The Makalu Base Camp climb with Nepal Vision Treks, the breathtaking climb, is one of the best-kept trekking secrets of Nepal.  The area was closed to outsiders, except for a small group of intrepid hikers who camp en route. When Eric Shipton made the first excursion to the Makalu Base Camp, the area was then open to all since the 1950s. The trek to the base of the fifth-highest mountain in the world can be a challenging one due to the basic accommodation and tea houses in these regions.

The path to the Makalu base Camp leads to the untamed wilderness of Makalu Barun National Park, which is much renowned for its exceptional natural beauty and a wide variety of flora, fauna, and animals. The place also offers a rich diversity of scenic delights as you ascend from 700m to more than 5,000m each day. The incredible trek to Makalu Base Camp is quite difficult and rewarding, involving traversing through four high passes. The three of them are over 4,000 meters. Crossing the passes is more challenging if you take the trip in the spring season when there is snow still on the ground. 

Eventually, after you arrive at the base camp, the magical Mount Makalu completely dominates with its majestic, towering presence, making it without a doubt one of the best and most scenically spectacular walk-ins in the entire globe. Besides Mt. Makalu, you can also enjoy the view of some of the highest Himalayan peaks like Everest (8,848 meters), Lhotse (8,516 meters), Chamlang (7,319 meters), and Baruntse (7,129 meters).

You can enjoy the spectacular view in both directions though it's an out-and-back hike. You’ll have a second chance to enjoy the view on the way back, which is another benefit of the trek. The Makalu Base Camp trek has everything from high passes, towering 8,000-meter peaks, breathtaking landscape, a worthwhile goal, and the magnificent isolation, you need for a genuinely unforgettable and exhilarating journey. 

Variations on the Trek

You can take a worthwhile detour to reach Everest from Makalu Base Camp. Once you've explored Makalu, you’ll go to Baruntse Base Camp through the Sherpani Pass, which is then followed by the trek to Panch Pokhari via the West Col, Amphu Laptsa, and Amphu Lapsta Pass to enter the Everest region.

After following a portion of the established route of the Everest Base Camp hiking route, you’ll pass through Pangboche, Namche Bazaar, and Lukla, where you may catch a flight back to Kathmandu. You must know that this would extend the journey by about a week and ensure that you experience new scenery rather than retracing your tracks. You'll need mountaineering expertise in the trek to ensure the routes and glaciers that need the use of rope.

Makalu Base Camp Trek Overview

How to get there?

You should take a one-hour flight from Kathmandu to the little airport at Tumlingtar situated 500 kilometers to the east of the capital. There is only one flight each day operated by Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines. To return, you can take the return flight from Lukla to Kathmandu which is necessary if you are using the alternate route from Makalu Base Camp to Lukla.

Permits

You’ll have to pay $30 per person to enter the  Makalu Barun National Park Conservation Area permit. Again, the cost to get the TIMS cards is $20 per person which is readily available in Nepal Mountaineer’s Association. 

Difficulty

Makalu Base Camp is one of the most difficult trek in Nepal. This difficult trek is best suited to seasoned mountain hikers. The lodges in this area are of a lower class than some other sites, thus comfort standards are more basic than on some well-known Nepal treks. However, because the route includes a few days for rest and acclimatization, this trek is not very difficult. The alternate path from Makalu Base Camp to Everest and Lukla demands mountaineering expertise and is therefore considered to be very difficult.

Best season for Makalu Base Camp Trek

The best seasons to hike to Makalu Base Camp are considered to be in the spring season from March to May and the fall season from September to November. During the fall season, the conditions are most likely to be ideal and temperatures are at their highest. The trek can be completed in winter, although the chilly weather may be a deterrent, especially given that the lodges in this area aren't particularly well furnished.

Makalu Base Camp Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,300m/4,264 ft)

Upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, a representative from Nepal Vision Treks welcomes you and helps you transfer to your hotel in Kathmandu. In the evening, you’ll be taken for a traditional dinner and a short briefing on the trek. Overnight at hotel.

