Everest Base Camp Three Passes Trekking

Everest Three High Passes Trek is the ultimate trek for thrill-seekers and adventurers in the Everest region. In this trek, you will not only reach the Everest Base Camp but also cross the three highest passes in the Khumbu region – Kongma La Pass 5,535m, Cho La Pass 5420m, and Renjo La Pass 5,340m.

The Everest 3 High Passes Trek (or 3 pass trek)  is one of the most adventurous treks in the world that takes you deep into the Everest region. You get to see what lies around Everest and how the geography elevates to give rise to the world's highest mountain. The trek is challenging and provides a more detailed picture of the harsh terrain, cold climate, and constant human struggle in high altitudes. All in all, the Three Passes Trek distance is 103 miles (166km).

Trip Facts

Destination: Nepal                   Region : Everest Region

Start/End Point: Kathmandu    Duration: 17 Days

Distance 166 Km                      Max Altitude: Kalapathar 5555m

Grade: Challenging                  Accomodation: Local Tea house

Best Season: Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec

Transportation: Domestic Flights, Bus

Highlights Of The Trek

A scenic flight to Lukla

Spellbinding view of mountains from the three high passes (Kongma La, Cho La & Renjo La)

Famous Sherpa town in the Everest region - Namche Bazaar

Nepal's highest airport Syangboche, Kumjung Village

Stunning views from Gokyo Ri,  Gokyo Lakes

One of the world's highest hotels - Everest Hotel

Ancient monastery in Tengboche

Prayer wheels, colorful flags, Mani stones, high suspension bridges

The wide range of flora and fauna

Wildlife like musk deer, colorful pheasants, snow leopard, and Himalayan Thar

Highest glacier on Earth- Khumbu Glacier (4900m)

Amazing panoramic view from Kala Patthar (5,555m)

Lukla Flight Information

There might be slight alterations to the trek itinerary, mainly during peak trek seasons (March, April, May, October, and November), as the flight to Lukla will be from Ramechhap/Manthali instead of Kathmandu due to traffic congestion. At other times, the flight will be from Kathmandu. To catch a flight from Ramechhap, we must leave Kathmandu and head to Manthali around 12:30 a.m. on the scheduled departure date. The drive will take around five hours.

DETAILED ITINERARY

D01, Arrival in Kathmandu

Upon arrival you will be greeted and welcomed by our representative at the airport. You will then be transferred to the hotel booked for you in Thamel-the tourist paradise in Kathmandu. A per-departure meeting will be scheduled as time permits. During the meeting, you will be introduced to the leader/guide who will be guiding you all throughout the trek. You will also be briefed about the program that starts from the next day

D02, Drive to Ramechap, Fly to Lukla 2,850m Trek to Phakding 2650m, Drive 5 hrs,30 Minutes flight, Trek Distance6.2km , Highest Altitude 2850m, Trek Time 3 hours

Our Everest 3 Passes Trek begins with a 5 hours drive from Kathmandu to Manthali/Ramechhap  airport verly early in the morning,  20-minute domestic flight from Ramechhap Airport to Lukla. This scenic flight  provides you with amazing views of himalayas. At first, we will climb down from Lukla to the Thado Koshi River and cross a few suspension bridges before reaching Phakding. The trek will be short and enjoyable as we will also be acclimatizing. In Phakding, we will not miss our chance to visit Rimishung Monastery. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

D03,Trek from Phakding (2,650m /8,562ft ) to Namche Bazaar3,440m, Trek Distance 7.4km Highest alitude 3,440m, Trek Duration 6 hrs

We will begin early in the morning at Phakding and move north along the banks of Dudh Koshi River, passing many suspension bridges -including Hillary Suspension Bridge. Our path also takes us through Monjo Village, deep forests, and rocky trails to Sagarmatha National Park Check Post, where we will register our permits and climb up into the forest. From this forest, you will see Mt. Everest for the first time. However, we will continue the trek until we reach Namche Bazaar - the destination for the day. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

Day04, Rest day to acclimatize at Namche Bazaar

Today will be an acclimatization day at Namche. We recommend you to explore Namche Bazaar. This town contains numerous Wi-Fi-linked cafes, restaurants, souvenirs, and gear shops. There are other options - visit the Sagarmatha National Park visitor center, traditional Sherpa settlements, Hillary School, Khumjung monastery, Syangboche Airport, and Everest View Hotel. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

D05, Trek from Namche Bazaar 3440m  to Thame 3 750m, Trek Distance 6.8km, Highest Altitude3750m, Trek Duration 6 hrs

