Everest & Gokyo Lakes Circuit — Self-Launched Trek

Land at Tribhuvan International (KTM) and make your own way to Thamel by prepaid taxi (roughly NPR 800–1000, about £5–6) or arrange a hotel pickup. Once checked in, spend the afternoon sorting the two things that matter: your TIMS/entry permits and your Lukla flight confirmation. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry permit is issued at the Nepal Tourism Board office (Exhibition Road) or the Kathmandu TIMS counter — bring passport photos and cash. Buy or top up a Ncell/Nepal Telecom SIM for data on the trail (weak but usable up to Namche and in patches above). Evening: wander Thamel's alleys, eat momos and dal bhat at a local spot, and buy any last trekking gear on Thamel's fake-brand street if you need it.

🚌Prepaid airport taxi to Thamel (~£5)

🛏Thamel guesthouse or budget hotel, private room, twin share (~£12–18 pp)

• →Sort Khumbu Pasang Lhamu entry permit and Sagarmatha National Park permit
• →Buy local SIM (Ncell or Nepal Telecom)
• →Explore Thamel, Boudhanath or Swayambhunath if time allows
• →Buy/check trekking gear and water purification tablets

During peak trekking season (Oct–Nov, Apr–May) almost all Lukla flights now operate from Manthali airport near Ramechhap, about 5–6 hours east of Kathmandu. Book a seat on a shared jeep or tourist bus the day before (your guesthouse or any Thamel travel agent can arrange it, ~£10–15 pp) and leave early — the road is winding and you want to be there before dark. Stay in a basic guesthouse or the safari-tent glamping camps near the airport. Rest, rehydrate and eat a proper meal — this buffer day is what separates a comfortable trek from a wrecked first day on the trail.

🚌Shared jeep or tourist bus Kathmandu–Manthali, ~6 hrs (~£12)

🛏Guesthouse or glamping safari tent near Ramechhap airport, twin share (~£10–14 pp)

• →Scenic drive along the Sun Koshi river valley
• →Rest and rehydrate before the flight to Lukla

The Lukla flight is the most weather-dependent part of the whole trip — book the earliest departure you can and be prepared for delays. Flights are ~£120–170 one way on Tara Air, Summit Air or Sita Air; book direct or through a Kathmandu agent. The 35-minute flight lands at Tenzing–Hillary Airport (2,860m), a genuine bucket-list landing. From Lukla, walk north along the Dudh Koshi river through Chheplung, Thado Koshi and Ghat to Phakding. Easy first day — use it to find your trekking rhythm and check your pack weight.

🚌Domestic flight to Lukla (~£130 one way; arrange directly or via agent)

🛏Teahouse in Phakding, twin share (~£3–6 pp)

• →Mountain flight Kathmandu/Manthali–Lukla
• →Trek Lukla–Phakding, ~4 hrs, 7.5 km, +190 m / -460 m
• →First night in a teahouse, order dal bhat and hot lemon

A proper trekking day: 7 hrs, 13 km, +1,205 m. Follow the river through Monjo, where you'll show your permits at the Sagarmatha National Park checkpoint — buy the park permit here if you haven't in Kathmandu (NPR 3,000, ~£17). Cross the Hillary Suspension Bridge and climb the steep switchbacks to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m), with your first glimpse of Everest on a clear day. Namche is the last real town: ATMs (unreliable, take cash), gear shops, bakeries, and the best coffee you'll see for two weeks.

🚌On foot, ~7 hrs

🛏Teahouse in Namche Bazaar, twin share (~£4–8 pp)

• →Sagarmatha National Park permit check at Monjo
• →Hillary Suspension Bridge crossing with Mt. Thamserku views
• →Steep climb to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m)

Rest day at 3,440 m — do not skip this. Hike up to the Everest View Hotel or the Syangboche airstrip viewpoint (about 2 hrs return, +400 m) for a panorama of Everest, Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Lhotse. Alternatively walk to Khumjung village to see the school and the 'yeti scalp' at the monastery. In the afternoon, sort your porter-hire for the Cho La crossing and do a gear check. Drink 3–4 litres of water and eat even if appetite is off.

🚌On foot, 2–4 hrs optional

🛏Teahouse in Namche Bazaar, twin share (~£4–8 pp)

• →Optional acclimatisation hike to Everest View Hotel / Syangboche
• →Optional walk to Khumjung village and monastery
• →Arrange porter hire for Cho La section if desired

Leave the main Everest trail and branch west toward the Gokyo valley — this is where the crowds thin out dramatically. Climb over the Mong La Pass (3,970 m) with views down the Dudh Koshi gorge, then descend steeply to Phortse Thanga on the riverbank (3,680 m). 5 hrs, 8 km, +800 m / -660 m. There's a small monastery at Phortse Thanga worth a look; otherwise eat and sleep by the river.

