Makalu Base Camp Trek

Duration: 22 Days(5)of 20 reviews
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Overview

  • Duration 22 Days
  • Difficulty Level Strenuous
  • Max. Altitude 4,870 m | 15,977 ft.
  • Trip Start and End Kathmandu
  • Trip Area Kathmandu -Chichira - Num - Seduwa - Tashigaon - Khongma Danda - Dobate - Yangri Kharka - Langmale Kharka - Makalu Base Camp - Yangri Kharka - Dobate - Khongma Danda - Tashigaon - Seduwa - Num - Tumlingtar - Kathmandu
  • Best Season Spring (March-May) and Fall (September-November)

Highlights

  • See Everest from a unique angle, it’s eastern Kangshung face
  • Gain views of eastern Nepal, as far away as Kangchenjunga
  • Pass from green terraced farmland to glaciers and waterfalls
  • Witness the rural life of Nepal’s distinct Rai and Sherpa culture
  • Spot some of the rarest wildlife in Nepal, including the Red Panda

Trek-like no other, Makalu Base Camp Trek is one of the most scenic adventure treks for those seeking a tranquil gateway. This is one of the most popular base camp treks, best known for serenity time spaces. Established in 1992, the Makalu Base Camp trek is an ideal trekking destination for those enthusiast trekkers who have sufficient time and want to experience the world's beauty of nature. Trailing to the fifth highest peak in the world- Mt. Makalu (8463m), offers you the exceptional opportunity to witness snow-clad landscapes, explore high-altitude terrains, and get acquainted with the ethnic Himalayan lifestyle. While trekking to this paradise, you can explore five different ecological regions. Beginning from the lower reaches of the trail, renowned for their lushness. Then reaching the tropical Arun Valley, pass the dense forest of rhododendron, fir, and alpine meadows leading us right to the mighty Barun glacier. 

The journey to this beautiful Himalayan paradise begins with an hour flight to Tumlingtar but our real trekking starts from Chichira. Then our trail follows the Arun River and passes through the beautiful Num and Seduwa villages. The view of Mt. Makalu from this place is spectacular. The upper reaches of our trail comprise polished granite cliffs capped by hanging glaciers, overflowing with waterfalls.

Join us in this 22-days trekking expedition to explore the beauty of the Eastern Hills of Nepal. With us traveling to some of the magnificent viewpoints of the Region, the Makalu Base Camp has always been a favorite for adventure seekers and people who want to avoid the crowd. This trek requires a fairly fit type of person as the trek goes through some strenuous hills at times. A person able to walk continuously for 7-8 hours can complete the trail with no difficulties. Contact us in case of professional expertise and a tailored trip.

You can get detailed information on the Makalu base camp trekking itinerary and know about the Makalu base camp route, and Makalu base camp trek map by looking at the trekking map which is provided below the page.

NOTE:It is recommended that you should arrive in Kathmandu a day earlier before you start your trek (if you do not have a day tour of Kathmandu scheduled). And If you have scheduled a Kathmandu day tour you should arrive two days prior to the actual day of trekking.

If you are able to arrive a day earlier, it will be best for you as you will get some time to rest, know about the trekking you are doing, get info about the trekking routes, and get time to buy trekking equipment if necessary. Adding some extra days besides actual trekking days will help you enjoy your trip to Nepal to the fullest without having to worry about any preparations, any flight delays, and missing international flights

Itinerary

Show Detail ItineraryClose Detail Itinerary

In accordance with your flight schedule, we will be at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu to extend a warm welcome to you in our beautiful country for the beautiful trip. After exchanging warm welcome greetings at the arrival section, we will lead you to our vehicle to drop you off at our trip hotel. It’s a day at complete leisure, you will be on your own and you can do whatever you want to do for refreshment. But we definitely will be happy to guide you around the city.

On the second day of arrival, we will be interacting with each other. After early breakfast, every guest needs to arrive at the Company to review their trip so that they can buy and manage the required stuff for their trips. After talking about the trip we will be taking our guests for a cultural sightseeing tour around Kathmandu valley.

The destination for sightseeing includes Swoyambhunath - the oldest monument in Kathmandu valley, Kathmandu Durbar Square – to see the temple of Living Goddess and other medieval architectural wonders, Pashupatinath – to immerse into Hindu death rites on the bank of a holy river, and Boudhanath – a massive Buddhist shrine considered as the biggest in the world.

