Gokyo Lakes Renjo La Pass Trek

We will depart early morning and fly to the airport on a flight that will be an excellent 30-minute journey to Lukla – it’s really your gateway to Everest. Depending on where you sit on the plane, you could see the entire Himalayan range stretching out in front of you – if you want the best views, try to snag a seat on the left side of the plane! Just in case you don’t know, Lukla airport has the world’s shortest runway, so hold on to your seat for a little rollercoaster landing experience! Once we land, we’ll meet up with our trekking team and head out to Phakding on our trek.

The path takes us through some beautiful Sherpa villages like Cheplung and Ghat. You’ll see these incredible old prayer wheels, mani walls (they’re these Buddhist-inscribed rocks), and stupas. We’ll also walk over some pretty exciting suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi River and walk through rhododendron and pine forest. Keep your camera handy – you’ll get to take some great shots of Kusum Kanguru and Mount Khumbila (the Sherpas consider this one a holy mountain). It’s not so hard a walk to Phakding, where you’ll sleep in a riverside lodge in Phakding.

We’ll eat breakfast before we start on the trail along the Dudh Koshi River. The path goes through pine forests, and we’ll cross many suspension bridges, including the famous Hillary Bridge – the longest in the Everest region. We’ll go through pretty Sherpa villages like Benkar and Monjo. At Monjo, we’ll enter Sagarmatha National Park where they’ll check our permits.

The path gets really steep from there as we make our way up to Namche. The highlight? It is here that we’ll catch our very first glimpse of Everest, pouring out behind the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge! The climb up to Namche is rather tough, but believe me, it’s all the hassle worth! The town itself is wonderful – it’s in this natural basin between the mountains. There are heaps of cafes, bakeries and shops to meander around. We will overnight at a lodge in Namche Bazaar.

Today, we’ll have a rest day to acclimatize at high altitude. We’ll do a beautiful walk up to the Everest View Hotel – perfect for some great views of spectacular views of Everest, Ama Dablam, and Lhotse. On the way, we’ll walk through the villages of Khumjung and Kunde, where you’ll be able to see something rather special – a monastery said to have a Yeti scalp inside! We will also go to Khunde Hospital, built by the famous Edmund Hillary. You may walk around town in Namche, or visit Sherpa Culture Museum, or take it easy at a cafe. We will stay at Namche Bazaar.

It’s our first day today when we start trekking from Namche climbing to a ridge from which you get most beautiful vistas of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. We’re taking the other way rather than following the conventional route towards Everest Base Camp. Instead of it, we’re trekking through a side trail towards Gokyo. When we approach Mong La Pass, we drop down towards Phortse Tenga – a peaceful location beside Dudh Koshi River. Next, we’ll trek through beautiful rhododendron and birch forests until Dole. Here you’ll have excellent views of Khumbila and Tawache summits. We will have a cozy teahouse tonight at Dole.

Today we will proceed along steadily ascending through beautiful meadows where yaks graze. The trees disappear as we climb higher and the landscape opens up. You’ll get wonderful views of Cho Oyu – the sixth-highest mountain on earth! We’ll walk through small summer settlements and then reach Machhermo, a village with fantastic mountain views. Fun fact: this village is famous for a real Yeti sighting! We’ll spend the night in a lodge in Machhermo.

Today we’ll climb gradually to the first of the Gokyo Lakes, Longpongo. The beautiful blue lakes are very sacred to the Sherpa folk around here. Above the second, Taboche Tsho, you’ll reach the largest – Dudh Pokhari. Gokyo village is situated beside that, and here we’ll establish our overnight camp. Just wait till you get Cho Oyu’s reflection in the lake – it’s absolutely amazing! We’ll spend the night in Gokyo.

We’ll make an early start to climb Gokyo Ri – trust me, the views are worth getting up for! From the top, you can see Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, and hundreds of other peaks. Sunrise here is one you’ll never forget. After we come back down, you can go to the other Gokyo Lakes or just relax in the village. Another night in Gokyo.

This is the most busiest day but more than worth it! We climb to Renjo La Pass for stunning views of Everest, Makalu, Lhotse, and the Gokyo Lakes. The descent is steep and brings us through some very remote areas before reaching Lungden, a tiny village on an old trade route between Nepal and Tibet. Overnight in Lungden.

After breakfast in Lungden, we’ll hike to Thame. Today’s mostly downhill – your legs will thank you! Thame is a quaint Sherpa village with a nice monastery on a ridge. It’s one of the oldest in the Khumbu area and very serene. You can learn about Buddhist rituals here and about local Sherpa life. We’ll spend the night in Thame.

We walk downhill from Thame, cross a bridge, and reach Samdo – the views here are breathtaking! We then go down to Thamo village and to the Khari Gompa monastery. We cross a check post, and then you’ll find something of interest – the world’s highest hydroelectric power station! Then we return to Namche, which is now more vibrant and filled with trekkers. Another night in Namche.

Our last day of trekking is along the Dudh Koshi River. We’ll cross several suspension bridges and go through forest and villages to Lukla. You’ll see lots of prayer flags, Chortens, Mani walls, and small Gompas in the villages. Celebration time – you’ve made it! Overnight in Lukla.

We return to Kathmandu early morning by flight. The day is then free on return to the city. Feel like Shopping? Take the shopping-lined streets of Thamel. Want Culture? Head for the lovely durbar squares and temples. Or just relax – you deserve it! On the last night, there is a special farewell dinner to mark our incredible trek. You overnight in Kathmandu.

After breakfast, we drop you to the airport where you return back home by air. Also, we can arrange alternative tours if you want to stay back for a few more days. We can allow you to have Kathmandu’s culture tour, jungle stay for Chitwan, or just relax in Pokhara. Your tour can be further improvised.