🚌On foot, ~5 hrs

🛏Teahouse in Phortse Thanga, twin share (~£3–6 pp)

• →Mong La Pass (3,970 m) with Dudh Koshi gorge views
• →Visit Phortse Thanga monastery
• →First night on the quieter Gokyo side of the valley

Short day, deliberately: 2.5 hrs, 4 km, +470 m. Climb through rhododendron forest to the Sherpa villages of Tonga and Gyele at around 4,000 m, then on to Dole. Back-to-back short days here help your body adjust before you get properly high. Photograph Khumbila and Tawache on the way. Eat a big early dinner — teahouses in the Gokyo valley stop serving around 8pm.

🚌On foot, ~2.5 hrs

🛏Teahouse in Dole, twin share (~£3–6 pp)

• →Rhododendron forest climb through Tonga and Gyele
• →Views of Khumbila and Tawache
• →Deliberately short acclimatisation day

4 hrs, 7 km, +420 m. The jungle gives way to juniper, yak pastures and the summer grazing grounds of Luza and Lhabarma. Arrive at Machhermo (4,470 m) around lunchtime. In the afternoon walk up the ridge behind the village for grand views of Cho Oyu (8,201 m) and to help the acclimatisation. Machhermo also has a small Himalaya Rescue Association aid post — worth knowing about.

🚌On foot, ~4 hrs

🛏Teahouse in Machhermo, twin share (~£3–6 pp)

• →Trek Dole–Machhermo, ~4 hrs
• →Optional ridge walk for Cho Oyu views
• →HRA aid post orientation

5 hrs, 10 km, +515 m. A morning view over the plunging Khantega Gorge, then follow the river toward the vast 36 km Ngozumpa Glacier — the longest in the Himalaya — and up into the Gokyo valley (4,750 m). You're now at the highest freshwater lakes in the world, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists. Pick a lakeside teahouse: the ones at Gokyo village facing the water have the best sunset views back along the lake chain toward Cho Oyu.

🚌On foot, ~5 hrs

🛏Teahouse in Gokyo village, twin share (~£4–8 pp)

• →Trek to the Ngozumpa Glacier viewpoint
• →Descend into the Gokyo valley and Gokyo Lakes
• →Lakeside sunset from Gokyo village

Second key acclimatisation day. If you feel good, start before dawn and climb Gokyo Ri (5,357 m) — about 2 hrs up, steep, dark and cold, but it delivers one of the best viewpoints on earth: Ngozumpa Glacier stretching to the horizon, the Gokyo Lakes strung out below, and four of the world's six highest peaks including Everest visible on a clear morning. If you don't feel right, stay low, walk along the lakes, drink water and don't push — altitude decides the schedule, not you.

🚌On foot, ~4 hrs return to Gokyo Ri

🛏Teahouse in Gokyo village, twin share (~£4–8 pp)

• →Sunrise ascent of Gokyo Ri (5,357 m)
• →Lakeside walking and rest
• →Altitude assessment before Cho La

Short staging day: 3 hrs, 4.5 km, +370 m. The trail climbs up onto the Ngozumpa Glacier itself and undulates across moraine to Thagnak (4,700 m) on the far side — the launchpad for Cho La. Watch your footing on the ice and loose rock; poles help. Afternoon: rest, hydrate, recce tomorrow's route with the teahouse owner, and go to bed early.

🚌On foot, ~3 hrs

🛏Teahouse in Thagnak, twin share (~£4–7 pp)

• →Traverse of the Ngozumpa Glacier moraine
• →Settle into Thagnak for the Cho La crossing
• →Early night before the big pass day

The crux of the whole circuit: 8 hrs, 14 km, +720 m / -538 m. Leave before dawn while the snow and ice are firm. The eastern side is steep and rocky with some scrambling near the top and is often snow-covered — microspikes and an ice axe are genuinely useful here, and this is the one day where hiring a local guide (around £40–60 for the day, arrangeable in Thagnak or Gokyo) is worth considering if you're not confident on exposed icy ground or haven't crossed a glaciated pass before. The summit rewards with a 360° Himalayan panorama; descend via a rocky gulley into the main Everest valley and on to Dzongla (4,830 m).

🚌On foot, ~8 hrs

🛏Teahouse in Dzongla, twin share (~£4–7 pp)

• →Pre-dawn ascent of Cho La Pass (5,420 m)
• →Glacier-top crossing and rocky gulley descent
• →Optional local guide hire for pass day

Deliberately easy after Cho La: 3 hrs, 6.3 km, +40 m / -140 m. Follow the valley past Chola Tsho lake and join the main Everest Base Camp trail at Lobuche (4,940 m). It's a good day to recover, eat properly, and remember that the EBC day is coming up. If you want a short afternoon walk, the ridge above the village gives you Pumori and Nuptse up close.

