Everest Three Passes Route Map: Stages, Distances & Altitude

The Loop in One Paragraph

You fly into Lukla (2,840 m) and walk the standard Everest trail up the Dudh Koshi to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m), Tengboche (3,860 m) and Dingboche (4,410 m). From there the circuit diverges: you head east up the Imja valley to Chukhung (4,730 m), cross Kongma La (5,535 m) onto the Khumbu Glacier at Lobuche (4,910 m), then walk up to Everest Base Camp (5,364 m) and Kala Patthar (5,545 m). Next you traverse west to Dzongla (4,830 m), cross Cho La (5,420 m) to Thagnak (4,700 m), walk over the Ngozumpa Glacier to Gokyo (4,790 m), climb Gokyo Ri (5,357 m), and finally cross Renjo La (5,360 m) into the Bhote Koshi valley, descending through Thame back to Namche and Lukla.

Unlike Everest Base Camp, this is a genuine loop. You retrace only the Lukla–Namche section at each end. Everything between Dingboche and Thame is walked once, which is why the trek delivers so much more variety for the extra week it demands.

Stage-by-Stage Route Table

Distances are trail distances and vary between GPS tracks by a few kilometres; treat them as planning figures rather than survey data. Walking hours assume a moderately fit, acclimatised trekker without a heavy pack.

Add rest or weather days and most operators sell this as an 18 to 21-day trip. The three pass days plus the Kala Patthar day mean four separate efforts above 5,300 m, which is what makes this trek physiologically different from Everest Base Camp rather than just longer.

The Three Passes Compared

The passes are not interchangeable. Each has a different character, and knowing which is which changes how you plan gear and contingency.

Kongma La (5,535 m) — the highest and the hardest

The highest of the three and the one most often underestimated. From Chukhung it is a relentless climb over boulder fields and past frozen tarns, with no lodge, no teahouse and no water source for most of the day. The descent to Lobuche crosses the Khumbu Glacier moraine, which is slow, loose and tiring at the end of an already long day. Because it usually comes first, you are also the least acclimatised of the three crossings. Many trekkers rate this as the single toughest day of the entire circuit.

Cho La (5,420 m) — the most technical

Lower than Kongma La but the one requiring the most care. The approach from Dzongla climbs to a small glacier that you cross near the top, where the surface can be bare ice. Microspikes or crampons and an ice axe are genuinely useful here, and the exit gully on the Thagnak side is steep and prone to rockfall when parties are strung out above you. It is also the pass most often closed for a day or two after heavy snow.

Renjo La (5,360 m) — the most beautiful

The lowest of the three and the most straightforward underfoot, though the final approach from Gokyo is a steep staircase of rock and, in season, snow. The reward is the view most trekkers remember longest: turning around near the top to see the Gokyo lakes below with Everest framed behind. The descent into the Bhote Koshi valley is long but not difficult, and the valley beyond feels remarkably empty after two weeks on busier trails.

Which Direction Should You Walk?

The circuit can be walked either way, and the choice has real consequences.

Anticlockwise: Kongma La first (the standard)

This is the itinerary above, and what most agencies sell. Its logic is that the walk up to Dingboche follows the well-serviced Everest Base Camp trail, giving you six days of gradual acclimatisation with lodges, bakeries and rescue options at every stage before you commit to a pass. You also reach Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar relatively early, so if weather or altitude forces you to abandon the loop, you have already seen the trek's most famous objectives and can descend the standard trail.

Clockwise: Renjo La first

Walking clockwise means going up the Bhote valley through Thame and crossing Renjo La into Gokyo early. The advantages are quieter trails from day three and a gentler introductory pass. The problems are more significant: you gain altitude faster with fewer lodges and less rescue infrastructure, and the Thame side has thinner acclimatisation options. Experienced trekkers who have been high before sometimes prefer it. For a first Himalayan trek at this altitude, anticlockwise is the safer default.

If you are choosing between this circuit and something shorter, our Everest Base Camp guide and Gokyo Lakes guide cover the two halves of this route as standalone treks.

Bail-Out Points and Escape Routes

On a loop this long at this altitude, knowing where you can leave matters as much as knowing where you are going. The realistic exits, in order along the route:

• Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) — the best-equipped settlement in the Khumbu, with clinics, an ATM, gear shops and helicopter access. Two days' walk from Lukla.
• Dingboche (4,410 m) — a Himalayan Rescue Association aid post operates here in season. From Dingboche you can descend the main trail rather than commit to Kongma La.
• Chukhung (4,730 m) — the last point before the first pass. If the weather closes in, retreating to Dingboche costs you half a day and no more.
• Pheriche (4,371 m) — the region's main seasonal medical post, reachable from Lobuche if altitude sickness develops after Kongma La.
• Dzongla (4,830 m) — the decision point for Cho La. If the pass is snowed in, you can walk back to Pheriche and out via the standard trail.
• Gokyo (4,790 m) — if Renjo La is closed, the Gokyo valley descends directly to Dole, Mong La and Namche in two days. Skipping the third pass is the most common partial completion of this trek and no reason to feel short-changed.

Helicopter evacuation is available from most of the route in clear weather, though it is expensive and insurance-dependent. Confirm your policy covers helicopter rescue above 5,000 m before you leave home, and read the altitude sickness guide for this route.

Maps, Apps and Trail Finding

The Lukla-to-Dingboche section is impossible to lose. The passes are a different matter, particularly in fresh snow when cairns are buried and the boot-pack disappears.

• Paper maps: the widely sold 1:50,000 Khumbu Himal sheet covers the whole loop and is available in Thamel bookshops in Kathmandu for a few hundred rupees. Useful for planning; not detailed enough for pass navigation in poor visibility.
• Offline apps: download the region in Maps.me, Gaia GPS or OsmAnd before you leave Kathmandu. OpenStreetMap coverage of the Khumbu is unusually good because so many trekkers contribute traces.
• Cairns and prayer flags mark all three pass crossings, but they are only useful when visible. On Cho La in particular, a whiteout means turning back rather than route-finding.
• Your guide is the real navigation system. A licensed guide who has crossed these passes in the current season knows which side of the Cho La glacier is safe this year, and that knowledge is not on any map. See the guide and porter guide.

Mobile coverage exists in patches: Ncell and NTC both reach Namche, Dingboche and Gokyo, and Everest Link sells prepaid wi-fi cards used in most lodges. There is no reliable signal on any of the three passes.