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Bus, Airlines
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Teahouse trek
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5,535 metres
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Kathmandu
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March - May, October - November
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Eco-Tour, Hiking
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All meals during the trek
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English, Spanish, French, Chinese
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Moderate - Challenging
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2-8
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12
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65
Overview
Three high passes. Two base camps. One complete circuit of the Everest massif.
The Three Passes Trek isn’t just another Himalayan journey, it’s the definitive Khumbu experience that separates casual trekkers from serious mountain adventurers. If the standard Everest Base Camp route feels too crowded and predictable, if you’ve already completed ABC or Gokyo and hunger for something more demanding, this circuit delivers everything the Everest region offers in one spectacular, challenging loop.
You’ll cross Kongma La (5,535m), Cho La (5,420m), and Renjo La (5,360m), three legendary passes that test endurance, acclimatization, and determination. You’ll visit both Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes, standing at the base of the world’s highest mountain and gazing across its turquoise sacred lakes. You’ll traverse glaciers, scramble over boulder fields, and walk ridgelines where eagles soar eye-level beside you.
This trek demands respect. It’s not for first-timers or the poorly prepared. But for those ready to push boundaries, the Three Passes Trek provides the achievement and memories that come only from truly earning your mountain views. And rest assured, we’ve made even the first-timers feel proud of themselves completing this trek.
Highlights
- The Complete Khumbu Experience: EBC route's highlights plus Gokyo's sacred lakes
- Smaller Crowds, Bigger Adventure, Unmatched Rewards in terms of Satisfaction
- View Multiple 8-Thousanders; Everest (8,849m), Lhotse (8,516m), Makalu (8,485m). Cho Oyu (8,188m)
- Personal Growth Through Challenge: Rediscover what YOU are capable of
Itinerary
Following the same route as the standard EBC trek: arrival in Kathmandu, the dramatic Lukla flight, gentle introduction through Phakding to Namche Bazaar. These initial days ease you into altitude and Sherpa culture. (See Gokyo or EBC trek descriptions for detailed daily breakdowns of this section.)
Day 4 Key Point: Acclimatization day in Namche is crucial. The Three Passes demands superior acclimatization. Don't rush this rest day even if you feel strong.
Trekking Time: 5-6 hours
Distance: 10km
Altitude Gain: +427m
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
The trail descends steeply from Namche to the Dudh Koshi river, crosses via suspension bridge, then climbs through rhododendron forests to Tengboche. This monastery, perhaps the Khumbu's most photographed, sits on a ridge with Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam forming an amphitheater of peaks behind it. If you arrive before 3 PM, attend the monks' afternoon prayers, rhythmic chanting accompanied by drums and horns that echo through the valley. This spiritual interlude reminds you that these mountains are sacred to the people who call them home.
Trekking Time: 5-6 hours
Distance: 12km
Altitude Gain: +543m
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Descending through forests to Debuche, you cross another suspension bridge then climb gradually through Pangboche, the Khumbu's oldest Sherpa settlement. The trail continues up the Imja Valley to Dingboche, a sprawling collection of stone-walled fields and lodges sitting beneath the towering south face of Lhotse.
This agricultural village, the highest permanent settlement in the valley, grows barley and potatoes in summer. Stone walls everywhere protect crops from fierce winds that funnel through the valley. Tonight the temperature drops noticeably. You're now above 4,400 meters where your body works hard just to maintain normal function.
Hike to: Nangkartshang Peak (5,083m) or Chukhung
Hiking Time: 3-5 hours
Altitude: Up to 5,083m, return to 4,410m
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Another crucial acclimatization day. Most trekkers climb Nangkartshang Peak, a viewpoint directly above Dingboche offering 360-degree panoramas: Makalu to the east, Island Peak and Lhotse to the north, Ama Dablam to the south.
The climb is steep but non-technical, taking 3-4 hours round trip. Your lungs burn, legs protest, but reaching 5,083 meters today prepares your body for the 5,535-meter Kongma La in two days. Alternative: hike to Chukhung valley for views of Ama Dablam's north face and Island Peak.
Trekking Time: 3-4 hours
Distance: 5km
Altitude Gain: +320m
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
A short day by design, allowing continued acclimatization before tomorrow's pass crossing. The trail climbs gradually up the Imja Valley, following the lateral moraine of the Imja Glacier. Chukhung consists of just 4-5 basic lodges, the last settlement before Kongma La Pass.
Island Peak (6,189m) looms directly above, its summit often wrapped in cloud. Spend the afternoon resting, hydrating, organizing your pack. Check weather forecasts. Tomorrow brings your first high pass, and you want every advantage.