Day 02: Kathmandu sightseeing & trek preparation day

The second day of the trek will be invested roaming around the places in Kathmandu. You can also take your time to do trek preparation and talk to your trekking staff regarding any questions about the trip and necessary preparations. 

Day 03: Fly to Tumlingtar (950m/3,116ft) and camp

We are taking the 50-minute flight from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar over the range of snow-capped Himalayan peaks. Upon landing at Tumlingtar, a village located along the Arun River, we will head toward our campsite. Our trek crews will be there to welcome us. We can use the later part of the day and the evenings to explore Tumlingtar. 

Day 04: Trek to Mani-Bhanjyang, 5-6 hrs walk

A pleasant walk along the farms of Tumlingtar village starts the day. The trail ascends gradually along subtropical forests as we head to Khadbari. Khadbari is a major town in the Makalu region. We then head towards our campsite at Mani Bhanjyang from Khadbari. 

Day 05: Trek to Chichila, a 5-6 hrs walk

We set off early after breakfast along the trails atop the Mani Bhanjyang ridge. It takes some four hours for us along the trails to reach Bhotebas. We will stop there for lunch. The Chichila village is some two hours walk after lunch and the trail passes through some fertile farmland and forests. Chichila is a scantily populated small village that offers a tremendous view of Mt. Makalu and the Kumbhakarna range.

Day 06: Trek to Num, 5-6 hrs walk

Num is a small village with very few houses and a primary school atop a hill plateau. The trail from Chichila to Num takes us through the beautiful rhododendron forest. The forest looks mesmerizing during the blooming season.  We end our day's walk once we reach our campsite at Num.

Day 07: Trek to Seduwa, 5 hrs walk

The early morning trail takes us down a steep trail heading towards the Arun River some 800 meters down. The paths can be slippery and we need to walk cautiously. A suspension bridge waits for us down to take us across the Arun River. The path ascends upon crossing the River. We walk up to Runruma and stop there for lunch. Further ascending along a steep trail brings us to the Seduwa village. It will serve as our campsite for the night.

Day 08: Trek to Tashi Gaun, a 3-4 hrs walk

Today is going to be a comfortable day in terms of walking. A pleasant walk along the villages and their terraced farm take us to Tashi Gaun. The only uphill climb for today will be while we approach Tashi Gaun. We will spread our tents at our campsite and use the rest of the evening to explore the village and its surrounding.

Day 09: Trek to Kahuma Danda, a 5-6 hours walk

Rhododendron and oak forests, summer pastures, and shepherd huts will be the most prominent features of today's walk. We will see plenty of those as we head toward Kahuna ridge. The uphill climb is pretty demanding. From atop Kahuma Danda, which will serve as our campsite for the night, we can see a wide range of Himalayan Mountains.

Day 10: Trek to Mumbuk, 5-6 hrs walk

We can stay early to witness the morning sun painting the mountain range right in front of us. After enjoying the sunrise with breakfast, we will walk past Thulo Pokhari and later Sano Pokhari. In case it snows, the path ahead can be tricky. Otherwise, we require simple hike downhill to Mamluk. 

Day 11: Trek to Nehe Kharka, 6-7 hrs walk

We hike some of the most beautiful trails of the Barun Valley today. Barun Valley is one of the least explored areas in the eastern Himalayan region of Nepal. These unique landscapes within the Makalu-Barun National Park are some 3,000 species of flowering plants, 440 bird species, and 75 species of mammals, including the endangered clouded leopard, red panda, and musk deer. The walk is pleasant as we reach the lush alpine area of Barun Valley. The gradual uphill trail rolls against the run of the Barun River along the Valley gorge. Our campsite at Nehe Kharka is also used as a summer pasture by the people of neighboring villages like Tashi and Navagaun. 

