Gokyo Lakes, Cho La and Everest Base Camp, 17 Days

Start with the turquoise Gokyo Lakes and finish at Everest Base Camp on this 17-day loop that puts Gokyo first and saves the Everest sunrise for last. You follow the classic Sherpa trail to Namche Bazaar, turn west toward the Gokyo valley, cross the Cho La pass and end at Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar. The route is built to show Everest from three sides: from the lakes and Gokyo Ri, from the base of the Khumbu Icefall and from the famous sunrise viewpoint.

Gokyo comes first. From Namche you climb through Dole and Machermo to a string of turquoise lakes below Cho Oyu, then rise before dawn to Gokyo Ri at 5,357m, where Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu share one horizon. A walk across the Ngozumpa Glacier leads to Thaknak and the foot of the Cho La.

The Cho La is the heart of the trek. You start at first light, climb a rocky trail to the pass at about 5,420m, cross a short glacier section and drop steeply to Dzongla. A day later you reach Gorak Shep, walk to Everest Base Camp at 5,364m and climb Kala Patthar (5,545m) at sunrise. The way home is a long descent through Pheriche, Tengboche and Namche to Lukla.

Your licensed guide and porters look after the route, the pace and the weather decisions, and you sleep in family-run teahouses. This itinerary has no spare days, so please read the notes on delays below before you choose your flight home.

What's Included?

• 17-day guided trek, with 3 meals a day on 14 of those days
• 2 nights in a Kathmandu hotel, breakfast included
• Flights between Kathmandu or Ramechhap and Lukla *
• Teahouse accommodation throughout the trek
• Airport pick-up and drop-off
• Everest region trekking permit and TIMS card
• Licensed English-speaking trekking guide
• Porter service
• All local and government taxes
• Farewell dinner in Kathmandu
• Trek completion certificate

* Lukla flights can be delayed: read how we handle delays
* Travel insurance is required on every trek: see what cover you need
* Solo travelers pay no single supplement: see the solo traveler details

Day 1 - Kathmandu: Arrival Day

Altitude: Kathmandu 1,350m/4,429ft

Namaste and welcome to Nepal. Our airport representative meets you outside arrivals and drives you to your hotel in Kathmandu. After you settle in, your guide runs a trek briefing, checks your gear against the list and takes any extra luggage for safe keeping at the hotel until you return. Eat well, drink plenty of water and sleep early, because the mountain flight is only a day away.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 2 - Kathmandu to Lukla Flight and Phakding

Altitude: Lukla 2,860m/9,383ft & Phakding 2,610m/8,563ft
Walking Time: 3-4 hours
Flight time: about 30 minutes

You leave early for the airport. In the busy season the Lukla flights usually run from Ramechhap, so the transfer starts around 2:00 to 3:00 AM and the airline sets the exact time. The short flight lands on the sloping runway at Lukla. You meet your porters, have tea and start walking, first down through Chaurikharka and then along the Dudh Koshi valley beneath pine forest to Phakding, where you spend the night.

Please Read: Ramechhap transfer: about 4 to 5 hours by shared public land transfer. Flights from Ramechhap or Kathmandu are decided by the airline and can change at short notice.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 - Phakding to Namche Bazaar

Altitude: Namche Bazaar 3,440m/11,286ft
Walking Time: 5-6 hours

The trail follows the river over several suspension bridges and enters Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo, where your permits are checked. After lunch you cross the high Hillary Bridge and begin the steady climb to Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital of the Khumbu. On a clear day a first view of Everest appears above the ridge on the way up. Namche has bakeries, shops and a lively evening street, a good place to start getting used to the height.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 - Namche Bazaar: Rest and Acclimatization Day

Altitude: Namche Bazaar 3,440m/11,286ft & Everest View Hotel 3,880m/12,730ft
Walking Time: 3-4 hours (optional hike)

A rest day is part of the plan, and it is not wasted time. The usual routine is a gentle morning walk up to the Everest View Hotel at 3,880m for a wide view of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam, then back down to sleep at Namche again (climb high, sleep low). In the afternoon you can visit the Sherpa Museum, browse the market and rest.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 - Namche Bazaar to Dole

Altitude: Mong La pass 3,973m/13,035ft & Dole 4,110m/13,484ft
Walking Time: 6-7 hours

Today you leave the main Everest trail and turn toward Gokyo. The path climbs to the Mong La pass, drops to Phortse Tenga by the river, then rises steeply through rhododendron, fir and juniper to Dole. Views open to Khumbila, Kangtega, Thamserku and, later, Cho Oyu. Go slowly, drink often and expect a cold evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 - Dole to Machermo

Altitude: Machermo 4,470m/14,665ft
Walking Time: 3-4 hours

This is a short day on purpose. Above Dole the trees thin out and the valley opens into yak pastures at Luza and Lhabarma, with the Dudh Koshi far below. You reach Machermo early, rest in the sun and, if you feel strong, take a short walk higher up to help your body adjust before sleeping.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 - Machermo to Gokyo

Altitude: Gokyo 4,790m/15,715ft
Walking Time: 4-5 hours

The trail climbs to Pangka and then follows the edge of the Ngozumpa Glacier moraine to the Gokyo lakes. You pass the first lake and the second, Taboche Tsho, before reaching the village of Gokyo beside the turquoise third lake, Dudh Pokhari. The light on the water in the late afternoon is one of the best moments of the trek.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 - Gokyo: Gokyo Ri and Rest at Gokyo

Altitude: Gokyo Ri 5,357m/17,575ft & Gokyo 4,790m/15,715ft
Walking Time: 4-5 hours (round trip to the summit)