Trekking Time: 8-10 hours
Distance: 14km
Altitude: +805m, -755m
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
The day you've been training for. Wake before dawn, eat substantial breakfast despite altitude-suppressed appetite, and begin climbing by 6 AM. The trail ascends steeply up boulder fields and scree slopes. After 3-4 hours of continuous climbing, the pass comes into view, prayer flags marking the 5,535-meter summit. But appearances deceive. Another hour remains, legs screaming, lungs gasping, each step requiring willpower.
Finally, you reach Kongma La, the Three Passes route's highest point. Prayer flags snap violently in the thin air. Behind you, the Imja Valley stretches south with Ama Dablam presiding. Ahead, the Khumbu Glacier flows down from Everest, Nuptse's massive wall dominates the north, and Pumori rises impossibly steep. You've crossed into a different world, the inner sanctum of the Everest massif.
The descent proves equally challenging. Loose scree threatens ankles. Sections cross the edge of the Khumbu Glacier, requiring careful foot placement on rock-covered ice. After 4-5 hours descending, you reach Lobuche (4,940m), exhausted but triumphant. One pass down, two to go.
Trekking Time: 7-8 hours
Distance: 13km round trip
Altitude: +424m
Accommodation: Teahouse in Gorak Shep
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Today you reach the goal that draws thousands to Nepal annually: Everest Base Camp. The trail from Lobuche follows the Khumbu Glacier's edge, rocky and exposed to wind. After 2-3 hours, you reach Gorak Shep, the last settlement. Drop your main pack at the teahouse, grab essentials, and continue to Base Camp.
The final section crosses the glacier itself, following rocky paths between ice seracs. Base Camp sits at 5,364 meters in a bowl of rock and ice beneath the Khumbu Icefall. During expedition season (April-May), it's a city of colorful tents, climbers preparing for summit attempts. Off-season, just rocky moraine and a few cairns mark the spot. The Icefall towers above, massive blocks of ice continuously shifting and groaning, reminding you why only the brave and skilled attempt Everest's summit.
Return to Gorak Shep exhausted but fulfilled. You've stood at the base of the world's highest mountain. Tomorrow brings another high-altitude challenge: Kala Patthar.
Trekking Time: 7-8 hours
Distance: 12km
Altitude: +381m, -714m
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Pre-dawn wake-up again! We climb Kala Patthar in darkness, headlamps illuminating the rocky trail. This ascent is brutal, thin air making every step laborsome. But as the eastern sky begins glowing, motivation surges. You have to push through exhaustion to reach the summit just as sun strikes Everest's peak.
The view from Kala Patthar is legendary. Everest rises directly before you, its pyramid summit catching first light. You see the South Col route climbers follow, the Hillary Step (before its 2015 earthquake collapse), the summit itself. Nuptse's wall glows orange. Pumori reflects in perfect symmetry. This is the miraculous moment people dream of when they imagine Nepal trekking.
After descending to Gorak Shep for breakfast, we continue to Dzongla, a small settlement on the route to Cho La Pass. The trail follows the valley back toward Lobuche, then branches west toward the second pass. Dzongla has just 3-4 basic lodges. Rest well. Tomorrow brings the Three Passes route's most technical crossing.
Trekking Time: 7-9 hours
Distance: 11km
Altitude: +590m, -590m
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Cho La demands both physical endurance and technical competence. The ascent begins with steep climbing over boulder fields. As you near the pass, you encounter snow and ice sections, especially early season (April-May) or after recent snowfall. In icy conditions, your guide will have you put on crampons and use ice axes. Ropes may be fixed on the steepest sections.
The pass itself is a knife-edge ridge with prayer flags and a small metal plaque. Views encompass the Gokyo valley ahead and the Everest massif behind. The descent's upper section involves careful scrambling over rocks and possibly ice. After reaching the glacier's edge, the trail levels out, following the Ngozumpa Glacier's lateral moraine to Dragnag.
Dragnag consists of just 2-3 very basic lodges. Facilities are minimal, but you're too exhausted to care. You've now crossed two of the three legendary passes. One remains.
Trekking Time: 2-3 hours
Distance: 4km
Altitude Loss: -50m
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
A blessedly short day allowing recovery. The trail follows the Ngozumpa Glacier past the fourth and third Gokyo Lakes to reach Gokyo village on the main lake's shore. Arriving from this direction, having crossed Cho La, makes Gokyo feel like a metropolis with its 15+ lodges, though objectively it remains a tiny, remote settlement at nearly 5,000 meters.
Spend the afternoon resting, washing clothes if weather permits, and preparing for tomorrow's Gokyo Ri climb. If energy allows, you can walk to the fifth lake (2 hours round trip) for different perspectives on Cho Oyu.
