A beautiful, 17-day trek beneath Everest, the Three Passes Trek starts with an exciting flight to the famous Lukla airport (2,840 m). After crossing several suspension bridges over fast-flowing rivers, we will reach the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) the following day.
In Namche Bazaar, we will visit shops, restaurants, and cafés. On an acclimatization hike, we’ll visit the famous Everest View Hotel and nearby monasteries in the Sherpa villages of Khumjung and Namche Bazaar.
From Namche, we’ll continue trekking towards Thame (3,750 m). At this point, our route diverges from the classic Everest Base Camp trek as we follow the Bhote Koshi river all the way to Thame village.
The next day, we’ll embark on a long trek towards the village of Marung (4,100 m). The following day, we will enjoy a shorter, relaxing transfer to Lungdhen (4,400 m). We’ll have free time for an acclimatization mini-hike in the area.
Next, we will leave Lungdhen behind and head towards the Gokyo Lakes area. In between Lungdhen and Gokyo lies the Renjo La Pass (5,435 m), the first of three main passes we will cross on the trek.
From the Renjo La Pass, we’ll be treated to stunning views of the Gokyo Lakes system and numerous Himalayan peaks, including Everest (8,848 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,481 m), Cho Oyu (8,201 m), and Ama Dablam (6,812 m). We will stay overnight in Gokyo and the following day, we’ll acclimatize by hiking the nearby, easy peak of Gokyo Ri, offering iconic and breathtaking views of the surrounding Himalayan giants.
We’ll then continue our trek from Gokyo to Thagnaku (4,700 m) via the Ngozumpa Glacier, where we’ll see yak pastures along the trail. The next day, we’ll head to Dzongla (4,855 m) and cross the Cho La Pass (5,420 m), which connects the Gokyo and Everest regions. This will be a more challenging trekking day.
After Dzongla, we’ll embark on a shorter, relaxing trek to Lobuche, and the following day, we’ll head towards the end of the Khumbu valley – the settlement of Gorak Shep (5,185 m). Once at Gorak Shep, we’ll leave our belongings in the lodge and head to Kala Patthar (5,550 m) for a sunset view. The next morning, we’ll trek to Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) and then descend back to Lobuche.
From there, we’ll cross the last pass – Kongma La (5,535 m), the highest pass of the trek. Thanks to our acclimatization, we’ll descend to Chhukung beneath the southern face of Lhotse. From here, we will continue our descent towards the beautiful Tengboche Monastery (3,855 m).
On the way, we’ll enjoy magnificent views of Ama Dablam (6,856 m), Everest (8,848 m), Nuptse (7,861 m), and Lhotse (8,501 m). After the trek, we’ll visit the Tengboche Monastery.
The following day, the trek will take us back to Namche Bazaar. The trail is an up/down route through dense forest, where we may be lucky enough to spot Himalayan pheasants, musk deer, or mountain goats. On the final day of the Everest Three High Passes Trek, we’ll descend from Namche to Lukla. We’ll return to the Dudh Koshi valley, cross the Hillary Suspension Bridge, and descend to Lukla. We will spend the night in Lukla and fly back to Kathmandu the following morning.
Accommodation on this trek is relatively good. The Solu Khumbu Valley has a highly developed tourist infrastructure by Nepalese standards. Accommodation during the trek is in tourist lodges of a higher Nepalese standard.
In Kathmandu, we will stay in a hotel of European standard. The entire trek lasts 20 days and will be led by Slovak Himalayan mountaineer Michal Gabriž. We will also be accompanied by a mandatory local guide, and there is an option to hire a local porter. The trek group is limited to a maximum of 9 people.
After the expedition, there is an option to spend a few days relaxing and going on a safari in Chitwan National Park.
