The Everest Three Pass Trek is an exhilarating adventure in the Everest region, known for its breathtaking landscapes and challenging terrain. This trek takes you on a high-altitude journey through three iconic mountain passes: Kongma La (5,535m), Cho La (5,420m), and Renjo La (5,340m). Each pass offers a different set of difficulties, ranging from steep climbs to stunning descents, giving hikers an exhilarating experience that puts their physical and mental fortitude to the test. As you traverse these passes, you’ll be rewarded with stunning vistas of the world’s tallest peaks, including Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse. The trail weaves through quaint Sherpa villages like Namche Bazaar and Tengboche, allowing you to immerse in the local culture.
The Everest Three Pass Trek is a complete journey that blends the allure of trekking at high altitudes with the cultural diversity of Sherpa villages and the relaxing atmosphere of historic monasteries. The renowned Everest Base Camp, the pristine Gokyo Lakes, and the quaint villages of Khumjung and Thame are just a few of the stunning settings the trail winds through. This hike is proof of the Himalayas’ attraction, which draws travelers with its unique combination of difficulty, scenic beauty, and cultural immersion.
Trip Highlights
- Trek over Kongma La, Cho La, and Renjo La, three challenging passes for panoramic views of the world's highest peaks (including Everest)
- Visit the Everest Base Camp and stand at the foot of the world's tallest mountain
- Witness jaw dropping Himalayan landscapes, glacial lakes, and majestic peaks along the way
- Go through humble Sherpa villages like Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, and Gokyo and immerse yourself in the unique Sherpa culture
- Experience the pristine lakes in Gokyo, offering a serene contrast to the surrounding rugged terrain
Trip Itinerary
Lukla
Our day will start early in the morning. Your guide will pick you at the your hotel in the morning, from where you will travel to the domestic terminal for your flight to Lukla. This 40 minute flight from Kathmandu with the scenic Himalayas as your backdrop is honestly amazing.
After landing at the Tenzing Hillary airport in Lukla, we will introduce you to the rest of the crew members for this Three Pass trek. After a short coffee break, we will start our walk towards Phakding. The trail towards Phakding is pleasant; traversing through small hamlets, streams, Mani walls and suspension bridges. We will be staying today at a guesthouse here in Phakding.
Namche
After a light breakfast, we will start our trek towards Namche today. You can expect plenty of stairs, suspension bridges, river and valley views, and beautiful peaks today. Following the trail for a while, we will cross a suspension bridge to reach the other side of the village. After showing the required permits in the Khumbu PasangLhamu Rural Municipality counter, we will continue following the lush trail.
After 2-3 hours, we will enter the Sagarmatha National Park in Manjo where we will purchase the permit for the national park. Once past this post, the trail leads downhill. Along the way, we will pass through a couple of suspension bridges. Walking further, we will head up sets of stairs. The trail is delightfully pleasant, but you will steadily be gaining elevation. Hence, we recommend you walk at a steady pace.
Just before reaching Namche, you can get an amazing view of Mt. Everest in the distance from a vantage point. After this, we will follow the trail in the forests for 1-2 hours to reach the robust city of Namche. Namche is a quaint village amongst the Himalayas, and is filled with many restaurants and cafes. In the evening, you can stroll around the marketplaces here.
Everest View Hotel
We will be staying in Namche today for acclimatization. We are steadily gaining elevation everyday so it is important for our body to get used to the altitude. However, we will not stay idle even today. We will hike to the acclaimed Everest View Hotel (3,880m) near Namche to get amazing views of mountains like Tabuche, Lhotse and Nupste. We will also visit Khumjung village, including the Hillary School and the Sherpa Mountain Museum. Further, we will also be doing our first acclimatization exercises in the day. After finishing all our activities, you are free to roam around the beautiful city of Namche today.
Today, we leave Namche and head towards Thame after breakfast. The trail follows the Bhote Koshi river past lush pine and rhododendron forests. Along the way, we will also get to witness mud-plastered stupas. After 2-3 hours, we will reach the Thamo, a village southeast of our destination. We will take a short rest here.
