Everest Climbing ToursEverest Three Passes Trek: The 17-Day Guided Circuit
The Everest Three Passes trek crosses Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La in a single circuit of the Khumbu, and this listing from Nepal High Trek & Expedition runs it in 17 days for $1,750 per person. The route links Gokyo Lakes, Everest Base Camp and the 5,545 m viewpoint of Kala Patthar, with both Lukla flights, both permits and full board built in. It is a new listing on GetYourGuide with no reviews yet, which means fewer reports to read before you commit, though the platform terms still apply. This page sets out what the price covers, the day-by-day route and who should look at a different trip among the Everest climbing tours.
About This Tour
Nepal High Trek & Expedition runs this private trek from Kathmandu over the three high passes of the Khumbu: Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La. The listing's highlights name the passes at 5,540 m, 5,420 m and 5,367 m, while its day-by-day outline gives other figures, so treat pass heights as approximate. The highest point of the whole trip is Kala Patthar at 5,545 m. A government licensed mountain guide travels with you from Kathmandu, and the route adds Gokyo Lakes, Everest Base Camp and Sherpa villages such as Thame and Tengboche.
The listing is new and has no reviews yet, so there is little traveller feedback to weigh before booking. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure softens that, and reserve now and pay later is offered. Confirm the trip length with the operator: the headline says 17 days, while the outline itinerary runs to day 19 with the flight back and departure.
$1,750 per person, private group. It covers Lukla flights both ways, both permits, two Kathmandu hotel nights with breakfast, tea house lodging, full board on the trek and a farewell dinner.
17 days as listed. The outline itinerary runs to day 19 including the return flight and international departure, so confirm the length before booking.
Kathmandu, with airport pickup at Tribhuvan International Airport by a company representative based on your arrival flight.
Kala Patthar at 5,545 m. The three passes sit between 5,367 m and 5,540 m.
Nepal entry visa fee, travel and rescue insurance, international airfare and airport departure tax, a personal porter, all food in Kathmandu, bar bills, tips and any cost from strikes, delays or cancelled flights.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
The listing advises spring or autumn, because heavy winter snow can block the high passes. Check availability to see starting times.
Quick answer Three Passes trek in brief
The Everest three passes trek with Nepal High Trek & Expedition costs $1,750 per person for 17 days, crossing Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La with Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes included.
Key takeaways
- Lukla flights both ways, the Sagarmatha National Park permit and the Pasang Lhamu fee are in the price, so read what the price covers.
- The listing is new with no reviews, and the 17-day headline conflicts with a 19-day outline, so confirm details on the route day by day.
- Winter snow can block the passes, see altitude, season and paperwork.
- Short on time? The 14-day Everest Base Camp Trek 14 Days skips the passes.
What the Price Actually Covers
This listing bundles most of the trail cost into the $1,750 per person price, but several real expenses sit outside it. The table below comes from the operator's own included and not-included lists.
Included
The $1,750 covers both-way airfare Kathmandu to Lukla and back, the Sagarmatha National Park permit and the Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entrance fee. Lodging is two nights in a Kathmandu hotel with breakfast and tea house twin share on the trek. Meals are full board, meaning breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the trek, with three hot teas and a complimentary farewell dinner.
A government license holder mountain guide from Kathmandu leads the trip, ground transport is by private vehicle, and a medical kit bag travels with the group. Trekking gear is provided: a sleeping bag, down jacket and duffle bag.
- Both-way flights Kathmandu to Lukla
- Sagarmatha National Park permit and Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee
- Tea house twin-share lodging and full board on the trek
- Licensed mountain guide and medical kit
- Sleeping bag, down jacket and duffle bag
Not Included
You pay for the Nepal entry visa fee yourself, plus travel and rescue insurance, international airfare and airport departure tax. A personal porter is not included, so you carry your own gear or arrange one separately. All food in Kathmandu beyond breakfast and the farewell dinner is on you, as are extra Kathmandu nights if you return early or late, bar bills and personal expenses such as phone calls, laundry, battery recharge and hot showers, and tips for the guide and porter.
Costs caused by strikes, delays or cancelled flights are also excluded. The listing names no mandatory extras beyond these.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lukla flights both ways | Yes | Kathmandu to Lukla and back |
| Permits | Yes | Sagarmatha National Park permit and Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee |
| Accommodation | Yes | Two Kathmandu hotel nights with breakfast, tea house twin share on the trek |
| Meals on the trek | Yes | Full board with three hot teas and a farewell dinner |
| Food in Kathmandu | No | Only breakfast and the farewell dinner |
| Personal porter | No | Carry your own bag or hire one separately |
| Travel and rescue insurance | No | Buy cover that includes helicopter evacuation |
| Tips, bar bills, personal costs | No | Paid on the ground |
| Delay costs | No | Strikes, delays or cancelled flights are excluded |
Sources: Wikipedia, Mount Everest, Wikipedia, Sagarmatha National Park
The Ngozumpa Glacier and the Gokyo Lakes from the air. Photo: Megaurab09, derivative work by UnpetitproleX, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Route Day by Day
The outline itinerary below is the operator's own, and it runs to day 19 while the headline says 17 days, so confirm the length when you book. Heights are the figures the listing prints, and its pass heights differ between the highlights and the outline.
