Everest Two Passes Trek (Renjo La and Cho La) - 15 Days

In short: this 15-day private trek crosses two passes, the Renjo La (5,360 m) and the Cho La (5,420 m), and visits the Gokyo Lakes, Gokyo Ri (5,357 m), Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) and Kala Patthar (5,545 m). You go to Gokyo first and finish at Base Camp. It is graded very strenuous and has no Kongma La. From USD 1,699 per person on Budget for 2 to 4 people (Standard USD 3,240 and Luxury USD 5,299 for 1 to 4 people).

Trek Highlights

• 15-day private trek crossing Renjo La (5,360m) and Cho La (5,420m), with two summit viewpoints: Gokyo Ri (5,357m) and Kala Patthar (5,545m).
• The Three Passes route without Kongma La (5,535m), the highest and most demanding of the three. Two glacier-side passes instead of three.
• Cho La is the technical day: glacier crossing with a fixed-rope descent section. Renjo La is altitude-only, no glacier work.
• Private guide and porter ratio that does not change based on group size. No shared-group surcharge gimmicks.
• 10% deposit to lock dates, balance paid in person in Kathmandu. No full prepayment required to a foreign trekker you have never met.
• Every booking helps fund our Nagarjun Learning Center work at Saldum, where 70 children are taught by one dedicated teacher.

Why I built this trek the way I did

I am Shreejan, the founder of The Everest Holiday. The Two Passes trek is for people who want the variety of the Three Passes route but do not want to take on Kongma La. We cross Renjo La (5,360m) and Cho La (5,420m), connecting the Gokyo valley to the EBC corridor in one trip, but we skip Kongma La (5,535m), which is the highest and most demanding of the three. The result is a 15-day trek instead of 17, with two summit viewpoints (Gokyo Ri and Kala Patthar) and one glacier pass instead of three.

Honest comparison: Cho La is the more technical day. It involves a glacier crossing with a fixed-rope section, and it is what separates Two Passes from standard EBC routes. Renjo La is altitude-only, with no glacier work, and it is the gentlest entry point into the western Khumbu. The two together give you the variety of valleys without the third demanding pass.

I run this 15-day version because it is the right length for the route. Anything shorter cuts into the rest day at Namche or the easier Gokyo Ri day before Cho La. Anything longer is paid rest days you do not need. The 15-day shape gives you both passes, both viewpoints, and one full acclimatisation rest at Namche.

We run this as a private trek by default, and we never add strangers to your booking. If you would rather have company on the trail, you can choose to join one of our fixed departures instead. Either way the price per person is the same. Your pace, your rest days, your conversations at dinner. We do not change the guide-to-porter ratio when the group is smaller. Your guide is with you whether you are two people or six, and on Standard and Luxury so are your porters.

Every booking on this trip helps us pay the teacher’s salary at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum, where 70 children get free education. The salary is currently funded out of my own pocket. Your trek is what makes that sustainable.

The first pass nearly breaks you. You have been climbing since before dawn, breath visible in the thin air at 5,360 metres (17,585ft). Then you crest Renjo La and the world opens: the turquoise Gokyo Lakes glitter below, Everest rises behind them. Three days later, you do it again at Cho La (5,420m / 17,782ft), scrambling across a glacier that connects the Gokyo Valley to the Everest Base Camp trail.

The 15-day Everest Two Passes Trek crosses Renjo La and Cho La while skipping Kongma La, giving you two of the Khumbu's three legendary high passes plus Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar, and Gokyo Ri in a single circuit. You start by climbing from Namche Bazaar through the rarely visited Thame valley, cross Renjo La into Gokyo, then cross Cho La into the EBC corridor and walk to the foot of the world's highest mountain. It is a way to see the Everest region without committing to the full 17-day Three Passes circuit.

