EBC and Gokyo Lake Trek

01 / THE EXPERIENCE

Discover the journey

Everest Base Camp is in everyone's bucket list but adding Gokyo is a complete EBC trip complemented by one of the most revered and beautiful high altitude lakes in the Himalayas. It is also physically challenging as you will traverse a high pass called Chola Pass at 5420m above sea level. Guests will hike the Everest Base Trek with a Certified Guide. A Porter will be arranged if desired. In order to acclimatize properly, from 3000 meters onward, you will not ascend more than 500 meters per day. Additional rest days are allocated in Namche and Dingboche. This itinerary is just a reference and we can deviate several times from our schedule. We will be flexible.

03 / YOUR ROUTE

Journey at a glance

Day Day 1: Arrival at Kathmandu — Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you will be picked up by our representative at the airport and taken to the hotel. You will meet your guide, discuss the trek program, and make final preparations for the trek. If you have an early arrival, we will take you for a sightseeing trip in the UNESCO world heritage site in Kathmandu and later, in the evening, you’ll have dinner in the hotel. From 20th March 2020 due to heavy congestion, all flights to and from Lukla depart from Ramechhap airport, 130km, a 4-hour drive from Kathmandu. It means now it’ll take an extra day to get to Lukla from Kathmandu though the flight price is the same. Day Day 2: Drive to Ramechhap (474m/1555ft), Flight to Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft) and Trek to Monjo(2700 m/8858.26ft) — Kathmandu - Ramechhap via Road - Lukla via Air - Chheplung - Ghat - Phakding - Jorsale - Monjo You should travel to Ramechhap from Kathmandu to catch your Lukla Flight and follow the same route for returning to Kathmandu. At 4 am, you’ll have to take a bus ride to Ramechhap which is around 5 hours and breakfast will be on the way. After you reach Ramechhap, you’ll take a flight to Lukla from Manthali Airport which lies at an altitude of 439 m above sea level and is located at a distance of 132 km east of Kathmandu. Lunch will be after we reach Ramechhap. A flight to Lukla is the most unpredictable part of Everest Three Pass trek itinerary and if the flight takes place as scheduled, you’ll reach Lukla in the evening or else you’ll need to wait for the next day to proceed to Lukla. There are several airlines operating flights to Lukla; Tara/Yeti Air, Summit Air,etc. and you can choose the one you like. Moreover, the best views of the mountains can be seen on the way to Lukla. After having quick meal, the trail starts from Lukla and descends to the Dudh Kosi River in Phakding. The first day gets difficult due to the cold, high altitude and backpacks. You will get the view of picturesque Sherpa villages, Tibetan Scriptures engraved Mane Walls and Chhortens and monasteries throughout the trails. Chhortens are like temples and often have relics of buddha in them. You’ll reach Monjo exploring the trail and have dinner and overnight stay at the hotel. Distance from Kathmandu to Ramechhap- 132 km/82mi (5 hours), Ramechhap to Lukla – 73.4km/45.6mi (30-40min) and Lukla to Monjo - 10km (5-6 hours) Trekking distance: 9.5 km / 5.9 mi Trekking time: 4-5 hours Total ascend: 100m / 328ft Total descend: 200m / 656ft Day Day 3: Trek from Monjo to Namche Bazaar (3,440m/11,283ft) — Monjo - Jorsale - Namche Bazaar The trek from Phakding continues after breakfast, along the Dudh Kosi River, passing through pine forests and crossing several suspension bridges to Monjo. In Monjo, there is a national park checkpost. We will cross the river twice and reach Larcha Dovan, the confluence of two major rivers in Everest Valley and lunch will be in any small hotels or restaurants on the way. Here, we will cross the most iconic suspension bridge and follow a steeper trail to the historic trading town of Namche Bazaar which is surrounded by scenic mountains. From Phakding it's an 8 hrs trek and from Monjo, it's about 5-6 hrs. Dinner will be at Namche Bazar and rest for overnight. Trekking distance: 10.4 km / 6.5 mi Trekking time: 5-6 hours Total ascend: 940m / 3,084ft Total descent – 200 m/ 656 ft Day Day 4: Acclimatization Day in Namche Bazaar and a day hike trip to Thame — Namche - Theso - Thamo - Thame - Namche You will take a rest day to acclimate at the high altitude. As, Thame and Namche Bazar can be reached in about