• Duration:21 Nights 22 Days
  • Difficulty: Strenuous
  • Max. Altitude: 5143m
  • Group Size: 2-12
  • Activity: Hiking & Trekking
  • Pick Up: TIA Airport

About Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trekking

The Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trekking is one of the most remote and formidable treks in the Himalaya. This trek appeals to those who want to enjoy the outdoors in relative solitude. It is a thrilling trek with a wide range of climate, vegetation, culture and landscape.

The trek starts in steamy jungles which are bursting with life especially after the monsoon rains. The trail passes through small Buddhist settlements with thatched houses. You will marvel how the harsh and barren land can sustain their survival. The Rai and Limbu culture are predominant in the lower altitudes, whereas, the isolated villages higher up are inhabited by Sherpa of Tibetan Buddhist descent. You will want to warm taste of their traditional Tongba, a fermented drink made from millet seeds. Hot water is added to it, and it is sipped from a wooden pot through a straw.

Climbing beyond the tree line the trail reaches into the glaciers of the alpine zone. The high point of this trek, in both altitude and scenic splendor is unquestionably the three-day hike up the Kanchenjunga glacier where the views are quite simply overwhelming. The Kanchenjunga Trekking is a long and challenging trek requiring a good degree of fitness. The rugged trails into this remote terrain do not see many trekkers, but are mostly used by local yak herders.

Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trekking Route:

The Kanchenjunga Base Camp trail starts at Suketar, Taplejung. There are two ways to reach Suketar: two flights: Kathmandu-Biratnagar, and Biratnagar - Suketar, or we suggest our standard route- fly Kathmandu-Bhadrapur and take a Jeep to Suketar, Taplejung

From Taplejung we start by heading north-west for two days on a level trail through small settlements, terraced fields and forests to reach the Tambur Khola river valley. We follow this valley for five or six days, on a trail gradually ascending to Ghunsa. This is the last village where we will find a lodge to stay overnight. The villagers of Ghunsa are traders who travel back and forth from Tibet. At this altitude they cannot depend on agriculture, but they have yaks for transporting their goods, and grow one crop of potatoes and barley during the short growing season.

From Ghunsa the trail follows the north side of Kanchenjunga into a remote region where you will only meet a few yak traders. From the second day we start getting views of Tent Peak, Mera Peak and Cross Peak. After three days we reach Pangpema Base Camp, 5143m, from where we get a spectacular view of the massive north face of Kanchenjunga and its glacier. When we spend the night at the base camp we can hear the ice shattering and falling from the avalanches coming down from the Kanchenjunga glacier.

FromPangpema Base Camp the trek returns to Ghunsa from where we turn east and camp overnight at the Sele Le Pass, base camp on the way up to the Sele Le Pass, 4663m. After reaching the pass we descend to Ramche and camp for two nights in the yak pastures. From Ramche we make a one day excursion up to Oktang, 4900m, from where we get another outstanding view of the south-east face of Kanchenjunga glacier.

We follow the eastern trail back to Suketar; this trail is more popular with Kanchenjunga trekking groups. As we descend, the vegetation increases each day, until we are back into the more tropical landscapes with lush terraced fields of rice and millet, and villages of the Limbu people. Finally, we reach the point where we started, the village of Suketar. We then take a Jeep drive back to Bhadrapur for our flight back to Kathmandu.

This trek appeals to those adventure seekers who want to enjoy the outdoors in relative solitude. It is a thrilling adventure with a wide range of climate, vegetation, culture and landscape. We assure that we facilitate with an excellent logistic preparation and a high level of professionalism and care during the trek with our experienced and competent Sherpa staffs.

Highlights of Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trekking

  • 3rd highest mountain in the world widely known as the ‘Five Treasures of the Great Snow’.
  • Non-commercial off the beat trekking trail
  • Beautiful, untouched wilderness inside national conservation area
  • Amazing view of north and south face of Kanchenjunga from Pangpema Base Camp and Yalung Base Camp
  • Experience the villages and Himalayan culture of Sherpa, Rai and Limbu communities

Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu 1,300 m/4,265 ft

Flying to Kathmandu is in itself an exciting and memorable experience. On a clear day you will get a panoramic view of the snow-capped mountains. In the airport, after completing the visa formalities collect your luggage downstairs. As you exit the airport terminal, you will be met by our representative carrying your name on a signboard as well as our company signboard, Annapurna Foothills Treks & Expedition. You will be taken to your hotel in our vehicle, where you will be staying before commencing the trip.

