Three Passes Trek

The toughest trek in the Everest region and also one of the longest treks at 18 days! If you are ready for this challenge, he will deliver the best of the Khumbu region. You will walk past all the highlights of the Khumbu region via a circuit; Everest Base Camp, Gokyo lakes and three beautiful mountain passes.
The tour can be walked with or without a guide, but my advice is to definitely walk it in an organized manner with a guide. Organized tours often start and end in the capital of Nepal: Kathmandu.

Number of days: +/- 18 days
Starting point: Lukla, Nepal
End point: Lukla, Nepal
Heaviness: Heavy
Characteristic: Very challenging, but rewarding trek

Does this sound a bit too ambitious? The Everest Base Camp trek is also challenging, but basically doable for anyone who is fit. Read more about this 11-day trek here!

Surrounded by 6000+ meter peaks

Hugely different nature in the high mountains of the Himalayas. From sandy forest paths to alpine tundras and glaciers, surrounded non-stop by the high Himalayan peaks of 6000+ meters. You will find Nepalese culture in the teahouses and in the Nepalese villages.

Important tip: calculate extra days!

The trek takes about 21 days, but would you like to see and do all the highlights? Then include extra days in your schedule! There are many factors that can cause delays or changes: bad weather conditions, altitude sickness, food poisoning, fatigue, canceled flights. By planning extra days, you have a greater chance of completing the entire route.

3 passes and 3 mountain peaks

The tour is full of highlights, such as Everest Base Camp, 3 passes: Renjo La, Cho La and Kongma La and 3 mountain peaks: Gokyo Ri, Kala Patar and Chukhung Ri. They all provide stunning views of the world's highest mountains with enormous glaciers.

Very tough and challenging trek

The tour is a tough and challenging tour with many meters of elevation gain at high altitudes. To walk the tour you must be physically fit and able to walk for long days. During your passes you may encounter snow and glaciers and use special equipment to get over them. A guide is definitely recommended. One of the biggest obstacles of the tour is altitude sickness, because you walk around 5,000 meters for almost a week. It is important to take it easy and drink plenty of water. Read more about altitude sickness and how you can try to prevent it here.

Most important tip: go with a private guide!

You can do the organized tour with a guide or walk it yourself. In the rest of Nepal, a guide has been mandatory in the mountains since 2023, but the Everest region is an exception. Nevertheless, my advice is completely to walk the tour with a guide. The most important thing here is your own safety. Due to the enormous altitude, there is a high risk of altitude sickness. A guide can ensure this and keep a close eye on you. In addition, a guide can be useful in bad weather on the passes, because the route is sometimes poorly visible. For the route in good weather, accommodation and meals you would not need a guide, this is all self-explanatory and is not difficult to arrange.
There are many different travel companies that offer the tour. The biggest difference is in a group tour or a private tour. My advice is definitely a private tour! With a private guide you are flexible to adjust the route or tour if necessary in unexpected circumstances. There are many factors that can hinder your trip, such as food poisoning, altitude sickness and weather conditions. With a private guide you are flexible to stay an extra night somewhere or to adjust your pace a bit.
We booked our trek with Nepal Hiking Team and had a good experience.

Bring bottles with water filters!

One of the best ways to prevent altitude sickness as much as possible is to drink plenty of water. Bottled water can be purchased in all teahouses and villages, but these water bottles are a huge problem because the local population cannot get rid of all the plastic waste and so it all ends up in the mountains. It is therefore a lot more sustainable to take bottles with a water filter, our favorite are the water bottles from LifeStraw. In addition, you always have access to water and you are not dependent on the supply and you can be sure that the water is good.

Nutrition on the go

There are many options for lunch and snacks, especially in the lower areas. As you go higher there are fewer options and it becomes a lot more expensive. In Namche Bazaar we paid the equivalent of 2 euros for a bus of Pringles, but in Lobuche this was already 8 euros! Also remember to give your carrier something tasty every now and then! On the long days over the passes there are no teahouses along the way, so it is important to take enough water and food with you.
It is important not to eat dairy or meat during the entire trek! This is guaranteed food poisoning. These products must be kept refrigerated, but this is not always done in the mountains. In addition, your body has a lot of difficulty processing these products, which increases the risk of altitude sickness.

