Everest Base Camp Trek via Gokyo Lakes and Cho La Pass is one of the most beautiful treks in the Sagarmatha National Park area. It is definitely worth going for anyone who dreams about the Himalayas. And for those who don't yet have dreams - you should too))
During the hiking to Everest Everest Base Camp via Gokyo Lakes we have great views of the four 8,000 meters peaks - Cho Oyu (8,261 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,485 m) and, of course, the "mother of the world" Sagarmatha (8,848 m) - this is how the locals respectfully call Everest.
A nice addition to the piggy bank of every tourist will be climbing the two peaks Gokyo Ri (5,330 m) and Kala Pattar (5,645 m). By the way, note that the latter is higher than Elbrus by as much as three meters! The summits are not technically difficult and do not require any special skills, for a successful ascent requires only the desire, perseverance and good acclimatization - to stampede to such an altitude is not so easy! But after climbing to the highest point of the route you can see unforgettable views of Khumbu glacier and Everest Peak!
The program trek is well structured and the climbing is smooth. It means you get proper acclimatization and feel relatively well on the summit. Of course, we can't cancel the increased fatigue and headaches, but they are not critical.
If our trekking to Everest Base Camp goes well and we get to Kathmandu on time, we can visit Chitwan National Park, where we will get acquainted with the diverse flora and fauna of the jungle.
We strongly recommend to take porters, because at such heights it is hard to move yourself and not just to carry a backpack. The route is physically difficult and demands from you responsible preparation. Hiking experience is desirable.
We do not cancel or shift groups. If the manager approved the purchase of a ticket, you can surely buy it. The hike will not be canceled due to our fault.
Experienced Kuluar teamleaders will accompany the group on all route, will make the trip as safe and unforgettable as possible! They have been to Nepal many times and know the country in details.
We have a list of checked loggias and we try to book only the best ones. Where possible - with amenities in the room. In Lobuche we stay overnight at the Pyramid Hotel - with hot showers and unlimited tea. At this altitude - it really is a luxury!
In Kathmandu, we stay in a good hotel, understanding that you will want maximum comfort after the trek.
The Teamleader or our Nepalese partner will meet you at the airport and take you directly to the hotel. The guide will tell you and show you where to change money, buy souvenirs and equipment, what and where to eat…
The manager who will advise you before the trip was on a trek in Nepal, herself and will tell you about the details from personal experience!
More than 12,000 participants have already gone to the mountains with the Kuluar and 97,8% were satisfied.
It is the capital of Nepal, the inimitable Kathmandu, which is the meeting point for all our Himalayan groups. At the exit from the airport our teamleader Kuluar or a Nepal assistant with a sign will be waiting for you and will take you by cab to your pre-booked hotel. We live in the heart of the capital, the tourist district of Thamel.
After checking into the hotel, you will have time to rest and buy the missing equipment. Where to do it and how not to get lost in the noisy streets - our teamleader will tell you in details.
In the evening there will be dinner for the group, where the guide will tell all about further plans and everyone will get to know each other better.
We get up very early, because we have to leave the hotel at five in the morning in order to arrive on time at the "homestay" airport in Kathmandu. Just because we arrive on time does not mean that we will also leave on time. The local KTM airport is a real noisy bazaar with no clear timetable, everyone running and hustling. Departures are often delayed several hours while waiting for a weather window. And sometimes for several days. Let's hope luck smiles on us and we fly out today.
After a successful landing we have lunch, get acquainted with the porters and start our trek to Everest Base Camp! Today we do not walk for a long time and some lose altitude. It is very good for the organism, because even high altitudes up to 3000 m are not easy to bear when you are not used to them.
Travel time: 4-5 hours
The first part of the trail will be relatively easy - the elevation changes are small, the trail is not steep. The trail leads through a deep gorge, overgrown with coniferous forests. Soon we will see our first summit - Tamserku (6,608 m). Closer to lunch we climb to the village of Monjo, which is the main gateway to Sagarmathu Park.
