The Gokyo Renjo La Trek is a challenging adventure in the Everest Region. The off-the-beaten-path trail superb mountain views with a chance to immerse yourself in the Sherpa culture of Khumbu: meeting the locals, crossing and nights in the villages, visiting monasteries. The highlight of the trek, Renjo La, offers an almost 270-degree view of Himalayan giants, with the turquoise Dudh Pokhari and the Ngozumpa glacierat its foot.
Gokyo Renjo La trek offers more than the standard Everest Base Camp Trek. Along with the usual fares of Namche and Tengboche, you will stay at quaint little settlements of Dole, Machermo and Thame. Thame is a historic Sherpa village is part of the old trading route from Tibet. It is also the birthplace of Tenzig Norgay and Apa Sherpa who climbed Everest 21 times. You will also get to explore the 16th Century Thame Gompa, just an hour’s walk from the village. The trek is also excellent for birdwatchers and wildlife lovers. Especially, the sections from Phortse Thanga to Machermo and Lungden to Thame offer sighting of the Himalayan Musk deer, Himalayan Tahr, Himalayan Marmot, Danphe, Himalayan snowcock and maybe a chance encounter with the elusive Snow Leopard.
The Gokyo Renjo La pass trek requires a good practice of trekking and a very good physical aptitude. It isn’t recommended for novice hikers as the terrain and altitude can prove to be quite a challenge. You will have to walk across moraines, scree and vertical cliffs. Nevertheless, our 19-day itinerary has been designed to maximize the chance of your success. The days are short and throughout the trek, you will have ample acclimatization days to get used to the oxygen-deprived harsh atmosphere.
Keep Walking Nepal welcomes you to join in the Gokyo Renjo La Trek as part of my extended family. We have been running trips in Everest region since the last 15 years, and our guides, most of whom are born in the region, know the trails like the back of their hand.
Our representative will pick you up at Kathmandu International Airport and drive you to your hotel. Depending upon what time you arrive, you can enjoy a full day at leisure. In the evening, we will meet for a welcome dinner with Keep Walking Nepal family.
Look out for the KEEP WALKING NEPAL board behind the railing once you exit the airport terminal.
You will embark on a guided tour of two UNESCO world heritage sites; Pashupatinath Temple, the temple devoted to Lord Shiva – the god of creation and destruction, and Boudhanath Stupa – a Buddhist shrine worshipped by Hindus & Buddhists alike.
In the afternoon, your trek guide will brief you about the upcoming days and preparation requirements.
You will drive to Kathmandu Domestic airport for an adventurous early morning 40m flight to Lukla’s Tenzing Hillary Airport (2,800m). The flight is an adventure in itself. In clear weather, one is rewarded with the first glimpse of Everest.
At Lukla, you meet the rest of your crew. The porters will take your duffel bag and will meet you at the lodge (this will continue throughout the trek).
Once out of Lukla, you will descend past small fields and cozy little wooden houses with vegetable gardens; all with a picturesque mountain backdrop. Along the way, you might encounter some pack animals as they are the only means of goods transportation up and down the mountain.
Along the way, in clear weather, one can catch views of the ice-covered 6000m high Kusum Kanguru. The trail is marked by impressive black mani stones painted with Tibetan inscriptions and a large stupa which indicates our destination for the day, Phakding, is nearby.
After breakfast, you will continue on the trail. It is a relatively short day as you cross suspension bridges over raging streams, past small hamlets and fields. Though the trail isn’t difficult, it is undulating – what we call the Nepali flat.
You will reach Monjo for lunch, and the rest of the day is at leisure. You can visit the local school, visit the local snooker house for some beer or just call it a day.
Shortly after Monjo, you will arrive at the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hike is beautiful with beautiful pine forests, raging rivers, and mountains in the backdrop. Another hour and we cross the milky river (Dudh Koshi) – over an iconic suspension bridge hanging a 100m above the riverbed.
Once across the bridge, you will definitely feel the mountain as you climb the steep uphill to Namche. The trail is frequented by porters carrying humongous loads and trains of pack animals. In clear weather, Everest is also visible.
After the 600m vertical ascent in about 4 – 5 hours, you will arrive at Namche, the Sherpa capital of Khumbu.
An important rule for a successful trek is successful acclimatization. Following the mantra, you will spend a second night in Namche but visit higher grounds to adapt our body.
We suggest an hike early morning hike to the Everest View Hotel (3,880m) and enjoy a breathtaking 360 panorama of Everest, Taboche, Thamserku, Kongde Ri and Ama Dablam.
You will start on the frequented trail to EBC till the rest point at Kyangjuma. From Sansa, the trail branches off west hugging the mountains on your left. The tenacious climb to Mong la (3,990m) is rewarding with distant view of Ama Dablam to the east.
After lunch, you will descend down the valley in a series of steep switchbacks through a rhododendron and pine forest to cross a suspension bridge over the raging Dudh Koshi river. A short ahead lies the village of Phortse Thanga, your camp for the night.
It’s a short day’s hike to Dole today. The trail through red birch, fir and dwarf rhododendron forest that surround yak pastures, and numerous cascading waterfalls that freeze during winter. Plus, you would also see the glacier flows from Taweche and Cholatse.
Above 4,000m the landscape and vegetation changes dramatically. Windswept valleys favor only a few species of ground-hugging rhododendrons and distinctive alpine flowers like edelweiss, gentians, anemones and stellera.
It’s about 6 km from Dole to Machhermo but it will take about 4 hours to climb the 270 meters vertical height. Machhermo valley lies in a windswept valley on the banks of Machhermo river, a drainage of the Ngozumpa glacier and the longest glacier in the Himalayas.
