Arriving in Kathmandu, our office representative will be waiting for you at arrivals with your name card. After airport pickup, you are transferred to your hotel and given time to settle in. The rest of the day is relaxed, allowing you to recover from travel and get familiar with the city.

Later, you meet your trekking team for a trip briefing. Your guide reviews the route, daily walking conditions, accommodation, altitude considerations, and practical preparations. This is also a good time to check your trekking equipment and ensure essential items are ready before heading into the mountains.

There is no demanding trekking today. The day focuses on preparation and making sure everything is in place before the journey begins.

Walking Distance: Approximately 7–9 km

Walking Time: 3–4 hours

Your mountain journey begins early with a drive to Ramechhap and a flight to Lukla. The transition is immediate. Kathmandu’s busy streets give way to steep Himalayan valleys, terraced hillsides, and mountain settlements. After landing at Lukla, you meet the local support team and begin walking.

The trail initially passes through Lukla’s stone-paved streets before entering the Dudh Koshi Valley. The first section is relatively gentle, giving your legs time to settle into a trekking rhythm. You pass small villages, cultivated fields, prayer walls, and forested sections as you follow the river.

There are several short ups and downs rather than one continuous climb. The walking distance is manageable, providing a useful introduction to the terrain before longer days ahead.

By afternoon, you reach Phakding, where you spend the evening resting and preparing for the first substantial ascent toward Namche Bazaar.

Day’s attractions:

• Scenic flight to Lukla
• Dudh Koshi Valley
• Traditional mountain villages
• Buddhist prayer walls and mani stones
• First Himalayan trekking experience

Walking Distance: Approximately 10–12 km

Walking Time: 5–6 hours

Leaving Phakding, the trail follows the Dudh Koshi Valley toward Monjo and the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. The route passes through pine and rhododendron forests, small settlements, and several suspension bridges decorated with colourful prayer flags.

After crossing the famous Hillary Suspension Bridge, the trail’s character changes. The path begins a sustained climb toward Namche Bazaar, with switchbacks carrying you higher above the river. This is one of the more demanding sections so far, especially because you gain significant altitude in a single day.

The final approach brings you into Namche, a natural amphitheatre surrounded by steep mountain slopes. If conditions are clear, you may catch an early distant glimpse of Everest and other major peaks from the trail.

Today’s Highlights

• Sagarmatha National Park
• Hillary Suspension Bridge
• Dudh Koshi River
• Pine and rhododendron forests
• First distant Everest views
• Namche Bazaar

Walking Distance: Approximately 3–6 km, depending on hike

Walking Time: 2–4 hours

Today helps your body adjust to increasing altitude before continuing deeper into the Khumbu. Instead of resting all day, you can take a short hike above Namche and return to the village for the night.

One option is to walk toward the Everest View Hotel area, where higher elevations offer broad views of Everest, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, and surrounding peaks in clear weather. The trail includes steady uphill sections followed by easier stretches, giving you some useful altitude exposure without the demands of a full trekking day.

Back in Namche, you can explore the village, visit local shops, or rest and enjoy the mountain surroundings. The colourful streets, stone buildings, bakeries, cafés, and trading activity offer a different perspective of the Khumbu.

Today’s Highlights

• Everest View Hotel area
• Himalayan panorama
• Namche Bazaar market
• Sherpa culture and architecture
• Acclimatization hike

Walking Distance: Approximately 9–11 km

Walking Time: 4–5 hours

Leaving Namche, the route turns away from the main Everest Base Camp trail and heads toward the quieter Thame Valley. The change is noticeable immediately. Instead of following the heavily travelled route toward Tengboche, you enter a less busy trail surrounded by open hillsides and mountain scenery.

The trail gradually climbs and descends along the valley, with uneven sections requiring careful footing. You pass small settlements and traditional stone houses before continuing toward Thame. The walk is not defined by one major ascent; instead, the trail alternates between gradual climbs and easier sections.

Thame is known for its strong connection to Sherpa culture and Himalayan mountaineering. The village sits beneath impressive mountain slopes and retains a quieter character than Namche.

For trekkers, this section offers a chance to experience a less-travelled side of the Khumbu before the route begins its serious ascent toward the high passes.

Today’s Highlights

• Thame Valley
• Traditional Sherpa settlements
• Thame Monastery area
• Quieter trekking trails
• Himalayan mountain scenery

Walking Distance: Approximately 10–12 km

Walking Time: 5–6 hours

The trail continues deeper into the upper Bhote Koshi Valley as you leave Thame. The rising altitude becomes noticeable, and the landscape loses much of the vegetation seen around Namche and the lower Khumbu. The terrain is open mountain terrain, with steady uphill sections separated by shorter level stretches and descents. The surrounding slopes become more barren as you approach Lungden, and the mountains begin to feel much closer.

