Everest Three Passes Trek - 17 Days

Your adventure journey to the Everest region begins with a stunning flight that is determined by the time of year you travel. During the peak seasons of spring and autumn, your journey begins around 12:30 a.m. from Kathmandu. You will travel overland for around five hours to Manthali Airport, a strategic starting point that ensures you catch one of the day's first flights. From there, an exciting 20-minute flight takes you over rolling foothills and deep into the heart of the Himalayas, landing at the well-known airport in Lukla.

Traveling during the quieter months of winter or the monsoon season makes it easier to enter the Everest region. During these times, aircraft leave directly from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). After breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to the airport for an amazing 40-minute flight that will provide you with a panoramic view of the magnificent peaks that lie ahead.

When you arrive at the Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, you will take your first steps on the trail. The day's trek is short and mild, allowing your body to begin acclimating to the altitude. The path gently descends the Thado Koshi River, passing via several unique suspension bridges decorated with prayer flags before arriving at the peaceful settlement of Phakding. To complete your first day, you will get the option to visit the neighboring Rimishung Monastery, immersing yourself in the Khumbu's spiritual tradition.

After breakfast, you will continue trekking along the Dudh Koshi River, enjoying the majestic views of the trail and crossing many suspension bridges, including the Hillary Bridge, where you can experience new recreational activities such as bungee jumping.

On the Everest Bungee, you don't just jump; you fall into the Himalayas. The sport is 3,600 meters above sea level and hangs over a wild mountain river. This makes it one of the highest bungee adventure spots in the world. It seems like time slows down when you step off. As you look around, snow-capped peaks rush by, and the wind howls in your ears. For a brief yet exhilarating moment, you experience a sense of weightlessness between the sky and the rock. It energizes you, but you feel like you're losing it in the mountains' serene beauty.

As you move forward, you will enter the Sagarmatha National Park checkpost, where your permits are registered, and then ascend through the dense forests. You will see the first sight of Mt. Everest. Trekking further, you will arrive at Namche Bazar, the gateway of Everest.

Namche Bazaar is the high Himalayas' heart and Everest's trade hub. This stepped-down village is in a natural circle and receives the first light that comes over Kongde Ri. From the teahouses, you can smell the fresh-baked Sherpa bread. You might hear the quiet singing of monks from a monastery on a hill in the morning, along with the chatter of hikers getting ready to hit the trail. Namche is more than just a stop. It's where cold and warm meet, business and culture mix, and strangers become part of a mountain story.

You can enjoy walking through the surrounding markets, visit Hillary School, explore Sherpa settlements, and see a yak farm. Hike up to the Everest View Hotel, where you can enjoy a mesmerizing view of Mt. Everest.

The Everest View Hotel sits at an altitude of 3,880 meters (12,729 feet) above sea level, making it one of the highest-placed luxury hotels in the world. It looks out over Khumjung like a watchful eye. It doesn't feel like a building; it's more like a platform with a view of the sky. In the morning, the soft crackle of frost under your feet gets you up. The panoramic windows let in a lot of light that makes Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and Everest look beautiful. Inside, only the soft clink of teacups can be heard. Each sip feels like a toast to the mountains. "It's not just a place to stay; it's a front-row seat to a work of art that changes with every cloud.

(Note: According to your choices, we have multiple options of hikes during the acclimatization day, such as visiting the Sherpa Culture museum, Yeti Sculpture, and Everest View Hotel.)

When you leave the busy, amphitheater-like center of Namche Bazaar, your trip takes a significant turn. You will leave the busy main trail to Everest Base Camp and head west into a quieter, more traditional part of the Khumbu region. The walk to Thame is a beautiful high trail that hugs the slope of the Bhote Koshi river valley. It gives you a sense of seclusion and takes you back in time. Originally, this was the main trade route to Tibet via the Nangpa La pass. You can feel the weight of history with every step.

The road itself is beautiful, with a fairly gentle rise as it winds through peaceful pine and rhododendron forests. You will pass through small, beautiful Sherpa villages like Phurte and Thamo, where life appears slower and more connected to the land. The Kwangde Ri and Teng Kangpoche mountain ranges will be beautiful to see along the way. Along the trek, there are antique chortens, wonderfully carved mani stones, and the occasional stupa. These are all indications of how important Buddhism was in the valley's past.

The busy streets of Namche make Thame feel like another world. Thame is a picturesque, traditional Sherpa settlement that stretches across a broad valley floor.

After breakfast in the medieval village of Thame, on the way to Lungden, there is a tremendous change in both the atmosphere and the environment that takes place. You will eventually leave the forested valleys of the lower Khumbu on this day and enter the harsh, empty land that is waiting for you at a high altitude. This path leads north along the west branch of the Bhote Koshi River, which begins at the border with Tibet and follows you all along the entire way.

