Everest Three Passes Trek stands out as an exhilarating journey to the base camp of the tallest mountain on Earth, Everest (8848.86m), providing trekkers with an unforgettable adventure surrounded by stunning geological formations and rich natural diversity. The Everest Three Passes Trek is located in the Khumbu or Everest region of Eastern Nepal. It is a journey to Gokyo and Everest Base Camp via the three elevated passes of the Everest region: Renjo La (5360m), Cho La (5420m), and Kongma La (5535m). Each of the three passes provides stunning vistas of towering mountains like Everest (8848.86m), Cho Oyu (8201m), Makalu (8481m), Pumori (7161m), Ama Dablam (6856m), Lhotse (8516m), Nuptse (7861m), and numerous additional peaks in the Khumbu area.
The 20-day Everest Three Passes Trek is a demanding and tough journey, yet every difficulty is rewarded by the incredible nature and culture it offers to those who trek. The adventure begins with a flight to Lukla, enjoying the breathtaking views of the snow-covered mountains. During the trek, the hikers journey through numerous Sherpa villages, allowing them to encounter welcoming Sherpa individuals and gain insight into their distinctive culture and way of life. The trekkers also travel through Khumjung village, which is the largest Sherpa village in the Khumbu area. The trekking path also goes by multiple ancient monasteries, giving them an understanding of Buddhism in the Himalayas. Crossing the initial pass, Renjo La (5360m) guides trekkers to the unspoiled Gokyo Lakes and the Ngozumpa Glacier, the largest glacier in the Khumbu area. The route through the second pass, Cho La (5420m), connects to Everest Base Camp (5364m) and Kalapatthar (5550m), offering stunning views of the Khumbu Icefall and glaciers alongside the magnificent Khumbu Himalayas. The trek over Khongma La Pass (5535m) signifies the beginning of the journey back to Namche, followed by Lukla and a flight returning to Kathmandu. The three passes trek seamlessly blends stunning landscapes with deep cultural exploration.
Highlights of the Trek:
- Accompanied sightseeing excursion in UNESCO heritage locations of Kathmandu Valley,
- The ultimate hike in the Himalayas to the base of Mt. Everest amidst stunning high-altitude terrains,
- Exploring an old Buddhist monastery that houses a Yeti skull.
- Breathtaking reaching the summits of some of the most renowned peaks in the Himalayas,
- Traversing lofty suspension bridges, territory of the Sherpa community and their scenic hamlets along the path,
- Reflect the soaring terrain all around,
- Breathtaking viewpoint at Kalapattar,
- Following in the paths of renowned climbers,
- Gentle strolling back and forth in the thick Rhododendron and Pine woods,
- Beautiful aerial journey to and from Lukla,
- Engaging with the local Sherpa community,
- Passing numerous Buddhist structures,
- Diverging from the primary path and discovering the remarkable journeys from Chhukung Ri,
- Well-kept paths and cozy lodges, but the hiking trails in this area begin at a higher elevation and remain elevated.
Everest Three passes trek notes
- In a Spring and Autumn the Flights to Lukla happens from Ramechhap Airport and in a Winter and Moonsoon seasons the Flights happens from Kathmandu Airport
- If case the weather becomes bad and the flight gets cancelled, we will try to arrange the helicopter (sharing one) and the additional cost will be charged
- There will be a high chance of flight delay and even cancel as well.
- We take the porter locally from the Lukla
Included/Excluded
- All arrival and departure transportation airport / hotel / airport.
- Round-trip flight (Kathmandu-Lukla) with departure taxes
- All ground transportation for the entire Mt. Everest Base Camp Trek is in a private vehicle, including the airport transfers.
- 2 nights' accommodation in a 3-star category hotel in Kathmandu with breakfast plan
- 19 nights and 20 days of accommodation in the best guesthouses available (on a twin-sharing basis) after leaving Kathmandu until you are back here again. We also provide personal bathrooms with hot showers in Phakding, Lukla, and Namche.
- Daily meals with breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the EBC trekking journey
- Snacks of fresh, seasonal fruits on the trekking days
- National Park and Heritage Sites entry tickets
- Two trekking permits (SNP and KPL Rural Municipality Permit)
- A licensed, English(French)-speaking, experienced Everest trekking guide
- An assistant guide with a group of 6+ members
- Porters to carry your baggage during your Everest journey (1 for two clients)
- All the costs for food, accommodation, salary, and other equipment for the guide and porter, including accidental insurance
- Duffel bag and sleeping bags to use during trekking
- Compressive first aid box (the guide will carry it throughout the trek).