This is an important preparation day for the first major pass crossing. The walking is manageable for a prepared trekker, but altitude makes maintaining a steady pace more important than walking quickly.

Lungden is a small settlement surrounded by high Himalayan terrain. After you arrive, you’ll have time to rest, hydrate, and prepare clothing and equipment for the next day’s crossing of Renjo La.

Today’s Highlights

• Upper Bhote Koshi Valley
• High-altitude landscapes
• Traditional mountain settlements
• Views toward surrounding Himalayan peaks
• Preparation for Renjo La

Walking Distance: Approximately 15–17 km

Walking Time: 7–9 hours

Today is the first major test of the Everest Three Passes Trek as you cross Renjo La. The day begins with a gradual climb from Lungden, becoming steeper near the pass. At high altitude, progress is deliberately slow, with frequent pauses to manage breathing and maintain a steady rhythm.

The final approach to Renjo La includes rocky terrain and a series of steep sections before you reach the pass. At approximately 5,360 metres, the surroundings open into an extraordinary high-Himalayan panorama. On clear days, the view extends toward Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu.

After spending time at the pass, the trail descends toward the Gokyo Valley. The descent is initially steep and can be challenging on loose or uneven ground, then becomes gradual. Eventually, the turquoise Gokyo lakes and surrounding peaks come into view, creating a striking contrast with the barren terrain above.

Day’s attractions:

• Renjo La Pass
• Panoramic Himalayan views
• Everest, Makalu and Cho Oyu views
• Gokyo Valley
• Gokyo’s turquoise glacial lakes
• High-altitude Himalayan landscape

Walking Distance: Approximately 4–6 km

Walking Time: 2–4 hours

After crossing Renjo La, today provides time to recover and adjust to the high altitude around Gokyo. The village sits beside turquoise glacial lakes, with steep Himalayan peaks rising around the valley. You can spend a day exploring the lakeshore or take an optional hike toward Gokyo Ri.

The climb toward Gokyo Ri is steep and requires a slow, steady pace. The higher you climb, the more extensive the views. From the viewpoint, the panorama includes Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, and the vast Ngozumpa Glacier, depending on weather and visibility.

For those choosing not to climb Gokyo Ri, exploring the surrounding lakes and resting in the village provides a quieter alternative. Either way, the day allows your body to adapt before the route continues toward Cho La.

Best Viewpoints Along the Trail

• Gokyo’s turquoise glacial lakes
• Optional Gokyo Ri hike
• Ngozumpa Glacier
• Panoramic Himalayan views

Walking Distance: Approximately 4–5 km

Walking Time: 3–4 hours

Leaving Gokyo, the trail heads toward Thangnak along the eastern side of the Ngozumpa Glacier. Compared to previous days, the walking distance is shorter, allowing you to conserve energy before the demanding Cho La crossing.

The trail follows a rugged glacial landscape with rocky moraine, barren slopes, and views of surrounding peaks. Gentle sections occur along the valley, but uneven ground requires attention, especially where loose rocks cover the trail.

As you approach Thangnak, the settlement gradually appears against the stark mountain landscape. The short walking day gives you valuable time to rest, hydrate, and prepare for the following day’s high-pass crossing.

The atmosphere becomes increasingly remote as you move farther from Gokyo. Fewer trees, settlements, and less vegetation leave mountains, glaciers, and sky as the landscape’s dominant features.

Best Viewpoints Along the Trail

• Ngozumpa Glacier
• Glacial moraine landscape
• High Himalayan peaks
• Thangnak settlement
• Preparation for Cho La

Walking Distance: Approximately 14–16 km

Walking Time: 7–9 hours

Cho La is the second major pass and one of the trek’s most physically demanding days. You leave Thangnak early and climb toward the pass through rugged terrain. The ascent starts gradually, then steepens near the high section.

Depending on season and weather, snow or icy surfaces may be present around the pass. The final climb requires careful footing and a controlled pace, especially above 5,000 metres. Reaching the top of Cho La offers a strong sense of achievement and expansive views of surrounding mountains and glaciers. Dzongla can be equally demanding. Rocky, uneven sections require concentration, while the trail gradually loses altitude as it enters the Dzongla Valley.

