Everest High Passes Trek
Everest High Passes Trekking
Everest Three High Passes Trek

Everest Three High Passes Trek

238 reviews in TripAvisor

The Everest Three High Passes Trek is the most adventurous in the Everest region. It encompasses seven points above 5,000 meters: Cho La, Renjo La, Kongma La, Chhukung Ri, Gokyo Ri, Everest Base Camp, and Kala Patthar.

Trip at a Glance
Duration19 Days
Trip GradeVery Strenuous
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DurationNepal
Maximum Altitude5,545 m
AccommodationHotel/Tea House
Starts/EndsKathmandu
ActivitiesTrekking
Best TimeMarch to May & September to November

Everest Three High Passes Trek is the best Everest trekking package for those looking for the most challenging trek in Nepal. It is a 19-day trek in the Khumbu region amidst towering Himalayan mountains and picturesque villages of Sherpas. On an Everest three-pass trek, you'll explore every nook and cranny of the Khumbu region and relish breathtaking mountain views.

This trek involves the crossing of Renjo La (5,360 m), Cho La (5,420 m), and Kongma La (5,540 m). While crossing these challenging passes, you trek through the beautiful Dudh Koshi Valley, Imja Khola Valley, and Gokyo Valley. The trail ascends and descends via lush rhododendron forests and remote villages alongside verdant hills. 

You hike to Everest base camp (5,364 m), the foot of the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest (8,849 m). The trail further takes you to Kala Patthar (5,644 m). The Kala Pathar is the highest point of Everest's high pass trek. Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Gokyo Village, Chhukung, Thagnak, Thame, etc., are the villages where you stop for overnight stays. All these villages are home to Shperas and other communities. 

The Everest Three High Pass Trek carries adventure and cultural experience hand in hand. As every new bend in the trail has a distinct thill, every new village will take you one step closer to the locals. The Everest Three High Pass Trek Route has many ancient monasteries. Some of the monasteries you get to visit during the trek are Khumjung Monastery (3,790 m), Tengboche Monastery (3,860 m), Pangboche Monastery (3,985 m), etc. Likewise, numerous stupas, chortens, prayer wheels, and mani walls are on the way. 

The Major Highlights of Everest High Passes Trek

  • Reach seven points in the Everest region above 5,000 meters.
  • Cross the three famous passes: Cho La, Renjo La, and Kongma La.
  • Trek through Sagarmatha National Park and dense forests of rhododendron and magnolia.
  • Spend nights in the beautiful Sherpa villages and learn about their culture.
  • Visit ancient monasteries like Tengboche, Pangboche, and Khumjung along the way.
  • Catch gorgeous sunrises from different viewpoints, like the Everest View Hotel, Chhukung Ri, Gokyo Ri, and Kala Patthar.
  • Stand at the base of Mt. Everest, Everest base camp.
  • Explore the beautiful Gokyo village and Gokyo Lakes.
  • Witness breathtaking mountain panoramas and stunning glacier views.

How does the Everest three high passes trek route look?

The Everest Three High Passes trek route links EBC and Gokyo Lake with two other trails in the east and west of the Khumbu region. Our Everest Three High Pass Trek itinerary follows an anticlockwise direction, which is less demanding. From Lukla (2,860 m), the trail ascends to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) via Phakding (2,610 m). Up to Dingboche village (4,340 m), you'll follow the general EBC trail. Instead of directly going to Lobuche village (4,940 m), you'll take another route to Chhukung village (4,730 m) and cross Kongma La pass before descending to Lobuche village. 

You'll hike to EBC and Kala Patthar for the next couple of days. The trail then descends to Dzongla (4,830 m), and crossing Cho La Pass takes you to Thagnak (4,700 m). The next stop is Gokyo village (4,750 m) and the holy Gokyo Lakes (4,700 m to 5,000 m). Crossing the last pass, Renjo La, you'll descend to Lungden (4,500 m) and trek back to Namche Bazaar via Thame (3,750 m). The following day, the trail retraces the path back to Lukla airport.

What do you see in The Everest Three Passes Trekking?

For mountain lovers, the three-high pass trek is a paradise. On this trek, you will see some of the highest mountains in the world, including up-close views of Mt. Everest (8,849 m), Mt. Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), Mt. Lhotse (8,516 m), Mt. Cho Oyu (8,188 m), and Mt. Makalu (8,463 m). All of these mountains are above eight thousand meters. Similarly, the trail also offers constant views of many other snow-capped mountains like Ama Dablam (6,812 m), Nuptse (7,861 m), Pumori (7,161 m), Khumbila (5,761 m), Chamlang (7,319 m), Thamserku (6,608 m), Island Peak (6,160 m), etc. 