After crossing Thamo and Thamo Gompa, the path descends down. We follow this path to reach the Khumbu Hydroelectric Plant, which then leads to the village of Thame. This is our destination for today. Thame is a well-known Sherpa village for mountaineers and is often known as the village of Everest Summiteers. Make sure to hear lots of mountaineering stories during your stay in Thame village.
Our day today will be filled with the sight of beautiful mountains and pastures. After breakfast, we will begin walking from Thame. After crossing several small Sherpa villages including the last village on the valley, Taranga, we reach the village of Marlung (4,180m). We will rest for a while here and then follow the trail towards our destination for today. The path today is fairly easy, and we will reach Lumde today in the afternoon.
Upon reaching Lumde, you are free to rest, or we can hike to Nakpa Valley, an old trade route to Tibet. We can also hike to the Cho Relmo Lake, which provides fantastic views of the grand mountains. Later, we return back to Lumde, where we will be staying overnight.
Today is finally the day we cross our first high pass in the region: The Renjo La, standing at an outstanding 5,435m. We leave Lumde in the morning and continue on following the trail. The path towards the pass is hard, as we will still be gaining considerable altitude, so be extremely careful.
Upon reaching Renjo La, we will be able to appreciate amazing views of Mt. Everest, Choyou, Lhotse and Makalu. These mountains are within the ten highest mountains of the world! We will also be able to see our destination for today, the Gokyo village from this high pass. After spending considerable amount of time in this high point, we will descend down towards the valley. Again, make sure to watch your step, the path is likely to be covered with ice and might be slippery.
Upon reaching Gokyo Valley, you can enjoy sitting beside the shore of the glacial Gokyo lake and relish the blue turquoise lake in front of peaceful Sherpa hamlets.
We will rest today at Gokyo for acclimatization. However, we can hike up to the Gokyo Ri viewpoint to get an outstanding panoramic view of the surrounding mountains of the Everest region. The hike will take around 5 hours. Upon reaching the vantage point standing at 5,560m, we will get to see marvelous views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Makalu, Mt, Lhotse and Mt Cho you. You can also get great views of the Ngozumpa Glacier to the north from here. After we take in the beautiful views, we will return back to Gokyo to stay overnight.
After breakfast in Gokyo, we will resume our trek to conquer the other two remaining high passes in the Everest region. The path today is challenging, as we will be trekking up and down steep rocky trails past the Ngozumpa Glacier. The trail is hard, but the scenes you will experience along the way will truly be something out of this world. The stunning vistas on the backdrop of the rocky trails will serve as your fuel today.
Upon crossing this trail, we will arrive at the makeshift settlement of Thangnak. Upon reaching Thangnak, we will rest our boy as we will conquer another high pass: The Cho La tomorrow.
Our first destination for today will be another high pass: The Cho La (5,320m). We will pack our breakfast and begin walking before the sun rises today, as we will be able to see panoramic view of the surrounding mountains from Cho La. The trail is challenging, as most of the path covered today will be rocky and on glacial moraines. Hence, it is absolutely important that you heed necessary instructions from your guide.
After crossing Cho La, we will descend down to Dzongla. The descent might be slippery, so make sure to watch your step. Always follow your guide's instructions on these risky trails. Upon reaching Dzongla, we will rest our tired bodies and feel another sense of achievement today as we have successfully conquered two high passes in the Everest region!
After a well needed sleep in Dzongla, we will continue our trek after breakfast today. Our destination for today is Lobuche, from where we will follow the classic route towards Everest Base Camp. We will start our day by following the glacial moraine, descending from the Cho La lake. Make sure you notice memorials laid out for fallen climbers on the path here. After, the trail towards Lobuche is fairly easy, which you can enjoy walking in peace watching the beautiful mountains everywhere. We will follow the trail along the Imja Khola valley until we reach Lobuche, where we will stay overnight.
Our destination for today is the Everest Base Camp. After a fabulous breakfast in Lobuche, we will start our trek through the Khumbu Glacier moraine until we arrive at Gorakshep. The hike towards EBC will be relatively easy, as we will check in at a lodge here in Gorakshep and leave our belongings. We will then ascend north towards the base camp with our backs free, however we are constantly at altitudes over 5,000m. So, make sure you are feeling physically and mentally fine. Please be transparent with your guide if you are feeling any kind of uneasiness.
