Kanchanjunga Trek itinerary: 21 days with altitudes and hours
Written by our trekking team
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks, 30 Apr 2023.
The short version
Our Kanchanjunga Trek is 21 days: a flight and drive to Taplejung, a week up the Tamor and Ghunsa Khola valleys to Ghunsa, the north side to Pangpema (5,140m), the Sele La complex to the south side and Oktang (4,730m), then out through Yamphudin. There are 18 walking days and about 185km in all. Rest days sit at Ghunsa and Khambachen, and the Pangpema day returns to sleep at Lhonak. Teahouses run to Ghunsa. Above it you're in basic lodges and camps.
All 21 days
| Day | Stage | Altitude | Change | Time | Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive Kathmandu | 1,400m | – | – | Hotel |
| 2 | Fly to Bhadrapur, drive to Taplejung | 1,820m | 45-min flight, 6–7 hr drive | – | Guesthouse |
| 3 | Taplejung to Mitlung | 921m | ▼ 899m | 5–6 hrs, ~14km | Teahouse |
| 4 | Mitlung to Chirwa | 1,270m | ▲ 349m | – | Teahouse |
| 5 | Chirwa to Sekathum | 1,640m | ▲ 370m | – | Teahouse |
| 6 | Sekathum to Amjilosa | 2,510m | ▲ 870m | 5–6 hrs, ~8km | Teahouse |
| 7 | Amjilosa to Gyabla | 2,730m | ▲ 220m | – | Teahouse |
| 8 | Gyabla to Ghunsa | 3,595m | ▲ 865m | 5–6 hrs, ~12km | Teahouse |
| 9 | Ghunsa, rest day | 3,595m | Acclimatization | – | Teahouse |
| 10 | Ghunsa to Khambachen | 4,050m | ▲ 455m | 5–6 hrs, ~10km | Basic lodge |
| 11 | Khambachen, rest day | 4,050m | Acclimatization | – | Basic lodge |
| 12 | Khambachen to Lhonak | 4,780m | ▲ 730m | 4–5 hrs, ~9km | Camp / basic lodge |
| 13 | Lhonak to Pangpema and back | 5,140m high point | ▲ 360m, ▼ 360m | 5–6 hrs, ~10km | Lhonak |
| 14 | Lhonak to Ghunsa | 3,595m | ▼ 1,185m | – | Teahouse |
| 15 | Ghunsa over the Sele La complex to Cheram | 3,870m | ▲ 275m net | 8–9 hrs, ~13km | Camp |
| 16 | Cheram to Ramche | 4,580m | ▲ 710m | Short day | Camp |
| 17 | Ramche to Oktang, down to Tseram | 4,730m high point | ▼ 730m to Tseram | 5–6 hrs, ~9km | Camp |
| 18 | Tseram to Torontan | 2,995m | ▼ 1,000m | – | Camp / teahouse |
| 19 | Torontan to Yamphudin | 2,080m | ▼ 915m | 5–6 hrs, ~10km | Teahouse |
| 20 | Yamphudin to Khebang road-head, drive to Bhadrapur | 93m | – | Full day | Guesthouse |
| 21 | Fly Bhadrapur to Kathmandu | 1,400m | – | – | – |
Where a cell shows a dash, the trek page doesn't give a time for that day. Most of those are shorter stages.
Days 1–8: the long approach
Day 2 is a 45-minute flight to Bhadrapur and a 6 to 7 hour drive into the hills to Taplejung. It's the trip's one real weather-dependent point, and we keep a spare day in the schedule in case of delays. Our post on getting to Kanchanjunga covers it in detail.
Then six days of walking take you from the Tamor valley up into the Ghunsa Khola. You actually start by dropping 899m to Mitlung, through terraced farmland and Limbu villages, then follow the river up through Sinwa and Chirwa. Your RAP is checked for the first time at Sekathum on Day 5, where the restricted area proper begins. Day 6, the steep climb up the Ghunsa Khola gorge to Amjilosa, is one of the harder days for its distance.
Ghunsa, on Day 8, is the hub: the KCAP checkpoint and the last real settlement before the high country. We've written up these days in Taplejung to Ghunsa.
Days 9–14: the north side
A rest day at Ghunsa, then Khambachen at 4,050m with its first close views of Jannu, and another rest day there. Day 12 is a rough traverse above the Kanchanjunga Glacier's moraine to Lhonak (4,780m). On Day 13 you walk up the glacier's true left bank to Pangpema at 5,140m, with the whole north face of Kanchanjunga overhead, and come back to sleep at Lhonak. Day 14 is a long descent all the way back to Ghunsa.
Notice the shape. You climb in steps of 455m and 730m, rest at each new height, and only sleep above 4,500m after two rest days.
Days 15–17: across to the south side
Day 15 is the crossing: the Sele La, Sinion La and Mirgin La, three passes above 4,200m with no village between Ghunsa and Cheram. It's attempted only with a clear forecast. Day 16 is a short recovery day up the Yalung Glacier's valley to Ramche, and on Day 17 you climb to the Oktang viewpoint for the south face and the Yalung Glacier, then drop to Tseram. For the two base camps side by side, see Pangpema and Oktang.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks, 30 Apr 2023.
Days 18–21: down and out
The last walking days drop fast: 1,000m to Torontan through forest in the Simbuwa Khola valley, then 915m to Yamphudin through Limbu villages, where proper teahouse comfort returns for the first time since Ghunsa. Day 20 is a shorter walk to the road-head at Khebang and a full day's drive to Bhadrapur. Day 21 is the morning flight to Kathmandu, and onward flights usually leave the same day or the next.
Reading the itinerary
- The longest days are the Sele La crossing (8–9 hrs) and the long descents on Days 14 and 18.
- The rest days are at Ghunsa (3,595m) and Khambachen (4,050m), plus the out-and-back to Pangpema.
- The nights with fewest facilities are from Lhonak to Ramche, where our kitchen crew covers the meals.
- The permit checks are Sekathum (RAP) and Ghunsa (KCAP).
For how hard all of this adds up to, read our honest Kanchanjunga grade. The same itinerary, with photos from our 2023 trip under the matching days, is on the Kanchanjunga trek page.
Frequently asked
How many days is the Kanchanjunga Trek?
21 days from Kathmandu and back, with 18 walking days and about 185km on foot.
What is the highest point of the Kanchanjunga Trek?
Pangpema, the North Base Camp, at 5,140m, reached on Day 13 as a day trip from Lhonak (4,780m).
Where are the rest days on the Kanchanjunga Trek?
Day 9 at Ghunsa (3,595m) and Day 11 at Khambachen (4,050m). The Day 13 walk to Pangpema and back to Lhonak also works as climb high, sleep low.
When do you cross the Sele La?
On Day 15, from Ghunsa to Cheram, about 13km and 8 to 9 hours. It's attempted only with a clear forecast.
Where does the Kanchanjunga Trek start and finish?
It starts at Taplejung, after a flight to Bhadrapur and a 6 to 7 hour drive, and finishes at the Khebang road-head below Yamphudin, with a drive back to Bhadrapur for the flight to Kathmandu.