  • Hotel

The Managing Director of our company will meet you in the hotel and provide more information about the expedition. Your dues must be cleared before we proceed on the trip. Afterward, you are free to relax or explore around the city. We will finalize paperwork-permit for your trip and make a final check of your equipment. In case you need additional trekking equipment, you will have a chance to buy it. Sightseeing tours of Kathmandu Valley are also an option.

  • Breakfast and Welcome Dinner
  • Hotel

We catch early morning 45 minutes scenic flight to Bhadrapur. After landing, we take a jeep ride to Ilam enjoying the view of beautiful landscapes. Ilam is Nepal’s largest tea plantation area and serves as a major tourist area even for domestic tourists. The picturesque town of Ilam hosts large orchards of tea plants and is also famous for the Himalayan chew made of cheese. Moving on, we head towards Taplejung in private vehicle. 

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

Today, we trek through the Limbu and Tamang villages of Sinwa, Tawa, and Porke. We also pass over old landslide debris and boulder and strewn river deposits before descending to Thiwa Khola. We then cross a wooden bridge to reach Chiruwa where we stay overnight. 

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

Trekking through the villages of Taplethok, Tamewa, Hellok, and Lelep, we move alongside Tamor River and descend towards Simbu Khola, which emerges from the Yalung Glacier. We then trek through steep and narrow Ghunsa Khola valley and finally arrive in Sekathum.

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

Moving with the flow of Ghunsa Khola, we head towards Amjilossa walking through steep uphill on exposed terrain. Relishing the amazing landscape view and crossing couple of bridges over Ghunsa Khola, we reach the Tibetan village of Amjilosa.

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

Today, we walk through forested trail filled with rhododendrons and bamboo. We also come across a big waterfall on the opposite side of the river on our way to Gyabla. Making a steep ascent and then a gradual descent, we arrive in Gyabla.

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

Leaving behind the beautiful Gyabla village, we trek towards Ghunsa through a broad meadow. We then climb a small hill and descend to cross the river to reach the Tibetan village of Ghunsa with wooden houses, the perfect place to stay overnight. 

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

Today, we take a day off to cope up with the thin air. We can hike to the opposite side of Ghunsa Khola with a gain of about 400m. After returning from the hike, we can spend rest of the day exploring the ancient village of Ghunsa visiting monasteries and learning about their Buddhist culture and tradition. The another option is you can give a great rest to your body.

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

Today, we begin our trek entering the forested path along the south bank of Ghunsa Khola. Passing several Mani walls and Chortens along the way, we trek through several scree slopes and some glacial moraines to reach the Tibetan settlement of Khambachen.  

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

Leaving behind Khangpachen, we follow the trail on the left side of Kanchenjunga Glacier. We hike along a high plateau to reach the campsite of Lhonak. From Lhonak, we can see the panoramic view of massive mountain peaks like Wegde Peak (6802m), Mera Peak (6364m), Nepal Peak (7177m), and other snow giants too. 

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

From Lhonak the trail ascends along the lateral moraine from Kanchenjunga Glacier for about two hours. After passing through several sections of loose rock and landslide area the trail climbs less steeply to reach the stone huts in a grassy area at Pangpema in a further two hours. The view of the vast north face of Kanchenjunga from Pangpema is very impressive. After having lunch while enjoying the mountain vista we start the return walk back to Lhonak, taking about 3 hours

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

After the amazing experience in KBC, we retrace our trail to Ghunsa enjoying the spectacular view of different mountains. Descending past Lhonak and Khangpachen while walking on the moraines of Kanchenjunga Glacier and Kumbhakarna Glacier, we arrive in Ghunsa

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

To reach the High Camp, we trek along a steep rocky trail through a forested area filled with birch, pine, and colorful rhododendron. An amazing view of Jannu (7710m), Nyukla Laching (6670m), Temachunggi (6044m), and other mountains can be observed from camp. 