Sufficient clothing and a buff!

Bring plenty of good walking clothes, because you will encounter all climates and temperatures during your hike. The first and last days can be warm and a t-shirt and shorts are great to wear. But soon the temperatures drop and the wind increases. It can get icy cold both at night and during the day, so make sure you have enough warm clothing!
During the hike you should assume that your clothes cannot be washed, so take enough with you for the entire trek. However, at our teahouse in Dingboche it was possible to have a few items of clothing washed and dried, so if the need is urgent, that is always an option.
In the lower parts of the trek there are many caravans with yaks and donkeys and many sandy paths. This causes a lot of dust to hang in the air. A buff is therefore essential! Otherwise you will get too much dust and sand in your airways and this will really bother you. 

April/May and September to November

The Three Passes trek can be walked two times a year. In the months of April and May and between the end of September and November. During the other periods it is not possible to walk the trek due to bad weather conditions. 

Most dangerous airport in the world

The starting point of the trek is the mountain village of Lukla at an altitude of 2800 meters. Also known as the most dangerous airport in the world. Nowadays, safety is relatively much better and there are stricter rules. Despite this, the 20-minute flight from Kathmandu is a very bumpy experience.
In any case, they only fly in the morning when visibility is still clear and the wind is calmer. Yet these flights are also often canceled and people have to wait several days.
Another option is a helicopter from Kathmandu, which takes about 40 minutes. But these are also in demand when flights are cancelled.

Day program 17 day trek

Day 1: Kathmandu → Lukla → Phakding (2650m)
8 km, 3 hours
The day starts with the turbulent flight to Lukla. In high season these flights depart from Ramechhap (5 hours drive from Kathmandu). Then you walk to Phakding in 3 hours. Just after Lukla you pass the office where you have to register yourself and get a permit. The hike to Phakding follows the river. You will cross the first suspension bridges and discover the first impressions of Nepalese mountain life.

Day 2: Phakding → Namche Bazaar (3440m)
11 km, 7 hours
The tour starts with 'Nepali flat': up and down. After a while you start climbing more often and until lunch in Monjo you will climb 400 meters. Along the way you will encounter many caravans with donkeys and yaks. There are many places to have lunch in Monjo and after this you will not encounter any more teahouses until Namche Bazaar.
After lunch there is only a steep climb up, a total of 600 meters. You also cross several suspension bridges here, including the famous Hillary Bridge. This bridge hangs 150 meters above the river and you are swayed back and forth by the strong wind. After 3 hours of climbing you arrive in Namche Bazaar. This is a large and lively mountain village with shops and restaurants.
Namche Bazaar is located at 3440 meters, so you sleep 800 meters higher than the previous night. So it is important to acclimatize well! So drink enough water.

Day 3: Acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar
Today is an acclimatization day, with most people hiking to the Everest View Hotel at 3880 meters. By climbing higher during the day and sleeping lower in the evening, you acclimatize better.
If the weather is good and the visibility is clear, you can see Mount Everest for the first time from the Everest View Hotel! The hike takes a total of 3 hours; Climbing up for 2 hours and descending for 1 hour via the same route.

Day 4: Namche Bazaar → Tengboche (3860m)
10 km, 5 hours
Now you really end up among the Himalayan peaks! The tour takes 5 hours in total with an elevation gain of 900 metres.
The route starts a bit flat and after half an hour you can see Mount Everest for the first time! After taking some photos you continue walking and even start to descend a bit. After 2.5 hours of walking you reach Phunke Tenga where you can have lunch in one of the teahouses.
After lunch it is a constant climb for 2.5 hours until you reach Tengboche. The climb is through sandy forested terrain. In combination with the caravans of donkeys and yaks, there is a lot of dust in the air. Hold your buff well in front of your mouth.
Tengboche has a large monastery, which is nice to take a look inside.

