5 Popular Everest Treks In 2026/27
The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla takes 35 minutes and drops you at 2,860 metres in the Khumbu valley, which is where every Everest treks begins but not where any of them are the same.
The Everest Base Camp Trek is 13 days, reaches Kala Patthar at 5,555 metres, where Everest south face sits directly in front of you with nothing blocking the angle, and starts from $955. The Everest Gokyo Ri Trek runs 12 days and reaches Gokyo Ri at 5,445 metres, where Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu all appear in one frame, starting from $1,050. The Everest Three Passes Trek is 18 days, crossing Kongma La, Cho La, and Renjo La in a full circuit of the Khumbu, starting from $1,120. The Everest View Trek goes to Tengboche Monastery at 3,867 metres in 8 days and is the right entry point for first-timers or anyone with a short window, starting from $710. And the Chola Pass Trek combines Gokyo Ri and EBC through the Cho La glacier crossing at 5,420 metres in 16 days, starting from $1,080.
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Why Everest Is the Most Popular Trekking Region in Nepal?
On May 29, 1953, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Everest at 8,849 metres. Tenzing was from the Khumbu. He grew up in these valleys. The mountain was his neighbour before it was anyone’s bucket list item.
And that history sits in the Khumbu in ways you notice on the trail. The Sherpa people have lived here since the 16th century, when they migrated from Tibet and brought Buddhism with them. For 500 years this has been a functioning Buddhist community and the monasteries, mani walls, and prayer flags you pass every day are not installed for visitors. They are part of how people live. Tengboche Monastery was first built in 1916 and burned in 1989 and rebuilt and the monks have been doing morning prayer at 6am through both versions of the building.
Namche Bazaar at 3,440 metres has a Saturday market going back generations, a museum tracking Everest expedition history from the 1921 reconnaissance forward, bakeries, gear shops, the best coffee on any trekking route in Nepal. Trekkers get an acclimatization day here. And almost everyone wishes for two.
Above Namche, the trees thin and Ama Dablam appears at 6,812 metres over the ridge to the east. Most trekkers spend more time looking at Ama Dablam than at Everest because the shape is sharper, more dramatic, and it follows you for days. No photograph has ever done it justice.
The Ngozumpa Glacier flows from Cho Oyu at 8,188 metres and at 36 kilometres it is the longest glacier in the Himalayas. The Gokyo Lakes sit above it at 4,750 to 5,000 metres. Above 5,000 metres the air carries roughly half the oxygen of sea level. That number explains everything the word acclimatization means on any Everest trek itinerary.
13 Days Everest Base Camp Trek Starting At $955
| Day | Destination | Altitude | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive Kathmandu | 1,350m | – |
| 2 | Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding | 2,652m | 3 to 4 hrs |
| 3 | Phakding to Namche Bazaar via Monjo | 3,440m | 5 to 7 hrs |
| 4 | Acclimatization day in Namche | 3,440m | Optional hike |
| 5 | Namche to Tengboche via Phunke Tenga | 3,867m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 6 | Tengboche to Dingboche | 4,410m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 7 | Acclimatization day in Dingboche | 4,410m | Optional hike |
| 8 | Dingboche to Lobuche | 4,910m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 9 | Lobuche to Gorakshep, visit EBC | 5,364m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 10 | Kala Patthar (5,555m), descend to Pheriche | 4,240m | 7 to 9 hrs |
| 11 | Pheriche to Namche Bazaar | 3,440m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 12 | Namche to Lukla | 2,800m | 6 to 8 hrs |
| 13 | Fly Lukla to Kathmandu | 1,350m | – |
Day 9 is Everest Base Camp at 5,364 metres. Day 10 is Kala Patthar at 5,555 metres. Both matter and both go in the schedule for different reasons.