Start before sunrise for Gokyo Ri. The climb takes about 2.5 to 3 hours up and 1.5 hours down. From the top you see Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu together, the Ngozumpa Glacier below you and all the Gokyo lakes. Back at the lodge you rest after lunch, and in the afternoon you can stroll to the fourth lake if your legs allow.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 - Gokyo to Thaknak

Altitude: Thaknak 4,700m/15,420ft
Walking Time: 3-4 hours

You cross the Ngozumpa Glacier, the largest glacier in Nepal, on a path your guide selects because the moraine shifts from year to year. Thaknak sits at the foot of the Cho La. The afternoon is for rest while your guide checks the weather and the amount of snow and ice on the pass.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10 - Thaknak to Cho La Pass and Dzongla

Altitude: Cho La pass 5,420m/17,782ft & Dzongla 4,830m/15,846ft
Walking Time: 8-9 hours

This is the hardest day of the trek, and it starts at about 4:30 to 5:00 AM. A rocky trail leads up to the Cho La, and the final stretch crosses a glacier where your guide may ask you to use microspikes or crampons (at your own cost). From the pass you see Cholatse, Ama Dablam and Taboche, then a steep descent leads to Dzongla. If snow or ice makes the pass unsafe, your guide will change the plan.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11 - Dzongla to Lobuche and Gorak Shep

Altitude: Lobuche 4,940m/16,207ft & Gorak Shep 5,164m/16,942ft
Walking Time: 5-6 hours

From Dzongla you drop to the Lobuche valley and join the main Everest Base Camp trail. The path then runs along the moraine of the Khumbu Glacier, passing the memorials to climbers who died on Everest, and reaches Gorak Shep, the last settlement. Rest for the afternoon and keep drinking water.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12 - Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp and Back

Altitude: Everest Base Camp 5,364m/17,598ft & Gorak Shep 5,164m/16,942ft
Walking Time: 6-7 hours

A rocky trail along the glacier takes about 3 hours each way to Everest Base Camp. You see the Khumbu Icefall and, in the climbing season, the camps. Everest itself is hidden behind Nuptse here, and the better view comes from Kala Patthar tomorrow. You return to Gorak Shep for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13 - Gorak Shep to Kala Patthar and Pheriche

Altitude: Kala Patthar 5,545m/18,192ft & Pheriche 4,371m/14,341ft
Walking Time: 7-8 hours

You leave around 4:30 AM for Kala Patthar, about 2 hours up, for sunrise and the closest viewpoint of Everest, with Lhotse, Nuptse and Pumori around it. After breakfast at Gorak Shep you start a long descent through Lobuche and Thukla to Pheriche. The air gets thicker with every hour, and the day ends at a much lower height than you woke.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14 - Pheriche to Namche Bazaar

Altitude: Namche Bazaar 3,440m/11,286ft
Walking Time: 7-8 hours

A long walk down the Imja Khola valley takes you through Pangboche and Tengboche, home to the largest monastery in the Khumbu, and down to Phunki Tenga before the last climb into Namche. With the extra oxygen at this height most people sleep deeply tonight.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 15 - Namche Bazaar to Phakding and Lukla

Altitude: Lukla 2,860m/9,383ft
Walking Time: 7-8 hours

You descend through the pine forests, cross the Hillary Bridge and walk through Phakding to Lukla. In the evening there is a farewell dinner with your guide and porters, a nice way to thank the people who carried and cared for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 16 - Lukla to Kathmandu

Altitude: Kathmandu 1,350m/4,429ft
Flight time: about 30 minutes

Take the early flight to Kathmandu or Ramechhap. If the weather is poor, flights can be delayed and you may wait in Lukla. From Ramechhap the shared public land transfer takes about 4 to 5 hours. You reach your Kathmandu hotel and have the rest of the day free.

Please Read: Lukla flights depend on the weather. Please read note 3 at the end of this itinerary about spare days.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 17 - Kathmandu: Departure Day

Altitude: Kathmandu 1,350m/4,429ft

After breakfast you have a relaxed morning. Close to your flight time you are taken to the airport for your journey home. End of our services.

Meals: Breakfast

Before you pay a deposit for your Nepal trek, read our booking terms and conditions. They explain what your trek price covers, which costs are extra, and what happens if flights are delayed or your plans change.

These are the sections trekkers check most often:

• Travel insurance: cover is mandatory, including trekking up to 6,000 m and helicopter evacuation.
• Extra costs: meals, visa, gear rental, tips and a suggested spending budget.
• Lukla flight delays: how rebooking works, helicopter options and how many spare days to plan.
• Deposit, rescheduling and cancellation: the refund window and how to change your dates.

Not sure about something? Call or WhatsApp us on +91 932 595 1234, or send us a message. We will explain any term before you book.

Our full Everest Base Camp packing checklist covers every item with practical advice. You can also download the packing list as a PDF to print or keep on your phone.

If something is missing when you reach Kathmandu, you can buy or rent almost any trekking gear there at reasonable prices. Buy your hiking boots before you travel, though, and break them in, because a good fit matters more than anything else you carry.

A few practical points before you pack:

• We give you a duffel bag in Nepal to repack your gear into. Your porter carries it for you.
• Bring a small day pack for what you need during the walk: water, camera, sunscreen and extra layers.
• You can leave any extra luggage at your Kathmandu hotel while you trek.
• The Lukla flight allows 10 kg (22 lbs) of checked luggage plus 5 kg (11 lbs) of carry-on.
• We offer rental sleeping bags and down jackets at about INR 100 per item per day.
• Keep your passport, medication and other valuables in your carry-on for the Lukla flight.