We leave Namche Bazaar and head to Thame following Bhote Koshi and past the pine and rhododendron forests. On the way, you will also get to see the mud-plastered stupa at Phurte. As you move ahead you will come to Thamo and Thamo Gompa, and from here the path drops steeply to Khumbu Hydroelectric Plant, ultimately leading to the Thame, which lies at the end of Khumbu Valley. Thame is home to many famous Sherpa mountaineers, including Apa Sherpa, who holds the world record for summiting Everest 21 times. It is also a childhood home of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, one of the first men to climb Mt Everest. The other person is Edmund Hillary. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

Day06, Trek from Thame To Lugden 4500m, Trek Distance 8.2km , Highest Altitude 4,500m, Trek Duration 6 hrs

This day you will be walking around the villages while enjoying the views of the landscape, vegetation, and mountains. During sparkling mornings light-painted rocks, lichens, yaks, and snow-capped peaks look surreally vivid. The last village in the valley is Taranga, but we continue the hike through Marulung (4200m) village and finally to Lungden, the destination for this day. In our spare time, we can visit Nakpa Valley that used to be the old trade route to Tibet. Additionally, we can hike to Cho Relmo Lake as well. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

Day07, Trek from Lungden 4,500m to Gokyo Lake (4,750m / 15,583ft) via Renjo-la Pass 5446m Trek Distance 9km, Highest Altitude 5,446m, Trek Duration 8 hrs

It will be one of the most exciting days for you as you will be walking through the first pass in the route - Renjola Pass. We leave Lungden behind to continue our journey forward to the Gokyo Lakes region, depending on the season, you will be able to observe different human activities like yak herding. Once you reach the Renjo La Pass, you will be able to see the majestic views of high peaks like Mt. Everest (8848 m), Mt. Lhotse (8516m), Mt. Makalu (8463m), and Mt. Cho Oyu (8201m). You will also see the third major Gokyo Lake (among five) - Dudh Pokhari, and the Gokyo village lies alongside this lake. The path then descends and lets you enter the Gokyo Valley, but you need to be careful because the trail might be icy. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

Day08, Rest day to acclimatize at Gokyo. Early morning at Gokyo Ri (5,400m / 17,814ft ) Viewpoint Trek Distance1.5km Highest Altitude, 5400 m/ 17,814ft, Trek Duration 2 hrs

Acclimatization provides us time to climb the Gokyo Ri Viewpoint from where you can see the mesmerizing views of the Everest region - including Thonak Tsho Lake and the Ngozuma Tsho Lake. Three kilometers north of Gokyo lies Ngozumpa Tsho glacier (5,000m), and within five minutes walk lies Scoundrel's Viewpoint. From here, you get fantastic views of Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Makalu. On the north of the fifth Gokyo Lake, you can see astonishing views of the Cho Oyu Base Camp and the Ngozumpa Glacier - the longest glacier in the Himalayas. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

Day09, Trek from Gokyo 4,790m to Thangnak 4,700m, Trek Distance, 3.7km, Highest Altitude 4790mTrek Duration 5 hrs

We will be back on our trek on this day, walking past the Ngozumpa Glacier, but the trail is rocky and passes through several ups and downs. We will be walking down the valley on the eastern glacial moraine as the scenery becomes stunning and inspiring for you to move forward. Eventually, we arrive at the collection of lodges known as Thangnak. This place lies in a serene setting optimally placed for Cho-La high pass crossing. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

D10, Trek from Thangnak 4,700m to Dzongla 4,855m  via Cho La Pass 5420m, Trek Distance 16km , Highest Altitude 5420m , Trek Duration 6-7 hrs

There are some more challenging treks to cover today as we will be trekking on rocky trails and the glacial moraines - eventually reaching Dzongla. However, the exciting part is - you will be crossing Cho La Pass (5420m / 17,783ft) that connects Dzongla and Thagnak. This pass provides spectacular views of Everest and the other Himalayas. After enjoying the views from there, you will be descending to Dzongla for the night.   Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

D11, Trek from Dzongla 4,855m to Lobuche 4,910m Trek Distance, 8.36km, Highest Altitude 4910m Trek Duration 4 hrs

After spending the night at Dzongla, we will wake up the following day and continue our trek. Today's destination will be Lobuche. At Lobuche, we will rejoin the classical Everest Base Camp Trek. But first, we start the day by following the moraine and descending alongside Chola Lake. The hike to Lobuche should be very enjoyable.with beautiful view of Pheriche and Imja valley on the other side.  We will just follow the trails of Imja Khola Valley to reach Lobuche. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

