Highlights

  • 35 minutes of Kathmandu-Lukla flight full of scenic views of the landscapes
  • Explore the unique and vibrant Sherpa tradition and culture
  • Trek inside the Sagarmatha National Park habitat of exotic animals like Musk deer, Himalayan giant Thar and Snow Leopard
  • Stand at the foot of the world's highest mountain, Mt. Everest
  • Catch the outstanding view of sunrise over Mt. Everest from Kalapatthar
  • Breathtaking views of mountains like Tawache, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Cho Oyu, and Thamserku
  • Ascend Gokyo Ri and enjoy the mesmeric mountain view over sunrise from there
  • A visit to the highest freshwater lake system in the world, Gokyo Lakes
  • Get the enthralling panoramic view of Himalaya range from Kongma La, Cho La, and Renjo La Pass

Everest Three High Passes Trek - Chola, Renjo la and Kongma-la Pass Trek

Everest Three High Passes Trek takes you to the most thrilling places in the Everest region. From Everest Base Camp, over Three High Passes, and to Gokyo Lakes, each day on this marathon journey is an adventure. At Everest Base Camp, you have the opportunity to be on the foot of the mighty Everest. At Kala Patthar, you get a picturesque view of Everest and other mountains in its proximity. Another highlight of this trek is Gokyo Lakes, some of the highest lakes in the world, also a famous destination due to its otherworldly blue-green water, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Trekking to three high passes in the Everest region challenges you physically but also treats you with thrill and views of mountains that you cannot get from anywhere else.

Most of the trekking routes during this Everest High Passes Trek lie within the area of Sagarmatha National Park. This park has a unique combination of mountains, wildlife, and culture, making it one of the most famous trekking destinations in the world. Featuring many 8000+ meter peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest (8848 meters), and rare animals like the Snow Leopard, Lesser Panda, Himalayan Thar covered in green pine, and rhododendron forest. Trekking to all these amazing places is now possible with just a few extra days than the traditional 14 to 16 days Everest Base Camp trek. This Everest High Pass with Gokyo Lakes trek also saves you a lot of money as it is only slightly more expensive than the typical Everest Base Camp Trek. This trek is your opportunity to explore both the famous and lesser-known but equally beautiful places in the Everest region.

What To Expect on Everest Three High Passes Trek

Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla

A scenic flight from Kathmandu takes you to Lukla featuring a beautiful bird’s eye view of the valley and mountains for 35 minutes. Views of the landscape seen during this flight are exciting. This domestic flight takes you to the beautiful town of Lukla, quite isolated from the modern way of life. Every trekking journey in the Everest region starts here, by landing on the Tenzing-Hillary airport. Villages further from Lukla gradually become more rural and less accessible. 

Food and accommodation

During the trekking days, a full board meal is provided and accommodation will be a basic teahouse. Foods like pasta, noodles, soup, potatoes, vegetables, Dal Bhaat, fried rice, eggs, cheese, etc. will be in the meals. They only have heaters in dining halls, not in individual rooms. Due to the lack of easy transportation service in this area, you may not have access to luxury products. However, in Kathmandu, you will stay at a 3-star hotel providing breakfast. For lunch and dinner, you can try different restaurants and cafes according to your choice. They serve a variety of food based on different cuisines.

The Sherpas, tradition, and culture

Everest Region is inhabited by Sherpas, isolated from the rest of the world, and the greatest allies of the mountains. Without these amazing people, their service and assistance, no outsider would be able to sustain in this extreme environment. They also preserve their unique culture in the form of day-to-day lives and this trek is the perfect moment to learn about their traditions. Their culture is heavily influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. Visiting the Tengboche monastery, more about their culture and Tibetan Buddhism can be learned while enjoying its amazing architecture.

Sagarmatha National Park

Most of the trekking routes during this Everest High Passes trek lies within the area of Sagarmatha National Park. This park has a unique combination of mountains, wildlife, and culture making it one of the most famous trekking destinations. Featuring many high mountains including the highest, Mt. Everest, and rare animals like Snow Leopard, Lesser Panda, Himalayan Thar covered in green pine and rhododendron forest. Glaciers, icefalls, lakes, moraine valleys, etc. contribute to giving visitors a hair-raising experience and awe-inspiring views. 

Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar

Everest Base Camp is one of our destinations and is quite a popular one. Many trekkers believe that the journey up to this place is more rewarding than reaching this place itself. It is more about the thrill of being at the foot of the highest peak, Everest. Khumbu glacier and icefall and other mountains can be seen brilliantly from this place. Kala Patthar is where the outstanding view of Everest and other peaks can be seen. Chasing sunrise to get to its top is an adventure in its own way. 