Day 5: Tengboche → Dingboche (4410m)
12 km, 5 hours
This is the day most people get altitude sickness, so it's important to take it easy and drink plenty of water.
The hike to Dingboche takes 5 hours in total with an elevation gain of 600 metres. The day starts among the forests and then quickly changes into sandy and stony terrain. From that moment on you really feel that you are in the middle of the high mountains of the Himalayas. The entire trip you have the beautiful mountain Ama Dablam on your right side.
After 2.5-3 hours you will pass the village of Somare where you can have lunch. From here it is another 2 hours to Dingboche, but the climate changes completely after lunch. It will be windy and a lot colder.

Day 6: Dingboche → Chukhung (4700m)
2 hours
A quiet day with a relatively easy walk to Chukhung. This route is the first time you leave the official Mt Everest Base Camp trek and this is immediately noticeable. It's a lot quieter here!

Day 7: Acclimatization day in Chukhung
The first pass is scheduled for tomorrow. To acclimatize a bit, you can climb the Chukhung Ri today at 5550m.
The hike up takes 3.5-4 hours. It is an easy path, but quite steep. After 1.5 hours of climbing you already have a beautiful view! If you don't want to go all the way up, it is definitely worthwhile to walk up to 5,000 meters.

Day 8: Chukhung → Kongma La (5335m) → Lobuche (4910m)
10 - 11 hours
Today the first pass: the Kongma La pass. It is important to take enough water and food with you, as this will not be an option along the way. It is a beautiful and peaceful path to the top of the pass. After 5 hours of walking you arrive at Kongma La. A short stop here and then quickly downhill. The way down is difficult over the moraine of the Khumbu Glacier.
If the weather is too bad or you are not completely fit, it is also possible to descend from Chukhung to Dingboche and from there walk to Lobuche in 6 hours.

Day 9: Lobuche → Everest Base Camp (5364m) → Gorak Shep (5164m)
14 km, 8 hours
The day starts early with the hike to Everest Base Camp. First you walk 3 hours to Gorak Shep, where you will also sleep tonight. Here you can leave your bags and continue to Everest Base Camp. You walk along the Khumbu glacier towards the base camp in another 3 hours. In March and April you can see all the tents of the expedition teams preparing for the climb of Everest. After this you walk back to Gorak Shep in 2 hours.

Day 10: Gorak Shep → Kala Patthar (5643m) → Dzongla (4830m)
7 hours
A long but wonderful day. You have to get up early to reach the top of Kala Patthar in 3 hours. From here you have a beautiful view of Mount Everest, among others! After this you return to Gorak Shep and begin the descent to Dzongla.

Day 11: Dzongla → Cho La pass (5420m) → Dragnak (4700m)
8 hours

Today is another tough day, over the Cho La pass. It is a 3-4 hour hike to the top of the pass. It is a beautiful, but steep and rocky climb. There is often snow, so be careful and it is usually best to walk with crampons. At the pass you have a great view. The first hour and a half of the descent is very steep.

Day 12: Dragnak → Gokyo (4790m)
2 hours
A quiet, but beautiful day. You walk over the large Nzogomba glacier and along large lakes.

Day 13: Day in Gokyo
An extra day in Gokyo to climb the Gokyo Ri (5400m) in the morning at sunrise. This is also called one of the best viewpoints in the Everest region. The hike takes approximately 3-4 hours in total.

Day 14: Gokyo → Renjo La pass (5340m) → Lunden (4300m)
7 hours
The last pass! The first part goes along Gokyo Lake, but then steeply up to the Renjo La pass. The climb takes about 4 hours. From the pass you descend in a steep descent to the Thame valley.

Day 15: Lunden → Thame (3800m)
4 hours
A quiet path through the traditional life of Nepal.

Day 16: Thame → Namche Bazaar (3440m)
Another relatively quiet walk back to the famous Namche Bazaar.

Day 17 Namche Bazaar → Lukla (2800m)
18 km, 7 hours
The last walking day in which you walk back to Lukla in 7 hours. From here you take the flight or helicopter back to Kathmandu the next morning.