Booking is open for 2024 and 2025 for all tours and trekking in Nepal.
Everest Base Camp and Three high passes trek
5/5 based on 37 reviews
Booking is open for 2024 and 2025 for all tours and trekking in Nepal.
5/5 based on 37 reviews
Trip Duration
21 Days
Group Sizes
1 - 16 People
Difficulty
Moderate
Max. Altitude
555m
Activities
Meals
Accommodation
Of the many trekking and touring options in Nepal, we have chosen the most spectacular trip for you- Everest Base Camp and Three High Passes trek in the Solukhumbu district of Everest Region. This trek will prepare you for a somewhat greater challenge than any other trip in Nepal. The name says it all – you have to overcome the Three High Passes all above 5000 m altitude namely: Kongma La Pass (5,545m), Cho La Pass (5,420m), and Renjo La Pass (5,345m).
Additionally, you will also visit the stunning Gokyo Valley, and climb Gokyo Ri and Chhukung Ri. You will literally reach the foot of the tallest mountain in the world: Everest. You will also climb Kala Patthar and get the incredible opportunity to be in close proximity to Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and many more icy and rocky giants.
Our Everest Base Camp and Three High Passes trek are suitable both for experienced Nepal travelers who have perhaps already been to the Everest area, as well as for fit Nepali newcomers. What makes our itinerary different from others is we will take the counterclockwise route for the trip.
We will first conquer the least challenging High Pass of Kongma La then gradually overcome the second and third highest passes Cho La Pass and Renjo La Pass respectively. This carefully planned route therefore gives us ample time to acclimatize to the higher altitude minimizing the risk of altitude sickness.
Our 20-day epic journey of Everest Base Camp and Three high passes trek also reveals numerous monsters of snow and ice along the trail including Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Pumi Ri, Cho Oyu, Cholatse, and several others. You will also have a fascinating encounter with the Nepalese and Tibetan Buddhist culture of the Sherpas who reside in the region.
Most of these Sherpas are engaged as brave porters and guides (trekking/climbing) assisting trekkers to successfully complete their dreams. They are also involved in farming (especially potatoes) and tending herds of Yaks and sheep. The majority of Sherpas have now fully dedicated themselves to promoting the tourism industry in the country and have opened lodges and tea houses to accommodate tired adventurers.
Overall, the Everest Base Camp and Three High Passes trek is an adventure that is as long-awaited as it is challenging. Once you experience this journey, it will remain in your memory forever.
Our long anticipated journey begins with a flight to Lukla from where our trek commences to Phakding and Namche Bazaar. After spending a day at Namche, we then hike to Tengboche and Dingboche where we spend our second rest day. Further, we trek to Chhukung Valley and climb the Chhukung Ri at 5,546 m.
Then we head on to cross the Kongma La Pass and descend to Lobuche and Gorakshep to reach Everest Base Camp. The next day, we climb Kala Patthar and traverse through Dzongla and Dragnag crossing Cho La pass.
The trek days ahead will then lead us to the Gokyo Valley where we will summit the Gokyo Ri. We then conquer the last High Pass of Renjo La and make our way to Kathmandu passing through Namche and Lukla once again.
We are delighted to welcome you to Nepal. We will be waiting for your arrival at the International Airport of Kathmandu. Upon receiving you, we will transfer you to the hotel. In the evening, we will have a short presentation about the trekking itinerary to Everest Base Camp and Three High Passes.
Today, we will meet you at the hotel and collect your documents for obtaining the required permits. In the meanwhile, after breakfast, you can take a city tour visiting Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Stupa, Boudhanath, and Pashupatinath Temple. We will also walk through some narrow alleys of the city to get a glimpse of the architectural and cultural perspective of the capital.
Early in the morning, we will transfer to Kathmandu airport to fly to Lukla. It is the starting point of our adventure. During the brief 30-minute flight, we will enjoy some panoramic views of the Himalayan mountain range.
At the Lukla airport, our local team will receive us. We will organize our backpacks and start our hike to Phakding. A 3 to 4-hour easy ascend and descend will take us to Phakding where we will spend the night.
Point to Remember
In the crowded season of spring and autumn, in case of flight delay and cancellation, flights from Kathmandu to Lukla will be diverted to Ramechhap airport. We will drive to Ramechhap airport via private vehicle and reach there within 4 hours.
After breakfast, we will leave Phakding walk through some local stone houses, and reach the village of Monjo. Then we will climb for some time and reach Jorsale. Here we will have our Sagarmatha National Park entry permits checked.
Then we will walk along the Dudh Koshi River and cross the suspension bridge. The trail from here winds steeply uphill till we reach Namche Bazaar. From here, we can enjoy the beautiful views of Kwangde, Kusum Kangru, Mount Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Tawache.
