EBC Trek With Gokyo Lake And Heli Return To Lukla - 14 days

Fly into the Tribhuvan International Airport and meet our guide. He will be waiting for you at the airport's terminal holding a placard with Third Rock Adventures or your name written on it. After welcoming you he will escort you to your hotel. Check in and take time out to rest and freshen up. Later in the day you will meet your trekking guide. He will inform you about the route and answer queries if you have any. You can also go over your packing list with him. If you need to rent or buy trekking gear you can ask for his suggestion and get the items from a shop he suggests. You can also shop for snacks and get enough local currency to last you throughout the trek.

Overnight in Kathmandu.

You make an early start today and head to either the domestic airport in Kathmandu or Ramechhap. Flights to Lukla during peak tourist season (spring and autumn) are rerouted to Manthali Airport in Ramechhap. So if you have booked your trip during peak season you will have to take a long drive to Manthali Airport. As it takes around four hours to reach Manthali you will have to make an early start at around 2 AM. If your trip is during the off-season you can fly from Kathmandu itself. Please be informed helicopter charters are allowed to operate from the Kathmandu airport the whole year round.

The flight to Lukla is filled with marvelous sights of the hills and mountains. On reaching Lukla you will begin your trek. Today's walk is short and sweet and filled with breathtaking views of the verdant Dudh Koshi River Valley. You will spend your first night in the picturesque village of Phakding.

Overnight in Phakding.

Leaving Phakding you head upwards to Namche. This stretch of the trail is long and exhausting but the views are rewarding. You will walk through huge rocks inscribed with Buddhist mantras, prayer flags, and stupas. Along the way, you will stop at intervals to catch your breath at quaint Sherpa villages dotted with pretty stone cottages. The trail meanders past a lush forest of pine and rhododendron. Silvery waterfalls and pristine rivers flow down from the mountains.

From Monjo, you enter the Sagarmatha National Park. Expect a lot of crossings over swaying metal bridges spanning deep river gorges. There will be a lot of switchbacks and steep ascents. After crossing the Hillary Bridge, the highest bridge in the Khumbu region, you will get your first view of Mount Everest. After walking for a short while you will ascend the concrete staircase leading to the center of Namche Bazaar.

Namche, a beautiful town created by slicing a mountainside like a bowl is known as the capital of the Sherpas. It's a large (for a mountain settlement) and busy town filled with lodges, restaurants, cafes, shops, spas, bakeries, etc. There are also banks, ATMS, and money exchange counters. It's a major trading hub for Sherpa villagers and Tibetans living in the border areas. Namche is also a major acclimatization stop for trekkers and expedition groups. 

Make your way to a teahouse or lodge and enjoy the rest of the evening relaxing and gazing at the snow-capped mountains.

Overnight in Namche Bazaar. 

Enjoy the view of the mountains – Thamserku, Kantega, Khumbila, and Kusum Kanguru- from Namche Bazaar as you begin your acclimatization hike. You take the steep staircase leading out of the town and climb to a plateau where there's a museum and the statue of Tenzing Norgay, who together with Edmund Hillary became the first mountaineers to summit Mount Everest. After taking an upward trail you reach Shyangboche. It has an abandoned airfield which is sometimes used by Everest skydiving groups. Keep walking past a green meadow filled with coniferous trees and you reach one of the world's highest hotels, Hotel Everest View. From the deck of the hotel, you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of the Himalayan giants – Mount Everest, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Lhotse, Nuptse, Kantega, Kusum Kanguru, Khumbila, etc.

You can extend your hike and take a detour to the Sherpa villages of Khumjung and Kunde or head back to Namche and stroll around the town. Khumjung has the first school in the Khumbu Region while Kunde had the first health post (now converted into a hospital with 15 beds). Both the school and health center was established in the early sixties by Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust.  Khumjung also has an ancient monastery where the scalp of the Yeti, the abominable snowman, is kept. The lama or monk charges a fee to view the scalp.

Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Take a steep path that leads you out of the town. After reaching the outskirts of Namche Bazaar the trail evens out and you walk along a flat path. The views open up and you can see the great mountains towering close to the trail – Ama Dablam, Mount Everest, Lhotse, etc.

