The Everest High Passes Trek is also an exhilarating and challenging adventure that takes you through the breathtaking landscapes of the Everest region in Nepal.
The trek begins with a scenic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, a small mountain airstrip nestled in the heart of the Himalayas. From Lukla, you also embark on a trek through picturesque Sherpa villages, lush rhododendron forests, and serene Buddhist monasteries, immersing yourself in the rich cultural heritage of the region.
As you ascend higher into the mountains, you'll pass through three iconic high passes: Renjo La Pass, Cho La Pass, and Kongma La Pass. These passes also offer awe-inspiring panoramic views of towering snow-capped peaks, including Mount Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Makalu. Crossing these high passes requires endurance and determination, as you navigate steep and challenging terrains, but the sense of achievement upon reaching each pass is unparalleled.
Throughout the journey, you'll also encounter a diverse range of landscapes, from the stark beauty of the Khumbu Glacier to the turquoise waters of the Gokyo Lakes. The Gokyo Valley, with its pristine lakes and surrounding glaciers, provides a tranquil setting for acclimatization and exploration.
Along the way, you'll also have the opportunity to visit Everest Base Camp, the starting point for climbers attempting to conquer the world's highest peak. Standing at the base of Mount Everest is an experience that few can fathom, and you'll gain a deep appreciation for the immense challenges and triumphs associated with mountaineering.
The Everest High Passes Trek is physically demanding and requires a good level of fitness. The altitude can be challenging, so proper acclimatization and gradual ascent are crucial to ensuring your safety and enjoyment. It is recommended to embark on this trek with an experienced guide and support staff who can provide valuable insights, assistance, and help navigate the rugged terrain.
Overall, the Everest High Passes Trek is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that combines natural beauty, cultural immersion, and personal achievement. It allows you to witness the grandeur of the Himalayas up close, test your physical and mental limits, and create memories that will last a lifetime. It's an expedition that will leave you with a profound sense of awe and respect for the power and majesty of the world's highest mountains.
We will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your hotel where we will brief you on your upcoming trek. Feel free to explore the surrounding area today or catch up on your sleep before your early morning flight.
Trek Distance 6.2km / 3.8miles
Highest Altitude 2,850m / 9,350ft
Trek Duration 3 hours
The journey begins with a flight to Lukla. After reaching Lukla, we start the trek past Chaurikharka village to Phakding, where we halt for our first night in the Khumbu region. The crisp and comforting trek day also helps in acclimatization. In your spare time, you are free to explore places in and around Phakding.
Phakding is the starting point for most Everest treks, and it is full of shops, hotels, pools, and restaurants. Moreover, there are a few famous local monasteries here. Among them, you should not skip visiting Rimishung Monastery.
Trek Distance 7.4km / 4.6miles
Highest Altitude 3,440m / 11,285ft
Trek Duration 6 hours
A full day of trek starts from this day. We continue along the northern bank of the Dudh Koshi River, enjoying majestic views. The suspension bridges, embellished beautifully with prayer flags, add excitement to the hike.
After a few hours of the walk, we reach Monjo village, from where the Sagarmatha National Park begins. A challenging climb inside the dense Sagarmatha National Park forest will provide you with the first glimpses of Mt. Everest. Continuing forward through the woods and stone-paved path, you will finally reach Namche Bazaar. We will stay at Namche for the night.
We will spend one day acclimatizing at Namche Bazaar to adjust to the thinning air. However, we will not just be sitting idle today. You can wander through the alleys of Namche while adjusting to the altitude. There are several things that you can do on this day.
You can hike to Sagarmatha National Park and include a hike to Khumjung (3,790m). On the way to Khumjung, you can visit Hillary School and other old monasteries. People believe that Khumjung Monastery houses a yeti-scalp. You can also hike to Khunde. If you love Everest, you can get to Everest View Hotel to catch the stunning views of Everest. A must-not-miss place is the Syangboche Airport (3,780m), one of the highest airports in the world.
