Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek (North and South)

Also known as Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek.

Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek (North and South) is an advanced 18-24-day teahouse trek in the Kanchenjunga region of Nepal, reaching 5,143 m. It starts at Sekathum and ends at Yamphudin (jeep out via Khebang/Birtamod).

Key facts

Region

Kanchenjunga (Taplejung)

Duration

18-24 days, 6-7 hours walking per day

Distance

190 km

Maximum altitude

5,143 m

Difficulty

Advanced — One of Nepal's longest and most remote teahouse treks: 18-24 days, two base camps above 4,700 m, a multi-pass traverse (Sele La/Sinion La/Mirgin La/Sinelapche La, 4,300-4,650 m) linking the north and south sides, very basic lodges at altitude, and days of walking from any road or reliable evacuation point.

Trek type

Teahouse, point-to-point route

Best season

Autumn (Oct-Nov) and Spring (Apr-May)

Guide

Mandatory. Restricted area: RAP only through a registered agency with a licensed guide. Historically minimum 2 trekkers per permit; agency sources report solo RAPs allowed from 22 March 2026, with the licensed-guide requirement unchanged.

Restricted area

Yes — special permit required

Budget cost

NPR 175,000–230,000

Comfortable cost

NPR 230,000–300,000

Guided cost

NPR 266,000–420,000

Getting there

Kathmandu → Bhadrapur (flight, 50 min) → Ilam → Taplejung (jeep/bus, 8-9h on winding hill roads) → Sekathum/Ranipul (shared jeep, 3-4h rough track). Exit: Yamphudin → Khebang/Hapu Khola road head → Birtamod (jeep, 8-10h) → Bhadrapur → Kathmandu (flight).

Altitude sickness

High: two excursions above 4,700 m (Pangpema 5,143 m, Oktang 4,730 m) plus several nights at 4,000-4,800 m; the Sele La traverse strings together consecutive high days with no quick descent options.

Weather

Far-eastern Nepal catches the monsoon earliest and hardest — trails and roads are landslide- and leech-plagued Jun-Sep. Autumn is the prime window with stable, clear weather. The Sele La pass section holds deep snow in winter and early spring and is regularly impassable Dec-Feb. High camps (Lhonak, Pangpema, Ramche) are bitterly cold at night year-round.

Permits

• Kanchenjunga Restricted Area Permit (RAP) — NPR 3,040 for foreigners. Where to get it: Through a registered trekking agency at Department of Immigration, Kathmandu
• Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Permit (KCAP) — NPR 2,000 for foreigners. Where to get it: Nepal Tourism Board Kathmandu, or Taplejung entry point (usually handled by agency)

Itinerary

1. Day 1: Kathmandu to Taplejung, 0 h, 1,820 m — Flight over the eastern Himalaya to Bhadrapur, drive up through Ilam tea gardens
2. Day 2: Taplejung to Sekathum, 0-1 h, 1,576 m — Tamor river valley, Chirwa village
3. Day 3: Sekathum to Amjilosa, 5-6 h, 2,510 m — Steep gorge climb above the Ghunsa Khola, cardamom fields
4. Day 4: Amjilosa to Gyabla, 4-5 h, 2,730 m — Waterfalls, bamboo and rhododendron forest, Sherpa village
5. Day 5: Gyabla to Ghunsa, 5-6 h, 3,475 m — Phale Tibetan refugee village, Ghunsa monastery and hydro-powered village
6. Day 6: Ghunsa to Ghunsa (acclimatization), 3-4 h, 3,475 m — Day hike toward Lapsang La viewpoint or Tamo La ridge (~4,000 m)
7. Day 7: Ghunsa to Kambachen, 5-6 h, 4,050 m — Jannu (Kumbhakarna) north face views, landslide traverse
8. Day 8: Kambachen to Kambachen (acclimatization), 3-4 h, 4,050 m — Day hike to Jannu Base Camp viewpoint (~4,500 m)
9. Day 9: Kambachen to Lhonak, 5-6 h, 4,780 m — Ramtang monastery ruins, Kanchenjunga glacier moraine
10. Day 10: Lhonak to Pangpema (North BC) and return to Lhonak, 7-8 h, 4,780 m — Pangpema 5,143 m — Kanchenjunga North Base Camp, north face panorama
11. Day 11: Lhonak to Ghunsa, 6-7 h, 3,475 m — Long descent retracing the Ghunsa Khola valley
12. Day 12: Ghunsa to Sele La camp (High Camp), 4-5 h, 4,290 m — Steep climb out of Ghunsa into the pass traverse
13. Day 13: Sele La camp to Cheram (Tseram), 8-9 h, 3,870 m — Crossing Sinion La (~4,440 m), Mirgin La (~4,480 m) and Sinelapche La (~4,646 m); Jannu, Makalu and Everest views
14. Day 14: Cheram to Ramche, 3-4 h, 4,580 m — Yalung glacier snout, blue sheep slopes
15. Day 15: Ramche to Oktang (South BC viewpoint) and return to Cheram, 6-7 h, 3,870 m — Oktang viewpoint ~4,730 m — Kanchenjunga south face amphitheatre
16. Day 16: Cheram to Tortong, 5-6 h, 2,995 m — Descent through burnt-forest and landslide terrain of the Simbuwa Khola
17. Day 17: Tortong to Yamphudin, 6-7 h, 2,080 m — Lasiya Bhanjyang pass (~3,300 m), mixed Rai/Limbu/Sherpa village
18. Day 18: Yamphudin to Khebang road head, 4-5 h, 1,910 m — Terraced Limbu farmland, cardamom groves
19. Day 19: Khebang to Birtamod, 0 h, 300 m — Long descent through Ilam's tea country to the Terai
20. Day 20: Birtamod to Kathmandu, 0 h, 1,400 m — 50-min flight back over the Himalaya foothills