Best Viewpoints Along the Trail

• Cho La Pass
• High-altitude glacial terrain
• Himalayan mountain panorama
• Snow and ice conditions, depending on season
• Dzongla Valley

Walking Distance: Approximately 8 km

Walking Time: 3–4 hours

After the demanding Cho La crossing, today’s walk is shorter, allowing time to recover as you continue toward the Everest Base Camp section. The trail leaves Dzongla and follows a high valley surrounded by steep Himalayan slopes. There are climbs and descents but no major pass. The trail stays above 4,000 metres, so thin air continues to affect your pace despite the relatively short distance.

As you approach Lobuche, the landscape becomes barren, with rocky ground, glacial valleys, and towering peaks replacing greener terrain lower down. Nuptse and other mountains dominate the horizon.

Lobuche is an important overnight stop before you continue toward Everest Base Camp. The shorter day also allows time to rest, organise your belongings, and prepare for another long day at high altitude.

Best Viewpoints Along the Trail

• High-altitude Khumbu landscape
• Dzongla Valley
• Views of Nuptse and surrounding peaks
• Glacial terrain
• Lobuche settlement

Walking Distance: Approximately 12–15 km

Walking Time: 7–8 hours

Today brings you to one of the most recognised destinations in the Himalayas: Everest Base Camp. From Lobuche, the trail follows the Khumbu Glacier toward Gorak Shep, passing through a stark landscape of rock, moraine, and glacier terrain.

The trail has repeated short climbs and descents rather than a continuous ascent. At this altitude, even small rises feel demanding, so a steady pace is important. After reaching Gorak Shep, you continue toward Everest Base Camp along the glacier’s moraine.

At Base Camp, the surrounding landscape tells the story of the extreme environment mountaineering expeditions face. The famous Everest summit isn’t fully visible, but surrounding peaks and the Khumbu Glacier create an impressive setting.

After spending time at Base Camp, you return to Gorak Shep for the night and prepare for the early-morning climb toward Kala Patthar.

Best Viewpoints Along the Trail

Everest Base Camp

Khumbu Glacier

Khumbu Icefall views

High-altitude moraine

Gorak Shep

Lobuche: 4,910 m / 16,109 ft

Walking Distance: Approximately 10–12 km

Walking Time: 6–7 hours

An early morning start takes you toward Kala Patthar, one of the most famous viewpoints in the Everest region. The climb is steep in places, and thin air slows the ascent, but the changing light across the mountains makes every step worth it.

From the summit, Everest rises beyond Nuptse, while Pumori and other Himalayan peaks complete the surrounding panorama. The viewpoint also gives a broader perspective of the valleys and glaciers you have travelled through.

After returning to Gorak Shep, you continue downhill toward Lobuche. Much of this section retraces familiar terrain, but the descent feels different after completing the Everest Base Camp section.

The return to Lobuche also prepares you for the third and final major pass. Although Kongma La remains ahead, you have already crossed Renjo La and Cho La and experienced the demands of high-altitude trekking.

Best Viewpoints Along the Trail

• Kala Patthar viewpoint
• Sunrise over Everest
• Views of Nuptse and Pumori
• Khumbu Glacier landscape
• Descent toward Lobuche

Walking Distance: Approximately 15–18 km

Walking Time: 7–9 hours

Today’s third and final pass is the biggest challenge. Leaving Lobuche, you leave the main Everest Base Camp trail and enter a more remote section of the upper Khumbu. The terrain becomes rugged, with rocky paths and steep sections leading toward Kongma La.

The climb requires patience. Above 5,000 metres, the thin air makes every ascent harder, and the trail may include loose rock, snow, or icy surfaces depending on conditions. Reaching Kongma La marks the third major pass and one of the trek’s biggest milestones.

From the pass, the route descends toward the Imja Valley. The descent can be steep and uneven at first, then becomes more manageable as you approach Chhukung.

Arriving in Chhukung after crossing all three passes gives the day a particularly strong sense of achievement. The hardest section of the circuit is now behind you.

Best Viewpoints Along the Trail

• Kongma La Pass
• High-altitude mountain terrain
• Views across the Khumbu
• Imja Valley
• Completion of the three-pass circuit milestone

Walking Distance: Approximately 10–11 km

Walking Time: 5–6 hours

After completing all three high passes, the trail begins its gradual return toward the lower Khumbu. Leaving Chhukung, you descend through the Imja Valley, where barren high-altitude landscape slowly gives way to alpine vegetation and more forested terrain.

