Everest Three High Passes Circuit

Our staff meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfers you to your hotel in Kathmandu. Later, our lead guide conducts a formal briefing and gear check for the expedition ahead.

We take an early morning flight to Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla (2,820 m). After meeting our porters, we begin our descent along the Dudh Koshi river, passing through small settlements to reach Phakding.

The trail crosses suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi and enters Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo. We make a sustained, steep climb up through pine forests to reach Namche Bazaar, the historical trading hub of the Khumbu.

We spend today aiding our red blood cell adaptation with a morning hike to Hotel Everest View (3,880 m) or Khumjung village. We return to Namche for the afternoon to rest.

Leaving the main Everest Base Camp trail, we head west up the Bhote Koshi valley. The trail contours quietly through pine woods before descending to cross a suspension bridge and climbing to Thame, an authentic Sherpa village known for its mountaineering history.

We follow ancient salt-trading tracks north along the Bhote Koshi river. The valley narrows as we gain elevation past stone mani walls and herders' huts, arriving at Marlung.

Today's short walk takes us deeper into the high alpine zone. We ascend steadily along a rocky path above the river to reach Lungden, our staging post before the Renjo La pass.

We start before dawn to climb the steep, rocky staircase to Renjo La (5,360 m). The descent takes us past the turquoise waters of Gokyo Lake down to the stone lodges on its shore.

We climb early to the summit of Gokyo Ri (5,357 m) for a panorama of Cho Oyu, Makalu, and Everest. Afterwards, we descend and cross the debris-covered Ngozumpa Glacier to reach the small settlement of Tagnag.

We navigate the steep, narrow gorge leading up to Cho La (5,420 m). The final approach crosses a small glacier that requires careful footing before we descend past frozen streams to Dzongla.

The trail contours beneath the Cholatse and Taboche walls, traversing grassy ridges before joining the main Everest trail at Thukla. We continue up the valley floor to the cluster of lodges at Lobuche.

We trek alongside the Khumbu Glacier to Gorak Shep, our lunch stop. In the afternoon, we continue over moraine ridges to reach Everest Base Camp (5,364 m), returning to Gorak Shep for the night.

We make a cold pre-dawn climb to the rocky summit of Kala Patthar (5,545 m) to watch sunrise strike the south face of Everest. We then descend to Gorak Shep for breakfast before walking back down to Lobuche.

Our final and highest pass requires crossing the vast, rugged moraine of the Khumbu Glacier to reach the summit of Kongma La (5,535 m). We descend steeply past pristine alpine lakes down into the Imja Khola valley to Dingboche.

We follow the Imja Khola downstream through Pangboche, home to the oldest monastery in the Khumbu. After crossing the suspension bridge at Phunki Tenga, we climb through rhododendron forests to Tengboche Monastery.

We descend steeply to the Dudh Koshi river, climb past Sansa, and contour around cliffs back into Namche Bazaar. After lunch, we drop rapidly down the stone staircase to Monjo.

Our final walking day retraces the valley past Phakding. We make the final uphill pull into Lukla airstrip, where we celebrate the completion of our circuit with our local crew.

We take an early morning mountain flight from Lukla back to Kathmandu, where we transfer you to your hotel for a well-earned rest.