You will keep high above the Dudh Koshi river, going in and out of side valleys, along the settlements of Lhabarma and Luza. The trail can be quite steep at times but the views of Cholatse and Taboche will keep you company.
By lunchtime, you will be in one of the lodges in Machhermo, but don’t laze off. After lunch and some rest, you will go on an acclimatization hike up the Kyajo Ri ridge (5000 m). In the evening, you will visit the village first-aid post for a brief understanding on mountain sickness.
Leaving Machhermo, you will climb a ridge, from which the entire valley of Kangtega is clearly visible. From here, China is a stone’s throw away – right behind Cho-Oyu (8,261 m).
After lunch and some rest at the village of Pangka, which lies right behind the ridge, you will cross the river to arrive at the front of Ngozumpa Glacier’s moraine. The glacier feeds the famous Gokyo lakes.
One last spurt and you will arrive at the Gokyo valley, decorated with several lakes. There are 5 of them, and today you will pass the first three: Longpong (4650 m), Tauzhun (4710 m), Dudh Pokhari (4750 m).
You will stay the night in a lodge on the edge of the Dudh Pokhari lake.
In complete darkness, you will begin a radial ascent to the summit of Gokyo-Ri (53,57 m).
It will take about three hours to storm the summit, and somewhere in the middle of the road you will see how the dawn colors the white peaks of the Himalayas. The Himalayan giants reveal themselves – Everest, Makalu, Nuptse with Lhotse, and Cholatse with Taboche along with the Ngozumpa glacier.
After spending about 30-40 minutes on the top to take pictures and admire the view, you will descend about one and a half hours to our lodge for breakfast.The rest of the day is at leisure.
The final challenge of your trip, you will cross the 5360m high Renja Pass to Lungden in the Bhote Koshi river valley.
After the Chinese occupation of Tibet, the route was restricted for a period but now is allowed. The Bhote Koshi valley is closed on the northern side by the high mountain ridges that form the border with Tibet. Less than 20km away is the 5700m high Nangpa-La, the pass that was used by many Tibetan refugees to escape Chinese rule.
It’s a tough two-hour climb to the top of the pass but the views compensate for the effort. After the pass, you will descend almost 1500m down to the Bhote Koshi valley.
The walk to Thame through the spectacular valley, will now be a breeze. You have a contingency day at Thame, instead of hiking straight to Namche, in case the weather goes south. Along the way, you might even meet Tibetans with their yaks on their way to Namche to sell their wares.
Thame has a beautiful monastery perched on top of a hill against the backdrop of mountain peaks. We can either visit the monastery or rest.
The hike to Namche is a short one; you’ll arrive just in time for lunch.
You will cross the Bhote Koshi and pass through the quaint little villages of Thamo, Samde and Phurte to Namche. Thamo is home to the legendary Ang Rita Sherpa, a.k.a. ‘Snow Leopard’, who still holds the record for most Everest summits without supplementary oxygen, but has since passed away in 2020.
The rest of the day is at leisure at Namche. You can explore the pubs, cafes and even souvenir shopping.
You will follow the Dudh Koshi and retrace your steps to the quaint little village of Phakding.
Backtracking to Lukla on the famous ‘Nepali Flats’, your journey in the homeland of the Sherpas will have come to an end. Alas, it’s your last day with your crew of Sherpas and porters and rightfully calls for a celebration.
Bidding farewell to your crew, you will fly back to Kathmandu, where Keep Walking Nepal’s diligent staff will be waiting for you.
The rest of the day is at leisure. We recommend a quick shower and a visit to the laundromat.
You have the whole day at leisure to explore Kathmandu valley. This extra day also ensures a contingency plan, in case flights out of Lukla are hampered due to inclement weather.
In the evening there will be a farewell dinner by Keep Walking Nepal to celebrate your achievements.
A KWN representative will accompany you to the Tribhuwan International Airport for your flight back home.
| Start | Finish | Availability | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 05/03/2026 | Monday 23/03/2026 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Saturday 25/04/2026 | Wednesday 13/05/2026 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Saturday 17/05/2026 | Tuesday 04/06/2026 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Saturday 07/06/2026 | Tuesday 25/06/2026 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Saturday 16/08/2026 | Tuesday 03/09/2026 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Saturday 06/09/2026 | Tuesday 24/09/2026 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Friday 02/10/2026 | Tuesday 20/10/2026 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Friday 06/11/2026 | Tuesday 24/11/2026 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Monday 21/12/2026 | Friday 08/01/2027 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Friday 05/03/2027 | Saturday 27/03/2027 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Sunday 25/04/2027 | Monday 03/05/2027 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Monday 17/05/2027 | Friday 04/06/2027 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Monday 07/06/2027 | FRiday 25/06/2027 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Monday 16/08/2027 | Friday 03/09/2027 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Monday 06/09/2027 | Friday 24/09/2027 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Saturday 02/10/2027 | Wednesday 20/10/2027 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Saturday 06/11/2027 | Wednesday 24/11/2027 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
| Tuesday 21/12/2027 | Saturday 08/01/2028 | Trip Status available | Starting from $2820 | Book Now |
Here is a list of what you might want to pack for the hike. Please take this as a starting point. You’ll need layers of warmer clothing during the winter. We provide a 75 liter duffel bag for you to use for the trek. It will be given to you during your pre-trip meeting in Kathmandu. The duffle bag is yours to keep. Also, you can rent sleeping bag and down jacket with us at the additional fee of USD 35 for each once you are in Kathmandu.
Enter a recent customer’s contact info and we’ll ask them to leave you a review.