath and Pashupatinath temple. First you will visit Pasupatinath temple, Pasupatinath temple is one of the most significant Hindu temple lies on the bank of Bagmati river .After the beautiful view on the pasupatinath temple you will head towards Boudhanath, which is also one of the holiest Buddhist site of Nepal. Then visit Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Bhaktapur is the ancient Newar (local people of bhaktapur) town of Nepal. There you will visit the places like Lion Gate, Golden Gate, Art Gallery, Statue of King Bhupatindra, Nyatapola Temple and fifty-five windowed Malla Palace etc which are the living prides of Bhaktapur and you will tour around all these places.

Day 03: Katmandu to Lukla - Trek to Phakding (2700m.)

After breakfast you move towards airport to fly to Lukla (9,000 feet/2,743 meters). The flight to Lukla is short, scenic and breathtaking. Lukla is the entry point to Everest Region. The trek starts from today. After having lunch at Lukla you will trek towards Phakding which is about 8000ft /2438m.  The trek begins following the narrow passage and ascends up to Pasang Lhamo Memorial Gate passing several shops, teahouses and chortens on the way. The trial then descends through the forests and passes by some small Sherpa settlements on the way.  You can see the beautiful views of Kusum Kiangsu Mountain following the trials of Dudh Koshi River. After about four hours trek you will reach to Phakding village. Overnight in Phakding.

Day 04: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3440 meters)

On the third day of Everest Base Camp Trek you will have your breakfast at Phakding and start the trek. You will be heading towards Namche Bazaar today. The trek starts with a gradual walk and our trial pass through a beautiful pine forest. Continuing trek further you will walk on a trial that goes north up the Benkar valley walking through the banks of Dudh Koshi River. You will cross the Dudh Koshi River and then trek to the entrance gate of Sagarmatha national park crossing some small villages on the way.You will cross a suspension bridge and then walk along the side of Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi River which takes you to the steep trial that takes you up to Namche Bazaar.  Overnight at Namche Bazaar.

Day 05: Acclimatization in Namche (3440m.)

Acclimatization is an important part of trekking once you reach an altitude higher than 3000meters. It is because the oxygen content in the air is lower at higher level and acclimatization helps the body to adopt the oxygen content in the air. Today you will have your first acclimatization of Everest Base Camp via Gokyo Lakes trek. You will not be staying in higher altitude today but you will hike up for around 200 to 300 meters and again trek back to Namche for overnight stay.  You can see colorful markets in Namche Bazaar on every Friday and Saturday.  Namche Bazaar is a great place to hang out you can find almost all of the consumable goods here. There are numbers of lodges, restaurants, colorful markets and internet cafes in Namche Bazaar. Overnight at Namche Bazaar.

Day 06:  Namche Bazaar to Khumjung (3550m.)

After breakfast at Namche Bazaar on the sixth day of the Everest Base Camp with Gokyo Lake trek you to Khumjung. The trek begins with a gradual walk with amazing views of Mt Khumjung (8516 m) You will also see Everest and K2 mountains on the way. The walk today is short and easy. You will hike up to Everest view hotel and then descend down to Khumjung village. You can see a village located on a flat surface and tucked in between the mountains with green roofs which is Khumjung village. You will visit Khumjung monastery and the yeti scalp. Overnight at Khumjung village.

Day 07:  Khumjung to Dole

Today on the seventh day of Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lake trek you will trek to Dole from Khumjung.  The trial gives an amazing panorama of the mountains like Everest Nuptse, Lhotse, Thamserku, Ama Dabalam and many more.  From Sansa the trial separates you will take the left trial and the right one goes to Tengboche.  The trial heads up to the east of Khumbalia and then head towards Phortse. You will stop here for lunch and then continue further trek to Dole.  Overnight at Dole.

Day 08:  Dole to Machermo

Today on the eighth day of Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lake trek you will trek to Machermo. The trek begins after an early morning breakfast at Machermo. The trek starts with a short gradual ascent which goes up to the Dudh Koshi Valley. You can feel the effects of altitude during the trek however the walk is easy and has ups and downs. You can see the tree less hills with scrub of junipers as you start to gain altitude. A few hours trek from Luza will take you to Machermo. Overnight at Machermo.

Day 09:  Machermo to Gokyo

In this day you will trek to Machermo to Gokyo. Gokyo lakes are located in Khumjung village in north-eastern Nepal at the head of the Dudh Koshi River.  The trek is about 4 to 5 hours to reach Gokyo from Machermo. You will climb a ridge where we get excellent view of the valley and the Cho Yu Mountain. The trial goes through Phangkha where a devastating avalanche in 1996 killed many people including trekkers and villagers.  The trial descends through the bank of river and goes up to the mortal moraine of the Ngozamba Glacier. The steep climb by the side of the glacier will take you to an iron bridge over a stream which flows from the first lake of Gokyo known as Longpongo. You will soon arrive at the second lake crossing the glacier path which heads up to Cho La pass. You will climb by to the third lake Dudh Pokhari and finally reach to the Gokyo valley. Overnight at Gokyo.

