Gokyo Valley Trek

Land at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport and meet a representative of the tour operator. You'll be escorted to a pre-arranged hotel in the city. If you're landing in the morning, you'll have a short meeting with your trek leader in the evening to discuss the weather, equipment and itinerary of the Gokyo Valley trek. At night, you'll visit one of the most popular restaurants in Kathmandu to taste authentic Nepali cuisine and enjoy traditional dance and cultural music. Overnight in a hotel at Kathmandu.

Overnight in a hotel at Kathmandu.

Land at the Tribhuvan International Airport and spend the day at leisure. You will be accommodated at Kathmandu in hotel rooms on a twin-sharing basis. This accommodation is usually in a 3-star, tourist standard hotel. Today's meal package includes dinner at a popular Nepali restaurant. You can visit any of the restaurants in Kathmandu to have additional meals at your own expense.

Take the day to explore the capital city. Travelling around in a private vehicle, you'll visit some of Kathmandu's heritage attractions such as the Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square and the Boudhanath Shrine. After a guided city tour of Kathmandu, you'll meet with the trek leader once again to finalize any preparations for the trek. You can also take some time to visit the local marketplace for any last minute shopping. Overnight in a hotel at Kathmandu.

Overnight in a hotel at Kathmandu.

Take a guided, sightseeing tour to some of the heritage attractions of Kathmandu. An expert, English-speaking guide will accompany you in a private vehicle throughout the city tour. You'll be accommodated at Kathmandu in the same hotel rooms. Today's meal package includes breakfast only. You can visit any of the restaurants in Kathmandu to have additional meals at your own expense.

Early in the morning, you'll be escorted back to the Tribhuvan International Airport, where you'll board a 35-min, domestic flight to the Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla. Watch out for wonderful, birds-eye views of countryside Nepal from the aircraft. Upon landing at Lukla, you'll take a moment to rest and then begin the trek towards Phakding. The route, one of the easiest of the trek, is entirely downhill and flat. At Phakding, you can explore the village by hiking to nearby gompas and monasteries. Overnight in a lodge at Phakding.

Overnight in a lodge at Phakding.

Board a domestic flight to Lukla, and embark on your first trek of the trip to Phakding. You will be accommodated at Phakding in a lodge. While accommodation is on twin-sharing basis for most nights, it may be changed to multi-sharing, depending on availability at the lodge and size of the group. Today's meal package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Inching up the difficulty scale, today's trek to Namche Bazaar will take you across patches involving moderately intense climbing. You'll continue following the trail alongside the Dudh Kosi River and cross multiple, long suspension bridges along the way. En route, you'll take some time to rest at the village of Monju, while the trek leader completes the paperwork to enter the Sagarmatha National Park. The trail from Monju leads uphill to Namche Bazaar, giving you first views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse and several other Himalayan giants. Overnight in a lodge at Namche Bazaar.

Overnight in a lodge at Namche Bazaar.

Enter the Sagarmatha National Park and trek to Namche Bazaar, the largest town in the Sagarmatha National Park. You will be accommodated at Namche Bazaar in a lodge. Today's meal package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. While non-vegetarian food will be available during most meals, travellers are advised to stay away for concerns of health and well-being.

Spend the day at leisure in Namche Bazaar. To ensure proper acclimatization, you can embark on day treks to nearby villages such as Thame, Khumjung and Khunde. Alternatively, you can also explore the quaint cafes and restaurants of Namche Bazaar, or visit Namche Bazaar's museum and monastery. Overnight in a lodge at Namche Bazaar.

Overnight in a lodge at Namche Bazaar.

Spend the day at Namche Bazaar to acclimatize to the high-altitude. Namche Bazaar is the only town in the national park to offer 24 hour electricity and water supply, high-speed internet access, post office and hospital. You will be accommodated at Namche Bazaar at the same lodge. Today's meal package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Continue alongside the Dudh Kosi river, until you reach the village of Sanasa. Here, you'll take a fork in the trail leading away from the trail to Everest Base Camp. En route to today's destination of Dole, you'll make you way past the Mong-La Pass. You'll trek through dense woods of oak, birch and rhododendron, keep an eye out to spot the musk deer, the Himalayan thar or the pheasant. Overnight in a lodge at Dole.

Overnight in a lodge at Dole.

Trek from Namche Bazaar to Dole. You will be accommodated at Dole in a lodge. Today's meal package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Egg preparations will be available in most meals.

Climbing over a short and scenic mountain ridge, you'll begin the trek to Machherma, the last major settlement on the way to Gokyo. As the route progresses, the vegetation begins to get thinner, and views of Mt. Cho Oyu and Mt. Thamserku begin to dominate the horizon. Overnight in a lodge at Machherma.

Overnight in a lodge at Machherma.

