The Gokyo Lakes Trek is a good alternative to the Everest Base Camp Trek.
This jewel of a trek will take you to the Gokyo Lakes and Gokyo Valley, away from the crowds on their way to Everest Base Camp, in Sagarmatha National Park.
The Gokyo Ri Trek is considered the best place to take a look at the high Himalayan mountain ranges, with the soaring views of the most popular mountains in Nepal, at an altitude of 8000m such as Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse and Makalu.
It leads up the valley west of Everest to the village of Gokyo and to the five sacred lakes on the moraine next to the Ngozumpa glacier. This spectacular hike, which is almost as high as the Everest Base Camp, offers breathtaking views of Everest, but the trails are less crowded and quieter. You will pass traditional Sherpa villages where you will be served local food.
The Gokyo Lakes are actually made up of six bodies of water, or lakes, located at an altitude of 4700 to 5000m in the Gokyo Valley. Gokyo Valley falls within the Sagarmatha National Park area. They are the world’s highest freshwater lake system and have been designated as a Ramsar site (wetlands of international importance) and sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.