🚌On foot, ~3 hrs

🛏Teahouse in Lobuche, twin share (~£4–8 pp)

• →Walk past Chola Tsho glacial lake
• →Rejoin the main EBC trail at Lobuche
• →Optional ridge walk for Pumori and Nuptse views

The goal. 7 hrs, 11 km, +496 m / -260 m. Follow the trail past the Thukla pass memorials (a sobering collection of cairns to climbers who died on Everest) and around the Khumbu Glacier to Gorak Shep (5,164 m), the last teahouse settlement. From there it's about 2 hrs each way across the glacier moraine to Everest Base Camp itself at 5,364 m. Little to see in base camp outside expedition season except the ice and the Khumbu Icefall — but stand there anyway. Sleep at Gorak Shep.

🚌On foot, ~7 hrs plus 4 hrs return to EBC

🛏Teahouse in Gorak Shep, twin share (~£5–9 pp)

• →Thukla Pass memorial cairns
• →Trek across Khumbu Glacier moraine to Everest Base Camp (5,364 m)
• →Night at Gorak Shep, the highest settlement in the region

Long but unforgettable day: 8 hrs, 20 km, +537 m / -1,716 m. Optional but strongly recommended: leave at 4am and climb Kala Patthar (5,550 m) — the highest point of the trek — to watch the sun rise behind Everest. Then back to Gorak Shep for breakfast and a long descent via Lobuche and the Thukla memorials to Pangboche (3,985 m). This is where the altitude finally starts working for you instead of against you — oxygen gets noticeably easier as you drop.

🚌On foot, ~8 hrs

🛏Teahouse in Pangboche, twin share (~£4–7 pp)

• →Pre-dawn ascent of Kala Patthar (5,550 m)
• →Sunrise over Everest summit
• →Long descent to Pangboche via Lobuche

5.5 hrs, 14 km, +875 m / -1,252 m. Back through Tengboche (the famous monastery is worth a 30-minute stop and the bakery next door does good apple pie), then cross the Dudh Koshi and re-enter the forest. The steep climb up to Phungi Thanga and over to Namche is the sting in the tail. Reward yourself: hot shower, proper coffee, and a bakery in Namche that doesn't feel like the last outpost of civilisation.

🚌On foot, ~5.5 hrs

🛏Teahouse in Namche Bazaar, twin share (~£4–8 pp)

• →Tengboche monastery visit
• →Descent through the Dudh Koshi valley
• →Hot shower and bakery stop in Namche

The last full trekking day: 8 hrs, 19 km, +788 m / -1,200 m. Cross the suspension bridges one more time, pass through Monjo and Phakding, and savour the final climb up to Lukla. Say goodbye to your porter and any local crew you've hired along the way, and celebrate with a cold Everest beer — you've earned it.

🚌On foot, ~8 hrs

🛏Teahouse or lodge in Lukla, twin share (~£5–10 pp)

• →Final descent Namche–Lukla
• →Suspension bridge crossings over the Dudh Koshi
• →Celebration dinner and beer in Lukla

Morning flight from Lukla back to Manthali or Kathmandu (~£130). Lukla flights are notoriously weather-dependent and cancellations are common — build a buffer day into your onward travel and don't book an international departure for tomorrow. From Manthali, take the shared jeep back to Kathmandu (~6 hrs, ~£12). Check into a Thamel hotel, have a long hot shower and a proper dinner — steak, curry or Newari food at any of the small family places off the main drag.

🚌Domestic flight from Lukla (~£130) + shared jeep Manthali–Kathmandu (~£12)

🛏Thamel guesthouse or budget hotel, private room, twin share (~£12–18 pp)

• →Flight back from Lukla
• →Shared jeep transfer to Kathmandu
• →Celebration dinner in Thamel

A loose day to recover. Sleep in, have breakfast, then use the time to see what you missed: Boudhanath stupa, Pashupatinath temple, or the Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares are all easy half-day trips on a local bus or taxi. Buy souvenirs, sort laundry and repack. Then take a prepaid taxi to Tribhuvan International (NKP 800–1000) for your flight home.

🚌Local bus or taxi around Kathmandu; prepaid airport taxi (~£5)

🛏Own arrangements / airport hotel or Thamel guesthouse if flying late

• →Boudhanath stupa or Pashupatinath temple
• →Patan or Bhaktapur Durbar Square day trip
• →Last-minute souvenir shopping in Thamel