Gokyo Lake Trek 12 Days

How journey starts?

After a day of excursion to the capital, our journey for the Gokyo Lake trek begins with a short internal flight to Lukla. We will then hike through the Khumbu region passing the villages of Phakding, Namche, Dole, and Macchermo. Then we will explore the isolated Gokyo valley with its beautiful lake of Gokyo and climb to the top of Gokyo Ri.

After marveling at the unique atmosphere from the vantage point of the Summit, we make our way down to Dole and return to Lukla passing Namche once again.

What to expect?

The best part of our Gokyo Lake trek is reaching the lake itself. The lake changes its color from deep blue to azure green depending on the position of the sun. It shimmers turquoise between the white of the icy peaks towering around it. Imagine spending time in one of the isolated regions of the planet completely untouched and unspoiled.

Then we climb the Gokyo Ri which is another best part of our journey. Standing at its top, we will admire the giants of the world: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. Not only mountains, but we will also observe the gigantic Ngozumpa glacier and the entire Gokyo valley. The image will definitely stay in your mind forever as a sweet memory.

However, it’s not just the mountain views that this trek is known for. We hike from Lukla passing through the authentic Sherpa villages of Namche, Dole, and Macchermo. We walk through the terraced farmlands and deep forests of rhododendron and pine.

We get to stay for a night in the lodge of these villages where we will share experiences and tales with the locals. We will gain insights into their Buddhist-influenced culture and glance at their lifestyle. We will also discover numerous small monasteries along the way and notice the rare flora and fauna of the Sagarmatha region.

At the beginning of this expedition, we will get time to mingle with the people of Kathmandu and plunge into the lively hustle and bustle of the squares. We will admire the bright colors of the shrines in the Kathmandu Valley. At the end of the journey, we will recollect our adventure with the amazing team that made this trip possible.

Best time

The spring months of March, April, and May and the autumn months of September, October, and November are the ideal time for the Gokyo Lake trek. With a bit of luck, a favorable climate, and temperature, the waters of the Gokyo Lake may remain unfrozen during these periods. And there will be less snow along the trail to the Gokyo Ri. The transparent blue sky offers peaceful and clear views of the highest mountains of the world.

The winter months (December to February) bring a lot of snow making reaching the top of Gokyo Ri almost impossible. The summer months ( June to August ) pour heavy rain often making the route to the Gokyo lake prone to landslides.

Elevation and distance

The shimmering Gokyo Lake is perched at an altitude of 4700 m above sea level and the Gokyo Ri summit is situated at a height of 5360m above sea level.

The Gokyo Valley where these wonderful art of Mother Nature are situated is located at a distance of 137 km from Kathmandu. From Lukla, it lies at a 32.6 km distance.

On our 12-day trip to Gokyo Lake, 9 days are separated for the actual hiking period. Thus, you will be covering around 10 to 12 km each day on foot walking 5 to 6 hours a day.

Maximum/Minimum walk per day

Our Gokyo Lake trek is an easy trek that will take you to the diverse isolated landscape of Nepal. Each day of the trek, you will walk for approximately 5 to 7 hours. But the hiking duration is often based on the overnight village, your pace, and the altitude we will be reaching.

We have designed our trip to facilitate you when traversing through the rocky terrain of the high mountains. Therefore, we have set minimal walks each day as much as possible. The least you will hike is for 3 hours on the day when you land at Lukla and trek to Phakding.

On the 8th day, however, you will walk for 6 to 7 hours when you trek from Macchermo to Gokyo Lake and hike to Gokyo- RI viewpoint.

Difficulty and Acclimatization

Gokyo Lake trek is a moderately challenging trek suitable for any traveler who is able to trek for around 5 to 7 hours a day for 9 days in a row. The risk factor in this trek is the high altitude for which you have to acclimatize adequately and not rush the climb.

We have therefore set the two acclimatization days in this entire trek. First, you will adapt to the weather of Nepal by staying a day in Kathmandu. Then as an adjustment to the environment of the high altitude region of the Khumbu region, you will spend another rest day at Namche at an altitude of more than 3000 m.

Can a beginner join this trek?

Yes, if you have adequate health, good physical and mental condition, and the strength to endure the long hour walks each day, you can participate in this trek even if you are new to trekking in Nepal. The essential factor is to have the right self-assessment, appropriate preparation, a good team, and a group of like-minded people.

You should possess strong motivation to climb the Gokyo Ri and be with the mountains surrendering the luxury of your home for a few days.

Preparation and training

A month of physical training and exercise before joining this trip will be a good preparation from your side. Building the strength of your leg muscles with squatting, and hiking with a light backpack will help you endure long-hour walks during the trekking days.

Also running and walking on the treadmill, climbing stairs, cycling, and jogging for at least 30 minutes a day will help you in increasing your cardio health. All this training will prepare you to cope with the altitude sickness.

Alternate routes

You can incorporate the Everest Base Camp trek with the Gokyo Lake trek. Walking through the villages of Namche, Tengboche, Dingboche, and Lobuche, you will arrive at the Everest Base Camp. From the camp. You can hike to Kala Patthar cross Cho La Pass and trek to Thangnag. From Thangnag, you can trek to Gokyo Lake and Gokyo Ri.

Another remarkable trek that you can incorporate with this trek is a hike to the Ama Dablam Base Camp. The initial route will be the same till Tegboche. Then you will hike to Deboche to reach the base camp of Ama Dablam. You will then hike to Pangboche and trek to Dole to join the route to Gokyo Lake.

Altitude Sickness

You may go through some mild symptoms of altitude sickness when trekking to Gokyo Lake. This trek will take you to an elevation of more than 3000 m from Namche. Therefore, we have planned a rest day at Namche so you can get used to the thin atmosphere of the Khumbu region.

Slight headache, dizziness, tendency to vomit, loss of sleep, and appetite are some of the common symptoms of this sickness. Adequate hydration by drinking plenty of water, and hiking slowly will be the best preventive measure against this sickness.

Transportation, Meals and Drink

As your trustworthy local trek agency in Nepal, we have covered almost all preparations for this trek. Our tour includes all the basics from accommodation, transportation, meals, and drinks. You can only concentrate on completing this trek with great comfort and joy.

Our tour offers you airport pickup, and drop off by private vehicle along with all the necessary ground transportation during the trek. We have also covered flights from Kathmandu – Lukla and return to Kathmandu. In case of diversion to the Ramechhap airport, we will drive by private vehicle to the airport.

Regarding meals, our tour includes breakfast and farewell dinner in Kathmandu, and Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner on the trek. Hot tea or coffee, seasonal fresh fruit in the evening after dinner, and treated drinking water will also be provided.

Communication, Gadgets charging, and Internet/wifi

For uninterrupted communication, there are both cellular and wifi signals in villages along the route to the Gokyo Lake. However, the mobile networks of NTC and Ncell may be very poor in the deep mountains at Gokyo Valley. We advise you to purchase the NTC or NCELL SIMS in Kathmandu.

Almost all the lodges provide WIFI services and device charging services but you may have to pay a small amount of USD 2 to USD 3.

Permits

Since we hike through the restricted region of Sagarmatha National Park and the Khumbu region, we need a Sagarmatha National Park entrance permit and a Khumbu –Pasang Lamu village permit.

The cost of these permits is covered in our tour package and we will obtain these permits on your behalf either in Kathmandu or at Lukla.