Today is the first day of acclimatization necessary for our bodies to get used to the high altitude of the place. We will spend the day hiking to the Everest View Hotel known in the world to be the highest luxurious hotel. We will enjoy some breakfast in the backdrop of the mighty Himalayan Giants.
We will then descend and walk along the streets of the Namche meeting people from all around the world. We can also visit the Sherpa Museum where we can learn about the amazing Sherpa people.
After breakfast, we will leave Namche and climb towards Syangboche. We will then go down to Khumjung and visit its monastery for a while. Then we will descend slowly to Tashinga and Phunki Tanga where we will stop for lunch.
We will then climb for about two hours through the pine forests passing several Mani Walls to reach Tengboche monastery. If time permits, we will also participate and observe the daily rituals of monks. We will then go to our lodge in the village to rest for the night.
Leaving Tengboche, we will descend to Debuche along the Imja Khola River and then climb to Pangboche. We will visit its local monastery known to be the oldest monastery in Khumbu. With the constant company of Ama Dablam, we will climb towards Somare. From here, we will continue ascending passing numerous chortens and Mani Walls till we reach Dingboche where we will stay for the night.
We will spend the second acclimatization day at Dingboche which is a popular resting spot for many trekkers embarking on a trek to Everest, Ama Dablam, or Island Peak. We will spend the day walking through the farmlands of barley, buckwheat, and potatoes. We will hike to Nagarjun Hill from where we can forget ourselves in the magical views of Makalu, Lhotse, Chalotse, Tawache, and Ama Dablam.
In the evening, we will descend to our lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
After breakfast, we will resume our hike to the northeast of Dingboche to reach the Chhukung Valley. We will pass several yak pastures with a distant view of Peak 38. After about 3 hours, we will be at the Valley. We will rest for a while to have some lunch then we will ascend the mighty Chhukung Ri elavted at more than 5000 m altitude above sea level.
The ascend will be steep over rocky and dusty alpine terrain. After about 3 hours we will be at the top of the Chhulkung Ri from where we can witness the magnificent views of Nuptse, Makalu, Lhotse, Chalotse, Tawache, and Ama Dablam.
We will now descend from the summit and take shelter at one of the tea houses of the Chhukung village.
This day is going to be a bit challenging so prepare yourself by doing some warm-up exercises. We will cross the difficult Kongma La Pass and descend to Lobuche today. At first, we will climb a lot then we arrive at a flat area. From here, once again, we will climb steeply and again arrive at another flat terrain. Then we will undertake the final climb and reach the top of Kongma La Pass.
The impressive views of the eternal Himalayas including Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, the Khumbu region, and Lobuche reward us at the top of the pass.
After spending some time, we now descend to Lobuche- the resting village for the night.
After breakfast, we will resume our hike over a rocky mountain terrain once again. We will cross several dunes, observing the frozen lakes and icebergs under the enormous Khumbu glacier. Finally, a short downhill hike and we will be at Gorakshep. We will have some rest and lunch and head for Everest Base Camp.
A short hike along the Khumbu glacier will lead us to the Camp where we can have the ultimate feeling of reaching the base of the tallest mountain on the planet. After spending some time, we return to Gorakshep for our night stay.
Before dawn, with a light shade of headlamps light, we head to climb Kala Patthar. First, we will hike gradually for an hour then we will climb for about half an hour and reach the top of the Kala Patthar peak.
From here, we can be one of the fortunate witnesses to view Everest as just a stone’s throw away. We will also have the reward of Nuptse, Lhotse, and Lho-La col views.
After a great time, we descend to Gorakshep for a hot delicious breakfast. Then we head back to Lobuche where we stay for the night.
After spending some strenuous days on the trek, we now take things slowly today. After breakfast, we will walk following the Khumbu glacier once again and reach the Chola Tso Lake. From here, we have the magical views of Tawoche and Cholatse. Following the path along the lake, we will arrive at Dzongla at midday. We will book rooms in one of the lodges of the village and rest for the day.
Another challenging yet exciting highpoint of the trek. If the weather is favorable, the climb to the Cho La Pass can be relatively easy. But it is still a very steep climb so secure footing and attention is a must. The top of the Pass shines with colorful prayer flags. We will have a true mountain experience with the remarkable view of Ama Dablam.
We now descend to Dragnag, please be careful as the downhill hike will be very steep.
Today we have an easy day ahead of us: we cross the huge terminal moraine of the Ngozumpa glacier, which is the largest glacier in the Nepalese Himalayas. Then we will have a wonderful hike across the glacier that takes us to Longpongo, the first of the Gokyo glacier lakes.
Another short walk takes us to the meadows near the sparkling azure Lake Gokyo. In the afternoon we will have time to rest and enjoy the fantastic views. If you haven’t had enough, you can explore the Gokyo Valley.
