Everest Three Passes Trek – 20 Days

Manthali to Lukla Flight (March, April, May, October, and November)
During peak seasons, such as March, April, May, October, and November, the flight to Lukla will be operated from Ramechhap/Manthali due to air traffic expansion. The Manthali/Ramechhap airport is about a 5 to 6 hours drive away from Kathmandu. On this day we wake up at 1:30 to 2:30 am and take an escorted shuttle to Manthali airport on a shared tourist vehicle and board a 20-minute flight to Lukla.

Kathmandu to Lukla Flight (January, February, June, July, August, September, and December)
The flight to Lukla is typically operated from Kathmandu during nonpeak seasons, which include January, February, June, July, August, September, and December. Please be aware that the decision regarding the operation of flights solely depends on the airline and is influenced by the volume of travelers during a specific month. On this day we wake up at 5 to 6 am. Our staff will escort you to the domestic airport terminal in Kathmandu and board a 35-minute flight to Lukla.

Flight to Tenzing-Hillary Airport usually takes place early in the morning. We suggest you make all the sorting and packing the day before, so there is no rush on Day 2. Once you reach Lukla, have your breakfast while our guide will make an arrangement for porters. We assign one porter to every two clients. Begin the trek by descending towards the Dudh Kosi River where you join the main trail to Namche Bazaar, located just above Chaunikharka (2,713 m/8,900 ft). The walking is easy and after passing through the small village of Ghat (2,550 m/8,366 ft), it is a short walk to Phakding.

There are many suspension bridges laden with prayer flag where Dudh Koshi River is following our way up to Namche Bazaar. Namche Bazaar is the main trading center in Khumbu region.

It is also known as Gateway to Everest. There are many good facility hotels and restaurant along with proper pubs and cyber cafés.

We will spend a day in Namche Bazaar in order to acclimatize and adjust to the thinning air. We will trek a short distance to a museum that is celebrated for its exhibits of the traditional customs of the Sherpa people.

We will also hike up the Syangboche Airport and the Everest View Hotel, one of the highest-placed hotels in the world. From this point, we can see rewarding views of the Himalayas including Mt Everest.

The views of Khumbi La and Taboche are magnificent throughout the day. We should dress warmly because cold wind blows throughout the trail. In the middle of the trek, there are two trails which divides into lower and upper trail. To continue our journey, we take left.

In Phorste Thanga there are few houses and lodges. After some hours of walking we reach our today’s destination Tengboche. It is inhabited by Sherpa’s where their main source of income comes from tourism.

There is an important and largest Buddhist Monastery, Tengboche Monastery where Ama Dablan lies behind.

After breakfast we start our trek towards Dingboche. Today’s trek covers 9.1Km and its easy trail with going downhill on a fairly wide path covered with beautiful rhododendron trees.

After few hours of walk and crossing bridge over Imja River, it takes us to Pangboche. In the whole trek, we can see wide open areas where trekkers can view more beautiful landscapes.

Walking trail above Pangboche, we get a magnificent view of Himalayas and Pangboche Monastery. We move ahead towards the Imja valley and finally we reach Dingboche.

Dingboche is a popular stop for trekkers and climbers headed to Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam and Imja Tse. It is a Sherpa village. According to the 2011 census, its population was around 200. There is also a helicopter landing pad with internet café (using satellite technology) and one of the world’s highest billiard parlors.

One can see great view of many Himalayas from Nagarjung Hill which may take some hour of hike from Dingboche.

Today, the trail is combined with some uphill and downhill climbs. After breakfast in Dingboche, we move towards Chhukung and have our lunch over there. As our last destination is Chhukung for the day you can slowly and steadily walk on the trails.

Along the trail, you can see several traditional farms and fences built from local stones. And then pass through Imja Khola valley, Bibre (which is a yak herdsman place). After half an 4 to 5 hours of walking, we reach to Chhukung where we will have lunch and stay overnight.

Today we climb for about 8-9 hours to reach the top of Kongma La pass. There are two trails for Kongma La pass; one is to the northwest of Chhukung over the Nuptse Glacier moraines and another one is back to Bibre and trek on the trail above the Niyang Khola.

As there aren’t any hotels, shops and tea houses, we carry our own packed foods and water. At the top of Kongma La pass, we can see beautiful Buddhist prayer flags. By turning north of Khumbu Glacier, we reach Lobuche.

Today the trail is of average level up to Gorak Shep. Before heading off to Everest Base Camp, we take lunch and rest at Gorak Shep which takes around 2 hours.

