Case No. 03 Region: Makalu-Barun National Park Peak: Makalu, 8,485m

Makalu Base Camp Trek

Eighteen days from the small airstrip at Tumlingtar into the glacial cirque beneath the world's fifth-highest mountain. It's the route with the least built infrastructure of the four we run. Past Tashi Gaon, it's a proper camping trek: our own kitchen crew carries you through the Shipton La complex and the Barun valley, because the teahouse network that covers Everest and Annapurna just hasn't reached this far.

Restricted Area Guide Required Min. 2 Trekkers

Duration: 18 Days
Max Altitude: 4,870m
Grade: Strenuous
From: $2,100 pp

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Granite peaks and snow faces rising above a stone herders' hut in a high valley on the Makalu trail — Exhibit A — Granite peaks above a herders' hut on the Makalu trail.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks, Apr 2026.

Makalu Base Camp Trek highlights

Reach the base of Mt. Makalu, the world's fifth-highest peak, at the end of one of Nepal's least-trekked classic base camp routes.
Cross the demanding Shipton La pass complex, one of the more serious high crossings in the eastern Himalaya, twice in one trip.
Camp through the Barun valley's wild, glacially carved terrain with a dedicated kitchen and camp crew supporting the entire route.
Stand at the base camp cirque with Makalu's southwest face directly overhead and Chomo Lonzo and Baruntse visible across the glacier.
Trek through the Makalu-Barun National Park, one of Nepal's most biodiverse and least-visited protected areas.
Travel a restricted region with permits, guide, and full camping logistics arranged for you from day one.
Experience genuine wilderness trekking: minimal built infrastructure, minimal other trekking groups, maximum remoteness.
Benefit from two dedicated acclimatization stops plus a full rest day at base camp itself.
Fly directly into the remote Tumlingtar airstrip, cutting days off the approach compared to overland alternatives.
Explore an optional viewpoint above Makalu Base Camp toward the historic Makalu-La climbing approach.

Makalu Base Camp Trek overview

Makalu Base Camp is for trekkers who've already done the passes and the base camps and want a full camping expedition. The Makalu-Barun National Park never built out the lodge network you'd find on Everest or Manaslu, so from Tashi Gaon onward, your own kitchen and camp crew takes over the cooking and the tents, and gets the group through terrain most operators don't attempt.

Like Manaslu and Kanchanjunga, Makalu sits inside a restricted area under Nepali law, so you'll need a Restricted Area Permit and Makalu-Barun National Park entry. Both are arranged only through a licensed agency, and a guide comes with you for the full trip. What sets Makalu apart is the Shipton La complex: three linked high points (Shipton La, Keke La, and Tutu La) crossed twice, once on the way in and once on the way out, over rocky, exposed ground where route-finding matters if visibility drops.

Few operators run this route at all, and the final walk along the Barun Glacier into the base camp cirque puts you right beneath Makalu's full southwest face, with Chomo Lonzo and Baruntse standing across the glacier. Very few trekkers ever see it in person.

Two acclimatization days, at Khongma Danda and Langmale Kharka, plus the natural rest of an exploration day at base camp itself, spread the altitude gain out across the trip's longer camping stretches.

Makalu Base Camp Trek permits & logistics

Permit Stack

→ Restricted Area Permit (RAP): Makalu-specific, logged at Seduwa.
→ Makalu-Barun National Park entry: a park fee rather than a conservation-area permit, since the region is a national park rather than a community-managed conservation area.

Group & Guide

→ Minimum 2 trekkers per group, legally required for the RAP.
→ Licensed guide plus a full camp crew (cook, kitchen staff, and porters) from Tashi Gaon through base camp and back.
→ We cap groups at 6 trekkers on this route, matched to what one camp crew can support comfortably above Khongma Danda.

Makalu Base Camp Trek itinerary: day by day

All 18 days are below, including the Shipton La complex crossing and the two acclimatization stops.

Max altitude: 4,870m
Total distance: ~180km / 112 miles

Detailed day-by-day

01Arrival in Kathmandu

You'll land at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfer to your hotel, where our team walks you through the Restricted Area Permit and national park entry paperwork we've already filed, plus the full camp gear list, since this is the most gear-heavy of our four routes. A welcome dinner is where you'll meet your guide.

1,400m · Overnight: Hotel

02Fly to Tumlingtar

A 40-minute flight carries you over the Mahabharat range into the lowland Arun valley. Your camp crew and supplies meet the group here ahead of the trek.

472m · Overnight: Guesthouse

03Tumlingtar to Num

A jeep track followed by footpath along the Arun River climbs gradually to Num, the last road-connected village before the national park boundary.

1,560m · ▲ 1,088m · Overnight: Teahouse

04Num to Seduwa

A steep drop to the Arun River suspension bridge is followed by an equally steep climb into Seduwa, home to the Makalu-Barun National Park checkpoint.

1,500m · ▼ 500m then ▲ 440m · ~8km · 5–6 hrs · Overnight: Teahouse

05Seduwa to Tashi Gaon

The trail passes through Gyansila into forest, ending at Tashi Gaon, the last village on the route and the point where teahouse comfort ends and camp support begins.

2,100m · ▲ 600m · ~10km · 5 hrs · Overnight: Teahouse

06Tashi Gaon to Khongma Danda

A steep, sustained climb brings you into a rhododendron forest camp just below the pass complex. It's one of the steepest single days on any of our routes.

3,560m · ▲ 1,460m · ~6km · 5–6 hrs · Overnight: Camp

07Khongma Danda — acclimatization day

A mandatory rest day after the previous day's climb, with an optional short acclimatization hike toward the ridge above camp.

3,560m · Acclimatization · Overnight: Camp

08Khongma Danda over the Shipton La complex to Dobato

The trek's hardest day: Shipton La, Keke La, and Tutu La in one long push around 4,170m/13,681ft. No technical climbing is required, but rocky, exposed terrain and weather-dependent visibility make this a full-commitment day, attempted only with a clear forecast.

3,700m · Net ▲ 610m over three passes · ~10km · 8–9 hrs · Overnight: Camp

09Dobato to Yangle Kharka

A steep descent drops you into the Barun valley proper, with vegetation changing quickly as the trail loses and regains altitude before continuing toward the glacier.

3,557m · ▼ 143m, mostly lost and regained · Overnight: Camp

10Yangle Kharka to Langmale Kharka

Climbing up the Barun valley's true left bank, the tree line falls away behind you and your first real views of Makalu's south face appear.

4,410m · ▲ 853m · ~10km · 5–6 hrs · Overnight: Camp

11Langmale Kharka — acclimatization day

A rest day before the final push toward base camp, with an optional climb toward the moraine above camp for extra altitude exposure.

4,410m · Acclimatization · Overnight: Camp

12Langmale Kharka to Merek

A short, deliberately easy day onto glacial moraine terrain, where the trail underfoot turns rocky and the air noticeably thins.

4,570m · ▲ 160m · Overnight: Camp

13Merek to Makalu Base Camp

The final approach follows the Barun Glacier's edge into the base camp cirque, with Makalu's full southwest face rising directly overhead and Chomo Lonzo and Baruntse visible across the glacier.

4,870m · ▲ 300m · ~6km · 4 hrs · Overnight: Camp

14Makalu Base Camp — exploration day

A full day at base camp, with an optional climb toward the Hillary Base Camp viewpoint above the main camp for a wider look at the historic Makalu-La climbing approach.

4,870m · Rest / optional viewpoint · Overnight: Camp

15Makalu Base Camp to Yangle Kharka

A long, satisfying descent retraces the Barun valley in a single push, covering ground that took two days on the way in.

3,557m · ▼ 1,313m · ~20km · 7–8 hrs · Overnight: Camp

16Yangle Kharka to Tashi Gaon, back over the Shipton La complex

Re-crossing Tutu La, Keke La, and Shipton La in reverse, this day is shorter in daylight terms than the outbound crossing but still a full day, ending back at teahouse comfort in Tashi Gaon.

2,100m · ▼ 1,460m net over the complex and beyond · ~16km · 8 hrs · Overnight: Teahouse

17Tashi Gaon to Tumlingtar

Retracing the route through Seduwa and Num to the road-head, followed by a jeep transfer back to Tumlingtar, this long day covers three days of outbound walking in reverse.

472m · Overnight: Guesthouse

18Fly Tumlingtar to Kathmandu

A morning flight returns you to Kathmandu, where the trip concludes. Onward international flights typically depart the same day or the next.

From our Makalu trek · April 2026

Our team's own photos from the trail: rhododendron forest in bloom, the high valleys and the peaks above them. Tap a photo to enlarge it.

Makalu Base Camp Trek cost

Per person, group of 2–4

$2,100 – $2,600

Included

→ RAP and Makalu-Barun National Park entry fees
→ Licensed guide, cook, kitchen staff, and porters
→ Kathmandu–Tumlingtar–Kathmandu domestic flights
→ Teahouse lodging (Tumlingtar–Tashi Gaon) and full camping support above
→ All meals on trek (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Not Included

→ International flights and Nepal visa
→ Kathmandu hotel nights (Day 1 and Day 18)
→ Travel insurance with high-altitude evacuation cover
→ Guide/crew tips

This range is a placeholder estimate pending operator confirmation of current permit fees, flight costs, and crew rates. Request a firm quote before booking.

Makalu Base Camp Trek in detail

Why choose this trek?

If you've done Everest Base Camp, Annapurna, or even Manaslu (here's how Manaslu and Makalu compare), and you want the route that makes the fewest concessions to comfort, this is it. It's a full camping expedition to the base of the world's fifth-highest mountain, and we handle the restricted-area permits and the camp logistics that keep most trekkers, and most operators, away.

How long and difficult is the trek?

Makalu Base Camp runs 18 days, with 15 full trekking days. Daily walking time ranges from 3–4 hours on the shorter recovery days to 8–9 hours on the Shipton La crossing. The highest point is Makalu Base Camp itself at 4,870m/15,978ft. We rate it Strenuous: you won't need technical climbing skills, but sustained high-altitude camping and back-to-back long days make it tougher than a standard teahouse trek.

Accommodation and food during the trek

Basic teahouses run from Tumlingtar to Tashi Gaon. Beyond Tashi Gaon, it's a full camping trek: our cook and kitchen crew prepare all your meals and pitch sleeping tents at each overnight stop through the Shipton La complex, the Barun valley, and Makalu Base Camp itself. Expect dal bhat, soups, pasta, and hot drinks cooked fresh at camp every evening. Meals are included, just as on a teahouse trek.

Best time to go

Autumn (September–November) gives you the clearest, most stable weather for the Shipton La crossing and the best visibility at base camp.

Spring (March–May) brings rhododendron blooms through the lower forest around Tashi Gaon, with similarly reliable conditions higher up. Both windows line up with the government's seasonal permit-issuing dates for restricted areas.

Is this trek suitable for you?

Makalu Base Camp suits trekkers with some prior high-altitude camping or trekking experience, ideally at least one previous trek above 4,000m. Between the sustained camping, the back-to-back long days, and the Shipton La complex's exposed terrain, we'd point you toward this as a second or third high-altitude trek rather than your first.

Safety measures and acclimatization approach

Your guide and crew carry a first aid kit, a pulse oximeter, and a standing evacuation protocol. Two acclimatization days, at Khongma Danda (3,560m/11,679ft) and Langmale Kharka (4,410m/14,468ft), pace the climb, and the full rest day at Makalu Base Camp itself adds one more buffer before you head back down. We only attempt the Shipton La complex with a clear forecast, since the terrain is exposed and route-finding gets hard if visibility drops.

Makalu Base Camp Trek packing list

7 groups · 33 items

Upper Body

→Moisture-wicking base layer tops (2–3)
→Fleece or light insulated mid-layer
→Heavyweight down jacket for camp nights above 4,000m
→Waterproof, windproof outer shell jacket

Lower Body

→Moisture-wicking base layer bottoms
→Trekking trousers (2 pairs)
→Insulated camp trousers
→Waterproof, windproof outer shell pants

Footwear & Accessories

→Broken-in waterproof trekking boots with strong ankle support (essential for the Shipton La complex's rocky terrain)
→Camp shoes or sandals
→Wool or synthetic trekking socks (5–6 pairs)
→Liner socks
→Gaiters

Head & Sun Protection

→Sun hat and heavyweight insulated hat
→Buff or neck gaiter
→Glacier-rated UV-protective sunglasses
→High-SPF sunscreen and lip balm

Personal & Medical

→Personal first aid kit and any personal medications
→Diamox (consult your doctor before the trip)
→Hand sanitizer and basic toiletries
→Trekking poles
→Headlamp with spare batteries
→Reusable water bottle and purification tablets or filter

Documents

→Passport with at least 6 months' validity
→Passport-sized photos (for permits)
→Travel insurance documents
→Printed or digital copies of flight and trip confirmations

Miscellaneous

→Duffel bag for crew-carried gear
→Daypack (30–35L)
→Sleeping bag rated to at least -20°C (this is a full camping trek with more nights above 4,000m than a standard teahouse route)
→Sleeping pad, provided by the camp crew but worth confirming before departure
→Power bank and universal adapter
→Snacks or energy bars from home

Makalu Base Camp Trek FAQs

Is Makalu Base Camp a camping trek or a teahouse trek?

A mix, leaning toward camping. Basic teahouses run from Tumlingtar to Tashi Gaon. Past Tashi Gaon, the Makalu-Barun National Park has far less built lodging than Everest or Annapurna, so our own kitchen and camp crew brings meals and shelter with us from Khongma Danda through Makalu Base Camp and back.

How does the Shipton La complex compare to other Nepal passes?

The Shipton La, Keke La, and Tutu La together form one long, physically demanding high point around 4,170m, crossed in a single push from Khongma Danda to Dobato. There's no technical climbing involved, but it's a serious day, about as serious as the Larkya La on Manaslu, though the ground here is rockier and less traveled, so route-finding matters if visibility drops.

What permits does Makalu require?

A Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for Makalu, plus Makalu-Barun National Park entry: a national park fee rather than a conservation-area permit, since the region is managed as a national park rather than a community conservation area like Kanchanjunga or Manaslu-ACAP.

Do I need mountaineering experience for Makalu Base Camp?

No technical climbing is required to reach base camp: no rope work, no crampons on the standard route. What it does require is comfort with sustained camping at altitude and several long days in a row, which is why we recommend it as a second or third high-altitude trek rather than a first.

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