Everest Three High Passes Trek

Your journey begins with a short flight to the Everest region from Kathmandu to Lukla, which takes about 30 minutes. You can see amazing views of the Himalayas. If you start from Manthali, it’s about a 3 to 4-hour drive at 1 am, followed by a 20-minute flight to Lukla. The flight from Kathmandu covers 138 kilometers, and from Manthali, it’s about 74 kilometers, landing you at Lukla’s airport, which is 2,846 meters above sea level.

After arriving at Lukla, you’ll begin your trek to Phakding. The trek from Lukla to Phakding takes about 3 hours. The trail goes down through the Dudh Koshi Valley, passing through small villages, forests, and rice fields. You will cross several suspension bridges decorated with blue prayer flags. By late afternoon, you will reach Phakding and stay overnight.

Today, you’ll trek to Namche Bazaar, a well-known village in the Everest region of Nepal. You will pass through a lovely pine forest along the Dudh Koshi River on your way. You will cross many suspension bridges as you go through Sherpa villages like Benkar, Chimaya, Monjo, and Jorsale. At Jorsale, you’ll enter the Sagarmatha National Park and have to check your permits. The route continues across the Dudh Koshi riverbed to the confluence of the Bhote and Dudh Koshi rivers.

Later, you’ll gradually ascend and pass the high Tenzing Hillary suspension bridge. On the trail, you’ll see the breathtaking view of Mount Everest up to the Nuptse-Lhotse ridge. You’ll finally arrive at Namche Bazaar, the region’s main economic hub, after 6 to 7 hours, covering a distance of about 9km. You’ll stay the night at Namche Bazaar.

You will spend a day in Namche Bazaar for acclimatization. To adjust to the altitude, you’ll hike up to Khumjung, a quiet village in the Hidden Valley, and then return to Namche through the Everest View Hotel. This day hike takes about 4 hours and is an easy walk. In the village, you’ll see amazing views of snow-covered mountains, including Everest, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and more.

Afterward, you’ll walk for about an hour down a rocky hill to the Everest View Hotel, where you’ll have lunch. You’ll enjoy stunning views of Mt Everest Ama Dablam and Thamserku from the hilltop, along with beautiful valleys, green forests, and charming villages. After taking in the scenery, you’ll head back to Namche village. Exploring Namche Bazaar is also fun. Today, the distance you trek is 5.4km. You’ll stay overnight at the lodge.

Following breakfast, you will continue your Everest Three Pass trek from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche, covering a distance of about 9.6km. The routes on this walk lead through rough and rugged terrain. The narrower trail goes through steep terrain, which might be difficult. During this trip, you’ll see a variety of monasteries, waterfalls, rivers, suspension bridges, and more. As you trek, you will pass through a forest route with rhododendrons and juniper trees.

Tengboche monastery is a major monastery in the Khumbu region. After arriving in Tengboche, you can see several snow-capped mountains from a viewpoint. Before spending the night at a lodge, you will participate in evening prayers at the Tengboche monastery.

Following breakfast, you will continue your trek to Dingboche from Tengboche. Today’s trek distance is 12km. The air pressure decreases as the trail ascends along these trails. It takes approximately g hours to arrive in Dingboche. You will trek by heading through Imja Valley and then gradually climb to Pangboche. This route takes you through many Buddhist landmarks, including chortens, main walls, prayer flags, and others.

You will stop for lunch along these trails. You can also see the breathtaking views of Mt Ama Dablam. The eastward track will rake you through the Imja Valley’s remote and rugged landscapes. The trail will then continue across the valley, eventually arriving at the Lobuche River. Then, you’ll have a tough uphill climb to Dingboche. The village’s magnificent beauty will charm you as you walk these routes.

Today, you’ll trek to Chhukung from Dingboche, covering a distance of about 5.3km. You will continue your journey across the alpine terrain, traveling through the Imja Valley trails. The pathways will be straightforward after about an hour of trekking along moraine walls. You will also see stunning views of Island Peak.

These routes lead to Chhukung, a starting point for climbers attempting to reach Island Peak’s summit. The highest peak offers a magnificent view of Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and other mountains. You will hike for a few hours to Chhukung, where you can see the Himalayas up close. You can explore the area and then spend the night at the lodge.

On this day, you’ll stay in Chhukung to acclimate to the higher altitude, which helps your body adjust and prepare for the challenging days ahead. You will take an optional hike up to Chhukung Ri. You will hike 5.5km today. You can see majestic views from the peak, including Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and others. After soaking in the views, you’ll return to Chukkkung and rest overnight at the lodge.

After breakfast, you will continue your long trek to Lobuche via the Kongma La Pass, covering a distance of 10.5km. You will cross the river and then ascend uphill along the routes. You should proceed with caution as this is a landslide-prone terrain. The trail then becomes steeper until you reach a green hill.

