Everest Three Passes trek

Welcome to Kathmandu – the capital city of Nepal. Today is your first day with EverTrek. We will send one of our company representatives to pick you up at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). Today, we also have our welcome dinner.

Meals included: Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Nepali food, Cultural music and Ethnic dance.)

Today you will head out into Kathmandu and visit the cultural and historical sites of the Kathmandu Valley. You will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu and enjoy lunch at one of our favourite viewpoints in the city. Kathmandu lies at 1300m above sea level so it’s important to get out and about today and let your body acclimatise.

Today also gives you the opportunity to grab any last-minute items in the trekking hub of Thamel and get an early night ready for the trek tomorrow.

*Something to note*

Due to ongoing development and important maintenance at Kathmandu Tribhuvan Airport, your flight to Lukla may be rerouted to Ramechhap Airport. This is because the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) ruled that flights to and from Lukla during the 2019 post-monsoon season would operate through Ramechhap rather than Kathmandu. This action has been prolonged longer than expected and the CAAN is looking at permanently moving all flights that go to Lukla from Ramechhap. While some flights will certainly still go from Kathmandu, they are not always guaranteed, even when booked in advance and can be subject to unplanned and prolonged delays.

If flying to Lukla from Ramechhap Airport, the journey to Ramechhap will start on day two of your itinerary. After a part-day tour of Kathmandu, you will drive for approx. four to five hours to the town of Mulkot where EverTrek will provide accommodation and your evening meal. As with all Nepalese roads, the journey will be a bumpy one, but it’s necessary to ensure your dream of Base Camp becomes a reality! It will be an early start on day three, as you wake up at 3:30/4:30 am and take a short 30-minute drive to the airport. The flight to Lukla is shorter from Ramechhap than from Kathmandu which means we can monitor the weather windows with greater accuracy. EverTrek will get you on one of the first flights to Lukla where you can have a hearty breakfast and celebrate the start of your trek!

On the return journey, you will fly from Lukla to Ramechhap and then take the long bumpy adventurous drive back to Kathmandu. The traffic going into Kathmandu can be severe, so this may take approximately six to seven hours (with breaks for food and a stretch).

Although this has been an enforced change for everyone from CAAN, our ultimate aim is to get you on the trek safely and to make it to Everest Case Camp so we have made plans to make sure there will be as minimal disruption as possible. We will provide all the additional staff and accommodation for the diversion, absolutely no cost will be passed onto you, our awesome EverTrekkers, but we do ask for your patience with the potential change with the itinerary.

You can find more information in our Knowledge Centre article, here.

Meals included: Breakfast

(Highlights of the day: World Heritage sites like Kathmandu Durbar Square (a historical structure offering architectural wonders), the Pashupatinath temple (a Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva- lord possessing the power of destruction), Swyambhunath and Boudhanath (a Buddhist shrine dedicated to Lord Buddha- Light of Asia.)

*note* See day 2 notes on Ramechhap or read more information here.

Today is the first day of the trek and our destination is Phakding. We will be starting with an early morning flight, after a 30-35 min flight you will land at the Lukla Airport (Tenzing Hillary Airport). We will meet our porters and other members of the our team here. We will also prepare your luggage for the porters. Once everything is set, the 3 passes trek begins towards the destination of the day leaving Lukla behind. After three hours of mainly downhill and flat trail, we finally reach Phakding. You can freshen up and relax and enjoy the beautiful village which sits on the Dudh Kosi river. We will go for a short walk in the village of Phakding or even a hike to nearby Gompas for acclimatization purposes. The night will be spent at a lodge in Phakding.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Wonderful aerial view of the terrain from the plane, colorful Lukla village, ‘Mani’ prayer rocks, Phakding village and ‘Gompas’ monasteries, downhill and flat trail)

Today is the second day of the trek and our destination is Namche Bazaar. We leave Phakding and move towards Monju crossing a number of suspension bridges and small settlements. Monju is recognized as the gateway to the Sagarmatha National Park. On reaching Sagarmatha National Park, the team leaders will take care of the necessary national park formalities at the park entrance while you enjoy a hot drink and check out the local shops. We then descend and walk across another few suspension bridges. On crossing these bridges the trail then leads uphill towards Namche Bazaar that offers the first view of Mt. Everest along with other peaks. This is a tough 2 hour hike. The night will be spent at a lodge in Namche Bazaar.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: small settlements like Zapute, Toktok, Benkar, Chumoa and Monju, Sagarmatha National Park, small tea houses and shops, suspension bridges, steep trail, Namche Bazaar and the very first view of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Mt. Kusum Khangru.)

