Everest Base Camp Trek with Cho La Pass and Gokyo Ri - 16 Days

You will take an early morning flight to Lukla(2860 m / 9380 ft) . The flight is only 35 minutes long. When the weather is clear, you can see some wonderful views of the Himalayas during the flight. After landing in Lukla, you will start your trek. The trail from Lukla first descends to Tharo Koshi. It is also known as Kusum Kangru Khola (river). You can cross the river over a suspension bridge. Then you will trek uphill and reach to Phakding (2651 meters) after trekking for a total of 3-4 hours. Overnight at Phakding.

The trek from Phakding follows Dudh Koshi River. As you trek further, you will get to Zamphuti, which is a wonderful location to view Thamserku peak. You will walk for a couple of hours and reach the entrance to Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park at Monjo. The national park was established in 1976. It encompasses an area of 1148 sq km. You will walk for a few hours from Phakding and reach Namche Bazaar (3440 meters) after trekking for 5-6 hours. You will cover a total of 10 kilometers during this day’s trek. Overnight stay in Namche Bazaar

You will spend this day acclimatizing in Namche Bazaar (3441 meters). However, you won’t spend the day idly. You can buy some trekking gear in Namche in case you need some. You also have the option of hiking in Namche to get some views of the outstanding mountains such as Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Lhotse etc. You can also go to HIllary school in Khumjung. You can also visit Khunde Hospital if you want to. You will stroll around these places for 3-4 hours. Overnight stay in Namche Bazaar

From Namche Bazaar, you will walk along a ridge. Then, you will descend to Dudh Koshi River at Phunkithanka. The trail to Tengboche(3860) after crossing a bridge at Dudh Koshi river is a steep one. After trekking for 10 kilometers from Namche, you will reach Tengboche in 5-6 hours. Tengboche is home to the largest monastery in Khumbu region known as Tengboche monastery. The monastery has panoramic views of mountains of the Everest region like Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Lhotse etc. Overnight stay in Tengboche.

The starting point of your trek from Tengboche descends to Debuche. Then, you will come across a suspension bridge over Imja Khola. The trek from Imja Khola is uphill up to Pangboche. You will also trek alongside thousands of Mani stones. You will continue along an uphill trail to Dingboche (4360 meters), which is an exquisite Sherpa village. The trek from Tengboche to Dingboche covers a total of 8 kilometers. It will take you about 3-4 hours to complete this day’s trek. Overnight stay in Dingboche.

Dingboche is the first place during your trek where you cross the elevation of 4000 meters. So you need to acclimatize to the altitude of Dingboche(4350 meters). So you will spend a day here to get adjusted to the altitude of this place. You will take a good day’s rest before embarking upon your trek to Lobuche. Overnight stay in Dingboche.

The path from Dingboche to Lobuche(4910 meters) takes you along the lateral moraine of Khumbu Glacier. Along the way, you will also encounter some stone memorials, which are placed as a gesture of peace to climbers who lost their lives while trying to scale the various mountains in the Everest region. You will continue along the trekking trail and eventually reach Lobuche in 3-4 hours after trekking 7 kilometers. Lobuche is located at an altitude of 4910 meters. It lies at the foot of the giant Lobuche peak. Overnight stay in Lobuche.

This day’s trek will be quite strenuous. You will trek along the Khumbu Glacier and eventually reach the Everest Base Camp (5365 meters). Everest Base Camp is located at an altitude of 5365 meters. This is the closest you can get to Mt. Everest without a mountaineering permit. The Base Camp offers the best view of Khumbu Icefall. After spending some quality time here, you will return to Gorak Shep for your overnight stay. You will cover around 15 kilometers this day which will take you close to 8 hours. Overnight stay in Gorak Shep.

You will hike up to Kala Pattar early in the morning. Kala Patthar is a small peak that stands 5555 meters tall. The trek from Gorak Shep to Kala Patthar is quite challenging. However, you will be rewarded with some of the most beautiful views of the mountains from Kala Patthar. You will be able to get the best views of Everest from here. You will also get to see other towering mountains like Nuptse, Pumori, Chagatse, Lhotse amongst others from here.

After enjoying the sunrise at Kala Patthar, you will descend to Gorak Shep. From Gorak Shep, you will head out to Dzongla. You will trek for 7-8 hours this day covering a distance of 15 kilometers. Overnight stay in Dzongla.

At the beginning of your trail, you will walk along flat stone path for some time. You will later come across a parched valley. From there, the path to Chola pass is quite steep. The trail along the Chola glacier is quite icy. You will descend down from Chola pass on a different path to Cho La Phedi.

From Cho La Phedi you will climb down to Thangnak (4350 meters) in 2-3 hours trekking for a total of 3 kilometers. Thangnak is a small village where you can find a handful of tea shops and lodges. The village offers you some wonderful views of Machhermo peak and many more. Overnight stay in Thangnak.

You will walk along a glacial route to get to Dudh Koshi river. The trek from Dudh Koshi river up to Gokyo (4750 meters) is a flat one and therefore quite easy. You will cover 8 kilometers today. Trekking time will be 4-5 hours. Gokyo valley is quite windy. Your lodge will be situated near the third lake. The natural beauty of Dudh Pokhari Lake that you get from Gokyo is simply stunning. Overnight stay in Gokyo.

You will explore the Gokyo valley this day and will climb Gokyo Ri- a peak that towers over the Gokyo lake. The peak is located to the northern side of the Lake. Gokyo Ri located at an altitude of 5457 meters.. Gokyo is a trade center in the Everest region. It is one of the highest settlements in the Everest region and in the world.

The main inhabitants of Gokyo are the Sherpa people. Gokyo is located quite close to the biggest glacier in Nepal- the Ngozumpa glacier. Strolling around Gokyo valley will last for 1-2 hours. You will cover around 1 kilometer exploring the Gokyo valley. Overnight stay in Gokyo.

Gokyo Ri is a wonderful point to see various beautiful peaks in the Everest region like Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. After spending some time here, you will descend back to Machermo. From Gokyo, you will trek along the Dudh Koshi River. Along the way, you can large yak pastures. You will eventually reach Machhermo (4410 meters) after trekking 8 kilometers. Today’s hike will be 5-6 hours long. Overnight stay in Thangna.

Your hike this day will be mostly downhill. You will trek for 6-7 hours covering 10.8 kilometers. Firstly, you will descend down to Phortse Tenga. Then you will trek along forests that are full of rhododendron, pine, and local incense. There is a steep uphill to Monglo. From Monglo, you will trek gently to Khumjung. The path from Khumjung to Namche (3440 meters) is firstly quite flat and then a slow descent.

The trek from Namche (3441 meters) to Lukla is the last day of your Everest – Cho-La Pass – Gokyo Trek. You will trek most downhill covering a total distance of around 18 km. In terms of the distance you cover, this is the longest you will trek. But trekking downhill makes the trek quite easy. The total trek this day lasts around 6-7 hours. Overnight stay in Namche.

You will head out to Kathmandu in the scheduled time. In case of bad weather or technical difficulties, there might be a bit of delay in your flight. The 35 minutes flight to Kathmandu will be your last chance to catch the glimpses of the mountains in the Everest region.