Our own team on the ground. Dutch certified. The best of both worlds.
Deliberately small groups. And personal attention before, during and after your trip.
By hiring local guides and porters, you help them earn a good income. Close to home, not overseas.
In a nutshell
With the Everest 3 Passes Trek, you explore the entire Everest region in one big loop. Over 19 days, you cross three high passes above 5,000 m, visit Everest Base Camp, stand on Kala Patthar and walk through the quieter Gokyo valley. All in a single trek.
The journey starts in Kathmandu with a pre-trip meeting. The following morning, a mountain flight brings you to Lukla. From there, the trek begins along the Dudh Koshi river to Namche Bazaar, the gateway to the Khumbu.
The route splits from the standard Everest Base Camp (EBC) trail early on. Instead of following the crowds straight to Base Camp, you head west through the remote Thame valley towards Renjo La. On the other side lies Gokyo, with its string of glacial lakes and the viewpoint of Gokyo Ri, where four eight-thousanders appear in a single panorama.
From Gokyo, you cross the Ngozumpa Glacier, the longest in the Himalaya, to reach the Cho La Pass. On the other side, the route leads to Everest Base Camp and up to Kala Patthar for a close-up view of Everest itself. The final pass, Kongma La, completes the circuit before the trail descends back to Namche and Lukla.
This is one of the most demanding treks in Nepal. It is also one of the most complete.
Note: This is a suggested itinerary. Your trip is custom-made to fit your wishes and experience. Tell us what your preferences are. We’ll draft a personalised day-to-day program.
Spring (February through May) and autumn (September through November) are the best seasons for this trek. The weather is stable, the skies are clear and the chance of snow on the passes is at its lowest.
Autumn is slightly busier. Spring is a little quieter, with rhododendron forests in full bloom along the route.
You don’t need to be a top athlete, but this trek does ask something of you. Think 4 to 7 hours of walking per day, several days in a row, at altitude. If you’re used to multi-day mountain hikes, you’ll generally be fine. The days to the cross the 3 passes are the most demanding sections: steep and possibly icy.
Not sure? Just get in touch. We’re happy to look at your experience level together and see whether this route suits you.
No. The Everest 3 Passes Trek is one of the most demanding treks in Nepal. You need prior experience trekking at altitude, a strong fitness level and the ability to walk 6 to 8 hours a day over multiple consecutive days. If you have done the standard EBC trek before, this is a suitable next step.
The 3rd pass of Kongma La Pass at 5,535 m / 18,159 ft is the highest point. of the 3 Passes Trek.
The day before Kongma La, you have the option to hike Kala Patthar, at 5,545 m / 18,192 ft. This is also the best viewpoint for a close-up view of Mount Everest.
Yes. Instead of flying to Lukla, we can arrange a bus or jeep to the lower Everest region, from where the trek begins on foot.
Most trekkers skip this section entirely, which is a shame. Because it is one of the quietest and most beautiful parts of the entire route. Few crowds, unspoiled villages and a gradual introduction to the mountains. The extra days it takes are well worth it.
Get in touch and we will put together a personalised itinerary.
This is a suggested itinerary. A plan that shows what a trek like this can look like. Not how it has to go.
Want to add an extra acclimatisation day, start from a different point? Or make this a complete Nepal trip, including time elsewhere in Nepal? Get in touch and we will build a trip that fits your pace and preferences.
Get in touch and we’ll create a trip that fits you.
🕑 Trek clockwise or anti-clockwise
You can trek this route clockwise or anti-clockwise. Trekking clockwise helps your body acclimatise more gradually and safely. Plus: clockwise is considered respectful in Nepal. Just like when you pass a mani-wall or a stupa.
What’s included
The price of the Everest 3 Passes Trek is per person, based on two people travelling together and sharing a twin or double room.
Are you travelling solo or with a larger group? We are happy to make you a custom price proposal. Just send us a message and we’ll get back to you with the options.
