A 20-day guided circuit in far-eastern Nepal that visits both base camps of Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain: Pangpema on the north side and Oktang on the south, linked by the Sele La passes. It is a remote restricted-area trek with simple teahouses and very few other trekkers.
A 20-day guided circuit in far-eastern Nepal that visits both base camps of Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain: Pangpema on the north side and Oktang on the south, linked by the Sele La passes. It is a remote restricted-area trek with simple teahouses and very few other trekkers.
Kanchenjunga (8,586 m) stands on the border of Nepal and Sikkim, and the Nepali side is protected as the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area. This trek takes you to both of its Nepali base camps: Pangpema at 5,143 m below the north face, and the Oktang viewpoint above the Yalung glacier below the south face. Between them we cross a chain of high passes, Sinion La, Mirgin La and Sinelapche La, so you walk a loop rather than retracing one valley.
We fly from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur and drive to Taplejung, then on by jeep to Sekathum, where the road ends. From there we follow the Ghunsa Khola through subtropical forest, Sherpa and Tibetan villages and the larger settlement of Ghunsa, before climbing above the treeline to Khambachen, Lhonak and the north base camp. We return to Ghunsa, cross the passes to Tseram, visit Ramche and Oktang, then walk down the Simbuwa Khola valley to Yamphudin, where a jeep takes us back to Bhadrapur.
The pacing follows the altitude. We spend two nights at Ghunsa (3,475 m) and two at Khambachen (4,050 m) before sleeping at Lhonak (4,780 m), and we visit Pangpema as a day hike because there are no lodges at the north base camp. The pass crossing from Selele to Tseram is the longest day, eight to nine hours with several climbs above 4,400 m, and we only tackle it once you are well acclimatised from the north side.
This is a restricted area. You trek with a licensed guide, on a Restricted Area Permit that we arrange. Teahouses are simple: twin rooms or dormitories, dal bhat and noodle soups, limited charging and few hot showers above Ghunsa. The reward is a route that sees a small fraction of the trekkers on the Everest or Annapurna trails, with Limbu, Rai, Sherpa and Tibetan culture along the way and some of the biggest mountain walls in Nepal at the end of each valley.
This trek suits experienced hikers who are comfortable with long consecutive days on rough trails. There are 14 walking days, most of five to seven hours, with an eight-to-nine-hour pass crossing above 4,400 m and a seven-to-eight-hour return hike to Pangpema at 5,143 m. Trails include landslide sections, loose moraine and steep descents. Previous multi-day trekking, ideally with some time above 3,500 m, is strongly recommended. Start training at least three months before departure: build up to two or three long hill walks a week carrying a 6–8 kg pack, include back-to-back days with 1,000 m or more of ascent and descent, and add stair or step work to prepare your knees for the long downhill days. Good aerobic fitness helps with altitude, but it does not prevent altitude sickness, so the acclimatisation days in Ghunsa and Khambachen are part of the plan, not optional extras.
We meet you at Tribhuvan International Airport and drive you to your hotel. In the evening your guide runs through the route, the kit list and the plan for the permits, which are issued against your passport details before we leave for the east.
We lodge the Restricted Area Permit and conservation area permit applications through our office while you check gear, hire anything missing and change money for the trail. Kathmandu is the last place with reliable shops and ATMs before the trek, so this is the day to sort out anything you have forgotten.
A 45-minute flight takes us to Bhadrapur on the plains of Jhapa, where our jeep is waiting. The road climbs through the tea gardens of Ilam and along the hill ridges to Phungling, the bazaar town that serves as the headquarters of Taplejung district. It is a long day in the vehicle, so bring snacks and a light jacket for the evening.
We continue by jeep on the rough road that drops to the Tamor river and follows it upstream past Mitlung and Chirwa. The road ends at Sekathum, a small settlement where the Ghunsa Khola meets the Tamor. Expect five to six hours of bumpy driving, with a stop at the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area checkpoint on the way.
The walking starts in earnest. We cross to the Ghunsa Khola and follow its gorge on a trail that rises and falls across landslide scars and suspension bridges, then climbs steeply in the final hour to the small Sherpa settlement of Amjilosa. It is a hot, humid day at the start, so carry plenty of water.
A shorter day through bamboo, oak and rhododendron forest, with waterfalls dropping off the valley walls. The trail keeps above the river and finishes with a climb to Gyabla (also written Kyapra), a cluster of Tibetan-style houses on a shelf above the gorge.
We descend to the river and walk up the valley through pine forest to Phale, a Tibetan refugee village with a small monastery and carpet-weaving workshops. From Phale it is a gentle walk on to Ghunsa, the largest village in the upper valley, with wooden houses, prayer flags, a health post and the conservation area office.
We stay a second night in Ghunsa to let your body adjust before we go higher. Your guide takes you on a short walk to the monastery and up the slopes behind the village, then the afternoon is free to rest, wash clothes and charge batteries while the village still has reliable power.
