Weather and Best Season
Spring and autumn are the generally suggested and beautiful times for the Gokyo Lake trek. March, April, and May end the harshness of a dry season and create a colorful bright landscape with the full bloom of rhododendrons.
Autumn (September, October, and November), on the other hand, ends the rains and creates dry weather perfect for seeing lots of birds, butterflies, and flowers. Most importantly, this season offers often blue skies with remarkable views of the Himalayas.
December, January, and February are extremely cold around Gokyo Valley, considering there is no heating in the villages. The lake water may also freeze, thus diminishing its beauty.
Likewise, the downpours in June, July, and August can be heavy, reducing the chances of clearest skies and Himalayan views.
Difficulty
The Gokyo Lake trek is around 101 km long, which concludes after taking you to the 5357 m altitude of Gokyo Ri. The complete hiking route of the Gokyo Lake trek is practically easy to navigate; however, it still is a mountain terrain consisting of slopes, dense jungles, steep ascents, and descents.
The route is, however, facilitated with the presence of numerous tea houses, allowing you to rest and chat in the middle of each day’s hiking journey of around 6 hours.
Still, the high-altitude hiking of the Gokyo Ri, although short, can be quite hard for those who are not familiar with the high-elevation hiking conditions.
All these factors thus make the Gokyo Lake trek an intermediate mountain adventure that is rated level II as its difficulty grade. The journey doesn’t require any alpine or mountaineering skills or experience, and the entire route also does not pose any technical challenges.
Thus, the Gokyo Lake trek 12 days adventure, is a perfectly suitable trip for new adventurers as well.
Altitude Sickness/Acute Mountain Sickness/AMS
Although there is no climbing, the Gokyo Lake trek itinerary is still a Himalayan journey where, at one point, you will reach above 3000 m. You will also have to cover an elevation gain that sometimes exceeds 500 m on some days.
The air in the Himalayas lacks pressure and oxygen, thus resulting in the rise of altitude sickness, which is also frequently called acute mountain sickness/AMS.
Since our bodies will not quickly and automatically adjust to such altitude, they start to show signs that they are struggling to adapt through headaches, fatigue, nausea, sleep troubles, and sometimes mild breathing troubles.
That’s why we have acclimatization as part of our Gokyo Lake trek itinerary, where you will spend more than one night engaging in numerous walks, ascents, and descents.
Generally, the early manifestation of AMS disappears after right acclimatization, but if they don’t, you should not ascend further and should descend if it gets severe.
Our guide will know exactly what to do, and he will take the right measures to improve your health. You can also take preventative medication to combat altitude sickness: Diamox. And, always drink plenty of water and tea (1 liter extra per 1,000 m of elevation gain, so about 4 liters at 3,000 m) and don’t ascend too quickly.
Please understand that if you already suffer from breathing problems, high blood pressure, or heart disease at home, or if you are pregnant, we strongly suggest that you talk with your doctor before booking our Gokyo Lake Trek.
Preparation and Fitness
The Gokyo Lake trek 12 days adventure, does not need any extraordinary athletic ability, but you must be able to enjoy walking and be in good physical condition. Six hours of walking shouldn’t be a problem for you.
So, go for regular walks and perhaps even a jog. Strengthen and improve your leg muscles, because you will need them most on the trek. Exercises like running, pull-ups and push ups, planks, squats, and stretching will help you in increasing your leg strength.
With leg strength, you will also need your cardiovascular health, which you can attain through sports such as basketball, football, swimming, and volleyball.
It will be helpful if you build up your hand and back muscles too through weight lifting, and to increase your lung health, practice deep breathing exercises as well. For learning to go uphill, stair climbing will be the most recommended activity for you.
Food and Accommodation
3A Adventure will be responsible for the arrangement of your sleeping and eating during the Gokyo Lake trek. In Kathmandu, a twin room at a well-regarded three-star hotel awaits your arrival.
You will get to have your own shower and toilet, hot water, and WiFi. Breakfasts will always be served early in the morning, while you will have the liberty to choose lunch and dinner on your own. Kathmandu has now evolved, and you will get every international or national dish you desire.
On the trek, your overnight accommodation will be the lodges, also known as guesthouses, or tea houses, which are not hotels like in Kathmandu. They are improved, basic accommodations with two beds, a few furniture, and facilities.
Up to Namche, however, you can even get a private en suite toilet and single room, but after Namche, we cannot promise to offer you so.
