It is virtually everyone’s dream to have the best possible view of the magnificent Mt. Everest, whatever the effort, but some want to have the best with less effort. Thus, it is for the latter type, because once the Gokyo Ri, which is at the same altitude as that of the Everest Base Camp, is ascended, one can have such view of the tallest natural structure clad in snow.
Indeed, there are added adventures and thrills in trekking up to the base camp; nevertheless, even up to the Gokyo Lake with the trailhead from Jiri is superb. It will serve you with a beautiful blend of nature and culture.
The trek sets forth from Jiri. After about an 8-hour drive, you will reach there, and this 8-hour drive will be a fast-paced thriller, as you will be driven past varied landscapes and diversified way of life.
You will swiftly find people changing from one village to another in their dresses, the way their houses are built, the activities they are involved in, and so forth including climate. You will truly adore all the dynamics.
In fact, there is another route from Lukla to Gokyo Lake; it is less strenuous and shortened by almost a week, but obviously, you happen to miss that equivalent thrill. Thus, if you have enough time, it is advised to set off from Jiri.
Jiri, itself a touristic region, and called the “Gateway to the Mt. Everest”, is about 190 km from Kathmandu.
Only 5% of the trekkers striving to get to the Everest Base Camp start from Jiri, so it impressively makes you a daring among a handful! The route from Jiri evidently makes it a ‘classic route’.
Trekking all the way from Jiri through route traversing varied terrain, you will reach your next major center of attraction, the Sagarmatha National Park at an altitude of 5000 m; it is where 19 different lakes in the Gokyo Lake System spread over an area of 485 acres imbue the region with transcendentally pristine and pure ambiance. It will fill ethereal. It is stupefyingly the world’s highest freshwater lake system.
The Gokyo Cho, also known as the Dudh Pokhari, is the main lake in the system, however, the largest lake is the Thonak Cho. These glacier-fed lakes have not only ecological importance, but also religious—they are considered holy by the Buddhists and the Hindus alike.
All this makes this place all the more interesting. The national park is home to exotic birds and animals, and some rare species, like red panda and snow leopard. You might luckily get their glimpse.
Wait, the stunner is not over yet! You will climb the Gokyo Ri from where you’ll have that majestic view of the Mt. Everest!
This trek has much more to offer than mentioned above. In fact, the vehemence it offers cannot be rightly and completely expressed in words. It will reveal itself directly to your senses.
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu
Day 02: Visit Swoyambunath & Patan
Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Jiri
Day 04: Trek Jiri to Shivalaya
Day 05: Trek Shivalaya to Bhandar
Day 06: Trek Bhandar to Sete
Day 07: Trek Sete to Junbesi
Day 08: Trek Junbesi to Nunthala
Day 09: Trek Nunthala to Bupsa Danda
Day 10: Trek Bupsa Danda to Surkey
Day 11: Trek surkey to Phakding
Day 12: Trek Phakding to Namche Bazaar
Day 13: Acclimatization day in Namche
Day 14: Trek Namche to Phortse Thanga
Day 15: Trek Phortse Thanga to Machhermo
Day 16: Trek Machhermo to Gokyo
Day 17: Trek Gokyo to Nala
Day 18: Trek Nala to Tengboche
Day 19: Trek Tengboche to Jorsale
Day 20: Trek Jorsale to Lukla
Day 21: Fly Lukla to Kathmandu
Day 22: Visit Bhaktapur
Day 23: Departure
Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu airport and you will be transferred to the hotel by one of our representatives. Welcome dinner at one of the Nepali traditional restaurants in Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m.
Day 02: Visit Swoyambunath and Patan: start our tour visiting a magnificent Buddhist stupa Swoyambunath. Then we drive to Patan to visit a true open air museum with its pagoda designed temples, stupas and monasteries.
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m
Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Jiri (1905m): a scenic drive to Jiri for about eight hours. The road is about 188km long and quite narrow but it is very smooth. Jiri is a small town named after Jirel, the primary ethnic people who live in and around the town.
Overnight: Lodge
Driving Time: 8 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 571m
Day 04: Trek Jiri to Shivalaya (1767m): Our first day of the trekking to Shivalaya takes about 5 hours. The beginning of our trek is a gentle climb up for two and half hours to Mali Danda (2440m) and then the trail gently descends to Shivalaya (1800m) which takes about 2 and half hours.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 138m
Day 05: Trek Shivalaya to Bhandar (2105m): From Shivalaya the trail begins steadily climbing to the Deurali pass (3000m) which takes about three hours. You can enjoy spectacular scenery of countryside and some snow capped mountains. Then the trail continues descending to Bhandar taking about one and half hour. Bhandar is a fairly big village with some prayer walls and small Gompas (Monastery).