Included in this trip
- Pre-trip meeting and briefing in Kathmandu
- All required trekking permits
- Licensed, English speaking trekking guide (salary, transport, accommodation, meals, gear and insurance)
- Private airport transfer from Thamel to the domestic airport and back
- Domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, the trailhead of the trek and back
- All teahouse accommodation during your trek
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner during your trek
- 24/7 support from the By Mountain People team throughout your trip
- Booking secured through the Calamity Fund
- Booking secured through VZR Garant
- VAT and tourist service charge
Not included
- Porter (on request)
- Any hot and cold drinks
- Insurance covering rescue and evacuation
- Tips
- All other expenses not listed under 'Included'
Day-to-day program
This is an example itinerary. It shows you how the Everest 3 Passes Trek this is typically structured, day by day. Because we tailor every journey to your wishes and experience, the exact program may vary.
Note: walking times are indicative and depend on your pace.
The moment you have been looking forward to: today you meet your Everest mountain guide. 🙏🏽
After breakfast, you go through the itinerary together and check your gear. Missing something? Your guide knows exactly where to go. The outdoor shops around the hotel in Thamel stock everything you could possibly need, from warm layers to trekking poles, and your guide is happy to help you find the right thing.
By afternoon, everything is sorted and the excitement is real. Tomorrow, the trek begins!
Up early. Your guide picks you up at the hotel and you drive together to the airport in the dark. The mountain flight to Lukla is short, about 30 minutes, but unforgettable. The plane threads between ridges and drops onto one of the most dramatic runways in the world. Hopefully on time, but in the mountains, schedules bend to the weather.
In Lukla, you meet your porters for the first time. Now the trek really begins. The trail drops out of the village and follows the Dudh Koshi river downstream through rhododendron forest to Phakding, where we spend the first night on the trail.
🛬 Landing in Lukla
Tenzing-Hillary Airport has a runway of just 527 metres, a steep drop at one end, and sits at 2,860 m / 9,383 ft. It was built in 1964 with funding from Sir Edmund Hillary. There are no go-arounds: if the approach is not right, the pilot turns back to Kathmandu. Weather decides everything, which is why a contingency day at the end of every Everest trek is not optional.
The trail crosses the river on suspension bridges, each one higher than the last. The climb to Namche is long and relentless. But somewhere on that final ridge, you can see Everest for the first time, framed between the peaks.
💡 Namche is the commercial and cultural heart of the Khumbu
Every Saturday, traders from surrounding mountain villages walk to Namche for the weekly market. Some walk for several hours. Before the first Everest summit in 1953, Namche was a modest trading post where Sherpas bartered yak cheese and butter for goods from the lowlands. That historic ascent changed everything. Today it is the commercial and cultural heart of the Khumbu, with bakeries, gear shops, a Sherpa museum and what claims to be the highest Irish pub in the world.
We take it easy today. No major elevation gain, but plenty of time to acclimatize. If you like, we can go for a short hike. Or, just kick-back and relax in the village.
Namche Bazaar sits in a horseshoe-shaped bowl, carved into the hillside of the Khumbu, the high mountain valley that leads to Everest. It is the main hub of the entire region: part village, part base camp supply depot, part crossroads for every trek in the area.
Bakeries with fresh cinnamon rolls, gear shops stacked to the ceiling, Sherpa families going about their day and trekkers from all over the world sitting over a pot of tea.
Active rest: a few ideas for today
Climb high, sleep low. It helps your body acclimatize. Here are some options if you want to go for a hike today.
Hike to Everest View Hotel
A two to three hour round trip above Namche, through pine forest and past Sherpa settlements. At the top, a panoramic view of Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Thamserku. Sit down for a cup of tea and take it all in. This is the classic "climb high, sleep low" acclimatisation hike, and one of the finest viewpoints in Namche Bazaar.
Visit Sherpa Culture Museum
Opened in 1994 by Sir Edmund Hillary himself, this small but fascinating museum tells the story of the Sherpa people: their history, traditions, mountaineering achievements and daily life at altitude. The Hall of Fame honours Sherpas who have reached extraordinary heights. A good hour well spent before heading higher into the mountains.