Day 10:  Gokyo Valley: Acclimatization Day (Hike to Gokyo Ri-5357m)

On the tenth day of Everest Base Camp Gokyo Lake trek you will be moving around the Gokyo valley. As you are at an altitude of 4750m it is very important for your body to take some rest. Today is the second acclimatization day of Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lake trek. But it doesn’t mean to just stay at idle at the lodge. Although you won’t be sleeping at higher altitude but you will be visit around the Gokyo valley to be familiar with the environment. You will hike to the fifth Lake Ngozuma Tsho and fourth Lake Thonak Tsho which is about 3km north of Gokyo and has great views. If the weather is clear then you can also hike up to Gokyo RI to get the excellent views of the Everest Region.From here you will have a panoramic view of Cho Oyu, Gyanchung Kang, Everest, Lothse, Makalu, Cholatse and Tawachee. After we enjoy the view we will return to Gokyo village. Overnight at lodge

Day 11:  Gokyo Ri to Thaknak (4750 m)

Today is the 11^th Day of your Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lakes. You will have your breakfast at Gokyo and begin the trek with a steep climb up to the top of the Gokyo RI. The climb is strenuous but rewards you with wonderful views of the mountains surrounded by. You will descend with the beautiful panoramic views of the Khumbu Mountain ranges such as Mt. Everest, Mt.Nuptse, Cho Yu, and Makalu etc to Thaknak. Overnight at Thaknak.

Day 12:  Thaknak to Cho-la Pass (5367 m) – Dzongla.

On the 12^th day of Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lake you will trek to Cho La Pass from Thaknak. The trek begins very early in the morning at 4 am.  The trek today involves steep and slippery trials and glacier traverse on the eastern side. You need to follow the instructions of your guide carefully walking on the slippery trials. Although the trials are technical but you can enjoy the stunning views of mountains like Amadabalam, Cholatse, Lobuche and Bruntse. From Cho La Pass the trek descends to Dzongla crossing some crevases on the way. Overnight at Dzongla.

Day 13:  Dzongla to Lobuche (4940 m)

You will have relatively short walk on the 13^th day of Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lakes. The trek starts after having breakfast at Dzongla.  You will descend down to a bridge and after crossing the bridge you will walk on a grassy trial with beautiful panoramic views of mountains like Lobuche, Ama Dabalam, Thamserku and many more. Upon reaching Lobuche you will have plenty of time to rest and prepare for tomorrows hike. Overnight at Lobuche.

Day 14: Lobuche to Everest Base Camp back to Gorakshep.

On the 14^th day of Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lakes you will trek to Everest Base Camp. The trek begins early in the morning after having breakfast. After about trekking two hours you will reach to Gorakshep.  The trials get a bit harder than before but easier as you climb about 150m.  The walk along the Khumbu Glacier will be harder up to Everest Base Camp. Upon reaching the Everest base camp at 5365m, enjoy the amazing view of Khumbu icefall and incredible Mount Everest. The views of Nuptse, Khumbuste and Pumori mountains from the base camp are mesmerizing. After spending some time at Everest Base Camp you will descend down to Gorakshep. Overnight at Gorakshep.

Day 15: Gorkshep to Kalapathar to Pheriche

On the 15^th day of our trek you will have an early breakfast in Gorakshep. After having breakfast you will be heading towards the best view point on the earth which is Kalapatthar. Since the summit of the Everest Base Camp is not visible from the Everest Base Camp, Kalapatthar is the best view point of Mt. Everest. The views from Kalapatthar are outstanding. It will give you the moment of life. From here you will trek back to Pheriche. Overnight at Pherice.

Day 16: Pheriche to Namche

Today on the 16^th day of Everest Base Camp with Gokyo Lake trek. You will wake up early in the morning and start your journey by following the trials of beautiful juniper and rhododendron trees. You will cross the Bridge of Dudh Koshi River and move downwards loosing almost 2,000ft of elevations. Leaving the beautiful mountains behind you will continue the trek further. You can also spot mountain goats, pheasants and other wild animals and birds habitual to the area. The trial descends to Sansa from where you can see mesmerizing views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Nuptse mountains. Following the downhill trial and crossing several villages you will reach Namche. Overnight at Namche.

Day 17: Namche to Lukla (2840m.)