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

Today might be the most challenging day as we cross over two passes on our way to Tseram, the highest pass being the Sele La (4480m) and Sinion La (4660). Upon reaching the top of the passes, we are rewarded with an amazing view of Yalung Glacier, Jannu (7710m), Makalu (8481m), Baruntse (7129m), Kanchenjunga (8586m), and many other mountain ranges along the Sikkim border. We then descend to Tseram.

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

Today we walk up to Ramche for lunch where we pass the snout of the Yalung glacier into an ablation valley. All the peaks to the east straddle the India-Nepal border- Koktang (6,147m), Rathong (6,679m) and some of the Kabrus which are all over 7,000m. There is a lake and a meadow along with two stone houses at Ramche and often blue sheep can often be seen on the grassy slopes above.

In the afternoon we follow the ablation valley to Oktang, the whole cirque is above 7,500m and the three main summits all over 8,400m can be seen. The climbing route to the summit of Kanchenjunga, first climbed by Joe Brown and George Band in 1955 can be seen from Oktang.

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

We descend towards Tortong through the densely forested path filled with rhododendrons and bushes. We also stumble across few streams, Chortens, monasteries, ponds, and waterfalls on our way to Tortong

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

We continue to descend to the Amji Khola and then crossing Lasiya Bhanjyang (3310m) and Dhupi Bhanjyang (2620m), we descend towards Yamphudim. Yamphudim is a village inhabited by a mixed community of Sherpa, Rai, Limbu, and Gurung.

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

After the experience and thrill of the alpine heights the terraced fields, peaceful villages and vivid colors of the lower ranges make for a relaxing hike as we slowly wind our trek down to its conclusion.

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

Our last day of trekking as we hike through Limbu villages and a steady patchwork of farmland and pastures, with the smiling faces of the ever curious locals greeting us as we walk by. Our arrival in Kamdine gives us pause to relax and reflect on an amazing journey through one of Nepal's most remote regions.

  • Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Tea House/ Lodge

A short drive takes us to Bhadrapur, where we pick up our return flight to Kathmandu in plenty of time to relax

  • Breakfast and Lunch
  • Hotel

We will accompany you at the Tribhuvan International Airport for your final departure with a hope of seeing you again. 

  • Breakfast

Trip Map

Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trekking map

What's Included

  • Transfer from Airport – Hotel – Airport: Car, Van, Hi-ace or Coaster in a private vehicle.
  • Authentic Nepali welcome dinner with Live Nepalese Cultural Program.
  • Accommodation in Kathmandu, Three nights on Twin share Bed and Breakfast Basis.
  • Accommodation during Trek ; local lodges 25 nights (With twin-share rooms ,beds with comfortable foam mattress and pillows)
  • All standard meals(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) during the trekking
  • English speaking experienced Sherpa guide (Govt. Trained/License Holder).
  • One Sherpa guide-assistant if group size is more than 4 Trekkers.
  • Porters: One porter for 2 Trekkers basis.
  • Trek Staff costs including their salary, insurance, equipment, food and accommodation.
  • Personal insurance for Nepalese staff.
  • Annapurna Foothill’s Duffle bag for Trekking.
  • Annapurna Foothill’s Tshirt.
  • Energy Supplies; Snickers, Mars, Bounty etc. 
  • First aid medicine kit.
  • Special Permit s & all required permits or Official Documentation.
  • All ground transfers Kathamndu.
  • All government and local taxes.

What’s Excluded

  • Your Personal Travel Insurance.
  • Nepal Entry Visa Fee.
  • Lunch & Dinner in cities - allow $ 10 to 14 for per meal in Tourist restaurants.
  • Beverages (soft drinks, mineral water,boiled water and beer).
  • Tips for guide, porters and driver (customary).
  • Any personal expenses not mentioned in above services.
  • Additional night accommodation in Kathmandu because of early return from Trek (due to any reason) than the planned itinerary.

Departure Dates

FromToStatusPrice  
Start Date02 Nov, 2023End Date23 Nov, 2023AvailableUS$ 3200

Departure Note:

Guaranteed - We already have trekkers booked for those dates and you can join the group.

