Jiri-Gokyo Lake-EBC Trekking - 25 Days

After your arrival at the airport in Kathmandu you will be greeted by one of our representatives who will later transfer you to the hotel. After hotel check in you can decide whether you would like to have a relaxing rest at the hotel or roam around the streets of Kathmandu (If you have leisure time). You will be briefed about our trekking plan by our company representative. O/N you stay at the hotel.

Today after breakfast we will set out for a guided city tour where you get to discover several historical and spiritual attractions of Kathmandu. You will be seeing the world heritage sites like historical Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of lord Pashupatinath, Buddhist pilgrimage Swoyambhunath (famous by the name of Monkey temple among tourists), Boudhanath Shrine and many more cultural and natural monuments. Later we will have a discussion session where we discuss about our trek plan and preparation. Our trek leader would be obliged to brief you about our expedition and answer your queries. O/N you stay at the hotel.

We will be driving a long way to reach Bhandar today. We set off early in the morning as our destination for today is approximately 187 km north-east of Kathmandu and we will be travelling on jagged mountain roads. Six to seven hours of continuous drive lands us in Bhandar where our trekking expedition actually begins. We will enjoy the views of Koshi River and eastern Himalayas including Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Dorge Lakpa etc. Overnight, we stay in Bhandar at a guesthouse.

We will gear up for our trekking expedition today. The trail to Sete descends from Bhandar through deep forest. We cross few streams and pass through the village of Dokharpa and Baranda. We then climb through the forest all the way to Surma Khola. We continue to Likhu Khola and climb a ridge to reach Kenja. From Kenja we ascend to Chimbu and continue to walk until we reach Sete. Overnight we stay at a guesthouse.

Today we climb to Lamjura La via forest filled with pine, Mongolia, and rhododendrons and pass through the villages of Dagchu and Goyem. Lamjura La pass with is at the altitude of 3530m is the highest point between Jiri and Namche Bazaar that offers a superb panoramic view of majestic mountains. We later descend down the pass to Tragdobuk and finally reach Junbesi. You many choose to hang around the village and discover lifestyle and tradition of the local people. Overnight we stay at the guest house.

We will set off for Nunthala today. we cross the stream beyond Junbesi and ascend via forest enjoying the majestic views of Himalayas that happen to appear closer as we trek further. We will witness Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Makalu, Mt. Thamserku and other Himalayas. The trail continues to Salung and descend to Ringmo Khola. We then cross Trakshingdo La pass and descend to Trashingdo. We then descend through forest and fields and reach Nunthala.

The trail descends down to the Dudh Koshi River and head upward to Khumbu. After crossing the bridge we climb to Jubling and continue to Churkha. We then ascend the trail to reach Khari Khola and descend to cross a suspension bridge. Few hours of further walk lands in Buspa where we stay overnight.

We follow the trail through forest passing Kharte and ascending to Khari La pass. Khari La pass offers a majestic views of Gyachung Kang, Khumbila along with other mountains. The trail further descends to Puiyan and takes frequent ups and downs before finally reaching Surke. Overnight we stay at a guesthouse.

We will today trek all the way to Phakding. From Surke the trail climbs towards Chaurikharka. We ascend to Chhiplung and descend down to Phakding enjoying the majestic views of beautiful Himalayas and Sherpa settlements. Overnight, we stay at Phakding.

Today we take a stiff walk through a beautiful pine forest that leads us along the Dudh Koshi River and Hillary Suspension bridge to reach the check post and the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. The trail follows the confluence of Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. Walking further we reach chautra where we have the first glimpse of Mt. Everest peering over the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. Two hours of more walk eventually lands us in Namche Bazaar which is a gateway to Mt. Everest and of course trading point for many Sherpa people and Tibetan merchants. Namche Bazaar is an ideal market for visitors to purchase traditional crafts and other mementos. We will spend two days in Namche for acclimatization and visiting local markets and traditions of the people living in the Himalayas. O/N we stay in a guest house.

We have set this day for acclimatization. A few hours of walk is recommended by health experts even during the rest day so we will be discovering Namche Bazaar and its vicinity. Today we will either spend the day hiking to Thame or Visiting Khunde or exploring Namche Bazaar itself. Namche Bazaar is a junction for many trekkers and climbers in the region. It is also a trading junction for many local and Tibetan traders. A special market draws attention of tourists during every Friday evening and Saturdays. Namche bazaar is a hub of many restaurants, pubs, hotels, bakery, café along with many government offices. A few hours of walk would be really helpful for acclimatization. Our guide will lead the way to guide you through the Tourist Visitor Center near headquarter of the Sagarmatha National Park where we can observe the collection if things related to the first Everest ascenders, Sherpa culture and traditions and more about the lifestyle of people living in the Himalayas. You will also be pleased to learn about the various plant and animal life of the Everest region. Namche Bazaar is simply a great place to hang around. Overnight we stay at the guest house.