- Emergency rescue operation assistance is arranged in case of complex health conditions (funded by your travel insurance).
- All paperwork and applicable government taxes and service charges.
- Nepal Visa-International airfare-personal travel / medical insurance.
- Travel insurance
- Extra accommodation and meals behind schedule the scheduled times of this trekking trip program
- All kinds of beverages, including alcoholic and nonalcoholic, as well as hot and cold drinks
- Additional costs are out of management's control due to the landscape, weather conditions, illness, changes in government policies, strikes, physical conditions, etc.
- Personal expenses such as shopping, hot and cold drinks, hot shower, hard and soft alcohols, snacks, hot and cold water, Wi-Fi, battery recharge fees,
- Travel insurance has to cover emergency rescue evacuation from high altitudes up to 6000 m.
- Personal trekking equipment for this trek
- Any other expenses that are not mentioned in the Price Inclusive section of this trek
Tour Plan
Pick up at Tribhuvan International Airport by our company representative, and transfer to hotel in Kathmandu. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Kathmandu.
Today, you visit the famous places of Kathmandu valley that includes Swayambhunath stupa, Boudhanath Stupa, and Pashupatinath Temple. Our local guide will accompany you to help you to navigate as well as to give you an insight of the Nepalese culture and history. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Kathmandu.
Leaving the capital city behind, we catch our early morning scenic flight to Lukla. After landing in the most thrilling airport of the world, Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, we begin our first-day trek towards Phakding following the up and down trail through rhododendron forest. We also walk past several Buddhist monasteries and Chortens along the way. Overnight at a lodge in Phakding.
Crossing several suspension bridges on our way, we reach Monjo village. We continue to trek gently ascending through steep trail and again cross a suspension bridge over Dudh Koshi River before reaching Namche Bazaar, which is also known as the gateway to Everest. We get the first panoramic view of Everest (8848.86m) from the tourist hub of Namche Bazaar. Overnight at a lodge in Namche Bazaar.
We spend this day taking a short and pleasant hike to Everest View Hotel (3880m) which offers a panoramic view of different mountains like Everest (8848.86m), Thamserku (6623m), and others. After taking a few photographs, we hike to Khumjung, the largest Sherpa village in the Khumbu region, to visit the ancient monastery. We can also see the skull of yeti preserved inside the monastery. We then continue to trek towards Khunde village and visit the old monastery before returning back to Namche. Overnight at a lodge in Namche Bazaar.
Today, we head towards Thame passing several villages, Chortens, prayer flags, and monasteries along the way. Ascending alongside Bhote Koshi River, we can view the skyline graced with several snow-capped mountains of Khumbu region. Then, crossing a bridge over the Bhote Koshi River, we finally arrive in Thame. Overnight at a lodge in Thame.
Leaving behind Thame, we begin our trek climbing over the moraine and follow a route that is used by the traders for centuries across the Nangpa-La into Tibet until we reach Marulung. Still following Bhote Koshi River upstream, we come across many Chortens and monasteries on our way to Marulung. We then continue to ascend to Lumde for an overnight stay. Overnight at a lodge in Lumde.
Today, we ascend until we reach Renjo-La (5360m) which offers a breathtaking view of the rooftops of Gokyo valley shining distantly on the shore of the lake. We come across small glacial lakes as we walk on a steep and slippery trail to reach the top of Renjo La for a panoramic view of massive peaks of Cho Oyu (8201m), Lhotse (8516m), Everest (8848.86m), Cholatse (6335m), and Taboche (6367m). After enjoying the stunning view, we descend to Gokyo valley. Gokyo valley sits behind the third Gokyo Lake. You can spend the evening around the pristine lake. Overnight at a lodge in Gokyo.
We take a day off from trekking and spend this day exploring the Gokyo valley. We go to visit fourth and fifth lake climbing the hill on the north shore. We are also rewarded with the mesmerizing view of Cho Oyu (8201m) and Ngozumpa Glacier, the largest glacier of Khumbu region. After exploring the lake, we return back to Gokyo for an overnight stay. Overnight at a lodge in Gokyo.
