Kanchenjunga North Base Camp Trek - 16 Days

The Kanchenjunga North Base Camp Trekking trip begins with an early-morning flight to Nepal's Bhadrapur Airport in the country's southeast. You'll get up early, have breakfast at the hotel, prepare your gear, and get ready for the adventure. Our hiking guide will pick you up from your hotel and will take you to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu International Airport so you may catch a flight to Bhadrapur. After we land in Bhadrapur, we'll board a jeep that will transport us all the way to Taplejung in the north, traveling from south to north. Taplejung is where the actual Kanchenjunga North Base Camp Trek begins. At Taplejung, we eat dinner and stay the night in a hotel or lodge.
Note: Since the trip involves hiking in the restricted area of Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, we need a whole day to prepare your permits. Hence, you need to be in Nepal and submit your documents for the permit a day before the trip departure date.

Before you even land, Kathmandu welcomes you with the breathtaking sight of snow-capped mountain peaks spread down below if the weather is clear. This indicates the beginning of a memorable experience that's going to stay with you for a long time.

Our office staff will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. At the hotel, you will be briefed about your daily activities, and you will spend your first night in the ancient valley of Kathmandu, with the most temples in the world.

We officially begin the trek today. We depart Taplejung and start the walk after breakfast and morning tea. We will descend to the terraced farmlands first, and then proceed along the Tamor River. Use trekking poles for support while walking because the paths can be slick. Before arriving in Sinuwa, where you will spend the night in a lodge, you must pass through the rural settlements of the Tamang and Limbu communities. The route today passes through gorgeous areas with lovely scenery. It will be an easy first hiking day.

We begin our trip to Tapethok after breakfast at the lodge in Sinuwa. Our journey continues along this uneven road, ascending and descending while we take in the expansive views that seem to alter with the elevations. You can witness the diverse local flora and fauna as you go along the nice path through a forested region. Since cardamom is one of the primary local crops, you can see it all along the way. We enter the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area in Tapethok. When our permits have been verified, we'll head towards our lodge. After that, we stay the night in Tapethok.

After eating breakfast at the lodge, we set off on our walk. Today will be extremely difficult because we have to cross multiple rivers and climb up and down a steep trail. Before crossing the Ghunsa Khola, we continue to move uphill and then downhill. We arrive in Sekathum after walking for another half hour after crossing the suspension bridge.

We must use caution as we move because the trail runs alongside a gorge. We walk through typical flatland for the first one and a half hours. After that, our trail climbs hard up to Amjilosa. After following a somewhat challenging uphill and downhill course, we finally reach Amjilosa, where our busy day's travel comes to a conclusion. Amjilosa is a tiny community with a few dwellings, yak herds, and local stores with just enough supplies to suit the requirements of the residents. These stores are also known as Bhattis.

It's another long hike day today. Following breakfast, we ascend by a river bank and make our way through a forested area that is primarily bamboo, fir, and rhododendrons before arriving at a little stone home by the river. Then, after passing a few minor bridges, we climb up once more. You'll notice that the river has a sharp drop that has created numerous waterfalls and pools. We continue on a short uphill hike till we reach Gyabla, a Tibetan town. You have lunch and take a short break in Gyabla.

We descend down the river as we continue our quest. The valley gradually widens before we reach Phale. In a few hours, we will arrive at the well-known Sherpa settlement of Ghunsa, which boasts a hydroelectric facility. We can see the Ghunsa River at the other end of the trail as it travels through a densely forested area of the jungle. We pass a few populated areas that have a Tibetan-influenced way of life and culture as we travel. We travel across millet, wheat, barley, and potato-terraced fields. The local merchants here are involved in Tibet's export-import trade. During the winter, the traders travel to India to conduct business. At Ghunsa, we spend the night.

We take the day off today to unwind at Ghunsa in order to acclimate. Acclimatization is a tried-and-true method for allowing your body to adapt to the rising altitude. However, being inactive in the name of the rest day is not helpful. We should walk around & explore rather than doing nothing.

As a result, we take a trip around Ghunsa. In the village of Ghunsa, there are several places to get used to the altitude. You may reach the ridges with a breathtaking view of the Kumbhakarna Peak (7,711m) after a little climb. Alternatively, you can hike near the Yamtari Khola at Lapsang La. Near the glacier, there is a pond that you can explore.

The relatively larger village of Ghunsa provides us with information on mountain dwellers' way of life. The inhabitants of Ghunsa are primarily Tibetan, and the majority of the local women work as carpet weavers. You'll be charmed by the rustic lifestyles you encounter during your stay at Ghunsa. Gompas, mani walls, chortens, and prayer flags are examples of Tibetan Buddhist structures that represent its practices. Additionally, you can try the popular local millet wine Tongba there.

After a day full of rest, today's journey to Kambachen is again, difficult. The trail ascends gradually along the south bank of the Ghunsa Khola/River before crossing a flood plain that is littered with boulders. After that, we return to Rambuk Kharka on the north bank of the river. The trail takes a brief, steep ascent up a very unlevel hill after passing a waterfall on the way. It's a narrow passageway that crosses a nearby landslide that has many sliding rocks the size of footballs, a steep drop to the river, and unstable footing.

