Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek - 19 days

Today, the company leader will come to meet you early morning at the hotel to take your passport for the preparation of the permit. We’ll arrange every necessary permit on this day and hand over it to you. Today you can either rest or go sightseeing in UNESCO World Heritage sites along the guide, there are many options. Choose those places that match your leisure period. After this amazing day tour, we’ll meet from 5-6 pm for a short briefing on the trek. Make sure to tick off all the necessary packing lists. Our trip begins tomorrow.

Today, the guidelines are clear for today. Our company representative will come to your hotel for the pick-up based on our flight time. From Kathmandu, we fly by a domestic flight to Bhadrapur which is scheduled to be about 45 minutes to one hour and is expected to be in the early morning. With the local jeep from Bhadrapur, we drive through Kanyam, where we can see the local people farming vegetation of tea. Our destination after a six or seven-hour jeep drive will be Taplejung from where our trekking to Kanchenjunga Circuit starts.

In the early morning, we will catch a local jeep to reach Sekathum, after a delightful breakfast. Passing small villages including Chirwa, Mitlung, Lelep, Thapethok, and many others along the Tamur River, we’ll witness surreal insights into local terraced farming practices. If the weather is clear, the Kanchenjunga Range will accompany us by the distance elevating our hectic drive. Reaching Sekathum, we’ll be welcomed with the warm hospitality of the Rai family in their tea house where we stay overnight.
 

From today onwards, our hiking begins after 2 days of jeep drive. After having breakfast, we trail through up and downhill with some rocky sections along the Ghunsa Khola side by side. Bypassing several suspension bridges with forests of rhododendrons and settlements of small villages such as Khesewa and Jonggim we reach Amjilosa. Overnight stay at Amjilosa.

After having a yummy breakfast, we start moving forward to Gyabala. Today, the trail is a little challenging with many ascents and descents path with narrow lanes. However, we pass through bamboo and rhododendron forests making our trail peaceful yet attractive. Besides that, we may also spot elusive Red pandas, so make sure to keep your cameras ready to capture these unique encounters. After a few ascends, we’ll see the exhilarating view of Kanchenjunga massifs along with stunning waterfalls. Finally, after 4-5 hours of hike, we reach Gyabala and stay a night there.
 

Today our trek begins walking by the vibrant forests of pine and oak. Our trail is not difficult compared to yesterday but we’ll walk through some uneven and rocky terrain. Passing through a dense variety of flora and fauna, we reach Phaley village, along the way we can stop at a tea house for some hot ginger tea, so we can rest for 20-30 minutes. After trailing by the greenery, we will finally arrive at our next overnight stay in Ghunsa village. Stay warm in the kitchen area in the evening during dinner time as the coldness rises at this altitude.

After a local breakfast with a sunrise view in the early morning, we will gradually start walking uphill to Khambachen. On the way, if we are lucky enough, we may have a small glimpse of snow leopards and blue sheep. Passing by the greenery of diverse flora including the juniper, we can see the spectacular vista of Mount Jannu on the north side. Enjoying the backdrop views of the Himalayas, we will reach Khambachen village. Overnight stay at Khambachen.

Today we have an acclimatization day, so we must walk to a higher elevation and descend to the lower place for overnight sleeping. This makes our body fit for being at more altitude so we are heading to Kanchenjunga North Base camp. After breakfast at the lodge, we pack some lunch for the day and begin a day excursion to Janu Himal Base Camp, 4500m-14,985ft, or another option is to hike the picturesque glacial lake Nupchu Pokhari elevated about 4,450m- 14,815ft. Our return trip to Khambachen will be about 5-6 hours.

Leaving Khambachen behind, we head towards the trail that leads us to the Khambachen Glacier. As we walk through the territory of rich flora and fauna, we may also have the chance to witness snow leopards along the route. There are no thick settlements on the way, but we will encounter many trekkers heading to Lhonak and returning from Kanchenjunga North Base Camp. Although the trek is challenging today, as we walk by some rocky and narrow sections, reaching Lhonak will reward us with breathtaking views of the Kanchenjunga massif, Mera Peak, and several other snowcapped peaks.

