Everest Base Camp with Gokyo Lake (Cho-La Pass Trek) - 16 Days

After a leisurely breakfast at a hotel in Kathmandu, our trip officially begins. We'll be driven to Tribhuvan International Airport, where we'll take a short flight to the alpine town of Lukla, with beautiful Himalayan views from the airplane's window. Following our landing, we will join our trekking group and get started on the Everest Base Camp with Gokyo Lake Trek. After approximately four hours of trekking, we will arrive at the little settlement of Phakding, which is our destination for the day. We will explore the neighborhood monasteries or take in the serenity of the Dudh Koshi River after we reach there. Then we'll spend the night at a guesthouse in Phakding.

We'll get up early today and eat a hearty breakfast at our guesthouse. We begin our second day of the EBC with Gokyo Lake Trek by hiking through a lush paradise of shady forests and hidden cascades. We'll go through the suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi River and capture our first decent view of some of the tallest peaks in the Himalayan region, including Thamserku, which is covered in snowfall (6,608 meters).

Then our route enters Sagarmatha National Park, a vast region rich in natural beauty. Following lunch, we'll traverse yet another set of footbridges before catching a glimpse of Mount Everest. From here, Namche Bazaar, a bustling town, is only a short distance away. For lodging tonight, we'll choose the finest hiking lodge that's obtainable.

We don't carry on with our journey today and stop by to sightsee the beautiful landscape of Namche Bazaar. We are resting here to adjust to the increasing elevation as we are currently at a steep altitude and are further traveling to a higher altitude location. You may take a little trek to admire the views from Syangboche Airport or you can take a tour to the 'Sherpa Culture Museum'. Additionally, you can visit the bakeries, which ought to be applauded for making delectable pastries at such high elevations. We make our way back to Namche Bazaar in the dusk to spend the night at the same guesthouse.

We will hike for Dole after spending a day in Namche Bazaar acclimatizing. Our route diverges from the traditional Everest Base Camp walk at this point. The traditional EBC trip extends to Tengboche rather than Dole. There are numerous ups and downs on the rocky trail leading to Dole. We will arrive at Mong La Pass, which is 3957 meters/12982 feet, following a two-hour hike.

Spectacular sights of Mt. Ama Dablam (6,812m) and Mt. Khumbila (5,761m) are available from this location. Moving further, our trek leads us through rhododendron and pine-filled woodlands until arriving at the riverbank settlement of Phortse Tenga. But we'll keep going till we get to Dole, where we're staying for a night.

On the sixth day of our EBC with Gokyo Lake trek, we hike to Machhermo, having breakfast at a guesthouse in Dole. After departing from Dole, we continue climbing higher, arriving at lovely grasslands that are used as yak farms. Along the way, we will observe a number of temples and Buddhist praying flags along the Dudh Koshi River. These grasslands are lush in the summertime, and yaks may be seen grazing there. The breathtaking view of Mt. Cho Oyu can be seen from here. Before we eventually arrive at Machhermo, the route takes us to the villages of Lapahrma and Luja.

We then arrange a local guesthouse to stay for a night in Macchermo.

Today is the most-awaited day of the entire EBC & Gokyo Lake Trek as we would be trekking to Gokyo Lakes and Gokyo Ri. We leave Macchermo after a delightful breakfast and reach Phanga following an hour-long hike across high grasslands. The monuments of those who perished in the landslides are located in this area. After crossing Pangka, we continue on an up-and-down path until we come to the scarp of Nepal's longest glacier, the Nzogumpa Glacier. This glacier begins at the base of Cho Oyu in Tibet and flows downstream to Gokyo Basin in Nepal. We will gradually arrive at the first Gokyo Lake outlet, Longpongo, which also seems to be the smallest of the five main Gokyo lakes, and to the second lake, Taboche Tsho. The third Gokyo Lake, Gokyo Tsho/ Dudh Pokhari, is just up the road from the actual Gokyo town, which is one of the densely populated areas in Nepal.

For lodging tonight, we'll choose the finest hiking lodge in Gokyo that's accessible.

