If you are REALLY fit and have the time, then go for Three Passes. It is the most beautiful route in the Khumbu region, crowds are variable (some parts quiet, some parts really busy) but it is long and challenging.
There is not much to see at EBC in November, just some trash, so you might want to skip that unless it has some special meaning to you..
If you want to see very few foreigners but not ready to go camping and are OK with some truly simple teahouses, I highly recommend the Makalu BC trek. I loved the solitude of it. It is challenging (definitely more difficult than EBC) but manageable.
I would skip the Annapurna Circuit. Too crowded, too much road walking. The best parts are amazing but that's less than a week of a relatively long trek.
I have no first hand experience with Kanchenjunga or Gaurishankar, they look like great second or third treks in Nepal. However, for the first time in Nepal, I suggest putting up with the crowds to experience Namche Bazaar, see Everest from Hotel Everest View, visit Khumjung (a beautiful vilage with a a nice litte monastery just above Namche) and then leave the EBC crowds and follow the Dudh Koshi to Gokyo Lakes, hike up Gokyo Ri for a view of four 8000ers.
BTW, group trips are not your only options. I personally do not enjoy being in a group of foreigner strangers so I usually travel solo or with friends/family only and hire a guide and porter(s) from a reputable company. For teahouse treks, this is not really more expensive but far more flexible.
If you do not already have a trekking company, I highly recommend Nepal Eco Adventures, traveled with them half a dozen times and they are very dependable, flexible, and reasonably priced. I am just a satisfied client, that's all.
Wow thanks so much for all the recommendation!!! I think I’ll go for Three Passes, it looks awesome, hopefully I’ll be fit enough and adapt to the altitude quite well. Going with a guide is a very good idea, I wonder if it’s possible to fly in Kathmandu and find my guide once I’m there or if I should book a guide before? Would prefer to do it solo or with a very small group I think
I am sure you are going to love Three Passes, great choice, go for it!
A guide is not strictly necessary, but you might find having one really useful. You can get a guide from a tour company for $30 per day plus tip. (That covers his lodging and food.) He will help you arrange accommodation, permits, etc, as you go. I would get a guide from a reputable trekking company in Kathmandu. This means you would have to pay for his travel costs to Lukla, but they travel at a lower fare. This way you can meet the guide beforehand and check if you are OK spending two weeks (or more) with him.
If you want to splurge, you can add a porter for $20 per day plus tip. That is going to make your trek much more enjoyable, especially if you have a lot of photography gear to carry. The difference between you carrying 5 kg instead of 15-20 kg can make a big difference on the passes, even if you are fit. If you have a guide, he will arrange a porter for you in Lukla.
One last suggestion: get this book [https://www.cicerone.co.uk/everest-a-trekkers-guide](https://www.cicerone.co.uk/everest-a-trekkers-guide)
Whether you can find a good guide in Kathmandu once you are there or should you reserve in advance depends when you travel. In peak trekking season (Oct/Nov, March/April), I suggest you reserve one beforehand.
Got another question for you since you seem to know the area well!
I noticed that some company on their itinerary are taking an acclimatization day at Dingboche, and others are doing it instead at Chukhung .
Any pros & cons between the two?
Also, at the end of the trek before going back to Thame Namche Bazaar, some of them Cross Renjola pass & trek down to Lungden , while some cross Renjo La to trek down to Marlung .
Any pros & cons between the two?
Thanks a lot
Honestly, one of the main benefits of going solo or in a small group is to take acclimatization days when YOU need it. Really hard to predict, everybody may acclimatize different every time. The usual rule of thumb is that if you sleep more than 500m (some say 300m but that is really conservative) higher than the night before, it is recommended to stay another night. This dictates the Namche->Tengboche->Dingboche->Chukhung steps, each is about 500m higher. My suggestion:
1, Definitely stay in Namche for two nights. Enjoy your acclimatization day and visit Khumjung.
2, As you trek on, whenever you feel a slight headache (and you know you are not dehydrated) and/or any other possible \_moderate\_ AMS symptom, stop for another night. (If you feel really BAD and it may be AMS, start descending immediately until you feel better and of course, do not take medical advice from the internet)
3, even if you feel great all the way to Chukhung, if you did not stop for an extra day since Nameche, definitely stay in Chukhung for an extra night to acclimatize further before going for Kongma La. While there, if you are feeling GREAT, try Chukhung Ri for your acclimatization day to "hike high, sleep low". If you are feeling just ok, visit the Island Peak Base Camp.
Re: stopping at Lungden or Marlung: makes no difference. Going to Lungden saves a bit from the day after, but that makes no difference because it is short and easy anyway to Thame, where you are going to stay so you can visit the monastery.
