Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek - 16 Days
16 Days
5160 M
Fairly Challenging to Strenuous
Car, Jeep and Flight
Hotel and Resort
Tea House
Mt. Kanchenjunga (8,586m), is the third highest mountain in the world after Mount Everest and K2,It is situated in the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area which was designated as a conservation area in March 1998 and covers an area of 2035 sq km in the Taplejung district, in the north eastern corner of Nepal.
The region comprises some of the most stunning scenery to be found anywhere in Nepal. It is also a global hotspot for plant biodiversity. 23 species of rhododendrons alone have been identified by botanists in the area. Its rich forests support more than 250 species of birds and endangered wildlife like the Snow Leopard and the Red Panda.
A trek to the base camps of Kanchanjunga is a remarkable and memorable journey with fantatic high mountain vistas. Translated into English Kanchenjunga means clear crystal. The trek centers around the Arun river, the culture of the local people living in this area is as diverse and colorful as the nature here. Sherpa and Gurung communities are predominant in the northern part of the region whilst Rai, Limbu, Magar, Tamang, Brahman and Chhetri dominate the south.
Extremely rich in natural beauty Kanchanjunga Conservation Area provides a habitat to numerous wild animals, birds and exotic plants orchids,rhododendrons lilies, primula are amongst the many species of flowers. The region also serves as a habitat to the elusive snow leopard, Himalayan black bear, musk deer and red panda,bird life includes Impheyan, pheasant, red-billed blue magpie, shy drongo.
The trek is fairly strenuous so you need to be fit but the rewards are well worth the effort. If you are looking for something out of the way and off the beaten trails which is rich in flora and fauna and some tremendous views this may well be the trek for you.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Day 1 Day After Arrival Flight From Kathmandu To Bhadrapur Drive To Birtamode. O/ N Hotel
Kathmandu to Bhadrapur is a 45 minute, afternoon flight with good views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga. Bhadrapur to Birtamod is a 40 min drive in a private jeep. Overnight in Birtamod, then bus to Taplejung. Birtamod is tropical and, mostly hot.
Day 2: Day 2 Birtamode To Taplejung O/N At Tea House
Birtamod to Taplejung by local bus. The road is sealed and takes 8 to 10 hours. You pass through beautifully terraced fields and hills
Day 3: Day 3 Taplejung To Simbu. Walking Around 7 Hours. O/N At Tea House.
Taplejung to Simbu, 8 hrs. It’s a long first day on the start towards Kanchenjunga South. You walk through terraced fields and forest, passing local teashop and lodges.
Day 4: Day 4 Simbu To Khesewa, Walking 5 – 6 Hrs. O/N At Tea House
Simbu to Khesewa, 5 – 6 hrs. Nice views of the Himalayas where you are heading towards over the next few days. Similar to the previous day walk, terraced field, local shops and lodges.
Day 5: Day 5 Khesewa To Mamangkhe, Walking 5-6 Hrs. O/N At Tea House
Khesewa to Mamangkhe, 5-6 hrs. Mamangkhe is the heart of the Limbu cultural region. There is a museum and cultural center in Mamangkhe. Also the Rai and Kirat ethnics groups live in Mamangkhe. Some people just trek up to Mamangkhe, and then return. This trek is named the Limbu Cultural trail.
Day 6: Day 6 Mamangkhe To Yamphuding. O/N At Tea House
Mamangkhe to Yamphuding, Yamphuding the biggest village in south side of Kanchenjunga. We spend a rest day here.
Day 7: Day 7 Rest Day At Yamphuding
Well earned rest day in Yamphuding, which helps with acclimatizing. There are no higher side trips so just explore the village and get to know the locals.
Day 8: Day 8 Yamphuding To Tortong. O/N At Tea House
Yamphuding to Tortong (Torongding), is a long walk of 9 hrs. The trail is mostly up, and passes through yak pastures and dense forest in some parts.
Day 9: Day 9 Yamphuding To Cheram, 4 – 5 Hrs. O/N At Tea House
Yamphuding to Cheram, 4 – 5 hrs. A short day with nice views of a mix of forest and mountains.
