Everest 3 Passes Trek - Solo Hiking Guide
A Guide to Independently Hiking The Everest 3 Passes Trek in Nepal
As part of our first long term around the world trip, we decided to do a considerable amount of hiking in Nepal. At the time we found that most of the available Everest 3 Passes Trek hiking guides were well out of date.
It’s hard to plan for a trip halfway around the world without some up to date information and since our trek many people have asked us how we did it.
So we decided to create our own guide and sample itinerary which gives you an example of what a full thru hike of the Everest 3 Passes Trek looks like for an independent solo hiker. Along the way we also discovered some excellent side trips worth taking and have included those as well.
This is the straight to the point question and answer version which includes the most common questions about the hike. If you’re looking for a more personal account of our time hiking in the Everest region check out the rest of our daily blog posts for a recap and pictures of what each day looks like.
Curious about other hikes in Nepal? We’ve also created a similar solo guide for hiking The Annapurna Circuit.
What is the Everest 3 Passes Trek?
The Everest 3 passes trek is a longer (and more difficult) alternative to the ever popular Everest Base Camp Trek. It involves circuit(ish) hike over 3 high passes (Kongma-La, Cho-La, and Renjo-La) in the Sagarmatha Everest region of Nepal. Each of the passes rises over 17,500ft!
This hike can (and should) also include a side trip to Everest Base Camp, one of the most iconic mountaineering camps in the world. Hundreds of people every year use this camp to launch their climbing bids in an attempt to scale the mighty Mt. Everest!
If you hike in April/May, Everest Base Camp will be alive with hundreds of tents and people buzzing about the community.
This hike can also include side trips to other amazing areas in the region, including Ama Dablam, Island Peak, and Cho Oyo Base Camps as well as climbing the trekking peaks of Chhukung Ri, Kala Patthar, and Gokyo Ri. And as long as you’re in the region you should also consider visiting the beautiful Gokyo Lakes.
If your ambitious and really looking to get the most out of your trip (as we were) you can do what I’ve coined the Triple Triple (trademark pending) which consists of tackling all 3 passes as well as the mentioned 3 hiking peaks and 3 base camps.
How long does the Everest 3 Passes Trek take?
The full Everest 3 Passes Trek can be done in as little as 14 days depending on how you personally do with altitude acclimatization and how many side trips you decide to take. We completed our journey with most of the side trips mentioned above in 19 days.
Let me say that it’s worth taking some extra time to just fully appreciate this region. There are endless side hikes, climbs, and base camps to explore. Make the most of it while you are there.
Much of the trek is also quite high in altitude so make sure you take proper recommended acclimatization days on the way up. If you’ve done something like The Annapurna Circuit and are already acclimatized then you can move a little faster if you need to, but why rush?
Our sample itinerary is below which follows exactly what we did and also includes some pro tips!
How fit do I need to be?
The great part about the Everest 3 Passes Trek is that you do not need to be a super athlete or even an accomplished hiker to tackle it.
That said, you should have some level of base fitness and always be sure to check with your doctor to make sure you can handle walking 4-6 hours everyday for 2-3 weeks carrying a 20-25lb pack (if you carry your own gear and don’t hire a porter).
We saw all ages and shapes on the trail and everyone was having a great time!
What about elevation and altitude sickness?
It is important to acclimatize properly on the Everest 3 Passes Trek.
The good news is that the hike naturally takes a gradual approach letting you acclimatize a little more each day. It’s recommended that you stay 2 nights in several villages along the way to help acclimatization. You can also alter your itinerary as we did to do some other side hikes instead of just spending a day sitting in town. See our sample itinerary below.
You will spend a week or more sleeping above 4270m (14,000ft). The highest elevation you will ever sleep at is in Gorak Shep at 5160m (16,929ft). It is a miserable sleepless night for some people, but it’s only for one night!
The ability to deal with altitude has a lot to do with genetics so everyone is going to be a little different. That said, the vast majority of people have no problem with altitude as long as they take the time to acclimatize properly and not rush too fast to the high elevations.