After the village we have a short descent and then a steep ascent to the local district center Namche Bazar. It's a large village with everything, even banks and a post office. We will stay here for two nights.
Travel time: 6-7 hours
Namche Bazaar is at a serious altitude and the first symptoms of altitude sickness will be felt. In order for the trek to Everest base camp to go well, we need to give our body time to get used to the new conditions. So, today we are going to spend the night in Namche again.
To acclimatize we will go to the village of Kumjung, where there is a mountaineering museum and the main attraction - the scalp of the snowman. And while the museum itself, frankly, not very interesting, the views along the way are fascinating - we will admire Everest and Lhotse. By the way, there is also an expensive Japanese hotel - it is primarily designed for very busy people who do not have time to go to base camp, but they want to see the Himalayas. Rich, but poor at the same time. After all, we will see such beauty that they do not dream of. At least in this hiking.
In Kumjunga we will have lunch, walk through the village streets, see a Yetti scalp and start walking back down to Namche Bazar. Today's walk will give us a good acclimatization and tomorrow the walking will be easier.
Travel time: 8 hours
We'll take a new altitude! Today we will climb above 4000 meters! This is almost half of Everest's height :)) During the smooth ascent we will be accompanied by the snowy peaks of Tamserku (6,608 m), Nuptse (7,861 m) and Ama Dablan (6,814 m). The last peak is incredibly beautiful. From time to time we will press against the slopes of the mountains, passing fat yaks carrying huge loads along the trail. Closer to the evening we will come to the village Dole, where we will stay for the night. We will by all means do small acclimatization hike. You should take it seriously, even if it is hard, but this way are guarantee of your good health. Golden rule of acclimatization: trekking higher and sleep lower.
Travel time: 6-7 hours
Today is not a difficult day, because the transition is only about 6 km long and the altitude of 270 m will take us about 4 hours. So already by lunch time we will check in to one of the lodges. After eating a short rest and take a radial walk in the neighborhood. It is worth to go to the lecture about the mountain sickness, they read them here all the time. They are read here all the time in English. If you are not interested - you can just relax and enjoy the sunny weather. It gets cold quickly after sunset, so do not forget warm hats and down jackets.
Travel time: 4 hours
Today we are waiting for some of the most beautiful lakes in Nepal - the Gokyo Highlands Lakes. There are 5 of them in total, today we will pass the first three: Longpong (4650 m), Taujun (4710 m), Dudh Pokhari (4750 m). The village of Gokyo is on the shore of the last one, where we are going to spend the night. But this is all in the second half of the day. In the first half of the day we will have the views of Cho Oyu and huge Ngozumpa glacier, which feeds the lakes with melt water.
Travel time: 4-5 hours
Along the picturesque valley we will climb first up to the fourth of the Gokyo lakes, Tonak Tsho (4,840 m). We stop here for a photo break and go to the fifth lake, Ngozumpa Tsho (4,980 m), which offers some of the best views of Everest and Cho Oyu. We will spend some time near the lake meditating on the peaks and the water surface and in the evening we will go back down to Gokyo village. It is a hard day, but you will sleep much better today as your organizm gets used to the altitude.
Travel time: 7-9 hours
Today is a significant and difficult day, because many of you (if not all of you) are waiting for the first Himalayan peak - Gokyo Ri, at a height of 5,330 m. It may be quite small in the scale of the surrounding mountains, but not everyone has been on such a height! The ascent itself is not technically difficult but it would require a lot of effort and perseverance because of the lack of oxygen at altitude. It is good that we have got good acclimatization.
We set off for the ascent at 5 am and somewhere on the way we will meet a beautiful sunrise. We will have views of peaks like Everest, Nuptze, Lhotse, Makalu, Cholatse and Taboche. About 30-40 minutes rest on the summit and make a photos then we start the descent. At the lodges we have breakfast, rest for a while and go on to the village of Dragnak.
