Makalu Base Camp Trek

Namaste! One of the representatives of Greater Himalaya will be present to welcome you at Tribhuvan International Airport. Our representative will escort you to a hotel room which is predetermined for you. Later, a welcome dinner will be hosted for you.

Today, you shall begin to explore the main historical sites of Kathmandu valley with a proficient guide. On the guided tour today, you shall be exploring the UNESCO world heritage of Kathmandu like Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square, and Bouddhanath. All these places are revered sites of Nepal and also very appealing tourist attractions. Just to give some brief information, Pashupatinath is a revered Hindu temple, Bouddhanath and Swayambhunath  are 2 venerated Buddhist pilgrimage sites and Kathmandu Durbar Square is a palace and was home to ancient kings in Nepal.

We will pick you up from the hotel room and drive towards Tribhuvan International Airport for the first part of today’s itinerary. We will take a domestic flight (approximately 35 minutes long) from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar. Even this scenic flight offers you views of imposing mountains if not clouded. 
Upon arrival at Tumlingtar airport, we will drive to Chichira (1980 meters) where we shall stay the night.  We will drive uphill winding past cultivated lands of corn, a forest of bamboo, and sal trees. We shall reach Chichira in about 2.5 hours of drive. We will present our trekking permits at the police checkpoint of Chihira. We shall stay overnight at the lodges and tea houses of Chihira 
 

Today we will begin the day with a hot breakfast in Chihira and then head towards Num. We will take a bumpy trail looking at the stunning lush hills. We will trek on a ridge that offers panoramas of picturesque villages and forests on both sides. Trekking for about 6 hours will bring us to Num located at an altitude of 1560 meters. We shall stay overnight in a teahouse in Num.

Heading out from Num, we will descend in a steep trail to Arun river for about 2 hours. We will then ascend passing cardamom plantations, bamboo forests, etc. on our way to Seduwa, located at 1500 meters. Today you shall witness the landscapes of remote Nepal at their best. The teahouses and lodges are lined up in the hillside in Seduwa and they provide magnificent views. We will cross the Arun river via a suspension bridge to climb to Seduwa where we shall stay overnight after 5 to 6 hours of trek.

We will head out of Seduwa via a paved path passing a number of mani walls. We will trek in a forested trail of rhododendron forest and trek across the cardamom plantations, hillside, and bamboo trees. En route, we will also cross one small settlement at Chyaksa Danda located at 1900 meters. We will trek in a dense forest and cross some streams on wooden bridges on our quest to Tashigaon situated at 2100 meters. We will cover about 8 Km of distance and trek for 7 hours to arrive at the tea house in Tashigaon where we shall stay the night.

After breakfast today, we are in for quite a challenging day of trekking since we will be gaining some serious altitude today. As we leave behind Tashigaon, we will trek over a wooden bridge and ascend in a lush and alluring forest of rhododendron. We will continue trekking with constant chirping and lively sounds made by the birds. We will also get some sporadic glimpses of snow-clad Himalayas as we approach Khongma Danda today on our way. 
En route, we will take a lunch break at Dhara (2867 meters) and take a brief refreshment break  here. From here onwards, we will cross beautiful rhododendron forest, prayer flags before finally arriving at Khongma Danda at 3500 meters. overnight stay at a tea house in Khongma Danda. 
 

Today we will slow down our itinerary and take a day off to acclimatize properly in Khongma. For this, we will trek to Khongma La Pass (3890 meters) from our teahouse. Our trail is marked with rhododendron bushes and magnificent mountain views. The views from Khongma La will spell-bind you and replenish you with awe and wonder. After exploring the region of Khongma La, we will trek down to the lodge where we shall stay overnight.

After the acclimatization of yesterday, we will be ready to trek to Debato passing the 4 alpine and scenic passes like Khongma La, Sano Pokhari Danda, Shipton La, and Keke La. The trekking experience today is truly unforgettable with spectacular mountain panoramas, incomparable and aloof Himalayas setting, etc. First, we will arrive at Khongma La Pass (3890 meters) which provides gorgeous views of Makalu and Chamlang peaks. As we transverse towards Sano Pokhari danda at 4105 meters, Mount Kanchenjunga will play peekaboo with you along the trail. Leaving Sano Pokhari Danda, we will arrive at Shipton La- another scenic pass with some tea shops and provisions of shelter.  From Shipton La, we will descend to arrive at a holy Kalo Pokhari lake and continue to Keke La Pass positioned at 4170 meters. We trek for about 7 to 8 hours today before finally arriving at Dobato (4170 meters) where we shall stay the night.

We will descend towards the beautiful and thundering Barun Khola amidst the lingering snow so do take care. We will get some views of Chamlang and Tutse in the first half of today while leaving Dobato We will take a brief ascent to reach Themathang Kharka located at 3500 meters and en route lies a stunning waterfall. We will trek in a pleasant trail crossing the Barun river over a wooden bridge. After trekking for about 5 hours from Dobato we will arrive at Yangri Kharka for which we will be descending for most of the part. We shall stay overnight in Yangri Tharka.