Trek Distance 6.8km / 4.2miles
Highest Altitude 3750m / 12,303ft
Trek Duration 6 hrs
Today’s trek will be short and comforting. After a good day acclimatizing, we hike to Thame, home to many famous Sherpa mountaineers- including Apa Sherpa. We walk past Thamo Gumba before reaching Thame.
The tranquil trek provides exceptional views of the Himalayas. As we walk past the ancient Sherpa villages, we get a chance to savor the beauty of the place. Thame is home to one of the oldest monasteries in the Everest region, known as Thame Dechen Chokhorling Monastery. We can explore Thame enjoying the panoramic views of the snow-capped mountains.
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Tengboche village is home to Tengboche monastery, which boasts some of the most spectacular views of Everest and Lhotse! The route heads out across the Dudh Koshi River and through thick forests which gradually thin out as you cross the tree line. As this is a Buddhist monastery there are stupas and mani (prayer) walls along the way.
There is an opportunity to attend prayers with the monks as well as take in the astounding views before retiring for the night in the village.
| Trek Distance | 8.2km / 5miles |
|---|---|
| Highest Altitude | 4,500m / 14,764ft |
| Trek Duration | 6 hrs |
We head north to Lungden, passing through dry lands, rocky peaks, stone houses, and walls. The trail moves along the Bhote Koshi River. You might get to spot occasional yaks grazing on the meadows. The path to Lungden is gentle and comfortable. We move ahead through Marlung – a larger village in Thame Valley – to Lungden. We halt at Lungden a day before attempting the strenuous ascend to Renjo La Pass.
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The trail is rugged and there are few trees on this windy trail between Tengboche and Dingboche villages. With Ama Dablam towering above, the trail enters the Imja Valley where it descends to the Lobuche River before rising steeply up to Dingboche.
This lovely village has fields surrounded by stone walls to protect the high-altitude crops from grazing animals and the wind. And quite a few lodges!
| Trek Distance | 9km / 5.6miles |
|---|---|
| Highest Altitude | 5,446m / 17,867ft |
| Trek Duration | 8 hrs |
We climb a steep sandy ridge to reach the top of the Renjo La Pass (5,446m). The trail is moderately challenging as we cover a huge elevation. Once we reach the top, the view will compensate for the effort. You will get a fabulous view of peaks above 7000m – including Everest, Lhotse, Chalotse, and Taboche. Surrounded by the sparkling mountains and the fresh breeze of the mountain air, you will almost forget your climb. Walking for about 2 to 3 hours, you reach a small yet beautiful place, Gokyo Village, where we will spend our night.
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Another acclimatization day to aid with the rise in altitude and once again we suggest you keep active! What better way to spend the time than by hiking to a viewpoint at Nagarjune Hill (5,100m) – a round trip of around 4 to 5 hours. The views are, naturally, worth the effort! Periche Valley lies below and above lies Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Lobuche East and Lobuche West, among others
| Trek Distance | 1.5km / 0.9miles |
|---|---|
| Highest Altitude | 5,400m / 17,814ft |
| Trek Duration | 1 & ½ hrs |
It is time to acclimatize for one more day. We explore the village of Gokyo as we acclimatize. Gokyo village is full of surprises and mysteries. We hike to Gokyo Ri (5,430m) to see excellent panoramic views of various mountains – including Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. The scenery is unquestionably stunning. After lunch, we will take you to beautiful turquoise Gokyo lakes and glaciers. We are sure that you will remember the Gokyo region throughout your life.
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It’s a long day for sure, but a memorable and adventurous one too. The trail starts steeply to climb out of the valley to Dugla, located at the end of the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier then onto Chukpo Lari. Here we find memorials to climbers who have died on Everest – placed here in memory with a panorama of beloved mountains on the Nepal-Tibet border.