After a lovely morning breakfast at Namche we gear up our expedition to reach Phortse Thanga. We start our trek enjoying the scenic view of Mt. Everest, Mt. Muptse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Ama Dablam and a close up view of Mt. Thamserku. The trail takes few ups and downs but still the magnificent view of the Himalayas makes our trekking a worthy one. We will also spot wild lives like colorful pheasant, musk deer and Himalayan Thar on our way. The trail ascends via Kayangjuma and reaches Sansa which is a major trail junction to Gokyo Valley and Everest Base Camp. We trek further ascending through Mongla Pass (3975m) that offers a great view of Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Thamserku, Mt. Tawache and Mt. Khumbila (Mt. Khumbila is considered sacred by the Sherpas). We will then descend down to Dudh Koshi River (3250M0, cross a bridge and further ascend via rhododendron forest to finally reach Phortse Thanga. The Phortse Thanga resides under the peaks of Tawache and Cholaste. Overnight, we stay in Phortse at a guest house.

We will be doing a short trek today. After having breakfast at Phortse we set off for Dole. The trail is quite moderate with few ups and downs along the way. We cross the bridge on the Dudh Koshi River and continue our walk. On the way we will spot the Himalayan wild lives like Peasants, Mountain goats and musk deer which makes our expedition even exciting. We the walk further through forest crossing bridges and enjoying the scenic waterfalls on our way. After crossing few brides we reach Dole. If we have leisure time we may choose to hang around Dole and its wonderful village. Overnight we stay at a guest house.

Today we climb through a ridge above Dole and ascend via Lhabarma enjoying the mystical beauty of the Himalayan region. The trail further continues offering great views of Mt. Cho Oyu, Mt. Kantega and Mt. Thamserku eventually taking us to a small village of Luza (4360m). We then ascend via Luza reaching Dudh Koshi valley. Walking further above roaring Dudh Koshi and crossing few villages, we reach Machhermo. Machhermo is probably the last major settlement on the way to Gokyo. Exploring Machhermo could be an ideal idea if you have a leisure time. It is also believed that this is the place where the Khumbu people got sight of Yeti during the early seventies.
We will also pay our visit to Himalayan Rescue Hospital for a lecture regarding the high altitude climbing, sickness its precaution and treatments. Overnight, we stay in a guest house at Machhermo.

We gear up for our expedition to reach Gokyo today. We climb through a ridge Chorten that offers a fabulous view of Mt. Kangtega, Mt. Thamserku and Mt. Cho Oyu. The trail further passes through the Chorten and reaches Pangka (4480m). Phangka is the place where a deadly avalanche killed forty people in 1995. We pass through the bank of river and ascend the terminal moraine of the Ngozamba Glacier. Walking further we will have our glimpse of the first lake of the valley. Ahead is the second lake that offers a mesmerizing view of sparkling blue water. Little ahead of the second lake we see the third lake, the two lakes are linked by a stream. Upon reaching Gokyo that stands by the third lake, we will be amazed to enjoy the scenic view of Cho Oyu. We will also explore around the third lakes, Dudh Pokhari. Gokyo has lot more to be explored along with its natural beauty. Overnight, we stay in a guest house.

Today is an acclimatization day. Few hours of walk even during the rest day is ideal for trekkers. We take a chance to climb Gokyo Ri which is the best viewpoint of the Everest region. The mesmerizing view that it offers is really luring and leaves your eyes wide open. We will take as many photographs as we like. Gokyo is rather famous for its awesome lakes that have added more beauty to this region. We will visit the fourth lake (Thonak Tsho) and Fifth lake (Ngozuma Tsho). Thonak Tsho the fourth lake lies approximately 3 KM north of Gokyo. The trail further continues to Ngozuma Tsho the fifth lake. We may choose to climb a hill at the edge of the lakes to enjoy the scenic view of rising peaks like Cho Oyu, Gyachung Kang, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Makalu. The view point is called Scoundrel’s Viewpoint. We can also see the base camp of Cho Oyu from the northern part of the fifth lake. The view of the world’s biggest glacier; the Ngazumpa glacier is yet another attraction of our trip. You may also choose to trek further for the astonishing view of the sixth lake depending upon the availability of time. Overnight, we stay at a guesthouse.

We descend down to Phortse in a single day without spending the night at Thare to Konar. We will follow the trail from the eastern side of the Gokyo Valley to enjoy the magnificent view of Khumbila. The trail further ascends to Pangka, turns east and then climbs the terminal moraine of the Ngazumpa Glacer. The trail makes few ups and downs before finally reaching Phortse. Overnight, we stay in guesthouse.