Day 10: Day 10 Cheram To Ramche, 3 Hrs. O/N At Tea House
Cheram to Ramche, 3 hrs. Lunch in Ramche, then you can hike another 2 hrs toward the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp. Overnight in Ramche, but accommodation is very basic.
Day 11: Day 11 Ramche To Torongding, 6 -7 Hrs. O/N At Tea House
Ramche to Torongding, 6 -7 hrs. This will be pretty easy walk, mostly descending where you may meet trekkers on their way up to Ramche. You then climb towards the pass at Cheram before Torongding.
Day 12: Day 12 Torongding To Yamphuding, 7 – 8 Hrs. O/N At Tea House
Torongding to Yamphuding, 7 – 8 hrs. A little tough with frequent accents and descents. Yamphuding is the biggest village on the south side of Kanchenjunga, and from here you have two choices. Either trek back to Taplejung via same trail which takes 3 days, or trek a more interesting route towards Kamdime, which takes 2 days. From Taplejung it is an 8 – 10 hrs drive back to Birtamod. From Kamdime it is a 13 to 15 hrs drive back to Birtamod.
Day 13: Day 13 Yamphuding To Khebang, 5 – 6 Hrs. O/N At Tea House
Yamphuding to Khebang, 5 – 6 hrs. A low hill trek, passing through unspoiled local villages and terrace fields. This is a rarely used trail and was first used by our guide Dawa. Locals do not have a lot of contact with trekkers and are very friendly and curious. Homestay is available in Khebang.
Day 14: Day 14 Khebang To Kamdime, 6 – 7 Hr O/N At Tea House
Khebang to Kamdime, 6 – 7 hr. There is a regional school in Kamdime, with a play ground. The local teahouse is next door.
Day 15: Day 15 Khambachen - Ghunsa - 3,595 M
Drive From Kamdime To Ilam. O/N At Tea House
Drive from Kamdime to Birtamod, approximate 14 hrs. The first 3-4 hrs is off road, then you will merge in the Taplejung to Birtamod Highway to Taplejung.
Day 16: Day 16 Drive From Ilam To Bhadrapur And Fly To Kathmandu.
Drive to Bhadrapur and fly to Kathmandu . The first 3-4 hrs is off road, then you will merge in the Taplejung to Birtamod Highway to Taplejung.
The Cost Include(s)
- Airport pick up and drop plus hotel accommodation in Kathmandu B/B.
- Full board meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) when trekking
- Tea and coffee during the trip.
- Accommodation in teahouse / lodges during trekking.
- Private transportation to and from the starting and ending points of the trek.
- All domestic flights and departure tax ias mentioned in the itinerary.
- Nepal Social Treks Gear – sleeping bag, duffel bag for the use during the trip if needed.
- Professional local guide with extensive experience trained in Wilderness First Aid and accredited by the Nepalese government.
- Comprehensive First Aid Kit
- Necessary Porters to carry all personal gear and group equipment.
- Adequate insurance for all staff including porters.
- Trekking map for each trekker.
- Trek permit and government tax.
The Cost Exclude(s)
- Meals other than breakfast or if mentioned in the itinerary when staying in hotels.
- Bottled drinks of any kind plus extra tea and coffee when trekking.
- Tips and gratuities for staff.
- Personal insurance which if trekking or climbing must include helicopter evacuation.
- Please Note: Visas can be obtained on your arrival at Kathmandu Airport.
Booking
Review
An Unforgettable Annapurna Base Camp Experience!
We had an absolutely incredible experience trekking to Annapurna Base Camp with Nepal Social Treks and Expedition, and we cannot recommend them highly enough! From beginning to end, everything was exceptionally well organized, but what truly made this adventure unforgettable was our amazing team: our guide, Achut Pandey, and our two porters, Niran and Thirtna. Achut was an outstanding guide. He was knowledgeable, professional, patient, kind, and always attentive to how everyone was feeling. Trekking to Annapurna Base Camp can be challenging, and having someone we trusted completely made such a difference. Achut knew the mountains and trails incredibly well, kept us informed about what to expect each day, and always made sure we were comfortable, safe, and enjoying the experience. His warmth, encouragement, and sense of humor made even the difficult stretches of the trek enjoyable. Niran and Thirtna were equally amazing. We have so much respect and gratitude for them. They worked incredibly hard throughout the trek and always greeted us with kindness and a smile. If you are considering trekking in Nepal, we wholeheartedly recommend Nepal Social Treks & Expedition. And if you have the opportunity to trek with Achut, Niran, and Thirtna, consider yourself very lucky!
