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I did the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek in November 2023 with a porter/guide. This blog provides information to help plan your trek. I have also published blogs on the Tea Houses on the Kanchenjunga Trek and Day Hikes on the Kanchenjunga Trek.
Contents
1. When to do the Kanchenjunga Trek
The 2 main factors to take into account when doing the Kanchenjunga trek are the weather and the number of trekkers.
1.1 The Number of Trekkers on the Kanchenjunga Trek
The official statistics show that less than one thousand foreigners do the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek every year. In addition to this there will be Nepalese trekkers, guides, porters and mountaineers. This would probably increase the number of people on the Kanchenjunga trek to about 2,000 a year.
This number is low compared to most of the other trekking areas in Nepal. However, there are far fewer tea houses on the Kanchenjunga trek than in the more popular trekking areas. Also the trekking season is shorter as the tea houses at higher altitudes are likely to be closed from the end of November, or even earlier, to the end of February.
The number of trekkers per month in 2018 for the Kanchenjunga trek were:
January 9
February 13
March 72
April 153
May 17
June 2
July 4
August 5
September 143
October 442
November 101
December 9
These figures reflect when trekkers start the Kanchenjunga trek. Many of the 442 trekkers for October would still be on the Kanchenjunga trek in November.
1.2 The Weather
The monsoon season is slightly longer in the Kanchenjunga region as the monsoon enters Nepal from the east. When the monsoon ends it withdraws west to east.
This means that in the Kanchenjunga region the monsoon can commence about 5 days earlier than in Kathmandu and last 5 days longer. My blog on the Everest Base Camp trek details the monsoon start and finish dates from 2002 to 2023.
Over the last couple of decades the monsoon has been starting around the 12th June and ending around the 15th October. I don't recommend trekking in the monsoon as you wouldn't have good mountain views.
Every 2 or 3 years cyclones originate in the Bay of Bengal and impact Nepal. When this happens it can spoil a trek and be dangerous for trekkers. The cyclones mainly occur in May and October. In October there is very little risk of cyclones after October 20th.
Until last year I mainly trekked during May and early June in Nepal. This was because I wanted to avoid the crowds and Lani didn't want to trek in very cold temperatures. The weather in May and early June isn't as dependable as in April, late October and November but it can be a good time to trek.
In 2022 and 2023 I trekked in October, November and early December as Lani didn't join me. The sky is certainly much clearer at this time of year and the cold didn't bother me too much. The worst time for feeling the cold is in the early morning but it wasn't an issue the rest of the time.
1.3 Conclusion on the Best Time to do the Kanchenjunga Trek
In my opinion the best time to start the Kanchenjunga trek is in very late October or early November. If you start before the 25th October you risk encountering large groups and the tea houses may be full or very busy.
If you start too late in November you may find that some, or all, of the tea houses above Ghunsa and Tseram are closed. I recommend timing your trek so you aren't staying above these villages after 20th November.
When trekking in November plan your trek so it doesn't coincide with The Mountain Company's annual camping trek around the Kanchenjunga Circuit. I read a blog where the porters were a problem as they were constantly going in and out of the dining rooms. They were also sleeping in some of the rooms and were very noisy.
The Mountain Company's trek usually starts in early November and consists of 10 to 12 trekkers and about 30 Nepali support staff.
Late March, April and May could be another good time to trek. There are fewer trekkers than in October but the weather isn't as dependable as in November
2. Getting to the Trailhead for the Kanchenjunga Trek
The quickest way to reach the trailhead for the Kanchenjunga trek is to fly from Kathmandu to Suketar airport. There are 3 flights a week. This flight route has a reputation for being unreliable so I didn't use this route.
I met 2 trekkers who flew into Suketar so it is possible. It's probably a good option during late October and November when the weather is fairly reliable.
I flew from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur airport and I was on the first flight of the day. It was easy to obtain a taxi at Bhadrapur airport and the fixed price to Taplejung was R20,000 ($150). It was a long 8 to 9 hour drive over a paved mountain road to Taplejung. I started walking from Taplejung the following day.
I could have booked the flight online but Enjoy Nepal Treks booked the flight for me. It didn't cost any extra. It helped having the trekking agency book my flight as when I wanted to return a day earlier they arranged it for me.
3. Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise on the Kanchenjunga Trek
Most trekkers do the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek clockwise as it is better for acclimatising to the altitude. This entails going to the North Base Camp of Kanchenjunga first and then crossing over the Selele to visit the Oktang viewpoint near Kanchenjunga's South Base Camp. This is what I did.
