Kanchanjunga Circuit Trek

Namaste! Welcome to Nepal. You will meet one of our representatives at Tribhuvan International Airport. Our representative will assist you to collect your logs and escort you to a hotel where a room is booked for you.

This a free/leisure day in Kathmandu that you will spend sightseeing and also preparing for the trek. With a proficient guide, you shall be visiting the topmost places and attractions of Kathmandu valley like Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Bouddhanath, and Kathmandu Durbar Square. Sightseeing across this place will provide you a brief overview of the culture, tradition, and history of Nepal. We will also help you with missing trekking equipment just in case. We will also provide you an orientation on trekking and fill you with important information. Overnight stay at a hotel in Kathmandu.

The flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur is about 45 minutes long. On a clear day, you shall see the snow-covered mountains of the Everest region. From Bhadrapur, you will take a 45 minute to 1-hour drive to arrive at a more developed and tourist-friendly Birtamode. Overnight stay at a hotel in Birtamod.

We will take a long drive from Kathmandu to Taplejung and boy, could the views be any less dramatic and gorgeous. You will see vast tea plantations that completely dominate the views. As we approach Taplejung, even Mount Kanchenjunga and Mount Jannu will play peekaboo with you. You will pass tea, cardamom, and coffee cultivated lands along with dense forest to finally arrive at Taplejung. As you approach Taplejung, you will also witness gompas and prayer wheels. Overnight you shall stay in Taplejung

Our trek will officially begin today from Taplejung. We will first take a sharp descent which eventually leads us to Mitlung village. We will walk to the Tamor River and will see many towns and settlements en route. You will trek past cultivated lands of rice, millet, potatoes, and  many other vegetables and fruits. After a slight descent, we will cross Tiwa khola over a wooden bridge. Trekking uphill and downhill for a while ultimately brings us to Chiruwa.  We can either opt for night stays or set camps at the large field among large stones for staying overnight.

We will head towards Lelep at 1750 meters today. En route, we will get our trekking permits checked and registered at Taplechowk (1380 meters). We will continue trekking beside the lush cardamom plantation. We will take a lunch break in Phembu and then take an ascent above the Tamur river to arrive at Lelep. You will be greeted with alluring and pristine sub-tropical panoramas today. Overnight stay at Lelep.

From Lelep, we will follow a descending trail and witness a Tibetan village of Sekathum. We will cross the Ghunsa river over a suspension bridge and trek beside a deep valley. We will ascend in a narrow and steep trail to arrive at Amjilosa. As you inch closer to Amjilosa, you might see yaks grazing in Yaks pasture land, Overnight stay at Amjilosa situated at 2308 meters.

Via a forested trail amidst luxurious bamboo, oak, and rhododendron forests, we will ascend from Amjilosa to cross a small ridge. Beside the dense forest,  you shall also see the beautiful vistas of countless waterfalls, several remote settlements in the lap of mountains as you go downhill towards Ghunsa Khola at a place called Thyanyani (2,400 meters). We ascend for a while before passing a large waterfall and then we make a final steep climb to arrive at Gyabla. Overnight stay at a camp or homestay in Gyabla.

After breakfast, we leave Gyabla and trek towards the Tibetan village of Phale. You will notice a swift change in vegetation as rhododendron forest becomes more redundant today. You might even purchase some local handicrafts in Phole as souvenirs for your loved ones. We will continue trekking for another 1.5 hours to reach Ghunsa which is a beautiful and large village with wooden houses, several guest houses/lodges, and shops.  We will stay overnight at a lodge in Ghunsa.

On the tenth day of Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek, we will explore the peripheral area of Ghunsa, so that we can acclimatize properly. For this, we will trek to Lobsang La and enjoy the scenic beauty of Ghunsa. We will pay a visit to the local gompa and stroll around looking at the alpine vegetation and splendor of Ghunsa. Overnight stay at Ghunsa.