Some people recommend and take Diamox tablets which are designed to prevent and treat altitude sickness. Talk to you doctor if you think this might be something you are interested in. You can also easily acquire these in Kathmandu once you arrive.
Remember: It is ok to get altitude sickness. It is NOT ok to die from it.
When is the best time to hike the Everest 3 Passes Trek?
Prime hiking season is October/November.
We started in mid October after having done the Annapurna Circuit. That plan turned out pretty well. In the more popular areas near base camp there were a lot of people on the trail which can sometimes a pain, but on the other hand it’s nice to have people in the lodges to chat with and it wasn’t too bitter cold yet. The days were pleasant and the nights were cold. The longer you wait toward December, the colder the upper camps will be. (ie: like water bottles freezing overnight in your room cold)
April/May is also a good time to trek and probably the second most popular time. If you hike during this season you have the added benefit of seeing all of the climbers buzzing around base camp making preparations to scale Mt. Everest. On the downside, if you’re hiking toward base camp at the same time as all of the climbers it will be very busy and harder to get rooms at the tea houses.
Dec – March is winter and while the skies will be clear, it will be very cold and snow threatens to close the high passes.
June – September is monsoon season and not recommended due to heavy rains and mudslides.
Do I need to book anything ahead of time?
You might want to book a hostel/guest house in Kathmandu (Thamel District) to make it easier when you arrive.
Hostelworld or Booking.com are an excellent resources for finding lodging in Thamel. We stayed at and recommend Elbrus Home.
Nothing else needs to be booked ahead of time.
Your hostel owner can help you book a flight to Lukla and the tea houses on the trek are first come first serve. Don’t worry, there are plenty to go around for everyone!
Pro Tip: The tea houses in Lobuche, Gorak Shep, and Gokyo will fill up in peak season (Oct/Nov & Apr/May). Plan your schedule to arrive in these places early in the day to secure yourself a room.
How to I get there and back?
Most people who come to Nepal fly into Kathmandu International Airport (KTM). A taxi from the airport to Thamel (main tourist district) will cost about 700 NPR (~6 USD) and takes 20-45 minutes depending on traffic.
From Kathmandu there are several options to get to the “start” of the Everest 3 Passes Trek. By far the most common option is to fly to Lukla airport. Cost is approximately 160 USD per person ONE WAY. Any lodge owner in Thamel can help you book a flight. There are also many many booking offices in Thamel that would love to help you for a fee. Once you arrive in Lukla you literally get off the plane, walk through town, and start the hike!
A far less common but much more inexpensive option is to take a bus to Jiri and start the hike from there. It’s about an 8 hour bus ride and the hike from Jiri to Lukla takes about 5-6 days extra.
The full Everest 3 Passes Trek ends back in Lukla where you will want to get back the night before your flight and stay one night so that you grab an early flight out the next day. Again you can also hike back down to Jiri and bus out if you like.
Pro Tip: Book as early a flight as possible. Weather tends to move in as the day progresses and since mountain flying is inherently dangerous and Lukla airport does not have radar guidance, later flights will get canceled due to weather as simple as clouds rolling in. Flights in the 6-7am range are what you want for a higher success rate.
Do I need a trekking permit? How to I get one?
There are a few checkpoints along the Everest 3 Passes Trek (including one run by the Army) so definitely buy your permits. They are cheaper to get in Kathmandu so just get them before you leave.
You’ll need two things, a TIMS (Trekker Information Management System) card and an Sagarmatha (Everest) Conservation Area permit.
They cost 20 USD for the TIMS and 34 USD for the conservation (or NPR equivalent) and you’ll need two passport photos. Luckily for you, they offer free pics at the office so don’t bother with paying for any extras. You get 6 photos total by default and you get some free arts and crafts time trimming them up.
Both of these permits can be purchased at the Nepal Tourism Board office which is just south east of Thamel. You can walk there in about 15-20 minutes from the main Thamel tourist area.
How much money do I need for the Everest 3 Passes Trek?
It all depends on how extravagant you want to live! The most expensive part is actually getting to Nepal. After that, you’ll need 30 USD for a 30-day visa and 54 USD (or NPR equivalent) for your trekking permits (20 for TIMS card and 34 for conservation area permit).
