Gokyo Lakes Trek

Kathmandu sightseeing is the first day before your trek to Gokyo lakes. During the sightseeing of Kathmandu valley you can explore some of the UNESCO world heritage sites. Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Pashupatinath and Kathmandu Durbar square are the four heritage sites that you will be exploring. You can also choose some other heritage sites that you are willing to visit during the day. Besides that, this day can also be used as a trek preparation day.

Our Gokyo lakes trek starts after a scenic flight to Lukla Airport. During the flight you can have the marvellous views of the mountain ranges and the valleys. You can also witness Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho oyu and many other mountain ranges during the 30 minutes flight. Upon reaching Lula you will meet the rest of the team and start walking. Monjo is the stop point of the first day of the trek that lies at an elevation of 2,835 meters above sea level. Besides that, you can also choose to stay overnight at Phakding village.

During your trek to Namche Bazaar you will pass through some of the rural villages and vintage gompas and monasteries. The sherpa capital is the main highlights of the trek and you can also meet with other hikers or have a hike to nearby places during the acclimatization day. Dole lies at an elevation of 4,200 meters above sea level.

During the sixth day of the trek you will reach Gokyo lakes and you can also take a hike to Gokyo ri the next day. The best view of Gokyo 5 and Everest can be seen from Gokyo ri. Renjo la pass is the highest point of the Gokyo lakes trek that lies at an elevation of 5,340 meters above sea level. After crossing this pass you can reach Lunde and then to Namche Bazaar. From there you will take the same route to reach Lukla and fly back to Kathmandu.

Gokyo Lakes

Gokyo lakes are the highest altitude lakes that lie in the Khumbu region of Nepal. Altogether there are 19 lakes in the Gokyo valley, but among them six of the lakes are the major lakes. Among all the lakes, Thonak lake is the largest. Similarly, The minimum elevation of Gokyo lake is 4,700 meters above sea level and the highest elevation is 5,000 meters above sea level.

Gokyo lakes lie in the north-eastern part of Nepal in the Solukhumbu district of Nepal. Marvellous views of the Gokyo lakes as well as the mountain ranges can be seen from the top of the Gokyo Ri that lies at an elevation of 5,360 meters above sea level. Besides that, astonishing views of Everest can also be seen from the top of Gokyo ri. Besides that Gokyo village that lies at an elevation of 4,790 meters above sea level besides the Goko lake 3 is also the main highlights of the area.

Sagarmatha National Park

Sagarmatha National Park is the most popular national park of Nepal that lies in Province 1 of Nepal. Established on July 19, 1976 it covers an area of 1148 square kilometers. Meanwhile, this national park was included in the UNESCO world heritage site in 1979. Besides being the home to rare species of flora and fauna, Sagarmatha National Park also holds some of the deep valleys, glaciers, lakes as well as the 8 mountain ranges above 7,000 meters.

The warm hospitality of the sherpas are also the major things to experience inside the Sagarmatha national park. Besides that you can also learn the tradition and culture of the local Sherpas. Some of the most popular areas around the Sagarmatha National Park include the Namche Bazaar, Dingboche, Everest Base Camp, Kalapatthar, Gokyo Lakes, Gokyo Ri and many more.

Renjo La Pass

Renjo la pass is the highest point of the Gokyo lakes trek besides that it is also one of the major high trekking passes of Nepal. It lies at an elevation of 5,340 meters above sea level. Besides that, it is also one of the most challenging passes of the Everest region. Besides that, you can also witness the marvellous views of the high mountain ranges and the deep valleys from the top of the pass.

You can reach Lunde village after crossing the Renjo La Pass from Gokyo Lakes. The alpine glacial views and snowy trails are the exciting part of this pass. Renjo La pass is one of three major passes in the Everest region.But the scenarios, landscape and the sherpa culture are worth any difficulties during the trek. Trekking route to Renjo La Pass is less crowded than other trekking routes of the Everest Region. So it is a must place to try if you are willing to trek in the less crowded trekking route of the Everest region.

Best Time for Gokyo Lakes Trek

Gokyo valley is one of the least crowded trekking trails of Everest region of Nepal. Meanwhile, it is an ideal choice for the adventure seekers who are willing to try the least crowded area of the same region. Due to the heavy rainfall in the Monsoon season of the year, it is better not to trek Gokyo valley during this season of the year. Besides that, due to high snowfall, the winter season of the year is also not favourable for trekking.

March, April and May are the best time for trekking in the Gokyo lakes trek in Nepal. Meanwhile, during this season you can also witness the beautiful rhododendron flower blooming in the lower parts of the trek. Similarly, another best time for Gokyo valley trek is during the months of September, October and November. Due to high visibility you can witness the astonishing views of the mountain ranges during these months of the year.

Permits and Entry Fees

Before 2018 the trekkers travelling to Gokyo valley need to pay for the TIMS card. But after 2018 the local government of the Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality will replace the TIMS card. Instead of a TIMS card you will need to get a Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit. Meanwhile, you can get this pass only in Monjo or in Namche. Similarly, the cost of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit is Nrs 2,000 per person.

Another pass you will need during the Gokyo lakes trek is the Sagarmatha National PArk Permit. Almost all the trekking trails of the Gokyo valley lie inside the Sagarmatha National Park of Nepal. Because of that it is mandatory to get a Sagarmatha National Park Permit. You can get this pass from Kathmandu or from Monjo. The cost of this permit is Nrs 3,000 per person.

Difficulty Level of Trek

Gokyo valley is a moderate to difficult level of trek that lies in the Khumbu region of Nepal. The trail to Gokyo lake is not so difficult, but the trail to reach the Renjo la pass is one of the difficult parts of the trek. The altitude of the Renjo La Pass is 5,340 meters above sea level. Because of that there are high chances of getting altitude sickness. Because of that you will need to slowly gain altitude in order to avoid altitude sickness. But no technical climbing skills are required to cross the pass.

Daily 6-8 hours of walk is required to complete the trek in time. This trekking trail gets comparatively less travellers than that of Everest base camp trek. But the trail is easily navigable as there are various sign boards throughout the trekking trails. Meanwhile, you will need to walk steep uphill as well as downhill of the rough trails of the himalayas. Because of that, the hikers must be physically fit and regular exercise a few weeks before the trek is a must.