After reaching Everest Base Camp, we will stay here for a while, soaking in the sense of victory in the base of the world's tallest mountain. After clicking well deserved pictures and appreciating the magical views, we will return back to Gorakshep where we will stay overnight.
We will begin our day before sunrise today, as we will have a chance to see Mt. Everest in all its glory for a vantage point up in Kalapatthar.. The trail to Kalapatthar is tough, so make sure you follow the instructions of your guide. Upon reaching Kalapatthar viewpoint, you will be able to get amazing views of Pumori and Everest.
We will catch the sun rise atop Everest, click tons of photos, and descend down to Gorakshep for breakfast. After refueling our bones in Gorakhep, we will head back to Lobuche, which is our destination for today. The entire trek duration today is about 3-4 hours, so we recommend you stretch your bodies and prepare for the last of the three high passes in the Everest region.
Early in the morning from Lobuche, we will start our trek towards the challenging Kongma La. The ascent towards the pass is fairly easy, but the trail is narrow and rugged. The area contains many crevasses and vertical trails, so always heed the instructions of the trekking guide in such risky areas. Donot wander on your own. There are many crevasses and vertical trails.
Upon reaching the pass, you will see glorious views of Lhotse, Makalu, Ama Dablam and several other notable peaks. With Kongma La, we will have conquered all three high passes in the Everest region. After we cross Kongma La, we will reach the village of Chhukung. If time permits, we will trek further to Dingboche for today, else we will stay at a lodge in Chhukung.
From Dingboche or Chhukung, we will have descended from the 4,000m mark, so the path will seem easier to our bodies. After a hearty breakfast, we will descend the Imja Khola valley. Along the way, you will notice yak pastures and potato fields. After 1-2 hours of walking, we will reach Pangboche. We will continue on our descent and finally reach Tengboche, our destination for today. You will be able to see amazing views of Ama Dablam, Nupste, Lhotse and Everest from here.
Tengboche has a grand monastery named Tengboche Monastery. We will explore the monastery in the evening. Make sure to enjoy the glorious mountain views from here.
After breakfast at Tengboche, we will begin our trek towards Namche today. From Tengboche, we will descend to Phungi Thanga and again climb uphill to Kyangjuma. The trail traverses through lush pine forests, with prayer flags and chortens along the way. We will catch glimpses of Everest along the way. Upon reaching Namche, we will have completed the circumambulation of the Khumbu circuit.
Namche is a vibrant city in the Himalayas, so you can roam around the stone-laden path in the evening. Make sure to purchase souvenirs and indulge in delicious meals in the restaurants here.
Today is our final day of trekking for the Everest Three Pass trek. Our destination for today is Lukla. After breakfast in Namche, we will hike down a trail towards the Hillary Suspension Bridge. We will walk through small Sherpa villages along the way on a pleasant trail until we reach Lukla.
We will stay here in Lukla for tonight where we will collectively have a hearty dinner. The trek will be over tomorrow, so make sure to take in the surrounding of the Himalayas for one last time!
If the schedule goes as planned, we will fly back to Kathmandu early in the morning from Lukla. In this 45-minute flight, relax as you go above the majestic Himalayas towards the capital city. Upon reaching Kathmandu, we will transfer you back to your hotel, where this trek will officially be over. Thank you for choosing us as your trekking partner, and hope you had a memorable trek crossing the three passes.
Services
Services Included in the Package
- A professional trekking guide
- Round trip Flight to/from Lukla
- Meals and Accommodation during trek
- National Park permit/TIMS card
- Meals and Accommodation for guide
- Insurance for guide
Services Excluded
- A porter (We can manage on for you)
- All drinks and beverages
- Shower/heater charge
- Personal expenses
- Travel/Medical Insurance & Evacuation cost
- Accommodation and Meals in Kathmandu
More Info
Risk and Liability:
We endeavor to always make your experience smooth and pleasant. However, the trek involves trekking along steep mountain ranges in harsh physical and environmental conditions. Hence there is always a risk. Therefore, we shall not be responsible for any changes in the itineraries due to unavoidable circumstances and natural disasters such as landslide, road blockage, flood, snowing, cancellation of flight and delay, or any type of sickness including altitude sickness.