The trail follows the river north through larch and juniper, crosses a long landslide section where your guide sets the pace and spacing, and climbs above the treeline. Khambachen sits in a broad pasture below the north face of Jannu (Kumbhakarna, 7,711 m), which fills the head of the side valley above the village.
A second night at Khambachen before we sleep above 4,500 m. In the morning we climb the ridge behind the village for views of Jannu, Merra and the peaks around the Kanchenjunga glacier, then return to rest. Take it slowly and drink plenty.
We walk through open boulder country past the Ramtang monastery and along the lateral moraine of the Kanchenjunga glacier. Lhonak is a handful of stone lodges on a wide sandy plain ringed by peaks. It is cold and windy here, and the lodges are basic, so keep your down jacket close.
We leave at first light and follow the moraine above the glacier to Pangpema, the north base camp, where the north face of Kanchenjunga rises straight ahead. There are no lodges at Pangpema, so after time at the viewpoint we return to Lhonak for the night. This is the highest and longest day of the trek.
We retrace our steps down the valley past Khambachen and through the forest to Ghunsa. It is a long day but almost all downhill, and the thicker air at Ghunsa makes for a good night's sleep before the passes.
We climb out of Ghunsa through rhododendron and fir forest to the open ridge where the trail to the passes begins. The camp at Selele has a few simple lodges. It is a shorter day so you have time to rest before the long crossing tomorrow.
The crux of the circuit. We start early and cross a chain of passes, Sinion La, Mirgin La and Sinelapche La, the highest at about 4,646 m, with views back to Makalu and Everest on a clear morning. After the last pass the trail descends steeply through rhododendron to Tseram (also written Cheram) in the Simbuwa Khola valley. Expect eight to nine hours on the trail.
We walk up the valley beside the Yalung glacier to the meadows and small lakes at Ramche, then continue along the moraine to the Oktang viewpoint, where the south face of Kanchenjunga and the Yalung glacier fill the view. We return down the same trail to Tseram for the night.
A steady descent down the Simbuwa Khola valley through rhododendron, birch and fir forest. Tortong is a small clearing by the river with a few simple lodges.
We climb out of the valley to the forested pass of Lasiya Bhanjyang, then descend a long, steep trail through forest and farmland to Yamphudin, a mixed village of Limbu, Rai, Sherpa and Gurung families. It is a long day with a lot of descent, so poles help.
The road now reaches Yamphudin, so we drive out by jeep on dirt roads through the hill villages to the tarmac and down to the plains at Bhadrapur. It is a full day in the vehicle. We spend the night near the airport so we are ready for the morning flight.
A morning flight returns us to Kathmandu and we transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free. If the flight is delayed by weather, we wait in Bhadrapur and rebook on the next available service.
Permits we arrange: Kanchenjunga Restricted Area Permit, Kanchenjunga Conservation Area
The upper Ghunsa valley and the Yamphudin side of the trek lie inside a restricted area. Foreign trekkers need a Restricted Area Permit, which the Department of Immigration issues only through a registered Nepali trekking agency, for trekkers travelling with a licensed guide; since March 2026 it can be issued to a single trekker. The current fee set by the Department of Immigration for the Taplejung restricted area is USD 20 per person per week for the first four weeks and USD 25 per week after that. You also need the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area entry permit. We need a scan of your passport (valid for at least six months) and Nepal visa details to apply, and your guide carries the permits and shows them at the checkpoints. If you are travelling alone, ask us about joining a group departure.
You sleep at 4,780 m in Lhonak and reach 5,143 m at Pangpema. We build in two nights at Ghunsa and two at Khambachen, and your guide checks your oxygen saturation and symptoms each evening. Tell your guide straight away about headaches, nausea, unusual tiredness or poor sleep. The cure for worsening symptoms is to go down, and we will always do that rather than push on. On the south side, the pass crossing reaches about 4,646 m and the Oktang viewpoint about 4,730 m, but by then you are well acclimatised from the north.
Kanchenjunga is a long way from Kathmandu. We fly to Bhadrapur in the eastern lowlands, then spend most of a day driving to Taplejung and another half-day on a rough jeep road to Sekathum. At the end of the trek we drive from Yamphudin back to Bhadrapur. Roads in the hills can be blocked by landslides early and late in the season, and your guide may change the overnight stops on the drive if a section is closed. Allow a spare day or two in Kathmandu before your international flight.
There are no ATMs on the trek. Taplejung has banks, but bring enough Nepali rupees from Kathmandu for drinks, snacks, showers, charging and tips. Ghunsa has small hydro power and some mobile coverage; above Ghunsa and on the south side, charging is limited and often paid, and phone signal is patchy or absent. Bring a power bank and spare batteries, and keep them warm at night.
