Overview
A quieter alternative to the classic trail
This 17-day itinerary combines the turquoise Gokyo Lakes, the high crossing of Renjo La Pass (5,360 m), and the Sherpa villages of Phortse and Thame into a quieter, more remote alternative to the classic Everest Base Camp trail. Two full days in Kathmandu at the start allow for sightseeing and trek preparation, and a spare day is built in after the trek to absorb any delay to Lukla’s notoriously weather-dependent flights.
On the trail, trekkers spend a dedicated acclimatisation day in Namche Bazaar, a further gradual-ascent day via Phortse, and two nights in Gokyo before the Renjo La crossing, with the descent routed back through Thame and Monjo rather than retracing the ascent route exactly. The route explores Sagarmatha National Park’s forested lower valleys, the quiet Sherpa village of Phortse, the wide glacial basin around the Ngozumpa Glacier, and the remote Bhote Koshi valley on the old salt-trading route to Tibet.
