Kanchenjunga North Base Camp Trek

On Day 1, we'll have a short 30-minute flight from Kathmandu to Biratnagar, a small town near the Nepal-India border. The quick flight will bring us to a hot area called the Terai plains. When we land, someone from our team will meet you and take you to the hotel in Biratnagar. In the afternoon, you have free time. You can explore this lively city, which has a lot of Indian cultural influence.

On Day 2, we start early by flying from Biratnagar to Suketar airport. This is the beginning of our Kanchenjunga trek. The trek involves walking downhill through fields of rice and wheat, crossing a small river called Hangdewa, and passing by a village called Asahangpati. After a short break, we'll walk along Tamor Khola's coast, through a forest with lots of birds, and reach Chhetri village. Finally, we'll go downhill a bit more to reach Mitlung village, where we'll spend the night.

On Day 3, after breakfast, we'll keep walking to reach Chirwa village, where we'll stay overnight. We'll cross a hanging bridge and go up a path with lots of trees. The way goes through Sinwa, a small village with Limbu and Tamang tribes. Then, we'll walk downhill to Tawa village. After that, we'll climb through farms and mountain ridges. There's a hanging bridge over Thiwa River, and we'll cross a small wooden bridge to get to Chirwa. Chirwa is a little village with Rai, Limbu, and Tamang people. We'll stay in one of the guesthouses and experience the kindness of the locals.

On Day 4, after a good breakfast in Chirwa, we'll walk next to the Ghunsa River and Tamor River to reach Sekathum. Along the way, we'll pass through a checkpoint where they'll check our permits, and we'll see lots of cardamom fields. We'll go through several villages like Taplethok, Temewa, and Lelep. Crossing the Simbu River, we'll then follow a steep and narrow path to finally reach Sekathum, where we'll stop for the night.

On Day 5, we'll leave Sekathum and mostly walk uphill along the Ghunsa Khola going north. We'll go through Ghaiyabari, a small village at 2150 meters, and pass by Jongim and Solima on the trail of Chanjalung Danda. Finally, we'll get to Amjilosa, where we'll stay overnight.

On Day 6, the path is nice, going through the less-covered part of Kanchenjunga. We'll trek to Thanyani and then walk through thick forests with rhododendrons, bamboo, brown oaks, and birch trees. During the walk, we'll see quick waterfalls and some places where animals graze in the summer. After a steep climb, we'll reach Gybala, where the Sherpa people live. We'll stay in one of their guesthouses and experience their friendly hospitality.

On Day 7, after leaving Gybala, we'll go east and walk for a few hours to get to the village of Phale. People here are known for making things by hand, like Tibetan rugs and carpets. Then, we'll go through a forest with hemlock and bamboo, which turns into an alpine forest with Himalayan fir trees. We'll hike along the Lumba Sumba Pass, which is really high at 5160 m. Now, we'll reach a valley with fields and larch trees. The path becomes easier, and we'll finally get to Ghunsa, a pretty village with small wooden houses. We'll stay the night in one of its comfy wooden guesthouses.

On Day 8, it's important to take a break when you're above 3000 m, especially in high-altitude places like Kanchenjunga. So, we won't just relax; we'll also go up and down for about 4 hours to get used to the thin air up there. We'll explore the pretty village of Ghunsa, see its old monasteries, talk to the locals, and try some local food. We'll also check out a small hydroelectric project. After that, we'll go back to where we're staying and rest for the night.

After taking a break and having breakfast on Day 9, we'll start walking through a thick forest with lots of pine trees and colorful rhododendrons. We'll reach Rambuk Kharka, where we can see amazing views of Mount Jannu (7711 m), Phole Peak (6645 m), Sobi Thongje (6652 m), and Ghabur Peak (6044 m). After a bit more climbing, we'll reach the village of Kambachen. There are small stone houses and tea houses where we'll stay overnight. In the sky above Kambachen, you might see Lammergeyers, eagles, kites, falcons, and choughs.