This is one of the most remote teahouse treks in Nepal. Between Ghunsa and Yamphudin there are no roads, and the landslide sections below Khambachen and on the trail to Ramche need care. Your guide carries a first aid kit and a pulse oximeter, and in an emergency the fastest way out is a helicopter, which weather can delay. Your insurance must cover helicopter evacuation to at least 5,500 m, and we need your policy number and emergency phone line before the trek starts.
The best months are March to May and October to November. Spring brings rhododendron forest in flower on the lower trails and warmer days, with more cloud in the afternoons. Autumn gives the clearest mountain views and stable weather, with cold nights at Lhonak and on the passes. The monsoon from June to September brings leeches, landslides and cloud, and in winter heavy snow can close the passes between Ghunsa and Tseram.
Lodges on this route are family-run and simple, and supplies are carried in by porters and pack animals, so expect a limited menu above Ghunsa and choose dishes the whole group can share to save fuel. Bring a water filter or purification tablets rather than buying bottled water. Walk clockwise around mani walls and chortens, ask before photographing people, and dress modestly in villages.
Everything is yours to bring, except items marked “We provide” or “Rent locally”.
Base layer tops and leggings (merino or synthetic)
Two sets
Fleece or light insulated mid-layer
Down jacketWe provide
On loan; needed every evening above Ghunsa
Waterproof jacket and overtrousers
Trekking trousers and quick-dry shirts
Lower valleys are hot and humid
Warm hat, sun hat and buff
Liner gloves and insulated gloves
For Pangpema and the passes
Trekking socks
Four to five pairs
Broken-in waterproof trekking boots with ankle support
Camp shoes or sandals
Gaiters
Useful if there is snow on the passes
Four-season sleeping bag (comfort around -10°C)We provide
On loan
Daypack of 30–35 litres with rain cover
Duffel bag for the porterWe provide
Keep it under 10 kg per person
Trekking polesRent locally
Strongly recommended for the long descents
Headtorch with spare batteries
Early start on Pangpema and pass days
Two one-litre water bottles and a water filter or purification tablets
Power bank
Charging is limited above Ghunsa
Category 3–4 sunglasses
Sunscreen SPF 50 and lip balm
Personal first aid kit and blister care
Personal medication, plus altitude medication if prescribed by your doctor
Hand sanitiser, wet wipes and quick-dry towel
Passport valid for six months, with spare passport photos
Needed for the permits
Travel insurance policy and emergency number
Nepali rupees in small notes
No ATMs on the trail
No. Kanchenjunga is a restricted area, and the Restricted Area Permit is only issued through a registered agency to trekkers travelling with a licensed guide. Since March 2026 solo trekkers can get it too, so you don't need a second person. If you are a solo traveller, we can try to place you on a group departure with other trekkers.
Yes. We hike to Pangpema, the north base camp at 5,143 m, from Lhonak, then cross the passes from Selele to Tseram and walk up past Ramche to the Oktang viewpoint above the Yalung glacier on the south side. Neither base camp has lodges, so both are visited as day hikes from the nearest teahouses.
The jeep road now reaches Sekathum on the Tamor river, so we drive from Taplejung to Sekathum and start walking there. At the end of the trek the road reaches Yamphudin, and we drive from there back to Bhadrapur. Expect one long day each way between Bhadrapur and the hills, plus a half-day jeep ride from Taplejung to Sekathum. Road conditions change each season, and your guide will adjust the plan if a section is blocked.
It is the longest day of the trek, eight to nine hours from Selele camp to Tseram. The trail crosses several passes, Sinion La, Mirgin La and Sinelapche La, with the highest point at about 4,646 m. There is no technical climbing, but the trail is rocky, exposed to wind and can hold snow early and late in the season. We cross it after the north side, when you are well acclimatised.
Simple and family-run. Expect twin rooms with thin mattresses or dormitories, a shared toilet, and a warm dining room with a stove in the evening. Ghunsa has the best lodges, with hot showers and power. Lhonak, Selele and Tortong are basic. Menus offer dal bhat, noodles, soups, potatoes and eggs.
October and November give the clearest views and settled weather. March to May is also good, with rhododendrons in flower on the lower trails and warmer days, though afternoon cloud is more common. We do not run this trek in the monsoon or in deep winter, when snow can close the passes.
There is mobile coverage in Taplejung and patchy signal in some lower villages and at Ghunsa. Some lodges offer paid wifi. Above Ghunsa and on most of the south side you should expect to be out of contact, though your guide carries a phone and can reach our office when there is signal.
Your guide monitors everyone daily. Mild symptoms usually settle with rest at the same altitude, which the acclimatisation days allow for. If symptoms get worse, the person descends with a member of staff. In a serious case we arrange a helicopter evacuation through your insurer, which is why evacuation cover is required.
Only your daypack, usually 5–7 kg: water, layers, waterproofs, snacks, camera and sun protection. Porters carry the rest in a duffel bag, shared between two trekkers with a limit of about 20 kg per porter.
Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek
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