two hours, you can hike to the beautiful sherpa village of Thame, have lunch there and return back to Namche. Along the way, you will pass through Bhote Khosi, Renjo la, Nangpa la and Tesi Lapcha before arriving at Thamo. There is a newly opened Himalayan Museum and Sustainable Park in Syangboche. You can also explore the town, visit the local markets and Sherpa Cultural Museum if time permits.Dinner and overnight stay in Namche. Also, make sure to charge all your electronic devices in Namche. From there on you’ll have to pay extra for charging. Day Day 5: Namche Bazaar to Pangboche(3900m/12,795ft) — Namche Bazar – Kyangjuma – Leushyasa – Phungi Thanga – Tengboche – Deboche – Milinggo – Pangboche After having breakfast early in the morning, you’ll start your trek to Pangboche, which is a very challenging day in Everest Base Camp Trek. You will cross Shangbouche Airport and Shangbouche Hill on this walk to get to Tengboche and continue the trek to Pangboche. You will need to hike for roughly 8 - 9 hours to reach Pangboche. It is a base camp for climbing Ama Dablam, which is close by and about 3 kilometers northeast of Tengboche in the Imja Khole valley. Pangboche also boasts the best view of Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Amadablam. Mt. Everest peeks out a little on top of Mt. Lhotse. You will be staying overnight at a hotel. Trekking Distance –12.4 km / 7.7 mi Trekking time: 5-6 hours Total ascend: 560m / 1,837ft Total descend: 680m / 2,231ft Day Day 6: Pangboche to Dingboche (4400m/14,435.7ft) — Pangboche - Shomare - Dingboche We will ascend to Dingboche village, summer settlement of Sherpas who also have home in Pangboche. The final village in the Everest region, Dingboche is 9.1 kilometers (5.6 miles) from Tengboche monastery and is authentic traditional Sherpa village in Everest region. The river directly flows from the charming mountain of Island Peak on the east side. Because of the high altitude, the climate of Dingboche is always cool, rainy in the summer and dry and cold in the winter. We will have lunch on the way and dinner at Dingboche where you can try Churpi (Hardened cheese), dried fruits, and other Nepali food items. Distance – 6 km/4 mi Time – 5 hrs. Total ascent – 500 m/ ft Total descent – 0 m/ 0 ft Day Day 7: Dingboche to Chhukung (4700m/15,419.95ft) and Back — Dingboche - Chhukung - Dingboche The day trek today is fairly flat with steady inclines and declines throughout the day. Along the trail you can see several traditional farms with house and fences built from local stone. There are numerous seabuckthorn (Hippophae) berry bushes along the trail. It is a little orange-red berry that develops on a small-leaved bush, which appears to be high in vitamins C and E and is a component of several regional traditional remedies. You can reach Chhukung and explore the town which is surrounded by beautiful mountains and best scenery and head back to Dingboche. Overnight stay at hotel. Trekking distance: 8.8 km / 5.4 mi Trekking time: 4-5 hours Total ascend: 600m / 1,768ft Total descent: 300m / 984ft Day Day 8: Dingboche to Lobuche (4,900m/16,076.12ft) — Dingboche - Dugla(Thukla) - Lobuche Lobuche is 8.4 kilometers (5.2 miles) away from Dingboche. The trail leaves Dingboche and travels through the unique Dugla valley and the Khumbu valley. We will stop in Douglas for lunch and a lengthy rest. Normally, it takes 2 hours to get here. After that, it would take you another three hours to walk across Thukla Pass to the Everest Memorial and then descend to Lobuche. Distance – 6.5 km/4 mi Time – 4-5h. Total ascent – 662 m/2171 ft Total descent – 70 m/230 ft Day Day 9: Lobuche to Gorakshep (5,100m/16,732.28ft) Trip to Everest Base Camp(5,340m/17,519.69ft) and Return — Lobuche - Gorak Shep - Everest Base Camp - Lobuche You'll trek to Gorak Shep and then hike to Everest Base Camp on the rocky ridges of Khumbu Glacier. Upon reaching the base camp monument, you may take photos and videos with surrounding views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Pumori, Mt. Lingtren, Mt. Khumbutse, Mt. Lho La in Nepal Side and Mt. Changtse in Tibet. EBC is an iconic destination and a major milestone for adventurers and trekkers all over the planet. However, the trekking groups are not allowed to stay overnight at the base camp; you'll need to descend later to Lobuche for sleep. Trekking distance: 15.2 km / 9.4 mi Trekking time: 8-10 hours Total ascend: 