As you make your way up, the trees disappear, and in their place comes a unique terrain consisting of tundra, alpine scrub, and vast, desolate cold desert. As the valley widens, you can see a terrible geological force at work, with snow-covered peaks all around you. Before arriving in Lungden, you will travel via the village of Marulung, which is a seasonal settlement. In most cases, the road is peaceful, and the only sounds that can be heard coming from the vast desert are the ringing of yak bells and the movement of supplies.

The community of Lungden is not a village in the traditional sense; rather, it is a collection of humble homes that are located in a bleak valley. There is only one principal purpose that it provides, and that is to act as the last stop for hikers who are getting ready to tackle the difficult Renjo La Pass. You are completely cut off from the rest of the world at this location, as the air is both clean and thin.

Today is the first day of your Three Passes quest, and it will test your strength. The quest starts in the dark, cold depths of Lungden, a long time before the sun comes up. Before dawn, lights help you see as you start the hard climb up the Renjo La Pass. The first part of the road is a long, steep climb that gets worse over time. In the thin, oxygen-poor air, you need to keep a steady, slow pace to save energy. As you go higher, the last bits of alpine scrub fade away, leaving behind a harsh but beautiful landscape of rock, scree, and ice. It sounds like only your breath and the crunch of your boots can be heard. The world seems old and harsh.
You work hard for several hours until you reach the top of Renjo La, where prayer flags are hung. Going over the pass is one of the most beautiful and unique things you can do in the Himalayas. There is a beautiful view right in front of you that makes you forget all about the hard climb. Beautiful views all around. See the blue gems of the Gokyo Lakes below? That's the Ngozumpa Glacier, a huge, flowing river of ice, behind them. Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu, along with the world's other tallest peaks, form a beautiful line that jumps out on the horizon.

There is a huge sense of happiness when you reach the top, but the day isn't over yet. It's important to be careful on the way down from Renjo La because it's steep and the top parts may be covered in snow or loose rocks. It changes your view as you go down, bringing you closer to the same spot you loved from above. You will keep going over a set of curves. As you do, Dudh Pokhari, the third and largest of the Gokyo Lakes, will get bigger and brighter. After a long and hard day, you finally get to the lake and the small town of Gokyo. At a teahouse, you can take it easy and enjoy the view of Cho Oyu mirrored in the calm river. Now that you have crossed the first of the three great passes, you can think about the great day you had, full of challenges and wins.

Once you have traversed the Renjo La, you will arrive at Gokyo, which is a stunning and significant location to take a break and become accustomed to being at high elevations. There is a short but challenging ascent to Gokyo Ri, which is the highlight of the day. The ascent, which often takes place one to two hours before daybreak, is a sacred journey that leads to a point of view that is well-known throughout the entire Everest region. The breathtaking panorama that can be seen from the highest point, which is adorned with prayer flags, extends all the way around. Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu, including the enormous Cho Oyu, are the four mountains that are the tallest in the world. The Ngozumpa Glacier, which is the longest glacier in the Himalayas, can be seen from the bottom of the valley, where you can stroll along its beauty. The sacred Gokyo Lakes are illuminated by the light of the early morning. After soaking in this breathtaking panorama, you make your way back to the teahouse to fulfill your hunger with a hearty breakfast. During the remaining hours of the day, you should relax by the tranquil lake and allow yourself to replenish your batteries. By doing so, you will allow your body to adjust to the high altitude before embarking on the challenging journey over Cho La Pass.

Today's trek is a big change from the calm lakeside of Gokyo. We have a lot of work to do to cross the Ngozumpa Glacier. This is not an easy walk; it's a long trek across the longest glacier in the Himalayas. The track goes over loose scree and cold ridges in a wild, undulating landscape of rock-strewn moraine. The crossing requires full attention and serves as a humbling reminder of how big nature is. You may hear the faint moans of sliding ice beneath your feet and sometimes find a hidden, deep-blue glacier pond. After a final, hard scramble up the far moraine wall, you get back on firm ground and make the short walk to Thangnak, a little, rugged settlement buried in the mountains that only exists as a vital outpost to rest and get ready for the difficult climb up the Cho La Pass that is coming up.

During our trip, today is the most challenging day. To reach the well-known Khumbu Valley requires a significant amount of physical effort. It is on the chilly and foreboding morning of Thangnak that you will undertake your quest. A terrifying obstacle is the vertical wall that surrounds Cho La Pass. A stony road with a large number of rocks may be found at the beginning of the ascent, which gives the impression that the ascent will never finish. Moving that quickly is hard since the air is thin and cold. This examination is challenging and calls for a great deal of energy as well as quick feet.