Nepal Social Treks helped us turn a dream into reality.
We have just completed the Annapurna Base Camp private trek with my husband, and it was truly a dream come true! Our guide, Urken Sherpa, was incredibly calm, caring, and supportive throughout the trek. We really appreciated the peace, silence, and privacy of having a private trek. Our porter, Milan, was always smiling and brought so much positive energy to our days. His kindness and cheerful attitude made a real difference throughout the journey. It was our first time in Nepal, and Nepal Social Treks helped us turn a dream into reality. We are so grateful for the wonderful experience and cannot recommend Urken, Milan, and Nepal Social Treks highly enough! Thank you for making this adventure so memorable. ❤️
Trekking Everest Base Camp
I booked the Everest Base Camp trek with this agency, and from the very beginning they were always available to answer any questions or doubts I had. Everything was extremely well organized from start to finish, my guide was fantastic, and we were lucky enough to have perfect weather throughout the trek. It was an absolutely amazing experience, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Can’t wait to come back for another trekking ☺️ Highly recommended!
I booked the 5 day Around Kathmandu Valley tour for my family which was a great experience. Bhim was our tour guide and Deepak drove us around for the five days. The tour went very smoothly and didn't feel rushed at all. Since we went in the tourism off-season, all the stupas, temples, and UNESCO sites weren't very busy. We were able to finish the day's content by 4pm each day, giving plenty of time to rest for the next day. Bhim was very knowledgeable about each site, Nepali history, and was very receptive to our questions on Nepali culture. The hotels for this tour were also great. In particular, "hotel view point" in Nagarkot had a fantastic 360 view, as it actually is at the top of Nagarkot rather than a lot of other hotels down on the slopes. The view was incredible and we got to see some of the Himalayas, which we considered fairly lucky as we went during the cloudy, foggy monsoon season. Nepal Social Treks took complete care of everything from airport pick up to the hotels, and this was just an absolutely no-stress vacation to do some light cultural exploration of Nepal. Overall, would strongly recommend this tour and Nepal Social Treks!
I booked my trip through Nepalviaje (website in spanish) and from the first moment everything was perfect. Starting with Fernando that was answering really fast all our questions, when we arrive to Kathmandu the person waiting for us in the airport was absolutely fantastic, he wait over and hour for us cause it tooks a while to get out of the airport, the hotel for the first and last night is absolutely brilliant, when you arrive to the Office everything is super clear and they make you feel at home. The Trek is a experience of a lifetime, our guide Lhakpa IS the best guide ever and will not only guide you all the way to the base camp but show you things about culture and take care about every single details, lodges are always fantastic with a huge variaty of food. We made it with other girl and all of us reach EBC, Lhakpa will give you all the good advices to make it and the company will take care of everything, even the last day Basu(the manager of the company) call us to provide a helicopter service to come back to Kathmandu as the weather in Lukla was mean to be bad for a couple of days. 10/10 for this company and all the people involve on it
I completed the Everest Base Camp trek starting from Jiri, and it was simply an unforgettable experience. A long and authentic journey, away from the usual routes, that allowed me to experience Nepal in a deep and genuine way. From the very first day, the agency was fantastic: excellent organization, great support, and constant availability. I always felt well taken care of and never had to worry about anything. A truly special thanks to Anchal Magar, who was an outstanding guide in every sense. (A real friend) Always present, attentive, and highly professional, he showed great sensitivity in understanding my needs, adapting the pace and itinerary with care and intelligence. In the most challenging moments, he was a fundamental point of reference, providing reassurance and confidence. Beyond his skills, what stood out the most was his humanity, kindness, and dedication, rare qualities that made this experience even more meaningful. An experience I will carry with me forever!
