Gokyo Lake Trek is one of the most amazing and exhilarating trekking experiences in northeastern Nepal that also explores the mainstream trekking route of the Everest Base Camp Trek.
The exploration of these five sparkling glacial lakes which have great significance in both Hindu and Buddhist religions is something you don’t want to simply miss in your Himalayan exploration prospects. Gokyo Lakes are the highest freshwater lake system in the world and comprise five main lakes.
Gokyo Lake ‘Gokyo Cho’ (106 acres) which is also known as ‘Dudh Pokhari’ is the main attraction of the Gokyo Valley Trek and a large number of Hindus take a bath in the lake during Janai Purnima (celebrated in August). This site is also worshipped as the residing place of the snake god ‘Nag Devata’.
Similarly, other glacial lakes out of six, Thonak Cho (160.8 acres) is the largest lake in the system, Gyazumpa Cho (72 acres), Tanjung Cho (41.9 acres), Ngojumba Cho (35.6 acres) and Longpanga Cho, the first one that appears in the synchrony, are the major highlights of this glacial lakes expedition.
If you want an elongated adventure of the Himalayan region along with the Gokyo Lake Trek, you can also do this expedition with the Everest Base Camp Trek as well as with the Three Pass Trek.
General Outline of Gokyo Lake Trek
Here is a general outline of the Gokyo Lake Trek, the itinerary package may differ depending upon the highlights exploration and the length of the overall package.
Gokyo Valley Trek
Day 1: Flight from Kathmandu (1,300 meters) to Lukla (2,850 meters) and trek to Phakding (2,650 meters)
Day 2: Trekking from Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,440 meters)
Day 3: Acclimatization and exploring day at Namche
Day 4: Namche to Dole (4,200 meters) trekking
Day 5: Trek from Dole to Macchermo (4,470 meters)
Day 6: Macchermo to Gokyo Lake (4,790 meters) trekking
Day 7: Gokyo Lake to Gokyo Ri (5,357 meters) and trek down to Dole
Day 8: Trekking down to Namche Bazaar from Dole
Day 9: Namche Bazaar to Lukla trek
Day 10: Flight back to Kathmandu from Lukla
Gokyo Lake Trek Length and Route
Gokyo Lake Trek is one of the most popular trekking expeditions in the Himalayas, the approximate distance of this trek from Lukla is around 92 km (57 miles). However, there isn’t only a single variant of the iconic trekking expedition in the Khumbu region.
You can choose from several Gokyo Lake Trek packages that join the mainstream Everest Base Camp Trek or do some side exploration of the region. Here are some of the best alternative packages for the Gokyo Lake Trek with different duration and itinerary plans that you can pick from.
Everest Base Camp Cho La Pass Gokyo Lake Trek
Even among the available trekking package options in the Everest region, this Everest Base Cam Cho La Pass Gokyo Lake Trek is one of the most popular and exciting packages. You won’t just explore the vibrance of the serene and religiously significant glacial lakes, but you will also partake in an adventure that takes you to the highest base camp in the world.
Day 1: Kathmandu to Lukla (2,850 meters) flight and trek to Phakding (2,650 meters)
Day 2: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,440 meters) trek
Day 3: Acclimatizing at Namche Bazaar
Day 4: Namche to Tengboche (3,870 meters) trekking
Day 5: Trekking from Tengboche to Dingboche (4,400 meters)
Day 6: Acclimatization and exploration day at Dingboche
Day 7: Dingboche to Lobuche (4,930 meters) trek
Day 8: Lobuche to Gorakshep (5,180 meters) and trek to Everest Base Camp (5,364 meters)
Day 9: Early morning hike to Kalapatthar (5,545 meters) and trek to Dzongla (4,830 meters)
Day 10: Zongla to Dragnak (4,700 meters) trekking via Cho La Pass (5,420 meters)
Day 11: Dragnak to Gokyo Lake trek (4,790 meters)
Day 12: Early morning hike to Gokyo Peak (5,420 meters) and trek down to Dole (4,200 meters)
Day 13: Dole to Namche Bazaar
Day 14: Trek down to Lukla from Namche
Day 15: Fly back to Kathmandu from Lukla
Gokyo Renjo La Pass Trek
This is another amazing trekking alternative to the Gokyo Lake Trek where you have to overcome one of the high Himalayan passes, Renjo La Pass following the route toward the glacial lake. However, unlike the Cho La Pass route, you will trek on the mainstream Everest Base Camp Trek route but won’t push all the way to the foothills of the highest mountain in the world.