A full day to explore the beautiful landscape at Gokyo. We will climb Gokyo Ri, which lies above the lake and offers the most magnificent mountain panorama of four of the seven highest peaks in the Nepalese Himalayas: Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. The climb is easy and there are no technical difficulties, but the height to which we climb should not be underestimated.
We will have enough time to tackle the climb at a leisurely pace. After 2-3 hours we will reach the summit. After spending some time, we will descend to our lodge in the valley for an overnight stay.
The most difficult day of the entire trek has arrived. Crossing the Renjo La Pass is technically the most challenging pass of our trek. So we will gradually ascend to the Pass.
We will climb over a steep barren and stony path to reach the top of the Renjo La Pass from where we can see Everest, Nupste, Lhotse, and Makalu. We can also observe the peaks of Rolwaling.
After taking in all the beauty from the Pass, we now descend to Marlung- our overnight stay destination. The descent from the pass leads very steeply down a narrow path that has partly exposed areas. We pass Lake Rermo and continue hiking to the village of Marlung.
From now on, our hike will be pretty easy descends. As we hike down, we will come across the path that leads to the Nangpa La Pass and on to Tibet. On the way, we will meet some Tibetan traders with their yak caravans. We will follow the Bhote Koshi Valley further south to the Sherpa village of Thame with its spectacular monastery, which sits on a mountainside high above the village.
From here, we will follow the valley down to Namche Bazaar passing some fascinating stone sculptures and Buddhist rock paintings. We spend the night once more in Namche Bazaar.
Leaving Namche, we will walk towards Monjo following the trail along the Dudh Koshi River. Initially, the trail will be quite steep to descend, and later it turns into a gradual downhill hike. After about 6 hours, we will be at Lukla where we will spend the night one last time.
Early in the morning we go to Lukla airfield and board the small plane that will take us back to Kathmandu. Enjoy the wonderful views again! After your flight arrives in Kathmandu, we will transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day can be used for free time.
We will drive you to the Kathmandu airport for the last time bidding you farewell after a memorable journey together. Remember us for your next amazing expedition in Nepal.
You can cutomize this trip as per your requirements if met the proper guidelines.
The best time for Everest Base Camp and the Three High Passes trek is before and after the monsoon. That is the season of autumn ( September to November) and Spring (March to May). It is when the weather is driest and the sky clearest with the remarkable diverse landscape. The trail will be clear with less snow.
During the monsoon (July to August), the rainy and cloudy weather makes the trail difficult to pass and the views are blocked. In winter (December to February), the weather is clear but the snow will be abundant with other difficulties and certain Passes may become impassable without equipment.
Everest Base Camp and Three High Passes Trek is a challenging journey that takes you past some of the world’s most stunning mountain views, including the majestic Gokyo Lake and the challenging Three Passes. You will also visit the iconic Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar, which offers stunning views of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. Along the journey, you will experience the rich culture of the Sherpa people and explore their ancient villages.
This trek is a great opportunity to enjoy the unspoiled beauty of the Himalayas. You will hike across forgotten sections of the road, explore villages, and gain a different perspective on the region. This trek takes you to the top of Renjo La Pass, Cho La Pass, and Kongma-La Pass which involves a strenuous climb but offers stunning panoramic views of the surrounding peaks such as Nuptse, Lhotse, Makalu, Ama Dablam etc.
Meanwhile, Gokyo Lake offers a calm and peaceful contrast to the rugged mountain landscape. You will also tour the legendary city of Kathmandu and visit its important landmarks.
Whether you want to challenge yourself physically or simply enjoy the beauty of the Himalayas, this trek will be an unforgettable experience.
The Everest Base Camp is located at an impressive elevation of 5364 m above sea level. The three high passes that you cross are Kongma La Pass at 5545 m, Cho La Pass at 5420 m, and Renjo La Pass at 5345 m.
Over 20 days itinerary, you will cover a total distance of 148 km. Consisting of 17 days of the actual trek, you will cover 11.5 km on average each day. However, the actual distance you walk each day is based on the altitude, your pace, the overnight destination, and the planned itinerary.
Therefore, someday, you may walk only for 6 km and sometimes as long as 30 to 40 km.
The 17-day trek in this journey often needs you to tackle hikes of approximately 6 to 7 hours a day with an altitude gain of 500 m per day. However, particular days on the itinerary when you need to cross the Passes may require you to walk for long hours of 8 to 9 hours with more than 900 m altitude gain.
The least you will walk will be on your first day of the trek from Lukla to Phakding and on day 13 when you hike from Lobuche to Dzongla. These days need you to tackle 3 to 4 hours of walking.