440m / 1,440ft Total descend: 440m / 1,440ft Day Day 10: Hike to Kala Patthar (5,545m/18,192 ft) in the Morning and Trek back to Lobuche (4,930m/16,175ft) — Gorak Shep - Kala Patthar - Gorak Shep - Lobuche Kala Patthar is the highest point in this trek and from here, the 360 degree view of of the Mountains is breathtaking. It is from Kala Patthar, visitors will get the best view of the Everest. This is a strenuous 4 hrs turnaround hike from Gorak Shep and head back to Gorak Shep for a quick meal before descending further to Lobuche for the night which is almost 2 hrs trek. Trekking distance: 5.5 km / 3.4 mi Trekking time: 4-5 hours Total ascend: 645m / 2,116ft Total descend: 715m / 2,346 ft Day Day 11: Trek to Dzongla (4,830m/15,846ft) — Lobuche - Dzongla You will trek from Lobuche which is a superb hike with a loop around Mt. Lobuche. View of Mt. Cholatse and Mt. Tobuche is also really great. You will also see memorials at Lobuche Pass, directly below the Khumbu Glacier on the eastern ridge of the trail to Lobuche dedicated to climbers who died climbing the mountains. There are plenty of restaurants on the way for quick snacks and lunch. You’ll reach Dzongla and have dinner as well as an overnight stay there. Distance – 8 km/5 mi Time – 4-5h. Total ascent – 662 m/2171 ft Total descent – 70 m/230 ft Day Day 12: Cross Cho La Pass(5,420m/17,782ft) and Trek to Thangnak (4,700m/15,419ft) — Dzongla - Cho La Pass - Thangnak Dzongla sits at the base of the Cho La Pass, connecting the main Everest Base Camp trekking path to the Gokyo region. You’ll now cross the Cho La Pass and have lunch on the way. The beautiful view of surrounding mountains and scene really encourages you to explore more and inspire. The tiredness is easily forgotten when you reach Thangnak and observe the natural beauty of the village. It is located on the western side of the Cho La Pass. You’ll have dinner and overnight stay at hotel. Day Day 13: Trek to Gokyo — Thangnak - Gokyo Today is a rather short trekking day from Thangnak to Gokyo, following the trail that crosses the most impressive glacier in the entire Everest region – Ngozumpa Glacier. It’s a 2 -3 hrs trek mostly through the glacial moraine to reach Gokyo village. Dinner and overnight stay a hotel. Distance – 8 km/5 mi Time – 4-5h Total ascent – 70 m/230 ft Total descent – 662 m/2171 ft Day Day 14: Rest day in Gokyo (4,800m/15,748ft) — This day is spent acclimatizing and exploring Lake Gokyo and other lakes in Gokyo Valley. Early in the morning, you can hike to Gokyo Ri for panoramic views of Mt. Everest and the surrounding mountains. It is one of the best place to see the Everest in the trek. We recommend following options (doing both can be very tiring): Wake up at 4 am and hike up to Gokyo Ri (5360 meters) and back to Gokyo Lake (4790 meters). Distance: 4 km/ 2.4 miles. Walking 3/4 hours. Hike to 4th Lake (4870 meters) and 5th Lake (4990 meters) and back to Gokyo Lake (4790 meters). Distance: 14 km/ 8.6 miles. Walking 6/7 hours. Also, you can simply laze around, sip tea, eat, and rest on your acclimatization day. Take it easy, rest, hydrate with enough water or tea, and take advantage of your free day. Day Day 15: Helicopter ride back to Lukla and Fly back to Kathmandu Via Ramechhap — A helicopter will receive you and take you to Lukla and then, you’ll fly to Ramechhap through any domestic airlines. You’ll have your lunch in Ramechhap and proceed for Kathmandu where we will take you to your hotel. In the evening, we will organize a farewell party for you and make your journey memorable and beautiful. Day Day 16: — Departure from Kathmandu If your flight is in the evening, we will take you for sightseeing in one of the Buddhist stupa; Boudhanath/Swayambhunath which is also listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, Our representative will receive you from the hotel and drop you at the airport for your return journey back home.

YOUR DAY-BY-DAY ROUTE

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1Arrival at Kathmandu — Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you will be picked up by our representative at the airport and taken to the hotel. You will meet your guide, discuss the trek program, and make final preparations for the trek. If you have an early arrival, we will take you for a sightseeing trip in the UNESCO world heritage site in Kathmandu and later, in the evening, you’ll have dinner in the hotel.+