Plan my trek
Plan my trek
About 5,550 m (Kongma La)
15–19 days from Lukla
Challenging
Lukla
SNP + Khumbu fee
Spring and autumn
The Three Passes trek is a loop through the Everest region that crosses three high passes — Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La, all above 5,300 m — and links Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar and the Gokyo Lakes in one route. Most published itineraries take around 15 to 19 walking days from Lukla, so allow roughly three weeks from Kathmandu. It is the hardest of the standard teahouse treks in the Khumbu, and it suits people who have already trekked at altitude.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Region | Khumbu, Sagarmatha National Park, Solukhumbu district |
| Start and finish | Lukla (or a road head lower in Solukhumbu) |
| High passes | Kongma La (about 5,535–5,550 m), Cho La (about 5,380–5,420 m), Renjo La (about 5,340–5,435 m) |
| Typical length | 15–19 walking days from Lukla, plus Kathmandu and buffer days |
| Accommodation | Teahouses (lodges) throughout |
| Permits | Sagarmatha National Park entry and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality fee; TIMS rules explained below |
| Guide | Required under national rules for foreign trekkers; see the guide section |
| Usual seasons | Spring and autumn |
It is a circuit, not a there-and-back walk. Where the classic Everest Base Camp trek goes up and down the same valley, the Three Passes route uses three high cols to move between the Khumbu’s main valleys:
Along the way most people also take in Everest Base Camp, the Kala Patthar viewpoint and Gokyo Ri. You spend many consecutive nights high up: Gokyo itself sits at about 4,750 m, and several other overnight stops are at a similar height.
The passes are walking routes, not climbs. None normally needs ropes, but each has steep, loose ground, and most route descriptions include a short glacier section near the top of Cho La. Conditions change with the season and with snowfall.
Be honest about your altitude history before you commit. The route repeatedly takes you above 5,300 m on long days, often in cold wind and on unstable ground.
The trek tends to suit people who:
It is a poor fit if this would be your first high-altitude trek, if you have a fixed return date with no slack, or if you mainly want to reach Base Camp. For a first trek in the region, the Everest Base Camp trek or the Gokyo Lakes trek gives you the scenery with far fewer days above 5,000 m.
There is no single correct direction, but the choice changes how you acclimatise. Both versions start and end in Lukla.
Anticlockwise (Kongma La first). You walk up the main Base Camp trail via Namche, Tengboche and Dingboche, acclimatise there, and cross Kongma La from Chhukung to Lobuche. You then visit Base Camp and Kala Patthar, cross Cho La to the Gokyo valley, and finish over Renjo La towards Thame. Its advantage is a well-trodden, gradual build-up on the busiest trail, with the option to drop Kongma La and rejoin the Base Camp route at Lobuche if you are struggling.
Clockwise (Renjo La first). You head west from Namche to Thame and cross Renjo La to Gokyo, then Cho La, then Kongma La, finishing down the main trail. Some independent trekkers prefer this for quieter early days and for ending at Base Camp. The catch is that Renjo La comes earlier in the trip, so you need a careful acclimatisation plan in the Thame valley before you go over it.
Guides and websites use “clockwise” and “anticlockwise” inconsistently, so always check an itinerary by the order of the passes. Whichever you choose, the rule is the same: your itinerary should never add more height to your sleeping altitude than your body can absorb (see the altitude section below).
This is a sample anticlockwise outline from Lukla, to show how the stages fit together. Real itineraries vary with the season, group and guide, and you should add at least two spare days for weather.
That gives 17 walking days from Lukla. Add your Kathmandu days, a buffer for Lukla flights and at least one spare day on the trail, and three weeks is a realistic total.
Expect long days on all three. Each crossing is a full-day stage, and an early start gives you the most daylight.
The highest of the three passes. From Chhukung the climb is long and steep, and the descent on the Lobuche side is a steep chute of loose rock. Between the foot of the pass and Lobuche you cross the moraine of the Khumbu Glacier, where the path shifts from year to year and is marked by cairns. Published heights for the pass vary by up to about 15 m between maps.
The pass that links Base Camp country with Gokyo. The approach from Dzongla is steep, and most route descriptions include a short glacier section near the top that can be icy, especially in spring and winter. Many trekkers carry microspikes for it. Published heights range from about 5,380 m to 5,420 m. After the pass comes a further, tiring day across the rubble-covered Ngozumpa Glacier to Gokyo.
The pass linking Gokyo with the Bhote Koshi valley. Most sources put it at about 5,360 m, but published heights range from about 5,340 m to 5,435 m. On an anticlockwise route it is crossed westwards from Gokyo, and the steep descent can still be snow-covered in May.
It is graded challenging or demanding by almost every operator, and that is fair. The difficulty comes from four things at once:
Good cardiovascular fitness helps, but it does not protect you from altitude illness. Training on long, steep hill days with a loaded pack is the most useful preparation. Our guide to training for Everest Base Camp covers the basics.
The safest itinerary is the one that respects your sleeping altitude. Nepal Tourism Board guidance is to keep each night’s sleeping altitude within 300–500 m of the previous night and to take a rest day after every 1,000 m gained. The US CDC’s travel-health guidance gives the same 500 m limit above 3,000 m and an extra acclimatisation day for every 1,000 m of sleeping gain.
The Nepal Tourism Board also advises treating any illness above 2,500 m as altitude sickness until proven otherwise. Never go higher to sleep with symptoms. If symptoms worsen despite rest, descend. Confusion, loss of coordination or breathlessness at rest are emergency signs that call for immediate descent.