If the weather is good, we will be able to see beautiful Himalaya’s all-round. Then we head towards Everest Base Camp. Everest Base Camp is the closest you can get to Mt. Everest without mountaineering equipment and also highest altitude that most will reach without a climbing permit.

The view of the Khumbu Icefall from Base Camp is spectacular. The earthquake which occurred on 25^th April 2015 caused some damage on the route of the Everest Base Camp. We return back to Gorak Shep for the night.

This will be one of the most difficult yet rewarding days of the trek. Most of this day is spent climbing Mt. Kala Patthar at 5,555 m.  From Mt. Kala Patthar one can see the superlative views of Everest.

After spending some time in Kala Patthar we move downwards toward Lobuche. It is a small village surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and the Himalayas. There is a mostly old ancient types of lodges but in recent years more facilitated lodges have been opened where some of them provide internet as well as oxygen serves.

From Lobuche we start to walk downwards where after few hours, trail divides into two and we take right side for Dzongla. We can see stupa and tombstones in the distance. After that we trek upwards where we can see Chola Tsho Lake nearby. We continue to trek by crossing Chola Khola on a bridge before reaching Dzongla.

Today we have to start our trek before 4-5 am so we can cross Cho La pass before mid-day and re-assess the hike when the weather turns bad. Today the route maybe little difficult due to high altitude and steeply loose rock.

Snow may cause some problem while crossing Cho La pass and rock fall can also be the problem although weather is good. As a result you can see magnificent view from the top of Cho La Pass then we will descend to our destination, Gokyo (4,800 m).

We have to cross Khara, Pangka, and Ngozumpa glacier (which is the longest glacier in Nepal).  We can see the beautiful view of Kantaga and big Mountain Cho-oyu. There are series of six lakes where third one is the Gokyo Lake.

There is a small village near the Gokyo Lake where we will stay 2 nights as we will have sightseeing and hiking trip around Gokyo.

Early in the morning, we have a steep climb up to the top of Gokyo Ri at an elevation of 5,483 m. There are ample rewards for those who attempt this trip. You get stunning views of the super Gokyo valley, the massive Ngozumpa glacier and an incredible panoramic view of the whole Khumbu Himalayas, including the giants; Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu and Gychung Kang.

Today we start our trek in the morning. Our trek for today is long but on the normal trail. We can see amazing view of Mt. Everest from the top of the Renjo pass. Then we descend down to Lunden for our today’s final destination.

We start our trek after breakfast. Today, the trail will mostly descend down to to Thame.

While on the trail we can see amazing snow peaks. About 150 meters above Thame, there is a Thame Monastery, a picturesque monastery set among the many homes of monks and lay people.

It resides on the side of a hill overlooking the valley. This is the site for the spring celebration of the Mani Rimdu festival, held about the middle of May each year.

Thame is a traditional Sherpa village that has escaped the crowds trekking to Everest and has one of the oldest monasteries in the region. The village is notably the hometown of Apa Sherpa who has made it to the summit of Everest 21 times!

The walk itself is peaceful with excellent views of the mountains as it winds in and out of the forest on the side of the canyon. This day, we continue our journey walking down the hill from Thame.

The trek will be easy and short and the final destination for the day and the trip will be at Namche Bazar.

Finally we return back to Lukla where the trek began, which will seem like ages ago. It will give you time to reflect on the trek also giving you time to explore the town.

Lukla to Manthali Flight (March, April, May, October, and November)
The flight from Lukla to Manthali is a 20-minute flight. After that, it is about a 5 to 6 hour drive to Kathmandu. Please note that the driving hours may vary according to the highway traffic condition. You’ll be transferred to the hotel in Kathmandu on a shared tourist vehicle.

Lukla to Kathmandu Flight (January, February, June, July, August, September, and December)
The flight from Lukla takes about 35 minutes. After arriving at the airport, you will be transferred to the hotel in Kathmandu via a shared tourist vehicle.  Please be aware that the decision regarding the operation of flights solely depends on the airline and is influenced by the volume of travelers during a specific month.

You might want to stay a little more in Nepal. If you are looking for extending your trip, there are options such as a visit to Chitwan National Park, known for wildlife viewing, and to Pokhara, considered one of the most beautiful cities in Nepal. You can also extend your trip to Tibet, India, or Bhutan.

You will be served a farewell dinner in a fine restaurant.

The trip concludes – our airport representative will drop you to Kathmandu’s Tribhuwan International Airport for your flight departure from Nepal.