Gokyo Lake Trek

Trip Overview
Itinerary
Includes
Equipment List
Usefull Information
Join Departure
Video
Review

Trip Overview

The Everest Gokyo Lake Trek is a hiking adventure for trekkers who love to see lakes, glaciers, and great views without walking up to the Everest Base Camp. It is an alternative to the Everest Base Camp which provides a perfect view of four of the highest mountains in the world, Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. We can experience the scenic beauty of Gokyo lake draped in a Himalayan backdrop. By participating in our Gokyo lake Trek, you can explore the highlights of the beautiful Himalayan region at this time. Trekkers and hikers can get an opportunity to see the biggest glacier of Nepal, Ngozumpa Glacier which is the source to Dudh Koshi river and also the summit of Gokyo Ri.

The highest point of this trek is the challenging ascent of Gokyo Ri (5357m) which rewards climbers with panoramic views of many peaks and of Ngozumpa, which is the biggest glacier of our country.

It is one of the most remarkable treks in the Everest region with lots of scenic beauties and a wide variety of flora and fauna. The main attraction of this area is Tengboche Monastery, Phortse Village, Gokyo Ri and the beautiful ranges of Himalayas. To reach the first, we take an adventurous 35 minutes flight to Lukla from Kathmandu and begin our Gokyo Lake Trekking.

After reaching Namche Bazar, we deviate from the Everest Base Camp route and take the less surrounded route. After trekking through various villages, we finally reach the beautiful Gokyo Valley. From this area, it seems that the valley is smiling to welcome us together with its shimmering lakes.

Highlights
                        Perfect view of four of the highest mountains in the world, Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu.
Opportunity to see the biggest glacier of Nepal, Ngozumpa Glacier which is the source to Dudh Koshi river and also the summit of Gokyo Ri.
The scenic beauty of Gokyo lake.
The challenging ascent of Gokyo Ri (5357m) which rewards climbers with panoramic views of many peaks and of Ngozumpa glacier and Gokyo lakes.
Lots of scenic beauties and a wide variety of flora and fauna.
The main attraction of this area is Tengboche Monastery, Phortse Village, Gokyo Ri and the beautiful ranges of Himalayas.

                      

Trip Map

Itinerary

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Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu

Northern Trekking Team warmly welcomes you in this land of Himalayas, Nepal. We will receive you at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and drive you to the hotel in Thamel.

You will be introduced with the guide or trek leader who will be with you throughout your adventure period—13 days trek. He will brief you about the trip and will dictate with essential things to bring for the trek.

If time permits, you can roam around the streets of Thamel and enjoy this touristic destination of Nepal.
Day 02: Flight to Lukla/Trek to Phakding (2,600m)

Well, trekking begins from today but prior to that, we have to reach Lukla. It is a starting point of our trek. We get in Lukla by air. It is a scenic flight of 35 minutes. Built by Sir Edmund Hillary, the airport in Lukla—Tenzing-Hillary Airport—is one of the beautiful airstrips of the world. He along and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa were the first to scale the Mt. Everest in 1953.

After arranging porters in Lukla, Witnessing traditional Nepali cultures and lifestyle of hilly people, we proceed toward Phakding.
Day 03: Trek to Namche Bazaar (3,440m)

We head toward Namche Bazaar—biggest commercial hub of entire Khumbu region, after breakfast. Walk today is not that easy as it was yesterday but the uphill climb will reward you with scenic beauty. As we proceed, we will be walking along the bank of the Dudh Koshi river. The 5 suspension bridges that you witness from a distance will make your mood. I bet you will not miss this moment to capture forever!

If weather permits, you will also get a distant view of a couple of peaks—Khumbila, Kusum Kangroo, Thamserku and Mt Everest—while on the way to Namche.

Normally, it takes six hours to get in Namche Bazaar from Phakding.
Day 04: Acclimatization day

The beauty of this hike—Everest View —begins from today. Yes, we will take you to Everest View Hotel on this rest day. On this walk of nearly two hours, the first half is a steep climb and the second is flat.