A tiny glacier that may or may not be frozen will be traversed by you as you make your way to the top of the pass, where the terrain will change. There is a peculiar character to the walk that you experience when you walk carefully on the ice while wearing micro spikes, which give you the sensation that you are climbing. The final ascent after the glacier involves a treacherous incline that necessitates the use of both feet and hands to traverse the boulders.

At 5,420 meters, the peak of Cho La Pass is adorned with prayer flags, providing a moment of unadulterated, earned ecstasy. You managed to get past a very difficult and unforgiving gatekeeper. You are now inside the inner sanctum of the giants, and the view is drastically different from Renjo La. Ama Dablam's sharp peak and Cholatse's breathtaking, ice-fluted north face take up most of the field of vision. However, you must pay close attention because the descent is extremely perilous. At the beginning, there's a potentially deadly drop down a path of loose rock and scree that can be icy and treacherous if you aren't careful. Following this challenging section, the trail descends steadily into the valley until it reaches the small, secluded settlement of Dzongla. At Dzongla, you'll find a warm welcome and a space to relax, perfect for taking stock of the pass you've traversed and planning your last ascent to Everest Base Camp.

The trek continues in the direction of the lively settlement of Lobuche after a night of resting beneath the majestic face of Cholatse. Today represents a crucial convergence, as our more peaceful high-pass path combines with the well-known and frequently traveled Everest Base Camp trail. The first part of the day consists of following the path along a massive glacier moraine, gradually descending across the tranquil Chola Lake, which shimmers in the distance. As we continue on our journey, we will come across a collection of stone cairns and memorials that are a solemn and moving tribute to mountaineers who have lost their lives while climbing in these mountains. Following the expansive and open floor of the Imja Khola Valley to our objective in Lobuche, the climb transforms into a pleasant and spectacular journey from that point onward.

This is the day of the pilgrimage, which constitutes the conclusion of weeks of hard work and preparation for the journey. As you leave Lobuche and begin the final push toward the sacred land of Everest Base Camp, the morning begins with a strong sense of anticipation. You are about to embark on the culmination of your journey. On your left, the Khumbu Glacier is a daunting and continuous companion. The trail itself is a rocky, bumpy path that goes across the glacier's lateral moraine. In this strange terrain of rock, ice, and thin air, every step needs intentional effort and a slow, steady pace. This high-altitude landscape will surprise you.

You will leave your primary pack at the lodge when you get to Gorak Shep, which is the highest settlement on your route and the final outpost of civilization. With a lighter load, you will then begin the final trek to your ultimate goal. The trail that goes to Base Camp is a treacherous and unpredictable path that winds along and over the glacier itself. It takes you closer and closer to the base of the tallest mountain in the world.

A tremendously touching experience is having the opportunity to arrive at Everest Base Camp. You find yourself standing at the actual source of the notorious Khumbu Icefall, which is a stunning amphitheater made of ice and rock. The experience is both chaotic and magnificent. Even though the peak of Everest is still concealed between the West Shoulder of Lotse and Nuptse, the sheer magnitude of the landscape and the powerful force it possesses are astounding. As you make your way among the brilliant prayer flags and, during the climbing season, the colorful tents of international expeditions, you will have the opportunity to take in the magnificent atmosphere. Once you have captured memories of this once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment, you will retrace your steps back across the moraine to Gorak Shep. There, you will find a well-deserved rest waiting for you after a day that was long, successful, and completely unforgettable

Even though the landing at Everest Base Camp yesterday was a historic event, the world's tallest peak was still hard to see because of its huge neighbors. Today is the day that will be a wallpaper in your memories forever.
We wake up early in the morning when it's still cold and start our last and most significant climb to the top of Kala Patthar, which is 5,555 meters high. This black rocky hill is home to the most famous vantage point in the whole area. As we climb it, we are racing the sun to get to the top. The first golden rays of light will touch the highest point on Earth, lighting up the Everest pyramid with a beautiful alpenglow. This is the view that will make the Himalayan trip special, and you will see it from the summit. We will take a break to enjoy this stunning view up close before heading back to Gorak Shep for a well-deserved breakfast. After we finish the main goal of the day, we will go back down the valley to Lobuche, where we will spend the night.

The last and hardest of the three passes is Kongma La, which is the highest. The trip begins with a difficult crossing of the steep moraines of the Khumbu Glacier, starting in Lobuche. On this distant and wild trek, there are no villages or teahouses to stop for a rest.

The Kongma La ascent is a never-ending climb that will test your strength and determination. As you climb, you pass by small, often frozen lakes at great altitudes. These lakes are a stark and pure beauty. The trail is often hard to see, which adds to the feeling of being alone and on an adventure.

we will carry the pack lunch on this days, due to no teahouse or lodge in the middle of Kongma La pass. 