Explore Namche Bazaar
Walk the streets, browse the gear shops, find a bakery and order something warm. If we are here on a Saturday, the weekly market is worth seeing: traders from surrounding villages arrive early in the morning to sell produce, yak wool and local goods. By noon it is mostly over, so an early start pays off. In the evening, the Irish pub at the top of town claims to be the highest and most remote of its kind in the world.
💡 There's a monastery with the scalp of a yeti …
Above Namche are twin Sherpa villages. In Khumjung the Hillary School, built by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1961, still educates local children. The monastery nearby houses what is claimed to be a Yeti scalp. In Khunde, the Hillary Hospital has served the Sherpa community for decades. It's a quiet, rewarding half day hike off the main trail, to visit Khumjung and Khunde.
Here we leave the main EBC trail and head west into the Bhote Koshi valley. The path follows a trading route used for centuries by yak caravans between Nepal and Tibet. Thame is a quiet, traditional Sherpa village with a monastery perched above it.
The valley narrows and the landscape turns alpine. We follow the river upstream past stone walls and grazing yaks to the small settlement of Lungden, the last stop before the first pass.
An early start for the crossing of Renjo La. We climb steadily and the views grow with every step. At the summit, a panorama opens up: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and the turquoise Gokyo Lake far below. All at once. The descent to Gokyo is long but beautiful.
✨ A sky full of stars at Gokyo
Before you jump into your sleeping bag, step outside. At 4,750 m / 15,584 ft, far from any city light, the sky above Gokyo is packed with stars from horizon to horizon. Then look down. On a still night, the surface of Gokyo Lake mirrors the sky so perfectly that you seem to be standing between two universes; the same stars above and below. It is one of those moments that is almost impossible to photograph and impossible to forget.
A rest day beside the glacial lakes of Gokyo.
On the optional climb to Gokyo Ri, about two hours up, you earn one of the finest viewpoints in Nepal: four eight-thousanders in a single panorama, including Everest, Cho Oyu, Lhotse and Makalu.
Today’s a shorter day along the shore of the Gokyo Lakes, skirting the edge of the Ngozumpa Glacier. Tagnag is a small cluster of teahouses, quiet and exposed. We take good rest here for the big day tomorrow.
Time for the second pass! We climb through a boulder field, then step onto the glacier. we may need crampons, depending on the conditions.
At the summit, the Khumbu Glacier and the peaks above Gorak Shep come into full view. The descent to Dzonglha is demanding but dramatic.
This is a shorter day, across a high plateau with views of Nuptse and Pumori. We join the main EBC trail at Lobuche.
The altitude is noticeable here. So we’ll take it easy.
This is the biggest day of our 3 Passes Trek.
We start before sunrise for the climb to Kala Patthar, the highest point of the trek and the best viewpoint for Everest. Then we descend to Gorak Shep, collect our bags and walk to Everest Base Camp: the legendary place where expedition teams gather before attempting the highest summit on earth. And we go to Gorak Shep for the night.
💡 The Khumbu Icefall moves
Between Base Camp and Camp I lies the Khumbu Icefall: a constantly shifting river of ice and seracs that expedition teams must cross multiple times on their way to the summit. It is widely considered the most dangerous section of any Everest ascent. Trekkers walking to Base Camp see it from below, the scale only becomes real when you are standing at its foot, looking up.
It’s time for the third and highest pass. The climb from Gorak Shep is long and exposed. At the top, we can see Nuptse, Lhotse and the Khumbu Glacier in extraordinary detail. The descent to Chhukung is steep and rocky.
It’s a long day. But the hardest climbing is now behind us.
We have a short, easy descent to Dingboche. Rest here, eat well and let your body recover after three passes.
We descend through the Imja Khola valley with changing views of Ama Dablam at every turn. Tengboche Monastery sits on a ridge above the treeline, one of the most beautifully positioned monasteries in Nepal.
We go back through rhododendron forests, cross the river at Phunki Tenga and climb back up to Namche. Familiar ground, but everything looks different on the way down.
