Phaplu To Gokyo Trek

As the beautiful Phaplu to Gokyo Trek organized by the Mountain Ram Adventures Team is beginning, the trekkers will be arriving in Kathmandu via the Tribhuvan International Airport. The representatives of the team will be welcoming the trekkers to Nepal at the Airport and will be transferring the trekkers to their designated hotel which will most probably be within the Toursitic Hub of Thamel. The travelers will be assisted with the check-in formalities at the hotel after which they can freshen up in their rooms and explore the city or just rest for the night.

On day two we will be heading for a full day sightseeing tour which will begin shortly after having our breakfast and will end at around 5 PM. The Mountain Ram Adventures team will be assigning an English speaking cultural Guide for the journey and the travelers will be transferred through the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in a comfortable vehicle. The visitors will be required to pay an entry fee while entering the landmarks which are not included in the package. After the end of the sightseeing tour the travelers will be dropped back to their Hotel after which they can wander around the touristic hub of Thamel. 

The sightseeing tour for the day will include four of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites including Swayambhunath Temple, Bouddhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple and Patan Durbar Square. The first stop of our journey will be at the Swayambhunath Stupa which is located at the top of the Goshringa hill providing stellar views of the Kathmandu Valley and the Himalayas. After exploring Swayambhunath we will be transferred to Pashupatinath Temple which is one of the most revered sites for the Hindu community. The temple’s vicinity is grand and filled with multiple temple complexes and the holy river of Bagmati also flows right beside the temple. The Banks of the Bagmati River within the Temples vicinity serves as one of the biggest cremation sites of the Hindu community as it is widely believed that worshipers who are cremated at the banks find their path to their next life easily. After Pashupatinath we will be heading towards the Bouddhanath Stupa, Nepal's biggest Stupa holding great significance for the Buddhist and Hindu community all around the world. The Stupa is in a dome shape surrounded by cafes and restaurants providing stellar views of the Stupa. Patan Durbar Square will be the last landmark we will be visiting on our sightseeing trip. The Durbar Square reflects the ancient culture and grand architecture of the ancient Nepali Kingdom. The square holds some of the most iconic temples and landmarks which used to serve as the royal residence of the Malla Kingdom till the 16th century. 

On the third day of the tour we will be heading towards Phaplu from Kathmandu which is around 390 KM from the capital city towards the eastern side of Nepal. The drive will take us around 9-10 hours from Kathmandu during which we will be traveling in a public vehicle (bus/jeep) arranged by the team. During the drive the travelers will be able to see the beautiful views of the high Himalayas with the lush green valleys and deep river gorges. Occasional stops will be made during the drive for lunch and for enjoying the views. After a long drive we will reach Phaplu in Solukhumbu District where we will be staying for the night in a tea house.

After a goodnight rest in the tea house we will officially begin our trek towards Gokyo Valley as we will be trekking to Takshindo. The trek will be around 5-6 Hours long and we will be covering a total of around 17 KM. During the trek we will be gaining around 400 M in passing through mostly offbeat paths which merge occasionally with the motorway leading to Takshindu. After a beautiful and slow hike we will reach Takhindu from where we will be able to see the beautiful views of the Kusum Kangaru (6367 M), Mount Number (6959 M), Khatang (6853 M) and Karyalung (6681 M). The beautiful Sherpa Settlement gets its name from the Taksindu Monastery located there. The village is also renowned for the cheese factory from where we are able to buy local cheese as well.

The trek from Takshindo to Kharikhola is a beautiful trek which will begin shortly after we have our breakfast. The Hike is gentle with beautiful views of the lush green valleys. We will pass through Nunthala which is a beautiful settlement along the way to Kharikhola. The trek will take us just around 7 hours and we will be trekking through the offbeat paths of the hill side trail. We will be staying in Kharikhola for the night in a cozy tea house overlooking the valley.

After a sound rest we will be having our breakfast overlooking the beautiful morning views of the valley and relaxing. After having our breakfast we will be heading towards Puiyan which will take us around 6 hours to reach from Kharikhola. We will be crossing through beautiful waterfalls along the way providing a sense of tranquility. Along the way we will pass through Buksa and Kare where we will most probably stop for our lunch. After having our lunch we will ascend gently through the offbeat trails leading towards Puiya. We will be crossing a metal bridge over a beautiful waterfall learning us to the entry of Puiyan. We will be spending our night in Puiyan for the night.