What to Expect:
The Everest Three Pass trek is a challenging trek that requires prior trekking experience. During the course of the trek, we will trek on an average of 6-8 hours per day on moderate to steep grades, at varied elevations. We will also take some “rest days” with optional hikes to properly acclimatize. Your Trek guide will set a suitable pace to minimize the risk of altitude issues, and porters will transport your gear for you. Please tell us in advance if you are under medication or under the supervision of doctors.
Alternative routes to this area
The Everest Area trekking offers several routes. One can trek from a week to multiple weeks in the Everest region. Some popular trekking routes are the Everest Base camp trek, Gokyo lake/Gokyo Ri trek, Everest Base camp trek and Gokyo Lake via Chola, Everest Three Passes trek. You can combine the trip with peak climbing as well. We can also customize your trip according to your time availability, budget and interest.
Flight Delays to Lukla
The weather in Lukla is highly unpredictable. The tiny airstrip, which is surrounded by mountains and perched atop a hill, is well-known for its bad weather, which frequently causes schedule changes. Under such circumstances, the flights might be canceled or, in the worst-case scenario, delayed.
Flights to Lukla are run from Ramechhap rather than Kathmandu during the busiest time of year. Since it takes four to five hours to get from Kathmandu to Ramechhap, in this scenario, we have to drive there a day in advance in order to check in for an early flight to Lukla.
Guide and Permits
Our guides are veterans in this field. They are skilled and experienced for even the harshest situations. We make sure to provide you with Sherpa guides from the Everest region for the trek as they are more familiar with the geography, culture and people in that region. Our staffs are insured, well equipped and well paid.
As for the permits, the TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System) and National Park permits are required, which we at “Adventure Speed” will apply for you.
Accommodation and Food
Accommodation and Food
Generally, we stay in Trekkers lodges/guest houses that facilitate a twin bedroom with shared bath/toilet. Sometime room with private bath also available. In Some places, luxurious resort and hotel are available. If you want to experience Himalayan luxury stay you can pay additional and stay.
Regarding the food we recommend you try the local food that the lodges provide since they are cooked perfectly and are nutritious.
A typical breakfast in the Everest teahouse/lodge includes:
Beverages:
- Black tea
- Milk tea
- Ginger lemon honey tea
- Lemon tea
- Hot lemon with honey
- Black coffee
- Milk coffee
- Hot chocolate
Breakfast
- Toast with jam or honey, toast omelet, pancakes, Tibetan bread, porridge/ muesli
- Eggs done according to your preference
- American breakfast or Continental breakfast
Soups:
- Vegetable Soup
- Mushroom Soup
- Chicken Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Rara Noodle Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Pumpkin Soup
- Potato Soup
Main Menu
- Rice Items: Veg Fried Rice, Egg Fried Rice, Mixed Fried Rice, Dal-Bhaat
- Noodle Items: Vegetable Fried Noodle, Mixed Fried Noodle
- Potato Items: Chips, Fried Potato, Hash Brown Potato, Veg Fried Potato, Boiled Potato
- Burger: Veg Burger, Chicken Burger, Veg Sandwich, Chicken Sandwich
- Pasta: Spaghetti Tomato Sauce, Macaroni Cheese Sauce
- Pizza: Veg Pizza, Tomato Cheese Pizza, Chicken Pizza, Mushroom Pizza
- Momo (Nepali Style Dumplings): Veg Momo, Chicken Momo
- Meat Items: Chicken Sizzler, Chicken Steak, Yak Steak
- Dessert: Apple Pie, Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake, Apple Fritter, Canned Fruit
- Beverages
Note:
To get to these areas, meat products must be flown in, transported by porters, or brought on the backs of yaks and donkeys. For this reason, at least above Namche Bazaar, don’t expect meat and meat products to be fresh. To prevent getting sick on the trek, we advise all of our clients to avoid eating meat. And keep in mind that the higher you go, the more expensive meat products become! Rather, it is a wise move to bring your own canned meat from Namche Bazaar.