Some trekkers do the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek anti-clockwise. The only slight advantage of doing this is for trekkers who intend to hike up Drohmo Ri East (5,965 metres) from Kanchenjunga's North Base Camp. It means that when you reach Kanchenjunga's North Base Camp you have been at high altitude for longer.
Some of the disadvantages of doing the Kanchenjunga trek anti-clockwise are:
There is a huge and dangerous increase in altitude between Tortong (2,980 metres) and Tseram (3,868 metres).
There is a very steep ascent from Tseram on the way to the Selele High Camp.
You will be passing more trekkers coming the other way.
The busy period on the east side of the Kanchenjunga circuit is a week later. I met 2 Australians going anti-clockwise and they said the lodges at Tortong had been full on the 7th November. When I stayed at Tortong at the end of my trek there were only 2 other trekkers there.
4. Itinerary up to Ghunsa when trekking clockwise
The itineraries for the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek usually only vary at the beginning and end of the trek. For the middle section of the Kanchenjunga trek, from Ghunsa to Tortong, most trekkers follow the same route and stop at the same villages.
At the start of the Kanchenjunga trek there are 2 rough roads from Taplejung to Chirwa. Most vehicles take the eastern road which goes via Lingkhim. The western road goes via Mitlung and there is very little traffic. From Chirwa there is a rough road to Sekathum and the road ends there at the moment.
Some trekkers take private or shared jeeps from Taplejung to Chirwa or Sekathum. This saves about a day of walking. A private jeep to Sekathum would cost R15,000 to R17,000. There are very crowded shared jeeps to Chirwa and Sekathum but I don't know the cost.
If you are starting the Kanchenjunga trek from Taplejung possible itineraries would be:
Recommended Itinerary
Taplejung to Sinwa (5 hour walk)
Sinwa to Sekathum (6.75 hour walk)
Sekathum to Thangyam (6.25 hour walk)
Thangyam to Ghunsa (7 hour walk)
Fast Itinerary
Taplejung to Chirwa (7.75 hour walk)
Chirwa to Amjilosa (8.25 hour walk)
Amjilosa to Ghunsa (9 hour walk)
5. Itinerary - Ghunsa to Ramche via Kanchenjunga's North & South Base Camps
My blogs on the Tea Houses on the Kanchenjunga Trek and Day Hikes on the Kanchenjunga Trek will help you plan your trek.
5.1 Ghunsa (2 nights)
In autumn it is a very beautiful 1 to 1.5 hour hike from Phale to Ghunsa as the larch trees along the Ghunsa Khola have turned golden and there are snow covered peaks in the distance.
Ghunsa is at an altitude of 3,415 metres and everyone stays 2 nights unless they are already acclimatised. Ghunsa has the best accommodation on the Kanchenjunga trek and it is a good place to stay. However, it is often cold as the sun doesn't reach Ghunsa until mid morning.
There are 3 day hikes that can be done during the acclimatisation day. See my blog on Day Hikes on the Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek.
5.2 Khambachen (2 nights)
It is a 6 hour walk from Ghunsa to Khambachen (4,145 metres) and there is a tea shop on the way where you can have lunch. Trekkers should stay 2 nights at Khambachen to acclimatise to the 730 metre altitude gain.
Khambachen is a beautiful location and there are 2 good tea houses. There are 2 good day hikes from Khambachen and if you have time it is worth staying a third night.
Many Nepalese trekking agencies only have a 1 night stay at Khambachen for the Kanchenjunga trek. This is dangerous and also means missing out on the excellent day hike to the Jannu viewpoint.
5.3 Lhonak (2 nights)
It's a 5.5 hour hike up to Lhonak (4,792 metres) and there is a tea shop on the way where you can have lunch.
Lhonak is in a very pleasant setting and there are some reasonable tea houses. Most trekkers stay 2 nights and do a day hike to North Base Camp at Pangpema.
Some trekkers spend the night at the small and basic tea house at Pangpema and hike up Drohmo Ri East (5,965 metres) the next day. However, you cannot rely on the tea house being open as I have explained in my blog Tea Houses on the Kanchenjunga Trek. It is possible to hike back to Lhonak after going up Drohmo Ri East but it would be a very tiring day.
Another reason for spending the night at Pangpema is for photography. The sun isn't in a good position for photography at midday when day hikers are there.
5.4 Ghunsa (1 night)
It's a tiring 7 hour hike back down to Ghunsa via Khambachen and it entails a descent of 1,400 metres. Khambachen is a good place to stop for lunch.
