Mysterious and Exotic, Nepal holds prime position in the imagination of every mountain lover and trekker in the world. It is home to the bulk of the Himalaya and of course Mt. Everest, planet Earth’s highest peak. In fact, of the world’s 14 highest peaks, 8 are in Nepal. It is also the birthplace of Buddha and home of the famed porters and mountain climbing Sherpa. This mixture of mountains and ancient culture make Nepal a magical land of superlatives and an absolute delight for trekkers..

Himalaya means Abode of the Snows and of course the main purpose of any self respecting pilgrimage to Nepal is to reach out to the Himalaya. To touch a piece of these wild and jagged abodes. To feel their power. And of course, to walk among the high peaks and deep valleys. To trek. And Nepal is perhaps one of best places in the world to do just that. Considering that 80% of the villages of Nepal are not connected to roads, walking is the way everybody and everything (carried by porters) gets around. So as a result trekking is just natural here.

The trek to Gokyo Ri is less travelled than the more traditional Everest Base Camp Trek, but offers similar views and more solitiude along the trail.

The first few days of the Gokyo Ri trek are the same as those of the Everest Base Camp Trek. Most trekkers fly into the Lukla airport where the trail winds through pine forests before a steep climb to Namche Bazaar and a more alpine type environment. Shortly after Namche, you veer off from the path to Tengboche and head through the villages of Dole, Machhermo, and eventually Gokyo.

The summit push from Gokyo is quiet pleasant when compared to the long day up Kala Patar. The views are equally stunning, although Mount Everest does take a little bit of a back seat to the expansive views of the valley as seen from Gokyo Ri.

This trek begins at the mountain airstrip at Lukla a one hour flight from Kathmandu. Our destination is the high altitude lakes of Gokyo at over 4200 mtrs. Less frequented than the Everest Base Camp route the trek provides some tremendous high altitude trekking and a visit to the second largest glacier in the World. From the top of Gokyo Ri there are some spectacular mountain views including Mt Everest. We return to Lukla and our flight back to Kathmandu.

Itinerary:

Day 01 Fly, Kathmandu / Lukla (a 45 minute flight) rek to Phakding

Day 02 Phakding / Namche Bazaar (3446 m.)

Day 03 Namche Bazaar Rest

Day 04 Namche Bazaar / Dole (4200 m.)

Day 05 Dole / Machchhermo (4470 m.)

Day 06 Machchhermo / Gokyo (4790 m.)

Day 07 Excursion around Gokyo Lake climb Ghokyo Ri (5357 m.)

Day 08 Gokyo / Dole (4200 m.)

Day 09 Dole / Namche Bazaar (3446 m.)

Day 10 Nache Bazaar / Phakding (2610 m.)

Day 11 Phakding / Lukla (2840 m.)

Day 12 Fly back to Kathmandu

Note: The best season for this trek is March to May and October to December. The trek can be operated in both teahouses and under the canvas on request, as well as being able to combine with some other activities such as white water rafting & wildlife safari. The itinerary can be customized according to your duration of holiday.