On arrival you’ll likely want to stay a day or two in Thamel to get your permits and flight to Lukla situated. A taxi to Thamel from the airport costs 700 NPR (~6 USD).
For accommodation in Thamel we recommend Elbrus Home that we stayed at for a total of about 25 days while in Nepal. As of this writing a nice private ensuite room with breakfast included was 16-20 USD per night. Of course you could always grab a hostel bunk room for around 8-12 USD per night or stay somewhere nicer for $40-50.
The flight to Lukla is 160 USD per person ONE WAY.
While hiking in the Everest Region we budgeted 30 USD (~3,500 NPR) a day per person (no guides/porters) and came pretty close to that number. So figure around 600 USD (~72,000 NPR) per person for the entire hike.
The Everest 3 Passes Trek is much more expensive than The Annapurna Circuit. Everything on the hike is sold a-la-carte.
Basic rooms at the lodges will cost between 0-500 NPR.
Hot showers (if available) cost 500 NPR.
Charging electronic devices 100-300 NPR per device (or per hour).
Everestlink wifi cards are available from 250-1000 NPR (depending on how much data you want: 100, 200, or 500MB) and are only good for 15 hours per card.
Lentils and Rice (Dal Bhat) is 600-800 NPR.
1L bottles of water are an astounding 350 NPR pretty much everywhere after Namche Bazar.
I strongly recommend setting your budget and then taking out enough money from an ATM in Thamel for the entire time you plan to be on the hike. Do not plan on using a credit card anywhere. With maybe the exception of Namche Bazar, it is an entirely cash based society. This will result in a large stack of bills but there are no ATMs anywhere on the hike except in Namche Bazaar and Namche’s ATM is limited to 10,000 NPR per transaction (35,000 per in Thamel).
Some lodges on the trek you can bargain to stay for free if you promise to eat dinner and breakfast there (not like you have a huge choice) but most will cost 200-300 NPR average.
Pro Tips for saving money on the Everest 3 Passes Trek:
Buy a SIM card for cheap in Thamel (or an ESIM) and use it for occasional internet connection. It wont work all the time, but it’s better than paying for wifi.
Bring a travel solar charger/power bank. Paying to recharge stuff gets really expensive.
Bring wet wipes to clean with and don’t bother paying for actual showers. (maybe treat yourself once halfway)
Bring your own tea bags and instead of ordering tea just order hot water and make your own.
Buy your daily hiking snack foods in Thamel and bring them with. Snacks are crazy expensive out on the trek.
What are the lodges like?
The teahouse lodges on the Everest 3 Passes Trek are actually pretty great! They have 4 walls and a roof most of the time!
Rooms are simple accommodation with one or two beds (some places have 3+) with included sheets, pillows, and blankets. Some of the nicer lodges (Khumbu Lodge in Namche Bazaar) have attached bathrooms with hot shower but it costs a premium (~25 USD per night). Otherwise, you are looking at shared bathrooms and no shower unless you want to pay 500 NPR for a basic one.
The toilets are almost always “squatty pottys”. The bedrooms are NOT heated and they can get COLD. Be sure you bring appropriate sleeping bag and clothes (see my Annapurna Circuit Packing List for some suggestions, it it pretty much the same gear you will need).
Pro tips for lodge selection:
Look around at a few places before making your selection. There is no shame in walking away and coming back after you’ve seen a few places.
“Hot water” is a relative term on the Everest 3 Passes Trek. Water is heated in one of 3 ways: cooking fire, solar, and gas. If showering and hot water are important to you, look for places that heat their water with gas, followed by solar, followed by fire. When looking at a room ask to see the shower and turn it on to feel the water before you commit to a place. Again don’t forget that a shower will likely cost 500 NPR.
If you are staying in a lodge that has multiple floors, always ask for a room on the top floor so you don’t have to listen to the people above you walk around all night and early in the morning.
