Embark on an unforgettable journey to the pristine Solukhumbu region with the Panch Pokhari Trek, a captivating adventure traversing lush forests, charming villages, and awe-inspiring Himalayan landscapes. This trek culminates in a visit to the sacred Panch Pokhari (Five Holy Lakes), nestled amidst towering peaks, offering spiritual significance and breathtaking natural beauty.

Why Choose Keep Walking Nepal Pvt. Ltd.

At Keep Walking Nepal, we are more than just a tour operator; we are a team of passionate locals dedicated to offering authentic and personalized trekking experiences. Here’s why we offer exceptional value:

Let Keep Walking Nepal be your trusted guide on this extraordinary Solukhumbu Panch Pokhari Trek. Contact us today and discover the difference that a passionate and dedicated team can make!

Trip Highlights

Discover the cultural richness of the Solukhumbu region through interactions with the hospitable Sherpa people.
Immerse yourself in spectacular mountain vistas, including panoramic views of Numbur, Kusum Kangguru, Kangtega, and the Kanchenjunga range.
Experience the serenity of Panch Pokhari, a revered pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists, and its five captivating glacial lakes.
Conquer challenging high-altitude passes like Hurhure La and Zatrwa La, rewarding you with unparalleled Himalayan scenery.
Expertise: Our experienced guides possess deep knowledge of the Solukhumbu region, its trails, culture, and history, ensuring a safe and informative journey.
Personalized Service: We cater to your individual needs and preferences, crafting a trekking adventure that aligns with your goals and abilities.

Trip Grade - Hard

Trip Summary

Day 1 :Arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to Hotel Tibet
Day 2 :Guided Tours & Preparation
Day 3 :Drive from Kathmandu to Pattale Dhaap (2900 m; 8 hrs)
Day 4 :Drive from Pattale Dhaap to Mahakulung, Bung (1,700 m; 6 hrs)
Day 5 :Trek to Khiraule (2,600 m; 4 hrs)
Day 6 :Trek from Khiraule to Cholem (7.5 km; 3,560 m; 5-6 hrs)
Day 7 :Trek from Cholem to Khola Kharka (4,247 m; 6 hrs) via Hurhure La (4,286 m) and Kongkeluchho La (4,490 m)
Day 8 :Trek from Panch Pokhari to Kothe (3,550 m; 4-5 hrs)
Day 9 : Trek from Kothe to Thangnag (4,350 m; 5-6 hrs)
Day 10 :Trek from Thagnag to Khare (5,045 m; 4-5 hrs)
Day 11 :Rest day at Khare
Day 12 :Mera Peak Base Camp Excursion (5,350 m; 7-8 hrs)
Day 13 :Backtrack to Kothe (3,550 m; 5-6 hrs)
Day 14 :Trek from Kothe to Thuli Kharka (4,230 m; 6-7 hrs)
Day 15 :Trek from Thuli Kharka to Lukla (2,800 m; 6-7 hrs) via Zatrwa La (4,610 m)
Day 16 :Fly to Ramechhap (15 min) & drive to Kathmandu (132 km; 5-6 hrs)
Day 17 :Rest day at Kathmandu. Farewell group dinner in the evening
Day 18 :End of Trip. Transfer to the international airport

Daily Movements

Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to Hotel Tibet

Keep Walking Nepal’s 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 and go on a welcome dinner with the KEEP WALKING FAMILY.

Look out for the KEEP WALKING NEPAL board behind the railing outside the terminal.

Overnight at Hotel Tibet

Day 2: Guided Tours & Preparation

Today, you will embark on a guided walking tour of 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Pashupatinath temple and the Boudhnath Stupa.

You will start a little early to beat the rush hour traffic and drive to Pashupatinath, one of the holiest pilgrimage stops for Hindus. Only Hindus are allowed in the main temple complex but foreigners are permitted to visit the temples outside and even view the cremation ritual, which unlike in the West is publicly performed.

You will then drive to Boudha, another UNESCO site and a pilgrimage stop for Buddhists.

Boudhanath Stupa is surrounded by eateries, shops selling all kinds of goods and monasteries housing monks and students studying Buddhism. There are usually devout pilgrims circumambulating the main stupa while some do so by laying flat on the ground.