5.5 Selele High Camp (1 night)
It's a 4.75 hour hike from Ghunsa to Selele High Camp (4,200 metres). The trail climbs steeply from Ghunsa. It is mainly through forest until the View Point Tea shop is reached after a 3 hour and 600 metre ascent. The tea shop serves dal baht at a very reasonable price.
From the tea shop it is a 1.75 hour hike, and a 200 metre ascent, over open terrain to Selele High Camp. There are 2 reasonable tea houses in a good setting
5.6 Tseram (1 night)
It is a long and tiring 7 hour hike from Selele High Camp to Tseram (3,868 metres). At the end of the hike there is an 800 metre descent to Tseram. Take a packed lunch with you as the only tea shop on the route is too far from Selele High Camp. Also you can't rely on the tea shop being open.
Tseram has 3 tea houses and 2 of them are reasonable.
5.7 Ramche (1 night)
The walk from Tseram to Ramche is extremely scenic and is one of the best sections of the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek. It takes 3.5 hours to reach Ramche (4,610 metres) and there is an ascent of 750 metres.
I would advise setting out as early as possible for 2 reasons:
It is possible to walk to the Oktang viewpoint the same day but often the clouds obscure the views from midday. I was very fortunate and the sky was clear all afternoon.
There are only 2 tea houses at Ramche and they can become full. One of the tea houses is very basic and it is preferable to have a room in the newer tea house.
It takes 1 hour 20 minutes to hike to the Oktang viewpoint and from there you can walk a bit further along the lateral moraine. After that a landslide makes access to Kanchenjunga South Base Camp very difficult and dangerous. Trekkers rarely go there.
6. Itinerary - Kanchenjunga South Base Camp to Taplejung
If you visit the Oktang viewpoint for Kanchenjunga South Base Camp on the day you arrive at Ramche it is possible to hike down to Tortong the next day. If the weather clouds over when you arrive at Ramche it is certainly worth waiting until the next morning to walk to the Oktang viewpoint. If you do that there would only be time to hike down to Tseram that day.
The traditional end to the Kanchenjunga trek was to hike south down to Yamphudin and then walk for several days back to Taplejung. There is now a road at Yamphudin that goes southwards to Phidim. This road joins the main Taplejung to Bhadrapur road. It is therefore possible to take a jeep from Yamphudin to Phidim.
Some trekkers still hike back to Taplejung from Yamphudin. The trail goes via Mamangkhe, Phumphe Danda, Kande Bhanjyanga and Lali Kharka. It is usually a 4 day hike but it could be done in 3 days. There is a little used road between Taplejung and Phumphe Danda. It would be possible to take a jeep to Taplejung from Phumphe Danda.
There is a new trail from Tortong that follows the Simbuwa Khola westwards to Hellok and Ranipul. This new route avoids the large landslide between Tortong and Yamphudin. I took this trail.
It is a very hard 5 hour hike from Tortong to Kengsra. There are 2 new tea houses at Kengsra. It is then an easy 2.5 to 3 hour hike to Hellok and Ranipul. From there it is a 3.5 to 4 hour jeep ride to Taplejung. Alternatively it takes 2 days to walk to Taplejung from Hellok or Ranipul.
7. Permits & Guides for the Kanchenjunga Trek
Permits for the Kanchenjunga Trek
The Kanchenjunga trek is in a restricted area and a trekking agency must obtain a permit on your behalf from the Department of Immigration. The permit costs $20 per week and trekkers would normally need a 3 week permit for the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek.
The Department of Immigration is closed from 15.00 on Fridays to 10.00 on Sundays. So you must be in Kathmandu during one of the days that they are open before you head out on your trek. Sometimes the office is only open for 2 hours during public holidays. There are many public holidays during the October and November trekking season!
Permits for the Kanchenjunga trek will only be issued if there are 2 foreigners trekking together. Some agencies can get around this by obtaining a ghost permit for a non-existent trekker. This is usually done with the help of an Immigration official.
I obtained a ghost permit for an Indian woman who I never met and I had to pay $60 for her 3 week permit. I also paid $35 to Enjoy Nepal Treks for arranging the ghost permit. There aren't any checkpoints on the Kanchenjunga trek but if there had been I would have stated that she had become sick and had gone back down.
A fee of R3,000 ($23) is payable for the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project. It used to be payable at Tapethok but the office there has been closed and it is now payable at Ghunsa.