Today we cross the challenging Kongma La Pass (5, 545m) with views of many peaks such as Lobuche, Mehra, the south face of Nuptse, and many others which your guide will be happy to point out to you. The high altitude crossing the pass is the reason we take acclimatization days beforehand.
| Trek Distance | 3.7km / 2.3miles |
|---|---|
| Highest Altitude | 4,790m / 15,584ft |
| Trek Duration | 5 hrs |
After a spectacular day walking around the Gokyo valley and witnessing the turquoise lakes surrounded by a blanket of snow-capped mountains, we move ahead to Thangnak. We walk past a few glaciers and through steep rock trails. Due to the land structure, vegetation is absent. The distinct difference in the landscape will probably surprise you. When you reach Thangnak, you will notice that Thangnak has only a few teahouses, but it serves as a perfect place to spend the night before facing the mighty Cho La Pass.
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The trail from Lobuche rises slowly and over a period of 3 hours to Gorakshep. After checking into the lodge at Gorakshep and having lunch, we set off to hike to Kala Patthar, otherwise known as the Everest viewpoint.
Although Everest Base Camp is a very popular destination – and one we will explore the following day – Kala Patthar gets you closer to Everest than you can ever be without actually climbing the great mountain! Kala Patthar is a black rock (hence its name) with astounding views which are hard to comprehend until you are there.
After this spectacular adventure, return to Gorakshep for the night
| Trek Distance | 16km / 9.9miles |
|---|---|
| Highest Altitude | 5420m / 17,783ft |
| Trek Duration | 6-7 hrs |
This day will prove to be one of the most intense days of the entire trek. We hike up a small valley where we witness the beauty of a rocky trail surrounded by spectacular mountains. After walking for a few hours, you get the view of Cho La Pass across a small moraine. Soon you will realize the intense steepness of the trail. The steep path is short, but the elevation makes it difficult to traverse. As you cross the Cho La Pass, you need to take proper care as this pass often gets snowy and icy. After walking for about an hour, you will reach Dzongla, where we will be staying for the night.
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Returning to Gorakshep for breakfast we then set out for Dzongla where we stay overnight.
| Trek Distance | 8.3km / 5.2miles |
|---|---|
| Highest Altitude | 4,910m / 16,175ft |
| Trek Duration | 4 hrs |
The journey from Dzongla to Lobuche offers you more stunning views. With no more glacier crossing and steep uphills, the path should be more pleasant. First, we follow the moraine and then hike down to Chola Lake, bidding farewell to Dongla.
We continue to follow the wave-like trails to Lobuche. As you move ahead, on one side, you can get glimpses of Everest Base Camp, and on the other side, you will see the Khumbu Glacier with the rubble of ice floating. The path gets appealing as we get close to the foothills of Mount Everest. You can also visit some famous bakeries at Lobuche. Lobuche also provides panoramic views of several snow peaks – including Mount Pumori (7,161m), Mount Lingtren (6,749m), and Mount Nuptse (7,861m). However, Everest hides behind Mount Lhotse.
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Another early start as we head towards the Cho La Pass with its glacier and stunning views. The trail starts off easy enough before a steady ascent. But the views of Ama Dablam, among other mountains, rivers, and glaciers are simply at their best. The terrain of loose rocks makes the going slow until you reach the start of the glacier. Crampons are really required here (buy or rent in Thamel, Kathmandu before you start your trek). In the distance that turquoise lake comes back into view.
Again the elevation increases as we climb up the pass. At the top, under the fluttering prayer flags, take a bit of a rest and gather some great photos!
Coming down over the pass head for the village of Thagnak for lunch before crossing another glacier and onwards to Gokyo where we stay overnight.
| Trek Distance | 15km / 9.32miles |
|---|---|
| Highest Altitude | 5,364m / 17,598ft |
| Trek Duration | 6-8 hours |
This is the day you will ascend to Everest Base Camp. We will begin our walk to the Everest Base Camp from Lobuche early morning. You will pass through many glaciers, including the famous Khumbu Glacier. Beyond this glacier, you can see Khumbu Icefall (5,486m). Soon, you will be leaving Army Mountaineers Memorial behind and finally reach Gorak Shep. We leave our belongings at Gorak Shep and ascend to Everest Base Camp.