We will sit in the hotel and enjoy coffee with the heart capturing a view of Mt. Everest ahead. This is the essence of this trip.

We now proceed toward Khumjung. It is a small settlement and Sherpa are the natives of this village. The monastery called Khumjung is the major attraction of this place. You can observe Yeti scalp here. After spending nearly an hour here, we will get back to Namche Bazaar where we will be visiting a couple of monasteries and Sherpa museum.
Day 05: Trek to Phortse Thanga (3,680m)

It is going to be an interesting walk as we will be following uphill trail followed by a downhill to reach Dudh Koshi river. We head toward the north from here, Dudh Koshi river. We arrive at Mohang. It is a birthplace of Lama Sange Dorjee who is regarded as the reincarnation of a Lama from Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet. He is the one who spread Buddhism in this part of the globe, Khumbu region. Few hours of walk from Mohang will bring us in Phortse Thanga.
Day 06: Trek to Machhermo (4,470m)

It takes nearly 6/7 hours to reach Machhermo from Phortse Thanga. We will reach here penetrating through the dense forest of rhododendron. The waterfall near Dole village is beautiful. We will pass a few more villages—Dhole, Lafarma, and Luza—to arrive at Machhermo.
Day 07: Trek to Gokyo (4,800m)

The fact behind Gokyo is that you will witness the beauty of three blue lakes. The view of Kangtaiga and Mt. Cho Oyu (8,153m) will further trigger your excitement.

We cross all three lakes—Longpongo Lake, Taboche Tsho and Dudh Pokhari (Milk Pond) to get in the village of Gokyo.

The valley goes on widening as we reach Pangkha. Following descending riverbank trail for a few hours will get us at Ngazumpa Glacier but prior to reaching here, we need to climb as well. Crossing the iron bridge and observing silent Longpongo lake, we reach a place where you will see footprints of Lama on a stone. Similarly, the further walk will take us to another lake— Taboche Tsho.
Day 08: Acclimatization day/Hike to Gokyo Ri (5,357m)

On this day of acclimatization, we will lead you to several places that will open out the beauty of the Khumbu region. The spectacular views of Himalayas from Gokyo Ri is heart capturing. You will also visit fourth Gokyo Lake. The key attractions of the site are Mt. Cho-Oyu, Gyachung Kang, along with Ngozumba Glacier.
Day 09: Gokyo to Dole: (3510m)

We go down on a trail along the Dudh Koshi River and pass the first Gokyo lakes. On the way, we also adore views of the Cholatse and Taboche peaks. Our trail descends before climbing a high ground. After reaching the Chorten, we can see great views of Thamserku, Cho Oyu, and Kangtega mountains. We walk past Machhermo, Luza and Lafarma villages before reaching Dole.
Day 10: Dole to Namche Bazaar: (3440m)

We go down on a steep trail to Phortse Thanga. On the way, we will see rhododendrons and waterfalls. We also come across mountain goats, musk deer, and pheasants. After reaching Mong dada we can get a good view of Khumbila peak. On our way to Namche, the view of Taboche, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Kangtega mountains are ours to commend. We walk on a trail that holds on to a forested by Kyangjuma, turning through several angles. After reaching Namche Sherpa Museum hill, we look back to see Lhotse, the tip of Everest and Tengboche for one last time. About a minute from here in Namche Bazaar.
Day 11: Namche Bazaar to Lukla: (2860m)

Leaving the beauty of Khumbu behind, we proceed ahead to get in Lukla. We will be walking for nearly 6/7 hours to arrive in Lukla and here ends our trip to Gokyo Lake Trek.
Day 12: Fly to Kathmandu

We will try to catch the first flight to Kathmandu and this will get us in the capital by 8 am. From the airport, we will escort you to the hotel. You will have ample time to roam around Kathmandu.