Trek in Over Renjo La
You arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to the hotel on day 1. Day 2 flies to Lukla at 2,820 m and walks about 4 hours to Phakding at 2,640 m. Day 3 is a 6-hour climb to Namche Bazaar at 3,440 m, and day 4 is a rest day there for acclimatisation.
The route then heads away from the main trail: Thame at 3,880 m on day 5, Marlung at 4,137 m on day 6 and Lungden at 4,600 m on day 7, each about 4 hours. Day 8 is the biggest day so far, about 7 hours over Renjo La to Gokyo at 4,800 m.
| Day | Route | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival in Kathmandu | not stated |
| 2 | Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding, 4 hrs | 2,820 m to 2,640 m |
| 3 | Trek to Namche Bazaar, 6 hrs | 3,440 m |
| 4 | Rest day at Namche Bazaar | 3,440 m |
| 5 | Trek to Thame, 4 hrs | 3,880 m |
| 6 | Trek to Marlung, 4 hrs | 4,137 m |
| 7 | Trek to Lungden, 4 hrs | 4,600 m |
| 8 | Cross Renjo La to Gokyo, 7 hrs | 4,800 m |
Gokyo, Cho La and Base Camp
Day 9 hikes Gokyo Ri at 5,330 m and moves to Thangnag at 4,750 m. Day 10 crosses Cho La in about 7 hours to Dzongla at 4,850 m, and day 11 walks 5 hours to Lobuche at 4,930 m. Day 12 reaches Gorakshep at 5,170 m and Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m in about 6 hours.
Day 13 hikes Kala Patthar at 5,545 m, the highest point of the trip, then descends to Lobuche in about 4 hours.
| Day | Route | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Gokyo Ri, then Thangnag | 5,330 m |
| 10 | Cross Cho La to Dzongla, 7 hrs, pass height as the outline prints it | 5,367 m |
| 11 | Trek to Lobuche, 5 hrs | 4,930 m |
| 12 | Gorakshep and Everest Base Camp, 6 hrs | 5,364 m |
| 13 | Kala Patthar, then Lobuche, 4 hrs | 5,545 m |
Kongma La and the Walk Out
Day 14 crosses Kongma La in about 8 hours down to Dingboche at 4,330 m, the longest day on the route. Day 15 drops 5 hours to Tengboche at 3,867 m, day 16 walks 6 hours to Monjo at 2,880 m through Namche Bazaar, and day 17 returns to Lukla in about 4 hours for the last night in the Khumbu. Day 18 flies back to Kathmandu and transfers to the hotel, and day 19 is the international departure.
The listing states no spare weather days, and delays at Lukla are a real possibility, so build slack into your own plans.
Better Than Everest Base Camp: The Three Passes Trek
The circuit over the three passes with Gokyo. Third-party video by Hank Leukart. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Trip Rules Out
The listing states its limits plainly. Check them against yourself before booking.
Stated Limits
The trip is not suitable for children under 13, pregnant women, wheelchair users or people over 95 years. It also rules out people over 150 kg or over 180 cm. Good fitness is expected, and the operator warns that heavy winter snowfall can block the high passes, so the advice is spring or autumn.
The booking is a private group with size not stated. You bring a passport, hiking shoes, a sleeping bag, travel insurance and high-altitude Diamox, though a sleeping bag, down jacket and duffle bag are provided. Drones and baby strollers are not allowed.
- Children under 13, pregnant women, wheelchair users
- People over 150 kg or over 180 cm
- Weak fitness, or travel in winter when snow closes the passes
- Travellers who need a porter included
If This Trip Does Not Fit
If three passes sound like too much, the Everest Base Camp Trek 14 Days covers base camp and Kala Patthar without them, and the cheaper Everest Base Camp 12 Days does the same in less time. If you want a summit, Island Peak Climbing lists a 6,189 m summit with a climbing guide. For a short taste of the Khumbu at lower altitude, the Everest Panorama Trek reaches only 3,870 m in 8 days.
See all options on the Everest tours comparison.
Everest from Kala Patthar. Photo: Bijay Chaurasia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Altitude, Season and Paperwork
The three passes all sit above 5,300 m, so acclimatisation and timing matter as much as fitness. The advice below comes from published sources, not from the operator.
Season
The Everest region has a spring trekking season from March to May and an autumn season from September to November. Night lows at Everest Base Camp, 5,364 m, run about -17C in March, -12C in April, -8C in May, -9C in October and -12C in November. The monsoon from June to August brings most of Nepal's annual rain, and December to February is the off season when high-pass treks close.
That matches the operator's own advice: spring or autumn, because heavy snowfall blocks the three passes in winter. Lukla flights are cancelled by visibility about half the time during the monsoon, and strong winds usually close the runway from mid to late morning, so flights are scheduled early.