The final ascent to Everest Base Camp(5,364m) might be challenging due to the increasing altitude involving rocky dunes and moraine and accumulated glacial debris. As you find yourself surrounded by snow-capped mountains and Mount Everest standing right ahead, you might feel overwhelmed by its sparkling beauty. Reaching the Everest Base Camp is a dream come true for many. It is the closest you will get to Everest unless you want to climb it. After immersing ourselves fully in the beauty of the base camp, we walk back to Gorak Shep (5,185m), where we will be spending the night.
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We take another acclimatization day here at Gokyo – an opportunity to explore this village and the surrounding area.
Our journey is not complete without a hike to Kala Patthar(5,555m). Mount Everest hides behind Mount Lhotse, so climb to Kala Patthar to enjoy stunning views of Everest. We start early morning from Gorak Shep to reach Kala Patthar to view the sunrise on Everest and other high peaks. The views from Kala Patthar are other-worldly, providing a 360-degree view of the Himalayan giants. It is also the highest altitude of your trek.
After enjoying the views from Kala Patthar, we return to Gorak Shep and then further descend to Pheriche (4,250m). The trail to Pheriche should be enjoyable, with forest and meadows by the side.
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Heading off early we follow the peaks of Everest, Cholatse, Lhotse, and more down some stone steps and on through a narrow valley, passing Renjo Lake and walking alongside Dudh Pokhari (lake).
The trail over the Renjo La Pass takes in views of the third Gokyo Lake and Gokyo village along with Ngozumpa Glacier. And of Mount Everest is there in all its glory! The lakes of Relama Tsho and Renjo are seen on the way too as you make your way down to Marlung situated on the bank of the Bhote Koshi River.
| Trek Distance | 14.3km / 8.8miles |
|---|---|
| Highest Altitude | 4,250m / 13,945ft |
| Trek Duration | 6-7 hrs |
Through the rhododendron forest, we hike from Pheriche to the hilltop village of Tengboche. The trail is relatively relaxed, with a steady downhill followed by a gentle uphill. We cross the beautiful bridge over Imja Khola on the way.
As you head into the juniper forests, you might spot high-altitude animals. With the views of vibrantly colored prayer flags and elegant stupas, the tip of Mount Everest, and the backside of Mount Lhotse, you will enjoy the whole experience on the way back to Namche.
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Today the end of the trek is in sight, so enjoy the stunning views while you can. Descend into Thame village and cross the Bhote Koshi River before heading on downwards and crossing a couple of bridges to reach Thame. The village has its own gompa (monastery) situated on a hill above it. The trail continues to descend until you reach Namche Bazaar.
| Trek Distance | 13.5km / 8.3miles |
|---|---|
| Highest Altitude | 3,440m / 11,285ft |
| Trek Duration | 6-7 hrs |
Today will be your last day on the trail. First, we leave Namche for Phakding, through mostly downhill trails. You will be passing several small villages, narrow forests, and thrilling suspension bridges. You will pass a small village called Benkar before reaching Phakding. From Phakding, you will continue your trek to Toktok and then to Lukla, where you will be spending your last night in the trek region. You are free to enjoy the niceties Lukla offers.
| Flight Hours | 40 Minutes |
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If everything goes according to the schedule today, we will be flying back to Kathmandu in the early morning after breakfast. The 40-minute flight back to Kathmandu will be a relaxing one. You might be overwhelmed with memories that you created during the trek. Your trek ends in Kathmandu. If you wish, we can arrange a Kathmandu city tour for you.
We will ensure you reach the airport on time for your onward flight. If you are not leaving the country, do ask us about other adventures we can arrange for you