Travel time: 7-8 hours
After the first summit, the first real Himalayan pass, Cho-La, awaits us. The first part of the trail will be gentle, but don't get too comfortable. Before the pass the path goes sharply uphill and looking from afar it seems unreal to climb it without using special equipment. But everything is real and little by little we will climb up too. Of course, it won't be easy, but that's why we came to the Himalayas, isn't it? The ascent to the pass will take about 4 hours, and we will spend about an hour at the top, relaxing and enjoying the scenery.
After resting we will start to descend rapidly to the very small village of Dzongla. We have to drop about 500 m altitude - it's very frustrating remembering how hard they were given, but can't be helped. Dzongla is a tiny village in a gorge where satellite communication doesn't always get through either, so we have to hurry to occupy the lodge. If there are no available, you will have to walk another 6 km to the neighboring village of Lobuche.
Travel time: 8 hours
Our trek to Everest base camp continues, we are still gaining altitude. The first thing we will do is get to the Khumbu glacier valley, the same glacier that comes down from the slopes of Everest and is the first serious obstacle on the way to the summit. The climb to Lobuche is long and gentle, and the reward is a great view of the whole Khumbu valley.
We'll try to spend the night at Pyramid, which is 1.5 km further up, but it has a nice hot shower, Wi-Fi and free tea.) The walking day is short and easy.
Travel time: 8 hours
We wake up early and walk to the nearest settlement to Everest's base camp, Gorak Shep. The stony trail constantly jumps up and down along the moraine of the Khumbu glacier. The drive will take about 2-3 hours. At the lodge we have a quick bite to eat and go to Everest BC. There is no point in delaying the exit, as the weather can get very bad towards evening.
It's done! Everest Base Camp, though not the highest point of our trip in Nepal, is the main goal. The trail is difficult, rocky, and covered with snow in places. The path goes along the upper edge of Khumbu moraine and towards the camp we will have to descend a little bit more, dropping down about 50 meters. There is no desire to do it, because the camp is perfectly visible from here. But we have to. For the sake of the photo with the plaque and walk along Khumba glacier - its safe part. We return to Gorakshep and rest - tomorrow is a very early exit to the summit of Kala Pattar. The whole walk to the base camp will take about 5-6 hours.
We get up in complete darkness, at about 3-4 in the morning, to be at the top by dawn. The ascent is not at all difficult, but it is very hard to breathe. And it is very cold. Most of all freezing extremities - hands and feet, so do not forget to wear warm socks and good gloves. Well, and be sure to have a cap and down jacket. The ascent will take about 2 hours and we will meet an unforgettable sunrise from the summit of 5,645 m!
The sun will light the first rays of the black peak of Everest, and we will all stand, freeze, and admire the unique sight, not being able to take our eyes off. In addition to Everest we enjoy the walls of Nupjie and Pumori, which are much closer and therefore seem higher.
It becomes much warmer as soon as the sun reaches us. But we don't want to sit up too late, so we go down to the lodges, have a snack, have some rest and continue our way back from Everest. Taking the familiar road we go down to Ferich, noticing more and more new sights. If we have enough energy, we will walk another hour and a half to Pangboche - there is electricity and more civilization, which we all are bored of.
Travel time: 8 hours
We continue our fast-paced start. The main part of the trek to Everest is behind us, but that doesn't mean there won't be something to surprise us on the road. Today in Tyangboche, one of the highest altitude monasteries in the world awaits us. And there is also a delicious pastry shop where we can stop for a snack. By the end of the day we will go down to Namche Bazaar, where we will spend the night.
Travel time: 9 hours
We are saying goodbye to the highest peaks of the world. No, we are not saying goodbye yet - we can wave goodbye from the window of our small plane to Kathmandu. We continue our descent along the familiar trail. Here is the exit from Sagarmatha National Park. Only two weeks ago we had passed this place, but it seems like an entire eternity passed! So much to see and so much to do.
Crowds of tourists and yaks are moving toward us and we have to pass them all the time. Just before Lukla, we have a short climb of about 200 meters. Exhausted, we arrive at the lodge. In the evening we ask the mountain gods to send us good weather.
