Itinerary

Departures & Availability

All trip prices are per person based on double occupancy, are subject to change without notice and do not include airfare. All prices and fares are quoted in U.S. dollars.

Gears And Equipment

Trip Information

Equipment list for Everest 3 High Passes Trek

Here is the complete list of items you will require during the trek. We advise you to carry the essentials as your luggage limit is capped at 9 kg. We provide one porter for every two trekkers. Hence, we encourage you to find a fellow trek partner and pack both things in a duffle bag of over sixty liters. You can store excess luggage at our store for free.

Head

• Sun hat or scarf
• Winter hat or insulating hat or Wide-brimmed hat
• Headlight with extra batteries

Face

• Sunscreen
• Sunglass with UV protection
• Face/body wipes

Hands

• Light weight gloves
• Heavy weight winter gloves

Body

• Hiking shirts
• Long sleeved shirt
• Hooded rain jacket
• Fleece jacket
• Light weight cotton pants
• T- Shirt (bring Light weight wool)
• Polypropylene underwear
• Down jacket (available in rent in Kathmandu)
• Sweater
• Water proof jacket and pants

Footwear

• Hiking Boots
• Thick wool socks (Take an extra pair of thick light socks)

Essential gear

• Backpack or daypack (Size depends on whether you take porter or not).
• Thermal bottle
• Water purification
• Trekking pole
• Sleeping bag (-15 bag is best in the high altitude trekking)

Toiletries

• Medium size drying towel
• Tooth brush
• Tooth paste
• Deodorant floss
• Bio degradable bar soap
• Nail clippers
• Small mirror

Personal accessories

• Money
• Watch
• Cell phone
• Camera

Extra items

• First aid kit
• Extra passport photos and photocopies of passport
• Notebook and pen
• Binoculars

Everest Three High Passes Trek Cost, Difficulty, Accomodation, Insurance & Best Time

Arrival (free airport pickup)

We provide free airport transfer from the airport to a hotel during arrival and vice-versa during departure for our clients taking part in Everest 3 Passes Trek.

Our representative will be at Tribhuvan International Airport, holding a pamphlet with your name.

As a welcome gesture, they will either present you with a Khada or a marigold garland. Then, they will take you to your hotel in a private vehicle. We provide this service so you will not feel alone in a foreign country.

Trek start

You will arrive in Kathmandu at Tribhuvan International Airport and stay at your hotel.  Accommodations and meals in Kathmandu are excluded from the package.

Early in the morning,  on your trip departure date, you will take a domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. This trip package covers Kathmandu to Lukla and Lukla to Kathmandu flights.

Accommodation

The Everest Three Pass Trek is a 17-day-long hike with 16-night stays at the best possible lodges in the Everest region.

You will be staying five nights at Lukla, Phakding, and Namche (3N) in rooms with a private attached bathroom and eleven nights in standard rooms at Thame, Lungden, Gokyo (2 N), Dzongla, Lobuche (2 N), Chhukung, Gorak Shep, Thangnak, Pheriche (twin sharing). You can enjoy hot showers in these lodges by paying a small fee.

You may require a two-night hotel stay before and after the trek, but it is not included in the package. Kathmandu has a wide range of hotels for all budgets and tastes.

Meals

Everest 3 High Passes Trek takes place at high elevations, and your body needs enough nutrition. We ensure that you get enough nutritious food throughout the trek.

We will provide 17 breakfasts, 17 lunches, and 16 dinners during the trek.

We hand-select the lodges for fresh, hygienic, tasty, and nutritious food. The menu consists of traditional, Asian, and Western cuisine, but as we climb up, the menu becomes shorter.

Make sure to try Nepali foods – Dal (lentil), Bhat (rice), Tarkari (curry), Momos (dumplings), and Chowmein (noodles).

We highly recommend you take lots of liquids – green tea, lemon tea, hot lemon, ginger tea, and garlic soup(must). Similarly, we advise you to eat fresh vegetables.

Though plenty of non-veg items are available in the trek regions, we do not recommend them because the meat may not be hygienic. We also encourage you to avoid dairy items, alcoholic drinks, caffeinated items, and hot chocolates.

