20-Day Everest Three Passes Trek from Kathmandu with Base Camp

• Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu and head to your hotel.

• After breakfast, begin your tour of four astonishing UNESCO World Heritage Sites - the architecturally rich Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupati Nath, the interesting "Monkey Temple" (Swayambunath), and Bauddha Nath Stupa, one of the largest stupas in the world.

• After completing the tour late in the afternoon, drive to Himalayan Glacier's office for a brief meeting about the trek and get to know your team leader (guide) and fellow travellers.

Included meals: Breakfast

• Fly to Lukla right after breakfast. The flight is an interesting one, as you will be flying amidst the grand Himalayas in a Twin Otter airplane.

• Begin your short trek to Phakding immediately after landing.

• After one hour of gradual descent, reach Cheplung village, from where you will have a glimpse of Mt. Khumbila (18,900 ft), a sacred mountain that has never been climbed.

• From Cheplung, continue descending to Phakding and spend the night.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Begin your trek on uphill and downhill trails with multiple crossings over the Dudh Koshi River and a magnificent view of Mt. Thamserku (21,675 ft) from Benkar village.

• Cross more bridges and reach the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo, where your trekking permits are checked.

• Walk further and pass through Jorsale village before reaching Namche Bazaar. From here, you will get beautiful views of the Himalayas, including Everest, Lhotse, Tawache, and others.

• Spend the night in Namche Bazaar.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Consider this the first of the three scheduled rest days spent acclimatizing to the high altitude.

• Spend the day enjoying small hikes in and around Namche Bazaar.

• Hike up to Everest View Hotel to enjoy admirable views of the Himalayan vista.

• On your way back, tour the Khumjung Monastery, which houses a yeti scalp, and Hillary School.

• Drop by the Tourist Visitor Center near the headquarters of Sagarmatha National Park, where you can observe an assortment of things related to the first Everest ascenders and Sherpa culture, and learn about the various plant and animal life in the Everest region.

• Spend the night in Namche Bazaar.

• Begin today's trek on an easy trail to Phunki Thanga.

• From here, ascend towards Tengboche village, home to the largest monastery in the Everest region. The monastery is located within Sagarmatha National Park and provides panoramic views of the highest mountains on earth, including Everest, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Nuptse, and Lhotse.

• Try to reach the monastery by 3:00 in the afternoon to witness a Buddhist religious ceremony.

• Spend the night in Tengboche.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Begin today's trek by walking downhill and passing through lush forests filled with birch, conifers, and rhododendron trees.

• Continue your trek with views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam to keep you company.

• Watch as the picturesque trail dips down to Debuche, crosses the Imja River, and takes you to Pangboche.

• While walking the upper Pangboche trails, admire a more pristine view of the Himalayas and Pangboche Monastery.

• Move ahead towards the Imja Valley, Lobuche River, and ultimately climb up to Dingboche. The village is a beautiful windy settlement overlooked by chortens and prayer flags.

• Spend the night in Dingboche.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Spend a day in Dingboche for acclimatization.

• Take a day hike to Nagarjun Hill for great views of Makalu, Lhotse, Chalotse, Tawache, Ama Dablam, and others.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Note as the trail passes through stone-walled fields and the Imja Khola valley before entering glacier moraines amidst towering Himalayas.

• Continue the trail to Bibre, a yak herdsman's place. From here, directly across the valley, you can see the fantastic Ama Dablam and the Amphu Labsa mountains, and the trail ahead is intersected by icy streams.

• Continue your walk for around half an hour and reach Chhukung.

• After lunch, begin your trek towards Chhukung Ri. The climb to Chhukung Ri involves some easy scrambling near the summit.

• Look directly across the valley for a fantastic view of Ama Dablam and Amphu Lapcha peaks from the top.

• Descend back to Chhukung to spend the night.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Begin today's trek early in the morning to reach the highest part of the entire trip - Kongma La Pass.

• Choose between a trail over a hill to the northwest of Chhukung over the Nuptse Glacier moraines, or a walk back to Bibre and a trek on the trail above the Niyang Khola. The top of the pass is marked by cairns and Buddhist prayer flags.

• Note that the final descent from the pass is the most challenging part of today's journey.

• After climbing the moraine on the far side, watch as the trail turns north through Khumbu Glacier, taking you to Lobuche.

• Overnight at Lobuche.

Note: Trekking through Kongma La is optional. If you do not want to tackle the strenuous Kongma La Pass today, you can go directly to Lobuche from Chhukung.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Watch as the trail moves along the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier.

• Ahead on the trail, keep an eye out for the crest of the north ridge of Everest along with Pumori, Mahalangur, Lingtern, Khumbutse, Nuptse, and other mountains.

• Make a small ascent to Thangma Riju, from where you can admire panoramic views of the Himalayan vista.

• Ascend on a steep trail up to the top of Changri Glacier. As you reach Gorak Shep, you are surrounded by the Himalayas.

• After resting for a short while, continue to Everest Base Camp. Pass through rocky dunes, moraines, and streams before reaching the base camp of the world's tallest mountain, Everest.

