Lodges on the Gokyo route are simple and warm only in the dining room. Expect shared rooms with thin walls, a limited menu and extra charges for charging, hot water and wifi. Plan for cold nights at 4,000 m and above.
Rooms
Most rooms have two single beds with a mattress and a blanket, and no heating. Bring a sleeping bag rated for cold nights, or rent one in Kathmandu. Toilets are usually shared and outside the room, and the water in them can freeze overnight.
The dining room
Lodges heat one room, usually with a stove burning yak dung or wood, and everyone gathers there in the evening. Come early to get a warm seat. Sitting by the stove is also where you meet other trekkers and get the weather news.
Food
Menus are broadly the same across the Khumbu: dal bhat, noodles, rice, eggs, potatoes, soups and some pasta. Dal bhat is a good choice, because it is filling and often comes with refills. At higher villages supplies are brought up by porters and animals, so choices narrow and prices rise.
Water
Do not drink untreated tap or stream water. Boiled water is sold by the litre, and many trekkers use purification tablets, a filter or drops. Carrying a refillable bottle cuts plastic waste along the route.
Charging and wifi
Lodges charge for charging phones and cameras, and the price goes up with altitude. A power bank and spare batteries help. Wifi, where it exists, is paid and slow, and you should not count on it for important messages.
Showers
Hot showers are costly and sometimes unavailable at higher villages. Wet wipes and a change of base layer are more practical on cold days.
Keeping warm at night
Fill a metal bottle with boiled water and put it in your sleeping bag as a hot-water bottle, if the lodge allows it. Wear dry socks and a hat to bed, and keep tomorrow's base layer inside the bag so that it is warm in the morning. Do not heat a closed room with a stove or gas burner: carbon monoxide is a real danger.
Paying and tipping
Cash in Nepali rupees is needed everywhere on the trail, and there are no cash machines above the lower villages. Prices for food, charging and hot water rise with altitude because everything is carried up. Keep small notes for tea and snacks, and ask your guide about tipping the lodge and porter team at the end.
Sharing the space
Lodges are busy in October and April, and rooms can fill by mid-afternoon. A guide who has called ahead and reserved beds helps a lot. Be quiet in rooms after early evening, since many trekkers start before dawn.
Plan it
Use our Gokyo packing list and read how hard Gokyo Ri is before you go.
