EVEREST GOKYO TREK (5,420M)

Upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, one of the 8K Expedition team representatives will be waiting for you at the airport. As soon as you complete your Nepal Entry Visa obtaining procedure, we will have a meet and greet and you will be transferred to the hotel (3-star to 5-star as per request) where you can rest and relax for the day.

On the second day, we will fulfill all our official procedures including necessary documentation, obtain permits, and other formalities needed for our expedition. We will start our preparation for our trek. We will now pack our bags, do some necessary shopping, re-check everything that we need (Especially medicines and essentials). Briefings will be made about each and every aspect of the trek and trip duration, accommodation, facilities at the base camp and during the trek. It is also an opportunity for you to communicate and introduce yourself to your fellow trekkers and teammates.

Early in the morning, after an amazing breakfast, we will take a thrilling flight to Lukla Airport. The flight gives you a bird’s eye view of the valleys, rivers, hills, and gradually mountain ranges. Even though the flight is only for half an hour, it does not fail to mesmerize you now and then. As we land at Lukla Airport, which is already exciting, we start our trek to Phakding, our destination for the day. After obtaining the permit for the region, we will slowly move through the settlements on a mixed trail of dirt, stone pathways, and some rocky sections at times. This is an easy start so make sure to enjoy all the greeneries, floras, and faunas as you walk. The trail takes you over several suspension bridges and along the Dudh Koshi river. Enjoy the rest of the day at Phakding.

After Phakding, we move towards another beautiful destination, Namche Bazaar, which is the commercial point of the Khumbu region. Passing through the dense luscious forests of pine, juniper, Rhododendron, looking out for animals in the Sagarmatha National Park, climbing the stairs, enjoying the rages of rivers at some points, and mostly walking uphills are the major activities of the day’s trek. This trek will be long and tiring as we start gaining significant elevation. As we reach Namche, we rest at our hotel and enjoy our dinner. The next day, we will go around the village area and experience some local sherpa culture. 

After acclimatizing in the Sherpa capital, Namche Bazaar, we head to Dole. The trail exits the valley through dense forests of pine, junipers, and Rhododendron. As we elevate, we leave the tree line behind and walk-in pasture lands with small settlements. Throughout the trek, we will view the spectacular vistas of Khumbu La and Tawache. As we reach Dole after 6 hours of trek, we will rest overnight in a lodge. 

After early morning breakfast, we leave Dole to reach Machherma. Unlike the trail to Everest and Lhotse, this one is quieter and less crowded giving us solitude and peace. We begin with a climb on the ridge viewing the sights of Kangtega, Cho Oyu, and many other peaks. After a series of ascending and descending, we will reach the terminal of Ngozumpa glacier and finally Machherma to rest overnight. 

On this day, we will be trekking to one of the beautiful valleys, the Gokyo Valley. Gokyo Valley is rich in culture as well as natural landscapes. It's mostly famous for stunning lakes with turquoise green water and dramatic landscapes. We will spend the next day here and hike up to Gokyo Ri at 5483 m for acclimatization. The Gokyo Ri offers incomparable views of the Gokyo Valley, Ngozumpa Glaciers, and the giant peaks of the Khumbu region including Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Pumori, Mt. Nuptse Cho Oyu, Mt. Makalu, and many more. 

We move forward from the mesmerizing Gokyo Valley toward Thanga, closer to the Dzongla village. We will approach Cho La Pass at 5420 m which we will be crossing the other day. So, we rest for the day at Thangna village.

We start early from Thangna as we will be crossing a high pass on the day. Cho La Pass connects Thangna and Dzongla villages and is a route from Gokyo to EBC. We will rest at Dzongla for the night.

Walking down the grassy ridge and later heading to the main trail winding through the rocky riverbed, we reach Lobuche village at the base of Lobuche Peak and rest overnight.

This day is going to test our endurance as we will be trekking for 8 to 9 hours to admire the beauty of the base of the World's highest peak, the Everest Base Camp. First, we begin through the lateral moraines of the Khumbu Glacier and pass the pyramid signpost. Viewing the panoramic scenes of the north ridge of Everest, Mt Pumori, Mahalangur Himal, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Khumbutse, and many more, we then climb steeply up to the top through the moraine of Changri Glacier which gives a peek of Kala Patthar. Upon reaching Gorakh Shep, we will rest for lunch beholding the majestic snow-capped peaks. Then we proceed to the Everest Base Camp and after some time return to Gorak Shep to rest overnight.

We will be hiking up to the most beautiful viewpoint in the Everest Region, Kala Patthar. Kala Patthar is the highest point one can reach heading to the Everest Base Camp. Kala Patthar offers unparalleled views of the surrounding peaks including Mt Everest. Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Pumori and many more that dazzle our eyes with shining beauty. But we must start early in the morning so that we reach the viewpoint to witness the glorious sunrise. After the photoshoot and relaxation,we will then retrace our steps to Gorak Shep back to Dingboche.

On this day, our trek begins from Dingboche to Namche after early morning breakfast. The trail is gorgeously overwhelming as it takes us through the Rhododendron Forests, Alpine trees of pine, and Junipers. Further ahead, we cross the Dudh Koshi river and follow the gorge through dense coniferous forest. Traveling along steep rugged paths up and down and twisting on numerous curves, we finally reach Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa Capital to rest overnight. 

The trail from Namche to Lukla is equally refreshing and exciting. We go through lush green forests crossing numerous suspension bridges over Dudh Koshi River. Retracing the path we moved on earlier for almost 5-6 hours, we reach Lukla for the day’s rest. 

On the 17th day of our journey, we will take the short flight back to Kathmandu collecting and preserving our memories of the Himalayas. In Kathmandu, you can relax in Thamel, a popular street for tourists where you can get anything you want. You may do some shopping, eat in a nice restaurant, get some spa, do some laundry and many other things. There are also many different attractions in Kathmandu including but not limited to Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Bouddhanath Stupa, Basantapur, Bhaktapur, Patan, and so on. You may go on sightseeing around these areas with one of our city guides. 

Our journey of Trek to Everest Base Camp ends on this day. With so many beautiful memories together, we gratefully and delightedly bid you farewell and good luck for your flight back home. One of our representatives from 8K expeditions will drop you off at TIA 3 hours prior to your scheduled flight.