Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek – 20 days
The Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek takes you to the heart of the third-highest mountain in the world, located on the border between Nepal and India. This remote trek offers stunning views of snow-capped peaks, rugged terrain, and lush forests. Along the way, you will also encounter unique cultural experiences. The journey starts with a scenic flight from Kathmandu to Taplejung, the gateway to the Kanchenjunga region. From Taplejung, trekkers pass through villages inhabited by ethnic communities like the Rai and Limbu. You can immerse yourself in the locals’ rich culture through their customs, festivals, and monasteries.
One of the highlights is reaching Pangpema, the North Base Camp of Mount Kanchenjunga. There, you will enjoy breathtaking views of the peak and glaciers. The trek also takes you to the South Base Camp near the Yalung Glacier. Along the way, you may spot wildlife such as the red panda and Himalayan Thar. You will stay in teahouses or camp under the stars, with meals like Dal Bhat & Curry to recharge. The best times to trek are in spring and autumn.
Although the trek is challenging due to its high altitude and remote location, it is worth the effort. The itinerary provides enough time for acclimatization, and we can adjust it as needed. Be sure to pack the proper trekking gear, especially warm clothing. Our guides and porters will make sure you have a safe and enjoyable journey.
Details
The 20-day Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek is a thrilling adventure that takes you deep into the heart of the Kanchenjunga mountain range, the third-highest peak in the world. Starting from the charming town of Taplejung, the trek takes you through beautiful villages, dense forests, and high-altitude landscapes. You’ll experience a blend of natural beauty, remote culture, and wildlife, including sightings of red pandas and Himalayan Thars.
The trek includes visits to both the North and South Base Camps of Mount Kanchenjunga, offering spectacular views of the mountain and glaciers. Along the way, you’ll pass through ethnic villages like those of the Rai and Limbu communities, where you can interact with locals, explore monasteries, and learn about traditional customs.
Throughout the trek, you’ll stay in teahouses or camp under the stars, enjoying hearty local meals. The best times to trek are in spring and autumn. Though challenging due to the altitude and remote location, the rewards of breathtaking views and cultural experiences make this an unforgettable journey.
Let us know your arrival flight and airline schedule, and the airport representative of gv trek will be at the Tribhuwan International Airport to receive you. He will transfer you to the hotel booked by ourselves in a private vehicle. You can stroll on the road of Thamel in the evening and have good rest at the hotel.
Today, the team management will meet you at around 9 am and take your original passport for the preparation of the permit. At 5 pm, the team manager will meet you at our office, hand over your original passport, and introduce you to the trekking guide. He will check the trekking equipment you have and suggest that if you need to buy or rent it, it is available in the Trekking shops in Thamel.
Optional: You can do the sightseeing tour of Kathmandu's UNESCO World Heritage sites in the afternoon.
Today, we will fly from Kathmandu (TIA) to Bhadrapur (Chandragadhi Airport on a domestic flight of about 45 to 50 minutes. We will take a local jeep and drive through Kanyam. We drive via Mechi Highway from Kanyam viewing the tea cultivations on the way toward Taplejung from where the trek to Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek begins.
We will have our breakfast and catch the local jeep and begin our second-day ride to reach our destination for the day, Sekathum. Usually, trekkers prefer to walk up to Sekathum from Taplejung but by making our itinerary short and utilizing the available services in the region, we reach Sekathum two days before other trekkers. The drive will take us through Mitlung, Chirwa, Thapethok, Lelep, and several other villages along the Tamor Nadi. There is the Kanchenjunga National Park entry point on our way, where our permits are checked and allowed to move forward to Sekathum.
After two days of the drive, we will start our hike with breakfast at Sekathum. The Himalayas' adventurous journey begins with an ascent along the Ghunsa Khola and walking over many bridges along the way, exploring through verdant trees, the little settlements of Jonggim, and Ghaiyabari reaching Amjilosa.
We move forward to Gyabla which is also known as Kyapra from Amjilosa after having breakfast. We continue to move in our path through a dense forest and trail without a Human settlement. Today, we can spot Red Pandas during our hike on the Kanchenjunga Trail, if we got lucky. After the uphill climb, we get to view the magnificent sceneries of the mountains and several waterfalls on the way. We slowly make our way and reach Gyabla village.
The walk through the woodlands with a wide range of flora and fauna leads us to the Phale village. Continuing the trek at a pace, we will reach Ghunsa village. Many trekkers stop at Ghunsa for acclimatization, but we have our acclimation day at Khambachen.