If we are lucky, we immediately fly to Kathmandu, where we check into a hotel and explore the local sights.
If there is no weather, we stay in Lukla to wait for better weather.
Sightseeing in Kathmandu, Reserve Day
We visit the main attractions of the capital of Nepal, the bustling city of Kathmandu. The first thing we do is go to the Swayambunath Stupa, also known as the Monkey Temple. We feed the macaques, explore the Buddhist and Hindu temples, admire the best views of Kathmandu and move to Pashupatinath. This is one of the world's greatest Hindu temple complexes, where some 64 dead are cremated daily. After that we visit the Bodnath stupa, whose luminous energy will give us strength and peace of mind. In the evening we will have a farewell dinner.
This day can be used as a backup in case we don't leave Lukla in time.
Этот день может быть использован как резервный в случае не вылета с Луклы вовремя.
All days after the end of the hiking part of the program can serve as backup in case of bad weather in Lukla. If bad weather drags on, there is a chance that you will have to fly away by helicopter - it costs about $300-500 per person. That's not cheap. This is why we try to have extra days in the program. If you are very pressed for time, you can take a late afternoon or overnight flight from Kathmandu to your flight home.
For those who have time and opportunity, we suggest continuing your journey and heading further into the jungle of Chitwan.
Additionally after the trek you have the opportunity to go to Chitwan National Park to ride through the jungle on elephants, on narrow boats on the river with crocodiles, to see the dancing of the local natives and much more. Allow +3 days for this at the end of the program. Our guide will help you with your tour arrangements. See more about Chitwan in the video:
The manager will advise you on equipment, help you choose the best flight, share information on hotels and excursions. You make payments and purchases yourself. If you want the manager to buy a ticket for you, then this is possible, but for extra money, because this is a big responsibility. More in the article: additional services and service fee
Depending on the weather conditions, condition and general wishes of the group, the guide has the right to make changes to the route.
Visa to Nepal is issued directly at the border, the cost of visa for 30 days of stay - $50. Detailed instructions on how to apply here >>. To get a visa you need only a valid passport, valid for more than 6 months from the date of return flight.
To participate in the trekking you must be free of diseases incompatible with active tourism: the list here.
After an Everest Base Camp Trek via Gokyo Lakes, we recommend the following routes:
You should buy your tickets in advance, as soon as we confirm your participation in the trek. The cheapest option is AirArabia and FlyDubai, which costs $500-700. Also fly Turkish Airlines, Qatar, etc., with more convenient connections, but ticket prices start at $1000 and higher. Please keep in mind that luggage may not be included in the price and you must order an extra 20 kg at the time of purchase, or take a package at once, including 1 piece of luggage. When you check in at the airport you may be asked to show your card with which you paid for your tickets - don't forget it!
You need to be in Kathmandu on the first day of the program during the day, time is not important. If you arrive in the morning, then you will have time to have a rest from the road, if necessary, go to the market to buy some equipment, change currency. Next day at about 6 am we fly to Lukla.
We recommend to take return tickets for evening flights at the 18th p.m. at the last trekking day, or the next day, as there is a possibility of delays or postponement of domestic flights.
If you plan to visit Chitwan National Park (elephant safari through the jungle, canoeing on the river with crocodiles...), then add +3 days.
After purchasing tickets send the details of your arrival/departure flights to your manager.
To find the cheapest tickets you can use the form below:
To participate in the program, you need to take good insurance that is valid at altitudes up to 6,000 m, covers mountain hiking, and includes helicopter evacuation. Please do not neglect this point. It has saved some participants thousands of dollars. Our insurance recommendations can be found here: "Insurance for Kuluar ir Hikers".
Cell phone, 3g - there is on the track all the way to Pangboche. For some reason it doesn't work well in Lukla, but in other places it does. In Dingboche, Ferich, Dugla, Lobuche - no connection. In Gorak Shep it comes up again, weak, but it pulls.