What Makes This Trek Special

• Cross Renjo La (5,360m / 17,585ft), widely considered the most scenic high pass in the Everest region, with views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and the turquoise Gokyo Lakes spread below
• Cross Cho La (5,420m / 17,782ft), a thrilling glacier crossing that links the Gokyo Valley to the classic EBC trail corridor
• Stand at Kala Patthar (5,545m / 18,192ft) at sunrise, the most famous viewpoint of Everest, where four of the world's highest peaks surround you
• Reach Everest Base Camp (5,364m / 17,598ft), where Everest climbing expeditions begin, on the edge of the Khumbu Icefall
• Climb Gokyo Ri (5,357m / 17,575ft) for a sunrise panorama of Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Makalu with the sacred turquoise lakes below
• Trek through Thame, the village where Tenzing Norgay grew up, a quiet Sherpa village where few trekkers go
• Walk alongside the Ngozumpa Glacier, the longest glacier in Nepal at over 36 kilometres, stretching from the flanks of Cho Oyu
• Trek through Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to snow leopards, Himalayan tahr, and over 100 bird species
• Acclimatise safely with rest days at Namche Bazaar and Gokyo before tackling the high passes
• Complete two glacial pass crossings, three summit viewpoints, and the full Everest Base Camp experience in 15 days, saving two days compared to the Three Passes trek

15-Day Everest Two Passes Trek Overview

Fifteen days. Two glacial passes. Three summit viewpoints. The Everest Two Passes Trek is the most efficient way to experience the wildest side of the Khumbu without the full 17-day commitment of the Three Passes circuit. By crossing Renjo La and Cho La while skipping Kongma La, you still finish in 15 days.

The route begins at Lukla and climbs through Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,440m / 11,286ft) for your first acclimatisation day. From Namche, instead of heading towards Tengboche on the classic EBC trail, you turn northwest through Thame (3,820m / 12,533ft) and up to the remote settlement of Lungden (4,380m / 14,370ft). The next morning you cross Renjo La (5,360m / 17,585ft), descending into the Gokyo Valley beside the turquoise lakes. A rest day at Gokyo lets you climb Gokyo Ri (5,357m / 17,575ft) at sunrise before tackling the second pass.

From Gokyo, you trek to Thangnak (4,700m / 15,420ft), then cross Cho La (5,420m / 17,782ft) the following morning. The descent brings you to Dzongla and then Lobuche (4,940m / 16,207ft), where you rejoin the classic Everest Base Camp trail. From Lobuche, the route follows the standard path to Gorak Shep, Everest Base Camp (5,364m / 17,598ft), and Kala Patthar (5,545m / 18,192ft) for that early-morning sunrise. The descent takes you through Pheriche and back to Namche and Lukla.

Two acclimatisation days are built into the itinerary, one at Namche Bazaar and one at Gokyo. At Namche, you hike to the Everest View Hotel (3,880m / 12,730ft) for your first clear view of the summit. At Gokyo, you climb Gokyo Ri for the four-peak sunrise panorama. By the time you tackle the high passes, your body has had the time it needs to adjust.

The walk back to Lukla takes two days of descending through familiar villages where teahouse owners now greet you by name. The final evening in Kathmandu is a farewell dinner with your guide and team, a chance to look back at what you accomplished and realise you have just crossed two of the Himalayas' great glacial barriers.

Before You Arrive

Please arrive in Kathmandu by 4 PM the day before your trek. This gives you time for a final gear check, a briefing with your guide, and a good night's rest before the early morning start.

Your Online Briefing

Think of this as our first coffee together, but online. After you book, we will schedule a video call where we walk you through every detail: what to pack, what each day on the trail looks like, how the altitude will feel, what to expect on the two pass crossings, and anything else on your mind. No question is too small.

This is also when we learn about you. Our trek itinerary does not include your hotel in Kathmandu. During the briefing, share your preferences and budget, and we will arrange accommodation that fits. Whether you want a simple guesthouse in Thamel or a five-star hotel, we will set it up for you.

Lukla Flight — What You Need to Know

The flight to Lukla is one of the most dramatic in the world, a short ride between mountain peaks that ends on a runway carved into a hillside at 2,860m (9,383ft). From Kathmandu, it takes about 40 minutes. From Manthali, it takes about 20 minutes. It is also weather-dependent. Flights can be delayed by fog, cloud, or wind, sometimes for a full day. This is normal in the Himalayas and nothing to worry about, but it is something to plan for.

We strongly recommend keeping two buffer days at the end of your trip before your international flight home. This protects your connection if weather delays your return from Lukla.

During peak trekking season (roughly 15 March to 15 May and 25 September to 30 November), flights to Lukla operate from Manthali Airport (Ramechhap) instead of Kathmandu, to reduce congestion on Kathmandu's single runway. If your flight departs from Manthali, we will pick you up from your hotel between midnight and 2 am, depending on your flight time, and drive you there (4 to 5 hours).