On this route, that means a pass day should never also be a big jump in sleeping height for someone who is unwell. Build in the acclimatisation days, and keep a spare day so you are not pushed over a pass by the schedule. Read our guide to altitude sickness on Everest treks before you go.
The Himalayan Rescue Association runs a seasonal aid post at Pheriche, staffed by volunteer doctors in the spring and autumn trekking seasons.
You need two local entry permits in the Khumbu, and national rules require a licensed guide. Rules and fees change, so confirm them with your trekking agency before you travel.
| Permit or fee | Amount (foreign nationals) | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Sagarmatha National Park entry | NPR 3,000 (VAT may be added) | Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry fee | NPR 3,000 (since July 2024) | Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality |
| TIMS card (where required) | NPR 2,000 | Nepal Tourism Board, issued through a registered agency |
The guide rule. Since 2023, Nepal Tourism Board rules have required foreign trekkers on listed routes, including the Everest region, to trek with a licensed guide and carry an agency-issued TIMS card. The local Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality said at the time that it would not require guides, and it issues its own local permit. Reports up to October 2026 describe the national rule as inconsistently enforced in the Khumbu. The UK Foreign Office’s current advice is clear, though: foreign independent trekkers must use a local guide or porter in national parks, and should not trek alone. The park authority’s own visitor rules also say not to trek alone.
On a route with three remote high passes and a glacier crossing, we would plan on a licensed guide regardless of how the rule is enforced on the day.
The fixed costs are small; the variable ones are not. Park and municipality fees together come to NPR 6,000 at current rates, plus TIMS where it applies. The bigger items are:
Ask for a written breakdown of what any quote includes, especially flights, permits and buffer days.
Autumn and spring are the usual seasons. Winter brings hard cold and snow that can close a pass. During the monsoon, cloud, rain on the lower trail and flight disruption make the route a poor choice for most people.
In any season, the passes can be affected by fresh snow. Ask your guide to check conditions locally before each crossing, and be ready to change the order or drop a pass. For this season’s picture, read our Nepal trekking after the floods update.
Most people fly to Lukla, but weather delays are common. In the busy seasons, many Lukla flights leave from Ramechhap (Manthali) rather than Kathmandu, which means an early road transfer from Kathmandu to Ramechhap first. The UK Foreign Office notes that mountain flights are often delayed or cancelled by poor weather, so build spare days into both ends of the trip.
You can also reach the Khumbu by road and on foot from lower Solukhumbu, which adds days but avoids the Lukla flight. Our Solukhumbu guide explains the road routes.
Pack as for Everest Base Camp, then add for the pass days. The FCDO advises warm clothing and wet-weather gear for any Nepal trek. On top of a standard Base Camp kit, the items that matter most here are:
Our Everest Base Camp packing list covers the full kit, including sleeping-bag ratings.
Check that your policy covers both the altitude and helicopter evacuation. The UK Foreign Office advises that insurance should include mountain rescue and helicopter costs. Many policies cap trekking cover at a set altitude, so check yours covers the highest point you will reach, including side trips such as Kala Patthar, whose published height ranges from about 5,545 m to 5,645 m. Our guide on travel insurance for trekking explains what to look for.
Mobile signal is patchy in the higher valleys. Agree a communication plan with your guide, and tell family when you expect to be out of contact.
| Route | Main high points | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Everest Base Camp | Base Camp, Kala Patthar | A first Himalayan trek at altitude |
| Gokyo Lakes (out and back) | Gokyo Ri | Big views with fewer people and no high pass |
| Gokyo and Cho La to Base Camp | Cho La, Gokyo Ri, Kala Patthar | One pass and both valleys, in about two and a half weeks |
| Three Passes | Kongma La, Cho La, Renjo La, plus the above | Experienced trekkers with three weeks |
If you are torn, the single-pass option over Cho La is a strong middle ground. It is covered in our Gokyo Lakes trek guide, and the wider Everest Region guide compares every route in the area.
Related guides to read next.
The Himalayan Trek Packing Checklist
Every item you need for a teahouse trek, plus weight limits and what to rent in Kathmandu. Free and printable.
Most itineraries take 15 to 19 walking days from Lukla. With Kathmandu days and buffer days for flights and weather, plan on about three weeks.
Kongma La, at about 5,535–5,550 m, is the highest of the three passes. The Kala Patthar viewpoint above Gorak Shep can be as high or slightly higher, depending on which published figure you use.
It is not a good first high-altitude trek. Most people are better off doing Everest Base Camp or Gokyo first and returning for the passes once they know how they handle altitude.
National rules introduced in 2023 require foreign trekkers in the Everest region to use a licensed guide, although enforcement in the Khumbu has been inconsistent. Given the remote passes and glacier crossings, a guide is the sensible choice either way.
It depends on conditions. Kongma La is usually the highest and has a long, steep descent with a glacier-moraine crossing. Cho La can have an icy glacier section near the top. Renjo La can hold snow on its descent.
The passes are not technical climbs. Microspikes are commonly carried for icy sections, particularly on Cho La in spring and winter. Ask your guide what current conditions require.
Yes. The route visits Kala Patthar, the classic Everest viewpoint above Gorak Shep, and the upper Gokyo valley, where Everest is visible from points near the higher lakes and from Gokyo Ri.
Yes. You can travel by road into lower Solukhumbu and walk in, which adds several days.
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By Govind Rai · Updated 3 November 2026The tick-box kit list for Everest Base Camp, Annapurna and every teahouse trek in Nepal.
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