Base Camp in spring has expedition tents spread across the glacier, the low sound of the Khumbu Icefall shifting above it, and a feeling of scale that hits trekkers differently from how they expected. You stand at the foot of the highest mountain on earth. The icefall makes sounds like something very large adjusting its weight. Kala Patthar the following morning, reached before sunrise before the clouds come in from the south, gives you the clearest unobstructed view of Everest south face on any trekking route in the region. One is about presence. The other is about clarity. Neither gets skipped.
The walk from Lukla to Base Camp runs 65 kilometres one way, 5 to 7 hours per day, no climbing, no ropes, no glacier crossings. So what actually stops people? Altitude does. And the reason is almost always the same one. They moved too fast in the first four or five days before the elevation became a factor and by the time it did, the body had not had what it needed.
But both acclimatization days, in Namche and Dingboche, are in the schedule because the mountain requires them. Our guides manage pace from day one. The trekkers who arrive at Dingboche feeling strong are the ones who held back in the lower section. The ones who pushed early are the ones our guides are watching above 4,000 metres.
Training before you leave means 4 to 6 weeks of uphill walking with a loaded pack. Not flat cardio. Because the gap between finishing and struggling is built at home, not on the trail.
12 Days Everest Gokyo Ri Trek Starting At $1,050
| Day | Destination | Altitude | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive Kathmandu | 1,350m | – |
| 2 | Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding | 2,610m | 3 to 4 hrs |
| 3 | Phakding to Namche Bazaar | 3,440m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 4 | Acclimatization day in Namche | 3,440m | Optional hike |
| 5 | Namche to Dole | 4,110m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 6 | Dole to Machhermo | 4,480m | 4 to 5 hrs |
| 7 | Machhermo to Gokyo Lake | 4,750m | 4 to 5 hrs |
| 8 | Gokyo Ri (5,445m), explore Gokyo Lakes | 5,445m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 9 | Gokyo to Lumde via Renjo La Pass (5,360m) | 4,368m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 10 | Lumde to Namche via Thame | 3,440m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 11 | Namche to Lukla | 2,860m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 12 | Fly Lukla to Kathmandu | 1,350m | – |
The Gokyo Lakes below the summit run at 4,700 to 5,000 metres, fed by the Ngozumpa Glacier. Six lakes total. The largest, Dudh Pokhari, runs about a kilometre across. On a clear morning the water holds a blue-green colour that sits somewhere between the sky and the ice above it, and we have yet to see a photograph that captures it accurately. The yak caravans that pass the lake on their way up to the higher pastures create the only sound in that valley most mornings other than wind.
Because Everest Gokyo Ri trek crosses Renjo La Pass at 5,360 metres without requiring glacier equipment, it demands noticeably more stamina than the standard EBC trail while keeping the technical exposure lower than the Cho La routes. Trekkers who have done EBC and want a harder physical challenge without a glacier crossing often choose this one next.
18 Days Everest Three Passes Trek Starting At $1,120
| Day | Destination | Altitude | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive Kathmandu | 1,350m | – |
| 2 | Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding | 2,640m | 3 to 4 hrs |
| 3 | Phakding to Namche Bazaar via Monjo | 3,440m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 4 | Acclimatization day in Namche | 3,440m | Optional hike |
| 5 | Namche to Tengboche | 3,860m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 6 | Tengboche to Dingboche | 4,410m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 7 | Acclimatization day in Dingboche | 4,410m | Optional hike |
| 8 | Dingboche to Lobuche via Kongma La (5,535m) | 4,910m | 7 to 8 hrs |
| 9 | Lobuche to Gorakshep, visit EBC | 5,364m | 3 to 4 hrs |
| 10 | Kala Patthar (5,555m), descend to Dzongla | 4,830m | 7 to 8 hrs |
| 11 | Dzongla to Gokyo via Cho La Pass (5,420m) | 4,790m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 12 | Gokyo Ri (5,357m) and back to Gokyo | 4,790m | 4 to 5 hrs |
| 13 | Gokyo to Lumde via Renjo La (5,360m) | 4,380m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 14 | Lumde to Thame | 3,800m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 15 | Thame to Monjo via Namche | 2,835m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 16 | Monjo to Lukla via Phakding | 2,840m | 4 to 5 hrs |
| 17 | Fly Lukla to Kathmandu | 1,350m | – |
| 18 | Departure | – | – |
The Everest Three Passes route does not go to a higher point than EBC. Kala Patthar at 5,555 metres is the same summit on both routes. But it shows you the Khumbu from three directions instead of one, and the region looks completely different depending on which valley you are standing in.