On Day 10, our trek is going to be tough as we head to the village of Lhonak. Leaving Kambachen, we'll climb north through open rocky fields and soon reach Ramtang at 4240 m. It has some huts, rocky river banks, and glaciers. After a short break, we'll keep hiking along the northwestern moraines of the Kanchenjunga glacier. Lhonak is a sandy flat place with very little water, so there are no houses. We'll set up a camp among big rocks to spend the night. Even though it's a lonely place, you get amazing views of peaks like Wedge Peak (6802m), Nepal Peak (7177m), Mera Peak (6364m), and more.

On Day 11, we'll leave Lhonak and go up across a flat area. The path gets steeper as we follow the moraine. If the moraine is too hard, we can walk along the valley floor to avoid the steep parts. As we go, Kanchenjunga stays hidden until we reach Pang Pema, also known as the North Base Camp. This base camp gives an amazing view of the big northern side of Kanchenjunga. We'll set up our camp here and spend the night close to the third-highest mountain in the world.

On Day 12, we'll start the day with a warm cup of tea while looking at the amazing view of Kanchenjunga. After a tasty breakfast, we'll explore and enjoy the incredible views of Langpo Glacier and Drohma Ri. There are also mountain glacier gorges with clear flowing water all the time. We'll spend one more night in this unbelievable place under the big sky of Kanchenjunga.

On Day 13, it's time to go back to the more modern places we've avoided for about 10 days. The way back is mostly downhill, which is easier, but we still need to be careful because there are loose rocks and sandy areas. We'll go through Lhonak and the Ramtang Monastery. We'll take a break there, cross a bridge, and follow a path that leads us back to Kambachen.

On Day 14, after breakfast, we'll leave Kambachen and walk downhill to get to the village of Lakep. We'll cross the Ghunsa River using a hanging bridge. In Ghunsa, we'll stop for lunch and visit Tashi Choding Gumba. After that, we'll keep walking through small fields, following rivers, and passing through wooded areas. In about an hour, we'll reach Phale, which has a few wooden tea houses. We'll spend the night in one of these cozy tea houses.

On Day 15, after a good breakfast, we'll go through a trail with different trees like rhododendron, conifer, oak, and birch. We'll cross some small rivers, and after a bit of uphill walking, we'll reach Gyabala. We'll stop there for lunch and then walk through a thick bamboo forest. If we're lucky, we might see a black bear. Then, we'll walk on a narrow path with ups and downs until we get to Amjilosa. We'll stay in one of the basic lodges there.

On Day 16, we'll walk along the path next to the Ghunsa River, enjoying the great views of Kumbhakarna and Kanchenjunga mountains. We'll go downhill for a bit and get to Sekathum. From there, we'll follow the trail along the beautiful Tamur Khola. After going downhill for a while, we'll come to the Simbuwa Khola. We'll cross this river using a hanging bridge and keep walking for a few more hours until we reach Chirwa. We'll spend the night in this small village.

On Day 17, after leaving Chirwa, we'll walk on a path along the cliff where there are many honeycombs hanging. We'll cross Lelep and take the path on the right. After about an hour, we'll find a flat path with fields and cardamom farms. We'll leave the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area and get to Thewa in about half an hour. We'll go up a ridge and then down to Tawa Khola. After that, we'll trek uphill over another ridge and pass the small village of Malbanse. After a few hours, we'll reach Linkhim, where we'll stay for the night.

On Day 18, our path goes up and down a lot, leading us to the Suketar airstrip. After a good breakfast in Linkhim, we'll walk on a trail that goes in and out of canyons. We'll cross a Limbu village and get to Phurumbu. From there, we'll climb up a ridge that looks over a big landslide area. After a few hours of climbing, we'll reach Jogidanda. We'll take a break and enjoy the wide view of the landscape. Then, we'll keep going uphill through the Bung Kulung and Bhote Gaon villages until we finally get to Suketar, where we'll rest for the evening.

On Day 19, after a morning meal, we'll fly to Biratnagar, a lively town in the Terai region. From there, we'll take another flight to the capital, Kathmandu. Once at the Kathmandu airport, we'll drive you to your hotel where you can relax in your cozy room. In the evening, you can take a walk in the busy streets of the city and enjoy its lively atmosphere.