Everest Three Passes Trek Best Time: Month by Month, With Rainfall, Snow and Flights

Last updated 5 October 2026. The weather figures on this page are station averages, not forecasts. Our nights at Gokyo (4,790 m), Dzongla (4,830 m) and Lobuche (4,940 m) are higher than every station below, so they are colder than any table here. Where we describe the passes themselves, that is our guides' experience, not a measured number.

The short answer: the best time for the Everest Three Passes trek is October and the first half of November, when the monsoon has gone and the sky is at its clearest. March and April are the second window. We run the trek all year, depending on the weather, but December to February is for fit trekkers who have walked at altitude and have talked it through with me first. June to early September is monsoon and I would not send you over three 5,000-metre passes in it. On our 17-day route the passes fall on day 6 (Renjo La), day 9 (Cho La) and day 13 (Kongma La), so you need a month that gives you three fair mornings, not one.

We already have pages for the neighbouring questions, so we do not repeat them here. Our Three Passes in November and December page goes deep on the cold months, the EBC versus Three Passes page compares the two treks, the Three Passes itinerary guide walks the route, and the cost guide covers money. This page puts all twelve months in one place, with rainfall and temperature, the pass-by-pass snow picture and the flight windows. For the lower Everest valley, see Everest weather by month and best time for Base Camp.

When is the best time for the Everest Three Passes trek?

Autumn first, spring second. The best times to visit Nepal are spring and autumn, with rhododendrons in spring and the clearest skies after the monsoon in October and November. The rains diminish in September and generally end by mid-October, then cool, clear, dry weather follows. On the Everest side of our route, March and April and October and November are the ideal months for visibility and temperature.

That matches what our guides see. October and the first half of November are the most settled weeks and the busiest. March and April are warmer by day, with afternoon cloud as the weeks go on. The second half of November and early December are quieter and colder. These are our guides' observations, not measured data.

Nepal can be visited the whole year round, and even in December and January there is bright sun and brilliant views. That holds for the right trekker. The Three Passes asks more than most routes, though. In the cold months it suits people who are fit, have walked at altitude before and accept short days and cold nights.

What is the weather month by month on the Three Passes route?

The table uses the three stations nearest the route. Lukla (2,786 m) is where you land, and its rain record covers 1991 to 2020. Namche Bazaar (3,450 m) is the second. Dingboche (4,410 m) is the closest to our high nights in height, but its figures are modelled, not measured by an instrument, so treat them as a guide. There are no figures for the passes or the high villages themselves. Each temperature cell is the average daily high, then the average daily low, in degrees Celsius.

Three things stand out. First, the monsoon is not subtle: Lukla gets 324.8 to 641.8 mm a month from June to September, against 6.2 mm in November and 0.5 mm in December. Second, October is not as dry as people assume. Lukla still has 102.9 mm and Namche 57 mm in October, against 11 mm at Namche in November, which is why the first half of November is my pick if you can choose. Third, the cold arrives fast and spring is colder than it feels. The modelled night at Dingboche is minus 5.3 in October, minus 11.0 in November and minus 15.3 in January, and March (minus 10.5) is about as cold as late November. Our nights are higher again.

What are snow and ice like on each pass?

There is no published month-by-month snow record for Renjo La, Cho La or Kongma La. What follows is what our own pass guides say after years of crossing them, so use it as experience, not as data.

Two readings matter. First, snow on a pass is a matter of days, not months. A fall the week before you cross changes the day whatever the month says, and an average cannot tell you that. Second, the passes come in a row. You can have a fine Renjo La on day 6 and still wait for Cho La on day 9, so choose a month with the best chance across all three, not the best for one.

Our policy is the one on our other pages. We run the Three Passes all year, depending on how the weather is, and the guide decides on the morning of each pass. If a pass is not safe we do not push on.

Will the Lukla or Manthali flight run in my month?

Lukla airport is nominally open all year, but in the monsoon visibility problems close it about half the time, with around 50 per cent of flights cancelled. Planes land under visual flight rules, and strong south-west winds regularly close the airport from mid to late morning. Outside the monsoon delays still happen, so keep spare days.

Those Manthali windows are the ones we plan around and they can shift from year to year. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal decided in 2022 that Lukla flights would run from Ramechhap again. Our Manthali airport guide explains the midnight pick-up, and our domestic flights guide has the fares and the delay plan. On Luxury the flights are a helicopter both ways. A helicopter does not remove weather, but it avoids the Manthali drive.

Which month suits which kind of trekker?