Available - The date is available to book and once you confirm your trip it will be guaranteed.

Limited - The departure date is filling fast and only limited seats are available to join.

Closed- The Trip cannot be booked on that specific date. Contact us for customized dates.


The departure dates are your arrival dates in Nepal.

We have set dates for departure to the Amazing Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trekking. So, pick your preferable date and let the adventure begin.

Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trekking is available and can be done throughout the year. So, if the date you prefer is not listed on our departure dates then you can contact us directly to book the trip on your own desired date.

We have listed the price up to 12 trekkers at maximum. If you are more than 12 trekkers, then please feel free to contact us for amazing discounted group price and further booking process.

Private Trips to Kanchenjunga Base Camp is possible on any date of the year. Contact us to design your own private trips with you loved ones.

Useful Info

Why Trek to Kanchenjunga Base Camp with Annapurna Foothills Treks?

Annapurna Foothills Treks has been running trekking and climbing expeditions for over 15 years. Annapurna Foothills Treks reaches for the highest standard of ethical business practices.

The Best Time of Year for the Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trekking:

The best seasons for trekking in the Kanchenjunga region are spring (February to late April) and autumn (late September to late November). The fall season is generally known to have the best weather, while the spring is exceptional for the beauty of spring flowers and rhododendron forests in bloom.

Temperatures on the Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trekking:

The temperatures at night will drop to around 5 C, and during the day will climb to around 25 C. At higher altitudes temperatures range from about 15 C to -20 C. You should be prepared with proper protection from the sun as well as layers of clothing that can be added or taken off easily.

Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trekking is a Tea House and Camping Trek:

Accommodation is included in the cost of your package and Annapurna Foothills Treks takes great care to arrange the most comfortable accommodation possible throughout your stay. The lodges/ tea house in this area are basic and we believe our guests will enjoy this local experience.

Sherpa Support Staff:

  1. Foothills Treks has a capable support staff with ample experience in organizing camping trips. The relationship we have developed among us over the years makes for a wonderful exchange of ideas, laughter and assistance. Your personal packs will be carried by the porters, saving you time and energy to fully enjoy the surrounding environment.

Each staff member at Annapurna Foothills Treks and Expeditions is insured for their appropriate roles. (Some companies are cutting corners here.)

Drinking Water:

You will be provided with boiled water during the trek. While trekking, it is important to keep hydrated; you should drink at least 3 liters of water each day. As additional precaution, we suggest you bring a supply of water purification tablets to add to the water.

Fitness/Health:

The altitude becomes more noticeable the higher we go, so we walk at a slow pace and take plenty of breaks to rest and acclimatize.

Safety:

When travelling in remote mountain regions, uncertainties such as weather, health problems and natural disasters require a certain amount of flexibility. While our goal is to follow the itinerary, that is not our first priority; your safety is always our first priority. Annapurna Foothills Treks and Expeditions request your cooperation to accept the decisions and advice of our trusted and experienced guides if they deem it necessary to change or cancel any part of the itinerary due to safety concerns.

  • We either take Gamow OR oxygen in case of emergency
  • Satellite phone (personal calls charged USD $3/minute)
  • First Aid Kit


Environmental Responsibility:

Annapurna Foothills Treks practices and teaches the Leave-No-Trace principles. Moreover, we are committed to protecting the land and culture of the indigenous people. The mountains are our home and we are unwilling to sacrifice their preservation for human objectives. Annapurna Foothills Treks believe that given the proper information most people will do all they can to help protect and maintain the environment.

Acclimatization:

It is really difficult to head straight up to high altitude for the first time even if you follow the recommended 400m-a-day-rule. Our itinerary is planned to allow rational acclimatization and avoid altitude sickness. Please read Altitude Advice.

Travel Insurance:

It is strongly recommended to be sufficiently protected when you go into remote areas. You need specialized travel insurance that covers emergency evacuation, injury, lost baggage, liability and medical treatment. Make sure the insurance covers all the activities that you will be undertaking during your stay in Nepal. Annapurna Foothills Treks and Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. can organize the appropriate medical response based on your policy.