- Best months: March to May and September to November
- Avoid winter, when snow blocks Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La
Altitude
General guidance says to ascend no more than 300 m per day to sleep above 3,000 m, and operators advise limiting sleeping-altitude gains to about 300-500 m a day with climb high, sleep low. Altitude sickness typically occurs above 2,500 m, with symptoms often within ten hours of ascent. This route sleeps at 4,800 m in Gokyo and climbs above 5,300 m on several days, and the itinerary shows one rest day for acclimatisation, at Namche Bazaar.
Bring the Diamox the listing asks for, know the symptoms, and tell your guide at once if you feel unwell. A helicopter evacuation from above 5,000 m costs roughly $6,000 to $10,000 or more, which is why the listing asks you to carry your own rescue insurance.
- Sleep no more than 300-500 m higher each night
- One acclimatisation day at Namche Bazaar on this itinerary
Lukla Logistics and Paperwork
Tenzing-Hillary Airport's runway is 527 m by 30 m with an 11.7% gradient, and only small STOL aircraft use it. Weather cancellations are routine, so keep buffer days: one source suggests keeping about $500 available one way for a helicopter if flights stop. The trek permits, the Sagarmatha National Park entry and the Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee, are included in this price.
Your Nepal entry visa is not: the tourist visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport is $30 for 15 days, $50 for 30 days and $125 for 90 days. Insurance must cover rescue, and sources advise cover to at least 6,000 m for a base camp trek. Read more in the guide to the Everest Base Camp trek and on Lukla airport.
Trip Phases
The phases follow the operator's outline itinerary. Clock hours are the listing's own walking estimates.
-
Arrival
Kathmandu
Airport pickup at Tribhuvan International Airport, transfer to the hotel. Two Kathmandu hotel nights with breakfast bookend the trek, and a farewell dinner is included.
-
Trek in
Lukla to Namche Bazaar
Fly to Lukla at 2,820 m, walk 4 hours to Phakding, then 6 hours up to Namche Bazaar at 3,440 m with a rest day there for acclimatisation.
-
Passes
Renjo La and Cho La
Three days up the Thame valley to Lungden at 4,600 m, over Renjo La to Gokyo at 4,800 m, a Gokyo Ri hike, then over Cho La at 5,367 m to Dzongla.
-
Base camp
Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar
Gorakshep at 5,170 m and Everest Base Camp at 5,364 m, then the Kala Patthar hike to 5,545 m, the trip's highest point, before dropping to Lobuche.
-
Pass day
Kongma La crossing
The longest day, about 8 hours over Kongma La down to Dingboche at 4,330 m.
-
Return
Out through Namche to Lukla
Tengboche, Monjo and a final 4-hour walk back to Lukla, then the flight to Kathmandu and the international departure the next day.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of this listing against the others on the platform.
What we genuinely like
- Lukla flights both ways and both trek permits are in the $1,750 price
- Full board on the trek, tea house lodging and a licensed mountain guide
- Covers Gokyo Lakes, base camp, Kala Patthar and all three passes in one circuit
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, with reserve now and pay later
The honest downsides
- New listing with no reviews yet, so there is almost no traveller feedback to read
- The headline says 17 days while the outline runs to day 19, so confirm the length
- No personal porter and almost no food in Kathmandu, both cost extra
- No stated spare weather days, and Lukla delays or cancellations are at your expense
- Winter snow can block all three passes, so the window is spring or autumn
Who it's NOT for: Anyone who needs a reviewed listing, a porter included, a winter departure or a trip shorter than two and a half weeks should book a different trek.
Three Passes Trek Questions
How much does the Everest three passes trek cost on this listing?
Nepal High Trek & Expedition charges $1,750 per person for the private 17-day trek, with flights, permits, lodging and full board included. Compare it with other trips in the Everest tours table.
What is the highest point of the three passes trek?
Kala Patthar at 5,545 m is the trip's high point, with the three passes between 5,367 m and 5,540 m. The Everest Base Camp trek guide explains how the trail builds height.
Is the flight to Lukla included in the price?
Yes, the listing includes both-way airfare Kathmandu to Lukla and back. Weather can still cancel Lukla flights, so read the Lukla airport guide before you fix a return date.
How fit do I need to be for the three passes trek?
The operator expects good fitness, with walking days of 4 to 8 hours and three crossings above 5,300 m. If that is too much, the Everest Panorama Trek tops out at 3,870 m in 8 days.
When is the best time to trek the three passes?
The listing recommends spring and autumn, because heavy winter snow blocks the passes. For a summit alternative in the same seasons, see Island Peak Climbing.
Do I need a porter for the three passes trek?
No porter is included, so you carry your own gear or hire one at extra cost. The Everest Base Camp Trek 14 Days is a shorter option without the passes.
Can I cancel this three passes trek after booking?
Yes, free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure gives a full refund, and reserve now and pay later is offered. Start from the Everest climbing tours homepage to compare terms across listings.
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