Gokyo Lakes and Gokyo Ri

The beautiful and grand five lakes of Gokyo surrounded by mountains are treats to the eyes. They are amazing viewpoints especially the 5th Gokyo lake. They are also of great religious importance. Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims visit these lakes and in Janai, Purnima Hindus come to take a bath in this holy lake. Gokyo village lies at the foot of Gokyo Ri which is another vantage point. Climbing its peak in the early morning gives you an opportunity to view Gokyo lakes and beautiful golden sunrise over the mountains like Everest, Cho Oyu, Nuptse, Pumori, Makalu, Amadablam, Cholatse, Kwangde.

 Kongma La (5528 m), Cho La (5420 m) and Renjo La ( 5360 m) pass

Out of three high mountain passes, the Kongma La pass is the first you will trek up to. It is considered to be the hardest one but don’t let this intimidate you. Then you will get to Everest Base Camp and head towards Cho La pass by walking towards the village Dzongla. The trail to Cho-La pass is quite slippery and it is suggested to use crampons. After getting to Gokyo lakes, you will trek towards Renjo- La Pass which provides you with the heavenly view of  Gokyo lake systems, and mountain peaks. Trekking in these high passes is filled with adventure and getting to the top you can get views of mountains like Lhotse, Lhotse Shar, Makalu, Baruntse, Ama Dablam, etc.

Glorious views of Himalayas and Landscapes

Landscape during this trek changes from green forests-dominated terrain to snowy and rocky ones. Views of lakes and mountains covered in the snow make this trip worth all the strenuous trekking. Though several mountains can be seen all along the trek, the sight of sunrise and sunsets from vantage points like Kalapatthar and Gokyo Ri are mesmerizing and mountains look clearer and outstanding.

Itinerary

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As soon as you arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, you will be picked by Sublime Trails representatives and will be taken to a hotel. You will reach the hotel, keep your luggage there and freshen up. You can take a shower go out for a meal and chill around the streets of Thamel. You can either go visit different places or stay in your hotel room and rest. It depends upon how tired you are and how much time you have. We will give you a tour briefing and you can prepare for your trek that starts tomorrow.

Your adventure starts from this day since you will be flying to Lukla, the gateway to Everest. Every trekker trying to reach Everest Base Camp of every mountaineer dreaming to ascend Mount Everest itself start their journey at Lukla. You will fly for 35 minutes, enjoying the beautiful scenery and land at Tenzing Hillary Airport. Then you will start your trek towards Phakding descending towards Dudh Kosh river. It is almost 4 hours of trek. This is the place you will spend your night. Your accommodation will be a basic Tea House, you will have your dinner and sleep.

You will wake up at Phakding, have your breakfast and leave for Namche Bazar. You will also be entering Sagarmatha National Park today so you will require a permit. You will first reach Monjo where you will have your lunch. Then, you climb a steep uphill path. After almost 6-7 hours of trek, you will reach Namche.

Namche is famous for yak cheese and butter, Tibetan artifacts, yaks, porters carrying goods to Kumbu villages and its unique terrain. You can get views of mountains like Kusum-Kanguru, Thamserku, Lhotse, Nuptse, etc. To reach Namche you will also have to climb steep stairs. After reaching, you will rest, have your dinner and sleep at a Tea House in Namche.

Acclimatization is very necessary for trekkers and climbers who are trying to ascend to an elevation more than 3000m. So, you will spend another night at Namche. This doesn’t mean that you can’t walk anywhere or stay at the same place. You can go to various places to view sunrise, sunset, explore people and culture, etc but you have to return to Namche to spend your night.

You can go to the Everest View Hotel, headquarters of Sagarmatha National Park or to Tenzing Hillary School. You may also just stroll around exploring Sherpa tradition and resting at your Tea House. In the end, you will return to your tea house in Namche for dinner.

After spending two days at Namche, you will head towards the Tengboche village, where you will find Tengboche monastery. You can explore the monastery and learn about its rich culture and history. Your path won't be steep uphill ascend or downhill descend for few first hours of the trek then you will have to ascend an uphill path for almost 4 hours. You will also have crossed a suspension bridge over Dudh Koshi river. You will get to see the wonderful view of Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Thamserku. You will have your dinner and sleep at Tengboche.

You will leave Tengboche in the morning and move towards Dingboche. You will also leave the forests and descend towards the rocky landscape. You will see small villages along the way. You will then climb a gentle slope. You will get to see mountains like Lhotse, Nuptse, etc. You will also have passed through the ancient village of Pangboche. Upon reaching Dingboche, you will rest, have your dinner and sleep at Dingboche.