You can relax and soak all the unique yet mysterious ways of the people and even enjoy lunch in one of the rooftop eateries surrounding the Boudhanath Stupa.

After driving back to the hotel, you can retreat or explore at your convenience (Swayambhu is best to explore in the evening).

Overnight at Hotel Tibet (B)

Day 3: Drive from Kathmandu to Pattale Dhaap (2900 m; 8 hrs)

Your Panch Pokhari and Mera Base Base Camp trek begins with an early morning drive on the newly constructed B.P. Highway. The first half of the drive on winding roads with its numerous hairpin turns and views of paddy fields dotted with small rural houses along the Sunkoshi River is an adventure and a wonderful insight into what’s to come.

After lunch at Ghurmi (500m / 1640”), you will drive across the Sunkoshi River and gradually climb the snaking mountain highway. The terrain changes dramatically; the road ledged on the side of a mountain formed by a deep gorge opens up to a plateau with clusters of small houses. At Changesthan Temple, near the border crossing to Solukhumbu, you will get the first glimpse of the Everest range in full panorama. A further 15m away is Pattale, your stop for the day.

You can also hike to Pattale Danda (3,100m / 10170”), a scenic vantage point with beautiful views of the whole Mahalangur range, in about 2 hrs back & forth.

Overnight at a local lodge at Pattale Dhap (B, L, D)

Day 4: Drive from Pattale Dhaap to Mahakulung, Bung (1,700 m; 6 hrs)

If the weather permits, you will wake up to beautiful views of Everest, Numbur and Karyolung.

After breakfast, you will start your journey to Bung. After Nele Bazaar, a popular lunch stop, you arrive at Jor Boudha. Thereon, blacktopped roads lead to dirt roads, and the settlements change from Sherpa to ethnic Rai. Navigating through the narrow streets of Sotang, you cross over Kalyan Danda to finally arrive at Mahakulung. The distance from Nele Bazaar to Mahakulung isn’t that far but takes up to 5 hrs because of road conditions.

Once at Mahakulung, you find yourself surrounded by hills.

Overnight at a local lodge at Bung Mahakulung (B, L, D)

Day 5: Trek to Khiraule (2,600 m; 4 hrs)

On the first day of your trek, you cover just a few short kilometres, ascending from 1,700 m to 2,400 m.

Even though this remote trekking region is rarely visited, the locals are friendly and greet you with warm smiles and a friendly, excited welcome. The trail goes in and out of the jungle and villages but is wide, inclines gently, and offers magical views of the sweeping valley and surrounding Himalayan foothills.

You’ll reach Khiraule, a picturesque hillside Sherpa village with a large stupa draped with prayer flags at its centre, almost 4 hours into the hike. But your stop for the night, The Himalayan Lodge, is still 100m north above the village.

After arriving at the lodge, you can rest for the day or visit the adjacent Ngonga Thekchhokling Chhyoling Gumba. It was destroyed in the earthquake but is now under reconstruction.

Overnight at Himalayan Hotel at Khiraule (B, L, D)

Day 6: Trek from Khiraule to Cholem (7.5 km; 3,560 m; 5-6 hrs)

Today’s hike can be challenging as you ascend almost 1,000m to pass 3,5000 m.

You start by climbing almost 30 minutes outside the village to follow a long mani wall to a clearing below motorable roads and arrive at Bhir Thapla where you can enjoy refreshments at a tea stall. The trail further ascends the hillside in and out of rhododendron forests and fields till Chharakhor (2,900 m), a Rai village, where you stop for lunch. The trail to Lukla also diverts from Chharakhor.

The trail keeps steeply ascending the hillside. Two-thirds of the ascent brings you to an elevation of 3,000 m, and the vegetation changes; pine trees start appearing alongside rhododendron trees, and bamboo forests become sparse. Eventually, the trail leads you to a ridge called Phokte Danda, and the ascent levels out. About 30 minutes of hiking along the ridge brings you to Phokte Lake, a small but beautiful lake in the shape of the map of Nepal, hidden by rhododendron trees below the ridge.

There is only a little decline in altitude throughout the day, and the incline only breaks briefly for short sections of flat ground. As you arrive at Cholem (Jungle Camp), a picturesque little village of a few stone buildings greets you. Also, Cholem and the next few camps till Khare don’t have electricity.