On the 17^thday of Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lakes. The trek today is mostly a downhill trek on a trial along the bank of the Dudh Koshi River. You will trek towards the Hillary Suspension bridges, and also pass by several monasteries and villages before reaching Lukla. Upon reaching Lukla you can roam around or take rest at the hotel. Overnight at Lukla.

Day 18: Flight to Kathmandu

You will have breakfast at Lukla and then fly back to Kathmandu. You can cherish the snow capped mountains for the last few minutes. Upon landing in Kathmandu you will be taken to the hotel by the representatives. As you have had a very long and tiring trek you can rest at the hotel. Overnight at Kathmandu.

Day 19: Departure.

After breakfast we will transfer you to Tribhuvan International airport (TIA) for your final departure from Kathmandu. We wish to see you soon in near future with your family, friends and relatives. 

Stay Safe

• Altitude Sickness: The main and common risk while trekking above about 2500m is Altitude sickness. Altitude sickness is caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude. The available amount of oxygen to sustain mental and physical alertness decreases with altitude. Available oxygen drops as the air density itself, the number of molecules (of both oxygen and nitrogen) per given volume, drops as altitude increases. So don’t ignore, if you have any symptoms then descending to a lower altitude is the only option.
• Water: Have some means to purify water, iodine or a fine ceramic filter are the best options. The streams should be considered polluted and whilst bottled water is often available, the disposal of plastic bottles is a problem.

Electricity in Nepal

Nepal is a developing country, Outside of major cities area electricity on trekking can be scares. You should have to pay 100-800 NRs per hour to charge goods on many lodges and also many tea-house treks, including in Annapurna base camp trek, Everest Base camp trek and many others treks also. Chargers often won't work on low power solar systems you find right up in the mountains so u can buy alternative bayonet light to electricity power plug converter, which will only works in low voltage is highlow. The standard Nepalese electrical outlet is a three-pronged triangle so bring three-pronged triangle chargers.

Nepal Climate information

Nepal is a landlocked country which lies in Hindu Kush Himalayan region. Nepal has monsoonal climate having four main seasons: spring, summer, monsoon, autumn and winter.

Below is a general guide to conditions at different seasons:
January to March (winter): In this season temperature will decrease at often 0°C (32°F) at night, with extreme cold at high elevations. It is possible to trek in places like the Everest region during the winter but due to extreme cold weather and heavy snow fall it may be quite difficult than as usual.
April to June (summer): In these months it is quite warm and dry weather. There is an abundance of blooming flowers in the Himalayas at this time, with rhododendrons, in particular, adding a splash of color to the landscape. This season is the best time to undertake mountain expeditions.
June to September (Monsoon): There will be heavy monsoonal rainfall in this season. Rains are generally lighter in high Himalayan reasons. In this season the mountain ranges are not often visible due to the clouds.
October to December (autumn): These months are cool and clear which is due to the end of monsoon, there is little dust in the air so this is the best season to visit the hilly and mountainous regions.

Nepal Visas information

Visa in Nepal can be acquired on arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu and also at the border entry points in Kakadvitta, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Gaddachowki border of Nepal - India and Kodari on Nepal-China border. Visa can also acquire at the nearest Nepal Embassy. For visa renewal purpose you can contact at Department of Immigration, Kalikasthan at Kathmandu. A valid passport and one passport -size photo with a light background is required. Visa can be obtained only through payment of cash in the following currency: Euro, Swiss Franc, Pound Sterling, US Dollar, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Hong Kong Dollar, Singapore Dollar and Japanese Yen. Credit card, Indian currency and Nepali currency are not accepted as payment of visa fee.

Visa Facility         Duration       Fee
Multiple entry       15 days          US$ 25 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry       30 days          US$ 40 or equivalent convertible currency
Multiple entry       90 days          US$ 100 or equivalent convertible currency

Respect to Local Peoples

In Nepal, “Namaste” or “Namaskar” is said to an older or high-status person with palms together, figure up. It is used to greet a person in place of goodbye or hello. There is no limitation how many times you say “Namaste” but, it is better if you say once per person, per day. If You want to say “Thank You” then you can say “Dhanyabaad /'ðɅnjɅbɑ:d/ (Dhan-ya-baad)” 

Trekking Equipment’s & Packing List

“Pack Light but Always Right “

We can do help you pack for your adventure. Also understand that the items listed below will vary a little according to the season and the trek duration. Those items marked by an asterisk (*) are provided by Actual Adventure as complementary service if you require. The weight limit for your luggage is 33 pounds or 15 kg in total check in and hand bag both and more than allowed bags you have to pay extra $2 per KG, Remember that your luggage will be carried by your porter but you are required to carry a day-pack (with your valuables or anything important) on your own. We also suggest that you pack only what is necessary.