Wi-Fi, Everest link is a system that provides good wi-fi throughout the track. Sold by the cards, there are for 200 mb, cost about 500 rupees respectively. Note: Internet works for 15 hours after activation, there is a link to the device. This is a good option, not very expensive and fast. Namche Bazaar has free wi-fi in the cafes.
Electricity - there is normal only Da Pangboche, further on - solar panels. Accordingly, the price of charging will be large, about 1000 rupees per paverbank.
In Kathmandu we will stay at the Hotel Arts 4*. Standard accommodation in 2-bed rooms.
During the trek we live in lodges, which are tourist shelters with a public shower and toilet (sometimes in the room). Food we order in the same lodge where we live. Rooms are very simple, small, for 2-3 people, not heated. Of furniture there are often only beds. Beds are made with linens, but it is recommended to take your sleeping bag and sleep in it. Upon request, you can ask the hosts for a blanket. Electricity is available in almost all the loggias, but in the rooms there are rarely outlets.
There are gas showers along the whole route, but the higher you go, the worse it is. Good showers in Namche Bazaar, Pyramid and Lukla, where we try to stay in rooms with showers in the room. In the other localities, at an altitude of 4,000 m or higher, we do not recommend showers, as you can easily get sick.
On the 11th day of the trek we plan to spend the night in "The Pyramid" at an altitude of 5050m, where you can enjoy comfortable rooms, hot showers, free charging and unlimited tea/coffee and delicious food.
To better understand the living conditions, we highly recommend watching some examples of lodges from our tracks. Click on the name: a nice lodge in Namche Bazar with a shower in the room, a basic lodge in Dole - no shower and with ice in the sink, cool rooms at the Eco Resort in Gokyo, a standard lodge in Chukung, a mug of tea after a night in a room in Gorak Shep. Even if you sleep in other localities, the lodges will be about the same level.
Individual accommodations are possible for the entire program, it costs +$250. Be sure to notify the manager in advance.
The menu at all lodges is extremely varied (different types of eggs, pasta, soups, potatoes, pizza, rice). An interesting feature is that the same dishes in different lodges may be cooked differently and taste completely different! Food prices increase proportionally with altitude. On average, it will take $15-$25 per day to get a decent meal.
For an example, we recommend looking at some of the most expensive prices on the route in the village of Gokyo, and here is a folder with photos of menus and food from other lodges on the trek to Everest.
Let's face it, some people like Nepalese food a lot, but there are also those who "don't get it". Meat is usually scarce on the trek, so you can take some lard and a stick of sausage with you.
These people are porters who carry your things for money. One porter can carry no more than 24 kg. The cost of this service is about $ 20 per day, but you can take one porter for two - it will be twice cheaper! It is not customary to feel sorry for porters, no matter how much they might unload on themselves. Nor is it customary to invite them to your table. Porters have their own room in the lodges where they eat and sleep with their friends. The best thanks on your part would be a tip equal to the porter's daily wage. So prepare an extra $20-30 to tip the porter and the Nepali guide. For more details about the porter's work, see the article "Porter on the trek - to take or not to take".
As in other regions of Nepal, there are two seasons for trekking in the Himalayas, spring (mid-March to late May) and fall (mid-October to mid-December). If you go in early spring, you should be prepared for the fact that there is still a lot of snow on the pass and the approaches to the lakes, and the lakes themselves are hidden under the ice. Closer to the middle of April the first lakes will melt, the snow on the trail will remain only on the approach to the base camp. A big plus during this period is the blooming rhododendron forests, which against the background of snow-white mountains create incredible contrasting pictures. In the afternoon in spring the sky is often covered with clouds and at about 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon it may rain or snow. But by this time we usually arrive at the boat house. Also, spring is the active season for climbers of Everest and Lhotse, so the sections of the classic trail will be oooh-full of people and cargo animals. But there is an upside to this - April and May are the base camp full of life, with lots of tents and would-be climbers. Autumn is warmer, there are hardly any clouds, the snow is already melted everywhere; base camp is empty.