The trail includes both descents and short uphill sections, so the day isn’t a continuous downhill walk. As you lose elevation, the air thins noticeably, and vegetation becomes more abundant. The changing landscape provides a welcome contrast after several days above 4,500 metres.

The route eventually reaches Tengboche, one of the most important cultural centres in the Everest region. Mountains surround the village, which is home to the renowned Tengboche Monastery. Depending on the time of your visit, you may have an opportunity to observe aspects of Buddhist practice and daily monastic life.

After the demanding days of Renjo La, Cho La, and Kongma La, Tengboche offers a more relaxed mountain environment.

Best Viewpoints Along the Trail

• Tengboche Monastery
• Imja Valley
• Forested Himalayan trails
• Ama Dablam views
• Sherpa Buddhist culture

Walking Distance: Approximately 10–11 km

Walking Time: 5–6 hours

The trail leaves Tengboche and descends through beautiful rhododendron and pine forests toward the Dudh Koshi Valley. After several days in the high, barren landscapes of the Three Passes, the return of trees and greener slopes creates a noticeable change.

The trail starts mainly downhill, with several sections of stone steps and uneven ground. You cross the river before beginning a gradual climb toward Namche. Although the overall elevation decreases, the route still includes some uphill sections, so the walk remains active throughout the day.

As you approach Namche, familiar buildings and mountain trails begin to appear. Returning to the town after completing the high-pass circuit can feel quite different from your first arrival. You now recognize the route, but your experience of the Khumbu has changed considerably.

Namche provides a comfortable place to spend the evening before the final trekking day toward Lukla.

Best Viewpoints Along the Trail

• Rhododendron and pine forests
• Dudh Koshi River
• Mountain villages
• Ama Dablam and surrounding views
• Namche Bazaar

Walking Distance: Approximately 18–20 km

Walking Time: 6–8 hours

Your final day on the trail follows the Dudh Koshi Valley from Namche toward Lukla. The route largely retraces sections of the trail you walked at the start of the journey, but in reverse, it offers a different perspective.

The day begins with a long descent toward the river, followed by a mixture of gradual downhill sections, level stretches, and short climbs through villages and forests. You cross several suspension bridges and pass familiar settlements along the way.

Although the route is lower than the previous days, the distance makes this a substantial final walk. Taking regular breaks and maintaining a comfortable pace helps you conserve energy for the final approach to Lukla.

Reaching Lukla marks the completion of the trekking portion of your journey. The three high passes, Gokyo, Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar, and the remote valleys of the Khumbu are now behind you.

After breakfast in Lukla, you prepare for your flight out of the Khumbu. Flight schedules can depend on weather and operational conditions, so flexibility is important when travelling from the mountain airstrip.

As the aircraft leaves Lukla, the landscape that has surrounded you for nearly three weeks gradually disappears below the clouds. The steep valleys, villages, forests, and high Himalayan peaks provide a final aerial perspective of the region you have crossed on foot.

Back in Kathmandu, the change is immediate. The mountains’ quieter pace gives way to the energy, traffic, restaurants, shops, and streets of the capital.

Use the rest of the day to rest or do personal activities, depending on your arrival time and flight schedule.

Best Viewpoints Along the Trail

• Himalayan flight
• Aerial views of the Khumbu

After completing a demanding high-altitude journey, Day 19 gives you a flexible day in Kathmandu. You can rest at the hotel, explore the city’s cultural attractions, shop for souvenirs, or enjoy a slower day after weeks of mountain walking.

Travelers interested in Nepalese culture can use the day to explore historic areas and heritage sites. Meanwhile, those who prefer a quieter schedule can visit local cafés, restaurants, and shops around the city.

The day is intentionally flexible because travellers return from the mountains with different preferences. Some may want to continue exploring, while others may prefer to rest and organise their belongings before departure

It also provides extra flexibility if weather or flight conditions the previous day affect the return schedule from Lukla.

Your Everest Three Passes Trek ends. Depending on your international flight schedule, you have time for breakfast and final preparations before leaving your hotel.

Our team arranges your airport transfer based on your departure time, so you can reach Tribhuvan International Airport without arranging last-minute transportation yourself.

The journey that began with preparation in Kathmandu has taken you across Renjo La, Cho La, and Kongma La; through Gokyo Valley and the upper Khumbu; to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar; and back through the traditional Sherpa heartland.

As you leave Nepal, the memories extend beyond the major destinations. The suspension bridges, teahouses, mountain villages, changing landscapes, long walking days, and conversations along the trail all become part of the experience.