Overnight at a local lodge at Cholem (B, L, D)

Day 7: Trek from Cholem to Khola Kharka (4,247 m; 6 hrs) via Hurhure La (4,286 m) and Kongkeluchho La (4,490 m)

After a good breakfast, you will immediately climb up the bare hillside to the looming pass directly visible above Cholem. The climb is quite steep but doable because the trail is well-maintained.
Today will be tough as you ascend approximately 750 meters over 1.5 km to Hurhure Pass (4,286 m). The trail goes through a mix of pine and rhododendron forest and gradually gives way to ground-hugging shrubs. Depending upon the weather, you will have a clear view of the snow-capped peaks hiding on the other side and the imposing Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) far in the distance.

From Hurhure La, the path descends and then wraps around another bare hillside to arrive at an alpine meadow at Jhar Kharka which also has a small tea shop. The trail then gradually ascends to Kongkeluchho Pass (4,490 m) marked by a mani wall. Just below the pass, the five beautiful alpine lakes of Panch Pokari reveal themselves beneath black, rocky peaks. After resting for a while, you will descend gently toward the holy lakes that attract hundreds of pilgrims annually during the full moon festival in August.

Once you’ve descended to the lakes, you are in for another short descent down to the minuscule three dung-laden, stone hut settlement of Khola Kharka which sits in a gorgeous bowled meadow beneath a towering waterfall.

Overnight at a local lodge at Khola Kharka (B, L, D)

Day 8: Trek from Panch Pokhari to Kothe (3,550 m; 4-5 hrs)

Today’s trail from Panch Pokhari to Kothe is mostly downhill, but it starts with an ascend the side of a small ridge, covering roughly 200 vertical meters.

Next, the trail winds around endless bends, and with each turn, you’ll find awe-inspiring views of the majestic snow-capped giants, Kyashar (6769 m) and Kusum Kangru (6367 m), revealing more of their might with the beautiful landscape of Mahakulung valley at its side.

On the final approach of your journey, about two hours away from Kothe, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a beautiful dense forest of rhododendrons and the Sunpati “Golden Leaf” tree, a rare flower used to make local incense. The trail then gradually descends into the Hinku glacial valley and climbs another small hill further up.

Kothe (3,600 m), a beautiful village below the Mera Peak, lies further ahead.

Overnight at a local lodge in Kothe (B, L, D)

Day 9: Trek from Kothe to Thangnag (4,350 m; 5-6 hrs)

Today, you will enter the Makalu Barun National Park.

Depending on whether your guide could obtain the National Park permit yesterday, you will either start early in the morning or wait for your guide to collect it from the Makalu Barun National Park entrance checkpost on the far end of the village.

Today’s trail starts past the permit check post to cross a small boulder field and then lines up with the Inkhu River that you will follow upstream to Thangnag. Even though you climb almost 800 m during the day, the altitude gain is barely noticeable as the trail only gently inclines.

Throughout the day, you will have phenomenal views of snowcapped mountain peaks on all sides accompanying you. As you round Mera Peak, the valley swings eastward, and its summit disappears behind the smaller yet almost vertical Mahakulung Peak to reveal itself in all its glory along with the route up to its glacier.

Soon you will pass a small monastery dug into the cliffside to arrive at the small settlement of Thagnag. The village is picturesque as it’s sheltered beneath the imposing south pillar of Kyashar Peak and Kusum Kangru’s three peaks.

Overnight at a local lodge in Thagnag (B, L, D)

Day 10: Trek from Thagnag to Khare (5,045 m; 4-5 hrs)

Today is the most scenic day of the trek as you follow the lateral moraine of Dig Tsho glacier to views to the north of the Hinkhu Nup glacier and the line of peaks beyond. Beyond the glacier, you ascend the moraine to arrive at a steep ascent that leads to Khare.

Your adventure starts following a set of cairns through a large boulder field east of the village to climb a grassy hillside to a glacial lake, Sabai Tsho.

As you continue, you’ll be rounding the Mera massif, heading towards its northern side and witnessing a clear view of its magnificent North and Center summits. You will then follow a magnificent trail alongside a river and continue up the glacial valley to ascend a steep moraine till you arrive at an alpine meadow at Saure, which also has a small tea shop. After that, the trail steeply climbs through a golden-grassed rolling bluff to Khare.