On our fourth day of trekking we will head towards Phakding. Entering Phakding marks our entry to the classical trekking route of the Everest Base Camp trekking route. Along the way to Phakding we will be passing through Surke where we will be having our lunch. After having our lunch we will head towards Chaurikharka which is a small Sherpa settlement which is around 1-2 hours from Phakding. Along the way we will be able to see the Lukla village also known as the gateway to Everest and the Tenzing Hillary Airport considered to be one of the world's most dangerous airports. After around 6 hours of trekking we will eventually reach Phakding where we will be staying for the night. 

After having our breakfast enjoying the views of the lush green valleys we will be heading towards Namche Bazaar, the biggest settlement of Sherpa in the Khumbu Region. We will be trekking through the offbeat trails which fall under the shades of the ancient Rhododendron and Oak forest. The trail to Namche leads us towards Monjo first where we will be showing our permits to enter the Sagarmatha National Park. We will be crossing multiple suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi River. After a steady flat trek we will reach Hillary Bridge after which a steep ascent towards Namche begins. The trail is not as steep as trekkers say and is quite adventurous. After trekking for around 5-6 hours we will reach Namche Bazaar where we will be staying for the night in a cozy guesthouse/ Hotel.

Note: As we will be staying for an additional day for acclimatization the trekkers can utilize the laundry facility if required as the laundry will be done by the time we will be resuming our trek on the 11th day of the tour. 

The 10th day of our journey we will be staying an extra day in Namche Bazaar for acclimatization. We will be having our breakfast and will be heading towards the Everest Hotel to enjoy the beautiful views of Mount Everest(8848 M) , Lhotse(8516 M), Nuptse(7861 M), Ama Dablam(6812 M), Kusum Khangru(6367 M), Kongde Ri(6187 M). After enjoying the views we will be exploring the beautiful settlement of Namche Bazaar and enjoying the local amenities and foods at the pubs, cafes, bakeries, restaurants and having a good time. During the evening time we will be heading towards the Everest View Point again to enjoy the golden hour of Dusk which turns the Himalayan peaks into a beautiful shade of gold and orange. After an eventful and relaxed day we will be getting our rest for the night.

After spending an extra day in Namche Bazar we will resume our trek towards Dole from Namche Bazaar which will take us around 5-6 hours in total. We will be heading North from Namche Bazaar which will lead us to the Khumjung Village from where we will be heading towards Phortse Thenga. We will be enjoying the spectacular views of the Khumbu Himalayas as well as the deep Himalayan Vista. After a short hike from Phortse Thenga we will reach a checkpost where we need to show our permits for the second time to continue or trek further. The trail to dole from the checkpost stretches alongside the Bhote Koshi River under the shades of Rhododendron, Oak and Birch trees. After a gente trek during which we will gain a total of around 600 M we will eventually reach Dole where we will be staying for the night in a local tea house.

We will be starting our day on the 12th day of the trip by enjoying the stunning views of the Himalayas including Mount Cho Oyu, Thamserku and Kantega. The hike from Dole to Machermo is a comfortable and short one which will take us around 4-5 hours. We will be gaining around 430 M in elevation during the trek. The trek to Machermo begins with an inclined path leading us towards Lhabarma and Luza. If trekking during the Summer and Spring seasons the trekkers will be able to see the pasture lands with herds of Yak grazing as during that time the Sherpas bring their Yaks to the upper region for grazing. After a comfortable trek we will reach Machermo. We will be settling in our room in a cozy tea house for the night.

The trek towards Gokyo valley begins with a healthy breakfast. As we will be trekking in the higher elevation we will be trekking slowly at our own pace. We will be gaining around 320 M in total elevation during our hike during which we will be passing through Langponga Tsho (Gokyo Lake 1) and Taujung Tsho (Gokyo Lake 2). The offbeat inclined terrain beside the Taujung Tsho leads us towards Dudh Pokhari (Gokyo Lake 3). The Gokyo Village is situated at the bank of the Dudh Pokhari from where the pristine views of the glacier lakes and the Himalayas are simply mesmerizing.

On the 14 th day we will be hiking to either Gokyo Ri or Fifth Gokyo Lake. Both of the destinations are viewpoints and we will be returning back to the Gokyo Valley after enjoying the majestic views of the Himalayas from there. As both destinations provide different views of the Himalayas the trekkers can choose which viewpoint they want to visit and head towards it accompanied by their guides. We need not to carry heavy bags and carrying a water bottle and light snacks will be enough for the hike.