Then, you’ll travel along short pathways before finally climbing a steep ridge to the lake. After another tough ascent from the lake, you’ll eventually reach Kongma La Pass. Finally, you will make a difficult descent till you reach the bottom of the Kongma La Pass. Following a final climb through the Khumbu Glacier, you arrive in Lobuche.

Today, you’ll trek from Lobuche to Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp after that. Your total trek distance for today is about 15km. You will travel to Gorakshep, a stunning natural sand bed that was once an ancient base camp. This route was used by the first expeditions to reach Mount Everest. The trail then goes through the Khumbu glaciers’s lateral moraine. Before arriving at Gorakshep, you will climb steeply while admiring the breathtaking views of the Himalayas.

After arriving in Gorakshep, you will leave your belongings in a lodge before going to Everest Base Camp. After traversing over up and down trails, you will reach Everest Base Camp. The Everest Base Camp of Mount Everest offers a beautiful scenario with climbers setting up their colorful tents. After sightseeing, you will trek back to Gorakshep and stay overnight.

You will get up early in the morning to trek to Kala Patthar. This Kala Patthar viewpoint is well-known for its spectacular views of Everest. From here, you can see breathtaking vistas of a golden sunrise over the entire Everest Mahalangur Range. You can see Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, and other snow-capped summits from this viewpoint. After exploring, you will return to Gorakshep.

Following breakfast in Gorakshep, you will continue your trek to Dzongla. You will continue your journey over these same trails until you reach Lobuche. The route then takes you to the Lobuche Khola, from where you will trek to Dzongla. The total distance you covered today is 10.5km. You’ll stay overnight at Dzongla.

You must get up early in the morning to see the breathtaking views of Cholatse. Starting from Dzongla, you’ll trek uphill to reach the Chola Pass, one of the trek’s highest points. As you reach the top of Chola Pass, you’ll be at an elevation of about 5,420 meters (17,782 feet). The pass is often windy and cold, so dressing warmly is essential.

After crossing the pass, the trail descends towards Thangnak. The descent can be tricky, especially on loose rocks and snow, so careful steps are needed. Once past the challenging parts, the path becomes easier as you approach Thangnak after trekking for 6 to 7 hours, covering a distance of about 15 km. Thangnak is a small village where you will rest after a long day.

On this day of the 16 Days 3 High Passes Trek, you’ll trek from Thangnak to Gokyo, covering a short distance of 3.7 kilometers. Your trek will take about 3 to 4 hours. Even though the distance isn’t long, the high altitude and the challenging terrain make it a tough but rewarding day. Along the way, you can see breathtaking views of mountain. Once you arrive in Gokyo, you’ll settle into a cozy lodge. Gokyo is a special place on the trek, known for its gorgeous turquoise lakes.

Today, you’ll trek from Gokyo to Renjo-La Pass to Lungden. You’ll cover a distance of 9 kilometers, which takes about 7 to 8 hours. The route leads you through many remote, harsh terrain in the Everest region. The pathway passes through the northern region of Gokyo Lake. You ascend the scree slope and eventually arrive at the highland meadow. Before arriving at Renjo La Pass, the trail traverses through several screens and boulders. The region has numerous Buddhist religious prayer flags, mani walls, chortens, and others. From this viewpoint, you can see the breathtaking vista of Nangpa Valley, Everest, and Makalu.

You will then descend along these pathways and hike through loose rocks and scree. You will trek to the glacial lake. From here, as the valley opens up, you will descend through wide pastures until you reach Lungden. You’ll stay the night at Lungden.

Today, you’ll trek from Lungden to Namche Bazaar, covering a distance of 15 kilometers. The trail passes through remote terrain and arrives at Thame. The routes from Thame to Namche Bazaar are quite short and straightforward compared to other regional paths. You can visit the ancient monastery, where you can see religious prayers early in the morning.

You will continue to descend the trails. You’ll leave the rhododendron and pine-forested pathways behind. The walk then leads you along the rivers till you reach Namche Bazaar. You’ll stay the night at Namche Bazaar.

This is the final day of your trek in the Everest region. On this day, you’ll start your trek from Namche Bazaar to Lukla, covering a distance of about 15 kilometers. Before arriving in Lukla, you will cross the suspension bridge and travel up and down several trails. Your walk will take about 7 hours. After you reach Lukla, you can explore the area and spend the night at the lodge.

Today, you’ll take a morning flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. The 30-minute flight gives you one last look at the Himalayan peaks before you return to Kathmandu. The flight covers 138 kilometers to Kathmandu, or 74 kilometers if you fly to Manthali. Once you reach Kathmandu, you can spend the rest of your day relaxing. After having breakfast, you can choose to explore the city.