All personal bills (alcoholic drinks, hot (tea, coffee), and cold drinks) in tea houses/ lodges or cafes, except standard meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner with seasonal fruits) are excluded from the package.

Luggage

The luggage weight limit is 9 kg per trekker. One porter will carry two trekkers’ luggage. We do not allow our porters to carry more than 18 kg. If you want to bring more luggage, we can arrange a porter for you.

We expect you to carry a regular backpack for valuables and essential documents. You can store excess luggage at the Friendship World Trek store for free.

Typical day

Almost daily, you will experience trekking on the fantastic trails, exploring new places, enjoying the sceneries, taking pictures, and seeing traditional settlements.

Throughout your trek, our experienced and friendly Sherpa guides will accompany you. They will share information and historical facts about the places you visit. The porters will carry your luggage.

The day starts with an early breakfast. Then we will pack our bags and set off on that day’s trek from around 7 AM to 8 AM, depending on trek duration and nature. After trekking for three to four hours, you will have lunch, rest for about an hour, and continue the trek.

The afternoon walk is generally shorter – about two to three hours. Once we reach our overnight lodge/tea house/tent, we snack on the extra dietary food, then explore nearby places.

You will have dinner between 6 PM to 7 PM. After dinner, you can indulge in friendly conversations with your team members. Your expedition leader/guide will brief you about the next day’s plan.

After this briefing, and before going to bed, you have time to enjoy onboard games like Monopoly and cards or watch available mountaineering documentaries. Most foreigners choose to learn some common Nepali words.

Electricity and water

Throughout the Everest region lodges, electricity is available and you can recharge your camera and mobile. However, you need to pay for the service.

You can buy packed mineral water from local lodges and en-route shops or fill your bottle with boiled water at an extra cost. FWT provides water purification pills if you need them.

You shouldn’t drink water from the rivers, taps, or wells in trek regions because water might not be drinkable.

Communication

On the Everest 3 High Pass Trek, you can use the internet in the lodges you will be staying in for a small charge. However, at high altitudes, we use phones for safety purposes.

Friendship World Trek remains in contact with all the trekking teams through trek leaders at least once daily via mobile.

Depending on the network, you might get phone signals, but they may not be strong enough. You can buy a local SIM card in Kathmandu.

Tipping

Tipping is at travelers’ discretion and should reflect on the service quality, trek length, and trek cost. Nepali culture accepts tips as a way to show gratitude. We recommend you tip at the end of the trip and collectively as a group.

Trek End

On the last day at the trek region, early morning, we will take you to the Lukla Airport for a flight back to Kathmandu.

The flight will take around forty minutes. After arriving in Kathmandu, you are free to spend your time as you like. Later in the evening, we will host a farewell dinner.

Feedback

After completing the Everest 3 High Passes Trek, Friendship World Trek will organize a farewell dinner. After dinner, we will present you with a trek completion certificate, and you will also get a chance to give us feedback.

Useful Info

There is a slight chance that the flights to Lukla or from Lukla get postponed due to bad weather. Hence, we advise you to add two extra days for this trip. This ensures that you will not miss your international flight back home.

If you want, you can reserve a helicopter but it will cost you around 500 to 1000 USD. In rare cases, due to circumstances beyond our control, such as bad weather, or landslides, we might need to alter the itinerary. If the itinerary needs adjustment, we try our best to diminish the effects.

Trip extension

After completing your trek, you may want to stay a couple of days extra in Nepal. You can use your free time exploring Kathmandu and nearby places. There are other options, such as Chitwan jungle safari, paragliding, rafting, and canoeing.

Departure

We hope you enjoyed your stay in Nepal. On the departure date, we will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport. We hope you enjoyed your trek in Nepal and will be back for more exciting adventures.

Trek season

The weather is the most decisive factor for a successful Everest Base Camp trek through three high passes. Though you can get a live forecast of the Everest Region here, we cannot be sure.