As for meals, three main courses (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) will be served at these lodges, where you will mostly get the vegetarian menu and non-vegetarian options as well.
Transportation
All your travel in and around Kathmandu, along with your airport transfers (both international and domestic), will be by private 4 by 4 vehicle (car, van, or bus). We will take a domestic flight to and from Lukla, which will be organized by 3A Adventure.
The Manthali transfer from Kathmandu to Lukla and vice versa will also take place in a private 4WD.
Communication
Most of the time, the international SIM and roaming service may not work in Nepal. So, if you want to be reachable by your mobile and also need to use the mobile internet, then it will be wise to buy a SIM Card of NCELL or Nepal Telecom.
You can buy their SIM Card near your accommodation in Kathmandu, Lukla, or Namche, or even before you leave your home country. Online purchase of an eSIM Card will also be a viable option, which works exactly the way a physical SIM Card would.
WiFi is also now available everywhere in Nepal. Every hotel, restaurant, and cafe has Wi-Fi free of cost. But on the Gokyo Lake trek route, WiFi will come at a prepaid cost. Get the Everest Link or AirLink WiFi card for better signal and speed.
Permit
The confined location of Sagarmatha National Park requires an entrance permit to start trekking inside its landmark, where the Gokyo Lake trek is situated.
This permit is obtainable at the tourism office of Kathmandu or of Lukla, or at the Park entry gate that lies in Monjo Village. Likewise, having omitted the TIMS Card necessity, the Gokyo Lake trek now needs the Khumbu Area permit, which is available at the Lukla gate.
3A Adventure will pay 3000 NPR per trekker for the Sagarmatha National Park and 2000 NPR for the Khumbu Area, so you will be free from the management of permits on your own.
Nepal Tourist Visa
It is very important that you have an international passport that remains valid for a minimum six months upon your arrival in Nepal. As to obtain the Nepal tourist visa, you can follow any one of the two methods.
You can purchase the Nepal tourist visa on arrival by entering your information on the computer that you will see at TIA. Then, print your ticket, make the payment for the visa, and receive a receipt.
Head to the immigration counter where they will affix your visa on your passport. You can also fill out your information online on the Nepal Immigration portal in advance to avoid waiting at the computers.
However, during the spring and autumn time, when TIA gets busier, it will be more convenient if you get your Nepal tourist visa from the Nepal Embassy in your country.
You can choose from three types of tourist visas: 15 days (US$30), 30 days (US$50), or 90 days (US$125). The visa starts validating when it is stamped upon your arrival in Nepal.
Travel Insurance
For the Gokyo Lake trek, remember, travel insurance is more than necessary, not only as a formality paper to get the permits, but also for safeguarding your health.
When you are taking the travel insurance for the trekking activities in Nepal, understand that your standard travel insurance will not be enough, as it only includes trip cancellation or extra expenses.
You will also need to incorporate additional coverage that has the provision for helicopter rescue operations up to 5400 m. Please read the fine print of your insurance contract thoroughly and check the mentioned altitude.
Nepal has a very systematized rescue operation in the Himalayas, but they are definitely not cheap, so proper insurance is therefore crucial.
Extra Expenses
Most of the Gokyo Lake trek-related expenses have been taken care of by 3A Adventure. However, there are a few costs that you will need to take care of yourself, which will not require a large amount.
These include lunches and dinners in Kathmandu, the cost of drinks and beverages on the trek, WiFi, charging, and hot water in tea houses, tips for your guide and porter, personal shopping, snacks, any extra nights if your plans change, and the arrangement of an extra porter.
Additionally, your personal travel insurance and the cost of your international flights to and from Nepal will also be your responsibility. Likewise, conditions may sometimes arise that are beyond the control of 3A Adventure, such as natural calamities.
Such events may cause some delays and need you to stay longer on the trail. Any additional cost resulting from such a situation will also be your responsibility.
Private or Group Trip
If you want to have your own space during the Gokyo Lake trek 12 days journey, then you must choose a private trip that we also offer. However, if you are more of a social person and looking to increase your connections, then a group trip will be more ideal for you.
In our every group trip, we like to keep our group size small so our guide can be more attentive to each guest. You can join us by forming your own group, or you can also register in our group, where you will be traveling with new people.
In a private trip, we offer you our guide’s and porter’s assistance. So you will be free to decide what you want to do all throughout the trip. A private trip may be a bit pricier than a group trip, but it still is affordable.
So, make your choice that fits you best, and we will assist in making your dream into reality.