The descent continues. We follow the Dudh Koshi river downstream through forest and past suspension bridges. The air gets warmer with every hour.
A short final walk back to Lukla. Congrats! You did it! You completed the Everest 3 Passes Trek. 🎉
It’s time to celebrate, reflect and say goodbye to your porters. the people who carried the weight so you could enjoy this great Everest journey.
We take an early morning flight back to Kathmandu. From the plane, we can catch one last view of the Khumbu peaks before the mountains disappear behind the clouds.
Back in the city: rest, eat and let it all sink in.
Mountain flights depend on the weather and delays can happen. If the flight from Lukla is delayed, this extra day gives you the buffer you need.
Smooth flight back? The day is yours. It’s a great opportunity for sightseeing. There’s so much to explore in the Kathmandu Valley!
Sightseeing
Kathmandu is an ancient city with many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Want to explore the city today? Here are some ideas.
Boudhanath Stupa
One of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Boudhanath is the spiritual heart of the Tibetan community in Kathmandu. Walking the kora, the circular path around the stupa, alongside monks, pilgrims and locals is an experience that stays with you. The whitewashed dome, the prayer flags and the steady hum of chanting make this place unlike anywhere else in the city.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
About 13 km east of Kathmandu lies Bhaktapur, a medieval city that feels like it has barely changed in centuries. The Durbar Square is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the Palace of 55 Windows, the five-story Nyatapola Temple and the ornate Golden Gate. Behind the square, Pottery Square is still a working craft centre where local artisans shape clay by hand, just as they have done for generations.
Pashupatinath Temple
The holiest Hindu temple in Nepal, dedicated to Lord Shiva in his form as Pashupati, protector of animals. The temple complex sits on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River, about 5 km from Thamel. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main temple, but the surrounding complex is open to all. From the eastern bank of the river, you can watch the cremation ghats and the daily rituals that have taken place here for centuries.
Walking & pace
We usually start the day early. Breakfast is at 7 AM, and we leave the lodge around 8. The morning hours are when the air is freshest and the views are at their clearest.
We stop for lunch towards the end of the morning. Lunch is freshly prepared, warm and unhurried. It can take a while for the food to come out, but that is part of the rhythm. You sit down, drink something, rest your legs and refuel for the afternoon.
In the afternoon, we usually walk a little further to reach the lodge for the night. By around five, we sit down for an early dinner. We order breakfast for the next morning at the same time, so it is ready when we are.
Throughout the day there is plenty of time to drink water, reapply sunscreen, take photos and simply look around. The mountains are not in a hurry, and neither are we.
Route
Altitude
About the 3 Passes Trek
This is one of the most demanding treks in Nepal. You cross three passes above 5,000 m, reach a maximum altitude of 5,545 m / 18,192 ft on Kala Patthar and spend multiple nights above 4,500 m. Two acclimatisation days are built into the itinerary. Prior trekking experience at altitude is strongly recommended.
The trails vary from well-maintained paths in the lower valleys to rocky, exposed terrain on the passes. The Cho La crossing involves a short glacier section where crampons may be needed. All three passes require an early start to avoid afternoon weather.
Quick facts
- Route type: loop
- Total distance: approximately 160 km / 99 mi
- Starting point: Lukla (2,860 m / 9,383 ft)
- Highest point: Kala Patthar (5,545 m / 18,192 ft)
- End point: Lukla (2,860 m / 9,383 ft)
- Number of trekking days: 17
- Highlights along the way:
- Lukla
- Namche Bazaar
- Thame valley and monastery
- Renjo La Pass
- Gokyo Lakes and Gokyo Ri
- Ngozumpa Glacier
- Cho La Pass
- Everest Base Camp
- Kala Patthar
- Kongma La Pass
- Tengboche Monastery
Practical
Everything you need to know before you go. Below you’ll find answers to the most frequently asked questions about this trip. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Feel free to reach out.
Altitude sickness can affect anyone. Regardless of age, fitness or experience. Even the most seasoned mountain walkers can struggle with it.