Three crossings. Kongma La at 5,535 metres on day 8 is the highest, a long push up from Dingboche with the full Khumbu massif opening behind you as you climb. Cho La at 5,420 metres on day 11 has a glacier section requiring crampons, which our guides carry and brief you on the evening before the crossing. Renjo La at 5,360 metres on day 13 is the third. Between the passes you visit Base Camp, summit Kala Patthar, climb Gokyo Ri, and walk through the Gokyo Lakes valley. Nothing in the Khumbu gets left out.
And strenuous is the right rating. Ten of eighteen days above 4,000 metres, three separate pass crossings, cumulative altitude exposure that adds up in ways one hard day does not. This route needs prior Himalayan experience. Come to it after EBC.
8 Days Everest View Trek Starting At $710
| Day | Destination | Altitude | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive Kathmandu | 1,350m | – |
| 2 | Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding | 2,652m | 3 to 4 hrs |
| 3 | Phakding to Namche Bazaar | 3,440m | 5 to 7 hrs |
| 4 | Acclimatization day in Namche | 3,440m | Optional hike |
| 5 | Namche to Tengboche | 3,867m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 6 | Tengboche to Monjo | 2,835m | 4 to 5 hrs |
| 7 | Monjo to Lukla | 2,860m | 4 to 5 hrs |
| 8 | Fly Lukla to Kathmandu | 1,350m | – |
The Everest View Trek goes to 3,867 metres at Tengboche Monastery and comes back in 8 days. It is the right choice for a first-time Himalayan trekker or anyone with limited days who wants a real Khumbu experience rather than a helicopter ride.
Tengboche on day 5 sits on a ridge with Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam visible from the courtyard on clear mornings. Morning prayer at 6am with those peaks through the window behind the monks is specific to this building and this hour. The monastery was first built in 1916, burned in 1989, and rebuilt. The acclimatization day in Namche on day 4 includes an optional hike to Syangboche at 3,962 metres where the Everest View Hotel sits with a clear look at the massif on good mornings.
At 3,867 metres the AMS risk is significantly lower than the 5,000 metre routes. One acclimatization day in Namche is enough for most healthy travelers. Is it a consolation prize for not reaching Base Camp? Genuinely no. for not reaching Base Camp. It is a genuine Khumbu experience with Sherpa cultural depth that stands on its own.
16 Days Chola Pass Trek Starting At $1,080
| Day | Destination | Altitude | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive Kathmandu | 1,350m | – |
| 2 | Fly to Lukla, trek to Phakding | 2,860m | 3 to 4 hrs |
| 3 | Phakding to Namche Bazaar | 3,440m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 4 | Acclimatization day in Namche | 3,440m | Optional hike |
| 5 | Namche to Dole | 4,110m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 6 | Dole to Machhermo | 4,480m | 4 to 5 hrs |
| 7 | Machhermo to Gokyo | 4,790m | 3 to 4 hrs |
| 8 | Gokyo Ri (5,357m) and back to Gokyo | 4,790m | 4 to 5 hrs |
| 9 | Gokyo to Dzongla via Cho La Pass (5,420m) | 4,830m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 10 | Dzongla to Lobuche | 4,910m | 3 to 4 hrs |
| 11 | Lobuche to Gorakshep, visit EBC | 5,364m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 12 | Kala Patthar (5,555m), descend to Pheriche | 4,240m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 13 | Pheriche to Namche Bazaar | 3,440m | 6 to 7 hrs |
| 14 | Namche to Lukla | 2,800m | 5 to 6 hrs |
| 15 | Fly Lukla to Kathmandu | 1,350m | – |
| 16 | Departure | – | – |
The Chola Pass Trek is for trekkers who have already done EBC and want both Gokyo Ri and Base Camp in one trip without the full 18-day Three Passes circuit.