Most of the trek is at moderate altitudes. Temperatures will be around +20 degrees during the day and can drop to freezing at night. At the highest overnights the temperature can drop to -15 outside, and to 0...-2 in the rooms. Rains are not frequent. Characteristic weather for the mountain regions is clear mornings and cloudy evenings.
The currency of the country is the Nepalese rupee. The exchange rate is approximately 100 rupees to 1 dollar. You can exchange at the hotel reception or at the exchange office, with which we have long had an agreement for a more favorable rate. The teamleader will take you to the right place. It's noteworthy that Nepalis are very careless about paper money - so don't be surprised if you get a bundle of rupees punctured with a stapler - it's quite normal. All expenses en route are in rupees only. Exchange about $500 for them before the trek. Bank cards are only accepted at some points in Kathmandu, so be sure to take cash. Also, there are big restrictions on ATM cash withdrawals and fees are racked up.
You should buy souvenirs at the stalls in Thamel (the tourist district of Kathmandu), not at the sights. Always haggle with Nepalis; sometimes the price can be discounted several times over.
If you want to see the top of the world - Everest from the best angles, want to spend maximum days among the Himalayan mountains, enjoy the scenery on Ama Dablam, Cho Oyu and other beautiful peaks - this program is for you. The high mountain lakes of Gokyo with their incredibly turquoise water make the route especially attractive. Also this trek will be interesting for lovers of climbing to significant heights. We will have three such points: Gokyo Ri (5330 m) and Kalla Pattar (5645 m), as well as Cho La Pass (5367 m). We will have only a couple of days of greenery on the route. We spend most of our time among the majestic giants and Himalayan plateaus. Due to the fact that most of the hikers, porters and yaks follow the classic route, we will hardly meet any people on the trail, which is also a huge plus if you are looking for solitude with nature.
Thanks to the fact that we sleep and eat in lodges, the backpacks along the route will be relatively light. Besides there is always a possibility to rent a porter, and we recommend to all the participants. He will carry the main part of your luggage (up to 12 kg), and you will have small rucksack with warm jacket, water, documents and money. The trek to the Everest base camp via Gokyo Lake is not the easiest. It is desirable to have previous trekking experience or good physical fitness. The best preparation for the trek is running (about 6-8 km 2-3 times a week), squats, cardio exercises, which will not only increase your stamina, but also train your legs for the daily treks. The better your fitness, the easier you'll tolerate altitude, acclimatize, and enjoy the trek and the scenery around you more.
Everyone probably knows that Nepal is famous for extremely cheap travel gear. Well, it really is! You can buy a flicer for $5, a down jacket from $30, trekking poles from $10. But you have to understand that despite the tag - it's not branded equipment, but made somewhere in the local basements. There are stores with the original, but prices are the same as ours. In general, do not necessarily carry a whole pile of equipment from home, most you can buy cheap already on the spot. Tourist stores simply unreal number. Read more about equipment in a separate article =>>.
Total mandatory expenses not included in the price will be about $500 + air tickets to Nepal ($500-700) + domestic flight ($370). It is desirable to have about $500 to spare.
For 140$ you can book a porter (12 kg) for the whole trek. Those who have little experience, we strongly advise to order the porter at once and not to spoil your impressions with a heavy backpack.
*Please, pay your attention: it's not the manager's task to choose a flight for each participant. The manager gives general recommendations, based on his experience and shares the flights of other participants, so you can fly together. It's up to the participant to select and purchase his own convenient airfare. If you want the manager to buy you a ticket, book a hotel or an additional excursion, read the terms and conditions on the page: additional services.
To reserve a place in a group, you need to pay a $300 deposit. This money is needed to make passes and hotel reservations. Methods of payment and conditions of return in case of cancellation or leaving the route here. The rest of the payment you are to give to teamleader at the first day of the program.
Friends! We kindly ask you to pick up dollar bills of 2003 and newer. Dollars from the 90's are not accepted in many countries and we sometimes have problems with local partners. Thank you for your understanding and new dollars to all:)