For your return, you fly from Lukla back to Kathmandu or Manthali. If your return flight lands at Manthali, we drive you back to Kathmandu (4 to 6 hours). All ground transportation is included in every package.

Your Trek, Your Way

Every trek we run is private by default, your group only, with no strangers added. If you would prefer company on the trail, you can join one of our fixed departures instead. Whether you choose Budget, Standard, or Luxury, the mountains are yours and your companions' alone.

Your hotel in Kathmandu is not included in the trek package, and that is intentional. Kathmandu has everything from USD 10 guesthouses in Thamel to five-star hotels with rooftop views of the city. During the online briefing, tell us what you prefer and we will arrange it for you. Your trek package begins the moment you leave Kathmandu for the mountains.

Difficulty: Very Strenuous

This is one of the most demanding treks in the Everest region. You will walk 6 to 9 hours a day over mountain trails, moraine fields, and two glacial passes above 5,300 metres. Renjo La involves steep snow and ice sections. Cho La requires crossing a glacier. Both demand early starts in freezing temperatures. Previous high-altitude trekking experience is strongly recommended. A serious level of physical fitness is essential. Our guides carry crampons and ropes when needed and monitor your condition daily, but you must be prepared for sustained effort at extreme altitude.

Everest Two Passes Trek at a glance

Best time to trek Everest Two Passes Trek

Permits

The Khumbu is not a restricted area, so there is no special permit. You need the three below, and we arrange all three and include them in your trek price.

Trekking as a group?

Bring your own group — friends, family, a club, a university society, your workplace, or a cause you are raising money for — and any of the three comfort levels can run as a private group on your own dates. Private or group, the price per person is the same; we never put strangers in your group. The more of you there are, the less each person pays:

The organiser travels free. Get fourteen or more paying people together and whoever organised the group joins the trip free. The one thing the organiser still pays is their own flights and permits, since those are fixed costs we pay out for every person and cannot absorb, and we cover the rest. Your departure is guaranteed on your own dates — from a solo traveller up to a group of twenty, and we never merge you into another trip.

Planning a group? Message me on WhatsApp with the trip, roughly when, and how many of you, and I will send you a price and a plan.

Which 15-day Everest trek is right for you?

All three run 15 days from Kathmandu, are private, and start at the same price (from USD 1,699 per person on Budget for 2 to 4 people), so choose by the route and not by the cost. Here is how they differ, from our own itineraries.

If you want a third pass, the Everest Three Passes trek adds the Kongma La in 17 days. Not sure which one fits? Message me on WhatsApp with your dates and how much walking you have done, and I will tell you honestly.

Compare Our Three Packages

Himalayas for Every Budget, same guides, same safety, three comfort levels.

Why Trekkers Trust Us

• Over 300 reviews on TripAdvisor, Google and Trustpilot, 4.9 out of 5 on TripAdvisor
• Google reviews, 4.9 out of 5 stars
• TAAN Member (#1586), Government Reg: 147653/072/073
• Secure 10% Deposit, pay just a 10% deposit to reserve, via Himalayan Bank
• Himalayas for Every Budget, three comfort levels, same mountain, same safety
• Three Generations, three generations of family guides in the Himalayas

Difficulty: Very Strenuous

This is one of the hardest standard trekking routes in the Everest region. You will cross two glacial passes above 5,300m, both requiring early starts in freezing temperatures and some sections of ice and snow. The maximum altitude is 5,545m (18,192ft) at Kala Patthar. You will walk 6 to 9 hours per day over 15 days, with several consecutive days above 4,500m. Previous high-altitude trekking experience is strongly recommended. Serious physical fitness is essential. We build two acclimatisation days into the itinerary (Namche Bazaar and Gokyo), and our guides carry pulse oximeters, crampons, and ropes. Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover is mandatory.

Two passes, one school

Renjo La and Cho La without the Kongma La — that is the philosophy of this fifteen-day route. The pricing reflects that this is a high-altitude high-pass trek, and the contribution to the Nagarjun Learning Center reflects the pricing. The centre is a Nepalese charity that runs a free village school in Saldum for around seventy children, with two meals daily. It is verified and listed on the UN Partner Portal. My mother is the founder and chief operator.