Today we will be trekking all the way down to Pheriche. En route we will enjoy the majestic views of ever shining mountains of the region. Upon arrival at Pheriche we may choose to hang around the Sherpa settlement in this village and discover more about traditional Sherpa culture and tradition. Overnight, we stay at the guest house.

From Pheriche we trek all the way to Lobuche to set off our expedition to the Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar. Our short trek will help us in acclimatization. Upon reaching Lobuche we spend rest of the day hanging around the village and prepare for the next day’s expedition. Overnight, we stay in Lobuche.

The trail to Gorak Shep heads through the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. On our way to Gorak Shep we will witness north ridge of Mt. Everest along with Mt. Pumori, Mt. Mahalangur, Mt. Nuptse etc. Climbing further through the Changri Glacier we have a first glimpse of Kala Patthar. Upon reaching Gorak Shep we will be amazed to see ourselves surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains including mighty Everest. After a brief halt we take the trail to Everest Base Camp via Gorak Shep Lake. After approximately three hours of steady hiking we will reach at the base camp where we will enjoy the natural splendor of Khumbu Glacier and icefall. This is the point from where the Everest expedition actually begins. One can truly salute the courage and bravery of Everest climbers witnessing the deadly trail that leads to the peak of the Everest. After enjoying the scenic trail to EBC we get back to Gorak Shep for the night’s stay.

Today we set off for yet another exciting and adventurous hike to the Kala Patthar; Climax of our expedition. We start in the early morning to catch the spectacular view of Mt. Everest and the Himalayan range from Kala Patthar. We need to gear up with some fine cloths so as to protect ourselves from the cold wind which is quite common in the region. En route we can see some scenic mountains like Lingtren, Changtse, Khumbutse etc form a distance. We can also witness Mt. Everest revealing itself as we continue our trek. On our way we can stop for some time to snap the beautiful natural scenes and the Himalayan range. A long and stiff walk for several hours we will reach Kala Patthar. Climbing a distance we will reach an altitude marked by cairns and prayer flags. The natural scene of mountains and the Himalayan range are superb from this point. You cannot take your eyes off from the views that you will witness from this point. We will capture scenic beauty in our cameras and get back to Gorak Shep and finally climb down to Pheriche for the night’s stay.

We trek down the trail through the hillside filled with Rhododendron and Juniper trees. We will halt for lunch either in Pangboche or in Phunki Tenga. We cross the prayer flag festooned bridge over the Dudh Koshi River and follow the gorge descending through the pine forest until we reach Sansa which is a major trail junction in the region. We then continue to Kyangjuma. We pay our visit to Tengboche monastery and discover the scenic view of raising Himalayas. The trail then follows to Namche Bazaar passing a Chorten and taking few ups and downs. Upon reaching Namche, we have may choose to hang around the bazaar and enjoy the beauty of the region. Overnight, we stay in Namche Bazaar.

We will be wrapping up our trekking expedition today. Leaving Namche Bazaar behind we descend down the rocky trail crossing suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi river. As we walk the trail becomes more smooth and easy. We find the environment really warm and cozy compared to previous days of our expedition. We can feel the fresh air blowing from Himalayas that makes our expedition more energetic and vibrant. We pass through beautiful forest filled with Rhododendron, pine trees and different natural vegetations. We get to snap beautiful mountains and the panoramic views on our way. We will be pleased passing through Sherpa villages that offer a unique blend of Sherpa culture and tradition. Upon arrival at Lukla we conclude our long expedition and have a relaxing time with our friends and crew members. Overnight, we stay in Lukla.

We will wave our final goodbye to the beautiful mountains today. The flights from Lukla to Kathmandu are usually scheduled for the morning because the windy afternoon may cause difficulties flying the aircraft. The early morning scenic flight over the Himalayas drops us at the domestic terminal of Kathmandu airport from where you will be escorted to the hotel. Today we have the whole day to relax at the hotel or hang around in the city for buying gifts to your near and dear ones. You will be joining a special farewell dinner in a cozy traditional Nepali restaurant hosted by Breakfree Adventures and its team. O/N at the Hotel.

Your trip to the majestic country of Nepal comes to an end today! You will be escorted by one of the representatives of Breakfree Adventures to the international terminal of Kathmandu airport approximately three hours before your flight schedule. We exchange our last good-byes and now you will be leaving Nepal with all the good memories you had during the wonderful trekking adventure. We hope you had a lovely time with us. Breakfree Adventures would be obliged to be your travel partner during your next adventure in Nepal. Have a safe flight back home!