From Ghunsa, the trekking route gradually ascends through the lush rhododendron and pine forest. We will trek in this route located at the east bank of Ghunsa Khola passing several mani walls and chortens. We will cross Ghunsa Khola via a suspension bridge and approach Rampur Kharka located at an altitude of 3720 meters. You will notice the green vegetation and forest being replaced by snow lines as you trek higher. Continuing we will reach the scenic and peaceful Tibetan village called Khambachen at 4050 meters.

We will trek to Lhonak from Khambachen which takes around 5 hours. We will trek into the core of the dominating Kanchenjunga massif, as we gradually ascend to the base of the massif’s glacier. We will get mesmerizing views of snow-fed waterfalls and sporadic glimpses of alpine wildlife such as blue sheep from the trekking trail. Overnight stay at Lhonak.

First thing first, we will trek to the desolated and alpine outpost of Pangpema along the trail that rises along the lateral moraine from the Kanchenjunga glacier. We will take a lunch break in Pangpema and then take a final climb which brings us to Kanchenjunga Base Camp. Kanchenjunga Base Camp (KBC) provides superb views of the north face of Kanchenjunga and other snow-clad peaks of the surrounding. We will spend some handful moments in the base camp enjoying its serenity, taking pictures, making memories, relishing the magnificent landscapes before returning back to Lhonak for a night stay.

We will retrace our steps back on our way to Ghunsa from Lhonak which will take about 7 hours. Even if we are descending to Ghunsa via the same trekking trail that we are ascending, you will see the scenery from a new perspective and angle. Overnight stay in Ghunsa.

We will trek to the scenic and lovely Selele Base Camp located at 4480 meters. you will trek past a forest along a grassy ridge looking at stunning mountain views one of which includes panoramas of Mount Makalu. Selele Base Camp also provides alluring views of Ghunsa and Phale settlements.

Along the trail today, we shall visit 2 iconic passes of Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek namely Sinion La (4646 meters) and Mirgin La (4470 meters). While trekking today, you shall witness majestic Mount Everest and Makalu alongside the surreal beauty of Kanchenjunga vicinity. We will trek down to Cherma after trekking for 8 hours and stay there overnight.

We will walk in a forested trail and reach the moraine of Yarlung glacier. You will also be gifted with the priceless views of Mount Jannu, Mount Kanchenjunga, and other adjoining peaks. As we make a day trip to Oktang, you will get a glimpse of many peaks over 7000 meters. We will camp overnight at Ramche.

 As we trek down from a higher altitudes today, the lush forest gets more prominent. Eventually, we will arrive at the lower foothill of the gigantic mountains in the lush and thick rhododendron and pine forest. We will trek in the trail at the edge of Simbuwa Khola for few more hours ultimately taking you to Tortong where we shall stay the night.

As we ascend and descend heading towards Yamphuding, we will trek (mostly descend) for 7 hours with the diverse view of pastures, jungles, villages as we make our way towards Yamphuding. We will stay overnight in Yamphuding.

We trek past tranquil villages, terraced fields, and forests for about 5 to 6 hours today. Today is an easy day of trekking that won’t require you to do much heavy trekking. We will stay overnight in Khebang.

We will trek through Limbu villages whilst enjoying the diverse scenery of farmland and pastures. Behind you, the almighty Mount Kanchenjunga stands still with other adjoining peaks. We will enjoy trekking in the off beaten path of remote Nepal and eventually arrive at Hapu Khola after 9 to 10 hours of trekking where we shall stay the night.

You shall enjoy a serene, long, and scenic drive from Hapu Khola to Birtamode looking at the sense subtropical forest, change in the settlement, local markets, etc. we shall stay overnight in Birtamod.

After breakfast in Birtamod, you will leave for Bhadrapur. You will arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, domestic wings in Kathmandu after 45 minutes of a scenic flight. You will be picked and escorted to the hotel room. In the evening, we will host a farewell dinner for all trekking crews and exchange a few words

This is the final day of 24-day Kanchenjunga Circuit Trekking. You will be escorted to the Tribhuvan International Airport, from where you can take a flight to your next destination or home.