Day 12: Trek to Sherson (4,600m/15,088ft) 6-7 hrs walk

As we continue our trek today, we will notice the change in vegetation. Although the forests still have rhododendron, oak, and juniper bushes, we see lesser vegetation. We start by crossing the wooden bridge over the Arun River and passing the prayer wall of Ramara which is painted with Tibetan prayers. As we approach Sherson, the Barun glacier starts to become visible and we start getting a view of the majestic Mt. Makalu.  Sherson doubles as the lower base camp for the Mt. Makalu expedition.  We can get a proper view of Mt. Makalu's south face and Mt. Baruntse from our campsite at Sherson.

Day 13: Acclimatization day

After already having ascended an altitude of more than 4,500 m, we will use it today for acclimatization. Our body must be prepared for further ascending. We will use the day to hike around Sherson. For example, if we walk a bit further toward the right side of our camp, we can get a closer view of Mt. Makalu, Barun Pokhari, and Mt. Everest. A better view of those peaks can be enjoyed upon hiking an hour up onto a large meadow. 

Day 14: Free day at Sherson for a day excursion

The Makalu Base Camp Trek is some five hours' walk away from Sherson. We start as early so that we can enjoy ourselves before the weather starts getting bad. We will return to our campsite at Sherson after spending quality time at the Base Camp of Mt. Makalu.

Day 15: Trek to Yangri Kharka, 6-7 hrs walk

We start our trek back by heading towards the end of the Barun valley named Yak Kharkha for the overnight stop.

Day 16: Trek to Mumbuk, 5-6 hrs walk

We leave the Barun Valley and climb uphill through the alpine forest to reach Mumbuk for the night stop.

Day 17: Trek to Kahuma, 5-6 hrs walk

We start our day's walk after breakfast along the ridge of Kohima Danda via Shipton-La and Thulo Pokhari. The campsite for the night offers a picturesque view of the Mountain range we enjoyed from close just a few days back.

Day 18: Trek to Navagaun, 6-7 hrs walk

Navagaun is a Sherpa village and is a neighbor of Seduwa village. As we pass Tashi Gaun, the trails are cool and the forest provides shade from the sun. As we continue our walk, the terraced fields signal that we are approaching Navagaun. 

Day 19: Trek to Num, 6-7 hrs walk

The day's walk is easy as we walk downhill through the farms for a good couple of hours to reach Seduwa. From there, the journey to Num takes another couple of hours. 

Day 20: Trek to Chichila, a 5-6 hrs walk

The early morning walk requires us to trek uphill for some three hours until we reach atop a ridge. From there onwards, the trails are downhill until we reach Chichila. We can use the remaining time of the evening to explore Chichila. 

Day 21: Trek to Khadbari, 6-7 hrs walk

The route from Chichila to Khadbari is easy as the trails run through farmlands and small villages. Khadbari is a big village and our campsite is on the edge of the town. 

Day 22: Trek back to Tumlingtar (950m/3,116ft), 3-4 hrs walk

It is the last day of our trek today. We walk downhill from Khadbari on our way to Tumlingtar. We will be on time for lunch. Along with us will be fond memories of the wonderful adventure we had. We will enjoy the evening with all the trekking staff and porters at our campsite.

Day 23: Fly to Kathmandu

We will take our flight from Tumlingtar to Kathmandu. Upon landing at Kathmandu, we will transfer you to your hotel where you can relax a bit and enjoy the rest of the day as per your wish. 

Day 24: Leisure at Kathmandu

The day can be used to do some last-minute souvenir and gift shopping. In the evening, we will take you for a nice dinner at a Nepalese restaurant. 

Day 25: Departure from Kathmandu

Some of you might also have a few more days and some other activities planned in Nepal. For the rest of you who are returning today, depending upon what time your return flight is, you can do some last-minute shopping if you like. We will transfer you to the airport hoping it won't be long before we see each other again!