Located within the Taplejung district, the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek with Nyindha Adventures takes you around the third-highest peak on the planet. This peak stands on the border of Nepal and Sikkim, having us travel to the eastern part of Nepal. The eastern highlands of Nepal are dominated by Lepcha, Limbu, Sherpa, and Tamang communities. Their unique traditional and Buddhist-influenced culture will surely be an attraction of the trek.
Officially opened to foreign visitors in 1988, this region is still in pristine natural condition, offering a great trekking experience over remote trails and secluded villages that are authentic to the core. Even though the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek is considered a challenging trek, the scenes along the route and the amazing scenery you see from the base camps and high mountain passes are worth the time and effort.
Nyindha Adventures’ Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek itinerary will have you visit the Southern Kanchenjunga Base Camp, aka Oktang Viewpoint, along with a hike to the Northern Kanchenjunga Base Camp, aka Pang Pema. After this, we will cross three different mountain passes, namely Sele La Pass (4290 m), Sinion La Pass (4440 m), and Mirgin La Pass (4480 m).
The Lhopo communities that live close to the base camp region consider the peak to be a sacred site. So, they do not dare to climb it under any circumstances. The name Kanchenjunga comes from their dialect, which translates to “five treasures of the high snow”. The five treasures are the five peaks of the Kanchenjunga range. State-level efforts have been made to keep this region as clean and beautiful as possible.
Arriving in Kathmandu counts as your first day of the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek. A representative from Nyindha Adventures will be present there to pick you up and escort you to the 3-star hotel we have arranged for your night stay in Kathmandu. But before you leave the airport, you need to work out your tourist visa. To do this, you need to fill out the visa application at the immigration booth and present the required documents along with a bank receipt of visa fee payment.
Today, we will visit the Tourism Board Office of Kathmandu to apply for the permits that we will need for the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek. Without the proper permits, we will not be able to complete this trek, as we will be stopped at the checkpoints. Our guide will help you get the required permits and also take you on a sightseeing tour around the Kathmandu valley if you are up for it. This sightseeing tour will take you to visit sites like Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bouddhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath Stupa, Pottery Square, etc. You can also choose sites to visit within the Kathmandu valley.
From Kathmandu, we will get on a 45-minute flight to reach Bhadrapur, reaching the southern plain land of Terai. From there, we will take a jeep ride to Taplejung, which will take us about 8 to 9 hours. The road conditions are fairly average, with some bumpy sections and potholes along the way. Passing by towns like Birtamod, Phidim, Kanyam, and more, we will make it to our destination of the day. Taplejung is the last major town on the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek itinerary, so you should buy your essentials there.
Today is yet another day of driving. We will be on the road for about 8 to 9 hours to get to Sekathum, the starting point of our Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek. It should take us 4 to 5 hours to get there since the road conditions are terrible. We will be covering about 31 km over rugged hilly tracks with many twists and turns. First, we will reach the village of Mitlung, followed by Chirwa, Taphethik, our lunch spot, and the settlement of Lelep. Throughout the way, you can expect many bumpy sections as it’s all dirt road with many rocky sections.
Day 5 of the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek is our first trekking day on the itinerary. This trek stretches over 9 km with an estimated uptime of 5 to 6 hours, depending on the pace of the group. By the end of the day, we will have gained 848 meters, reaching 2498 meters above sea level at Amjilosa. Starting the trek from 1650 meters at Sekathum, we will cross the Ghunsa River and ascend steeply to get to Jonggim and Ghaiyabari, where we will have our lunch. After our meal, we will continue the ascent and get to Amjilosa.
Today’s trek distance spans about 7 km with an elevation gain of 232 meters. The trek starts at 2498 meters and leads us to 2730 meters above sea level at Gyabla. This will take us 4 to 5 hours to complete. Starting off the day, we will have our breakfast and get on an ascending trail through a lush forest. This initial part of the trek will follow the Ghunsa River upstream, and we will also get to see a couple of waterfalls cascading down the rough, hilly cliffs. Expect some steep trails and long switchbacks today.