By the time you reach Dingboche, you will have gained another level of altitude and continuing your trek can prove to be hazardous. So, you will spend another day at Dingboche as acclimatization. You can hike to Chukung Ri or to Ama Dablam Base Camp or you can also stroll around the village exploring culture and tradition of people living there. You can see mountains like Taweche, Cholatste, Lobuche, Lhotse, Nuptse. The views you can get are outstanding. You will return to Dingboche for dinner and stay there overnight.

Today, we will proceed slowly because we have a pretty strenuous trek to do tomorrow and your body needs to be well-rested. On your path, you may see huts made for keeping livestock with outstanding views of the mountains on the backdrop. After walking for about 3 hours on a gentle uphill from Dingboche to Chukung, you will crash on a tea house and rest. 

You are getting closer and closer to Everest and you are going to conquer higher altitude. You are going to cross the first of three high passes of this region. You will first move towards the High Camp, from where you will ascend Kongma La Pass. The views of the mountains will get wider and vivid. You will reach Thukla and have your lunch. The number of Tea Houses you will see is very few. You will get to walk alongside the mighty Khumbu glacier. After about an hour of steep ascent, you will reach a place, memorial built in remembrance of departed mountaineers who tried to conquer Everest. You will see cairns built all over the place. You will get to view Mt. Pumori, Lingtren, Khumbuste, etc.

You are now very close to the Everest Base Camp. You will first reach Gorak Shep and check-in into a hotel after walking a gentle slope. It is almost 3 hours of trek and it may seem a little more than that because of the altitude you will have reached up to this day. You will need to walk slowly and steadily, and with the help of your guide, you will be there in no time. You can see some people settling down over the frozen lakebed, covered in sand.

You will now be ascending a slightly elevated uphill and after a while, you will descend until you reach Everest Base camp. You will see prayer flags when you reach to the Everest Base Camp, and the giant mountains you see in front of you is not Everest but Lhotse and Khumbutse. You can only see a little peek of Everest behind those mountains. You will return to Gorak Shep for your night’s sleep and dinner.

Waking up early, you will head towards Kala Patthar, a viewpoint to see the actual beauty of Mount Everest. You have to ascend for about 3 hours to reach Kala Patthar where you can see the beautiful sunrise over Everest and the Khumbu glacier. Kala Patthar is the highest place you will get to during this trek. This is also the limit of how high you can go with general trekking equipment. You will need mountaineering equipment to go higher than this. Other mountains you can view from this place are Nuptse, Pumori, Chagatse, Lhotse, etc.

As you move towards Dzongla, you will leave Pumori, Lingtren, Khumbutse and Nuptse behind you. Along the way, you will see Chola Tsho, a lake on the foot of Cholatse. You will continue your trek and find that Lobuche is just behind you and Cholaste on your right. You will rest and have your dinner at Dzongla.

After waking up in Dzongla, you will walk towards Cho La Pass, one of the three high passes of the Everest region. Today’s trek will be adventurous and exciting and will take you through a series of emotions. You will start your trek walking a relatively flat terrain. After walking for a distance, you will cross a stream and the path you will take also becomes steeper.

You will climb a steep uphill filled with boulders. You can’t yet see Cho La from here. You will continue your trek and reach Cho La after walking on a steep moraine. You will see glaciers along the way, it will be a sight to behold. After reaching Cho La, you will have to descend a long and difficult path to reach Dragnag. Upon reaching Dragnag, you will rest in a tea house.

Today’s trek is a short and easy trek, almost balancing the strenuous and long trek we had yesterday. You will hike towards North to get to Gokyo. You will walk alongside the Ngozumpa Glacier and descend towards it. You will cross the glacier and reach Gokyo village. You can spend the rest of your day exploring the village, interacting with the people or you can visit the lakes. 

You will have acclimatization rest on the 14th day of your trekking. On this day, you will hike to Gokyo-Ri to behold the view of sunrise. The panorama of the Himalayas and the view of glaciers and lakes look spectacular from here. After enjoying the view, you will descend to Gokyo village. You can spend the rest of your day exploring the Gokyo lakes if you haven’t already. You will stay overnight at a teahouse in Gokyo village.

Leaving Gokyo, you will head towards Renjo La Pass, 3rd of the three high passes of Everest Region. After you leave the lakes behind, you will climb a steep trail to reach a flat surface. After that, you will again face a gentle uphill ascent. You can look at a distance and see prayer flags that mark the Renjo La Pass. When you almost reach the pass, you will again face a steep uphill climbing. After reaching the pass, you will descend towards Lungden and spend your night there.

