The Three Passes trek links Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La with Everest Base Camp and Gokyo in one loop. It takes 18 to 21 days and is the hardest of our ten treks. Agencies list budget packages from about US$2,200 to US$2,800 per person in 2026. Permits and the guide question are as for Everest Base Camp.
Everest (Khumbu), Solukhumbu · Permits: Sagarmatha National Park entry permit, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry fee (trek card)
Key facts
- Days
- 18 to 21 days (himalayanhero.com, checked 2026-10-23)
- Highest point
- 5,644 m at Kala Patthar (en.wikipedia.org, checked 2026-10-23)
- Cho La
- 5,420 m (en.wikipedia.org, checked 2026-10-23)
- Best seasons
- As for the Everest region: March to mid-May and September to mid-November (en.wikivoyage.org, checked 2026-10-23)
- High pass
- Cho La, 5,420 m (en.wikipedia.org, checked 2026-10-23)
- Difficulty
- Strenuous (our scale)
Permits
| Permit | Fee and conditions |
|---|---|
| Sagarmatha National Park entry permit | NPR 3,000 per person per entry for foreigners; NPR 1,500 for SAARC nationals; NPR 100 for Nepali citizens. (snp.gov.np, checked 2026-10-30) |
| Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry fee (trek card) | NPR 3,000 per person for foreigners; NPR 2,000 for SAARC and Chinese nationals; children under 10 free. Set for the fiscal year that began on 16 July 2024. (en.himalpress.com, checked 2026-10-30) The municipality's own website did not load when we checked; this fee comes from press reports. |
Guide rule
Unclear Everest region (Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality)
Contested. The Nepal Tourism Board's 2023 guidelines list Everest trails, but the local municipality said solo trekkers are allowed with its own trek card, and in November 2025 The Kathmandu Post still described the guide rule as applying in all trekking areas except Everest. Many agencies now write that guides are enforced everywhere. We found no official notice settling it. (kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-23)(kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-23)(thehimalayantimes.com, checked 2026-10-23)(kathmandupost.com, checked 2026-10-30)
What it costs
Ranges published by agencies and guides, per person, in US dollars. They are not quotes. Check what each price includes.
- Total per person
- Budget US$2,200 to US$2,800; premium US$3,500 to US$4,500 (himalayanhero.com, checked 2026-10-23)
- Lukla flight
- US$180 to US$220 one way (himalayanhero.com, checked 2026-10-23)
- Guide and porter
- Licensed guide US$25 to US$35 a day; porter US$20 to US$25 a day (himalayanhero.com, checked 2026-10-23)
Everest Three Passes: cost and permit calculator
Per person, from the fees and day rates on this site. Permit fees are official where the issuer publishes them; guide, porter and flight prices are what agencies publish. Change any number.
Sources: permit fees on permits and rules; day rates, flights and package prices in each trek guide's cost section.
Altitude: the real difficulty
No technical climbing is needed on this trek. What makes it hard is the thin air. Go up slowly, keep the rest days in the itinerary, drink water, and tell your guide about headaches, nausea or breathlessness at rest. If symptoms get worse, the treatment is to go down. A good agency will plan acclimatisation days and never push you higher when you are unwell.
Is a guide required here?
The route is in the Everest region, where the guide rule is disputed. On the passes, glacier crossings and route finding in snow make a guide worth having whatever the rule says.
How to book this trek safely
- Find the agency in our directory of TAAN General Members and open its TAAN profile link to confirm the name and registration number match what the agency sent you.
- Ask for the agency's Department of Tourism trekking licence number as well. TAAN membership and the government licence are two different records.
- Get the itinerary, the price and what it includes (permits, flights or transport, guide, porter, lodges, meals) in writing before paying anything.
- Buy travel insurance that covers trekking up to at least 5,644 m and helicopter rescue. Read the altitude limit and the evacuation clause yourself.
- Pay the deposit to the company's own account or by card, not to a personal account or wallet, and keep the receipt.
Travel insurance for Everest Three Passes
Check three things in the policy wording before you buy:
- Trekking is covered up to at least 5,644 m, the highest point of Everest Three Passes.
- Helicopter rescue or evacuation from the mountains is covered, and what you must do first (most insurers want a call to their emergency line before a helicopter is sent).
- Any conditions about using a licensed guide or staying on official trails.
We do not link to any insurer yet. When we do, we will show each policy's altitude limit and rescue terms next to the link.
Questions
- How many days is the Three Passes trek?
- 18 to 21 days from Kathmandu, with spare days for weather and Lukla flights.
- How much does it cost?
- Agencies list budget packages from about US$2,200 to US$2,800 per person in 2026 and premium ones from US$3,500 to US$4,500.
- Which permits do I need?
- The same as Everest Base Camp: the Sagarmatha National Park permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality entry fee.
Get quotes for Everest Three Passes
Tell us your dates and group once. Only agencies we have checked against TAAN's member directory will see it, and only to send you a quote. Free, and no account.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kala Patthar. Checked 2026-10-23.
- Wikipedia: Cho La (Nepal). Checked 2026-10-23.
- Himalayan Hero (agency): Everest 3 Pass trek cost, 2026-04-03. Checked 2026-10-23.
- Wikivoyage: Everest Base Camp Trek. Checked 2026-10-23.
Permit and rule sources are listed on the permits and rules page. Spotted something out of date? Send a correction.