We take an early morning hike to Gokyo Ri to view the amazing sunrise over the snow-capped mountain peaks. Beside sunrise, the viewpoint also offers an awe-inspiring view of Everest (8848.86m), Lhotse (8516m), Makalu (8481m), Nuptse (7861m), Cho Oyu (8201m), Pumori (7161m), Ama Dablam (6856m), and other peaks. We, then, climb down to Gokyo and continue our trek to Thangnak. We walk on the icy and slippery path through the massive Ngozumpa Glacier to arrive in Thangnak. Overnight at a lodge in Thangnak.
We continue to trek gradually ascending on the steep rocky trail which leads us to our second pass i.e. Cho-La Pass (5420m). Ascending on a slippery path with difficult icy crossing, we reach the top of Cho La Pass, which hosts a breathtaking panorama of Ama Dablam (6856m) and Cholatse (6440m). We then make a steep descent to Dzongla stumbling across frozen lake, Chortens and prayer flags. Overnight at a lodge in Dzongla.
Today, we head towards Gorakshep passing the village of Lobuche which is a major joining point of the classic trek to EBC. Accompanied by the stunning Himalayan range in the background. Later in the afternoon, you can climb the ridge east of the vallage for your first views of the Khumbu Glacier, with Mt. Everest mostly obscured by Lhotse and Nuptse. Overnight at a lodge in Lobuche.
We trek following the trail in the left bank of Khumbu Glacier and ascend steeply until we finally reach Gorakshep. Today, we spend the full day exploring the areas nearby the Everest Base Camp which takes about 2 hours to reach from Gorakshep. The trail to Everest Base Camp is a steep ascend on a moraine route. Basecamp offers an unreal view of Everest (8848.86m) along with an amazing panorama of Lhotse (8516m), Nuptse (7861m), Lingtren (6749m), Khumbutse (6636m), and other peaks of Khumbu region. We return back to Gorakshep for an overnight stay. Overnight at a lodge in Gorakshep.
To view the amazing sunrise over the mountain peaks, we take an early morning hike to Kala Patthar before sunrise. The viewpoints offer an incredible view of Everest (8848.86m), Nuptse (7861m), Lhotse (8516m), Khumbutse (6636m), and many other peaks of Khumbu region. After the amazing sunrise view, we hike back to our campsite and continue to trek towards Lobuche passing the Changri Glacier. Overnight at a lodge in Lobuche.
Today, we trek to Chhukhung via our last pass: Khongma-La Pass (5535m). We cross the Khumbu Glacier and continue to ascend towards Khongma-La. The top of the pass provides an amazing view of different Himalayan ranges. After spending some time, we continue to steeply descend towards Chhukhung. Overnight at a lodge in Chhukhung.
Hiking through the rocky trail, we make our way up to Chhukhung Ri (5550m) which offers a great view of Makalu (8481m), Cho Oyu (8201m), Lhotse (8516m), Ama Dablam (6856m), and many more peaks. We then descend steeply passing through yak pastureland and monasteries to reach Pangboche via Dingboche and Somare. Overnight at a lodge in Pangboche.
Leaving behind the village of Pangboche, we begin to trek to Tengboche through the forested trail. Upon reaching Tengboche, we can visit Tengboche Monastery which is the biggest monastery in the Khumbu region. We then continue to descend till Dudh Koshi River and make a climb until Kyangjuma before reaching Namche. Overnight at a lodge in Namche Bazaar.
For our last day trek, we head towards Lukla through the forested path filled with rhododendrons and pine trees. Crossing over several suspension bridges over Bhote Koshi River, we walk past Phakding and several other Sherpa settlements as we continue to trek to Lukla for an overnight stay. Overnight at a lodge in Lukla.
We catch our early morning 40-minute scenic flight to Kathmandu. We then transfer you to a hotel in Kathmandu and give rest of the day to yourself. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Kathmandu.
Our company representative will drop you at Tribhuvan International Airport approximately 3 hours before scheduled flight.
Explore
Discover the soul of Nepal with Him-Trail, where each journey brings you closer to the country’s vibrant traditions and breathtaking views.
Important Links
Know Us
We Are Associated to:
