Everest Base Camp - 3 High Passes Trek

Early in the morning, transfer to airport for a 30-minute connecting flight to Lukla (2,827m). In Lukla, we start our trek by going down to the Dudh Kosi River and then take the major route to Namche Bazaar, located just over Chaunrikharka. The path is smooth and we pass by the tiny village of Ghat (2,550m) before reaching Phakding (2,610m), a pretty village consisting of some 30 houses.

The day will begin with a gentle walk to Monjo, another beautiful Sherpa settlement along the trek; official entry into the Sagarmatha National Park where you will have to show your permits (SNP entry permit and TIMS card) at the office in Monjo. The trek to Namche Bazaar involves a tough uphill climb of about 590m, taking approximately 5-hours; however, halfway up the hill you will be able to see Everest and Lhotse for the first time. As you approach the town of Namche Bazaar, the peaks of Thamserku (6, 648m) and Kwangde (6,224m) are visible to the East and to the West, close to the sacred mountain Khumbila (5,707m).

As a gateway to the Khumbu region, Namche Bazaar, at an altitude of 3440 meters, is famous for its many bakeries and local market (haat bazzar) which takes place each Saturday. Built on a steep mountain bowl with excellent views of high Himalaya on either side, the town has restaurants, shops, banks and currency exchange offices. Remarkably, for such a remote location, you can also find cyber cafes and pool halls.

It is important to walk to higher altitudes while you stay two days in Namche Bazaar. There are options here to trek to Khumjung, where you can visit the local school and hospital, the great Everest Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, or the airstrip at Shyanboche (3,720m). Above the airstrip is the Everest View Hotel, which was set up by the Japanese to bring affluent tourists into the region for a prime view of Everest. The scheme was brought down by the fact the hotel was at nearly 4,000m and many suffered from altitude sickness.

The day begins with a slight climb up about 10-minutes and descend back to the Dudh Koshi at 3,550m before ascending to Tengboche (or Thyangboche) at 3,870m. The views of Everest, Thamserku, Amadablam and the valley are simply breathtaking. At an altitude of 3,870m, Tengboche is a charming spot built around the main Tibetan monastery in the region where you can enter and listen to the monks chanting their mantras. The views of Lhotse, Everest and Amadablam are unforgettable.

Your journey will pass through wooded forests and cross the Imja Khola valley. The views will become more impressive as the high Himalaya begins to surround you. You will make a stop at Pangboche, an interesting gompa site above the main village. This is the oldest monastery in the region and apparently dates from the introduction of Buddhism to Khumbu. You will then climb up to Dingboche at 4,360m, where you get spectacular views of Amadablam and Island Peak.

Today, we will have a short walk to Chhukung. You will head to another beautiful part of the Khumbu region, Chhukung, which offers you magnificent views of the Mt. Makalu, Island Peak, Peak 38 etc.

Today we will cross one of the first three passes, Kongma La Pass. We hike high above the Pheriche and Dingboche villages, near the ridge of Pokhalde Peak, before crossing the Kongma La. It is a pretty long tiring day but you will be rewarded with the amazing views of the entire Khumbu Valley.

This is another long day as we trek towards Everest along the Khumbu Glacier. We will reach the small village of Gorakhshep, where we will have our lunch. After lunch, the trail will lead us to the Mt. Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 5,400m. From the base camp, you get splendid views of Khubutse, Mt. Pumori, Changtse and Khumbu ice fall, instead of Mt. Everest.

The ascent to Kalapatthar or 'Black Rock' will offer the best views of Everest. At the top, you will have a 360-degree view of some of the highest peaks in the world including Mt. Pumori (7,169m), Mt. Everest (8,848m) and Lhotse (8,516m), the Tibetan peak Changtse, Nuptse (7,861m) and countless other smaller peaks. You will then descend and return to Lobuche same way and then continue to Dzong La and to Gokyo Valley for crossing another two high passes, Cho La and Renjo La.

Today, we start with a gentle climb at first hours towards the Cho La Pass. The trail crosses the glacier which is marked by cairns. Once we reach Cho La Pass, the trail goes downward to Thangnak. We then continue our trek passing by the lakes at Gokyo which pours down to the western division of the Ngozumpa Glacier. We go diagonally through the three outstanding lakes and traverse the third lake, Dudh Pokhari, and on the East bank we can mark the community of Gokyo. Walking along the lake, you can view the splendid summits of Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang.

Today we begin trekking early taking about 2 hours to reach Gokyo Ri for a stunning view of sunrise over Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Amadablam and other several huge peaks. And the sights perceptible from here are superior to those from Kala Patthar.

We go away from the main path and cross Renjo La via Dudh Pokhari. After about 3 hours we get to Renjo La , where an unbelievable panorama lies ahead. The Everest, Lhotse, Cholatse and Taboche can be seen glowing in the sun. Patches of snow along the path while moving down can make our way down a bit dangerous. Along the way, we can see Relama Tsho and Renjo Lakes. We hike more or less for one hour to reach Lungden (4,350m.).

Walking down to Thame today, we take the usual route used for centuries by Tibetan traders. Moving down, we cross the Bhote Kosi and the trail again descends to Taranga. The path then goes all the way through the valley of Langmuche Khola. We trek downward after crossing a bridge until we reach Samde, where you will have wonderful views of natural scenery. Then the path abruptly descends to Thame village.

Today we will walk beside a river and after crossing a bridge we make our way up through birch and rhododendron forests to Namche Bazaar.

Following the route to Lukla, we will scale different Sherpa villages and cross a suspension bridge above Thado Koshi. For about 45 minutes, we continue with our trek until we reach Lukla, where we reconfirm our flight reservation.

After flying for 30 minutes, we arrive in Kathmandu in the morning and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day you can lighten up.