Everest Three High Pass Trek

The Everest Region is one of the most popular trekking destinations in Nepal. This Everest Three High Pass Trek will take you to some of the highest mountain passes in the world. This trek provides you with the ultimate experience of crossing the three high passes Renjo-La (5360 m), Cho La (5420 m), and Kongma La (5540 m), and the three peaks of Gokyo Ri (5357 m), Kalapathar (5545m) and Chukung Ri (5546 m) along with a hike to the Everest Base Camp.

The incredible landscape and panoramic views during the trek are unbelievable. The Everest Three High Pass Trek route includes some of the most popular trekking routes through remote valleys, pristine forests, and beautiful Sherpa villages. Moreover, you can have breathtaking views of mountains like Everest(8848), Lhotse (8511m), Nuptse (7864m), Cho-Oyu (8201m), Makalu (8475m), Amadablam (6856m), Thamserku (6608m), Pumori (7145m). This Everest Three High Pass Trek is quite challenging compared to the Everest Base Camp Trek or the Gokyo Lakes Trek.

The Everest Three High Pass Trek begins with a short spectacular flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. From Lukla, we head north towards Namche Bazaar. The trail passes through lush forests, suspension bridges, and ridges past several settlements. Namche Bazaar is the largest Sherpa settlement in this region and the gateway to Mt. Everest. We leave the main EBC trail and head west up the Dudh Koshi valley, past the Sherpa village of Thame and Marlung, and encounter the first of our three high passes, the Renjo La pass.

After crossing the pass, we descend to Gokyo valley, cross over the Cho La Pass (2nd high pass), and hike to Kalapatthar. Hike to the Everest Base Camp, cross over the last of our high passes, the Kongma La pass, and climb Chukung Ri. Chukung Ri offers a splendid view of Amadablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Makalu. Then descend to the Sherpa village of Khumjung, back to Lukla, and then fly to Kathmandu.

Detail Itinerary

Day 1. Arrival in Kathmandu.
Upon arrival at the airport, meet our representative/guide and transfer to the hotel. As there are no activities planned for today, you may enjoy the evening at leisure or take a self-guided tour to familiarize yourself with the city. Evening dinner at a traditional Nepali Restaurant. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 2. In Kathmandu(trek preparation).
Today in the first half of the day, we will visit some of the major UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Including the Swayambhunath temple, the oldest Buddhist monument in the valley, and Boudanath, the largest Stupa in Nepal. Next, we will drive to Kathmandu Durbar Square, situated at the heart of Kathmandu, full of ancient history, culture, and architecture. We will spend the latter part of the day planning and preparing for the trek. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 3. Fly to Lukla-Trek to Phakding (2610m/3hrs)
Early morning, we will take a 30-minute flight to Lukla Airport - also known as Tenzing-Hillary Airport. The flight offers a stunning view of some of the highest peaks on earth. Upon reaching, we will gather our gears and begin our trek for about 3 hours to Phakding. Overnight in a trekkers lodge.

Day 4. Phakding – Namche Bazaar(3440m/6hs)
From Namche, we will follow the trail north along the Dudh Koshi River up the valley of Benkar. We then cross the Dudh Koshi River and continue to Monjo. Monjo serves as the gateway to the Sagarmatha National Park. After crossing the suspension bridge, our trail winds up past the settlements of Jorsalle alongside the Dudh Koshi river with a steep ascent of about 2 hrs to Namche Bazaar. Overnight in a trekkers lodge.

Day 5. In Namche Bazaar
Namche Bazaar is the center of the Sherpa community and an important trading center in the Everest region. The purpose of staying at Namche Bazaar is to acclimatize. You will be walking beyond 4000 meters in the next few days. Therefore, it’s essential to prepare your body for high altitude and thin air. There are several options to do this. We can either hike to the Everest View Hotel past Syangboche airstrip or take a hike to Khumjung and Kunde village. Everest View Hotel provides a stunning view of Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, and Lhotse. These hikes help us to adjust and adapt to the altitude gain. Overnight a trekkers lodge.

Day 6. Namche – Thame(3750/4-5 hrs)
Today we leave the main EBC route and begin a short uphill trek with the Kongde Ri to the left and the Khumbi La to the right. The trail then descends to a juncture and rises to the village of Phurte and Samde and continues halfway up and descends to the bridge over the Bhote Koshi river. Crossover to the other side and a steep climb of about an hour will bring us to the village of Thame. Thame is situated at a junction along the old primary trade route to and fro Tibet via the Nagpala Pass. Overnight in Trekkers lodge.

Day 7. Thame - Marlung(4249m/5hrs)
This morning we head towards our next destination Marlung. Situated at the foothills of Kajyo Ri to the south of Lungden, Marlung is one of the largest villages in the Thame valley and a popular tea stop for trekkers. Overnight in a trekkers lodge.