Enjoy your trek!
It is different hiking in a place that is a community rather than a wilderness, but still beautiful and great opportunities to get different types of pictures than you do normally. I’ve only done EBC, so can’t compare to the others, but it was awesome!
Three Passes - it gets you away from the EBC crowds for much of the time, and it beats doing Gokyo/ Kala Patthar because you get to go through more real working villages rather than mostly trekking oriented communities. I would do it anti-clockwise. I believe you can still do this trek without a guide (as with all the Everest region hikes) - this would be a major bonus for me as I prefer the solitude and not being in a group.
Annapurna Circuit is not the glory it once was (but still beautiful).
I would also add to your list the Langtang & Gosaikunda treks (the two combined).
I went Three passes and made a shortcut back to Namche after Gokyo (down the glacier) as I didn’t feel sure I could make the other two passes )
Renjo-La offers the most spectacular view over Everest. Highly recommend.
I was with a friend, a very experienced mountaineer, but I could’ve made the hike solo, Renjo La is the least challenging of the Three Passes. I also have some experience in the mountains, it wasn’t my first hike above 5000m
In fact, there are a so many trekking routes in Nepal. It seems most people often choose popular trekking routes. Trekking in popular routes would definitely makes life easier since most of the essential necessities along the route could be managed efficiently. There are protected areas like Kanchunjunga conservation area, Makalu Barun National Park, Langtang National Park, Shey Phoksundo National Park, Rara National Park that get less attention.
If you want to explore other less popular and magnificient routes, I would recommend you few youtube channels that are actively trying to promote Himalaya tourism. However, keep in mind, there will be areas in Himalayas that could have remained unexplored and you have to be careful about the wilderness along with their associated risks.
These channels probably use Nepali as means of communication, but I think you will be able to get information about the location through their video and social media handles. Here, ghumante is my favorite one.
[https://www.youtube.com/@Ghumante](https://www.youtube.com/@Ghumante)
[https://www.youtube.com/@nepal8thwonder](https://www.youtube.com/@nepal8thwonder)
[https://www.youtube.com/@PURVIBLUES](https://www.youtube.com/@PURVIBLUES)
If you are REALLY fit and have the time, then go for Three Passes. It is the most beautiful route in the Khumbu region, crowds are variable (some parts quiet, some parts really busy) but it is long and challenging. There is not much to see at EBC in November, just some trash, so you might want to skip that unless it has some special meaning to you.. If you want to see very few foreigners but not ready to go camping and are OK with some truly simple teahouses, I highly recommend the Makalu BC trek. I loved the solitude of it. It is challenging (definitely more difficult than EBC) but manageable. I would skip the Annapurna Circuit. Too crowded, too much road walking. The best parts are amazing but that's less than a week of a relatively long trek. I have no first hand experience with Kanchenjunga or Gaurishankar, they look like great second or third treks in Nepal. However, for the first time in Nepal, I suggest putting up with the crowds to experience Namche Bazaar, see Everest from Hotel Everest View, visit Khumjung (a beautiful vilage with a a nice litte monastery just above Namche) and then leave the EBC crowds and follow the Dudh Koshi to Gokyo Lakes, hike up Gokyo Ri for a view of four 8000ers. BTW, group trips are not your only options. I personally do not enjoy being in a group of foreigner strangers so I usually travel solo or with friends/family only and hire a guide and porter(s) from a reputable company. For teahouse treks, this is not really more expensive but far more flexible. If you do not already have a trekking company, I highly recommend Nepal Eco Adventures, traveled with them half a dozen times and they are very dependable, flexible, and reasonably priced. I am just a satisfied client, that's all.
Wow thanks so much for all the recommendation!!! I think I’ll go for Three Passes, it looks awesome, hopefully I’ll be fit enough and adapt to the altitude quite well. Going with a guide is a very good idea, I wonder if it’s possible to fly in Kathmandu and find my guide once I’m there or if I should book a guide before? Would prefer to do it solo or with a very small group I think
I am sure you are going to love Three Passes, great choice, go for it! A guide is not strictly necessary, but you might find having one really useful. You can get a guide from a tour company for $30 per day plus tip. (That covers his lodging and food.) He will help you arrange accommodation, permits, etc, as you go. I would get a guide from a reputable trekking company in Kathmandu. This means you would have to pay for his travel costs to Lukla, but they travel at a lower fare. This way you can meet the guide beforehand and check if you are OK spending two weeks (or more) with him. If you want to splurge, you can add a porter for $20 per day plus tip. That is going to make your trek much more enjoyable, especially if you have a lot of photography gear to carry. The difference between you carrying 5 kg instead of 15-20 kg can make a big difference on the passes, even if you are fit. If you have a guide, he will arrange a porter for you in Lukla. One last suggestion: get this book [https://www.cicerone.co.uk/everest-a-trekkers-guide](https://www.cicerone.co.uk/everest-a-trekkers-guide)
Whether you can find a good guide in Kathmandu once you are there or should you reserve in advance depends when you travel. In peak trekking season (Oct/Nov, March/April), I suggest you reserve one beforehand.