Today, the third day of the trek, we get involved in activities that help us adapt to the change in altitude and thinning air. Remaining active is the best way to acclimatise. Therefore, instead of resting, we visit nearby popular Sherpa village like Khumjung, and Khunde which further aids in acclimatisation. We explore the monasteries and the lifestyle of the people at Namche. Namche bazaar offers a huge variety of options to spend the day. The night will be spent at a lodge in Namche Bazaar.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Thame-an old Sherpa village, settlements like Khumjung/Khunde/Khongde, National Park Head office, Museum, monasteries, cafes, bakeries, shops, restaurants, post office, hospital, government health post, 24 hour electricity and water supply and high speed internet access)

Today is the fourth day of the trek and our destination is Thame. Leaving the traditional Everest Base Camp route, we take a clockwise flat trail that first descends to Phurte crossing Gongla accompanied by different monasteries and Chorten en route. We then cross the Thesebu river and ascend towards Thamo. We explore the Thamo village and continue to ascend the trail along the Bhote Koshi river until we reach the Thame village. Before reaching Thame, we cross a suspension bridge across the Bhote Koshi river. We spend the remaining day exploring the Thame village. The night will be spent at a lodge in Thame village.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Sherpa villages: Thamo and Thame and the lifestyle of people living in these villages, Thame Gompa, and other small monasteries and Chortens en route, a pleasant company of the Bhote Koshi River as well as a small hydro power plant at Thame.)

Today is the fifth day of the trek and our destination is Lumde. From Thame, following the south bank of the Bhote Koshi River, we ascend towards Marulung crossing several suspension bridges and passing various small settlements, monasteries and Mane en route. On crossing a bridge before Marulung, we follow the north bank of the Bhote Koshi river and walk uphill to Lumde through the dry valley. On reaching Lumde, we rest for some time at the lodge and again hike above the lodge for the purpose of acclimatisation. The night will be spent at a lodge in Lumde.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Spectacular view of snow capped peaks of the Khumbu region, humming Bhote Koshi river, monasteries and Mane, experience of dry land)

Today is the sixth day of the trek and our destination is Gokyo. Today, the trail takes us to the first actual high point of the trek – Renjo La (5,360m). Today’s walk is quite difficult as the path is quite slippery with mixed terrain. After ascending for about one and a half hours the walk becomes comparatively easy until we reach the base of Renjo La. Now, a tough climb from here will take us to the first pass out of the three high passes route. From the top of Renjo La the views are spectacular so we spend a little time taking in the views. We then walk down to the Third Lake (Gokyo Tsho). On reaching Gokyo we rest for some time at the lodge and then again, we walk up to the ridge to enjoy the amazing views of the largest glacier of the Himalayas, the Ngozumba glacier. The night will be spent at a lodge in Gokyo.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Dramatic view of the Everest Himalayan range, Makalu, Teng Ragi Tau, Rolwaling Range, Gyachung Kang, and Gokyo Lakes from Renjo La Pass, magnificent view of Ngozumba glacier accompanied by small glacial lakes, vertical uphill and downhill walk on a slippery trail.)

Today is the seventh day of the trek and our destination is Dragnag. Leaving the Third Lake behind, we start the walk super early as we need to walk across the Ngozumba glacier. We cross the glacier before the sun gets stronger as during the sunny days the ice melts, making the trail more slippery and difficult to walk. After crossing the glacier, following the east bank of the glacier we slightly descend to Dragnag. We rest for some time and again hike up to small nearby hills for the purpose of acclimatisation. The night will be spent at a lodge in Dragnag.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Slippery trail across Ngozumba glacier, view of small lakes formed by the glacier and hike to small hills in Dragnag.)

