Gokyo Ri & Everest Base Camp Trek — 17 Days

Your HSJ representative meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfers you to the Himalayan Suite Hotel. The rest of the day is free to rest or explore Thamel. In the evening your guide conducts a full trek briefing — permits, gear check, daily schedule and what to expect over the next two and a half weeks.

An early transfer for the 35-minute flight to Lukla (2,840 m) — one of the world's most dramatic airstrips, perched on a Himalayan ridgeline. From Lukla the trail descends gently through pine forest along the Dudh Koshi River to Phakding, crossing the first of many suspension bridges.

The trail follows the Dudh Koshi upstream, enters Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo and crosses the Hillary Suspension Bridge before the sustained 800 m climb to Namche Bazaar — the trading heart of the Khumbu. On a clear afternoon, the first views of Everest appear above the ridgeline.

A rest day built around the climb-high-sleep-low principle. The morning hike ascends to the Hotel Everest View (3,880 m) for an unobstructed panorama of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. The afternoon is free for Namche's Sherpa Culture Museum, the market and bakeries.

The trail traverses the high ridge above the Dudh Koshi with Ama Dablam commanding the skyline, then drops to the river and climbs through forest to Tengboche Monastery — the largest in the Khumbu, set against a 270-degree mountain panorama. A short descent through rhododendron forest leads to the quieter village of Deboche.

Crossing the Imja Khola, the trail climbs through Pangboche — home to one of the oldest monasteries in the region — and on through thinning vegetation into the wide glacial valley of Dingboche at 4,410 m. Ama Dablam, Island Peak and the great wall of Lhotse fill the horizon.

A second acclimatisation day with a demanding hike to Nangkartsang Peak (5,083 m) — your first time above 5,000 m and an important test before the high section. The summit views stretch from Makalu to Cho Oyu. The afternoon is for rest, hydration and an early night.

The trail climbs gradually through alpine terrain to Thukla Pass, where a hillside of stone memorials commemorates climbers and Sherpas who have lost their lives on Everest. From here the route continues along the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier to Lobuche at 4,940 m — stark, dramatic country with the great peaks pressing close.

An early start along the glacier moraine to Gorak Shep (5,190 m), where bags are dropped before the push to Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m. The trail follows the glacier edge to the foot of the legendary Khumbu Icefall — in spring, the tent city of summit expeditions spreads across the ice. Return to Gorak Shep for the highest night of the trek.

A 4:30 am start by headlamp for the climb to Kala Patthar (5,545 m) — the highest point of the trek and the definitive close-up of Everest, its summit pyramid catching the first light barely eight kilometres away. After breakfast at Gorak Shep, the route descends past Lobuche and traverses above the turquoise Chola Tsho lake to Dzongla, set beneath the fluted ice walls of Cholatse. Early dinner, early bed — tomorrow is the pass.

A pre-dawn start for Cho La (5,420 m). The eastern approach climbs steep rock; the pass itself holds a small glacier, crossed carefully with micro-spikes in colder months. From the prayer flags at the top, the views stretch back across the Khumbu and ahead into the Gokyo valley. A long rocky descent leads to the small settlement of Thangnak at the edge of the Ngozumpa Glacier.

The morning crossing of the Ngozumpa Glacier — the longest in the Himalayas, a vast grey wilderness of rubble and melt-pools — brings you to Gokyo, set on the shore of the third and largest lake, glowing an impossible turquoise. After lunch, an optional hike heads north to the rarely visited 5th and 6th lakes beneath the massive south face of Cho Oyu — a corner of the Khumbu most trekkers never see.

The pre-dawn climb of Gokyo Ri (5,357 m) is the crowning moment of the trek. As the sun rises, four 8,000 m peaks — Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu — light up in a single sweep, with the chain of lakes and the Ngozumpa Glacier far below. Many who have stood on both say it surpasses Kala Patthar. After breakfast, the long descent follows the Dudh Koshi's western valley through Machhermo to the yak pastures of Dole.

The trail descends through rhododendron and birch forest alive with pheasants and musk deer, rejoining the main Everest highway at Sanasa before contouring around to Namche Bazaar. A celebratory evening — bakeries, hot showers and the satisfaction of both valleys completed.

The final day on the trail retraces the Dudh Koshi valley through Monjo and Phakding to Lukla. A farewell dinner with your trekking crew closes out the journey.

Morning flight from Lukla back to Kathmandu or Manthali (Ramechhap) depending on season, and transfer to the Himalayan Suite Hotel. The rest of the day is free — Thamel, a massage, or simply a long rest at low altitude.

Your HSJ representative transfers you to Tribhuvan International Airport in time for your onward flight. If your departure is later in the day, there is time for a final visit to Pashupatinath or Boudhanath. Safe travels — and we hope to see you on another HSJ adventure soon.