Day 7 of the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek covers over 10 km, taking us to 3595 meters above sea level at Ghunsa. Our day will begin at 2730 meters, and we will gain 865 meters of elevation in 6 to 7 hours of trekking. The trek starts with a slight descent through a thin bamboo and rhododendron forest. We will soon cross a wooden bridge over the Ghunsa River and ascend gently over a forest of pine and juniper. This trail will lead us to the village of Phole, where we will take a much-needed lunch break. After our meal, the ascent continues as we go over the final leg of today’s trek. Ghunsa is the biggest village in the region and offers a better range of accommodation in comparison to other trekking days.
From 3595 meters at Ghunsa, we will trek about 11 km over a period of 5 to 6 hours to reach Khambachen. This trek will gain us 505 meters of elevation, taking us to a final altitude of 4100 meters above sea level. Leaving Ghunsa, we will follow the path along the eastern side of the river. This path is characterized by chortens and mani walls that are a sign of Tibetan Buddhism, and how influential it is in the region. After about 3 hours of trekking, we will arrive at Rampuk Kharka, reaching 3720 meters. This will be our lunch spot of the day. After lunch, we will pass a landslide-prone area with a beautiful view of Jannu peak. From there, we will get on the last part of today’s trek, going through a hillside trail.
Rest days call for an acclimatization hike, which helps us condition our bodies to the change in environment and prevent altitude sickness. Our acclimatization hike includes a hike to the Jannu Himal Base Camp, reaching 4700 meters. This hike will gain us 650 meters of altitude, which is a good thing for altitude sickness, as the best way to prevent it is to climb high and sleep low. This hike is just 6 km long, but takes about 4 to 5 hours to complete since the trail is sharply ascending for most of the way. After we return from our hike to the base camp, you can explore the Khambachen village or just rest for the time being.
Continuing the ascent into the valley, today we will go from 4050 meters at Khambachen to 4780 meters at Lhonak. This will gain us about 730 meters of elevation with a total trek distance of 9.4 km, which should take no more than 5 hours to cover. Leaving Khambachen, we will go up a glacial valley over a rocky trail with views of some peaks in the distance. As we move up the valley, the vegetation starts thinning since we are entering considerable elevation. About halfway through the trek, we will reach the Ramtang Monastery. We will spare some time to visit this beautiful gompa. From there, we will get on the final section of today’s trek. As we get closer to our destination of the day, the views of the Kanchenjunga Himalayas come into view.
Today’s trek is 12 km long, taking us to 5143 meters at the Kanchenjunga North Base Camp. This is the climax of Nyindha Adventures’ Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek. We will be on the trails for 7 to 8 hours with an elevation gain of 363 meters at the base camp. We will lose this gain as we will return to Lhonak for our night stay. We will begin the day early in the morning and get on the trail alongside the Khanchenjunga Glacier. The trail is rocky and full of snow and icy patches. Along the way, you will get to see the Wedge peak, accompanied by Nepal peak and Kirat Chuli peak. After spending some time at the base camp, we descend back to Lhonak since climbing high and sleeping low is the best preventive measure.
Day 12 of the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek is a descending day as we make our way down to Ghunsa. This will lose us about 1185 meters of elevation, covering over 21 km, which requires 7 to 8 hours of downhill trek. It is going to be an exhausting day; we recommend trekking poles since they will help your knees cushion the constant pressure. Leaving Lhonak, we will get on the trail alongside the Kanchenjunga Glacier over a rocky terrain. After about 4 hours of descent, we will arrive at Khambachen, reaching 4050 meters. We will stop for lunch there, resting our tired legs, enjoying the scenes of the landscape. After our meal, we will get on the final stretch to get to Ghunsa.