We get up early in the morning, have our breakfast, and buckle ourselves up for a steep ascent to Gokyo Ri. After an hour of climbing, we can see a hilltop, referred to as the renowned Gokyo Ri Viewpoint, in the center of the Gokyo Settlement. Four of the six tallest peaks in the world, i.e., Mount Everest (8,848 meters), Lhotse (8,516 meters), Makalu (8,485 meters), and Cho Oyu (8,188 meters) can be seen from there. We'll furthermore travel to the remaining Gokyo lakes. After having lunch in Gokyo, we resume our journey to Thagnak, a settlement beside the Ngozumpa Glacier. Going eastward via the Gokyo Valley, we follow the Nzogumpa Glacier and reach our destination spot i.e., Thagnak, where we will be staying overnight in a guesthouse, enjoying a bonfire and food.

After a hearty breakfast to enhance our strength, we will shoulder our bags and head to today's destination – Dzongla via Cho La Pass (5420 meters/17,783 feet). We will get to the summit of icy Cho La high pass after a handful of hours of hiking across steep routes and glacial rocky outcrops, and will be rewarded with stunning glimpses of Cho La Lake and Mt. Cholatse (6,440m). After heading to the slick and slippery downhill with a continuous walk for 7 hours, we reach Dzongla, where we will be enjoying the rest of our day and night in a guesthouse.

The journey today begins with a descent route via Chola Lake and Khumbu Glacier. We'll pass through unexplored mountains - Kongma Tse and Taboche and will also pause to pay our respects to a number of memorial monuments built in honor of climbers who have perished. On our way, we will follow Imaj Khola, which will lead us to our destination – Lobuche, through which we will reconnect to the classic EBC Circuit. We explore Lobuche and spend our night at a guesthouse there.

You will have a memorable day since you will finally arrive at the Everest Base Camp. But the ascent will begin at Lobuche and rise substantially as we get closer to Gorak Shep. Gorak Shep has to be one of the most stirring names in the entire Khumbu, together with Namche Bazaar. Before reaching Gorak Shep in the morning, we will climb across a rocky glacier. We'll take a little lunch break here before continuing on to EBC. With the breezes of the world's tallest peak speeding past our ears as we climb the rocky road, you'll undoubtedly have a bounce in your heart.

You'll have a plethora of leisure to see the expansive Everest Himalaya landscape once we reach the base camp. The vast walls of the Lhotse, Western Cwm, Nuptse, and the Khumbu Icefall are seen. We'll hike back to Gorak Shep later on to celebrate with a supper and spend the night at a hotel.

Today's task is to climb Kala Patthar, a 360-degree viewpoint for Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Taboche, Thamserku, and additional renowned summits and glaciers. Even more impressive views of Everest are visible from this viewpoint than yesterday! After that, we'll make our way down to Gorak Shep for a relaxing brunch before starting the long journey back to Pheriche. This will be a nice and familiar path that will take us to another guesthouse for a hot supper and pleasant sleep.

As we return to Namche Bazaar in the morning, we commence with a mild slope amid rhododendron trees. After a few of hours of walking, we'll arrive at the Imja Khola River and then halt for lunch in Tengboche. Seize the chance to take a further glance at the town's stunning monastery. Although it is prohibited to take photos inside, the scenes you will encounter will remain engraved in your memory forever.

We will now travel across lush slopes and windy hillsides to return to Namche Bazaar. This evening, you'll have sufficient time to do some shopping prior to supper. In another pleasant hotel, we'll spend our second last night of this wonderful EBC with the Gokyo Lake hike.

Our trek on the Everest Base Camp with Gokyo Lake Trek comes to an end today. We'll start a steep descent via several tiny settlements, including Phakding, wherein we spent our initial night on the trek. Your last glances of the picturesque Khumbu wildness will be from the mounting point of numerous footbridges, so be sure to take in the breathtaking vistas of waterways and wooded hillsides. When we finally get back to Lukla, we'll celebrate with a dinner and also do a little bit of exploring around Lukla. Last but not least, make an effort to obtain enough sleep for the next day's early flight.

This is the last day of our trip to Everest Basecamp along with 3 high passes. We leave for the Lukla Airport early in the morning and get to have last-minute insights into all the beautiful Himalayas that we witnessed before. Following a 35-minute flight, we return to Kathmandu and check into our hotel. You can chill or go sightseeing during the remaining hours of the day in the capital. In the evening we will have a farewell dinner at a typical Nepali kitchen and discuss the memories during the trek.

This is the day of farewell, where you accomplish the journey and leave for your home. Three hours prior to your boarding time, our staff will pick you up from your hotel and drop you off at the Tribhuvan International Airport. We really enjoyed hosting you. Many thanks for having us, and safe travels returning home.