D12, Trek from Lobuche 4,930m to Everest Base Camp and back 5364m to Gorak Shep 5,185m, Trek Distance15km, Highest Altitude 5364m, Trek Duration 6-8 hours

Finally, on your eleventh day, you will reach Everest Base Camp. The trek begins by trekking through the lateral moraine of Khumbu Glacier until we arrive at Gorak Shep. We will leave our belongings at Gorak Shep and climb up north to Everest Base Camp. The camp itself forms the base for mountaineers ascending or descending the Everest mountain. Reaching Everest Base Camp (EBC) is not easy, and by reaching EBC, you have shown how determined you are. In a way, it is a victory over yourself -a triumph of determination, a positive attitude, and perseverance. We will stay on EBC for some time soaking in the magnificent views that only a few on earth ever will. After clicking several pictures, we will descend to Gorak Shep, where we will stay for the night. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

D13, Hike to Kala Patthar Viewpoint 5555m trek to Lobuche 4910m, Trek Distance, 5km Highest Altitude 5555m , Trek Duration 3 hours

You were at Everest Base Camp the previous day, but despite reaching EBC, you couldn't really see Mt. Everest. So this day provides you the chance to see Mt. Everest up-close and in all glory. To catch the dawn breaking at Everest, we wake up early in the morning and hike to Kala Patthar (5,555m) - the famous Everest View Point. We will stay at Kala Patthar for some time, enjoy the sunrise over Mt. Everest and then descend to Gorak Shep for breakfast. After having breakfast, we will hike back to Lobuche, the destination for this day. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

D14, Trek from Lobuche 4,930m  to Chhukung 4,730m via Kongma La Pass 5,535m Trek Distance10.5km, Highest Altitude 5,535m, Trek Duration 7-8 hrs

Today, you will be crossing the final among the three passes that lie on your trail. This pass is considered the most difficult among these three passes. The trek starts from Lobuche. The ascend to Kongma La Pass is easy with the path dotted with frozen lakes, and a mummy-wrapped crane marks this pass. From the pass, you can see Lhotse, Lhotse Shar, Makalu, Baruntse, and Ana Dablam. We descend from the Kongma La pass to the eastern side of Nigyang Khola Valley and into the Chukhung Village. Sherpas use this area as a yak pasture, but there is no permanent habitation. Recently, this region has gained popularity as a trekking peak, and the trekkers often use Chhukhung for acclimatization purposes. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

D15,  Trek down to Pangboche 4,800m  ,Trek Distance 11.5km, Highest Altitude 5546m , Trek Duration7-8 hrs

We descend the Imja Khola valley, trek through the village of Dingboche, famous for its stone-walled potatoes fields, alpine pastures, and continue forward. On the way, you will also see Kharkas (highland sheds) at Tsura, Orsho, and Shomare. As we continue our hike, we will reach Pangboche Village - the place for year-round settlement in the valley. From the Pangboche, you can see awe-inspiring views of distinctive peaks like Amadablam (6856m), Everest (8848 m), Nuptse (7861m), Lhotse (8501m). We will also be visiting Tengboche Gompa - the oldest monastery in the Khumbu region. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

D17, Trek  to Namche Bazaar 3,440m Trek Distance 8 km , Highest Altitude3855m, Trek Duration6 hrs

The trail to Namche Bazaar takes us through forests inhabited by highland wildlife like pheasants, musk deer, mountain goats, or even snow leopards. We will be climbing on the steep slopes around which lie chortens and prayer flags. From the path, you can enjoy the view of the tip of Everest and the backside of Lhotse. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

Day18, Trek from Namche Bazaar 3,440m to Lukla 2,850m, Trek Distance13.5km , Highest Altitude 3,440m, Trek Duration 6-7 hrs

Our final day of trekking will lead us back to Lukla. After breakfast, we will be hiking down a steep trail that descends to the Hillary Suspension Bridge. However, we continue walking through several local villages in the Dudh Koshi River Valley until we reach Lukla. It is your sixteenth day of trekking, and your trekking is almost over. We hope you enjoyed the whole trek thoroughly. Overnight stay at Local Tea house/Lodge

D19, Fly back to Ramechhap 20 min, Drive back to Kathmandu 5 hrs

If everything goes according to the schedule, we will be flying back to Ramechap and drive back to Kathmandu in the early morning on our seventh day of the trek. Your20-minute flight back to Ramechhap will indeed be a relaxing one, and you most probably will be looking back at the time spent during the trek. Overnight stay at Hotel in Kathmandu

D20, Departure day, Fly Back to China