Today we will be taking an hour flight to Tumlingtar after we had had lunch in the morning. At the time of breakfast, we will meet other crew members who will be joining in our trek. Once we reach Tumlinghtar, we will take a short drive to Chichira, a small but beautiful Gurung settlement. This village is rich in Gurung culture. You can explore this beautiful place after we reach Chichira. We will rest in Chichira for the day and prepare for the next day’s trek.

Overnight in Chichira.

We will start our first-day trekking journey early in the morning right after a warm breakfast. As this is the first day we will go slow and gradually increase our pace as we move towards Num Village. On the trail towards the Num village, you will encounter the beautiful picturesque villages and lush mountain forests. After a moderately paced walking for 6-7 hours will take to Num Village. Num Village at a ridge line with a magnificent view on both sides and perched on the end. We will give a break to today's trailing and stay at this beautiful village for an overnight stay.

Overnight in Num Village

After a quick breakfast in the morning, we will trail on a decent steep passing through forests and terraced farms before reaching the Barun River. We need to cross the Barun River. After we cross the river, our trail now ascents up. This valley is quite hot and the forest around here offers a bit of shade.

Makalu Barun National Park also starts from this place. Before moving forward to our destination, we will need to register our permits. Once everyone finishes registering their permit, we will continue walking for an hour or two, to reach Seduwa village. We will set up the camp at the top of the village for the overnight stay.

Overnight in Seduwa.

Today’s trekking trail ascends through the ridge bounded by Ipsuwa Khola on the west and Kasuwa Khola on the east. Before we reach the exotic village of Tashi Gaon, we need to cross the hillside through a quiet village and pass through small paddy fields.

Tashi Gaon is the wonderful Gurung settlement village surrounded by the breathtaking Himalayan panorama. The people of this village are very friendly and helpful. You will get to know about the Gurung culture in this village.

Overnight in Tashigaon.

Today will be a bit of a tough day as we need to hike on a steep trail at a higher elevation. After Tashigaon, we leave the human settlement and ascend through the beautiful shade of rhododendron and oak forest to a stream and then onto a ridge. After passing a dense forest we come to summer pastures with traces of temporary made shepherd huts.

From here onwards the trail gets even stepper which passes through Kharka (grazing land) and follows a series of rough stone stairs leading us to a small lake at the top of the ridge. Little further from here is our today's destination Khongma Danda. We will set up our camp here with the scenic mountain ranges during the moonlight, for the overnight stay

Overnight in Khongma Danda.

Today is the rest day. You can either get some bodily rest at camp before we begin our next hike or visit some interesting hikes and viewpoints to explore. You can enjoy the stunning views of the glorious Himalayas ranges from the camp and gather the energy for the next day.

Overnight in Khongma Danda.

With the superb view of surrounding landscapes and snow-capped mountains, we will begin our hike. The hike today follows a gradual trail with a few ups and downs. Our trail passes through the Thulo Pokhari (big pond) and Small pokhari (small pond) and then climbs towards the summit of Shipton La (pass).

At the time of heavy snowfall, the path around can be quite misleading, and difficult to find the trail. Walking further will take us to lake Kalo Pokhari (3930m). After the lake, we pass over the KeKe La t 4,170m. From here you can witness the marvelous views of Chamlang Chamlang (7321m), Peak 6 (6,524m), and Peak 7 (6,758m). After Crossing Chorten of Tutu la (4200m), we hike downhill to reach the beautiful valley of Dobate.

Overnight in Dobate.

Our day today begins with a sharp descent down a wooden narrow valley, passing through the rhododendron forest leading us right to the Barun River just beyond Tamatan Kharka. Crossing the Barun river will take us to the upper reaches of the valley.

Beyond this point, the trail is steep and arduous with numerous rock falls often, so you need to be extra careful for the first two hours. Once we pass the difficult trail, we will take a pleasant walk, gradually gaining altitude until we rich the seasonal settlement of Yangri kharka situated at the base of the valley.

Overnight at Yangri Kharka.

Our trek today begins by crossing the bridge on the Barun River and then walking on the boulders, where you can see a large prayer wall. We will have a moderate walk to the valley, passing through the yak pastures and lush forests. After the hike for 2-3 hours, the vegetation starts to get thinner. However, the rhododendron, barberries, cotoneaster, and juniper bushes keep on for some time.

A pleasant hike will take us close to Sherson. From Sherson we can have sight of the lower Barun glacier and the towering Majestic Mt. Makalu. This place is also known as the lower base camp of Mt. Makalu. We will then make a further way of passing Merek. You can notice a significant rise in the scenic Himalayan views.

Overnight in Langmale Kharka.