The trail winds along mountainsides covered with pine trees. Along the way, you walk past the Sherpa villages of Kyangjuma and Sanasa. At a junction the trail forks and you take the one leading to Everest Base Camp. You descend to the riverside village of Phunki Tenga where you can stop for a breather. After crossing the bridge it's a steep 2.5 kilometers hike to Tengboche. The trail passes through a densely wooded area where you can spy varieties of birds, Himalayan Tahr, musk deer, blue sheep, etc.

After an arduous climb, you finally reach Tengboche. Head to a teahouse and rest for a while. Later you can explore the village which is made up of some small houses and lodges built around the majestic Tengboche Monastery. The monastery is the most important monastery in Khumbu. You can visit the monastery and watch the monks praying. Savor a spectacular sunset view of Ama Dablam and Mount Everest before calling it a day.

Overnight in Tengboche

After breakfast, you take the downward trail to Debuche, a picturesque settlement set in the middle of the woods. Walk past a long mani wall covered with stone slabs etched with Buddhist mantras.  Later cross the metal bridge over the Imja River. You get a very good view of Ama Dablam from the bridge, so don't forget to look up and gaze at the beautiful form of the mountain. After crossing the bridge you take a gradual incline and head up towards the EBC trail. On the way, you can stop at Somare for lunch or refreshments. From Somare, you take an up-and-down trail and cross a small bridge. A gradual uphill trek brings you to the quaint village of Dingboche. At this elevation, you are above the treeline and small scrubby vegetation fills the landscape. The views of the mountains continue to get larger and more astounding. You will be staying overnight at the local lodge.

Overnight in Dingboche.

You will spend an extra day here letting your body get used to lower oxygen levels. After waking up you can have your breakfast and hike to a hill north of Dingboche. Known as Nagarjun or Nangkartshang the scramble up the hill is non-technical. But it can be difficult on your lungs as you reach an altitude above 4000 meters. You can climb up to the small chorten decorated with prayer flags. The views of Island Peak, Cholatse, Taboche, Ama Dablam, Baruntse, and Makalu are amazing from the top. After spending some time at the viewpoint you head back to the village and stroll around or relax at the teahouse.

Overbight in Dingboche.

Make an early start and leave the teahouse after breakfast. The trail opens up into a flat valley after following a gentle up-and-down trail out of the village. The valley is surrounded by tall snow-covered mountains. Follow a gentle incline and a path that winds along the side of a hill. As you approach Thughla, the trail goes through a boulder field. Cross the river via a small bridge and ascend the Thughla Pass. Prayer flags and chortens dedicated to deceased climbers adorn the pass. After spending some quiet time at the pass you descend to Lobuche. Keep your pace slow and keep yourself hydrated. The altitude at this point might make you feel dizzy and breathless. Follow a gradual up-and-down trail and cross a small stream before reaching your destination, Lobuche. Make your way to a teahouse and take a well-deserved rest.

Overnight in Lobuche.

From Lobuche, you will be heading towards Gorak Shep. The trail follows the glacial moraine of the Khumbu Icefall. There are no steep ascents but the cold and thin air might make walking difficult. Go slowly and do not rush. After about 3 or 4 hours of walking, you will reach Gorak Shep where you can check in at a teahouse and book a room. Gorak Shep sits on a frozen lakebed and the ground is sandy all around. Take a short break and have a light meal. Later you can continue your hike to Everest Base Camp.

At this point, you are walking very close to Mount Everest and other gigantic peaks. There is no greenery at this altitude and the whole landscape is filled with glaciers, snow-covered mountains, sand, and boulders. Mind where you step as the path is filled with loose stones and gravel.

The Everest Base Camp is marked with prayer flags, piles of stones, and a huge boulder painted with the sign Everest Base Camp. You can see the massive wall of Lhotse, Khumbutse, Lingtren, and Nuptse. The tiniest bit of Mount Everest's summit peeks from behind Lhotse. Ice seracs and the Khumbu Icefall look enchanting. Further away you can see a field of tents (if it's climbing season) where the Everest expedition groups camp out. After taking photographs and savoring the views you return to Gorak Shep.