It is pleasantly surprising that Khare has electricity, Himalayan Java coffee and a proper bakery.

Overnight at a local lodge in Khare (B, L, D)

Day 11: Rest day at Khare

Today you will have a full day of rest to explore the surroundings and even climb Khare Ri for a superb view of the Mera glacier and its northern flank.

Overnight at a local lodge in Khare (B, L, D)

Day 12: Mera Peak Base Camp Excursion (5,350 m; 7-8 hrs)

Finally, you get to the highlight of the Panch Pokhari and Mera Peak Base Camp trek to Mera Peak’s Base Camp via the Mera La Pass (5,415 m). The trek begins with an ascent of a small hillside to the east of the village and further climbing the edge of a steep ridge, crossing eroded sections of scree and large boulders. After roughly 1.5 hours, you will have arrived at Mera Peak Base Camp, which sits just below the beginning of the glacial traverse.

Overnight at a local lodge in Khare (B, L, D)

Day 13: Backtrack to Kothe (3,550 m; 5-6 hrs)

You will backtrack to Kothe via Thagnag.

Overnight at a local lodge in Khare (B, L, D)

Day 14: Trek from Kothe to Thuli Kharka (4,230 m; 6-7 hrs)

As you set out on the trail from Kothe to Thuli Kharka, be prepared for one of the most challenging trekking days on this route. The trek begins at the back of Kothe, hidden behind the “Namaste Lodge”. From here, you’ll start by gently climbing through dense pine and rhododendron forests before descending towards the Hinku Valley to meet the river downstream.

Shortly after, the trail will lead you back into the forest, and as you climb the ridge, you’ll pass a few small streams and some abandoned stone buildings. At the halfway point, there will be a small village where you can take a break.

This marks the beginning of the steep ascent up to Thuli Kharka, where you’ll gain altitude quickly, passing through sections of exposed, rocky meadows and dense pine jungle. As you ascend, you’ll be rewarded with fabulous views of Mera Peak and the descending trail from Panch Pokhari.

Approaching Thuli Kharka, you’ll reach a small pass at just over 4,300 m, before gently descending and then sharply climbing to another pass slightly higher than the previous one. The trail might not be in perfect condition, showing signs of landslides and a narrowing, worn track.

Finally, you’ll begin the undulating path to Thuli Kharka, descending through wild, rocky terrain, and rounding the corner, the village will suddenly appear in view.

Overnight at a local lodge in Thuli Kharka (B, L, D)

Day 15: Trek from Thuli Kharka to Lukla (2,800 m; 6-7 hrs) via Zatrwa La (4,610 m)

This is the last day of your trek as you climb the Zatrwa La Pass and then drop nearly 2,000 vertical meters back down to Lukla.

The trail is visible from Thuli Kharka as it steeply winds up the hillside just behind the village. During the ascent, you’ll have magnificent views of the village overlooking the rolling jungle hills of the Lower Himalayas below. After about an hour of trekking, you’ll reach the Zatrwa La (Zatrwa Pass) at 4,610 meters. Surprisingly, you will find a small tea hut at the top, a perfect spot to savour tea and relax briefly before commencing the descent.

Right after the pass, the rocky trail descends slightly and then climbs yet another pass. From this point, the long, steep descent to Lukla begins. Be prepared, as this is one of the abruptest sections of the trek.

As you descend to around 4,000 meters, you’ll reach the small village of Kharkateng and enjoy a delicious lunch. A further drop and you’ll find yourself in increasingly denser forest terrain. Soon, you’ll catch sight of Lukla in the distance, its charm illuminated by sun rays bursting through the Himalayan clouds. Your trek will have come to an end.

Overnight at a local lodge in Lukla (B, L, D)

Day 16: Fly to Ramechhap (15 min) & drive to Kathmandu (132 km; 5-6 hrs)

After bidding your crew farewell, you will fly to Ramechhap and then drive to Kathmandu.

Overnight at Hotel Tibet (B)

Day 17: Rest day at Kathmandu. Farewell group dinner in the evening

You have a free day in Kathmandu to rest your sore muscles, indulge in shopping activities or visit key places of interest in Kathmandu, Patan & Bhaktapur.

In the evening, you are all invited to a farewell group dinner commemorating your successful trip.