Day 1: Kathmandu (1,300 meters) to Lukla (2,850 meters) flight and trek to Phakding (2,650 meters)
Day 2: Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,440 meters) trekking
Day 3: Acclimatizing day at Namche and some side excursions
Day 4: Namche Bazaar to Dole (4,200 meters)
Day 5: Trek from Dole to Machhermo (4,470 meters)
Day 6: Dole to Gokyo Lake (4,790 meters) trekking
Day 7: Early morning hike to Gokyo Ri (5,357 meters)
Day 8: Gokyo to Lungden (4,380 meters) via Renjo La Pass (5,360 meters)
Day 9: Lungden to Thame Village (3,880 meters) trekking via Marlung (4,200 meters)
Day 10: Trekking down to Namche Bazaar via Thame
Day 11: Namche to Lukla trek
Day 12: Flight back to Kathmandu from Lukla
Everest Three High Passes Trek
For those of you who are looking for more thrills and challenging trekking adventures in the Himalayas, the Everest Three High Passes Trek is an ideal adventure opportunity. Not only you will overcome all three of the highest Himalayan passes in the Everest region, but you will also follow the route to the highest base camp in the world and move toward the exploration of the Gokyo Lake Trek route.
But this trekking expedition is only recommended for experienced high-altitude trekkers as overcoming the challenges of the three highest passes in the Himalayas is not an easy feat.
Day 1: Flight from Kathmandu (1,300 meters) to Lukla (2,850 meters) and downhill trekking to Phakding (2,650 meters)
Day 2: Trekking from Phadking to Namche Bazaar (3,440 meters)
Day 3: Rest and side excursion day at Namche Bazaar
Day 4: Trek to Tengboche (3,870 meters) from Namche
Day 5: Tengboche to Dingboche (4,400 meters) trekking
Day 6: Dingboche to Chukkung (4,730 meters) trekking
Day 7: Trekking from Chukkung to Lobuche (4,930 meters) via Kongma La Pass (5,535 meters)
Day 8: Lobuche to Gorakshep (5,180 meters) and trek to Everest Base Camp (5,364 meters)
Day 9: Morning hike to Kalapatthar (5,545 meters) and trekking to Dzongla (4,830 meters)
Day 10: Dzongla to Dragnak (4,700 meters) via Cho La Pass (5,420 meters)
Day 11: Dragnak to Gokyo Lake (4,790 meters) trek
Day 12: Hike to Gokyo Ri (5,357 meters)
Day 13: Trekking from Gokyo to Lungden (4,380 meters) via Renjo La Pass (5,360 meters)
Day 14: Lungden to Thame VIllage (3,880 meters) trek
Day 15: Trekking down to Namche from Thame
Day 16: Namche Bazaar to Lukla
Day 17: Return flight to Kathmandu from Lukla
**Note: Besides these most popular packages for the Gokyo Lake Trek, we also offer fully customizable trekking packages. For a more enjoyable and exciting experience, you can decide the highlights of your trekking adventure as well as the number of itinerary days and enjoy the exploration at your own pace**
Best Time for Gokyo Lake Trek
If you want to truly relish this epic Himalayan adventure and make it a memorable experience, the best time for this trekking expedition would be during the peak seasons like autumn (September, October and November) and spring (March, April, and May).
Although both of these seasons are popular for the stable weather conditions and warmer temperatures, spring and autumn have specialties of their own. The spring season is known as the blooming season where the whole Himalayan region is brimming with life.
Known for the colorful trails decorated with rhododendrons and wildflowers, spring is also the perfect time if you want to explore the wildlife prospects of the region. The temperature of Everest and Gokyo region is approximately 15° C to 22° C during the daytime and can drop up to -5° C at the high altitudes.
Similarly, in autumn, the season has the most favorable weather conditions for outdoor adventures, the temperature of the Everest and Gokyo region averages around 14°C to 16°C during the day, and the night temperature can drop upto -10°C at high altitudes.
Known for the dry trails, fresh landscapes washed by the monsoon rain, and phenomenal views of the Himalayan vistas, autumn is the most popular season for Himalayan adventures.
Although both spring and autumn are on a warmer scale when it comes to climatic conditions, you can expect chilly freezing temperatures during the night and early morning in the higher regions. The altitude above 4,000 meters is considered an alpine environment in this trekking route, so make sure to pack accordingly for a comfortable and cozy trekking experience.
What is the Difficulty Level of Gokyo Lake Trek?
The difficulty level of the Gokyo Lake Trek is a ‘moderate’ level, so you won’t need any prior high-altitude trekking experience or any kind of technical skills to do this iconic Himalayan trek. However, the overall difficulty level of the adventure will depend on the trekking route you are taking.
If it’s a general trekking route with base camp and trail toward the glacial lake, it won’t be a difficult adventure. However, if you are planning to take on the Himalayan high passes during your adventure, Gokyo Lake Trek can be a challenging venture.
Let’s break down the overall difficulty factors that you have to overcome during your Gokyo Lake Trek.