Today you will trek towards Thame, a village of Sherpa culture. It is said that it holds its secrets in Thame monastery. This village lies in the foot of Kongde Peak. Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, who with Edmund Hillary first climbed Mt. Everest spent his childhood here. You will get to Thame by ascending a narrow valley, crossing Marulung through Bhote Koshi river and descending the trail to Tarngga. Upon reaching Thame, you can explore the Sherpa culture and Thame monastery and rest at a tea house there.

You will return to Namche Bazar this day. This will be your third day in Namche Bazar. To get here, you will leave Thame and walk through Rhododendron and Pine forests. Along the way, you will see small villages with Sherpa settlements. You will walk along this valley and get to Namche after few hours of moderate hiking. Today you won't have to do any steep downhill or uphill climbing. You may also see yaks and porters carrying goods along the way. After reaching Namche, you will rest and have dinner at a teahouse.

Waking up at Namche, you will have your breakfast and walk towards Phakding. You will have your lunch there and continue your trek towards Lukla. You will have completed your three high passes, Everest Base Camp, and Gokyo Lakes trek within these 16 days. You can look back and bid farewell to the mountains. As you move away and reach Lukla, you will have a sense of accomplishment. You should, because you will have completed the most adventurous trek successfully.

You can stroll around the town, charge your batteries, call/text your friends and family if you couldn’t do it when you were up in the mountains. You will spend your night at Lukla.

You will take the same 35 minutes flight to Kathmandu and leave the mountains. You can have an aerial view of them from your plane. After reaching Kathmandu, you can rest or go for sightseeing or other activities. You can also go to bars, live music, or spas. We will prepare a farewell dinner for you, which will be a cultural dish with a cultural dance performed by local dancers. You will spend the night at your hotel in Kathmandu.

This is your last day in Nepal. You will leave for your country and our representatives will drop you to the Airport. It is our pleasure to help you make your time in Nepal fun and worthy. You can contact us for more trekking adventures or any other activities you want to do in Nepal. Sublime Trails will always be there for you.

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Trip Map

Everest Three High Passes Trek map

Altitude Map

Everest Three High Passes Trek altitude map

What's Included

Included  Not Included
  • Meals: 
    19 Breakfasts, 16 Lunches, 16 Dinners
  • Accommodation: 
    3-Star accommodation in Kathmandu for 3 days 
    Tea house accommodation along the way for 16 days
  • Transportation:   
    All land transportation with pickups and drops
    Domestic Flight to Lukla and back
  • Guides and Porters:
    One guide and assistant guide between 6 people 
    1 porter for two people (A porter can carry up to 30 kg)
  • Entry Fees and Permits:
    Sagarmatha National Park Entrance Fee
    TIMS Card
     
  • Miscellaneous: 
    Down jacket, a Sleeping bag which should be refunded to the company after the trip
    Necessary paperwork with the government of Nepal and Tax department
    All the necessary insurance for the guides and porters
    First Aid service in case of minor injuries
    Salary, food, and accommodation for guides and porters
  • Any meals other than breakfast in Kathmandu
  • Rescue & travel insurance, trip cancellation costs, accident or health emergency, evacuation, loss, theft or damage to baggage and personal effects (We strongly advise you to take out personal travel insurance.)
  • Extra night accommodation in Kathmandu due to any reason
  • Personal expenses (phone calls, internet, laundry, bar bills, battery recharge, extra porters, cold drinks, bottled or boiled water, hot shower, etc.)
  • All the alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks including mineral water
  • Nepal entry visa fee
  • Tipping for the Sublime crew
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FAQs

Out of three high mountain passes, Kongma La pass is the first you will trek up to. It is considered to be the hardest one but doesn’t let this intimidate you. Then you will get to Everest Base Camp and head towards Cho La pass by walking towards the village Dzongla. The trail to Cho-La pass is quite slippery and it is suggested to use crampons. After getting to Gokyo lakes, you will trek towards Renjo- La Pass which provides you with the heavenly view of  Gokyo lake systems, and mountain peaks. Trekking in these high passes is filled with adventure and getting to the top you can get views of mountains like Lhotse, Lhotse Shar, Makalu, Baruntse, Ama Dablam, etc.

