GOKYO LAKES AND GOKYO RI TREK - 11 DAYS

A trek to Gokyo Lakes is for those who are willing to sacrifice the brand value of Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar for a quieter and more varied experience. In one single trek, you will see some absolutely beautiful lakes, walk past mystical forests teeming with wildlife, and also see a highly underrated view of Mount Everest from Gokyo Ri.

This trek is also one day shorter than the Everest Base Camp Trek, and has less high altitude exposure. For those who are caught between choosing the Everest Base Camp Trek or Gokyo Lakes trek, it is also possible to combine these two in a single trek.

One thing with this trek is that the days can feel a bit short with just 3-4 hour walking. This is because terrain here is steeper and hence you gain altitude much faster. Hence, even though you might finish the day lunch, it is important that you do not go ahead to reduce the chances of Acute Mountain Sickness.

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WHY HONEYGUIDE?

~ Specialized in Everest - From dropping cyclists at Kala Patthar to classy New Year events, we have done some exciting things in Everest. ~ Travelers’ Choice Award 2022 by Tripadvisor - Also, we only use hotels that are highly rated on Tripadvisor. ~ Understand Everest inside out - Extensive online resources and deep community involvement. ~ Only Online Travel Agency in Nepal- Option to book Treks & Heli Tours / Flights / Hotels / Trekking Guides directly. ~ Love the Mountains and are fun to talk to.

If you have any questions, feel free to Call / WhatsApp / Email OR Fill out an Enquiry Form.

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DETAILED ITINERARY

DAY 1: KATHMANDU/RAMECHHAP - LUKLA - MONJO (5-6 hrs)

~ Flight from Kathmandu/Ramechhap to Lukla (25 min). ~ Walk for around 3 hours through villages, forests, and some long-ass bridges to reach Phakding for lunch. ~ Walk for another 3 hours to settle for the night at Monjo. Accommodation: Mount Kailash Lodge, Monjo or similar.

DAY 2: MONJO - NAMCHE BAZAAR (2-3 hrs)

~ Get your Sagarmatha National Park permits at Jorsalle. ~ Walk uphill for around two to three hours to reach Namche Bazaar for lunch. ~ Stroll around Namche and enjoy the sunset from the National Park View Point. Accommodation: Khumbu Lodge / Hotel Namche, Namche Bazaar or similar.

DAY 3: NAMCHE - SYANGBOCHE - KHUMJUNG - NAMCHE (2-3 hrs)

~ After breakfast at Namche, walk to Hotel Everest View at Syangboche to enjoy amazingly stunning mountain views. ~ Play the grand piano at 3,880 meters. ~ Return to Namche through the twin Sherpa villages of Khumjung and Khunde (2 hours). Accommodation: Khumbu Lodge / Hotel Namche, Namche Bazaar or similar.

DAY 4: NAMCHE - DOLE (5-6 hrs)

~ Walk past some beautiful mountain views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Kangtega to reach Mong for lunch. (3.5 hours) ~ Watch out for Himalaya Tahr and Himalaya Monals on the first section. ~ Descent to Phortse Tenga and then reach Dole to settle in for the night. (2.5 hours) Accommodation: Dole Resort, Dole or similar.

DAY 5: DOLE - MACHHERMO (4 hrs)

~ Short 3 to 4 hours steady climb to Machhermo for lunch and overnight stay. The reason we have a short day is to give our body the time to acclimatize. ~ Take a evening walk to the ridge behind Luza if you feel like it. Accommodation: Peaceful Lodge, Machhermo or similar.

DAY 6: MACHHERMO - GOKYO (4 hrs)

~ Walk past two small lakes and beside the moraines of the mighty Ngozumba Glacier for around 4 hours to reach Gokyo for lunch. ~ Take an evening hike to Gokyo Ri and come back down to Gokyo to settle in for the night. Or if you are feeling like it you can also do the Gokyo Ri the next day. Accommodation: Gokyo Thanka Inn, Gokyo or similar.

DAY 7: GOKYO - GOKYO RI - GOKYO (2-3 hrs)

~ After breakfast, we walk to the fourth lake and time and interest permitting, we can also go to the fifth lake. ~ After we are back in Gokyo, if we haven't already done so, we can walk up to Gokyo Ri in the evening. We highly recommend doing the Gokyo Ri hike in the evening as the views are much better then. You can thank us later. Accommodation: Gokyo Thanka Inn, Gokyo or similar.

DAY 8: GOKYO - MACHHERMO (4 hrs)

~ Walk back down to Dole, after having lunch at Machhermo. Accommodation: Dole Resort, Dole or similar.

DAY 9: MACHHERMO - NAMCHE (3 hrs)

~ Walk down to Kyangjuma for lunch and then spend the night at Namche. Accommodation: Khumbu Lodge / Hotel Namche, Namche Bazaar or similar.