While trekking, you go on short excursions to different viewpoints to catch gorgeous sunrises along the mountain panorama. Enjoy many lovely sunsets, too. Apart from the mountains, you'll see beautiful waterfalls, rushing rivers, the Khumbu Glacier, the Ngozumpa Glacier, Gokyo Lakes, and moraines. 

How challenging is the Everest High Pass trek?

It is the most challenging trek in Nepal. It is one of the very strenuous ventures. This trek is only suitable for experienced trekkers with physical, solid fitness, and determination to complete the trek. The terrain is rough, offbeat, and steep. There are long ascents and descents throughout the trail, with some days going above 8 hours of walking. Everest three-high pass trek in Nepal is challenging but possible. Anyone can do this trek with a suitable itinerary, support, and ample acclimatization. This challenging trek in Nepal is not recommended to children or trekkers above 60.

What do you get in our Trek to Everest High Passes?

We offer the best Everest three high pass trek cost with expert guides and arrange everything for your trip to Nepal. All of our policies are transparent, and you'll not be liable for any hidden charges. Nepal Gateway Trekking is one of the oldest travel companies in Nepal and has been organizing adventurous trips in the Himalayas for many years. 

You can book the Everest Three High Pass Trek 2024 with a departure date or tailor-make the itinerary as you wish. 

Itinerary

This is our standard and recommended itinerary. If it doesn’t suit you, we can customize your trip according to your interests and time frame. Click here for the Tailor-Made program. 

Trip PlanExpand all

Meet our company representative outside the arrival terminal of Tribhuwan International Airport. They will drop you at the hotel in a private vehicle and inform you about the day program.

In the evening, you meet our manager, who will brief you on the program and introduce your team to your trekking guide. 

Accommodation: Hotel

The trek begins with a thrilling flight to Lukla from Kathmandu early in the morning. The flight offers a great bird' s-eye view of the Himalayan mountains.

You meet with the porters at Lukla airport and begin trekking towards Phakding village. The trail is rugged and forested. You walk through small villages like Chheplung, Thade Koshi and Ghat. In Ghat, you will see the curving mani stone and chortens. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

The trail between Phakding and Namche Bazaar passes through dense rhododendron forests and crosses numerous suspension bridges.

From Phakding, the trail ascends to Monjo village, where we'll stop for lunch and register our permits. From here onwards, we trek in the Sagarmatha National Park. The final ascent to Namche Bazaar is steep.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

You have a rest day in Namche Bazaar to get used to the elevation. Today, you go on a short excursion to the Hotel Everest View, where you can see stunning views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, etc.

If you feel okay, you can continue the hike to the ancient Khumjung monastery. After the hike, return to Namche Bazar and spend the rest of the day exploring the village. Visit the Sherpa Culture Museum and Everest Photo Gallery.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

The trail ascends and descends through lush forests, and you may encounter wildlife. After passing by Phunki Thanka village, you walk on an uphill route that leads to Tengboche village. Here, you'll visit the Tengboche monastery, the biggest monastery in the Khumbu region. The view of Mt. Ama Dablam from this village is outstanding.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

After breakfast, you walk through a deep rhododendron forest, a nunnery, and huge mani stones to Pangboche village. You walk along the verdant foothills and terrace fields, enjoying captivating mountain views, and reach Dingboche village. This village is called the Summer Valley of the Khumbu region.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

After breakfast today, you will hike to Nagarjun Hill (5050m). The hike offers spectacular views of Ama Dablam, Island Peak, Makalu, and the surroundings. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

Today is a short and easy walking day on the alpine terrain. After we reach Chhukung, we can do a small hike around the settlement. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

The trail crosses Kongma La pass. You wake up early in the morning and ascend a steep trail to the top of Kongma La Pass, which welcomes you with a grand mountain landscape. On the way, you pass by small frozen lakes. From the top, you'll walk on a steep downhill route to Lobuche village. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

On this day, you’ll reach the Everest base camp, which is in the lap of Mt. Everest. From Lobuche, you walk alongside the Khumbu Glacier and reach Gorak Shep. From here, you walk on a rocky, steep route to EBC. You'll take pictures and enjoy the views before descending back to Gorak Shep to spend the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

Before leaving Gorak Shep, you'll hike to the famous Kala Patthar. The sunrise from this point is spectacular. You can see mountains and clouds all around us. After visiting Kala Patthar, you descend to Gorak Shep and walk on a rough path. The trail ascends to Dzongla, where you'll be spending the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