Guides
You have to trek with a guide in the Kanchenjunga restricted area. I had a porter/guide from Enjoy Nepal Treks at a cost of $25 per day. The daily cost has now been increased to $30.
8. Cost of the Kanchenjunga Trek
I paid $1,119 to Nepal Enjoy Treks for the following services for the Kanchenjunga trek:
Porter/Guide (21 days @ $25 per day) $525
Insurance for the Guide $35
Restricted Area Permit ($120 for 2 people for 3 weeks) $120
Admin fee for the ghost permit $35
My flight to and from Bhadrapur $254
Guide's flight to and from Bhadrapur $150
TOTAL $1,119
The expenses that I paid myself are shown in the table below:
Overnight Stop | Total Cost | Room | Food | Drink | Transport | Other | Notes |
Taxi to airport | 900 | 900 | |||||
Taxi from Bhadrapur to Taplejung | 20000 | 20000 | |||||
Taplejung | 1680 | 1000 | 500 | 180 | |||
Chirwa | 1570 | 500 | 750 | 320 | |||
Itahari | 2900 | 700 | 1500 | 700 | |||
Thangyam | 1470 | 600 | 650 | 220 | 150 | 1 | |
Phale | 2030 | 500 | 1100 | 430 | |||
Ghunsa (2 nights) | 8000 | 1600 | 2580 | 820 | 3000 | 2 | |
Khambachen (2 nights) | 6150 | 1400 | 3500 | 1250 | |||
Lhonak (3 nights) | 10965 | 2400 | 5375 | 1940 | 1250 | 3 | |
Ghunsa | 2700 | 800 | 1250 | 500 | 150 | 1 | |
Selele | 4400 | 1000 | 1700 | 900 | 800 | 3 | |
Tseram | 2850 | 700 | 1350 | 500 | 300 | 1 & 3 | |
Ramche | 3500 | 500 | 2400 | 600 | |||
Tortong | 2560 | 500 | 1700 | 360 | |||
Kengsra | 3140 | 500 | 1500 | 440 | 700 | 4 | |
Hellok & Ranipul | 700 | 500 | 200 | ||||
Jeep from Ranipul to Taplejung | 15000 | 15000 | |||||
Taplejung | 1490 | 1000 | 350 | 140 | |||
Jeep from Taplejung to Bhadrapur | 20000 | 20000 | |||||
Bhadrapur | 2500 | 1500 | 700 | 300 | |||
Taxi in Kathmandu | 900 | 900 | |||||
TOTAL NPR | 115105 | 15200 | 27405 | 9350 | 56800 | 6350 | |
TOTAL USD | 880 | 116 | 210 | 71 | 434 | 49 |
Notes for the other expenses:
1 Toilet Paper
2 Kanchenjunga Conservation Project fee
3 Boiled water for my water bottles
4 Beer
I have summarised the expenses under each overnight stop. The expenses include drinks and meals while at other locations that day.
The total cost of my Kanchenjunga trek was $2,000 compared to a cost of around $3,000 for a group trek. Other advantages of doing the Kanchenjunga trek by myself meant that I could determine my itinerary, choose the tea houses, have a room to myself and have plenty of space in vehicles.
Most nights I had the company of other trekkers and wasn't restricted to being with the other members of a group. I have been on 2 camping group treks in Nepal but I would never do a lodge trek with a group.
I could have reduced my costs by not having so many hot drinks and not ordering boiled water for the cold mornings. I didn't bother as the cost wasn't that material and it improved my enjoyment of the Kanchenjunga trek.
The biggest expense was for transport. I had wanted to take a shared taxi from Ranipul to Taplejung but couldn't as it was a public holiday. I would have saved a lot if I had used public transport between Kathmandu to Taplejung but I didn't fancy doing that.
It is always difficult to determine how many Nepalese rupees should be taken on a trek. My chart above gives an idea of how much is needed. If necessary I use some of the Nepalese rupees that I have brought for the guide's tip and give the guide USD instead.
9. Hiking Times on the Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek
These hiking times for the Kanchenjunga trek exclude stops at tea houses for drinks and lunch. The Australians' times were quite fast even though they were in their mid 60's. The Indians consisted of a small group. They were slower but I know the leader was a keen photographer.
I have recorded these times mainly to assist trekkers with the planning of their Kanchenjunga trek. I certainly found information on trekking times very useful when planning my trek. It also helps when deciding whether to hike a bit further at the end of the day.
Trekking isn't a race although I kept on meeting one French trekker who seemed to think so. He was always asking how long everyone had taken and was proud of his speed.