Hike towards Gokyo Ri:  We will be trekking to an elevation of 5357 M through steep inclined trails with rocky and rugged terrains. The hike will take us anywhere between 2-4 Hours and we will be returning back to the Gokyo Valley for the night. The views of the pristine Dudh Pokhari beside the Ngozumpa Glacier and the panoramic views of the beautiful Khumbu Peaks including multiple eight thousander peaks including Mount Everest (8848 M), Mount Makalu (8485 M), Lhotse (8516 M) and Cho Oyu(8188 M). As it is a day hike we will be enjoying the beautiful 360 degrees panoramic views of the Himalayas and returning back to the Gokyo Valley. 

Hike towards 5th Lake: Heading to the Ngozumpa Tso (5th Glacier Lake) is stable and much easier than the Hike to Gokyo Ri as the trail is flatter yet rugged. We will be trekking alongside the glacier Moraine of the Ngozumpa Glacier which is the longest glacier in the Himalayas stretching for 36 KM. We will begin our trek from Gokyo Valley beside the third Gokyo Lake Dudh Pokhari and head towards Thonak Tso (Gokyo Lake 4). We will be able to see the beautiful views of the Himalayas in a panoramic setting throughout the way to the fifth lake, Ngozumpa Tso. After reaching the fifth lake at an elevation of 5000 M we will enjoy the tranquil views of the Himalayas including the beautiful views of Mount Everest(8848 M), Cho Oyu(8188 M) and many more and return back through the beautiful rugged terrains beside the Ngozumpa Glacier.  

On our day 15 we will be returning back towards Dole from Gokyo valley after having our breakfast.  We will be soaking in the beautiful views of the beautiful vista and then begin our trek for the day. The trail is mostly inclined so it will take us relatively less time to trek down. Trekkers are suggested to watch their footing while descending as any mishaps can occur while downhill trekking. After a comfortable trek we will reach Dole which will take us just around 5-6 hours of trekking. We will be staying in a cozy tea house for the night.

After getting our well deserved rest in Dole we will be heading towards Namche after we have our breakfast. The trek to Namche is mostly downhill and we will be passing through the same trail which we trekked through while heading up towards Gokyo valley. While trekking make sure to look back as the Himalayas will be directly behind us. The trek will take us just around 5 hours in total and will be reaching Namche and checking into our guest House/ Hotel for the night. We will also be exploring the Namche Bazaar and enjoying various amenities available there.

The downhill trek from Namche to Lukla will be the last stretch of our trek and will take us just around 6-7 hours of trekking. We will begin our trek shortly after having our breakfast. We will begin the trek with a descent towards the Hillary Bridge after which the trail is much more flat. We will be passing through Monjo and Phakding along the way. The trail becomes inclined after Phakding leading towards Lukla which will take us anywhere between 3-5 hours depending upon our pace. After our uphill hike we will eventually reach Lukla where we will be staying in a local guest House. The stay in Lukla will be our last night in the Himalayas so we will be enjoying our time there. 

As the Phaplu to Gokyo trek is complete we will be heading back towards the capital city via a scenic flight. The travelers will be able to see the mesmerizing views of the towering Himalayas. The flight from Lukla is around 40 minutes and is filled with beautiful valleys of the Himalayas and lush green hills. The representatives of the Mountain Ram Adventures team will be waiting in the Tribhuvan International Airport for our arrival and will be transporting us to our designated hotel in the Thamel area. The flights operating from Lukla and vice versa are usually done during the morning time as the weather is much more stable. We will have free time in Kathmandu and can explore the city freely after freshening up at our hotel. The Mountain Ram Adventures team will be hosting a farewell dinner for the night and providing the trekkers with their certificate of completion. The travelers are also suggested to share their experience and provide the representatives with their honest feedback about their journey. After having our dinner we will be returning back to our hotel or exploring the night time of Thamel.

Note: Depending on the season the flights from Kathmandu to/from Lukla are not operated and instead flights from/to Lukla are operated from Manthali Airport, Ramechhap which is around 185 KM East from Kathmandu due to heavy air traffic in Kathmandu. The travelers will be heading to Ramechha early in the morning to catch their flights as flights operate mostly during the morning time. The vehicles will be arranged by the Mountain Ram Adventures team and the price of the vehicle will be included in the package.   

As the Phaplu to Gokyo Trek is finally completed the trekkers will be dropped at the International Airport Departure Area by the representatives of the Mountain Ram Adventures team. The representatives will be taking care of all the checkout formalities and assisting the trekkers to load their bags in the private transport to the Airport. The trekkers will be assisted to unload their bags and the team members will be bidding them farewell marking the end to an beautiful adventure in the Himalayas.