Continue trekking onward to higher altitudes and head towards the village of Machherma. You will be accommodated at Machherma in a lodge. Today's meal package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast usually consists of western dishes like porridge, oats and toast. Lunch and dinner is served from the lodge/tea-house menu.

Trek past three lakes - Longpongo, Taboche Cho and Gokyo - to reach the Gokyo Valley. The banks of the first lake, Longpongo, are said have footprints of ancient lamas. The route, involving short climbs of moderate difficulty, is takes you across mountain slopes from one mountain to another. The ice and moraine of the Ngozumpa glacier will also accompany sections of your route in the final stretch towards Gokyo. Upon reaching, take some time to explore the Gokyo lake and village. Overnight in a lodge at Gokyo.

Overnight in a lodge at Gokyo.

Trek from Machherma to Gokyo. You will be accommodated at Gokyo in a lodge. Today's meal package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. The trek leader will brief you regarding the next day's schedule after dinner on most nights.

Spend the day at leisure in Gokyo. In the morning, you'll climb up Mt. Gokyo Ri, to exquisite views of the Gokyo Lake. From vantage points along the trail, you'll have breathtaking views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Makalu. You'll also view the six lakes of the Gokyo Valley as well as the entire Ngozumpa Glacier, the longest glacier of the Himalayas. Overnight in a lodge at Gokyo.

Overnight in a lodge at Gokyo.

Spend the day at Gokyo and climb the Gokyo Ri. You will be accommodated at Gokyo in the same lodge. Today's meal package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Seasonal, fresh fruits will be available after dinner on most nights.

Begin the return trek to Dole, along an easy, downhill trail passing alongside the Toboche Cho and Longpongo lakes. The cobalt blue waters of the lake make for a great rest stop while trekking. En route to Dole, you'll also pass through the village of Machherma, with excellent views of Mt. Pumori and Mt. Cho Oyu. Overnight in a lodge at Dole.

Overnight in a lodge at Dole.

Return from Gokyo to Dole. You will be accommodated at Dole in a lodge. Today's meal package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Purified drinking water, medicated proof and safe, will be available in limited quantities during most days.

Retrace your steps on the trail and trek to Khumjung, located just a short distance away from Namche Bazaar. En route, you'll find the vegetation getting denser, with woods of rhododendron and birch decorated with wildflowers and mountain goats. The Khumjung Valley, commonly known as the green valleys, is accessible via a short, downhill walk to Phortse Tenga village, followed by a steep, climb up the Mong-La hills. Overnight in a lodge at Khumjung.

Overnight in a lodge at Khumjung.

Trek from Dole to Khumjung. You will be accommodated at Khumjung in a lodge. Today's meal package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. A government-licensed and experienced, English-speaking guide will accompany you throughout the trip. Travellers are required to follow the guide's instructions during the trek.

Trek back to Monju, popularly known as the gateway to the Sagarmatha National Park. En route, you'll pass through the town of Namche Bazaar and the small air-strip at Syangboche. You'll also make your way across suspensions bridges over the Dudh Kosi, and stop to rest at the confluence of the Dudh Kosi and Bhote Kosi rivers. Overnight in a lodge at Monju,

Overnight in a lodge at Monju.

Retrace your steps to the village of Monju. You will be accommodated at Monju in a lodge. Today's meal package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you're not properly acclimatized, you may suffer from discomfort and headaches due to the low level of oxygen at high altitudes. The trek leader will carry an oximeter to measure your oxygen level.

Exit the Sagarmatha National Park, and walk across open plains on a flat trail to Lukla. En route, you'll cross the village of Phakding, and trek across patches of rhododendron and pine. The village of Lukla is decorated with prayer flags fluttering in the wind and prayer stones at every corner. Your arrival at Lukla successfully concludes the trek to Gokyo Valley. Overnight in a lodge at Lukla.

Overnight in a lodge at Lukla.

Trek from Monju to Lukla, and conclude the trek to Gokyo Valley. You will be accommodated at Lukla in a lodge. Today's meal package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Board a 35-min, domestic flight from Lukla and land at the Tribhuvan International Airport at Kathmandu. You'll be escorted to a hotel in the capital city via a private vehicle. You can spend the rest of the day at leisure. Visit the local marketplace at Kathmandu to shop for souvenirs and gifts, or spend the day in your hotel rooms. Overnight in a hotel at Kathmandu.

Overnight in a hotel at Kathmandu.

Board a domestic flight to Kathmandu and spend the day at leisure. You will be accommodated at Kathmandu in hotel rooms on twin-sharing basis. Today's meal package includes breakfast and dinner only. You can visit any of the restaurants in Kathmandu to have meals at your own expense.

Check-out of the hotel and avail an airport transfer service to the Tribhuvan International Airport. Your trip ends here.

Your trip ends by late morning.

Check-out and transfer to the Tribhuvan International Airport. No meals are included in today's package. Your trip ends here.