In the evening we, Northern Trekking team, will offer you dinner. We want you to share your experience along with feedback on the trip so that we can improve ourselves.
Day 13: Final departure

A Northern Trekking Team representative will pick us up from our hotel and drop us off at the Tribhuwan International Airport three hours before our scheduled flight.

What's Included

Included

Airport Pick up and Drops by car/van.
2 Night’s Standard Hotel in Kathmandu twin sharing basis with breakfast. (on the arrival day and after the Trekking)
Domestic Flight Ticket (Ktm-Lukla, Luk-Ktm) / domestic airport Tax.
Sagarmatha national park entry permits & Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee.
Daily Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) During the Trekking.
Local fresh fruits like orange, apple, banana, and grapes.
All accommodations in lodges/Tea Houses During the Treks.
Oxygen bottle and Medical Supplies (First aid kit will be Available).
Sleeping bag, Down jacket and Duffie bag. ( Refundable)
Trekking T-shirt, Trekking map and Waterdrop.
An experienced, helpful and friendly Guide, porters (1 porter for 2 trekkers) with Salary, Food, Drinks, Accommodation, Transportation and Insurance).

Excluded

Lunch in Kathmandu.
Nepal entry visa fee.
International Airfare/Airport tax, City tour Sightseeing entry fees.
Alcoholic, and cold drinks, hot showers.
Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone calls, camera mobile battery charging.
Travel Insurance.
Personal trekking gears.
Tips for trekking staffs.
Any others expenses which are not mentioned on Price Includes section.

Equipment List

UPPER BODY

Windproof/waterproof jacket. (1)
Fleece jacket. (1)
Shirts and t-shirts. ( 3/4 pairs)
Down jacket. (1) (provide from Company)
Raincoat. (1)

LOWER BODY

Warm cotton long pants. (1/2 pairs)
Waterproof pant. (1)
Long thermal underwear. (2)
Short underwear. (3/4 pec)

HEAD

Sun hat or scarf. (1)
Warm fleece hat. (1)
Sunscreen sunblocks, and Lipbalms with UV protection.
Sunglasses. (1/2 pairs)

FOOTWEAR

Comfortable trekking boot.
Thick shocks. (3/4 pairs)
Light shocks. (3/4 Pairs)
Camp shoes and sandals.

HAND

Warm waterproof (gore-tex) gloves.

OTHER EQUIPMENT

Basic First Aid Kit.
Sleeping bag ( Provide from the company)
Water Bottle
Towel
Day-pack or Backpack
Swiss Knife
Torchlight or Flashlight
Hand Sanitizer
Hiking Pole
Smart-phone or Compact Camera
Power-bank

Usefull Information

Travel Insurance

For everyone who will plan to Trek in Nepal, it is highly recommended that you get travel insurance that covers added expenses that might result due to various health issues, injuries or accidents (together with the ambulance, helicopter rescue, and other treatment costs). Your insurance policy should cover up the entire activities that you are planning to accomplish throughout your stay in Nepal.

In addition to this, the policy should also cover death, misplaced luggage, theft and liability, cancellations, medical treatment (counting hospital charges, cost of the medicine, doctor’s fees) as well as repatriation cost. Also, this trekking trail in Nepal takes you of 5,000 m above the altitude, therefore, you also need to ensure that your insurance policy covers treks that go over 5,000 m.

We suggested that you buy your insurance policy from your home country before joining with us, where it is difficult buying a local travel insurance policy for foreigners in Nepal.

Meals And Accommodation

While you’re in Kathmandu, your accommodation is at a standard hotel (Arrival time and departure time). Your accommodation is at best local Lodge and Guest Houses where available. The Mountain local Lodges are clean and have comfortable beds. The Lodges are fairly basic and the room is spare with twin beds. Blankets are generally provided. There is a large dining hall and warmed fitted with a chimney duct, in which a log fire is lighted.