We will have our breakfast and begin the gradual ascent through an open pine forest and also have the chance to spot blue sheep and snow leopards. The trail passes through landslide-prone areas. We see the spectacular view of Mt. Jannu, encounter the green glacier valleys, and finally reach Khambachen village.
We rest at Khambachen after several days of walking. For the adjustment of the body to the altitude, we will have a short hike to nearby glaciers, viewpoints, and lakes. We can meet numerous trekkers in Khambachen returning from and traveling to Kanchenjunga North Base Camp.
We move ahead to the trail of the Kanchenjunga glacier. We can meet the trekkers in the main trekking season walking toward and returning from the Kanchenjunga North Base Camp on this track. We move through the Ramdang and come across the Ramdang Monastery. We are on the difficult trail, now at the junction of the Lhonak and Kanchenjunga glaciers. Walking forward, we reach the tiny settlement of Lhonak with a few teahouses.
Today, we will hike to the north base camp of Mt. Kanchenjunga, which is also known as Pang Pema. We will climb gradually following the moraines through the trail and reach Kanchenjunga Base Camp. The prayer flags around and the mesmerizing towering third-highest mount Kanchenjunga is the reward after multiple days of trekking. We will return to Lhonak for an overnight stay.
Rejoicing the views of the Himalayas and leaving behind the Kanchenjunga Base Camp, retracing the track, we arrive at Ghunsa. The Kanchenjunga trail gives us memories of walking passing the stone huts, soaring mountain peaks, rocky fields nearby the trails, rock-falling zones, etc.
We arrive at Sele Le, leaving the trail to Gyabla. There is a chance to see the snow leopards as we pass through the dense forest. There are isolated human settlements with few teahouses which are open only in the main trekking season. When there is heavy snowfall there is no other way connecting the pathway to reach South Base Camp until Sekathum. If the teahouses are closed and still we can cross the passes then, we can even reach Tseram in a day cutting a day off from our planned itinerary.
Leaving Sele Le Pass, we will hike up to the high-altitude passes, Sinion La (4440m.|2758ft.), then Mirgin La (4480m.|2783ft.) and Sinelapche Bhanjyang (4645m.|2886ft.). We will see the spectacular panoramic view of Mt. Jannu, Everest, Makalu, Baruntse, Chamlang, and Kanchenjunga during our ascent. We descend to Tseram and stay overnight over there.
Today, after early morning breakfast, we head forward through the Yalung glacier getting higher and close to the vistas. Passing by the Yalung which provides views of Rathong (6682m) and Kabru (7412m), we will stop for lunch at Ramche. We will hike to Oktang/ Okhordung the viewpoint of Yalung Base Camp or Kanchenjunga South Base Camp. Enjoying the closer view of three summits of Mt. Kanchenjunga 8420m, 8586m, and 8474m, and other towering peaks, exploring this untouched, unexplored by many trekkers, Kanchenjunga Base Camp, we will return to Tseram.
The elevated snow-capped mountains behind us and the walk through the rhododendron forests give us tranquility. Our trek starts downhill and ends at Tortong passing through Simbuwa Khola with enchanting views of the Himalayas en route. We will stay overnight at Tortong.
From Tortong, we persist to descend to the Amji Khola passing through Lasiya/Lamite Bhanjyang (3415m) and Dhupi Bhanjyang (2665m). Walking past the steep slope area, we reach Yamphudin village. There is the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area checkpost in Yamphudin, where our permits are checked if we had begun our trek with Kanchenjunga South Base Camp first.
After having breakfast in Yamphudin, we start exploring beautiful landscapes through the trails, and trekking alongside the pathway of Kabeli Khola. Leaving the mountain villages, we will take a drive to Kanyam, a beautiful place surrounded by tea gardens. Along the way to Kanyam, we can see the cardamom and tea cultivation through our windows. Keeping the bittersweet memories of the trek at the high altitudes, we are now at the lowlands. You can encounter many local tourists as Kanyam is a popular destination with tea gardens.
We will have our breakfast and explore the green tea cultivation area in Kanyam, Ilam for a while. Then, we will have a 2-3 hour drive to Bhadrapur. We will have a 45 to 50-minute flight from Bhadrapur to Kathmandu in the late afternoon and drop you to the hotel.
Spend the final day in Kathmandu relaxing, shopping, or visiting the local sights before your departure
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