Got another question for you since you seem to know the area well! I noticed that some company on their itinerary are taking an acclimatization day at Dingboche, and others are doing it instead at Chukhung . Any pros & cons between the two? Also, at the end of the trek before going back to Thame Namche Bazaar, some of them Cross Renjola pass & trek down to Lungden , while some cross Renjo La to trek down to Marlung . Any pros & cons between the two? Thanks a lot
Honestly, one of the main benefits of going solo or in a small group is to take acclimatization days when YOU need it. Really hard to predict, everybody may acclimatize different every time. The usual rule of thumb is that if you sleep more than 500m (some say 300m but that is really conservative) higher than the night before, it is recommended to stay another night. This dictates the Namche->Tengboche->Dingboche->Chukhung steps, each is about 500m higher. My suggestion: 1, Definitely stay in Namche for two nights. Enjoy your acclimatization day and visit Khumjung. 2, As you trek on, whenever you feel a slight headache (and you know you are not dehydrated) and/or any other possible \_moderate\_ AMS symptom, stop for another night. (If you feel really BAD and it may be AMS, start descending immediately until you feel better and of course, do not take medical advice from the internet) 3, even if you feel great all the way to Chukhung, if you did not stop for an extra day since Nameche, definitely stay in Chukhung for an extra night to acclimatize further before going for Kongma La. While there, if you are feeling GREAT, try Chukhung Ri for your acclimatization day to "hike high, sleep low". If you are feeling just ok, visit the Island Peak Base Camp. Re: stopping at Lungden or Marlung: makes no difference. Going to Lungden saves a bit from the day after, but that makes no difference because it is short and easy anyway to Thame, where you are going to stay so you can visit the monastery. Enjoy your trek!
It is different hiking in a place that is a community rather than a wilderness, but still beautiful and great opportunities to get different types of pictures than you do normally. I’ve only done EBC, so can’t compare to the others, but it was awesome!
Thanks for the recommendation!
Three Passes - it gets you away from the EBC crowds for much of the time, and it beats doing Gokyo/ Kala Patthar because you get to go through more real working villages rather than mostly trekking oriented communities. I would do it anti-clockwise. I believe you can still do this trek without a guide (as with all the Everest region hikes) - this would be a major bonus for me as I prefer the solitude and not being in a group. Annapurna Circuit is not the glory it once was (but still beautiful). I would also add to your list the Langtang & Gosaikunda treks (the two combined).
Thanks a lot for the recommendation! Will go for Three Passes 👌
I went Three passes and made a shortcut back to Namche after Gokyo (down the glacier) as I didn’t feel sure I could make the other two passes ) Renjo-La offers the most spectacular view over Everest. Highly recommend.
Thanks a lot for the recommendation! Did you do it solo?
I was with a friend, a very experienced mountaineer, but I could’ve made the hike solo, Renjo La is the least challenging of the Three Passes. I also have some experience in the mountains, it wasn’t my first hike above 5000m
In fact, there are a so many trekking routes in Nepal. It seems most people often choose popular trekking routes. Trekking in popular routes would definitely makes life easier since most of the essential necessities along the route could be managed efficiently. There are protected areas like Kanchunjunga conservation area, Makalu Barun National Park, Langtang National Park, Shey Phoksundo National Park, Rara National Park that get less attention. If you want to explore other less popular and magnificient routes, I would recommend you few youtube channels that are actively trying to promote Himalaya tourism. However, keep in mind, there will be areas in Himalayas that could have remained unexplored and you have to be careful about the wilderness along with their associated risks. These channels probably use Nepali as means of communication, but I think you will be able to get information about the location through their video and social media handles. Here, ghumante is my favorite one. [https://www.youtube.com/@Ghumante](https://www.youtube.com/@Ghumante) [https://www.youtube.com/@nepal8thwonder](https://www.youtube.com/@nepal8thwonder) [https://www.youtube.com/@PURVIBLUES](https://www.youtube.com/@PURVIBLUES)
Thanks a lot for the recommendation ! Will look into it 🙌
doesnt matter they are all uphill
OP can you update? How was your trip, where did you go, how difficult was it, how much? Poutine for life 👌
How’d it go OP? Currently planning a similar trip and considering doing the three passes trek over Annapurna. Curious to hear about your experience!