Altitude Gain
As Gokyo Lake Trek is a high-altitude adventure, the altitude gain prospects of this adventure which is related to altitude sickness can be a major difficulty and risk factor of this adventure. There are risks for the human body to catch altitude sickness over the altitude of 2,500 meters and in this epic Himalayan adventure you will overcome the elevation points double to that.
In the most general Gokyo Lake Trekking adventure, you will start your adventure from Lukla (2,850 meters) moving along high altitude points like Tengboche (3,870 meters), Dingboche (4,400 meters), Lobuche (4,930 meters), Gorkashep (5,180 meters), Everest Base Camp (5,364 meters) and Kalapatthar (5,545 meters).
So, you will be spending a significant amount of time over an altitude of 5,000 meters, case if your trekking exploration is connected to the Himalayan passes, Cho La Pass (5,420 meters), Renjo La Pass (5,360 meters) and Kongma La Pass (5,535 meters) are some additional challenges in your expedition.
Trekking Route
During your Gokyo Lake Trek, you will cover an approximate distance of 92 km (57 miles), but it is just a general trekking route from Lukla to Gokyo Lake. For both Everest Base Camp Trek and Gokyo Lake Trek, you will have to cover roughly 112 km (70 miles) and the route is even further longer with the Himalayan passes exploration.
So you can expect to cover a trekking distance of approximately 6- 8 hours during every day of your trekking adventure. It can be a draining Himlayah adventure as you have to overcome the altitude difficulty on the rugged off-road trekking trails with plenty of steep segments.
Khumbu Cough
Another major challenge the trekkers have to face during their expedition in the Everest region is the Khumbu Cough. This natural high-altitude phenomenon has affected many trekkers during their expeditions in the Khumbu region. Dry air, extreme cold, and low humidity at higher altitudes are the major causes of this troubling coughing condition.
If you by any chance happen to catch this cough, it may take you weeks and even months to shake it off. That’s why staying hydrated, eating a balanced diet, and acclimatizing properly are very crucial factors in your Gokyo Lake Trek.
Remoteness
Even though Annapurna Circuit Trek, Everest Base Camp Trek, and Gokyo Lake Trek are considered the mainstream trekking routes in Nepal, what you need to understand is these are still remote explorations of the secluded part of the Himalayas.
Even though the services and amenities in these trekking routes are slightly better than other far-off remote Himalayan expeditions, it is still nowhere close to what you would expect in a luxurious vacation.
So you will have to mentally prepare for the discomforts and inconveniences you may face due to the lack of modernity in your Gokyo Lake Trek. Due to the lack of a proper transportation mode, infrastructural and technological development of the region is limited.
Similarly, the electricity, internet, and other telecommunication services are mostly limited to the lower regions. Also, the medical facilities along the trail are pretty much limited and they are not well-equipped.
You may also like:
- How Hard Is it to Reach Gokyo Lakes?
- Gokyo Lake Trek Difficulty
- Gokyo Weather and Temperature
- Gokyo Ri Sagarmatha National Park
Is Gokyo Lake Trek Right for Me?
Gokyo Lake Trek is an exhilarating and fascinating Himalayan trekking adventure, considering the overall difficulty level if you are wondering whether it is the right trekking package for you or not. Here is your answer, it absolutely is.
Ideal for both, adventurers seeking thrills and trekking enthusiasts who want to keep the exploration at a moderate level, the availability of the alternative trekking routes to this glacial lake suits the palate of every kind of explorers.
If you feel like the trekking route to the Himalayan high passes is a bit extreme for your taste, you can switch to moderate difficulty level adventures like Gokyo Valley Trek or mixed trekking adventure with the base camp.
However, if you want to level up the challenge, you take on the routes that explore the high Himalayan passes like Everest Base Camp Cho La Pass Gokyo Lake Trek, Gokyo Renjo La Pass Trek, and Everest Three High Passes Trek.
The Gokyo Lake Trek has a success rate of 95% to 98%, with a basic level of fitness and good health condition, you will be able to easily complete this thrilling Himalayan expedition. In case you have any kind of medical condition, you can consult your physician and trekking guide about doing the trek.
Gokyo Lake Trek Cost
The general Gokyo Lake Trek Cost can range from US$ 1,300 to US$ 2,300 depending upon the itinerary plans and highlights of the package. If you sign up for just a general Gokyo Lake Trek the pricing isn’t that high, however, if your exploration includes the itinerary to base camp or the high Himalayan passes, the cost is relatively higher.
We here at TrekEBC offer the best value Gokyo Valley Trek at just US$ 1,199 per person. Group discounts are available and for any kind of special offers, you can keep updated with our official webpage.
Our Gokyo Lake Trek cost also includes the government tax as well as our official service cost, there isn’t any hidden cost whatsoever. If you are curious about what our Gokyo Lake Trek cost includes, you can check out the list of costs-includes and excludes here.
