Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trek - 19 Days

The trekking journey to Kanchenjunga South Base Camp starts with an early-morning flight to Nepal's Bhadrapur Airport in southeast Nepal. You'll wake up early, eat breakfast at the hotel, gather your belongings, and get ready for the journey. You will be picked up from your hotel by our trekking guide, who will then drive you to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu International Airport where you will board a flight to Bhadrapur. After landing in Bhadrapur, we'll board a vehicle that will take us north to Taplejung in 10 hours. The Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trek officially starts in Taplejung. We have dinner there and spend the night in a hotel or lodge.

Note: We need a full day to prepare your permits because the tour involves hiking in the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area's restricted area. Therefore, you must be in Nepal and turn in the required paperwork for the permit one day prior to the start of your trip. 

We wake up early, have breakfast at the overnight lodge, and begin our trekking journey. It’s the first hiking day of our 19-day Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trek so, it’s going to be an easy 6-hour hike. We start from Taplejung and walk past agricultural fields and lush forests until we get to Suketar. Ignoring the left fork toward Chhatedhunga, which leads to the Pathivara Temple, we shall head straight towards Deurali in order to reach Lalikharka. You simply descend from Deurali to Lalikharka after that. We will spend the night at a guest house. Be prepared to enjoy the village hospitality.

Following an early breakfast, we continue up the trail to Simbu Village before making a difficult ascent to Kande Bhanjyang Village. It typically takes about six hours to walk from Lalikharka to Kande Bhanjyang. We will stroll through another Limbu Village Tembewa on the way. In this area, we will have the opportunity to observe the rice fields, forested areas, and the daily lives of the ethnic Limbu communities. Additionally, we're constantly in awe of the streams and waterfalls throughout this route. Kande Bhanjyang is where we'll spend the night.

We wake up early, have breakfast at our overnight lodge in Kande Bhanjyang, and set out for the day’s journey to Phumphe Danda. Our 6-hour hike today climbs a steep mountain past terraced farmlands that are perched above the Kabbeli Khola (river). The path is uneven and crosses mountains and valleys. After stopping for lunch along the way, we'll continue on through Anpan Village and then drop to the Kashawa Khola (river). We'll then cross the river before starting our ascent through the fields to Phumphe Danda Village, where we'll spend the night. 

Today, the trail travels through minor valleys and rivers as it follows the incline of the slope above the Kabeli Khola (river). We follow the river till we reach Yamphudin Village, stopping at a number of fantastic locations to cool off in the water. Additionally, we'll have a lunch stop along the river. There’s a Limbu Cultural Center and Museum in the little Limbu community of Mamangkhen, where we can go on a tour. We give this village some time to explore before continuing on our journey to Yamphudin, also known locally as Sherpa Gaun. We have a guest home reservation for tonight at Yamphudin, where we’ll enjoy a fulfilling dinner and rest for the night.

There aren't many facilities above Yamphudin. However, we have tons of supplies and planned our itinerary carefully to provide you with the best possible services. The trail is well-maintained, but it's a tough ascent from Amje Khola. It would be lovely to see some yaks grazing in Chitre. As we travel further, we pass a dense forest with Spanish Moss draped everywhere that appears to be straight out of a movie. It's a stunning day for a stroll in the expansive forest of oak, rhododendron, and other varieties of trees. Your day will be enjoyable with the lullabies of diverse birds in the forests. We spend the night at Lasiya Bhanjyang, from where you may take in the stunning vista of Mt. Kumbhakarna and the other peaks.

After breakfast, we'll set out for Bhanjyang and then trek all the way downhill and a gentle ascend to Tortong. Today, we take the riverside path through luscious rhododendrons and fir forests. We reach the river's valley at Simjua Khola rather quickly along the trail. After that, we ascend to the Yalung Glacier's base and traverse through valleys. Today's hike gives breathtaking views of the Koktang, Rathong, and Kabru peaks while traversing crystal clear rivers and alpine lakes that are almost completely frozen over. Due to the physical strain at these higher altitudes, we will sleep well tonight.

We take the day off today to relax at Tseram so we can get used to the altitude. The tried-and-true process of acclimatization enables your body to adjust to the increasing altitude. Being idle on a rest day, however, is not beneficial. Instead of sitting around doing nothing, you could go exploring around Tseram. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to combat altitude sickness. After exploring the area, we again stay the night at Tseram today.

Following breakfast at the lodge, we set off on our journey through the moraines. We are already accustomed to the altitude, so climbing higher won't be challenging for us. Initially, we traverse the steep topography of the area by the gradual ascent track. We will hike above the tree line, across alpine meadows, and alongside a running stream till we reach Ramche on the way to the Kangchenjunga South Base Camp. To reach the village, you will take the peaceful natural pathways. From this mountain village, you might be able to see a lot of the surrounding area, including the first glance of Mt. Kanchenjunga. We stay the night at Ramce today.