We must go cautiously through this dangerous area since putting the wrong foot on a loose boulder may be fatal. The route then descends to Lakep's lone closed lodge and turns around to Kambachen, where we get our first glimpses of Mt. Jannu. At 4145 meters above sea level, Kambachen is a Tibetan community with roughly 12 homes. After a tiring day of hike, we stay the night at a lodge in Kambachen.

We start our day hike after breakfast at the lodge in Kambachen. The path today progressively climbs over broad and rocky meadows to Ramtang, which is at 4240m. The delightful excursion to the Ramtang Monastery will charm you spiritually. The trail then passes through moraines to the northwest of the Kanchenjunga Glacier. Water is rare in this area because Lhonak, at 4790m, is situated near a dried-up lake bed on a broad, open plain. We must navigate a few more minor landslides and descend to a riverbed before reaching Lhonak, where our walk comes to a close for the day. Lhonak is the last village before the Kanchenjunga North Base Camp.

We begin the hike like we do every day following breakfast at the lodge. However, today is going to be a memorable day since we reach our destination at Mt. Kanchenjunga's North Base Camp. Ascending gradually across the plain, the hiking route from Lhonak eventually becomes steeper as it follows the moraine. Beautiful alpine treelines will be your view as you move towards your Himalayan destination.

To avoid the steeper stretch, we will descend the moraine and follow the floor of the valley. Walking on the grassy paths is safer than on the rocky ones, which are more prone to landslides. Although the views down here are amazing, we won't be able to see the north face of Kangchenjunga until we are very close to Pangpema.

Pangpema is dwarfed by the magnificent peak of Kanchenjunga and a vast array of other peaks that make up one of the largest mountain masses in the world. You spend the night at Pangpema. There aren't any lodges or tea houses here, so you'll have to sleep in a tent and eat food made by our kitchen crew. 

Pangpema is a base camp that is grassy and level with a few porter cabins. We can hike up a little higher than base camp to a lookout for better views of the enormous mass of the Kanchenjunga North Face. Here, we shall marvel at the breathtaking views of the Kangchenjunga glacier and snow-covered mountains. There are alpine glaciers and gorges where water constantly flows. The sight of avalanches tumbling during the middle of the day completely seizes your mind. 

We retrace our steps today from Pangpema to Kambachen by going the same way we did when we hiked up. In Kambachen, we spend the night in a tea house.

After eating breakfast, we leave the settlement of Kambachen. We follow the previous route passing by the small settlements and keep walking up the mountainside. The journey continues through sparsely populated grasslands, flowing rivers, and wooded areas. It’s going to be somewhat easier today as we decline almost 1000 meters in altitude. After continuing for 5 hours, you finally reach Phale. You can relax at the tea house there. Phale is where we spend the night today.

We start the day with breakfast and a stroll through the picturesque surroundings of the location before beginning the descent to Sukethum. You will cross a number of bridges today before you reach your destination. You will hike across the same tiny towns that you passed on the trail you followed upwards. After about 7 hours of hiking on the uphill and downhill path, we finally arrive at Sukethum. We spend the night at a lodge here.

We wake up early at our overnight lodge and leave for our hike after breakfast, as we have done on previous days. We'll go from Sekathum to Sinuwa in around 7 hours. It's a beautiful day today, chilly in the shade, with many forests, waterfalls, and a great view of Jannu. On the route, you will pass through several towns, ascending and descending along the trail, where you can interact with the inhabitants and learn more about their traditions and way of life. Once we arrive in Sinuwa, we stay the night in a lodge.

Today is the final day of the hike. The second last day of the Kanchenjunga North Base Camp Trek takes us from Sinuwa to Taplejung as we descend past a few Rai and Limbu villages. Right now, your body would be in pain after 2 weeks of traveling and trekking, but your satisfied heart would make up for it. In 6 hours, after descending the convenient downward way and chatting with residents, we arrive in Taplejung. We'll spend the night in the lovely Himalayan town of Taplejung today, enjoying the East Himalayas one last time.

We board a jeep early in the morning and travel all the way down to Birtamod. Breakfast will be provided either at Taplejung before the journey begins or at rest points along the way. The popular town of Birtamod is located in southeast Nepal. Keep your body hydrated throughout the day because it may be too hot in the south. Finally, after ten hours of driving, you arrive in Birtamod. Following your hotel check-in in Birtamod, you can eat dinner and get some relaxation.

On the last day of our Kanchenjunga North Base Camp trip, we return to Kathmandu. We take a 30-minute cab ride to the Bhadrapur Airport after finishing breakfast at the hotel in Birtamod. We take off for Kathmandu from here. Once in Kathmandu, you will once more be driven to your accommodation in Thamel. The remainder of the day is yours to spend however you like. You might visit a spa or go souvenir shopping for your loved ones back home. Don't forget to come to your farewell dinner that evening.  

OUTFITTER NEPAL makes sure that you have an enjoyable time on your trip to Kangchenjunga, putting your safety first and foremost during your odyssey. We wish you had a memorable journey with us. Don't forget to keep us in mind when you next travel to Nepal.

If you want to trek to both the North and South Base Camps of Kanchenjunga, we have a separate Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek package that covers both. Or you can also do only South Base Camp separately. Please go through the options before making the final decision.