This is the day we make it to the Base Camp. From Langmale Kharka, we will move slowly uphill to Shershong and eventually make our way to Makalu Base Camp.

As we move upward on a flat trail with icy glaciers and snow-clad mountains surrounding us, Mount Makalu comes into view. A 6-7 climb, advancing toward the camp, we get the opportunity to absorb the glorious Himalayan display surrounding us.

Overnight at Makalu Base Camp.

Makalu Base Camp is a rocky barren place with the large Barun Glacier beyond it. We take a rest today to explore the Makalu Base Camp. Standing at Makalu Base Camp, you can see the magnificent south face of Makalu and the complete panorama of Everest and Lhotse. Seeing the glorious view of these pristine Himalayas will be sure to make your trip worthwhile. Besides the magnificent Himalayas panorama, there are beautiful lakes and glaciers which are worth exploring. You can go for a short trek up to Makalu base camp where we can celebrate the accomplishment of our trip.

Overnight at Makalu Base Camp.

After the wonderful exploration in the Makalu base camp, we descend down from the base camp. Taking the last glimpses of the mighty Makalu, we head back following the same trail that we have taken before to reach Makalu base camp. We descend downhill, passing through Shershong, Langmale Kharka, and Merek, and finally, stop at Yangri Kharka for an overnight stay.

Overnight at Yangri Kharka.

After breakfast, we continue our journey From Yangri Kharka. Our trail descends through rock falls, green forests, and a valley, making our way towards Dobate. We retrace our trekking following the river banks of Barun.

Overnight at Dobate.

The trek today will be easier, as the trek today follows a calm trail through a woodland of firs and rhododendrons. Before we descend to Khongma Danda, we need to cross the Keke La, Tutu La (Shipton’s Pass), and Kauma La en route.

Overnight in Khongma Danda.

Today we trek back to Tashigaon. For another 2- 3 hours our trail passes through the cool shades of thick forest area, coming towards the farm terrace and finally making it to the indigenous Sherpa village of Tashigaon.

Overnight in Tashigaon.

We retrace our steps, following the downhill track through the farm fields for an hour or two. Leaving the Makalu Barun National park and will descend down to the Barun River. As we move downhill, crossing the hillside and passing through many villages and settlements, we will reach Seduwa again.

Overnight at Seduwa.

After Breakfast, we will leave the wonderful Seduwa village. Before we reach the Num village we need to go through the lush forest. The trail is downhill which goes up and down passing through culturally rich Sherpa villages and dense forest, which will take you back to Num.

Overnight at Num.

Today is the final day of our trekking journey. Continuing our journey back, we will retrace our footsteps to Chichira. From Chichira, you can savor the glorious vista of Mount Makalu for the last time. From this point, we will take a pleasant walk until we reach Tumlingtar for an overnight stay.

Overnight at Tumlingtar.

The last day at the Makalu Region! Wake up early to eat a fulfilling breakfast. After breakfast, we will board the plane to fly back to Kathmandu after our long trek in the mountains. On our arrival at the city of temples, you will have free time to explore the city on your own.

    On the last day of this trip, we drive you to the airport as per your flight schedule back to home or onward destination.

    We definitely hope that you enjoyed the Makalu Base Camp Trek and hope to see you for another adventure soon.

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    Cost Details

    Included

    • Airport pick up and drop off by private vehicle
    • Three-night accommodation with breakfast at a 3-star category hotel in Kathmandu
    • Three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) during the trek
    • Best available twin sharing lodge to lodge accommodation during the trek
    • Kathmandu city tours, tour guides, and private transportation
    • One highly experienced, helpful, and friendly guide.
    • Porters (1 porter for 2 people) and their food, accommodation, salary, and equipment. 
    • Accident insurance for all staff
    • Himalayan Scenery trekking map, Trekking T-shirt, and duffel bag for trekking
    • First aid medical kit, Oximeter to check pulse, heart rate, and oxygen saturation at higher altitude.
    • TIMS card Fee- Trekkers' Information Management System (Please bring 2 passport-size photos for permit)
    • Worst case, help with all rescue and evacuation arrangements.
    • Government taxes & office service charge

    Excluded

    • Personal Travel insurance
    • International airfare
    • Nepal entry visa. You can obtain a visa easily upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. A multiple-entry tourist visa good for 30 days can be obtained by paying the US $ 40 or equivalent in foreign currency. Similarly, multiple-entry tourist visas for 90 days can be obtained by paying the US $ 100. Please bring 2 passport-size photos.
    • The US $ 20 Local Government Tax
    • Snacks /Drinks and other personal expenses
    • Hot showers during the trek
    • Personal trekking equipment
    • WiFi internet and phone call unless it’s free.
    • Tips and gratuities for trekking staff and drivers

