Overview
The Gokyo Lakes Trek is the second most popular trek in the Khumbu region after Everest Base Camp, and for many experienced trekkers, the more spectacular one. The route branches west at Namche Bazaar, following a quieter trail up the Dudh Koshi valley to a chain of turquoise glacial lakes beside the Ngozumpa Glacier, Nepal’s longest glacier at 36 kilometres, before climbing to Gokyo Ri at 5,357 metres for a 360-degree panorama of four eight-thousanders: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu.
The trek begins with the classic mountain flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, then follows the same lower trail as Everest Base Camp through Phakding and Namche Bazaar before splitting off toward Dole and Machhermo.
From there the trail climbs alongside the glacier to Gokyo village, set beside the third and largest of the Gokyo Lakes, a site considered sacred by both Hindu and Buddhist communities and recognised as a Ramsar wetland of international importance. A pre-dawn climbs to Gokyo Ri caps the trek with what many mountaineers consider the finest viewpoint in the Himalaya.
What sets this trek apart from the standard route to Everest Base Camp is the sheer variety of scenery packed into one journey.
Trekkers cross part of the Ngozumpa Glacier itself, walk beside a chain of sacred, Ramsar-listed turquoise lakes, and reach a summit viewpoint that many mountaineers consider superior to Kala Patthar.
Because the trail sees noticeably fewer trekkers than the main Everest Base Camp route, teahouses tend to be quieter and the overall experience feels considerably more remote, despite following broadly similar terrain and altitude.
Permits for this trek are issued under Nepal’s Department of Immigration Trekking Permit system, alongside the Sagarmatha National Park entry permit.
For the classic route to base camp itself, see our Everest Base Camp Trek and for the ultimate combination of both routes, see our Everest Three Passes Trek
Highlights
- Relax by the shore of the world's highest freshwater lake system, the Gokyo Lakes
- Walk across the Ngozumpa Glacier, the largest glacier in Nepal
- Climb Gokyo Ri (5,357m) for one of the most celebrated sunrise viewpoints in the Himalaya
- See four eight-thousanders in a single panorama: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu
- Experience the warm hospitality of the Sherpa people in Namche Bazaar and beyond
- Visit a Ramsar-listed wetland site considered sacred by Hindu and Buddhist communities