Trekking Time: 7-8 hours
Distance: 12km
Altitude: +567m, -1,147m
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Another pre-dawn ascent, this time up Gokyo Ri. The climb takes 2-3 hours, steep and relentless, then a bit easy. Reaching the summit at sunrise, you're rewarded with views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu, four eight-thousanders in one panorama. The Ngozumpa Glacier stretches below like a frozen highway. The six Gokyo Lakes scatter across the valley like turquoise jewels.
After descending for breakfast in Gokyo, you continue down valley to Marlung, losing over 1,000 meters of altitude. Your lungs rejoice at the thicker air. Energy returns. Appetite improves. Though still trekking, the descent feels almost recreational after days above 5,000 meters.
Trekking Time: 4-5 hours
Distance: 9km
Altitude Gain: +170m
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Today sets up for tomorrow's third and final pass crossing. The trail climbs gradually toward Renjo La, passing through Lungden, the last settlement before the pass. This village sees even fewer trekkers than Dragnag or upper Gokyo.
Lodges are basic, facilities minimal, but hospitality remains warm. Use the afternoon to rest and organize gear. You're almost finished with the circuit, just one more pass to cross.
Trekking Time: 7-8 hours
Distance: 13km
Altitude: +980m, -1,920m
Accommodation: Teahouse
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
The final pass. You wake knowing that by tonight, you'll have completed the Three Passes Trek, joining the small percentage of trekkers who finish this demanding circuit. The climb to Renjo La takes 3-4 hours up boulder-strewn slopes. The pass itself offers perhaps the best views of the entire trek: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu to the east, Cho Oyu to the north, the entire Gokyo valley spread below.
Prayer flags flutter. You take final photos, knowing you've accomplished something significant. The descent is steep, dropping nearly 2,000 meters over several hours. Knees protest on endless stone steps. But as you approach Namche Bazaar, seeing its familiar amphitheater of buildings, satisfaction overwhelms fatigue. You've completed the Three Passes Trek.
The final days reverse your approach: trek down to Lukla (1 long day or 2 comfortable days), fly to Kathmandu, and enjoy civilization with showers, comfortable beds, and unlimited food. Build in buffer days for potential Lukla flight delays.
Cost
The Cost Includes
- All permits and entry fees
- Experienced guide and porter (1 porter per 2 trekkers)
- 3 nights at comfortable Kathmandu hotel
- All meals during trek
- Teahouse accommodation during trek
- Lukla flights both directions
- Ground transportation in Kathmandu
- Emergency first aid kit and oxygen
- Portter Guide carries technical equipment (rope, etc.)
The Cost Excludes
- International flights
- Nepal visa ($50)
- Travel/rescue insurance (mandatory)
- Kathmandu meals (except welcome/farewell)
- Personal gear and clothing
- Hot showers, charging, WiFi on trek
- Beverages beyond tea/coffee
- Tips
FAQs
Everest Base Camp Trek is a Grade B or a moderately difficult trekking route. So any fit person can do this trek, even if you do not have any previous experience. You should be aware of what to expect and mentally prepare for it. Then, as long as you will too, you can.
On average, you walk about 4 to 6 hours per day. One or two days can be as less as 3hrs and one or two days can be as long as 7hrs.
The highest altitude reached is 5,545m if you extend it to Kala Pathhar for the serene sunrise view.
Yes, you can charge batteries en route. Charger should be brought. There are hot shower facilities as well. You may have to pay a certain amount for both ($1-$2). Negotiate. Also, a hot water facility could be free at a lower elevation.
No. There are no ATMs on this trek route. You will have to draw enough cash in Pokhara or Kathmandu. There are a number of ATMs in these cities. Everything is paid in Nepali rupees. So money should be exchanged before the start of the trek.
Yes. The Internet can be accessed in most places. Sometimes, there might be some technical problems. The Internet in Nepal is not as fast as you are used to and at times you can just lose connection.
Not really. It depends on you. If you want, EBC trekking can be done independently. You could hire a guide and a porter by yourself instead of going through an agency or not hire a guide at all. Although, not having a guide can be a little problematic during the offseason.
It really depends on you. Is it your first time in Nepal? How confident are you of being able to find your way around? How pressed on time are you? If you go through an agency, it may be a little costlier but everything will be planned. You will only have to come, trek and return.
For the Everest region, pay for English guides range from $25 to $35 per day, and French Speaking Guides may cost a little higher and porters take $18 to $25 per day. There is a cost involved with professionalism, so we suggest don’t fall for the cheap trip.