Today we will descend from the teahouse at Yangri Tharka after breakfast. We will trek in the juniper forest with the tantalizing aroma of Juniper. As we inch farther from Yangri Tharka, colorful prayer flags, and snow-covered summits w, waterfalls and enigmatic caves, etc. will serve as a virtual feast for you. The trekking route will eventually expose you to the pastures and grazing lands of Jhak Tharka. We will take a short break in Merek and continue towards Langmale Tharka located at an altitude of 4410 meters. We shall stay overnight at a teahouse in Lang make after trekking for about 6 hours.

Today we will trek from Langmale Kharka to Makalu Base Camp (4870 meters) which will take us a good 6 hours. We will be ascending most of the time looking at the grandeur of snow-covered peaks like Mount Ama Dablam and so much more. We will take a trail on the right edge of a river and trek enjoying the dramatic views as we gradually ascend to Makalu Base Camp. Trekking for about 3 hours will bring us to a small stone hut i.e. Shersong (4630 meters). As we trek from Shersong, the views of Makalu will dominate the sky tantalizing you. We will trek past some icefalls, crevasses, etc., and arrive at Makalu Base Camp. This long-waited destination provides awe-inspiring views of the fifth highest mountain in the world-Mount Makalu.  

We will explore Makalu Base Camp relishing the dominating views of Makalu throughout the day today. One of the options for today is to hike to a nearby ridge above the Makalu Base Camp. It is located at an altitude of about 5300 meters and this viewpoint bestows you with spectacular views of Mount Everest, Mt. Lhotse, plus a more close-up view of Mount Makalu. This hike is quite tough since it requires you to trek above 5000 meters, however, the views and serenity is completely rewarding and worth it. We shall stay overnight at a teahouse or camp in Makalu Base Camp.

After indulging in a lifetime experience in the base camp of Makalu, we will retrace our steps and return to Yangri Kharka. On our way back, we will cross Shersong and Langmale. We will take a lunch break in Langmale and continue to descend which will bring us to pine and rhododendron forest. We will trek for about 7 hours looking at the views of snow-line valleys, forests, dramatic gorges, hillsides, and eventually approach Yangri Kharka where we shall stay the night.

We will trek passing Themathang, rhododendron forest, prayer flags, rivers, and wooden bridges, etc to arrive at Dobate from Yangri Kharka which will take us about 6 hours. We will be ascending about 640 meters and descending about 410 meters today. We will trek in a narrow steep through lush rhododendron forest. We will carry plenty of snacks in Themathang since there are no many tea houses and shops available en route. We shall stay overnight in Dobate.

After early morning breakfast in Dobate, we will trek to Khongma whilst being captivated by the enriching views of Mount Kanchenjunga and Mount Makalu. We will ascend to Keke La at 4170 meters and Shipton La at 4200 meters. We will then descend to Sano Pokhari Danda (4105 meters) and Khong Ma La pass at 3890 meters. After enjoying the awe-inspiring views from these passes and viewpoints en route, we will trek to a nearby lodge in Khonga Ma Danda where we shall stay the night. We shall be trekking for a total of 7 hours today to arrive at Khongma Danda from Dobate.

We will trek downhill from Khongma to arrive at a teahouse in Tashigaon. We will be descending for most of the trekking trail today looking at the views of remote Nepal away from the hustle of modernization. We will take a break in Dhara Kharka (after 2-3 hours) and continue trekking for another 3 hours which will bring us to the teahouse in Tashigaon where we shall stay the night.

After breakfast in Tashigaon, we will leave Seduwa which will take us about 5 hours. We shall stay overnight at a lodge in Seduwa.

While returning back from Seduwa and Num, we will have to trek uphill and downhill many times. We will trek to the Arun river and enter a thick forest. There are some Sherpa villages that you will witness as you ascend and descend towards Num. We shall stay overnight in Num.

As we retrace our steps from Num to Tumlingtar savoring the magnificent vistas of Mount Makalu for one last time. We will stop en route at Chichira for a while and continue trekking for another 4 hours to arrive at the lodge in Tumlingtar where we shall stay overnight. We will spend the last night celebrating and rejoicing in Tumlingtar.

You will return back to Kathmandu from Tumlingtar via a scenic flight. You’re your arrival at the Kathmandu airport, we will have you picked and escorted to a hotel room in Thamel. Later in the evening, we will host a farewell dinner for the trekking crews. Overnight stay at a 3-star hotel in Kathmandu.

This Makalu Base Camp Trek comes to its inevitable end today. One representative of Greater Himalaya will drop you at the Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight. Thank you for choosing us.