    Useful Info

    In Himalayan Scenery Treks and Expedition, your safety precedes every other thing. As this adventure entrails traveling in the remote mountainous region, we are always at mercy of nature. During the trip, the factors such as weather, natural disaster or a multitude of other factors which are beyond our control can subsequently bring the changes in the itinerary. Although all the itinerary we provide to you is guided and standard; please note that your team leader has the authority to alter or even drop the planned itinerary of any part if it is necessary due to safety concern. All the alternations or changes of the standard itinerary are made by the leader by taking into consideration the best interest of the whole group. We give our best effort to stick with the above-mentioned itinerary; however, in case of any unpredicted event which are beyond our control, you need to be flexible and take after the guideline as instructed by your leader.

    Note that the company won’t be responsible for any result of alterations on itineraries or any delays due to unforeseen circumstances.

    Hotel and Accommodation on Makalu Base Camp Trek:

    Trek to the Himalayas is one of the favorite destinations for travel enthusiast and adventure seekers all around the globe. Although the Himalayan region of Nepal is the most popular trekking destination in the world; there are a lot of things people don’t have a clue. While trekking to the high mountain region, you will not find the hotels and accommodation as you see in the city areas. The hotels and accommodation around the high Himalayan have fewer services and facilities. The hot shower may turn out to be simply a bucket of lukewarm water and the toilet may be a latrine behind the hotel. The private room can be a wooden cell with no furniture except a bed, mattress, and curtain in place of the door.  So, while trekking to the mountainous region of Nepal, you need to be ready to stay in the less fancy and minimum facilitated hotels.

    On the trip to the Makalu Base Camp, we provide you the 2 to 3-star standard hotel while you are at Kathmandu (i.e. for 3 Nights). During the trip to Makalu, we provide you with the basic lodges and tea houses for your accommodation. The room of these lodges and tea houses are less fancier with just a bed, a pillow and a blanket. The lodges on the trail to Makalu Base Camp is always crowded and in some cases, you may have to share a room with other trekkers or may have to sleep in the dining room. We put our every effort to make your trek as cozy as possible. However, you need to stay flexible in some cases. We will accommodate the groups in local lodge available each day. We send the porters ahead of us to pre-book the room for the next day (rooms cannot be pre-booked on all places). 

    In Kathmandu beside the 2/3 stars hotel, some 4/5-star luxury accommodation is also available. If you want to change the accommodation plan for the luxury, please do let us know so that we can arrange and book the hotel for you for your Kathmandu stay.

    Food and Beverages:

    All the food and Beverages included on the package to Makalu Base Camp are provided by the company itself. The foods are provided in the tea houses or lodges on the trail. We will have the breakfast and dinner at the lodge where we stay overnight. On the everyday trek, our guide will decide the available place and stop for the lunch. We highly recommend you bring the water purification pills, to cleanse the water and drink during the trek. During the trek, there are options for buying the bottled water and boiled water as well.

    Upon your arrival at Kathmandu after the successful trekking journey, we will provide farewell dinner consisting of authentic Nepalese cuisines.

    Transportation:

    We at Himalayan Scenery Treks and Expedition provide all the necessary transportation facilities for your trip. We provide private vehicles for airport pick up and sightseeing tour around Kathmandu. We likewise provide the flight to and from Tumlingtar Airstrip for the Makalu Base Camp trip.

    Luggage and Backpack:

    The main luggage of your will be carried by your porters during the trek. For your personal things, we highly recommend you, to carry a small handbag containing water bottles, cameras, sunscreen and other things which you require daily during the trip. Making the backpack small and lighter will unquestionably assist you to enjoy the trip to its fullest. You should simply convey the thing which are basic for your outing and the rest of the garments and different things can be left in the locker room/safe store of hotels. The hotels provide the locker room / safe deposit for free. So, don’t hesitate to leave things which are redundant. While making the backpack or luggage for your trip to ensure that the luggage doesn’t exceed more than 15 Kg. Weight allowance at Nepal’s domestic airlines is 15 Kg including your handbag. Excess weight is chargeable of USD 1.5 or more which will be the additional cost of our trip.

    Guide and Porters on Trek:

    We provide you with the well trained and experienced guide and porter for your trek.  Our guide will assist you in every possible way to make your trips remarkable and memorable. Talking about the porter, we provide one porter for 2 trekkers each. The porters carry 20 Kg of total luggage (10 Kg form each trekker). We provide the one guide for the smaller groups and if the group size surpasses 10 individuals; we will provide the additional guide for your trip.