However, locals and adventurers trek to Everest Base Camp throughout the year, but trekking is easy in certain seasons – mainly spring and autumn when the skies are clear, and there is no rain.

The magic of the clear azure sky allows you to enjoy the most spectacular vistas without fighting the cold during Spring and Autumn.

The trek gets challenging during winter and monsoon, but some trekkers are attracted to these challenges. Friendship World Trek conducts 3 high passes treks throughout the year.

• January to February
  It is the coldest season – especially from early January to February, with heavy snowfall and cold temperatures, mainly at night. If you are allergic to colds, we advise you not to trek during these months.

Temperature: 15°C to -15°C

• March to April
  This is one of the best seasons for Everest 3 High Passes Trek. During this time, you can see stunning views of Himalayan ranges and glaciers. The Spring Season begins in March, the weather warms up, and suddenly the dormant flora and fauna become active. It is a busy trekking season.

Temperature: 18 °C to -12 °C

• May to June
  This is also the perfect time for trekking right before the rainfall. Rainfall in Nepal starts at the end of June till mid-August. The season of spring and summer makes the trek much more enjoyable.

Temperature: 25°C to -5 °C

• July to August
  The rainfall hits its peak during this time at altitudes below 3500 meters. There are chances that the flights from and to Lukla may get canceled during this time. However, during this period, you will still find trekkers on the trails, and the rainfall provides spectacular views of the waterfall. The Everest 3 High Passes Trek gets a bit difficult but not impossible. FWT conducts treks this season too.

Temperature: 27°C to 5°C

• September to October
  This is also one of the perfect seasons for Everest 3 High Passes Trek. As the monsoon slowly ends, clear skies appear, and a favorable trekking climate sets in. The temperature rises to 20 degrees in the daytime and falls to 5 degrees at night. If you are looking for an easy Everest 3 high passes trek, this is the season for you. During these months, Hindus celebrate their most important festivals, which allows you to immerse yourself in the festive environment.

Temperature: 20°C to 5°C

• November to December
  As winter slowly sets in, snowfalls begin in the Himalayas region, and it eventually gets tough to trek. Nights get very cold. But still, November is a busy season as trekkers take advantage of clear skies and sparkling days that allow amazing views of humongous mountains. From December, the temperature dips, and heavy snowfall starts.

Temperature:  18°C to -10°C

The weather in the Himalayas is unpredictable, and the temperature may change quickly.

Trek difficulty

The Everest Three High Passes Trek is challenging but rewarding. If you have experience or enjoy trekking, this may be an advantage but not required.

The hiking will last around 5 to 7 hours a day, depending upon the destination, and you will be taking regular breaks to admire the mountain views.

The trek routes involve long climbs, steep descents, and a steep forward trail in the rocky paths and forests. So, the fitter you are, the more comfortable and enjoyable the journey will be.

We do not recommend this trek to those who suffer from serious medical conditions like heart, blood, or lung diseases.

Trek safety

Everest 3 Passes Trek is one of the most adventurous treks in the world, making it one of the most self-gratifying. This trek is very famous among thrill-seekers, mountaineers, and rock climbers.

The trails are challenging, but Friendship World Trek ensures the trek is safe, secure, and comfortable. We carry standard gear and equipment. Our team will monitor blood oxygen saturation levels in high altitudes.

Altitude sickness is common to trekkers who try to rush their way to the Everest Base Camp. Therefore, we will be acclimatizing in two places – Namche and Gokyo.

Your health and safety are important to us, and we will take care of you like a family member. Altitude sickness may require immediate treatment.

If you are seriously affected, the only remedy is to descend immediately. In such cases, your group leader decides whether to continue to trek forward or descend immediately. We will also deploy a helicopter (funded by insurance) during emergencies.

DWT team

During your Everest 3 Passes Trek, our well-experienced guides/Sherpas will be by your side, ensuring your journey is comfortable and enjoyable. All of our guides are well-trained and licensed, and they have spent years trekking/climbing peaks. 

Our crew members are local people born and raised in the high Himalayas, and their physical endurance is phenomenal.