Eating is a big part of the Holiday. Traveling with Northern Trekking Team, you experience the vast array of wonderful Nepalese food, Italian, Thai, Chinese, and several local foods. While on the trek it will be on full board all 3 times meals (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, with Tea/Coffee) included in the package. Your guide will suggest delicious, hygienic special food during your trips. Generally, choose menu items are Nepalese meals (Dal Bhat), Tibetan fried bread, various types of soups, Momo’s (steamed dumplings), boiled and fried potatoes, kinds of pasta and even pizza. So, overall you have a different choice of foods on the trek. During this trek, you will usually have breakfast and dinner at the same guest house.

Booking Payment

You should book the service at least 15 days before the trek departure date. After you confirm your trip with us, you should be transferring us a photocopy of your passport or your personal information. The personal information you have to provide us your first name, middle name, and last name, passport number, date of birth, nationality, and gender. Importantly, you need to pay 20% of the total price in advance for the domestic flight tickets and hotel booking and permit process. You can pay the remaining balance before you start the trek.

Domestic Flight Information

Generally, in the Everest region have to use Twin Otter and Dornier primary modes of transport to and from the airstrip. Since you are trekking in the geographically as well as climate-wise the most difficult part of the world, it is natural that flights get canceled. Mountain weather conditions or technical issues are something we cannot predict. In case of cancellation of flights, we can hire a helicopter for you to maintain your schedule. Helicopter facility can only be provided if our clients agree to pay the extra charges. Unwanted to say, the helicopter takes 4 to 6 passengers at a time and the cost can be shared amongst the passengers. We would like to repeat it that in case the helicopter service is required, the trekkers must pay the cost. We can help you prepare documents you need to submit to the travel insurance company for the reimbursement. Please be informed that the Twin Otter and Dornier aircraft allow only 15kgs as the weight limit. This weight is equal to 33 Pounds. This weight includes both your duffel bag and daypack. This means you need to pack and prepare your luggage wisely. We suggest you not to exceed the limit to avoid an additional cost of USD 2 to USD 5 per kg.

Personal Expenses

How much money or cash you should be bringing with you depends on how you do the trip and the number of days you want to spend here in Nepal. Much also depends on your spending habits. Generally, you must have to take10 to 15 USD for spending your expenses, such as laundry, telephone calls, snacks, camera, and mobile battery charging. How much you will be spending during your trekking depends on the standard of the package you have purchased.

Our Guides And Safety

Our guides are fully trained and licensed from Nepal Government Tourism Department, certified by TAAN & Nepal Mountaineering Association.

All our Trekking Guides are professional with decades of experience in this field of adventure. They are trained specially for specified and various trips, to cater the flexible requirement of our clients from different nationalities, this will assure you that your trip will be enjoyable and in safe hands of professional experts.

On every trip, will be one Trek leader and an assistance leader on each additional 7 peoples in the group on treks, this arrangement would ensure that even if any of our guide/ assistance guides gets sick or clients may get sick and need to be evacuated or staying behind from the walks, it wills still works smoothly and there would non-impact with our original trek plan.

Every 7 trekkers will have one Sherpa helper for carrying your trekking bags.

Caring Porter

Our porter is fully strong, helpful and friendly. Their salary, food, drinks, accommodation, transportation, and Insurance on each trip with us. As you know that we are very trustworthy and polite, while on trek thus we make sure that our porter is fully prepared for the trip. We are closely working with the International Porter Progress Association for the welfare and benefit for trekking porters.

The maximum load carried by our porter minimum 20 to 25 KG maximum so be sure that your trekking bag is not more than the above figure.

High Altitude

This is a high altitude journey and elevation starts from low 2,860 m to 5,375 m high, where symptoms of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) might occur due to dry air, cold wind, and less oxygen. Generally, The Gokyo Lake trip one needs to be in good physical with sound health to avoid other medical complication on the route the journey, just follow our guide he will advise and suggestion which keeps and makes you feel secure to enjoy this fabulous adventure with us.

Best Time To Visit Nepal

Three best seasons for the trek to Gokyo Lake. Generally, the main trails are having with trekkers in the two regions, we suggest you join in at the right time of the year as far as possible.