Today is going to be yet another exciting day of the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek, since we will be reaching the Selele Base Camp, getting 4200 meters above sea level. Starting the day at 3595 meters, we will gain a little over 600 meters of elevation. The total trek duration is 4 to 5 hours, covering over 8 km. From Ghunsa, we will climb a lush forested section that becomes thinner as we gain elevation. At about halfway through the trek, we will be rewarded with a view of Jannu Peak. After this, we will pass by chortens and mani walls and get on the final trek section of the day. Ascending gradually, we will make it to the Selele Base Camp. This site is very remote, and the main accommodation option available is tenthouses. There are only two tea houses that are operated only during the peak trek season, and they are booked pretty quickly, for the whole season.
Day 14 of the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek is another descending day on the itinerary as we will get down to Tseram, reaching 3870 meters, losing 330 meters of elevation. However, we will gain some elevation throughout the trek as we will cross some passes. The total trek duration is 6 to 7 hours, covering about 9 km of distance. First, we will cross the Sele La Pass, reaching 4290 meters, followed by a climb to the Sinion La Pass, reaching 4440 meters above sea level. Descending from this pass, we will trek a plain section and get on the ascent to Mirgin La Pass, reaching 4480 meters. From all those passes, we will get to see a great view of the Kanchenjunga, Everest, Makalu, Chamlang, Baruntse, and other peaks. From there, we will get to Sinelpache Bhanjyang, rest a little, have our lunch, and get on the final stretch to Tseram village.
From Tseram, we will ascend to the 4580-meter-high village of Ramche. Starting at 3870 meters, we will gain 710 meters of elevation, which will take us about 6 to 7 hours and cover 12 km of total distance. The trek begins with a gentle ascent, passing through an alpine grassland. This section offers a scene of the Jannu peak. As we gain elevation, vegetation becomes sparse, and we will soon get to some small glacial ponds. Passing these ponds, we will soon get close to Ramche village. From there, we will get on a trail following the Yalung Glacier. This trail will soon get us to Oktang Viewpoint, reaching 4730 meters above sea level. We will enjoy a gorgeous view of Rathong and Kabru peaks, along with the south face of Kanchenjunga peak.
The following day, we get down all the way to the 2980-meter-high village of Tortong. This trek is approximately 13 km long with a total elevation loss of 890 meters, starting the day at 3870 meters. From Tseram, we will descend an alpine meadow that leads us to a Rhododendron forest. As we lose more elevation, the vegetation appears greener. Following the Simbuwa River, we will be accompanied by the rushing sounds of the river, while many different birds chirp. We will cross many small streams and encounter many waterfalls as we get close to Tortong village.
Today is yet another descending day on the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek itinerary. Today’s trekking distance remains 9.5 km long with an elevation loss of 1288 meters, getting us down to 1692 meters above sea level at Yamphudin. This trek will have us on the tracks for 6 to 7 hours.
The trek starts with an ascent to Lasiya Bhanjyang Pass, this part is sharply steep, taking us to 3415 meters above sea level. Descending down from the pass, we will go through a thin bamboo and rhododendron forest. After that, we will cross a couple of suspension bridges, crossing the Kabeli River and the Amji River to get to Yamphudin. This day marks the end of the trekking days on the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek itinerary.
We will be driving for 7 to 8 hours to get to Kanyam, a beautiful town known for its serene tea gardens covering all the surrounding hill slopes. The total driving distance is about 75 km, going over rugged rocky trails and plain tarmac roads. Throughout the day, you will get to enjoy scenes of the Himalayas, terraced farmlands, and lush forests.
Kanyam to Bhadrapur is just a one-and-a-half-hour drive away, covering about 50 km. We will drive over the Mechi Highway to get there and head straight to the airport to catch our flight back to Kathmandu. The flight duration is 45 minutes, symbolizing the end of our Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek
After breakfast, you are free to explore Thamel until it is time for your flight. We will then transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
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