Permits Required
The Khumbu region simplified its permit system some years back, and it's worth knowing this clearly since some agencies still quote outdated requirements. You need two permits, not three.
Sagarmatha National Park Permit
Checked at the park entrance near Monjo, this costs NPR 3,000 per person, roughly USD 23, and funds the conservation of the national park the entire trek passes through.
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit
This replaced the TIMS card for the Khumbu region in 2018, and is checked just outside Lukla. It also costs NPR 3,000 per person, following a fee increase from NPR 2,000 in September 2024.
A TIMS card is not required for this trek. If anyone quotes you one as a separate line item, it's an outdated or padded quote. The total permit cost runs around NPR 6,000, roughly USD 45, per person, which we include in your package price and handle the paperwork for directly.
Training and Preparation for 3 passes
Give yourself a genuine 12 weeks of preparation for this trek given its length and cumulative altitude gain.
Weeks 1 to 4: Aerobic Base
Cardio 4 times a week, hill walking, running or cycling, building toward sustained effort rather than short bursts.
Weeks 5 to 8: Load and Endurance
Loaded pack hikes, 7 to 9kg, extending toward 6 to 7 hour days, with stair or steep incline training for the sustained climbs to each pass.
Weeks 9 to 12: Altitude and Back-to-Back Days
Consecutive long training days on weekends, since this trek's middle section runs multiple demanding days without a genuine rest in between. Any pre-trip altitude exposure above 3,000 metres is genuinely useful conditioning.
What to Pack
Beyond standard teahouse trekking layers, this trek's pass crossings call for real cold and glacier-ready gear: microspikes or lightweight crampons for the Cho La descent, since conditions vary enough that carrying your own is safer than hoping the teahouse rental stock fits, trekking poles for the long descents off each pass, a headtorch for the pre-dawn starts on pass-crossing days, glacier glasses or high-UV sunglasses for the exposed snow sections, and a sleeping bag rated to at least minus 15 degrees Celsius for the coldest nights at Lobuche, Dzongla and Gorakshep.
Cost and What's Included
Our all-inclusive price starts from USD 2,390 per person. That covers all airport and hotel transfers in Kathmandu, deluxe twin-share accommodation with breakfast, a farewell dinner, round-trip Lukla flights, full board during the trek, a government-registered English-speaking guide with first aid and eco-training, Sherpa porter support at one porter for every two trekkers, both required permits, a down jacket and four-season sleeping bag, a duffel bag and trekking map, and a dedicated first aid kit.
Not included: your Nepal visa, international airfare, meals in Kathmandu outside the welcome and farewell dinners, any extra nights caused by early arrival, late departure or Lukla flight delays, and travel and rescue insurance, which is required but not sold directly by us. Given Lukla flight disruptions are common enough in this region to genuinely plan around, we recommend building at least one buffer day into your own schedule beyond day 20.
Everest Three Passes vs Standard Everest Base Camp Trek
The standard Everest Base Camp trek is an out-and-back walk up a single valley, typically 12 to 14 days, moderate to hard, and considerably more heavily trafficked, since it's the region's default itinerary. This trek instead loops through four valleys, adds three genuinely demanding pass crossings, and roughly doubles the trip length. If your time or fitness is limited, or this is your first Everest region trek, the standard route to Base Camp remains the right call. If you want a complete circuit, far fewer other trekkers on the trail beyond Namche, and views of Gokyo and Chhukung that the standard route never offers, this is the stronger choice.
20 Minutes
Hotel
Kathmandu
Welcome Dinner
Popular
Luxury