Everest Region is inhabited by Sherpas, isolated from the rest of the world and the greatest allies of the mountains. Without these amazing people, their service and assistance, no outsider would be able to sustain in this extreme environment. Trekkers will also have plenty of chances to interact with the locals and visiting religious sites to know about the culture and tradition of the people known as Sherpas. Visiting the Tengboche monastery, more about their culture and Tibetan Buddhism can be learned while enjoying its amazing architecture. 
 

Everest Region is inhabited by Sherpas, isolated from the rest of the world and the greatest allies of the mountains. Without these amazing people, their service and assistance, no outsider would be able to sustain in this extreme environment. Trekkers will also have plenty of chances to interact with the locals and visiting religious sites to know about the culture and tradition of the people known as Sherpas. Visiting the Tengboche monastery, more about their culture and Tibetan Buddhism can be learned while enjoying its amazing architecture. 
 

Everest High Pass trek takes you to all major places inside the Everest region. This includes Everest Base Camp, Kalapatthar, Gokyo Lakes and three high passes. If you want to make your trek shorter, you can choose to trek to Everest Base Camp only crossing Cho La pass. You can also avoid all high passes and take a regular route.

Everest High Pass Trek starts with a flight to Lukla and proceeds up to Dingboche similar to regular Everest Base Camp Trek. It first takes you over the Kongma La Pass and move towards the Everest Base Camp then over the Cho La Pass to Gokyo Lakes and finally to the Renjo La Pass. Then, you head towards Chukung and cross Kongma La pass. After that, you will reach Lobuche and again join the regular Everest Base Camp trekking route and reach the base camp before climbing up to Kalapatthar the following day. After heading towards Dzongla and crossing Cho La Pass, you will trek towards Gokyo village via Dragnag. After spending a day acclimatizing at Gokyo village, you will trek to Lumde via Renjo La Pass. The trail then takes you to Thame before finally reaching Namche Bazaar and returning to Lukla. From Lukla, a domestic flight takes you back to Kathmandu.

As with most treks in the Himalayas, Autumn and Spring are the best times for taking on the Everest Base Camp High Passes Trek. Low precipitation, comfortable temperatures, and less dramatic weather make these seasons more favorable for this trek. Days are warmer, while nights and mornings are a bit colder in lower altitude places. It can get a bit extreme but still bearable in higher places.

But if you want to trek in summer and winter, you should consult with us about the weather conditions and how the weather is expected to be during that particular time. Additional preparation against rainfall, snowfall, extreme cold, slippery roads, etc. should be made in order to trek in off-seasons.

During the trekking days, a full board meal is provided and accommodation will be a basic teahouse. Foods like pasta, noodles, soup, potatoes, vegetables, dal bhat, fried rice, eggs, cheese, etc. will be on the menu. They only have heaters in dining halls, not in individual rooms. Due to the lack of easy transportation service in this area, you may not have access to luxury products. However, in Kathmandu, you will stay at a 3-star hotel providing breakfast. For lunch and dinner, you can try different restaurants and cafes according to your choice. They serve a variety of food of different cuisines.
 

Everest High Pass Trek is a Strenuous Plus trek and takes up to 20 days to complete. The three high passes challenge you physically and mentally. This also trek includes walking alongside the glacier on a steep moraine, climbing a steep uphill filled with boulders, etc., so it is recommended to be in physical condition. That being said, the views during this trek are incomparable to anywhere else in the world, filling adventurers with feelings of a great accomplishment. The temperature and climatic conditions of this trek are similar to regular Everest Base Camp trek but you will be required to spend several extra days on high altitude villages. Within 14 days of trekking for an average of 6-7 hours a day and 3 acclimatization rest days, one can become physically and mentally draining. There is also a risk of altitude sickness, so you proceed each day carefully looking for any signs. Keeping yourself hydrated, trekking steadily and resting when required will lower the risk drastically. Some cardio, strength building endurance developing exercises prior to the trek should be helpful.

Besides Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar, three high mountain pass and beautiful grand five lakes of Gokyo are dozens of quaint villages abundant in Sherpa culture. Also, Gokyo village itself lies at the foot of Gokyo Ri which is another jaw-dropping viewpoint. Climbing its peak in the early morning gives you an opportunity to view Gokyo lakes and beautiful golden sunrise over the mountains like Everest, Cho Oyu, Nuptse, etc. Trekking to three high passes, Kongma La (5528 m), Cho La (5420 m) and Renjo La (5360 m), lets you experience the thrill of high alpine trekking at its finest. 

Customer Reviews

  • Awesome time in Nepal! awesome!

    - Jordan Crish, Canada

    Diligent and respectful. Ram was our guide and he was great, made our trip memorable and kind of amazing! Ama Dablam!!

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