When the highlights of the trek appear, that is reaching the Everest Base Camp, and crossing the Passes, you will walk for 7 to 9 hours which is the maximum walk of the entire trek duration. These days will be on day 12 when climbing Kala Patthar, on day 14 when crossing Cho La Pass, and on day 17 when conquering the Renjo La Pass.
The Everest Base Camp and Three High Passes Trek is one of the most challenging treks in Nepal that needs you to cross Three High Passes standing tall at more than 5000 m height. The trail doesn’t need any technical skills but needs you to tackle the significant altitude.
Difficulty and Acclimatization
The Everest Base Camp and Three High Passes Trek is one of the most challenging treks in Nepal that need you to cross Three High Passes standing tall at more than 5000 m height. The trail doesn’t need any technical skills but needs you to tackle the significant altitude.
Our trek program is designed to promote good acclimatization and not have problems with altitude sickness. Therefore, we have two rest days at Namche and Dingboche and one preparation day at Kathmandu. To date, all our clients have managed to complete this trek without any complications.
Yes, if you’re a first-time Nepal traveler who possesses above physical fitness, and health and can deal with the high altitude difficulties with long hiking hours, then you can participate in this trek. However, you need more general resistance and training in the months preceding departure.
So we advise you to undertake other simple itineraries to make a gentle first approach to the Himalayas. So your approach to the high altitudes can be easier.
The Everest Base Camp and Three High Passes trek trail is long, steep, and has high cliffs and mountainous terrain, so you must be better prepared to withstand the difficulties of trekking. Train your body hard enough to be able to withstand pressure and frequently moving terrain. We recommend doing as many excursions as possible in the two months before departure, and/or at least running training.
The alternate trail to conquer the Everest Base Camp and three high passes of the Everest region is to take the clockwise route. In this route, you will first cross the difficult Renjo La Pass, then cross the Cho La Pass and trek to Gorakshep and the base camp of Everest. The least chhalenging Pass of Kongma La is reserved for the last from where you will then trek to Namche and return to Lukla. You can also combine this trek with climbing of Island or Lobuche Peak.
Altitude sickness above the altitude of 3000 m is inevitable but its severity depends on the fitness of the people. You may feel mild migraine followed by nausea, dizziness, and difficulty breathing.
Therefore, acclimatization is vital which means not climbing too fast and staying well hydrated. if you have a severe headache or your symptoms don’t subside, you can make a descent to a lower altitude to let it pass. For milder symptoms, you can take ibuprofen or Diamox.
When you book any trip with us, you rest assured and focus on your trip preparation only. We will take care of everything from your accommodation, and transportation to meals. In Kathmandu, you will stay in 3 a star-category hotel enjoying complimentary breakfast every morning. During the trek, you will stay in the best available tea house with full board meals ( breakfast, lunch, and dinner). However, bar bills and hot and cold beverages are excluded from our service.
We also provide free airport transfer to and from the hotel in Kathmandu. We also book your flight and purchase your air tickets for the flight from Kathmandu-Lukla-Kathmandu.
Our trek program is designed to promote good acclimatization and not have problems with altitude sickness. Therefore, we have two rest days at Namche and Dingboche and one preparation day at Kathmandu. To date, all our clients have managed to complete this trek without any complications.
A lot more development and modernity in the infrastructure of the Everest region has made Western Tourism much more favorable. And thanks to the Nepal Electricity Board, the villages are supplied with 24-hour electricity service. So the local lodges of most of the villages now facilitate charging services for your electrical gadgets.
They also have the provision of a WIFI connection so you can remain connected with your friends and family. Or, you can also use NCELL or NTC SIMS which you can easily purchase in Kathmandu or Namche for uninterrupted communication and internet data packages.
This trip requires two permits: a Sagarmatha National Park permit and a Khumbu Rural Municipality Entry Permit. The Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu or the park entrance gate in Monjo can give you a Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit for NRS 3000. You can obtain a Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entry Permit at NRS 2000 at Lukla or the rural town counter on the outskirts of the Khumbu settlement.
You don’t need to worry about waiting for permits because our guides will take care of everything.
Yes, the lodges will provide hot water in a request for a shower but not all lodges provide the service. However, it will likely be too cold to take a bath so you may won’t need one.
Yes, you must purchase travel insurance. In the event of a problem during the trip, you risk having significant unexpected costs to pay and only insurance can cover these costs. You must carefully look at the insurance contract and take a repatriation option in the event of a health problem.
No, landing at Lukla airport is not that dangerous but it is definitely impressive.
If you have any particular health problems it is important to communicate them to us in advance. We don’t recommend this trek if you have any cardiovascular disease, asthma, or respiratory problems, please seek advice from your physician before taking this trip to Nepal.
Yes, we are dedicated to serving each of our clients and looking after their wishes. If you are not comfortable with our itinerary, please inform us. We will tailor-make the program according to your preference.
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