Things To Know Before Trekking

The main flow of foreign visitors in Nepal is for trekking from moderate to adventurous or challenging treks, the most important is choosing the right trip as per your duration of holiday and fitness, for Gokyo Himalayan trekking adventure one needs to be in sound health and physically fit.

On booking with our preparation of fitness required like walking-jogging-Jumba-aerobic at least fifteen days before your departure from the home country.

Please send us your dietary list and medical history report so that we can arrange well in advance respectively. Book the ticket from home for Kathmandu,Nepal to reach at least two days ahead and earlier from trek departure with much space in Kathmandu after the trek, this allows you with more time in Nepal to enjoy the culture and heritage sites of Nepal and also in case of flight delay (Kathmandu-Lukla and Lukla-Kathmandu) which can happen sometimes due to bad and unfavorable weather.

Passport & Visa Information

What do you need to obtain A Nepal visa?

If you are thinking of taking a visa at the airport or immigration entry point, the following are your requirements:

A valid passport (The passport should have a validity of at least six months)
You should fill the application form for visa available at airport or immigration entry points.
Two passport size photos
Visa fees which should be paid in cash.

Entry points to Nepal

Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu
Eastern Nepal – Kakarvitta, Jhapa
Central Nepal – Birjung, Parsa
Northern Border – Kodari, Sindhupalchowk
Western – Rupandehi (Belhiya, Bhairahawa)
Mid-western – Banke (Jamuna, Nepalgunj)
Far western – Kailali (Mohana, Dhangadhi) / Kanchanpur (Gaddachauki, Mahendranagar)

Visa Fees

USD 25 or equivalent convertible currency for 15 days.
USD 40 or equivalent convertible currency for 30 days.
USD 100 or equivalent convertible currency for 90 days.
For the tourist of SAARC nationals, free visa up to 30 days.
Visa is not required for Indian nationals. However, if they enter Nepal via air, they will have to show a valid identification certificate (passport/ citizenship certificate). The children under the age of 10 do not need to show an identification certificate.

Visa Extension

If you want to extend the visa for 15 days or less, visa extension charge is USD 30 or equivalent convertible currency
If you want to extend the visa for more than 15 days, USD 2 will be charged per day after 15 days. However, the visa can be extended maximum up to 150 days in a visa year (Visa year refers to the year starting January to December.)

Transit Visa

When a foreigner has to get down at Nepalese airport as a result of his/her transit point or due to any force landing for whatever the reason, the foreigner can obtain a transit visa for a day after paying USD 5 or any other currency equivalent.

Other General Information

Entering into Nepal or staying in Nepal without a valid visa is illegal.
A tourist visa can be obtained either through the Nepalese embassy or consulate or other mission offices in your nation or at the immigration entry points in Nepal listed above.
Visa once issued cannot be amended and the visa fees are non-refundable.
You should pay the Nepal visa fees in cash. Credit card or cheque is not acceptable.
Visa charges are not applicable for children under 10 years of age, however, they must obtain a valid visa.
If you are obtaining a new passport or travel document, you are advised to contact the Immigration Department for the document transfer.
Always carry your passport and trekking permit while on trekking.
Some of the areas are restricted for filming. Therefore, be careful not to do the activities that are strictly prohibited.
The culture, tradition, and sentiments of Nepalese people should be respected. Do not perform any activities that would hurt their sentiments.
Do not perform any activities that would lead to moral turpitude.

Join Departure

Start Date	End Date	Space Left	Price	Discount
10/11/2019	22/11/2019	5	$1,190	$1,150	Book Now
12/11/2019	24/11/2019	6	$1,190	$1,150	Book Now
18/11/2019	30/11/2019	9	$1,190	$1,150	Book Now
04/12/2019	16/12/2019	2	$1,190	$1,150	Book Now
07/12/2019	19/12/2019	6	$1,190	$1,150	Book Now
10/12/2019	22/12/2019	8	$1,190	$1,150	Book Now