Most lodges have wifi that connects to Everestlink. Everestlink cards can be bought for 250, 500, and 1000 NPR which gets you 100, 200, or 500MB worth of data and it’s only good for 15 hours. There is no free wifi anywhere on the trek after Namche Bazar.
Check out the dining area. With very few exceptions most lodges have the same menu so don’t worry too much about what food is being served, but you’ll probably spend some time in there hanging out so make sure it looks comfortable/warm. If being warm for breakfast is important to you, ask the lodge if they fire up the dung stove in the morning.
If the weather is nice look for places that have nice outdoor seating in the sun to relax for the afternoon.
How’s the food? Do I need to carry my own?
Admittedly the food can be repetitive, but it’s come a long way and its generally seasoned really well.
You can get everything from rice and lentil dishes (dal bhat power 24hr!) to yak steaks and burgers. Beer and soda are available everywhere for an hugely inflated price. Snacks (cookies/candy bars etc.) are widely available, also for higher than western prices. The further away you get, the higher the prices get.
You do not need to bring your own meals unless you have some dietary restrictions. There are many places along the way that are happy to cook you a hot meal. That said, I do recommend bringing your own daily snacks (see tips below).
Pro tips on food:
Bring your own snacks from Kathmandu. Yeah, it sucks to carry the extra weight, but if you know you’re going to want one Snickers a day while trekking, its better to pay 80 NPR per bar in Kathmandu than 200 NPR up on the trek.
Soy Sauce. I love it, and it turns dal bhat into a whole new meal. If you like soy sauce, bring a small (or large!) bottle. Thank me later.
Can I drink the water in Nepal?
It is not safe to drink the tap/hose water in Nepal without treating it. You have two options when it comes to water:
Buy bottled water. It’s cheap in Kathmandu (about 20 NPR for a liter bottle) but expensive on the Everest Base Camp trek (a ridiculous 350 NPR for the same bottle in remote areas). It’s convenient, albeit expensive, and Nepal has a really hard time getting rid of all that plastic.
A better option is to bring a reusable wide mouth water bottle (ie. Nalgene) and some sort of water purification. It’s cheaper and it doesn’t hurt the environment. Any lodge will provide you with the tap water for no cost, then you can just treat it yourself.
My favorite form of purification for world travel is the SteriPen. It kills all bacteria, viruses, everything in the water in 90 seconds (for 1L) using UV light. Science! It’s also rechargeable via USB and doesn’t add much weight to your pack.
If you do go the Steripen route, make sure to sleep with it if it gets below freezing temperatures at night. Freezing a Steripen will break it!
Do I need a guide/porter?
Some western guides charge up to 4500 USD for an Everest Base Camp Trek which is LUDICROUS.
The big western groups stay in the same lodging that you will as an independent, they eat the same food, they generally have a western guide and porters to carry their gear.
If you are capable of simple logistics then you definitely do not NEED a guide for this hike. Save your money and buy yourself a nice handicraft from a local Nepalese person instead.
The trail itself is well worn and it is very easy to find your way. Some people like using guides as they sometimes can offer more information about an area and they sometimes make getting lodges in places mentioned above easier. If you do want to go with a guide, do your research locally and get someone who you mesh well with because you’ll be together for a couple of weeks.
As with a guide, you do not NEED a porter. However, if you have the extra cash and you don’t like carrying your own pack then there are an abundance of locals who will carry it for you… for a price.
You can book both guide and porter services easily in Kathmandu.
We didn’t use a guide or porter service for any of the hiking that we did in Nepal as we were doing our trip on a budget and I don’t feel like we missed out on anything. Get a good guidebook (recommend Lonely Planet Trekking in Nepal Himalaya) and a trail map (available locally at gift shops in Thamel) and you’ll be just fine.
Do I need to bring camping/cooking gear?
Not unless you want to camp!
The Everest 3 Passes Trek is a teahouse hike meaning that there are small towns with lodges along the entire way. In fact you’ll never trek more than a couple of hours without coming upon a group of lodges anxious to give you a place to sleep and cook you a good meal.