• From here, admire Nuptse, Khumbuste, and Pumori mountains, then trek back to Gorak Shep to spend the night.

• Alternatively, you can visit Kala Patthar today instead of the next day, as many believe that the sunset view from Kala Patthar is more stunning than the sunrise view.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Start your trek to Kala Patthar early in the morning in order to catch remarkable views of the first light of the sun shining on Mt. Everest.

• However, be prepared for trekking in the dark and cold temperatures, which vary according to the season. Furthermore, there is always a chance of chilly winds, which are quite common.

• Watch the familiar peaks of Lingtren, Khumbutse, Changtse, Everest, and Nuptse tower above you.

• After several hours of ascent, reach the top of Kala Patthar. The close-up view of Mt. Everest and other Himalayan peaks from Kala Patthar is amazing.

• Enjoy the stunning Himalayan vista and descend to Lobuche, where you will stay the night.

Note: Those participants who will visit Everest Base Camp today will have an early breakfast to start early, as the Everest Base Camp hike takes longer than the hike to Kala Patthar. After returning to Gorak Shep, both groups will have lunch together.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• From Lobuche, trek downhill on a trail alongside the Khumbu Glacier.

• The trail splits into two, so choose the trail on your right.

• On the way, admire the view of the looming Awi Peak.

• Pass a stupa and tombstones in the distance.

• After walking for a while, begin to ascend.

• During the ascent, see the Chola Tsho Lake nearby.

• Continue further and pass another lake, which is much smaller than Chola Tsho Lake.

• Cross the Chola Khola on a bridge before reaching Dzongla for the night.

• Note that as you gain height, Cho La Lake begins to appear, and Ama Dablam presides over a range of mountains to the south while Cholatse soars to the west.

• Remember, climbing the incline is not easy. It is steep and made worse by boulders, over some of which you will have to scramble. The final climb to Cho La can be a little tricky as the trail curves around a crevasse. The top of the pass is marked by prayer flags and cairns, and the scenery of majestic peaks in all directions is breathtaking.

• Watch as the trail brings you to the edge of the Ngozumpa Glacier, the longest glacier in Nepal.

• Reaching the other side of the glacier, see the second Gokyo Lake in the series of six lakes. A short distance away is the third Gokyo Lake. On the edge of this lake stands Gokyo Village, where you will spend the night.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Climb Gokyo Ri today and enjoy views of the incredible mountain vista.

• You may choose to tour the fourth Gokyo Lake today, which is only 3 km north of Gokyo Village.

• Next, continue trekking to the fifth lake.

• Savour the view from 'Scoundrel's Viewpoint', located at the edge of the fifth lake.

• Admire Cho-Oyu, Gyachung Kang, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Makalu, along with the huge Ngozumba Glacier.

• Trek back to Gokyo and spend the night.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Start the day early in the morning to complete the long day's trek ahead.

• Note as the trail moves alongside Dudh Pokhari (lake) for a while.

• Walk for around two hours before ascending towards Renjo La Pass. On the way, you are rewarded with extravagant views of the Himalayan and Rolwaling ranges and others. Views from Renjo La Pass are much like those from Gokyo Ri, with the third Gokyo Lake and Gokyo Village beneath the grey smear of the Ngozumpa Glacier.

• Get outstanding views of Mt. Everest from the top of the pass.

• Continue on from the pass as your trail winds down a stone staircase and then moves over loose scree to reach the south bank of Angladumba Tsho Lake. The presence of ice on the trail while descending can make your descent a bit hazardous.

• Along the way, see Relama Tsho and Renjo Lake.

• Walk down a narrow valley clogged with giant boulders to Lumde, where there is a support lodge, but it is often closed.

• Walk almost an hour from Lumde to get to Marlung on the east bank of the Bhote Koshi River.

• Spend the night at Marlung.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Note that the descent from Marlung to Thame follows a traditional route used for centuries by Tibetan traders.

• Cross the Bhote Koshi River and descend to Taranga. The trail continues to descend, and you cross two bridges before reaching Thame.

• From here, descend gradually on a trail that passes through a few small villages before reaching Namche Bazaar, probably the biggest town in the Everest region.

• Spend the night in Namche Bazaar.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

• Begin your trek with a descent.

• Cross several bridges over the fast-flowing Dudh Koshi River and its tributaries, now that the trail has become more level and natural.

• Enjoy walking on open plains, through rhododendron and pine forests, with distant views of the snow-covered peaks.

• Walk through Sherpa villages, noticing their impressive faith in Buddhism, depicted through the culture of prayer stones and prayer flags.

• After reaching Lukla, stretch those sore legs and recall the experiences of the last couple of weeks. Your long trek to the mountain and its high passes ends today.

• Spend the night in Lukla.

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

• After reaching the capital city, take the rest of the day off and spend the time as you please. You could rest in the hotel room or shop for souvenirs for loved ones.

• In the evening, head for a farewell dinner to celebrate the successful completion of your journey to the mountains. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Included meals: Breakfast and Dinner.

• Depart for the airport 3 hours before your scheduled flight.

Included meals: Breakfast.