The best prevention is going up slowly. That’s why our itinerary deliberately includes acclimatisation days where needed. This gives your body time to adjust to the altitude.
Drink plenty of water and listen to your body. Headaches, dizziness or nausea are signals to take seriously. Our guides are trained to recognise symptoms and will adjust the programme if necessary.
And if you do get altitude sickness? Descending is the only right choice. No debate, no hesitation. That’s not failure. That’s wisdom.
During the trek you sleep in teahouses: simple mountain lodges with firm mattresses, pillows and blankets against the cold, and dal bhat in the shared dining room.
Expect a twin room, a shared bathroom and cold water. A hot shower or wifi is sometimes possible, usually for a small extra fee. Charging your electronics is always possible, sometimes for a small fee. And then there is the warm fire in the dining room, friendly hospitality and views no hotel can match. This is the Himalaya.
PS: even though pillows and blankets are provided, we recommend bringing your own warm sleeping bag. The nights at altitude get cold, and your own bag makes a real difference. After booking, you’ll receive a detailed packing list that helps you prepare for both the trek and the nights in the lodges.
Yes, always.
The teahouse menu is plant-based by nature and offers plenty of choice. Three warm meals a day are freshly cooked in the teahouse kitchen. Breakfast options include porridge, pancakes, omelette and local bread. For lunch and dinner, expect dal bhat, curry, lentil soup, noodles, dumplings, spring rolls and pasta.
We strongly advise against eating meat on the trail. Ingredients are often carried in on foot and cannot always be kept properly refrigerated. Vegetarian and vegan options are the safer and more reliable choice.
Possibly.
The Cho La Pass involves a short glacier crossing. Depending on conditions, crampons and an ice axe may be required. Your guide will assess the conditions on the day and advise. We can arrange rental gear in Kathmandu or Namche Bazaar, if needed.
The best preparation is simply walking. Preferably several days in a row, with a backpack and elevation gain. In the months before departure, build up to walking days of 5 to 6 hours. Work on your overall fitness with cardio training (running, cycling, swimming) and don’t neglect your legs: squats, lunges and stair training work wonders.
Just as important: break in your hiking boots in time. New boots in Nepal are a guaranteed recipe for blisters. Ideally, start your training 3 to 6 months before departure.
Once your trip is confirmed, you’ll receive all the practical information you need to leave well prepared. This includes visa information, recommended vaccinations and a detailed packing list.
After arriving in Kathmandu, there’s a pre-trip meeting with your guide. We go through the route, the latest weather forecasts and there’s plenty of room for any final questions. We also do a gear check, to make sure you have everything you need for the trip. Missing something, or not sure about your gear? We’ll head out together to sort it. Kathmandu has plenty of good outdoor shops. 😉
Yes. Our individual trips are custom trips, and hiring a porter is optional and can be added to your booking. Most people travelling as a pair share one porter. The porter carries a maximum of 15 kg (33 lbs) in a duffel bag, which we provide on loan for the duration of the trek.
Hiring a porter is more than a practical choice. It is one of the most direct ways to contribute to the local economy. Portering is an important source of income and often the first step into the tourism sector for young people from mountain communities. It is how most of the guides started out. They learn the trekking routes, work with international travellers, pick up English and other languages, and build the experience needed to become a guide themselves.
If you feel uncertain about hiring a porter, there is no need to. At By Mountain People their work is valued, the pay is fair and the opportunity matters. If you would like to add a porter to your trip or have questions, get in touch and we will put together a proposal.
Mountain flights depend on weather and are frequently delayed or cancelled. This is why we built a contingency day into the itinerary as a buffer.
We strongly recommend booking flexible onward travel from Kathmandu. In case of extended delays. Helicopter evacuation from Lukla is possible at extra cost.
Nepal Trek – Everest Circuit with 3 Passes, the Challenging Loop
- Three passes, three challenges: Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La
- Beyond the main trail: turquoise Gokyo Lakes, Gokyo Ri and 4 eight-thousanders in 1 view
- Walk the Ngozumpa Glacier, the longest glacier in the Himalaya
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