Today is an exciting day, after having our breakfast we’ll start moving towards the north base camp of Mt. Kanchenjunga (Pang Pema), following the moraine of Kanchenjunga Glacier. We begin to gradually ascend uphill where we can see spectacular views of Nepal Peak and Taple Shikhar. Passing through some spiritual sites and reaching Kanchenjunga North Base Camp, we’ll be surrounded by the majestic vista of Mt. Kanchenjunga including many other subsidiary peaks like Yalung Kang, and Pyramid Peak. Feel the colorful Buddhist prayer flags fluttering in the spiritual air, we take a moment here and enjoy the serenity of this area by taking some pictures having hot drinks, and returning to our lodge of Lonak
again.
 

After this amazing stay at Lhonak village with a memorable experience and views of the Himalayas. Following the rocky trails surrounded by prayer flags, stone huts, chortens, and high mountain passes adding a stunning vista with the spiritual experience we reach a small village, called Ghunsa. Here, you can experience the warm hospitality with the local delights of the Sherpa family in the lodge.

Today, we start climbing gradually, leaving Ghunsa behind. By passing through the trail of some narrow paths with rocky sections, we’ll get majestic insights of Mt. Manaslu and Mt. Kanchenjunga along some tiny villages. It is highly suggested to carry a bottle of water from the tea house of Ghunsa as there are only a few sections of the tea house along the way. Finally, after a long hours hiking in a well-trodden path, we reach Sele La Base Camp where we’ll be staying overnight.

Today, our trek begins after having breakfast descending towards Tseram in the early morning on an uneven trail. Hydrate yourself properly in the lodge with some hot garlic soup or water before starting your hike today. As, we may feel the effect of altitude walking through high altitude passes of Sinion La, Mirgin La, and then Sinelapche Bhanjyang (4645 meters). Even though the hike is quite strenuous we will be rewarded with the magnificent views of Mt. Everest and Manaslu making our hike worth it. Continuing our hike, we reach Tseram where we are staying overnight.

Leaving Tseram, an exciting destination awaits us as we trail towards the viewpoint of Kanchenjunga South Base Camp or Yalung Base Camp. Starting our trek from Tseram, firstly we hike to Ramche where we can get some rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour of lunch, as it is the only tea house on the route. From here we’ll move on a straightforward trail which is easier compared to the previous hike. Reaching Kanchenjunga South Base Camp, we’ll be blessed by the panoramic views of Mt. Kanchenjunga where the Buddhist colorful prayer flags flutter providing tranquility on the lap of unspoiled Kanchenjunga and several other peaks and glaciers. From Kanchenjunga Base Camp, we return to Tseram.

Today, we gradually descend towards Tortong by crossing suspension bridges and a few stepping stones. Leaving alpine meadows behind, we trek through greenery forests of oaks and pines. Passing Simbuwa Khola Khola along the view of Makalu and Mt. Lhotse adds a serene to the trek. After a couple of hours of walking through varied terrains from Tseram, we finally arrive at Tortong where we’ll stay overnight.

After having a delightful breakfast with hot soup (highly suggested), we start heading towards a long uphill hike with steep ascents and descents. On the way, we might feel the little effect of altitude due to significant elevation shifts. But, there is nothing to worry about as we have acclimatized well. Be careful while walking as we also cross through landslide landslide-prone sections. Trailing through the Dhupi Bhanjyang (2665 meters) and Lasiya Bhanjyang (3415 meters), we reach the village of Yamphudin where we are welcomed by the warm hospitality of the Sherpa and Limbu communities. Overnight stay in Yamphudin, make the best out of it by interacting with the local people of the lodge here as they are so friendly and welcoming.

Today, we are going on a long drive towards Kanyam by public bus or jeep sharing which takes about 8-9 hours. We will pass by beautiful landscapes, picturesque local villages, Kabeli Khola (creek), and farmers cultivating on farming land. As Kanyam is known for tea cultivation in Nepal, we can have a taste of local organic tea adding a taste of the Himalayas to our trek. Tonight, make the best out of this trek by exploring and creating new memories here as it is the last day in the serenity of nature. Spend this lovely time with the group in Kanyam as we are heading back to Kathmandu tomorrow.

Today, we make a journey towards Bhadrapur for two to three hours by bus or jeep after having breakfast while admiring the distinct landscape and the attractive Tea estates through the window during a bus ride.  In Bhadrapur, we'll have a rest or lunch for 30-45 minutes then, we'll head back to Kathmandu in a 40-45 minute flight. After returning to Kathmandu, there will be a goodbye dinner with the company representative where all the great moments that were experienced during the hike will be recalled and you'll be provided a completion success certificate of Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek from our company. Thank you for your trust in Destination Himalayan Treks and Expedition.