Everest 3 Passes Trek Sample Itinerary
This was our itinerary which includes most (but not all) of the options for the Triple Triple. We did not hike all the way to Cho Oyo or Island Peak base camps, though I’ve included on which days you could do that. Next to each day I’ve also included a link to the corresponding blog post for that day.
Day 1
Lukla to Phakding
Approximate Hike Time: 2-3 hours
Distance: 7.9k / 4.9 miles
Overnight Elevation: 2,610m / 8,563ft
Pro tip: Depending on what time you got into Lukla and how long you spent watching planes land and take off, you could go all the way to Namche Bazar today if you’re feeling on it.
Day 2
Phakding to Namche Bazaar
Approximate Hike Time: 4 – 5 ½ hrs
Distance: 9.7k / 6 miles
Overnight Elevation: 3420m / 11,220ft
Pro Tip: The Khumbu Lodge has comfortable accommodation and good service/food. If you feel like springing for it, get the deluxe room (25 USD) which has ensuite hot shower, charging, and electric warming blankets!
Day 3
Rest and Acclimatization Day in Namche Bazaar
Approximate Trek Time: Variable
Distance: Variable
Overnight Elevation: 3420m / 11,220ft
Pro Tip: Go out and hike above the Bazaar for excellent views of Everest.
Day 4
Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
Approximate Trek Time: 3 ½ – 4 ½ hrs
Distance: 9.2k / 5.7 miles
Overnight Elevation: 3870m / 12,696ft
Pro tip: The Tengboche monastery has open prayer sessions at 3pm that are worth going to. Quietly go in and to the right and sit down against the wall. The bakery at the end of town has excellent pizza.
Day 5
Tengboche to Pangboche + Ama Dablam Base Camp
Approximate Trek Time: 1 hr. to Pangboche; 4 hr. Ama Dablam BC (round trip)
Distance: 13.5k / 8.4 miles
Overnight Elevation: 3860m / 12,664ft
Pro tip: Rather than spend an acclimatization day in Tengboche, get up early and take a short hike to Pangboche. Grab a guesthouse and drop your gear. Head up to Ama Dablam base camp for some AMAZING views. If you go in October, base camp will be buzzing with climbers.
Day 6
Pangboche to Dingboche
Approximate Trekking Time: 2 – 2 ½ hours
Distance: 6.4k / 4 miles
Overnight Elevation: 4360m / 14,304ft
Pro tip: To aid with acclimatization, hike up to the obvious Stupa above town and continue up the ridge following the cairns. Hike as high as you wish but if you are peak bagging you can go all the way to the top of Nangkartshang Peak (5083m) from here.
Day 7
Dingboche to Chhukung
Approximate Trekking Time: 2 hours
Distance: 4.5k / 2.8 miles
Overnight Elevation: 4730m / 15,518ft
Pro tip: From Chhukung you can venture out to Island Peak base camp, one of the more popular “trekking peaks.” Be advised, you’ll still need crampons, ropes, and ice axes if you want to climb up any further than base camp.
Day 8
Chhukung Ri
Approximate Trekking Time: 3-4 hours
Distance: 5.5k / 3.4 miles
Overnight Elevation: 4730m / 15,518ft
Pro Tip: When you get to the obvious false summit T in the trail, Chhukung Ri is the one on the right. It’s a rock scramble to the top but the views are absolutely worth it!
Day 9
Chhukung to Lobuche over the Kongma La Pass
Approximate Trekking Time: 6-7 hours
Distance: 9.3k / 5.8 miles
Overnight Elevation: 4930m / 16,174ft
Pro tip: Kongma La is the hardest of the Three Passes and this is a LONG HARD day. Make sure you set out early so that you give yourself enough time to get to Lobuche in time to get a room!
Day 10
Lobuche to Gorak Shep + Kala Patthar + Everest Base Camp
Approximate Trekking Time: 1 ½ – 2 hrs. to Gorak Shep; 3-4 hr. roundtrip each to Kala Pattar & EBC
Distance: 16.4k / 10.2 miles
Overnight Elevation: 5160m / 16,929ft
Pro Tip: Leave Lobuche early and head up to Gorak Shep. Grab a lodge as soon as you get there to secure your room. Drop your gear and either head up Kala Patthar (3 hours round trip) or head out to Everest Base Camp (3 hours round trip). After whichever one you do, grab lunch and then go do the other. This ensures only one night in Gorak Shep. If you sleep well at high altitude and are not in a rush you could spend 2 nights here and break it up.