Today is the day we finally reach our trek’s destination, Kanchenjunga South Base Camp. Our difficult walk today involves navigating moraines and rocky, uneven terrain and glaciers. The walk will take you around a glacier moraine before you pass by some stunning alpine trees. We are moved to tears by the spectacular vistas of Kangchenjunga, Mount Jannu, and other peaks, as well as the abundance of mountain goats and yaks that graze freely. India, a close neighbor, has borders with a few places in the region.

After 10 days of trekking in the difficult terrain, you finally get to see the Kanchenjunga peak up close. It’s the moment you will cherish for your lifetime. The mountains look spectacularly snow-covered from the base camp. Take some time to take in the grandeur. Once you've done some exploration and taken some amazing photos, you'll return to the path that descends a little as you head back to the hamlet of Ramche. We'll stay here overnight. 

After visiting the spectacular South Base Camp of Mt. Kanchenjunga earlier, we retrace our steps back on the same trail we took while ascending. Today, we take a short downhill hike of just 3 hours from Ramche to Tseram. We start the trek after a warm breakfast at Ramche and reach Tseram for our lunch. After lunch, you are free to rest at the tea house or explore the village learning about the local lifestyle. We stay the night at a tea house in Tseram.

After breakfast, we say goodbye to our tea house and the lovely surroundings of Tseram and head back to Lasiya Bhanjyang passing by Tortong on the way. We trek for 6 hours along the river bank of Simjua Khola passing by various frozen alpine lakes. Enjoy the breathtaking views of Koktang, Rathong, and Kabru peaks one more time before they are no longer visible. We spend the night at a tea house in Lasiya Bhanjyang today.

Passing by dense forests of rhododendrons, oak, and fir draped in Spanish moss, we again make our way back from Lasiya Bhanjyang to Yamphudin today. It’s going to be mostly a downhill hike as we descend about 1700 meters in altitude. Enjoying the view of the yaks grazing in the expansive fields and distant snow-covered mountains, we finally reach Yamphudin after 5 hours, which is where we spend the night at a lodge.

It’s a day full of ups and downs today as we trek back from the Sherpa village of Yamphudin to Phumphe Danda. We trek past small valleys, rivers, and beautiful Limbu communities like Mamangkhen, where you can learn about the Lumbu culture and heritage. After 7 hours of walking uphill and downhill, we finally arrive at Phumphe Danda. We relax at the tea house enjoying a warm conversation with fellow trekkers, have dinner, and spend the night in Phumphe Danda tonight.

Today’s hike is characterized by crossing a number of rivers such as Khasawa Khola and Kabbeli Khola. We also walk past terraced fields along the slopes of the trail. Now that we’re at a much lower altitude compared to the base camp, we can find many small villages on the way with villagers going about their day. It’s a humbling experience to see the locals live a minimalistic life in such remote villages. After 6 hours of hike, we arrive at Kande Bhanjyang, where we spend the night at a lodge.

Just like previous days, we get up early at our overnight lodge and head out for our hike after breakfast. We'll trek for around 5 hours from Kande Bhanjyang to Lalikharka. Today is a gorgeous day with various forests, waterfalls, and a fantastic view of the distant Himalayas. Along the way, you will ascend and descend through several communities where you can converse with the locals and learn more about their customs and way of life. We spend the night in a mountain lodge run by locals when we get to Lalikharka.

The hike is coming to an end today. On our way from Lalikharka to Taplejung, we pass a few Rai and Limbu villages as we make our descent. Your body would be hurting right now from more than two weeks of touring and hiking, but your contented heart would make up for it. We reach Taplejung in 5 hours after taking the convenient downward route and talking to locals. Today, we'll spend the night in the charming Himalayan village of Taplejung and take one more look at the East Himalayas, before we leave early morning tomorrow.

Early in the morning, we get into a jeep and drive all the way down to Birtamod. We’ll have our breakfast either in Taplejung before the trip starts or at rest stops along the road. The populated town of Birtamod is situated in the Southeast of Nepal. As it could be excessively hot in the south, keep your body well-hydrated throughout the day. You finally reach Birtamod after ten hours of driving. After checking into your accommodation in Birtamod, you can enjoy dinner and unwind for the day.

We return to Kathmandu on the last day of our tour to Kanchenjunga South Base Camp. After having breakfast at the hotel in Birtamod, we take a 30-minute taxi ride to the Bhadrapur Airport. From here, we set out for Kathmandu. You will once more be transported to your lodging in Thamel after you land in Kathmandu airport. The rest of the day is yours to do as you like. You might go to a spa to relax your sore muscles or shop for gifts for your loved ones back home. Don’t forget to attend your farewell dinner that evening.  

OUTFITTER NEPAL ensures that you enjoy your trip to Kangchenjunga while prioritizing your safety during your odyssey. We hope your journey with us was enjoyable for you. Don't forget to think of us when you next visit Nepal.

We have a unique Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek package that covers both the North and South Base Camps of Kanchenjunga if you want to travel to both. Alternatively, you can hike Kanchenjunga North Base Camp alone. It's best to consider all of your alternatives before making a choice.