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 4 ½ hours
Difference in Elevation: + 338m
Day 06: Trek Bhandar to Sete (2575m): We start our day on a fairly easy trail to Kinja which leads to steep uphill climb to Sete. We go through several small settlements and scattered rhododendron forest.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 470m
Day 07: Trek Sete to Junbesi (2675m): The day start with steep climb through the rhododendron forest and gets gentle as we get closer to Lamjura Pass (3500m). After we walk along the ridge of Lamjura pass for about an hour, the trail descends to Junbesi through the lush pine forest. Junbesi is a very stunning Sherpa village with some modern guest houses along with some traditional houses.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6-7 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 100m
Day 08: Trek Junbesi to Nunthala (2785m): At the beginning, the trek gently ascends for about 2 hours to Phurtung (2900m), which offers the first glimpse of Mt. Everest (8,848m). The trail continues to Thaksindu La Pass (3100m) with gentle uphill going through Ringmo Khola (2500m). Then sheer descend for about 2 hours takes you to Nunthala.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 7 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 110m
Day 09: Trek Nunthala to Bupsa Danda (2683m): As we continue, the trek gently descends to the Dudh Koshi for about two hours going through agricultural farming land and Rai and Sherpa's settlements. Then, the trail gently climbs to Kharikhola (About 3 hours), passing through Juving, a Rai village, continuing our trek for the day, we climb another steep uphill for about 2 hours to Bupsa.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6-7 hours
Difference in Elevation: -102m
Day 10: Trek Bupsa Danda to Surkey (2339m): The day starts with steep climb to Khari La pass (2880m) through rhododendron and oak forest along with small Sherpa settlements and tea shops. Then the trail gets fairly easy for about 2 hours to Cheubas crossing a small bomboo forest and Paiya village. Then a gentle downhill trek takes you to Surkey, a small Sherpa settlement.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 344m
Day 11: Trek surkey to Phakding (2650m): It is fairly easy trek to Phakding, takes about 4 hours. The first part of the trek gently ascends to the Cheplung for two hours and continues on a flat trail to Phakding, passing through Thado Koshi and Ghat village.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 4 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 311m
Day 12: Trek Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3440m): The busy trail follows Dudh Koshi River and reaches Zamphuti where you can observe the beautiful view of Thamserku Peak then continue to Chomoa. We continue our trek again and climb to Monjo 2850m). Monjo is entry point of Sagarmatha National Park so we should complete our trekking permit and National park entry formalities before we enter the park. The trek again continues to Jorsale where we start our ascent to Namche Bazaar after crossing the large suspension bridge. Along the way you get the first proper glimpse of Mt. Everest and other surrounding peaks. Namche bazaar is known as the gateway to Everest and has some modern facilities including some very good lodges, several monasteries, shops, bakeries, an army camp, Sagarmatha National Park quarter, museum etc.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: +790m.
Day 13: Acclimatization day in Namche (3440m): Today we hike to nearby Everest View Hotel where you can enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of Mt. Everest and surrounding mountains. You may also be interested to visit Sherpa Museum which is a great place to learn Sherpa culture and the history of mountaineering in the region.
Overnight: Lodge
Day 14: Trek Namche to Phortse Thanga (3680m): The trek starts with a flat trail to Shanasa for about one and half hour. From here the trail ascends to Mongla hill for two hours. Then the trail continues on steep downhill to Phortse Thanga for about one and half hour where we spend the night. The views of Khumbila, Tawache peak, Mt. Amadablam, Thamserku peaks are highlight of the day.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5-6 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 240m
Day 15: Trek Phortse Thanga to Machhermo (4470m): The trail begins by ascending steeply through rhododendron forests, passing many Kharkas on its way to Tongba (3950m) and Gyele (3960m) and then reaches Dole. From Dole we cross a small River and continue ascending to Lhaparma (4330m), and Luza (4340m) and finally we reach Machermo. The Mountain View from this area is superb.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: +660m
Day 16: Trek Machhermo to Gokyo (4790m): Today we start our trek on a gradual uphill and trail stays similar all the way to Gokyo. We climb a steep rocky incline into the valley by the side of the glacier, passing the first of the holy lakes and we then soon arrive at the second lake, crossing the path which heads across the glacier to Cho La. The third lake is known as Dudh Pokhari and on its eastern shore is the settlement of Gokyo. Walking along the edge of the lake offers breathtaking scenery: the summits of Cho- Oyu and Gyachung Kang reflect beautifully in its emerald green water.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 4 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 320m