Important documents and items

• • Valid passport, 2 extra passport size photos, airline tickets
• • Separate photocopies of passport, visa form (easily obtained at Kathmandu airport), proof of insurance
• • Dollars, pounds or Euros in cash for purchasing Nepalese visa at Kathmandu airport, for paying for restaurants and hotels, for gratuities, snacks, and to purchase your own drinks and gifts
• • Credit cards, Bank/ATM/Cash machine cards for withdrawing funds from cash machines (bring a photocopy of your cards), traveler's checks, etc.

Head

• • Bandana or head scarf, also useful for dusty conditions
• • Warm hat that covers your ears (wool or synthetic)
• • Headlamp with extra batteries and bulbs
• • Sunglasses with UV protection
• • Prescription sunglasses (if required)

Upper Body

• • Polypropylene shirts (1 half sleeve and 2 long sleeves)
• • Light and expedition weight thermal tops
• • Fleece wind-stopper jacket or pullover
• • Waterproof (preferably breathable fabric) shell jacket
• • Down vest and/or jacket *
• • Gore-Tex jacket with hood, waterproof and breathable
• Hands
• • 1 pair of lightweight poly-liner gloves.
• • 1 pair of lightweight wool or fleece gloves
• • 1 pair of mittens, consists of 1 Gore-Tex over mitt matched with a very warm polar-fleece mitt liner (seasonal)

Lower Body

• • Non-cotton underwear briefs
• • 1 pair of Hiking shorts
• • 1 pair of Hiking trousers
• • 1 pair of lightweight thermal bottoms (seasonal)
• • 1 pair of fleece or woolen trousers
• • 1 pair of waterproof shell pants, breathable fabric

Feet

• • 2 pairs of thin, lightweight inner socks
• • 2 pairs of heavy poly or wool socks
• • 1 pair of Hiking boots with spare laces (sturdy soles, water resistant, ankle support, “broken in”)
• • 1 pair of trainers or running shoes and/or sandals
• • Cotton socks (optional)
• • Gaiters (winter only), optional, “low” ankle high version

Sleeping

• • 1 sleeping bag (good to -10 degrees C or 14 degrees F)*
• • Fleece sleeping bag liner (optional)
• Rucksack and Travel Bags
• • 1 medium rucksack (50-70 liters/3000-4500 cubic inches, can be used for an airplane carryon)
• • 1 large duffel bag *
• • A small daypack/backpack for carrying your valuables, should have good shoulder padding
• • Small padlocks for duffel-kit bags
• • 2 large waterproof rucksack covers (optional)

Medical

• • Small, personal first-aid kit. (simple and light)
• • Aspirin, first-aid tape, and plasters (Band-Aids)
• • 1 skin-blister repair kit
• • Anti-diarrhea pills
• • Anti-headache pills
• • Cough and/or cold medicine
• • Anti-altitude sickness pills: Diamox or Acetylzolamide
• • Stomach antibiotic: Ciprofloxacin, etc. Do not bring sleeping pills as they are a respiratory depressant.
• • Water purification tablets or water filter
• • 1 set of earplugs
• • Extra pair of prescription glasses, contact lens supplies

Practical Items

• • 1 small roll of repair tape, 1 sewing-repair kit
• • 1 cigarette lighter, 1 small box of matches
• • 1 compass or GPS(optional)
• • 1 alarm clock/watch
• • 1 digital camera with extra cards and batteries
• • large Ziplocs
• • 2 water bottles (1 liter each)
• • 1 small folding knife
• • Binoculars (optional)
• • 4 large, waterproof, disposable rubbish sacks

Toiletries

• • 1 medium-sized quick drying towel
• • Toothbrush/paste (preferably biodegradable)
• • Multi-purpose soap (preferably biodegradable)
• • Deodorants
• • Nail clippers
• • Face and body moisturizer
• • Female hygiene products
• • Small mirror
• Personal Hygiene
• • Wet wipes (baby wipes)
• • Tissue /toilet roll
• • Anti-bacterial hand wash
• Extras/Luxuries
• • Reading book
• • Trail map/guide book
• • Journal and pen
• • iPod
• • Travel game i.e. chess, backgammon, scrabble, playing cards (to help you pass the time at teahouses and/or camps)
• • 1 modest swim suit
• • Binoculars (optional)
• • Voltage converter (from 220 to 110)
• • Plug adapter (2 round pegs to 2 flat pegs)
• • Lightweight pillow case (in case your teahouses provide you with pillows) or use your own stuff as a pillow