Everest Three Passes Trek

The Everest Three Passes trek is a private circuit from Lukla over Kongma La (5,535 m), Cho La and Renjo La, taking in Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar and Gokyo Ri. It is graded challenging. It runs 19 days and 18 nights, Kathmandu to Kathmandu, plus two flexible reserve days.

You fly to Lukla and walk down to Phakding, then climb beside the Dudh Koshi to Namche Bazaar. In spring rhododendrons colour the lower trail. A full day in Namche, with a walk up to Everest View Hotel, comes before Tengboche, Pangboche under Ama Dablam, and Dingboche. From there the valley of the Imja Khola leads to Chhukung, where a rest day comes before Kongma La, the highest of the three passes. It drops to the Khumbu Glacier and Lobuche.

Next comes Gorakshep, Kala Patthar at dusk and Everest Base Camp the following morning. A short walk to Dzongla sets you up for Cho La, crossed in a day to Gokyo. The lakes lie beside the Ngozumpa Glacier, and a full day covers the upper lakes and Gokyo Ri. Renjo La is the last pass, and Thame, Namche and Lukla bring you home.

• Duration: 19 days, 18 nights, plus two flexible reserve days
• Starts and ends: Kathmandu airport, with the flights to and from Lukla
• Grade: challenging, 5 to 8 hours of walking on most days
• Best months: March to May and September to November

Your group stays private, and we arrange all permits. Pickup and drop at Kathmandu airport are part of the trek.

• Three passes in one trek: Kongma La at 5,535 m, Cho La and Renjo La, each crossed as a day of its own rather than squeezed in with a long walk.
• Kongma La: The highest of the three, a steep climb from Chhukung and a steep drop to the Khumbu Glacier and Lobuche, after a rest day at Chhukung.
• Everest Base Camp: A walk over the Khumbu Glacier moraine from Gorakshep to the camp at 5,364 m, with Nuptse, Khumbutse and Pumori around you.
• Kala Patthar: The high point of the trek, climbed from Gorakshep at dusk. Everest is hidden from base camp, so this is where you see it.
• Cho La to Gokyo: A steep, rocky pass with a few icy sections, followed by an easy walk beside the Gokyo 3rd Lake.
• The Gokyo Lakes: Six lakes from 4,661 m to 5,150 m beside the Ngozumpa Glacier, with Cho Oyu above them.
• Gokyo Ri, 5,357 m: Climbed in the evening on a full day at Gokyo, for Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu across the glacier.
• Renjo La and the Thame valley: The last pass, then a long descent through Marlung and Thame to Namche, away from the main trail.
• Namche Bazaar and Everest View Hotel: A full acclimatisation day, climbing to 3,880 m for Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kangtega, Everest and Lhotse, then back to sleep in Namche.
• Two reserve days at Lukla: They sit before the flight to Kathmandu, so a weather delay does not touch your flight home.

The Everest Three Passes trek takes 19 days and 18 nights from Kathmandu to Kathmandu, plus two flexible reserve days. The days are built around where you sleep, because this is a long trek at height and three of its days cross passes above 5,300 m.

Lukla to Namche (days 2 and 3). Lukla is at 2,860 m and the first night is at Phakding, 2,652 m, so the first day is short and mostly downhill. Namche Bazaar, at 3,440 m, is the biggest rise in sleeping height of the trek, about 790 m. We take it slowly.

Namche (day 4). We walk up to Everest View Hotel at 3,880 m and come back to sleep in Namche. Climb high, sleep low is the logic of the whole trek.

Tengboche to Chhukung (days 5 to 7). Tengboche is at 3,870 m, Dingboche at 4,360 m and Chhukung at 4,750 m. Each night is roughly 400 to 500 m above the last, which is the pace we want above 3,000 m.

Chhukung (day 8). A rest day at 4,750 m, with an easy walk toward Island Peak base camp or up Chhukung Ri if the group feels like it. It comes the day before Kongma La, which is the point.

Lobuche, Gorakshep and base camp (days 9 to 11). After Kongma La you sleep at Lobuche, 4,940 m, then at Gorakshep, 5,170 m. Kala Patthar is climbed from Gorakshep on day 10, and Everest Base Camp, at 5,364 m, on day 11, which ends back at Lobuche, 230 m below Gorakshep.

Dzongla, Cho La and Gokyo (days 12 to 14). Day 12 is a short walk to Dzongla, at 4,827 m, lower than Lobuche. Cho La is crossed on day 13 and you sleep at Gokyo, 4,750 m, for two nights. Day 14 is a full day at Gokyo, so nobody crosses Cho La and climbs Gokyo Ri on consecutive mornings.

Renjo La and down (days 15 to 17). Marlung is at 4,610 m, Namche at 3,440 m and Lukla at 2,860 m.

The trek leader checks in with everyone morning and evening, and we slow a day or turn around when that is the right call. If you compare itineraries, count the rest days and look at the sleeping altitudes, not only the total days.

If three passes feels like more than you want, the EBC with Gokyo Lakes trek crosses only Cho La. Tell us your fitness and dates and we will shape the days with you.

Kongma La, at 5,535 m, is the highest of the three passes and the first one you cross. It links the Imja valley with the Khumbu valley, and on this trek it is a day of its own, from Chhukung at 4,750 m to Lobuche at 4,940 m.

Why it comes first. You cross it after two nights at Chhukung, with a rest day in between, and before the high camps at Gorakshep. That order means you meet the highest pass with the Dingboche and Chhukung nights already behind you.

The climb. It starts with a steep climb to the top, with wide views of the surrounding peaks. The day is graded hard, and the walking time is long: about 6 to 7 hours.

