Everest Basecamp with Cho La Pass Trek

After breakfast, you will be taking an early morning flight to Lukla. The mountain flight to Lukla is spectacular and is filled with incredible mountain views. After landing, you will meet our guides. After a brief stop, you begin the trek to Phakding. On your way, you travel on dirt tracks studded with rocks along the Dudh Koshi River. 

The majority of the section is through wavy terrain and lush coniferous forests. Many small settlements and villages lay along the way as you pass through Magnolia and Rhododendron studded forests. From Jorsalle, you will enter the Sagarmatha National Park. From here, the last section of the trek begins with a steep climb to reach Namche Bazaar.

Namche Bazaar is a market town where you can find a great deal of trekking equipment and gears. For acclimatization, you will make your way to the ridge of Syangboche 2-3 hours away from Namche. You can also visit the Everest View Hotel, the highest placed hotel in the world. You can sit by the terrace and enjoy unobstructed views of Mt. Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8516m), and Ama Dablam (6856m). After refreshments, you can make your way back to Namche to spend the night.

We begin our day bypassing the Khumjung village and continue along the Dudh Koshi river bed. After trekking along and around the switchbacks along the Dudh Koshi River, we arrive at Phortse Tenga. The route will continue through meadows and forests that border the villages of Tongba and Gyele before finally arriving at Dhole.

Today it's a steady uphill climb to Machhermo, along the Dudh Koshi river. Machhermo lies South of Gokyo and North of Dhole and is the last settlement before Gokyo. On your way to Machhermo, you will pass through the high-altitude settlements of Lhabarma and Luza. From Machhermo you will also see views of Cholatse (6335m) and Taboche (6367m) on the opening from Machhermo. 

Machhermo is a picturesque village decorated by the Machhermo River, Kyajo Ri (6186m) to the west, and Cholatse (6335m) to the east. Since it’s the last available settlement on the trek it’s imperative to acclimatize here at the altitude before venturing further. You can walk around the trails to the surrounding hills and come back down after the gain in altitude.

The ascent up to Gokyo is a gradual one along the Dudh Koshi valley. The vegetation will get sparser as the climb in altitude means thinning of the plant life and limited to shrubs that cling by the hills. Your trail will soon be met by a steep path with rocks. As you arrive at Gokyo, the Gokyo Lake will glimmer with Cho Oyu (8201m) in the backdrop. 

You will begin hiking up to Gokyo Ri (5360m) early in the morning. The view from atop the Gokyo Ri is magnificent and certainly worth it. It will provide stunning views of the Ngozumpa and Khumbu glaciers along with Mt. Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8516m), Nuptse (7861m), and Cho Oyu (8201m). After witnessing the view, you will be back for breakfast before heading along the Ngozumpa glacier to Dragnag.

Today is the challenging day of the trip, as we will be crossing a high pass then descend to the other side. The route is steep and very tricky. This is because of the many rocks along the steep surface along the way to the top of Cho La Pass (5420m). The pass is decorated and marked with Chortens and prayer flags. From the top, you can witness wonderful views of Ama Dablam (6856m), Cholatse (6335m), and Lobuche (6119m) among others. From here, we descend to the Dzongla village.

The view of Lobuche Peak (6119m) will be dominating us for most of our trek today. The trail is surrounded by grassy meadows and yak pastures. You will arrive soon at the level side with a river bed and follow its curves down to Lobuche village. Lobuche is a simple and traditional Sherpa village that sits at the foot of Mt. Lobuche (6119m).

From Lobuche, we begin our trek to the Everest Base Camp after breakfast. We will follow the rocky moraine of the Khumbu Glacier and cross the Lobuche Pass (5110m). Descending from the pass, you will arrive at Gorakshep, where you can stop by for Lunch. From here on, it's another 3-4 hours ahead to Everest Base Camp. The trail gently ascends on and beside the moraine of the glacier. The base camp offers mesmerizing views of mountains like Pumo Ri (7165m), Lingtren (6749m), and Nuptse (7861m). After witnessing the scenes at the base camp, you will head back to Gorakshep.

It's another early morning hike today. We hike all the way to Kalapatthar from where, you can relish the sights of Mt. Everest (8848m), Pumo Ri (7165m), Lhotse (8516m), Nuptse (7861m), and Ama Dablam (6856m), and many more on the background. We will return to Gorakshep and trek southward to Lobuche for lunch by noon. Then, we continue over to Pheriche village.

On our way from Pheriche to Namche, we will pass Pangboche and Tengboche, each with a significant monastery and wonderful Himalayan views. As you climb back down, the vegetation increases and so do the human settlement. You will pass Khumjung and Khunde villages as you trek back to Namche Bazaar.

On our way back down to Lukla, we will descend all the way which can be tough on your knees. The last part of the trek is the only ascent as you get from Phakding to Lukla airport. On the way, we will again cross through the lush vegetation of Rhododendron trees and pass through suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi. At Lukla, we can end the trek with a celebration.

You will take back the flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. The trip wraps up as you say farewell to the Everest Himalayas. Notice the mountains and hills from a different angle today as your plane makes your way to Kathmandu. In Kathmandu, you can rest in your hotel or head to the wellness centers in the valley.

If you have any checklists or places of interest to visit, you still have this extra day on your itinerary. Make sure to visit the culturally rich places around Kathmandu. You can also go around town to relax, taste local cuisines, or do some last-minute souvenir shopping. We will meet again in the evening to wrap up and bid farewell with a hearty farewell dinner.

A company representative will meet with you and then lead you to the airport for your departure. We wish you had the best time exploring the Everest region and hope our paths cross again for new endeavors.