DAY 10: NAMCHE - LUKLA (7-8 hrs)

~ Walk down from Namche to Lukla. (7-8 hours) Accommodation: Khumbu Resort / Himalaya Lodge or similar.

DAY 11: LUKLA - KATHMANDU/RAMECHHAP

~ Fly back to Kathmandu/Ramechhap. (25 minutes)

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CONTACT

If you have any questions, feel free to Call / WhatsApp / Email OR Fill an Enquiry Form.

We will happily tweak this tour to your liking. Some possible changes are: ~ Travel by helicopter between Kathmandu and Lukla - approx. USD 400 per person one way | USD 2,400 per flight. ~ Book rooms with attached bathrooms where possible - approx. USD 10 per night per person. ~ Add hotel and/or city tour in Kathmandu - approx. USD 100 per person. ~ Include meals and hot water - approx. USD 35 per day for three meals + hot water.

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INCLUSIONS AND EXCLUSIONS

Includes

~ Airport transfers for international and domestic flights ^ ~ Flights between Kathmandu and Lukla (Ramechhap transport if needed) ~ Certified trekking guide and his/her expenses ~ Porters and their expenses (2 trekkers : 1 porter) ^ ~ Accommodation during the trek on twin sharing basis ~ Meal Plan - Indians: No Meals (EP) | Nepali: All meals (AP) | Others: Breakfast (BB) ~ All government and local permits ~ Medical Kit with Oximeter ~ Hotel in Kathmandu for two nights (only for Indians)

^ not included for Nepali groups.

Add-on Services

~ Duffel Bag: Free with USD 30 deposit | Sleeping Bag: USD 1.5 per day (USD 150 deposit) | Down Jacket: USD 1.5 per day (USD 100 deposit) ~ Direct helicopter shuttle between Kathmandu to Lukla (skip the 5-hour drive to Ramechhap. Learn more.

Excludes

~ International flights ~ Visa fee for Nepal | USD 30-50 | More info. ~ Cost of evacuation and medical support in case of any mishap. ~ Mandatory travel insurance that includes helicopter evacuation More info. ~ Tips for support staff | Porters: USD 4-8 per day | Guide: USD 8-15 per day ~ Personal expenses | Battery charging: USD 4 per hour | Hot drinking water: USD 4 per liter | Bottled water: USD 1-4 per bottle | Hot shower: USD 4 | Wifi Cards: USD 15 for 10GB | Beer: ~USD 7 for 500 ml | Oxygen: USD 30 per hour ~ Cost incurred by changes in the tour due to any reason. ~ Anything else not included in the inclusion list above.

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SIMILAR TOURS

More adventurous options Cho La Trek 14N/15D adds more adventure as you will be crossing the Cho La Pass into the Everest Base Camp side. Crossing over to Thame Valley past the Renjo La Pass adds more adventure to this trek.

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EVEREST PLANNING RESOURCES

SAFETY FIRST Nepal Visa and Safety Update / Pre-existing Conditions / Altitude Illnesses / Water Safety / Heli Safety Briefing / Insurance / Detailed Health and Safety Post

FIND YOUR PERFECT TOUR Short Treks / Heli Tours / Heli Treks / Ways to See Everest / All Tours

BEST TIME TO GO Best time for EBC | EBC in Jan / Feb / Mar / Apr / May / Jun / Jul / Aug / Sep / Oct / Nov / Dec

PLANNING ESSENTIALS Expectation vs Reality / Cost in USD, INR & NPR / Difficulty / Training / Packing List / Maps / Permits / Side Trips / Solo Treks / Independent Treks / For Women

FLIGHTS TO LUKLA Online Flight Booking / Getting to Lukla / Lukla Weather and Flights / Survival Guide / Alternatives / Lukla Airport / Getting to Ramechhap / Ramechhap Flights

HOTELS IN EVEREST Online Hotel Booking / Overview / Hotels in Lukla / Namche / Dingboche / Lobuche / Gorakshep / Gokyo

TREKKING GUIDES FOR EVEREST Trekking Guides from Lukla / from Kathmandu / How to hire a guide?

WHAT TO EXPECT Hotels in Everest / WiFi, Mobile Network, Electricity / Food and Drinks / Sherpa Food / For Vegans

CULTURE Epic Photo ops / Sherpa Names / Khumbila / 5 Secrets / Festivals / Tengboche Monastery /

NATURE Mount Everest / Everest Base Camp / Everest Viewpoints / Kala Patthar / Ama Dablam / Mount Mera / Mountains / Birds / Wildlife / Flowers / Lakes /

VILLAGE DETAILS Lukla / Phakding / Monjo / Namche / Tengboche / Deboche / Pangboche / Dingboche / Pheriche / Thukla / Lobuche / Gorakshep / Dzongla / Gokyo / Thame / All Villages