    Personnel Expenses:

    Personnel Expenses largely influenced upon your habit of expenditure. We provide you with all the necessary food and accommodation facilities inside the cost of your Makalu Base Camp Trek. So, you only need money to pay for your drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages) and snacks while strolling on the trail. You will get a significant number of smaller shops on the trail to buy drinks and snacks. Likewise, you can also use the money to buy you souvenirs of the trip, entrance tickets, hot showers, tips and many more. Note that, tips and gratuities are not mandatory, but it is fine if you wish to. If you feel like the service provide to you is excellent, then you can tip directly to staffs. Of course, there is no obligation to tip if you are disappointed with the service you receive. As a suggestion, we advise you to allocate an amount of 5 - 10%of the total package price for tips. The amount you give depends on your budget and appreciation of their work.

    Rescue and Evacuation:

    Nepal is the country full of heart-warming natural beauty and a magnificent travel destination for the thrill and adventure seeker all around the globe. In spite of the fact that Nepal is an adventure paradise for the nature lover, thrill seeker. But in some cases, the thrilling experience comes up with a serious hazard. The most exciting, and the joyful trip may backfire on us and we may have to be the victim of nature. Not only that while trekking in the high altitude rough terrains may also occur afflictions like a sprained ankle or even broken leg, appendix ruptures, hypothermia, skin infection and respiratory infection. If any of this misfortune happens to you, then it should be treated on time. If left untreated then you may even lose your life. If any of the above-mentioned affliction happens during your trip, we at Himalayan scenery treks and expedition will do everything to transfer you to the nearest hospital ASAP. All the expenses made to rescue and evacuate you, are entirely liable to us. So, before departing off to your trip, make sure that your travel insurance company has the policy to cover up all the expenses in case of any misfortune arises during the trip so that you can enjoy the trip to the utmost. If not, be ready to pay on your own once you arrive at the Kathmandu. To learn more about the Travel Insurance for the Trip in Nepal, please do visit Travel Insurance page in Nepal Travel Guide.   

    Join a fixed date group trek or private departure:

    The Makalu Base camp Trek is available on both fixed departure and private basis, If you are looking for a group to join then please check our fixed departures dates and ask for availability or if you would like to travel independently, or with your friends, families & colleagues then you are invited to choose any date at your convenient timeframe for any number of people.

    Booking Requirements

    Please provide us your full credentials or a copy of your passport. Give your weight so that preplan your group’s trips for proper weight distribution. You may deposit 20 to 30 percent advance of the total package amount while booking. You may pay rest of the amount before the trip. You can also pay us by card, bank transfer or online. Please visit here for payment details.

    Cancellation Policy

    If you are unable to make your trip, let us know in advance. We will refund you as per our booking terms and conditions and available time frame. At times, there might be delays or cancellation of flights due to weather and unforeseeable reasons. In such cases, we will make our best effort to adjust your bookings and rearranging the schedule.

    Still Need Help!

    Please feel free to contact us. We will get back to you with 1-2 business days. Or just call us now

    Cell:

    +977 9851083619

    Email:

    [email protected]

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    Client Reviews

    Showing 20 reviewsWrite a Review
    • TripAdvisor

      A great experience 100% recommendable

      We did the Annapurnas sunrise + 2 days in Pokhara. The Annapurna sunrise was fantastic. The views are spectacular. Our guide, Amar Maga, recommended we change the initial itinerary and it was the best idea. We did a very beautiful trek with a fantastic accomplishment, Amar (guide) and Dawa (porter). 100% recommendable (trip + Amar + Dawa)

      C
      Cesard0ming0From: Spain,April 15, 2023
    • TripAdvisor

      Memorable trip to Nepal

      Just returned from one of the best trips of my life visiting the beautiful country of Nepal with a group of friends.Nepalese seem to be one of the most friendly and trustworthy people .Visited Kathmandu and then a tour to Pokhara ,trekking up to Pun hill to have a grand vista of Annapurna range. The guide, Amar was very supportive and friendly, and looked after all of us well. We had to change our trekking plans he was quite accommodative and got everything sorted out for us and did his best to make sure we had the best possible experience both culturally and in trekking. Safari at Chirwaan and we were lucky enough to have a glimpse of Bengali Tiger and a bear, and quite a few Rhinos. Now back home with memories to treasure for a life time.

      D
      Dhaya fFrom: Sri Lanka,April 09, 2023

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