Quite often you can only hike so far in the day on the Kanchenjunga trek due to altitude acclimatisation and the distance to the next tea house. By walking fast you just reach your destination quicker and end up spending more time at a tea house.
I am not a particularly fast trekker but I could have walked faster than the times shown for me. I wasn't very fit due to spraining my ankle prior to the trek. I also followed my guide and sometimes he walked slower than I needed to. I wasn't in a rush and was happy to enjoy the fantastic scenery on the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek.
If you want to do the Kanchenjunga trek quickly it is possible to do it in 8 days from Taplejung! A trekker posted details of this on the Tripadvisor forum.
DAY | FROM | TO | MY TIME | AUSSIES' TIME | INDIANS' TIME | AVG TIME |
1 | Taplejung | Mitlung | 3 h 15 m | 3 h 15 m | ||
1 | Mitlung | Sinwa | 1 h 45 m | 1 h 45 m | 1 h 45 m | |
1 | Sinwa | Chirwa | 2 h 45 m | 3 h 15 | 3 h | |
2 | Chirwa | Tapletok | 1 h 15 m | 1 h 15 m | ||
2 | Tapletok | Ranipur | 2 h | 1 h 50 m | 1 h 55 m | |
2 | Ranipur | Sukethum | 1 h | 55 m | 1 h | |
2 | Sukethum | Itahari | 30 m | 35 m | 30 m | |
3 | Itahari | Lama Tar | 1 h 30 m | 2 h 5 m | 1 h 45 m | |
3 | Lamar Tar | Amjilosa | 2 h 20 m | 2 h 30 m | 2 h 25 | |
3 | Amjilosa | Thangyam | 2 h | 2 h 30 m | 2 h 15 m | |
4 | Thangyam | Gyabla | 1 h 50 m | 2 h 20 m | 2 h 5 m | |
4 | Gyabla | Phale | 3 h 45 m | 2 h 50 m | 3 h 45 m | 3 h 30 m |
5 | Phale | Ghunsa | 1 h 15 m | 1 h | 1 h 30 m | 1 h 15 m |
7 | Ghunsa | Khambachen | 6 h | 5 h | 6 h | 5 h 40 m |
9 | Khambachen | Ramtang | 3 h | 3 h 30 m | 3 h 15 m | |
9 | Ramtang | Lhonak | 1 h 40 m | 2 h | 1 h 50 m | |
11 | Lhonak | Tea Shop | 2 h 50 m | 2 h 50 m | ||
11 | Tea Shop | Pangpema | 1 h 40 m | 1 h 40 m | ||
11 | Pangpema | Lhonak | 3 h 15 m | 2 h 40 m | 3 h 30 m | 3 h 10 m |
12 | Lhonak | Ramtang | 1 h 10 m | 1 h 8 m | 1 h 10 m | |
12 | Ramtang | Khambachen | 2 h 15 m | 2 h 15 m | 2 h 15 m | |
12 | Khambachen | Ghunsa | 3 h 30 m | 3 h 30 m | 3 h 30 m | 3 h 30 m |
13 | Ghunsa | Viewpoint Tea Shop | 3 h | 3 h | ||
13 | Viewpoint Tea Shop | Selele High Camp | 1 h 45 m | 1 h 45 m | ||
14 | Selele High Camp | Tseram | 7 h | 5 h 15m | 6 h 10 m | |
15 | Tseram | Ramche | 3 h 30 m | 3 h | 3 h 15 m | |
15 | Ramche | Oktang Viewpoint | 1 h 20 m | 1 h 30 m | 1 h 25 m | |
15 | Oktang Viewpoint | Ramche | 1 hr | 1 h | ||
16 | Ramche | Tseram | 2 h 20 m | 2 h 20 m | ||
16 | Tseram | Tortong | 3 h 30 m | 3 h | 3 h 15 m | |
17 | Tortong | Kengsra | 4 h 50 m | 4 h 50 m | ||
18 | Kengsra | Hellok | 2 h 35 m | 2 h 35 m | ||
18 | Hellok | Ranipur | 30 m | 30 m | ||
10. Vlogs about the Kanchenjunga Trek
When I did the Kanchenjunga trek in November 2023 there was a group of 8 trekkers with Project Himalaya 2 days behind me. One of these trekkers posted 3 videos of the trek:
In late March/April 2024 a German trekker, who posts a lot on the Tripadvisor forum, did the Kanchenjunga trek. The weather was terrible and his videos give a different perspective to the trek. It shows that the weather in late October and November is more reliable.
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