Today, you’ll cross the Cho La pass. From Dzongla, you walk on rocky trails and glacial moraines. The trail gradually climbs to the pass. The scenery from the top of the pass is jaw-dropping. After enjoying the view, you descend to Thagnak. The downhill route is steep, so be careful while walking.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

The trail is very gentle. You cross the Ngajumpa glacier, passing rocking paths and ice lakes. On the way, stunning snow-capped mountains accompany us. Before reaching Gokyo village, you'll walk past a few alpine lakes and reach Dudh Pokhara, where the village is situated.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

Today is your acclimatization day in Gokyo village. You'll hike to the Gokyo Ri early in the morning to witness a glorious sunrise with snow-capped mountain views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori, Cho Oyu, etc. Later in the day, you can visit the different Gokyo Lakes and enjoy the views.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

From Gokyo Valley, the trail ascends along the Dudh Pokhari, and you walk for about a couple of hours on the steep path to reach the top of the Renjo La pass. The views of Gokyo Ri, emerald Gokyo Lakes, and Ngozumpa Glacier from the top of the pass are outstanding.

The trail then descends, following stone staircases and loose rocks, to the south bank of Angladumba Tsho Lake. From here, you walk on a slippery ice field and pass by Relama Tsho and Renjo Lake before trekking down a narrow valley to Lungden.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

The trail descends to Thame from Lungden. You gradually walk through the remote villages of Sherpas, and the mountain scenery is also excellent while trekking. You'll visit the ancient monastery in Thame. Leaving Thame, you walk through lush forests.

On the way, you pass small villages and see locals doing their daily chores. Likewise, the mountain views along the trail are fantastic.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

The trail from Namche Bazaar descends steeply through dense forests and settlement areas, crossing numerous suspension bridges. You'll reach Monjo village and continue walking towards Phakding. From here, you walk along the Dudh Koshi River to Lukla.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerAccommodation: Tea House

You fly to Kathmandu from Lukla in the early morning. The flight is short and scenic. From Kathmandu airport, the team will escort you to the hotel. Spend the rest of the day exploring the vibrant streets of Thamel and doing window shopping. 

Meals: BreakfastAccommodation: Hotel

The trek has ended, and our airport team will take care of your check-out from the hotel. They will drop you at the Tribhuvan International Airport and bid our last goodbye.

Meals: Breakfast
If above program doesn't meet your requirementsReach our travel experts.
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Cost Includes
  • All grounded transportation as per itinerary by private car
  • Two nights’ accommodation in Kathmandu inclusive breakfast
  • Round flight ticket (Kathmandu/Lukla/Kathmandu) inclusive domestic airport taxes
  • Three times meal (Breakfast/lunch/dinner) and accommodations during the trekking
  • One highly experience, English speaking & friendly trekking guide and required porter including their expenses 
  • Sagarmatha National Park permit and TIMS card
  • Everest Three High Pass Trekking map
  • Nepal Gateway Company T-shirt and achievement certificate
  • Local fresh fruit
  • First aid kit
  • Evacuation assist if needed
  • Government taxes
  • Office service charge
Cost Excludes
  • Lunch and Dinner in Kathmandu
  • Your travel insurance
  • Nepal entry visa. 
  • Your international flight ticket to/from Kathmandu
  • Your personal nature expenses, equipment and medical kit
  • All kinds of hot and cold drinks and alcoholic beverage in trekking
  • Hot shower, internet and phone call unless it is free
  • Tipping to field staffs (Tipping is not mandatory but expected)
Good To Know

Altitude Sickness during the Trek to Everest Three High Passes

The Trek to Everest Three High Passes carries altitude sickness risks. As you touch 5,000 meters above elevation multiple times, you'll be exposed to acute mountain sickness if your body does not acclimatize. Our Everest Three High Passes Trek itinerary has ample rest days, and we do not ascend more than 500 meters a day. These keep you far from altitude sickness. 

Choose fresh meals to avoid indigestion, drink plenty of water, and avoid smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages while trekking. Be careful of symptoms like a bad headache, difficulty breathing, insomnia, loss of appetite, etc.

Everest Three High Passes Trek for Solo/Group

Join our Everest Three High Passes Trekking Package in a group or as a solo traveller. We usually have groups in the peak trekking season for three-pass trekking, so you can join them if you are a solo traveller. Or, we'll provide you with the best guide and a porter for your journey, and you can trek alone. 

If you want to book the trek at the last minute, we need the total package cost. Cancelling a last-minute booking may result in a cancellation fee of the entire package cost. For more information, please contact us. 