Overnight in Gorak Shep.

Wake up early in the morning and climb the brown hill or Kala Patthar that rises west of the settlement. Kala Patthar is one of the most popular viewpoints to enjoy the close-up view of Mount Everest. It's a steep ascent up to the hill. On reaching the viewpoint you can savor a 360-degree panorama of some of the highest mountains in the world - Mount Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Ama Dablam, Pumori, Ama Dablam, and other mountains. After taking photographs you head down to Gorak Shep. Have your breakfast, and continue your trek towards Dzongla.

You backtrack to Lobuche and from there leave the main EBC trail and take the path leading to Dzongla. As the trail veers away from the popular EBC trail you will notice fewer trekkers on this section of the trail. Most of the time you will be heading down with few gentle inclines en route. The terrain is not that tough but the high altitude makes walking difficult. The views are spectacular throughout the hike. After walking for about four hours from Lobuche you will reach the small village of Dzongla.

Overnight in Dzongla.

Move early in the morning and make your way towards the Cho La Pass. One of the famous three high passes in the Khumbu Region, Cho La is definitely one of the difficult passes to cross  it involves walking through the frozen Cho La glacier. Loose rocks and boulders on the other side of the pass make the descent tricky and tough.

Follow the trail that goes up to the base of a rocky hill. After walking uphill along a stony path you will soon reach the Cho La Glacier. Metal markers are erected to mark the route as it gets difficult to make out the path when it snows. At the foot of the glacier, you can wear your crampons and microspikes to cross the glacier. Walk carefully and use your trekking poles to get to the other side. Walk on the edge of the glacier and reach the path that leads to the top of the pass. You can take a short break at the top before heading downwards.

The descent is equally difficult as you will have to make your way down a steep path filled with loose rocks. After walking down to the foot of the pass you will hike for a while to reach the small settlement of Thagnak, Have your lunch at Thagnak before proceeding towards Gokyo. Follow an up-and-down route on a barren landscape filled with dirt and rocks. Walking down the trail you will spot the emerald Gokyo Lake beside the Gokyo Village where you will stay overnight. This is one of the most picturesque lakeside villages in Nepal.

Overnight in Gokyo.

Wake early in the morning, when it's still dark, and hike to Gokyo Ri.  You take the path leading out of the village and climb a hill. It's a steep ascent to the top and you may feel breathless. Go slowly and stop at intervals to catch your breath. Once you reach the top you can enjoy a mesmerizing sunrise. The sun comes out from behind the mountains setting the white snow aglow with warm shades of golden, pink, red, and yellow. You can see the chain of some of the world's highest mountains – Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, and others - coming alive in the rays of the rising sun. Right below the beautiful Gokyo Lake shimmers like a jewel. On the side of the village, you can see the Ngozumpa Glacier, the longest glacier in the Himalayas stretching endlessly. It's a sight that you will cherish and remember for a long time.

After enjoying the view and taking photographs you hike down to the teahouse. You will have your breakfast and spend some time by the lake waiting for the chopper that will fly you back to Lukla. During the flight, you can enjoy an aerial view of the Gokyo Lakes, Mount Everest and other mountains, and the Sagarmatha National Park. On reaching Lukla, head to a lodge and enjoy a hot shower and a delicious meal.

Overnight in Lukla. 

You will catch one of the earlier flights from Lukla to either Kathmandu or Manthali Airport (as per the season). On reaching Kathmandu you can relax at your hotel or take a stroll around the bazaar area to shop for souvenirs.

Overnight in Kathmandu.

Today marks the end of your incredible adventure - EBC Trek with Gokyo Lake and Heli Return to Lukla.  It's finally time to bid goodbye to Nepal. Our driver will drop you off at the international airport well ahead of your flight's scheduled departure. If you want to extend your holiday and explore more places in other parts of the Himalayas (Tibet, Bhutan) please do let us know. Our travel consultant will suggest some interesting itineraries that will fit your needs and requirements.