The Three Passes trek is the Khumbu’s grand circuit. Instead of walking up and down the same valley, you cross three high passes — Kongma La (5,535 m), Cho La (5,420 m) and Renjo La (5,360 m) — linking the Everest valley, the Gokyo valley and the remote Bhote Koshi valley near Thame.
Along the way you still reach Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar and Gokyo Ri. The price is effort: around 17–21 days, several long days above 5,000 m, loose moraine and, on the Cho La, a glacier crossing. It is best suited to trekkers who have already been to high altitude and are comfortable on rough ground.
What to do at The Three Passes
Kongma La from Chhukung
The highest and toughest of the three: a long climb from Chhukung, a rocky pass with a small lake, and a tricky descent across the Khumbu Glacier to Lobuche.
Cho La from Dzongla
The most dramatic crossing, with a stretch of glacier near the top that may be icy. Start before dawn.
Renjo La from Gokyo
The final pass gives a spectacular farewell view back over the Gokyo lakes to Everest, before descending to Lungden and Thame.
Getting to The Three Passes
- Start and finish: Lukla, usually going counter-clockwise (Kongma La first) so you are well acclimatised by the time you reach the passes.
- Shorter version: many trekkers do only the Cho La, linking Base Camp and Gokyo in 15–17 days.
Trekker tips
- Carry microspikes and trekking poles; conditions on the passes change quickly.
- Allow spare days for bad weather — do not attempt a pass in whiteout or heavy snow.
- A licensed guide who knows the passes is essential, not optional.
Treks & tours that include The Three Passes
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to reach The Three Passes with a licensed guide:
Guided trek from €1539 Everest Three High Passes Trek: 17-Day Guided Trek
The Khumbu’s grand circuit: three passes above 5,300 m, Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar and the Gokyo Lakes in seventeen demanding days. For trekkers with previous high-altitude experience.
- Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La passes
- Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar and Gokyo in one loop
- The most complete trek in the Khumbu
Guided trek from €1257 11-Day Gokyo Valley Trek with Flights from Kathmandu
The great alternative to Base Camp: branch off above Namche into the Gokyo valley, sleep beside its glacial lakes and climb Gokyo Ri for one of the finest Everest panoramas in Nepal — on a quieter trail.
- The turquoise Gokyo Lakes and Ngozumpa Glacier
- Gokyo Ri viewpoint: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu
- Lukla flights from Kathmandu included