This table is our judgement from running Everest-region treks since 2016, using the figures above. It is not station data.

Is the monsoon really a bad time for the Three Passes?

For this trek, yes. About 80 per cent of Nepal's rain falls in the monsoon from June to September. The monsoon washes out trails, and cloud cover cuts the safety margin for flying. The data above show it: 641.8 mm at Lukla in August, and half the flights cancelled. The views are the point of this route, and they sit behind cloud for days. A cloudy pass morning takes the view that you came for.

If your only leave is June to early September, I would suggest a different trek, and I am glad to talk through the options.

What is it like in winter, and do the lodges close?

Dry and very cold. Lukla has 0.5 mm of rain in December and 15 to 17 mm in January and February, so snow, when it comes, is the story. On lodges, from December to February the vast majority of accommodation at Gorak Shep, our day 11, is closed, the trails are snow-covered and the cold is very intense. Dingboche is the same in winter.

For Lungden, Thangnak, Dzongla and Lobuche the owners decide close to the season which lodges open, so ask us about your dates before you book. For the wider winter picture on the same trail, read our Everest Base Camp in December and Everest Base Camp in winter pages, and our Three Passes in November and December page for the pass days.

How busy is the route in each season?

From our guides' experience, October and the first half of November are the busiest weeks. The second half of November and early December are quieter, and the winter months are quieter still. Our Renjo La guide calls it the quietest of the three passes. If an empty trail matters to you more than the best odds of clear skies, that is the trade I would talk through with you.

Does the month change the price, and what does it include?

The price does not change with the month. Our Everest Three Passes trek, 17 days is US$1,855 Budget, US$3,540 Standard and US$5,645 Luxury per person for two to four people (US$2,755, US$4,290 and US$7,200 for one person), and less per person for larger groups. Budget has no porters, shared rooms and meals not included, with fixed-wing flights. Standard has one porter for every two trekkers, private rooms, all meals and fixed-wing flights. Luxury has a dedicated porter for each trekker, private deluxe ensuite rooms, all meals with extras and a helicopter both ways to Lukla. Kathmandu hotels are not included in any trek tier. Our cost guide has the breakdown.

The permits are the TIMS card at NPR 2,000, the Khumbu local fee at NPR 3,000 and the Sagarmatha National Park fee at NPR 3,000, NPR 8,000 in all, and our packages include them. A licensed guide and agency-issued TIMS card are required on most trekking routes under the Nepal Tourism Board rule from 31 March 2023; the rule covers the Everest (Khumbu) region too, and we always trek with a licensed guide. Permits need at least 48 hours in government working days, so tell us early.

A 10 per cent deposit holds your dates and the balance is paid in Kathmandu, in US dollars or euros, in cash or by card. Card payment carries a 3.5 per cent charge, and we do not take Nepali rupees from foreign clients. You can reschedule free, with at least 72 hours' notice, to any date within one year. If you cancel instead, the deposit and anything else you have paid are not refunded. If we cannot run the trip, we refund what was paid less taxes, bank and card charges and any money already spent on permits or flights. Buy your insurance at home, and make sure it covers helicopter rescue and evacuation up to 6,000 m. That is the highest point of the trek, Kala Patthar at 5,545 m, rounded up to the next 500 m.

How do I protect my trip against a weather hold?

Three habits, none of them clever. First, keep a spare day in Kathmandu at the end, and never book the international flight on the day of the Lukla return. Leave 24 hours, and 48 if you can. Second, let the guide decide each pass. Altitude is the other thing the weather cannot fix, and our guides to acclimatisation and altitude sickness are worth reading before you choose your month. Third, tell me your dates early. The itinerary has a rest day at Namche on day 3 and another at Gokyo on day 7, and extra nights for a hold can be quoted for your tier.

If you are choosing between routes, the Gokyo best-time page covers the lakes without the second and third pass, and our Nepal-wide best-time guide covers the other regions.

Who should not choose the Three Passes in a given month?

If you can only travel from June to mid-September, I would not send you, because the views and the flights are the weak points. If it is your first high-altitude trek, I would choose late October or early November, not January. If cold is a medical issue for you, speak to your doctor before any winter date. If you cannot spare a buffer day at the end, no month is safe, because a weather hold becomes a missed connection. And if you need to be sure of crossing all three passes, nobody can promise that in any month, including me.

Tell me your dates and group size on WhatsApp, +977 9810351300, or email [email protected]. I will tell you honestly what I expect that week and quote you for your tier. The page to start from is the Everest Three Passes trek, 17 days.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586.