Everest Three Passes Trek 19 Days

Best Time to Trek the Everest Three Passes

There are four seasons in Nepal, and different seasons have different scenes and views. Different seasons offer different views of the same place. Overall, the best seasons to trek the Everest Three Passes are Spring and Autumn when the climate and weather are moderate.

Autumn season 

Autumn season falls between September to November, where the weather during autumn is moderate with clear skies and a favorable environment where there is less chance of rainfall and snowfall. After the monsoon season, autumn starts, and all the dust is washed away by the rain, where all the trails clean and dust-free.

Spring season 

 The spring season falls between March to May, which is one of the best times for trekking in the Everest Three Passes. In spring, you can see whole, fresh snow-capped mountains. After the winter season, the spring season starts when you can enjoy the mountain view with fresh snow, and the weather is perfect, where it is very cold during the morning and nighttime, and during the day, the temperature is moderate.

Avoid the monsoon (June to August) due to heavy rain, muddy trails, and obscured views, and winter (December to February) because of extreme cold, heavy snow, and potentially impassable passes. While you can trek during these off-seasons, it requires more experience and preparation for harsh conditions.

Accommodation and Meals on the Everest Three High Pass Trek

Trekking the Everest Three High Passes is an incredible adventure, and understanding the accommodation and meal situation is key to a comfortable journey. Unlike a camping trek, you'll be relying on a network of teahouses (lodges), which are essentially guesthouses run by local Sherpa families.

Accommodation

Think of teahouses as a blend of basic comfort and authentic local experience. As you ascend higher on the Three Passes route, the facilities generally become simpler due to the challenging logistics of transporting supplies.

Room 

Most rooms are twin-sharing, meaning two single beds. You'll usually find a thin foam mattress, a pillow, and a couple of blankets. While blankets are provided, I highly recommend bringing your four-season sleeping bag (rated to at least 0°F or -18°C), especially for higher elevations and during colder months. The teahouse blankets might not be sufficient for warmth, and having your sleeping bag ensures hygiene.

Walls and Noise: Teahouse walls are typically thin, often made of plywood or thin wood. This means you'll hear sounds from neighboring rooms. Earplugs are an absolute must-have for a good night's sleep.

Heating

Rooms usually do not have heating. The main source of warmth is the communal dining hall, which often has a central stove (heated by yak dung or wood) that's lit in the evenings. Trekkers gather here to socialize, warm up, and eat.

Bathrooms & Showers

This is where things get truly basic as you go higher.

• Lower Elevations 

(e.g., Lukla, Phakding, Namche Bazaar)You'll find more developed teahouses, some offering attached bathrooms with Western-style toilets and even hot showers (often gas or solar heated). These typically come at an extra cost (around $2-7 USD) and might not always be reliable.

• Higher Elevations

(e.g., Lobuche, Gorak Shep, Dzongla, Gokyo Lakes)Expect shared bathrooms, which can be Western or traditional squat toilets. Hot showers become rarer and may involve simply a bucket of hot water. The facilities are basic and may not always be pristine. Always carry your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer, as these are rarely provided.

Electricity & Charging

Electricity is usually available in teahouses, primarily from solar power or mini-hydro projects. However, it can be unreliable, especially on cloudy days or at higher altitudes. There's often a charge for charging electronic devices (phones, cameras, power banks), typically around $2-5 USD per hour or device. Keep your battery use conservative, and consider bringing a solar charger or a large power bank.

Wi-Fi & Connectivity

Wi-Fi is available in some teahouses, especially in larger villages like Namche Bazaar. However, it's often slow, expensive (can be $5-10 USD for limited data), and unreliable. Beyond Namche, expect very limited or no internet access. Most trekkers purchase a local SIM card in Kathmandu for better connectivity lower down.

Meals

Teahouses provide all your meals, and it's generally expected that you eat at the teahouse where you're staying. This is how the teahouse owners make their living, as room rates are often very low (sometimes even free if you commit to eating all your meals there).

The menus are surprisingly extensive given the remote locations, but the options are generally centered around hearty, energy-rich foods suitable for high altitude. You'll find:

• Dal Bhat: This is the staple of the Nepali diet and a trekker's best friend. It's a combination of rice, lentil soup (dal), and vegetable curry (tarkari), often served with a small portion of pickle. The best part? It's often "all you can eat" – you can ask for refills of rice and dal until you're full. This is the most economical and nutritious option.
• Noodle Dishes: Thukpa (Tibetan noodle soup), fried noodles (chowmein), and instant noodles (often Maggi or Wai Wai) are popular choices.
• Rice Dishes: Fried rice (veg, egg, or sometimes chicken if available).
• Potato Dishes: Boiled potatoes, chips/fries, or Sherpa stew with potatoes.
• Egg Dishes: Omelets, fried eggs.
• Bread & Breakfast Items: Tibetan bread, chapati, toast with jam/honey, porridge.
• Soups: Various vegetable soups, garlic soup (believed to help with altitude sickness).
• Basic Western Options: Some teahouses, especially lower down, might offer basic pizza, pasta, or spring rolls.

Cost of Food

The price of meals (and drinks) increases significantly with altitude. This is purely due to the challenging logistics of transporting supplies – everything has to be carried by porters or yaks. What costs a few dollars in Lukla could be 2X more than the price in Gorak Shep. Expect to pay around $5-15 USD per meal, depending on altitude and choice. Drinks like tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and soft drinks are extra and can quickly add up. A cup of tea might be $1-2 in lower villages, but $3-5 higher up.

Water & hydration

Bottled water is available but expensive ($2-5 USD per liter bottle at high altitude). To save money and reduce plastic waste, I strongly recommend carrying a reusable water bottle and using water purification tablets, a Steripen, or a filtered bottle to treat local tap water (which is generally safe once treated). Many teahouses also sell boiled water at a lower cost than bottled water.

Permits  for Everest Three Pass Trek

• Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit

It will cost you NPR 3,000 per person (approximately USD 25).

• Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Fee

It will cost you NPR 2,000 per person (approximately $15-20 USD). Note: Some sources indicate this may have increased to NPR 3,000 recently.

Transportation for the Everest Three Passes Trek

Flying to Lukla (Your Main Option)

The most common way to begin your adventure is by taking a short, thrilling domestic flight from Manthali to Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport. This 30-40 minute flight offers breathtaking views of the Himalayas. However, these flights are heavily weather-dependent. Delays and cancellations are frequent, so it's wise to build extra buffer days into your itinerary. During peak seasons (March-May and September-November), flights often originate from Ramechhap (Manthali Airport), requiring a pre-dawn 4-5 hour drive from Kathmandu before your flight. This adds a significant travel component to your first day. Book your Lukla flights well in advance!

Drive to Surke Lower Lukla (Adventurous alternative option)

If you have more time and prefer to avoid the Lukla flight, you can opt for an overland journey. This involves taking a bus or shared jeep from Kathmandu to Surkhi. This drive can be long, lasting 12-15 hours. From there, you'll trek to Surle on foot for 2 hours to reach Lukla, where you'll join the main Everest trails. This route is slower but offers a more grounded start to your Himalayan experience.