Today is the eighth day of the trek and our destination is Dzhongla. The trail takes us to the second destination of the trek, Cho La Pass (5,420m). Initially, we walk a vertical uphill trail along a small stream crossing Cho La Phedi. Then the trail drops down to the bottom of the Chola pass. The trail here is icy, slippery and difficult to cross. From the base, a steep rocky trail will take us to the top of Chola Pass. The top greets you with flapping prayer flags and a wonderful view of Gokyo Valley. After spending some time here, a steep descent following the icy and rocky trail (sometimes we recommend using crampons) leads us to Dzongla.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day:Walk across Ngozumba glacier, magnificent view of AmaDablam & Cholatse and the Gokyo Valley from Cho La pass, flapping prayer flags on top of Chola pass, icy, slippery and rocky trail and a grand view of Cholatse North Face from Dzongla.)

Today is the ninth day of the trek and our destination is Lobuche. We start with an easy downhill walk till the point the trail meets the traditional Everest base camp trail. From this point we continue to ascend towards Lobuche crossing Thokla pass and spending time at the famous and moving memorial hill. We the follow a east down hill passing Lobuche Peak base camp and follow the icy rocky trail to Lobuche.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Highest, small but temporary settlement in Dughla, Tombstones of trekkers who lost their lives in the glacier, glaciers like Khumbu, Lobuche, Changrir Nup and Changri Shar, Lobuche & Thokla pass and the view of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Pumori along with other snow capped peaks.)

Today is the tenth day of the trek and our destination is Everest Base Camp. Leaving Lobuche we hike along the flat aside the great Khumbu glacier before a steep climb and more rocky trails takes us to Gorak Shep. After a good lunch we will leave for Everest Base Camp and trek along the Khumbu glacier until finally the sight of colourful Buddhist prayer flags greet us at the base camp of Mount Everest. We spend some time exploring the area and then walk back down to the lodge at Gorakshep. The remaining day will be spent either exploring the area or simply resting at the lodge. The night will be spent at a lodge in Gorakshep.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlight of the day: North ridge of Everest along with 360 degree vista of snowy mountains like Mt. Pumori, Mt. Mahalangur, Mt. Lingtern, Mt. Khumbutse, Mt. Nuptse, glimpse of Kala Patthar, rocky and glacial trail and the Everest Base Camp.)

Today is the eleventh day of the trek and our destination is Lobuche. Before heading to Lobuche we walk up to Kala Pathhar which is the best vantage point in the entire Khumbu region. Today we start early, in fact, before breakfast to see the early morning sun rays striking the mountains. Initially we hike for about two hours, which will take us to Kala Patthar. We observe the first rays of sunshine striking the highest mountain on the planet. Then we hike down to Gorakshep, have breakfast and then walk towards Lobuche retracing the same trail used earlier. The night will be spent at a lodge in Lobuche.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Sunrise view and the mind blogging view of majestic Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Pumori, Amadablam, Thamserku, Mera Peak and other peaks of the Everest region from Kala Patthar, and a second chance to experience the view of glaciers like Changri Shar, Changri Nup and Khumbu.)

Today is the twelfth day of the trek and our destination is Chhkhung. From Lobuche, on crossing the icy trail over Khumbu Glacier, we head towards the final destination of the trek and the highest pass (Kongma La – 5,535m) out of the three high passes. It’s a tough climb to the top of the Kongma La pass as the trail is icy and slippery. Also, the area lacks water resources and tea houses. Therefore, we suggest you carry enough water to drink for the entire day. After enjoying the views, we take a steep downward trail which leads us to Lhangbo which is a junction of the Everest 3 Peaks 3 passes trail and the Island Peak trek trail. Leaving the main trail, we follow the Island Peak trek trail. On crossing Nuptse glacier, a short ascent will finally take us to Chhukhung. The night will be spent at a lodge in Chhukhung.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Aloofness of the area at Kongma La, magnificent views of Island peak and rough ridge of Amphu Lapcha, glaciers like Nuptse, Lhotse Nup, Lhotse and Ama Dablam.)

