Everest region
Gokyo Lakes Trek
Turquoise lakes and a quieter road up the Khumbu
The trek
Overview
Gokyo is the Khumbu's quieter valley. Where the Base Camp traffic bears east above Sanasa, you keep north up the west fork of the Dudh Koshi, through the small herding villages of Dole and Machhermo, to a chain of six glacial lakes the colour of cut turquoise at 4,700–5,000 m.
The centrepiece is Gokyo Ri (5,357 m), climbed before dawn from the lakeside village. From the summit cairns you face four of the world's six highest mountains on one skyline — Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu — with the grey sweep of the Ngozumpa Glacier, Nepal's longest at roughly 36 km, directly below.
The ascent profile matches the Base Camp route day for day, with an acclimatization day in Namche and deliberately short stages higher up. An optional day continues along the glacier's edge to the fifth lake, and the return contours through Phortse, a farming village that most Khumbu trekkers walk straight past.
Highlights
- Sunrise on Gokyo Ri (5,357 m) facing Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu
- The turquoise lakes of Gokyo, strung along the valley at 4,700–5,000 m
- Walk the edge of the Ngozumpa Glacier, Nepal's longest
- The quiet west fork of the Dudh Koshi via Dole and Machhermo
- Optional day to the fifth lake and Scoundrel's Viewpoint
- Return through Phortse, home village of generations of Everest summiteers
Trip facts
- Group size
- 2–12 trekkers
- Meals
- All meals on trek; breakfast in Kathmandu
- Accommodation
- Teahouse lodges on trail; 3-star hotel in Kathmandu
- Transport
- Kathmandu–Lukla return flights and airport transfers
Itinerary
Day by day
Your trek leader meets you at Tribhuvan airport and drives you to your hotel in Thamel. The evening briefing covers the route and a gear check; rental shops sit within a block if anything is missing.
1,400 m
Cost
What it costs
Group prices
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 1 trekker | US$ 1,390 |
| 2–4 trekkers | US$ 1,250 |
| 5–8 trekkers | US$ 1,190 |
| 9+ trekkers | US$ 1,150 |
What's included
- Airport transfers by private vehicle
- 1 night's 3-star hotel in Kathmandu with breakfast
- Kathmandu–Lukla–Kathmandu flights (incl. Ramechhap transfer when flights divert)
- Teahouse accommodation for all nights on trek
- All meals on trek (breakfast, lunch, dinner) with tea or coffee
- Licensed, English-speaking trek guide, insured and equipped
- One porter between two trekkers (max 18 kg shared load)
- Sagarmatha National Park and Khumbu municipality permits
- First-aid kit, pulse oximeter checks above 3,000 m
- NTP duffel bag, route map and trek completion certificate
Not included
- International flights and Nepal entry visa
- Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover (mandatory)
- Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu
- Drinks, snacks, hot showers, Wi-Fi and device charging on trek
- Personal trekking gear and sleeping bag (rentable in Kathmandu)
- Tips for guide and porters
Optional add-ons
Private porter
Your own porter for the full trek (max 18 kg)
US$ 220
per person
Helicopter return from Gokyo
Trade the two-day walk out for a morning flight from Gokyo to Lukla or Kathmandu, weather permitting
US$ 1,000
per person
Single room supplement
Private rooms in Kathmandu and on trek where available
US$ 220
per person
Sleeping bag & down jacket rental
Four-season bag and 800-fill jacket for the full trip
US$ 40
per person
Extra night in Kathmandu
3-star hotel with breakfast, before or after the trek
US$ 45
per room per night
Route map
The route
Detailed route map in production — every itinerary stage above is GPS-logged.
Dates & availability
Departures
| Start | End | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Sep 2026 | 8 Oct 2026 | US$ 1,250 | Open |
| 10 Oct 2026 | 22 Oct 2026 | US$ 1,250 | Guaranteed |
| 24 Oct 2026 | 5 Nov 2026 | US$ 1,250 | 4 spots left |
| 7 Nov 2026 | 19 Nov 2026 | US$ 1,250 | Open |
| 21 Nov 2026 | 3 Dec 2026 | US$ 1,250 | Open |
| 6 Mar 2027 | 18 Mar 2027 | US$ 1,250 | Open |
| 20 Mar 2027 | 1 Apr 2027 | US$ 1,250 | Guaranteed |
| 3 Apr 2027 | 15 Apr 2027 | US$ 1,250 | Open |
| 17 Apr 2027 | 29 Apr 2027 | US$ 1,250 | Open |
- Open
26 Sep 2026 – 8 Oct 2026
US$ 1,250
- Guaranteed
10 Oct 2026 – 22 Oct 2026
US$ 1,250
- 4 spots left
24 Oct 2026 – 5 Nov 2026
US$ 1,250
- Open
7 Nov 2026 – 19 Nov 2026
US$ 1,250
- Open
21 Nov 2026 – 3 Dec 2026
US$ 1,250
- Open
6 Mar 2027 – 18 Mar 2027
US$ 1,250
- Guaranteed
20 Mar 2027 – 1 Apr 2027
US$ 1,250
- Open
3 Apr 2027 – 15 Apr 2027
US$ 1,250
- Open
17 Apr 2027 – 29 Apr 2027
US$ 1,250
Every departure runs with a minimum of 2 trekkers — or book it as a private trip.
Before you go
Essential information
Permits
Sagarmatha National Park entry
NPR 3,000, collected at Monjo — included in the trip price
US$ 25
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee
NPR 2,000, replaces TIMS in the Everest region — included
US$ 15
Permits are included in the trip price.
Best seasons
Departure dates above keep to these windows.
FAQs
Questions, answered
Trusted by trekkers
Walked with us
4.9
out of 5, average rating
111
traveler reviews
15
years in the Himalaya
“I had exactly two weeks of leave and this itinerary used them perfectly. We earned Base Camp on foot — the full trail, acclimatization days included — then skipped the three-day walk out with the helicopter from Gorak Shep. Watching the route we had climbed for ten days unspool beneath us in forty minutes was the best debrief imaginable. December was cold but brilliantly clear and the trail nearly empty. The guide's daily health checks made a winter trek feel completely controlled.”
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