Everest Circuit Trek [Three Passes]

Today, after a good night of sleep after your flight, we will meet at your hotel or at our office for a pre-trip meeting. We introduce you to your guide and talk about your itinerary. If you have any questions or requests, we would like to hear them from you.

Note: Please make sure you bring your passport to the meeting along with three copies, two photos and a readable copy of your travel insurance policy. We also request you to clear the due balance if any.

Furthermore, you can use this day to adjust to the different timezone, altitude and climate. Also, you can prepare yourself for your trek and do the last shopping at one of the many outdoor gear shops around your hotel.

breakfast – hotel

Early morning your guide takes you to Tribhuwan International Airport for the short but scenic flight to Tenzing and Hillary Airport at Lukla (2800m).

Once we are in Lukla you can explore the village while your sherpa crew sorts and loads the trekking equipment. When everyone’s ready, we begin our trek! First we descend towards the Dudh Khosi river where we join the main trail to Namche Bazaar, just above Chaunrikharka (2713m). The walk is easy. After we pass the small village of Ghat (2550m) there is only a short walk left to Phakding (2610m).

breakfast – airport transfer – mountain flight – lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

After breakfast we continue our trek along the banks of the Dudh Khosi river. We cross this majestic river many times via exciting suspension bridges full with prayer flags. After we enter Sagamartha National Park, the trail climbs steeply. And if the weather is clear, we have breathtaking views from here.

Namche Bazaar (3441m) is known as the Gateway to Everest and is home to many restaurants, hotels, lodges, shops, bakeries and even money exchanges and internet cafes. Namche is one of the biggest villages along the entire Everest trail.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today we spend the day here in Namche Bazaar to acclimatize and adjust to the thinner air. If the weather is clear, it’s a great opportunity to hike up to Syangboche for rewarding views of the Khumbu peaks.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Now our trek continues along the rushing glacial waters of the Dudh Khosi river with magnificent views of the mountains. Today we trek to an altitude of 3860 meters. By reaching Tengboche we see local Buddhist monastery. Inside we can see incredibly ornate wall hangings, a 20-foot sculpture of Buddha and the musical instruments and robes of Lamas. Here we can observe a prayer ceremony either in the evening or morning, depending on how our trek went today.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

From Tengboche the trail drops to Debuche and crosses another exciting suspension bridge on the Imja Khola. Then we climb to Pangboche along thousands of mani stones. Today our uphill trek takes us to the quaint traditional Sherpa village of Dingboche (4350m) with its exquisite views of Lhotse, Island Peak and Ama Dablam. We take our time to prevent getting affected by the altitude.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Since this is a challenging trek, we need regularly free days so that we keep our energy. Today we explore the nearby ridge and enjoy striking views of soaring Makalu, Lhotse and the Cho Oyu mountains. The ridge also offers us views over the Imja valley and Lobuche’s and Cholatse’s peaks.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

The trek today begins through crop fields. We climb to the valley of Imja Khola which offers us views of the mountains of Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Then our trail continues through Bibre, a scattered settlement of yak herders. When we walk further, we reach the village of Chhukung that offers us a striking view of Imja Tse that is also known as Island Peak.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Crossing Bibre, we climb all the way to the Niyang Khola valley. To reach Kongma La pass, we head east and cross the gorge with frozen lakes. From the pass we can enjoy the views of mountains in Nepal and Tibet. After a short break we head down to the Khumbu glacier and trek to Lobuche and finally, to Gorak Shep.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today we explore the lake of Gorak Shep with freezing cold water. When we trek past the Indian Army Mountaineers’ Memorials, we reach Everest Base Camp. We hope for a bright, clear day as this place offers striking views of Nuptse, Khumbutse and the Pumori mountains. But we won’t spend the night here in Everest Base Camp, instead we go back down to Gorak Shep.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

From Gorak Shep we return to Lobuche and trek down further until we will reach the river bank. Then we cross the river and take the ascending trail to the top of the ridge for striking views of Ama Dablam and the Thamserku mountains. And we trek further to Cholatse lake. From here our trail goes through few ups and downs to reach the bridge to reach Dzonglha.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

When we trek to the hilltop of Dzonglha we have a striking view of the Cholatse mountains. Then we head west before descending to the gorge. We climb the gorge and reach the vantage point which offers views of Ama Dablam and again the Cholatse mountains. We climb Cho La pass which offers panoramic views of several mountains and peaks in Nepal. Finally, at the end of our route today we there’s only left the rocky path to Tagnag.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today we continue following the rocky path with striking views of mountains and valleys. We also pass the Ngozumpa glacier today, which is the longest glacier in Nepal. We cross the glacier and to reach the third Gokyo lake which is located on the verge of Gokyo village (4750m).

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

If our trek goes as planned, we have a spare day now. We can either spend it with a visit to the fourth and fifth lake of Gokyo. In total there are six lakes in the Gokyo valley. Or we climb the Gokyo Ri peak (5360m).

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

From the Gokyo valley we now head west and trek to the foot of Renjo La pass. Renjo La is the high pass of this trek, with an altitude of 5320 meter. From the pass we can enjoy the gratifying views of mountains and peaks of both Nepal and Tibet. For instance we can see Kyajo Ri from the western section of Renjo La. Then we continue our trek to reach Lungden where we spend the night.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

A walk along the rocky path leads us to the river. When we reach the Sherpa village of Thame, we explore the village to get to know the local culture, the traditions and way of living. Also we visit Thame’s Buddhist monastery today.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

From Thame we return to Namche Bazaar, cross Dudh Khosi river and move through Sagarmatha National Park to Manjo village. The entrance of the Sagarmatha National Park is at Manjo.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Finally, today we return to Lukla where our trek began. It seems like a lifetime ago. Together we enjoy our evening and reflect on the trek as a group and the personal achievement of all those who took part.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

When we fly back to Kathmandu, we enjoy our last glimpse of the mountains. On arrival in Kathmandu we bring you back to your hotel.

In the evening, we offer you and your guide a farewell dinner together in a traditional Nepalese restaurant.

breakfast – mountain flight – airport transfer – farewell dinner – hotel

If it’s the final day of your holiday in Nepal, we will bring you back to the international airport. Goodbye friends! We hope that we will meet each other again in the future.

breakfast – airport transfer