Today is the thirteenth day of the trek and our destination is Tengboche. Leaving Island Peak trekking trail behind, we walk down to Chubejung Kharka, where the trail again meets the regular 3 passes trekking trail. Following the trail along the Imja Khola, we further descend to Orsho after crossing a suspension bridge. Then, we walk on a flat trail for some time, cross two more suspension bridges and walk down to Milingo. A fair ascend from here will finally take us to Tengboche crossing Deboche. The remaining day will be spent exploring Tengboche. The night will be spent at a lodge in Tengboche.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Vertical descent and flat trail experience, humming Imja Khola River, major villages like Dingoboche, Pangboche, Deboche and Tengboche, trail accompanied by a number of monasteries and Chortens, Tengboche Monastery – the largest monastery in Khumbu region along with the view of majestic peaks: Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Tawache. Also, culture, lifestyle and settlement of Sherpas in the Khumbu region.)

Today is the fourteenth day of the trek and our destination is Namche Bazaar. A steep descent from Tengboche through the rhododendron forest will first lead us to the bottom of the hill, where we cross a suspension bridge to reach Phunke Tenga. From here, a steep climb through pine and Juniper forest will take us to Khumjung. We explore the village of Khumjung and then continue to walk down to Namche Bazaar, which completes the circuit in the Khumbu region of Nepal. The evening can be spent either exploring Namche Bazaar or simply resting at the lodge. The night will be spent at a lodge in Namche Bazaar.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Experience of rhododendron, pine and juniper forest, vertical up and downhill walk, experience of water driven prayer wheels, stone-steps, the longest Mani walls, Tenzing Norgye Memorial Stupa, the pleasant view of Ama Dablam, Lhotse Shar Taboche, Kangtega & Thamserku and the modern facilities at Namche Bazaar.)

Today is the last day of the trek and our destination is Lukla. Starting Namche, a 6-7 hour trek will finally take us to Lukla. The trail continues downhill towards the bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, where the Bhote Koshi River meets the Dudh Koshi River at Larja Dobhan. A slight descent from here will then take us to Monjo (entry and exit point of the Sagarmatha National Park). After the national park exit formalities, we walk down to cross a suspension bridge across Kyashar Khola, and following the east bank of the Bhote Koshi River we further walk towards another bridge over the Bhote Koshi River. Now, following the west bank of the Bhote Koshi River, we walk down to Phakding. From Phakding, the trail descends till Thado Koshi Gaon, and a gradual ascent from here will finally take us to Lukla. The night will be spent at a lodge in Lukla where we let our hair down and have a celebration on a job well done.

Meals included: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Last view of Mt. Everest from Namche Bazaar, Kongde RI from Phakding and Kusum Khangkaru from Thado Koshigaon, beautiful rhododendron and Magnolia forest, trail accompanied by various prayer rocks –Mani wall and monasteries including 500 years old monastery – Pemacholing Monastery, small Sherpa settlements like Zapute, Toktok, Benkar, Chumoa and Monju, and finally the colorful village of Lukla.)

Today is your last day in the Khumbu region of Nepal. Our porters will carry your luggage to the airport where we have our final farewell. Once the plane lands at the airport, we will directly board the plane and fly back to Kathmandu early in the morning, enjoying the scenic view once again from the sky. A comfortable private vehicle will be awaiting our arrival in Kathmandu Airport, which will safely escort you to the hotel. In the evening, we meet for some time to discuss your trek and get feedback. The night will be spent at a tourist standard hotel in Kathmandu.

*Important to note*

As with your first flight to Lukla, this journey may also be via Ramechhap Airport rather than Kathmandu. Once your short flight lands at Ramechhap, the journey then to Kathmandu will be the long and bumpy drive back to Hotel Aloft, stopping for breaks along the way. This drive, dependent on traffic, will likely be between 5-7 hours.

You can read more information about flying to and from Lukla via Ramechhap, here.

Meals included: Breakfast

(Highlights of the day: Wonderful aerial view of the terrain from the plane, hotel in Kathmandu)

Today is the last day of your trip in Nepal with EverTrek. If your flight is scheduled early morning, then one of our company representatives will escort you to the airport as per your flight departure time. But, if the flight is scheduled later in the evening, you can go shopping and collect a few mementos or simply hang around shopping areas in Kathmandu.

Want to extend your adventure?

Once your trek is finished, why not relax and explore a rarely visited part of Nepal on our 3 Night tour of Chitwan national park.

Read more about this incredible extension - View the full itinerary here!