Overview

Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek offers you a chance to reach the base camp of the world’s third tallest mountain, Kanchenjunga (8586 m).

The trek explores the Himalayas and the local culture of eastern Nepal. Thus, trekkers can enjoy the Limbu and Tibetan cultures. In addition, you also get to explore the Yalung Base Camp.

Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek takes you along off-beaten trails to the Kanchenjunga Base Camp. The trails are filled with gorgeous views of the snow-capped mountains.

You get to visit the ancient Ramtang and Oktang Monasteries on the trek. Thus, you also get ideas about the lifestyle of people living in the region. Overall, the trek features a mix of natural and cultural beauties.

The Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek begins as you fly to Bhadrapur from Kathmandu. A short drive from Bhadrapur will take you to Taplejung from where the trek starts.

The trek begins from Taplejung and you head towards Lalikharka. Next, you trek towards Tortong along the Amji River. Cheram is next on the trip where you spend a day to acclimatize.

Thereon, you trek to Yalung Base Camp via Ramche and head back to Cheram. Then, you will cross the Selele La Pass (4480m) to reach Ghunsa. Trek to Lhonak comes next after crossing Kambachen.

Eventually, you will head to Kanchenjunga Base Camp which is also known as Pangpema. After exploring the base camp, you return to Suketar crossing Chirwa and Phurumbu on the way. Finally, you take a short flight to Kathmandu from Suketar.

Highlights

  • Get to the foot of the third highest mountain in the world, Kanchenjunga (8586m)
  • Experience the off-beat terrain that leads you through the subtropical forests to icy moraines.
  • Witness the isolated way of life of the Sherpa and Kirant locals
  • Opportunity to witness rare flora and fauna

Itinerary

Expand AllCollapse All
Day 1:Arrival in Kathmandu

You will arrive in Kathmandu valley today. Our representative will meet and greet you before escorting you to the hotel. You will be briefed about your program tomorrow, and feel free to clear out any further queries. Also, explore the nearby areas if you have some time to spare. 

  • Accommodation 3-star Hotel
  • MealsWelcome Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude1,300m

After breakfast, a private vehicle will take you on a tour around the Kathmandu valley. You can begin by heading to the religious sites of Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, and Boudhanath. From here on, you can explore Kathmandu Durbar Square. All of these are UNESCO enlisted world heritage sites and reflect the very history of the Kathmandu Valley. In the evening, we will be discussing the trek. 

  • Accommodation 3-star Hotel
  • MealsBreakfast
  • Maximum Altitude1300m

The flight to Bhadrapur is a short one. The plane will soar above hilly vales and river valleys with the views of Everest, Makalu, and Kanchenjunga ranges. The flight will be a little over 45 minutes. From here on, we have a lengthy drive to Taplejung. The road will wind up the hills and can get bumpy at some places.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude2420m

Today, we will not be making hard ascents or descents. The trail will rather be fully up and downs. The route will be surrounded by lush subtropical forests with coniferous and deciduous vegetation. The trail will soon lead you to a ridge which then opens up to a meadow to Lalikharka. You will camp for the night in this open meadow.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude2265m

Today, the first village on our way is the Limbu village of Tembewa. From here, we trek along the Phawa Khola till we reach Yanpang. From here, it will be a steady climb to Phumphe Danda and we will further ascend to Khesewa. On the trek today you will also see the first glimpse of Kanchenjunga (8586m).

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude2120m

We will trek down to the bank of the Kabeli Khola. The trail passes through thick forests and several streams. We will travel along hillsides through dense forests. The openings along the way also house the cultivated terraces. We will arrive at the village of Anpan in the afternoon. From here, we descend and cross the Khesewa Khola. The last stretch of the trek will be a steady climb to Mamankhe village.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude1785m

The trek will begin taking us along the Kabeli Khola as we observe the river valley, ridges, and cliffs. The trek will mostly be a steady and easy uphill with great views of the foothill landscapes. The route gradually becomes level as we trek through several settlements home to the Rai, Limbu, and Sherpa people. After trekking along the gradually ascending trail, you arrive at Yamphudin in around 2-3 hours. 

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude2080m

Today will be a gradual and lengthy trek to Tortong. The trail is well-set and runs through the terraced farmlands, lush forests, and grazing fields. The trek will take us from the Kabeli River along the Amji River. Then, you will cross the Lasiya Bhanjyang Pass (3310m). From the top, we head downwards along the Simbuwa River to Tortong.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude2,995m

We continue along the right bank of the Simbuwa River studded with Rhododendron trees. The trek from the valley is steep as we steadily climb above the tree line. The views on the trek include the wonderful Tuplung peak (4488m) and the Yalung Glacier. As we move closer to Cheram, Kabru and Rathong peaks also appear above the Yalung Glacier. We will be camping the night here in Cheram.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude3,870m

As over the last two days, we have climbed a significant amount of altitude, we need to camp at Cheram to acclimatize. Cheram is a beautiful village and is an ideal place to acclimatize. The Yalung Glacier is close by and we can go exploring around the moraine to get accustomed to glacial walking. There is also a viewpoint nearby which can make for a great acclimatization hike. 

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude3,870m

Ramche is the gateway to the southern base camp of Kanchenjunga. We travel along the Yalung Glacier to make our way up the valley. We can view several peaks in the Rathong and Kabru ranges as we trek ahead. As we follow the Simbuwa River, we will arrive at the village of Lapsang. From here on the next destination in Ramche.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude4,580m

From Ramche, we walk further up the valley and continue on the glacial moraine. On the way, we are offered great views of the south face of Kanchenjunga (8586m). Further ahead on the ridge, we get a glimpse of Januu Himal (7711m). We will continue onwards to the Oktang Monastery. Yalung Base Camp is further upwards, as we leave behind the monastery and get along the moraine. After exploration, we head to Cheram.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude4500m

First, on the trek, we cross the Sinion La Pass, the tallest of the passes on the trek today at 4656m. We can observe the Kanchenjunga (8586m), Yalung glacier, Rathong and Kabru range from the top. From here, we move north and descend slightly to Selele La Pass (4480m). Traversing along this path is easy on the legs but be careful. The rocky slopes and the deep snow in winter can make travel tricky. From the top, we descend to a wide opening where there are a few seasonal lodges.  