So you go up the Gokyo valley first. Gokyo Ri at 5,357 metres on day 8, the four-peak summit view the EBC trail does not offer. Then Cho La Pass at 5,420 metres on day 9 to cross onto the EBC trail at Lobuche. Base Camp at 5,364 metres on day 11. Kala Patthar at 5,555 metres on day 12. Both major Khumbu high points in 16 days connected by one glacier crossing.
Cho La is where the route earns its strenuous rating. Two to three hours on ice, crampons required, route conditions change after storms. Our guides carry the equipment, brief trekkers the evening before, and check conditions the morning of the crossing. The go or no-go decision is made that day based on what the pass actually looks like, not what the forecast said. Prior altitude experience is needed here. Not just fitness.
Are There Beginner-Friendly Everest Treks?
Two of the five routes work for first-timers. The other three need prior altitude experience.
| Everest View | EBC Trek | Gokyo Ri | Chola Pass | Three Passes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 8 days | 13 days | 12 days | 16 days | 18 days |
| Max altitude | 3,867m | 5,555m | 5,445m | 5,555m | 5,555m |
| Difficulty | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Strenuous | Strenuous |
| First-timer | Yes | With prep | With prep | Not advised | Not advised |
| Group price | $710 | $955 | $1,050 | $1,080 | $1,120 |
The Everest View Trek at 3,867 metres is the clearest yes for a first-timer. Manageable altitude, one acclimatization day in Namche, real Sherpa cultural contact at Tengboche. No prior altitude experience needed.
The EBC Trek and Gokyo Ri are accessible to first-timers who prepare properly. Four to six weeks of uphill walking with a loaded pack before leaving home, and then the discipline to walk at the pace the guide sets in the first few days rather than the pace that feels natural. The gap between finishing and struggling is built at home, not on the trail.
The Chola Pass and Three Passes need prior altitude experience. Glacier terrain at 5,420 metres and 10-plus days above 4,000 metres are not things fitness alone gets you through.
What about altitude sickness? Acute Mountain Sickness can affect anyone above 3,500 metres regardless of fitness level. Persistent headache, nausea, and loss of appetite that rest does not fix are the signs to watch for. Our guides monitor for these every day and know how to adjust pace or add a rest day when they appear. Travel insurance covering helicopter evacuation is required for any route above 4,000 metres. Arrange this before you travel.
Since April 2023 all foreign trekkers must hire a licensed guide in the Everest region. And from March 2026, TAAN removed the two-person minimum. One person with a licensed guide is now fully legal on all routes. Our team provides guides for solo travelers and all group sizes.
Are There Shorter Everest Trek Options for People With Less Time?
Yes. But the options cover more ground than most people realise when they first look at this region.
With 8 days the Everest View Trek reaches Tengboche Monastery at 3,867 metres, includes Namche Bazaar, the Syangboche acclimatization hike, and genuine Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam views on the trail. Real Khumbu walking. Not a helicopter flyover. Group price $710.
With 12 days the Gokyo Ri Trek puts you at 5,445 metres above the Gokyo Lakes with four 8,000 metre peaks visible at once and a Renjo La Pass crossing on the way out. Many trekkers who have done both routes rate this summit view above Kala Patthar.
With one morning the Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour lands near Base Camp at Kalapatthar at 5,545 metres and returns to Kathmandu by midday. From $1,400 per person shared. It is not what walking the Khumbu gives you. But for someone with genuinely one day it is a real option that puts them in the high Himalayas.
With 13 days and proper preparation, EBC is still the right answer for most people asking this question. Nothing on this list replaces the experience of walking the Khumbu day by day, the way Tenzing Norgay walked it his whole life.