Day 11
Gorak Shep to Dzonglha
Approximate Trekking Time: 4 ½ – 5 ½ hrs
Distance: 10.8k / 6.7 miles
Overnight Elevation: 4830m / 15,846ft
Pro tip: There will be a fork in the trail about 2/3 of the way through the day. Always take the higher trail. The low one will still get you there, but it’s a lot of bushwhacking.
Day 12
Dzongla to Tagnag (Dragnag) over the Cho La Pass
Approximate Trekking Time: 5-6 hours
Distance: 8k / 5 miles
Overnight Elevation: 4700m / 15,420ft
Pro tip: You could go all the way to Gokyo but it’s another 2 hours past Tagnag and rooms can be hard to come by. Better to stop in Tagnag and get an early start to Gokyo the next day to ensure a room.
Day 13
Tagnag to Gokyo + Gokyo Ri
Approximate Trekking Time: 2 hrs. to Gokyo; 3 – 4 hrs. roundtrip to Gokyo Ri
Distance: 8.9k / 5.5 miles
Overnight Elevation: 4750m / 15,584ft
Pro tip: Grab a lodge room in Gokyo as soon as you get there and drop your gear. Hang around and grab lunch and head up Gokyo Ri in the afternoon. You could also go at sunset for AMAZING sunset views. Bring warm clothes.
Day 14
Gokyo Lakes + Cho Oyo BC
Approximate Trekking Time: 5 – 6 hrs. roundtrip if you go all the way to Cho Oyo BC
Distance: variable (19k / 12 miles round trip to Cho Oyo BC)
Overnight Elevation: 4750m / 15,584ft
Pro tip: Take a day and explore the Gokyo Lakes. The lake in Gokyo is lake 3. There are two below it and three above it. If you are feeling strong, you could go all the way to Cho Oyo base camp as well. Great views of Cho Oyo and Makalu on this day.
Day 15
Rest Day in Gokyo
Approximate Trekking Time: N/A
Distance: N/A
Overnight Elevation: 4750m / 15,584ft
Pro Tip: Discretionary but I bet you’ll be tired and tomorrow is the third of the high passes. Gokyo is a nice place to just relax and kick back for a day. If you’re on a schedule, just move along.
Day 16
Gokyo to Lumde over the Renjo La Pass
Approximate Trekking Time: 5-6 hours
Distance: 11.6k / 7.2 miles
Overnight Elevation: 4350m / 14,271ft
Pro tip: Renjo La is the easiest of the passes but still you’ve done a LOT of climbing at this point. Go early as the lodges in Lumde can fill up and if they do then you’ll have to continue to Thame.
Day 17
Lumde to Thame
Approximate Trekking Time: 2-3 hours
Distance: 9.3k / 5.8 miles
Overnight Elevation: 3750m / 12,303ft
Pro tip: Sunder Peak is a little known and less traveled peak that you can reach from Thame. It’s a hard climb and some of it is sketchy but the views are worth your time if you are feeling strong!
Day 18
Thame to Namche Bazar
Approximate Trekking Time: 2-3 hours
Distance: 8.9k / 5.5 miles
Overnight Elevation: 3420m / 11,220ft
Pro tip: Namche Bazar has an Irish Pub that is supposedly the highest Irish Pub in the world. Grab yourself an expensive beer, you’ve earned it!
Day 19
Namche Bazar to Lukla
Approximate Trekking Time: 6-7 hours
Distance: 17.7k / 11 miles
Overnight Elevation: 2860m / 9,383ft
Pro tip: There is a place in Lukla that serves an Everest Burger which is a double patty cheeseburger with fries. Just what you need after 19 days in the mountains!
Don’t forget, if you are interested in reading a much longer and more personal account of each day on the Everest 3 Passes Trek, check out our daily blog posts!