Day 8. Marlung-Renjola Pass(5360m)-Gokyo
Today we will have our first encounter with one of the Three High Passes, the Renjo La pass. This pass is the easiest of the two others and the most scenic in terms of view. We will start early, as we have to go slow because of the high altitude. After a brief stopover at the Renjo La Pass to enjoy the beautiful view, we descend to Gokyo valley and trek to Gokyo village. Gokyo village by the end of the third lake at the base of Gokyo peak. Enjoy the spectacular views of Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, and Lhotse from Gokyo. Overnight in trekkers lodge.

Day 9. In Gokyo(4750m)
Early morning, we hike to Gokyo Ri(5357m), a small peak above Gokyo village, and enjoy the golden sunrise view over the mountains. The hike is a steep uphill ascend for about 2-3 hrs through a winding trail. The summit provides fantastic views of four of the seven highest peaks of Nepal, Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. After enjoying the beautiful moment, return to Gokyo village for lunch. After lunch, we can rest and relax or hike to see the 4th and the 5th lake. Overnight in trekkers lodge.

Day 10. Gokyo-Thangnak Kharka(4700m/5-6 hrs).
After breakfast, we hike across the Ngozumpa glacier through the glacial moraine to Thangnak Kharka. Thangnak Kharka is the last human settlement before crossing the Cho La Pass. We shall take a small acclimatization hike before settling down for the night. Overnight in trekkers lodge.

Day 11. Thangnak Kharka-Cho la Pass(5420m)-Dzongla(4840m/8hrs)
Today will be one of the most challenging days on this trek. We will start early(5-6 am) as we have a long way to go. The pass is not difficult, but the trail is vertical and rocky. The hike begins with a gradual uphill walk and soon becomes rougher and steeper as we near the pass. After crossing the Cho La pass(2nd high Pass), we descend the other side to Dzongla. Overnight in Trekkers lodge.

Day 12. Dzongla-Gorakshep(5164/5-6hrs)-EBC
The trail to Gorakshep is easy and mostly downhill except for some ascents in some stretches until Lobuche. At Lobuche, we join the classic EBC route and make our way towards Gorakshep. Gorakshep offers extraordinary views of the Khumbu glacier and the peaks of Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse. Overnight in trekkers lodge.

Day 13. Gorakshep-Kalapatthar(5545m)-Lobuche(4940m)(8hrs)
The sunrise view from Kalapatthar is one of the highlights of this trek. On top of that, it also offers an astonishing view of Mt. Nuptse, Lhotse, and the entire Everest range. We shall start very early to the summit of Kalapatthar. After enjoying the splendid sunrise view, we return to Gorakshep for breakfast. After breakfast, we hike alongside the Khumbu glacier moraine towards the Everest Base Camp. Spend some time at the base camp enjoying great views, and then return to Gorakshep for a late lunch. After lunch, we shall proceed further to Lobuche for the night. Overnight in trekkers lodge.

Day 14. Lobuche-Kongma la Pass(5540m)-Chukung(4600)(8-9hrs)
Today will be another long day on this trek. We will be crossing our third of the three high passes, the Kongma La pass. We leave the classic EBC route and head east through the Khumbu glacier towards the Kongma La pass, the third and the final on this trip. At 5540m, the Kongma La Pass is the highest of the three high passes. The pass offers the most spectacular view of Mt. Lothse, Nuptse, Amadablam, Makalu, and others. Cross over and descend to Chukung valley and eventually make our way to Chukung village for the night. Overnight in trekkers lodge.

Day 15. Chukung Ri-Khumjung village(3790m)
Today we will ascend Chukkung Ri, situated above the Chukung village. It takes around 2-3 hrs for a round trip. This peak is the hardest of the three peaks on this trip. The view of the Khumbu valley from the summit is outstanding. After spending some time, we will descend and trek downhill through rhododendron-covered hills to the Sherpa village of Khumjung. Overnight in trekkers lodge.

Day 16. Khumjung-Lukla(2860m/8-9hrs)
Today we aim to reach Lukla for the night. The hike is mostly downhill and easy, but the last leg from Namche to the Dudh Koshi could be relatively tricky due to its gradient. Overnight in trekkers lodge.

Day 17. Lukla to Kathmandu.
Today we bid farewell to the beautiful Khumbu valley and board our early morning flight to Kathmandu. On arrival at the airport, transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is to rest, relax or explore the local market. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 18. In Kathmandu.
We keep this day as a contingency day in case the flight from Lukla gets canceled (usually, the flight from Lukla to Kathmandu gets canceled due to unpredictable weather). If everything goes as planned, you can utilize this day as you wish. Overnight in a hotel.

Day 19. Departure.
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.