Each staff member is valuable to us, and we care for them. It includes providing them with good pay, adequate insurance, gear, equipment, accommodation, and food. They also receive medical care if ill or injured.

We ensure each team member is happy as we believe that only a happy person can make others happy.

Our team members have:

• Intensive Wilderness First Aid Training
• Government-Authorized Trekking Guide Training Certificate
• Fluency in English and a major language
• Conservation and Biodiversity Training
• Rock climbing Training

Visa

All foreigners, except Indians, require a visa to enter Nepal. You can get an on-arrival Visa at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

The visa application will require a passport valid for at least six months and a passport-size photo. The current visa fee is USD 50 for 30 days, which you should pay on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport.

Chinese and SAARC citizens will receive a free visa.

Citizens from some countries – including Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, and Afghanistan, may not receive an arrival visa. So citizens from these countries will have to contact their local Nepalese embassy.

You can find more information about visas at https://www.immigration.gov.np/.

Trek booking

Friendship World Trek is a Nepal government-registered, bonded trek and tour operating company. We are also members of the Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN) and the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). Hence, you can book trek packages with us confidently.

We require a 10% payment in advance while booking. After booking, you need to send us other necessary documentation, such as a passport copy, passport-size photos, travel insurance policy, and arrival and departure flight details within a week from the booking date.

You can pay the 10% booking advance by bank transfer, Western Union, or online payment directly from our website. You can pay the remaining trip cost in cash or by bank transfer or credit card after you arrive in Nepal. Furthermore, we also forward payment details in your email.

Currency exchange

Nepali Rupees (NPR/Rs) is the local currency. (1 USD = ~ Rs.130 NPR)

You can exchange most major foreign currencies through local banks and legitimate money exchanges in Kathmandu and all over Thamel. Legal money exchanges display their ongoing exchange rate visibly for the public.

Friendship World Trek recommends cash exchange to avoid hassles like a lengthy process and a high rate of commission at the banks. You can withdraw cash (in Rupees only) from ATMs in Kathmandu and all over Thamel.

Many ATMs are open around the clock. The maximum withdrawal amount is 35,000 Rupees for a 500 Rupee processing fee if you use your foreign card. If you use banks or financial institutions for money exchange, they will charge a service fee of about 4% or more.

The trekking regions have no banks, and money exchange services, so you should exchange your money in Kathmandu -depending on how much personal expense you require. In the Himalayan regions, people only accept Nepalese currency.

Most established banks in Asia do not accept old, torn, or faded foreign currency notes. Please ensure that you have new, clean notes.

Extra personal expenses

Meals and accommodations in Kathmandu are up to our clients themselves. Kathmandu has all kinds of hotels/lodges (both luxury & budget) that you can book easily online.

All our valuable clients will have to bring personal spending money to cover meals and accommodation costs in Kathmandu, visa fees, and travel insurance policy purchases. While on the trek, you will require money for beverages, snacks, hot (tea, coffee) and cold drinks, souvenirs, and tipping crew.

We recommend bringing cash (dollars), which you can change to Rupees in Kathmandu. The trekking regions only honor Nepali Rupees.

Travel Insurance

Three Passes Everest Trek in Nepal is quite challenging as it entails the risk of high altitude trekking, potential altitude sickness, and other unforeseen events – including sudden climate changes.

Travel insurance forms a part of our booking condition for The Everest 3 High Pass Trek. All trekkers must provide a copy of their comprehensive travel insurance policy to Friendship World Trek.

The policy must cover medical and emergency repatriation – including helicopter rescue and evacuation expenses at high altitudes (up to 5,500m).

We can recommend insurance companies to help you based on our previous clients’ experiences, but we do not sell insurance policies.

We request our clients to send their detailed insurance information once they book the trekking. In emergencies, we will use the insurance policy and informational documents you sent us.

It will help us arrange a quick and effective rescue operation, transfer for emergency medical help, etc. Please ensure that your insurance policy includes the cost incurred for mountain rescue services at the highest elevation of the trekking.

Everest 3 High Passes Trek Route Map

Gallery

FAQS