It is a spectacular and unique achievement to reach the top of Kongma La (5,535m), which is covered in prayer flags. You will be rewarded with a stunning view of the tall peaks of Lhotse, Nuptse, and the distant, pyramid-shaped Makalu. The vista from the Imja Khola valley and the famous spire of Ama Dablam is quite amazing. The way down from the pass is just as hard. It goes down a long, steep, and often dangerous road through loose scree, which makes your legs fatigued. You will go down into the Chhukung valley sanctuary after a day of very epic trekking at high altitudes. When you get to the little settlement of Chhukung, you'll feel like you've accomplished a lot because you've crossed the last and highest challenge on the Three Passes Trek.

The next part of your journey is a lengthy, beautiful descent as you follow the Imja Khola river down the valley. You will walk through the amazing village of Dingboche, which is known for its patchwork of stone-walled fields that shelter the region's potato crops from the wind. The walk goes through alpine pastures, where you can see kharkas, which are traditional stone sheds, in areas like Tsura, Orsho, and Shomare.
As you hike further, the trail takes you to Pangboche, the highest permanent village in the valley. After that, you will reach Tengboche, the spiritual heart of the Khumbu. From this vantage, you can see some of the most unique peaks in the world, such as the famous Ama Dablam and the huge wall made by Everest, Nuptse, and Lhotse. You end your day with a trip to the Tengboche Gompa, the oldest and most important monastery in the area.

The hike from Tengboche to Namche Bazaar is full of dramatic changes and delightful descents. The trek starts at the peaceful Tengboche Monastery and then goes steeply down through fragrant rhododendron forests for 600 meters to the loud Dudh Koshi River at Phunki Tenga. The trail's main obstacle comes after crossing its suspension bridge: a long, steep climb of 350 meters up the slope. This is a clear sign that Himalayan paths don't often end with easy downhill sections. But as you climb, you get more and more amazing views of Ama Dablam and the Tengboche valley.

The last section from Sanasa to Namche is a beautiful, fairly flat walk along the mountain's contour. Walkers can take in the stunning views of Thamserku and Kangtega. As you go back to the busy entrance to the Khumbu, the trail winds gently toward the familiar horseshoe-shaped center, giving you a sense of success. Getting back to Namche Bazaar, with its lively bustle, bakeries, and heavy air, feels like a big accomplishment and a nice reward after a long, hard, but beautiful walk.

The final segment of your adventure across the Himalayas is a long but very rewarding hike that takes you back to Lukla, the gateway to the Khumbu, from the busy metropolis of the Khumbu. This day is a mix of looking back on the past and trekking with purpose. You walk 13.5 miles from the high Himalayas to the lush, green valleys of the lower Everest region. The trail is mostly downhill, but it is notable for having many small, steep uphill sections that make the mountains work hard until the last step.

Before we start our day, you get one more amazing vista from the Namche cliffside. Then you go down the steep switchbacks to where the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers meet at Larja Dobhan. The track mostly follows the river valley after you cross the huge suspension bridges. where you can have adventure like Bunjee. 

On the Everest Bungee, you don't just jump; you fall into the Himalayas. The platform is 3,600 meters above sea level and hangs over a wild mountain river. This makes it one of the highest bungee adventure spots in the world. It seems like time slows down when you step off. As you look around, snow-capped peaks rush by, and the wind howls in your ears. For a brief yet exhilarating moment, you experience a sense of weightlessness between the sky and the rock. It energizes you, but you feel like you're losing it in the mountains' serene beauty.

It winds through lovely pine forests and past settlements, you know, such as Phakding and Ghat. The trail is like a roller coaster. Every time you go down to the riverbank, you have to climb back up the opposite side, which tests your strength one last time. The air gets thicker and richer in oxygen, which makes it easier to breathe, but the continuous changes in the ground still make your legs work harder. It is a good thing to see Lukla's airport on the side of the mountain, because it means the end of an epic. Getting to Lukla is a huge accomplishment. You can finally enjoy finishing one of the world's best journeys by sharing experiences with other trekkers before your trip down to the world below.

This day is when you will go back to Kathmandu if all goes as planned. Your flight destination will be either Kathmandu or Manthali, depending on the season. If you plan to walk in March, April, May, September, October, or November, you should arrive in Manthali by plane and then drive to Kathmandu, which will take around five hours. The months of December through August are the only ones when you may take a direct flight from Lukla to Kathmandu.
We hope your hike will be peaceful, and you'll undoubtedly think back on your time in the Everest area. On this day, we shall have a farewell meal.