Everest Three Passes Trek – 17 Days
Seventeen days over Renjo La, Cho La and Kongma La — with Gokyo Lakes, Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar. The most complete trek in the Khumbu.
Trip Facts
| Duration | 17 days (15 trekking days) |
|---|---|
| Max altitude | 5,545m — Kala Patthar (Kongma La 5,535m) |
| Difficulty | Challenging |
| Trek start / end | Lukla |
| Best season | Apr–May, Oct–Nov |
| Accommodation | Teahouse + hotel |
| Group size | 2–10 |
| Permits | Sagarmatha National Park + Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality |
| Daily walking | 6–9 hours |
Overview
The Three Passes Trek is the complete Khumbu. Rather than walking up one valley and back down it, you cross the three high passes that link the region's four main valleys — Renjo La (5,360m), Cho La (5,420m) and Kongma La (5,535m) — and in doing so take in Gokyo Lakes, Gokyo Ri, Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar and Chhukung. Nothing else in Nepal packs this much into seventeen days.
It is also demanding. Three passes above 5,300m in eleven days, several days over glacial moraine and loose scree, and a high point at Kala Patthar of 5,545m. You will spend more consecutive nights above 4,500m than on any standard Khumbu trek. This is not a first Himalayan trek — we ask that trekkers have previous multi-day high-altitude experience before booking.
The route order matters, and ours runs anticlockwise: Namche to Thame, over Renjo La into Gokyo, over Cho La to Dzongla and Lobuche, up to Base Camp and Kala Patthar, then Kongma La across to Chhukung. This direction gives the best acclimatisation profile — you build height progressively before Kongma La, the highest and hardest of the three — and it puts the Renjo La view of Everest across the Gokyo lakes in front of you early, when the weather is most likely to be clear.
Cho La involves a short glacier crossing and a steep, rocky descent that holds ice into late spring. Microspikes are essential and we carry a rope. Kongma La is the longest single day of the trek — nine to ten hours across boulder fields and the Khumbu glacier.
Every group on this trek is capped at ten and led by a senior guide with high pass experience and full glacier equipment.
Highlights
- Cross all three Khumbu high passes — Renjo La (5,360m), Cho La (5,420m) and Kongma La (5,535m)
- Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar sunrise (5,545m)
- Gokyo Lakes, Gokyo Ri and the Ngozumpa glacier
- Thame monastery, the oldest Sherpa settlement in the Khumbu
- Chhukung and the Imja valley beneath Ama Dablam and Island Peak
- Four Khumbu valleys in one continuous circuit — no repeated ground
- Small groups of maximum 10 with a senior high-pass guide
Itinerary
Arrive Kathmandu; briefing, gear check and permits
Fly Kathmandu/Ramechhap to Lukla; trek to Phakding
Phakding to Namche Bazaar
Namche acclimatisation — Everest View Hotel / Khumjung
Namche to Thame
Thame to Lungden
Lungden to Renjo La Pass (5,360m) to Gokyo
Gokyo Ri sunrise (5,357m); trek to Thagnak
Thagnak to Cho La Pass (5,420m) to Dzongla
Dzongla to Lobuche
Lobuche to Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp (5,364m)
Kala Patthar sunrise (5,545m); descend to Lobuche
Lobuche to Kongma La Pass (5,535m) to Chhukung
Chhukung to Tengboche
Tengboche to Namche Bazaar
Namche to Lukla
Fly Lukla to Kathmandu; final departure
What the Price Includes
Cost Includes
- Airport pick-up and drop-off (private vehicle)
- All ground transport per itinerary
- Teahouse/lodge accommodation throughout the trek (twin share)
- Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu/Pokhara per itinerary (3-star, B&B)
- Three meals a day on trek — breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Tea/coffee with meals on trek
- Government-licensed English-speaking trekking guide
- Porter service (1 porter per 2 trekkers, max 25kg)
- All staff wages, insurance, equipment, food and lodging
- All required trekking permits and entry fees
- TIMS card
- Seasonal fresh fruit after dinner
- First aid kit and pulse oximeter carried by guide
- Duffel bag, trekking map and company T-shirt
- All government taxes and service charges
Cost Excludes
- International airfare and Nepal visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance (mandatory — must cover helicopter evacuation to 6,000m)
- Meals in Kathmandu and Pokhara (except where stated)
- Personal trekking equipment and clothing
- Hot showers, Wi-Fi, battery charging and bottled drinks on trek
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Personal expenses — laundry, phone, souvenirs
- Emergency evacuation costs (recoverable from your insurer)
- Tips for guide and porters
- Anything not listed under "Cost Includes"
Best Time to Trek
The most reliable season. Clear skies, stable weather, firm trails and the sharpest mountain views of the year. Book early; this is peak season on every route.
The second-best window and the finest season for scenery below 4,000m, when rhododendron forests are in full bloom. Warmer nights and longer days, with some afternoon haze building through May.
Clear, quiet and cold. Excellent for lower routes such as Poon Hill, Mardi Himal and Kathmandu Valley. High passes may close under snow.
Wet and leech-prone on most routes, but this is the right season for the rain-shadow trails: Upper Mustang, Nar Phu and Upper Dolpo.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is one of the hardest teahouse treks in Nepal. Fifteen consecutive trekking days, three passes above 5,300m, several 8–10 hour days and extended time above 4,500m. We require previous multi-day high-altitude trekking experience and three to four months of dedicated preparation.
No technical climbing, but Cho La includes a short glacier section and steep icy ground where microspikes are essential and a rope may be used. Your guide carries the equipment; you need to be comfortable on exposed, loose terrain.
Anticlockwise — Renjo La first, Kongma La last. This gives the safest acclimatisation profile, since Kongma La is the highest pass and comes after you have already been to 5,545m at Kala Patthar. Clockwise itineraries put the hardest pass early and we do not run them.
Any of the three can close for snow or storm. Our itinerary can bypass Cho La via Phortse or Kongma La via Dingboche without ending the trek. Your guide makes that call and it is not negotiable.
Ready to Book This Trek?
Departures run year-round on your dates — private groups, couples and solo trekkers all welcome. Tell us your dates and we will send a full quote within 24 hours.
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Fifteen days to the turquoise Gokyo Lakes and the summit of Gokyo Ri (5,357m) — four 8,000m peaks in one view — returning over the Renjo La Pass.