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude4480m

After breakfast, we head to Tanbharma Hill. The top of the hill is marked by a Chorten decorated with prayer flags. From here on, we make a steep descent winding down the hillside. Our route is again decorated by the Rhododendron and Pine trees. We will soon arrive at Ghunsa, a beautiful village.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner

The trek from Ghunsa to Kambachen takes us through high grassy meadows. Here, vegetation is limited to a few shrubs and rare wildflowers. The views of the mountains are great, especially of Mount. Januu (7711m). The trail will ascend from the south bank of the Ghunsa River up to Rampuk Kharka on the north side of the river. We arrive at Kambachen after crossing waterfalls and a bridge at Rampuk Kharka.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude4,050m

The trail from Kambachen to Lhonak sees very few travelers so, there are also no settlements on the trail. We will be treading on along the moraine of the Januu Glacier. On a trail of rocky moraines and large boulders, we will walk on to the Ramtang Monastery. From here, we will continue along the northern edge of the glacier moraine to reach Lhonak.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude4,780m

Lhonak is the gateway to the North Base Camp of Kanchenjunga, also known as Pangpema. There is no set trail and snow can make it even more difficult. The trek will be primarily along the Kanchenjunga Glacier. The route is straightforward as we arrive at Pangpema. From here, we get wonderful views of Kanchenjunga, Januu, and Tent peak ranges amongst the other Himalayas in the distance. 

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude5,143m

Today, we gradually trek back to Lhonak. We retrace our steps along the Kanchenjunga Glacier to Lhonak. Since there are no settlements and proper places to rest on the trail, we will be traveling along an isolated trail. The views of the Kanchenjunga and Januu ranges will keep us company as we head over to Lhonak.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner

We head to the village of Ghunsa from Lhonak retracing our steps on those rocky trails. We will pass the Rampuk Monastery and then again trek along the north edge of the Januu glacier. As we descend, the vegetation becomes thicker with trees all the way to Ghunsa. Here, we can visit the Tashi Choding Monastery as well.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude3475m

After breakfast, we will be heading to Amjilosa from Ghunsa. The trail is a descent back down to the thick tree line. We travel through Juniper and pine forests to Phale. There are many Mani walls and Chortens as well as a monastery a little ahead from Phale. We cross the Chhundarangka River to reach the village of Gyabla. From Gyabla, we continue onwards to reach Amjilosa.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner

We begin our trek after breakfast. The first village on our way is the settlement of Solima, which is preceded by a beautiful waterfall. From Solima, we take a suspension bridge crossing the Ghunsa River. Crossing the river, we arrive at Sukethum. From here, the trail passes through many settlements and hamlets to finally settle at the Chirwa village.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner

From Chirwa, we head to Taplejung, the main town of the eastern district. On our way to Taplejung, we also pass the village of Mitlung. Mitlung is a beautiful village set amongst the hilly forests. After a lengthy but fairly easy trek, we will arrive at Taplejung. Here, we can rest and celebrate the success of our trip.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude921m

We drive down the eastern hills from Taplejung to Bhadrapur. It's a long ride but the scenery and the village life you get to witness along the way are worth it. Say your final goodbyes to the Kanchenjunga Himalayas as your vehicle dances around the hilly curves to reach Bhadrapur.

  • Accommodation Guest House, Lodge
  • MealsBreakfast, Lunch & Dinner
  • Maximum Altitude91m

We get on a 45-minute flight back to Kathmandu where we can see endless sights of the mountains to the north. In the evening, please note that we have hosted a hearty farewell dinner that we wish for you to attend. We bid you thanks with pleasant Nepali cuisine.

  • Accommodation 3-star Hotel
  • MealsBreakfast
  • Maximum Altitude1300m

Today, we say our farewells. Our staff will thank you for traveling with us. A company representative will come to pick you up at your hotel. We will leave you at the airport and wish you have safe travel.

  • MealsBreakfast

Cost Details

  • Airport pick up and Drop by private vehicle.
  • 3 nights accommodation in Kathmandu with bed and breakfast basis.
  • Guided city tour in Kathmandu by private vehicle
  • Your standard meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) during the trekking.
  • All necessary paper works and conservation entry permits.
  • Kathmandu – Bhadrapur – Kathmandu flight fare.
  • All ground transportation on a comfortable private vehicle
  • All accommodations in lodges/tea houses during the trek.
  • An experienced Government licensed guide and porters
  • Medical supplies (first aid kit will be available).
  • All government and local taxes.
  • Entrance fees for sightseeing/monument visits as per the itinerary
  • International Airfare
  • Nepal entry visa
  • Personal Expenses
  • Travel and Rescue Insurance
  • Extra accommodation and food charges in Kathmandu
  • Tips and gratitude to the guide, porters, and drivers.
  • All kinds of drinks (Alcoholic, hot and cold drinks).

Useful Info

(March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the best seasons to do the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek. Spring decorates the trails with greenery and a beautiful environment. Similarly, autumn ensures the best views of the mountains. Furthermore, this is a difficult trek so, trekkers should be physically fit.

At Eternal Himalaya, we have been serving travelers for many years. We provide you with the best accommodation and transportation facilities. Moreover, we also provide well-trained guides and porters for the trek. With us, you can choose from different trip packages around Nepal.