Everest Three High Passes Trek

After you arrive in Kathmandu, your beautiful journey officially starts. A guide awaits you in Kathmandu. Your 17-day journey begins with a 35-minute domestic flight from Tribhuvan International Airport of Kathmandu to Lukla (2850 m). This scenic flight amazes you with the view of Annapurna and Langtang Himalayan Range.

After reaching Lukla, you will descend the Thado Koshi River and cross several suspension bridges to Phakding. This trek takes 2-3 hours, which helps to acclimatize. In Phakding, there is a monastery called Rimishung Monastery. Your first-night stay will be in Phakding.

Next morning, you will start your journey to Namche Bazaar (3440 m). From Phakding, you will move northward along the bank of the Dudh Koshi River, passing many suspension bridges, including the Hillary Suspension Bridge.

Along the path, you pass through Monjo village. Enjoy deep forests and rocky trails to Sagarmatha National Park Checkpost, where you will register your permits and climb into the forest. You get to view Mt. Everest for the first time from this forest.

The trek continues to Namche Bazaar, a sherpa town known as a trading point and gateway to the Himalayas. You will stay overnight in Namche Bazaar.

After you reach Namche Bazaar, you will acclimate for one day to prevent Altitude Sickness. On this day, you hike to the nearest place and return to Namche Bazaar. You can also explore this place with many equipment, handmade tools, and cafes.

You can also trek to Everest View Hotel, the highest hotel in the World, for a panoramic view of Mount Everest and other mountains. You can visit the Sagarmatha National Park visitor center, Hillary School, Khumjung Monastery, and Dingboche Airport and explore many traditional Sherpa settlements.

Next day, you will head to Thame (3750 m) following the Bhote Koshi River, walking past pine and rhododendron forests. This is where the path separates from the classic Everest Base Camp Trek. On the way, you will see a mud-plastered stupa at Phurte.

As you trek ahead, you will encounter Thamo and Thamo Gompa, from where the path drops steeply to Khumbu Hydroelectric Plant, leading to Thame, which is at the end of Khumbu Valley. You will rest in Thame tonight.

Next morning, you will leave Thame and trek to Lungden (4500 m). The 6-7 hours trek to Lungden is quite challenging. Enjoy landscapes, vegetation, and mountains while walking around the villages. The vivid view of light-painted rocks, lichens, yaks, and snow-capped peaks is surreal.

The last village in this valley is Tauranga. Continue your trek through Maralung Village to reach Lungden, the final destination of this day. After reaching Lungden, you can hike to Cho Relmo Lake as well. The Napa Valley, which used to be an old trade route of Tibet, can also be visited. Tonight, you will be staying in Lungden.

The next day, you will leave Lungden and head to the Gokyo Lakes region. This will be the most exciting day as you will encounter Renjo La Pass; on the first pass, you cross among three passes, somewhere between Lungden and Gokyo.

From Renjo La Pass, you can see majestic views of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, and Makalu. You will also see Dudh Pokhari, the third major Gokyo lake among the five, and the Gokyo village that lies alongside the lake. From here, the path descends to Gokyo Valley. You will be staying in Gokyo tonight.

On day 7, you will acclimatize in Gokyo to adapt to the higher altitude. You will visit Gokyo Ri for the best view of the Everest region, including Thonak Tsho Lake and Ngozuma Tsho Lake. Three kilometers north of Gokyo, you will encounter Ngozumpa Tsho Glacier, and after five minutes of the wall, there is Scroundel’s Viewpoint.

From here, you can see the highest mountains: Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. On the north of the fifth Gokyo Lake, you see mesmerizing views of Cho Oyu Base Camp and Ngozumpa Glacier, the longest glacier in the Himalayas. Tonight, you will also be staying in Gokyo.

Next day, you will continue your trek from Gokyo to Thangnak (4700 m). Walking past Ngozumpa Glacier, rocky trails, and several ups and downs to the valley on the eastern glacial moraine with stunning views encourages you to trek forward. Finally, you will arrive at Thangnak, the destination of the day.

The next day, you will trek to Dzongla (4855 m), crossing Cho La Pass, the second pass among three passes. This path connects the Gokyo and Everest regions. Enjoy the second major pass with a spectacular view of the Himalayas descending to the Dzongla, the final spot for the day.

The destination of the next day will be Lobuche (4910 m). By passing Cho La Pass, you entered the Everest Region, joining the Everest Base Camp Trek.

The day starts by descending alongside the Chola Lake with the view of memorial statues of climbers who passed away. You can follow the trail of Imja Khola Valley to reach Lobuche. Tonight you will stay in Lobuche.

The next day, you will be trekking to Everest Base Camp. The route passes through the lateral moraine of Khumbu Glacier until you reach Gorak Shep. Leaving your belongings in Gorak Shep, you trek to Everest Base Camp.

Trekking to Everest Base Camp makes you realize how far you have come. The very difficult journey takes you to the foot of Mount Everest. Cherish every moment and then return to Gorak Shep for a night’s stay.

Next day, you will hike up to Kala Patthar (5555 m) for a vivid view of Mount Everest from chose-up. The glory of the World will be in front of your eyes, keeping you in disbelief. But gather yourself and capture the view.

You need to start early for the magical sunrise that surpasses Mount Everest. The glimpse of this moment is the most awaited moment of every trekker. After sightseeing the World’s Greatest Peak, you will hike to Gorak Shep for breakfast. Then, you leave for the final destination of the day, Lobuche.

Next day, you will trek to Chhukung (4730 m), passing the toughest among three passes: Kongma La Pass. This is the highest pass among the three passes and is very challenging. You ascend to Kongma La Pass through a dotted path with frozen lakes, with mummy-wrapped cranes marking this path.

From here, you can see Lhotse, Lhotse Shar, Makalu, Baruntse, and Ama Dablam. After that, you descend to the eastern side of Ningyang Khola Valley into Chhukung Valley. Chhukung Valley is known for Yak pasture without permanent habitation.

After passing all three passes and reaching Everest Base Camp, you will leave Chhukung to Tengboche while passing Dingboche and Pangboche. You descend Imja Khola Valley, trekking through Dingboche, famous for stone-walled potato fields and alpine pastures. You will also see Khakras at Tsura, Orsho, and Shomare.

Then you will reach Pangboche village and finally to Tengboche. You get to see amazing mountain views from Tengboche. The ancient Tengboche Monastery gives very serene and peaceful vibes. You will stay in Tengboche tonight.

The next day, you will leave Tengboche and head to Namche Bazaar. The path is uneven, passing through dense forest. On the way, you can see the tip of Mount Everest and the backside of Lhotse. Finally, you will reach Namche Bazaar and stay here tonight.

This is the final day of the trek. The long journey is coming to an end. You return to Dudh Kosi Valley, crossing Hillary Suspension Bridge, and trek for 7 hours to reach Lukla. Enjoy your final day in the Himalayas to the fullest.

The next day, your journey ends. You take a flight from Lukla back to Kathmandu. Bidding farewell to the Himalayan Region and hoping to come back again, your journey ends after you reach Kathmandu.