Best time to do the Everest Three High Passes Trek

The best times to do the Everest Three High Pass Trek are from March to April (spring) and October to November (autumn). These two seasons are the peak trekking times of the year in the Himalayas. As the Everest Three High Passes Trek is a strenuous venture, only challenging lover trekkers go for this package. So, you'll still get to enjoy a tranquil journey, even during peak trekking season. 

In spring and autumn, you'll not be bothered by unclear views or visibility. Likewise, the stable weather and moderate climate are perfect for trekking, and there'll be no issue with safety. However, the off-seasons (monsoon, and winter) are unsuitable for the Everest Three High Passes Trek. 

Travel Tips for Trek to Everest Three High Passes Route

Accommodation: The accommodations are good in the lower part of the three-pass trek. You'll get services (paid) like WiFi, hot showers, charging, etc. The accommodation gets very simple as the trail moves towards the remote areas. You can expect nothing more than a room with double beds and a table. 

Food: Khumbu region trekking routes have decent meal options. During this trek, you will get a good variety of meals, from pizza and burgers to dal bhat, roti darker, etc. Likewise, bakery items, non-veg, and many beverage options are available. In the upper part of the trail, the options get limited and expensive.  

ATM: The package does not include charging, hot showers, extra snacks, etc. So, we recommend that you withdraw enough Nepali cash to obtain these services while trekking. There is no ATM above Namche Bazaar. 

Charging: The charging slots are kept separately in all the lodges. You can pay a few bucks to charge your devices. Because the Everest Three High Passes Trek is a long venture, we suggest you get a solar charger or spare batteries at least to save some bucks. 

Luggage: We use a duffel bag to carry our heavy luggage during the trek. Porters carry it. Each trekker gets a 10 kg weight limit for a duffel bag and a 5 kg weight limit for a day pack. If you have any additional luggage, you can leave it in the hotel's locker room free of cost. 

Personal Expenses: As we said earlier, you must pay a few extra bucks to get services during the trek. Similarly, you can shop and visit a spa, nice restaurants, etc., in Kathmandu. We suggest you keep a budget to cover these needs. 

Travel Insurance: The Everest Three Passes trek is certainly very adventurous, but it also has underlying risks that we cannot control even with our best efforts. So, travel insurance with emergency evacuation and medical bill coverage is necessary. You have to show us the documents while booking the trek. 

Tipping: Tipping is expected at the end of the trek. You can tip our guides and the porter carrying your bag whatever amount you wish. It is not included in our package cost. 

FAQs

Everest three high passes trek is one of the most challenging treks in the Himalayas. This trek is for only serious challenge lovers who wish to push themselves and conquer the three high alpine passes above 5,000 meters from sea level.

The Everest Three High Passes trekking is an adventurous trekking itinerary in the Khumbu region that crosses Cho La, Renjo La, and Kongma La passes and explores Dudh Koshi Valley, Imja Khola Valley & Gokyo Valley.

Our 3 passes trek is 19 days long, but you can customize the itinerary as per your wish. Moreover, you can also change the departure date and include additional services in the package. Do know that doing these changes can also change the package cost accordingly.

Yes, the Everest three high passes trek is safe because you trek with an experienced guide and porters who will support you on the trail. The terrain is offbeat, but following the footsteps of our guide, you can do this trek safely.

We do not recommend Everest three high passes trekking alone, even for experienced trekkers. Crossing the steep, glacial passes alone can be very risky. There are many twists and turns in the trail and several tough sections that demand the expertise of guides.

Yes, you'll need a sleeping bag for Everest three high passes trekking to keep yourself extra warm in the mornings & nights.

Yes, you can join Everest three high passes as a solo traveler. You can join one of our departure dates and trek in a group with trekkers from other parts of the world. Or, you can also do a private trek with us.

Traveler’s Experience with Us?
Amazing Three Passes Trek Experience as a Solo Female Traveler

I completed the Three Passes Trek in June 2023 with Nepal Gateway Trekking, and I couldn't have had a better experience!
As a solo...

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Ms. Sabrina Migliorini- Italy
June 17, 2023
Ms. Sabrina Migliorini
Mesmerizing Adventure

A friend of mine had been using Raj and his colleagues for 11yrs trekking in Nepal. When I decided to visit Nepal again I didn't...

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Mr. Phillip Koch- Australia
September 02, 2022
Mr. Phillip Koch
A Trip to Cherish. Wonderful.

I have just returned from 6 fantastic weeks in Nepal, and owe a huge thank you to Raj at NepalGatewayTrekking for helping to make it...

read more +
Mr. Anthony Rogers- United Kingdom
November 30, 2019
Mr. Anthony Rogers
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