Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes Trek via Cho La

Also known as EBC Cho La Gokyo Trek / Gokyo-EBC Circuit / Everest Circuit Trek.

Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes Trek via Cho La is a difficult 15-17-day teahouse trek in the Everest (Khumbu) region of Nepal, reaching 5,644 m. It starts at Lukla and ends at Lukla.

Key facts

Region
Everest (Khumbu) (Solukhumbu)
Duration
15-17 days, 5-7 hours walking per day
Distance
130 km
Maximum altitude
5,644 m
Difficulty
Difficult — Everything the standard EBC trek demands plus a 5,420 m glaciated pass (Cho La) and a crossing of the Ngozumpa Glacier, with three optional 5,300 m+ viewpoints (Kala Patthar, Gokyo Ri). Non-technical in good conditions but icy/snowbound sections on Cho La push it to the top of grade 4, bordering 5 (the Three Passes trek is the dataset's 5).
Trek type
Teahouse, loop route
Best season
Autumn (Oct-Nov) and Spring (Mar-May)
Guide
Not mandatory
Restricted area
No
Budget cost
NPR 140,000–190,000
Comfortable cost
NPR 190,000–270,000
Guided cost
NPR 200,000–300,000
Getting there
Kathmandu → Lukla (35 min flight; from Manthali/Ramechhap 20 min in peak season, after a 4-5h night drive from Kathmandu) → trek loop Phakding-Namche-Dingboche-EBC-Cho La-Gokyo-Namche → Lukla → return flight.
Altitude sickness
High — sleeping altitudes reach 5,164 m (Gorak Shep) and the route crosses 5,420 m within days of arriving at altitude; the EBC-first (clockwise) direction acclimatizes before Cho La and is the safer standard.

Weather

Stable, clear mornings in Oct-Nov and Mar-May; afternoon cloud typical. Cho La frequently holds snow/ice — after fresh snowfall it can close for days, and microspikes are often needed even in season. Winter crossings possible for experienced parties in cold, short days; monsoon brings cloud, trail damage and unreliable Lukla flights.

Permits

Itinerary

  1. Day 1: Kathmandu / Manthali to Phakding, 3 h, 2,610 m — Landing at Tenzing-Hillary Airport (2,840 m); gentle descent along the Dudh Koshi
  2. Day 2: Phakding to Namche Bazaar, 6 h, 3,440 m — Sagarmatha NP gate at Monjo; Hillary Suspension Bridge; first Everest view
  3. Day 3: Namche Bazaar to Namche Bazaar (acclimatization), 4-5 h, 3,440 m — Hike to Everest View Hotel (3,880 m) and Khumjung; Sherpa Culture Museum; Saturday market
  4. Day 4: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche, 5 h, 3,860 m — Balcony trail with Ama Dablam; Tengboche Monastery afternoon ceremony
  5. Day 5: Tengboche to Dingboche, 5 h, 4,410 m — Pangboche village; Imja Valley above the treeline
  6. Day 6: Dingboche to Dingboche (acclimatization), 3-4 h, 4,410 m — Nangkartshang ridge hike (to 5,083 m) — Makalu, Lhotse, Island Peak panorama
  7. Day 7: Dingboche to Lobuche, 5 h, 4,940 m — Thukla Pass memorial chortens (4,830 m); Khumbu Glacier moraine
  8. Day 8: Lobuche to Gorak Shep (via Everest Base Camp), 7-8 h, 5,164 m — Everest Base Camp (5,364 m); Khumbu Icefall close-up
  9. Day 9: Gorak Shep to Dzongla (via Kala Patthar), 7-8 h, 4,830 m — Sunrise from Kala Patthar (5,644 m); contour trail beneath Cholatse and Taboche to Dzongla
  10. Day 10: Dzongla to Thagnak (via Cho La), 7-8 h, 4,700 m — Cho La (5,420 m) — rock scramble, summit glacier plateau, prayer-flagged crest between Ama Dablam and Cho Oyu views
  11. Day 11: Thagnak to Gokyo, 2-3 h, 4,790 m — Crossing the Ngozumpa Glacier (Nepal's longest); third Gokyo lake (Dudh Pokhari) and lakeside village
  12. Day 12: Gokyo to Machhermo (via Gokyo Ri), 5-6 h, 4,470 m — Sunrise on Gokyo Ri (5,357 m) — four 8,000ers (Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu) over the turquoise lakes; descent past the first and second lakes
  13. Day 13: Machhermo to Namche Bazaar, 5-6 h, 3,440 m — Dole and Phortse Tenga; Mong La (3,975 m) with Ama Dablam views; rejoin the main trail at Kyangjuma
  14. Day 14: Namche Bazaar to Lukla, 6-7 h, 2,840 m — Final Dudh Koshi bridges; celebration dinner in Lukla
  15. Day 15: Lukla to Kathmandu / Manthali, 0 h, 1,340 m — Mountain flight views on a clear morning

More Everest (Khumbu) treks