The descent. The way down is steep, to the Khumbu Glacier, and then on to Lobuche. The ground is rough and stony, so go slowly and keep your poles ready.

Gear. It is a pass crossing, not a technical climb. We carry the gear the conditions call for, such as microspikes, and use it as a short practice on the way if it is needed. You do not have to bring any.

Planning for it. Start early, and keep the day free of other plans. Carry lunch and water, and keep a windproof layer and gloves on top of the daypack. The trek leader makes the call on the morning if the weather or the snow is not right.

Season. The window is March to May and September to November. Spring and early summer can bring snow cover; autumn brings open ground, stable weather and clearer skies. Both seasons work.

After the pass you sleep at Lobuche, then at Gorakshep for Kala Patthar. If you would like the Khumbu side without any passes, see our Everest Base Camp trek.

Cho La and Renjo La are the two passes that turn Everest Base Camp into a circuit. One takes you from the Khumbu valley into the Gokyo valley. The other takes you out of the Gokyo valley toward Thame. Each is a standalone day.

Cho La (day 13). Day 12 is a short walk from Lobuche to Dzongla, which stands at the foot of the pass. You sleep a little lower than the night before and look over the route. On the day, the climb is steep over rocky ground, and a few sections can be icy and need a careful step. The descent is steep as far as Thangnak, at 4,718 m. From there it is a flat, easy walk to the Gokyo 3rd Lake and the village of Gokyo at 4,750 m.

Gokyo (day 14). A full day between the passes: the 4th and 5th lakes and the Ngozumpa Glacier viewpoint in the morning, then Gokyo Ri, at 5,357 m, in the evening. The upper lakes run to the 6th at 5,150 m, and it is an option for those who feel strong.

Renjo La (day 15). At 5,360 m it is the last pass, and a long day, so we start early. The trail runs beside Dudh Pokhari and then climbs steeply, about 3 hours to the top. The descent is sharp, past Angladumba Tsho and Renjo Lake to Marlung, at 4,610 m.

Thame and Namche (day 16). A long descent to Thame, at 3,800 m, and on to Namche, where the bakeries wait.

Gear and pace. Both are pass crossings, not technical climbs. We carry the gear the conditions call for and use it as a short practice on the way if it is needed. Start early, carry lunch and water, and keep a windproof layer and gloves on top of the daypack.

If you want the lakes and Cho La without Kongma La and Renjo La, see the EBC with Gokyo Lakes trek.

The flight to Lukla decides the first and last days of this trek. With 18 nights, three passes and a summit day, it is worth understanding before you plan your flights home.

Where the flight leaves from. Lukla is at about 2,860 m and has no road. Its airport, Tenzing-Hillary, has a short, steeply sloping runway for small aircraft, and flights go in the early morning before the wind picks up. In the spring and autumn peaks, roughly mid-March to mid-May and late September to November, most flights leave from Manthali (Ramechhap), about 130 km from Kathmandu. The transfer usually leaves Kathmandu around 1 to 2 am for a 4 to 6 hour drive, and the flight takes about 20 minutes. At other times flights normally leave from Kathmandu, about 35 to 40 minutes in the air.

Baggage. Expect a combined limit of about 15 kg, 10 kg checked plus 5 kg hand luggage.

Weather. Cloud and wind ground Lukla flights often, sometimes for days at a stretch. If a flight is cancelled, do not cancel your ticket; the airline normally puts you on the next flight at no cost.

Why two reserve days, and where they sit. The itinerary has two flexible reserve days at Lukla, after the walk out and before the flight to Kathmandu. If the flight is grounded on the way out, the reserve days absorb it, and your international flight stays safe. Do not book an onward international flight tightly.

Permits and ID. We arrange them. The Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit is collected in Lukla or Monjo, and the Sagarmatha National Park permit is checked at Monjo. Keep your passport or the ID you entered Nepal on in your daypack.

Airport to airport. We meet you at Kathmandu airport on day 1 and take you back on the last day, with the hotel nights in Kathmandu included.

Tell us your dates and your flight home, and we will plan the reserve days around them.

The Everest Three Passes trek is challenging. Most days are 5 to 8 hours of walking, with a few longer ones, and the trail has steep ascents and descents. Sleeping altitude goes above 4,000 m for most of the trek and reaches 5,170 m at Gorakshep. Temperatures run from about -10 to 15 degrees Celsius. It suits people who walk regularly, who build their fitness before the trek and who are happy to go slowly.

The grade also says that this is remote country, and that on some stretches rope or other gear may be needed. We carry what the conditions call for. It is one more reason the acclimatisation days are built in.

How we run it. It is a private trek: your group, a trek leader and a local team. The pace is set by the group. The itinerary has acclimatisation at Namche and Chhukung, a short day to Dzongla before Cho La, a full day at Gokyo between the passes, and two reserve days for the Lukla flight. You walk with a daypack, and the nights are in tea houses along the trail.

What the circuit adds. The straight trek to Everest Base Camp turns back down the valley from base camp. The Three Passes adds Kongma La, Cho La, the Gokyo valley, Renjo La and a different trail home. If base camp alone is enough, see our Everest Base Camp trek. If you want one pass and the lakes, see the EBC with Gokyo Lakes trek.

Season. March to May and September to November are the months to go. Spring brings rhododendrons on the lower trail and some snow cover on the passes; autumn brings open ground and clearer skies. Both seasons work. Flights from Manthali run in these peaks, so plan early.

Who it doesn't suit. If you want a fast schedule, this is not the trek for you. It needs time at height, and the reserve days are part of that.

Tell us your dates, your experience and the pace you like, and we will shape the days with you.