Everest region
Everest Three Passes Trek
Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La — the complete Khumbu horseshoe
The trek
Overview
The Three Passes is the whole Khumbu in one journey: an anticlockwise horseshoe linking the region's three great valleys over Kongma La (5,535 m), Cho La (5,420 m) and Renjo La (5,360 m), and collecting Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar and Gokyo Ri along the way.
Be clear-eyed about what it asks. This is a trek for experienced trekkers — you cross a 5,000 m pass roughly every third day in the second week, the big days run 7 to 9 hours, and the Cho La crossing takes in a small glacier that we walk on microspikes, which we provide. You should have trekked above 4,000 m before and know how your body behaves there.
The reward is the Khumbu the classic route never shows you: the wild moraine basin under Kongma La, the cairned path across the Ngozumpa Glacier, and the descent from Renjo La into Thame, the old trading village on the salt route to Tibet, with barely another trekker in sight.
Highlights
- Cross Kongma La (5,535 m), Cho La (5,420 m) and Renjo La (5,360 m) in one horseshoe
- Everest Base Camp and a dawn climb of Kala Patthar (5,545 m)
- Sunrise on Gokyo Ri above the turquoise lakes
- The cairned crossing of the Ngozumpa Glacier, Nepal's longest
- Renjo La's framed panorama of Everest, Lhotse and Makalu over the Gokyo lakes
- Descend to Thame, the quiet Sherpa village on the old Tibet trade route
Trip facts
- Group size
- 2–10 trekkers
- Meals
- All meals on trek; breakfast in Kathmandu
- Accommodation
- Teahouse lodges on trail; 3-star hotel in Kathmandu
- Transport
- Kathmandu–Lukla return flights and airport transfers
Itinerary
Day by day
Meet your trek leader at Tribhuvan airport and transfer to your hotel in Thamel. The evening briefing covers the route, the pass-day routines and a careful gear check — this itinerary is less forgiving of missing kit than most.
1,400 m
Cost
What it costs
Group prices
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 1 trekker | US$ 1,990 |
| 2–4 trekkers | US$ 1,790 |
| 5–8 trekkers | US$ 1,700 |
| 9+ trekkers | US$ 1,650 |
What's included
- Airport transfers by private vehicle
- 1 night's 3-star hotel in Kathmandu with breakfast
- Kathmandu–Lukla–Kathmandu flights (incl. Ramechhap transfer when flights divert)
- Teahouse accommodation for all nights on trek
- All meals on trek (breakfast, lunch, dinner) with tea or coffee
- Licensed, English-speaking trek guide, insured and equipped
- One porter between two trekkers (max 18 kg shared load)
- Microspikes and group safety rope for the pass crossings
- Sagarmatha National Park and Khumbu municipality permits
- First-aid kit, pulse oximeter checks above 3,000 m
- NTP duffel bag, route map and trek completion certificate
Not included
- International flights and Nepal entry visa
- Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover (mandatory)
- Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu
- Drinks, snacks, hot showers, Wi-Fi and device charging on trek
- Personal trekking gear and sleeping bag (rentable in Kathmandu)
- Tips for guide and porters
Optional add-ons
Private porter
Your own porter for the full trek (max 18 kg)
US$ 220
per person
Island Peak climbing extension
Add a guided ascent of Island Peak (6,189 m) from Chhukung — 3 extra days, climbing permit and gear included
US$ 950
per person
Single room supplement
Private rooms in Kathmandu and on trek where available
US$ 300
per person
Sleeping bag & down jacket rental
Four-season bag and 800-fill jacket for the full trip
US$ 50
per person
Extra night in Kathmandu
3-star hotel with breakfast, before or after the trek
US$ 45
per room per night
Route map
The route
Detailed route map in production — every itinerary stage above is GPS-logged.
Dates & availability
Departures
| Start | End | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 2026 | 6 Oct 2026 | US$ 1,790 | Open |
| 3 Oct 2026 | 20 Oct 2026 | US$ 1,790 | Guaranteed |
| 17 Oct 2026 | 3 Nov 2026 | US$ 1,790 | 3 spots left |
| 31 Oct 2026 | 17 Nov 2026 | US$ 1,790 | Open |
| 14 Nov 2026 | 1 Dec 2026 | US$ 1,790 | Open |
| 6 Mar 2027 | 23 Mar 2027 | US$ 1,790 | Open |
| 20 Mar 2027 | 6 Apr 2027 | US$ 1,790 | Guaranteed |
| 3 Apr 2027 | 20 Apr 2027 | US$ 1,790 | Open |
| 17 Apr 2027 | 4 May 2027 | US$ 1,790 | Open |
- Open
19 Sep 2026 – 6 Oct 2026
US$ 1,790
- Guaranteed
3 Oct 2026 – 20 Oct 2026
US$ 1,790
- 3 spots left
17 Oct 2026 – 3 Nov 2026
US$ 1,790
- Open
31 Oct 2026 – 17 Nov 2026
US$ 1,790
- Open
14 Nov 2026 – 1 Dec 2026
US$ 1,790
- Open
6 Mar 2027 – 23 Mar 2027
US$ 1,790
- Guaranteed
20 Mar 2027 – 6 Apr 2027
US$ 1,790
- Open
3 Apr 2027 – 20 Apr 2027
US$ 1,790
- Open
17 Apr 2027 – 4 May 2027
US$ 1,790
Every departure runs with a minimum of 2 trekkers — or book it as a private trip.
Before you go
Essential information
Permits
Sagarmatha National Park entry
NPR 3,000, collected at Monjo — included in the trip price
US$ 25
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee
NPR 2,000, replaces TIMS in the Everest region — included
US$ 15
Permits are included in the trip price.
Best seasons
Departure dates above keep to these windows.
FAQs
Questions, answered
Trusted by trekkers
Walked with us
4.9
out of 5, average rating
111
traveler reviews
15
years in the Himalaya
“I had exactly two weeks of leave and this itinerary used them perfectly. We earned Base Camp on foot — the full trail, acclimatization days included — then skipped the three-day walk out with the helicopter from Gorak Shep. Watching the route we had climbed for ten days unspool beneath us in forty minutes was the best debrief imaginable. December was cold but brilliantly clear and the trail nearly empty. The guide's daily health checks made a winter trek feel completely controlled.”
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