Day 17: Trek Gokyo to Nala (4385m): In the early morning we hike approximately two hours to Gokyo –Ri (5360m) for the wonderful mountain scenery including Cho-Oyu, Gyachung Kang, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cholatse, Twache and other peaks. This is the highest point of this trek and can create unforgettable lifetime memories for you to enjoy. Then we retrace our steps to Gokyo and after breakfast continue our trek for about five hours descending to Nala.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 405m
Day 18: Trek Nala to Tengboche (3860m): The trail begins gently descending to Phortse, a small beautiful Sherpa settlement where we stop for lunch. After lunch the trail again steeply descends to Imja Khola followed by steep ascends to Tengboche. Tengboche is a very renowned tourist destination in Nepal because of its well known Buddhist monastery and superb mountain views. We visit the monastery in the evening.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5-6 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 525m
Day 19: Trek Tengboche to Jorsale (2810m): We continue our trek from Tengboche descending steeply through a stunning forest of rhododendron, blue pine and silver fir to Phunkithanga a small settlement with couple of tea houses. The trail ascends to Trashinga crossing a suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi River continuing through juniper and pine forest, followed by an easy trail to Namche Bazaar. After having lunch in Namche, the trail steeply descends before crossing the suspension bridge and continues to Jorsalle following Dudh Koshi River.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6-7 hours
Difference in Elevation: -1050m
Day 20: Trek Jorsale to Lukla (2865m): On our final days’ trek to reach Lukla we cross Phakding, Ghat, Thado Koshi, and Cheplung taking about 4-5 hours to complete.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 4-5 hours
Difference in Elevation: +55m
Day 21: Fly Lukla to Kathmandu (1334m): a scenic flight back to Kathmandu. The flight usually leaves early from Lukla and takes about 40 minutes to Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel
Flight Time: 40 minutes
Difference in Elevation: - 1531m
Day 22: Visit Bhakapur: We drive for about an hour to visit an ancient city, Bhaktapur. It is one of the oldest cities of Kathmandu valley and used to be the capital city of the valley.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 23: Transfer to the airport and departure.
Special Note: This Itinerary can be customized according to the duration of your holiday. The Trek can be operated with Lodge/tea house and/or camping accommodation, based on your preference. We have many options for shorter visits based on your interests and budget.
NOTE: The price of the tour will be adjusted according to the group size.
| Srl. |
Description |
Qty. |
Remarks |
|
| 01 | Day back-pack |
1 |
||
| 02 | Gore-Tex Jacket |
1 |
||
| 03 | Down Jacket |
1 |
||
| 04 | Fleece Jacket |
1 |
||
| 05 | Micro Fleece |
1 |
||
| 06 | Trekking pants(Trousers) |
2 |
||
| 07 | Hiking shoes (Boots) |
1 |
||
| 08 | Runners (sport shoes) |
1 |
||
| 09 | Trekking Socks |
3 |
||
| 10 | Rain poncho |
1 |
||
| 11 | Sun-glasses |
1 |
||
| 12 | Water bottles |
2 |
||
| 13 | Thermal underwear(long) |
1-2 |
||
| 14 | T- shirts |
2-3 |
||
| 15 | Sunscreen/lotion |
1 |
||
| 16 | Flip flop (sandal) |
1 |
||
| 17 | Towel |
1 |
||
| 18 | Hat(Baseball cap) |
1 |
||
| 19 | Pristine drops (Water purifier) |
1 |
||
| 20 | Head light/flash light |
1 |
||
| 21 | Sleeping Bag |
1 |
||
| 22 | Gloves |
1 |
||
| 23 | Wind Proof Trouser (s) |
1 |
||
| 24 | Personal medical kid |
1 |
||
| 25 | Toiletries |
1 |
||
Climate:
From the eternal snow of the high peaks to the extensive tropical lowlands, Nepal has a wide variety of climates.
Spring: March to late May: In this season, Kathmandu is in full bloom, lots of different types of flowers can be seen at this time of the year. Temperature is mild, end of the cold winter and approaching warm and hot summer. Temperatures vary between 10 ° C to 28 ° C but can rise up to 30 ° C. Between 2000 and 3000m, temperature rarely drop below 0 ° C. However, few frosts or snowfalls are possible in March above 4000 m.
The summer/monsoon period: It interrupts the majority of trekking from late June to late August. Some of the trekking regions "trans-Himalayan", Dolpo and Mustang, however, remain protected from monsoon prevailing rest of the country. They are the only channels available in Nepal in the summer.
Autumn: mid September – mid December - Perfect temperature and weather for trekking. Brings cooler days, but clear skies. Above 3000 m altitude, temperatures can drop to -10 ° C at night.
In winter: mid-December - mid-February - Nights are generally cold, dry climate, Above 3000m, temperature drop down to 0 ° C to - 15 ° C at night, the days are often sunny.
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