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Makalu Base Camp Trek
Duration
25 days
Trip Type
Trekking & Sightseeing
Meal & Accommodation
Breakfast in Kathmandu and all meals during the trek
Group Size
2+
Transport
Private vehicle/Flight
Arrival On
Kathmandu
Departure From
Kathmandu
Best Month
Mar - May & Sep to Dec
Review
Price
USD $4090
Per Person
| Activities: | Trekking & Sightseeing | Fitness Level: | Strenuous |
| Max Elevation: | 5,000m/16,404ft at Base Camp | Transportation: | Private vehicle/Flight |
| Best Month: | Mar - May & Sep to Dec | Group Size: | 2+ |
| Arrival on: | Kathmandu | Departure from: | Kathmandu |
| Meal: | Breakfast in Kathmandu and all meals during the trek | Duration: | 25 days |
| Accommodation: | Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu and teahouses during the trek | Price: | USD 4090 per person |
All inclusive cost
USD
4090
per person
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Overview
The Makalu Base Camp Trek is a remote trek that takes you on the best journey in Nepal. The trek has the best thing Nepal has to offer from the rural culture of the remote region, quiet and fewer crowdy trails, beautiful terraced farmland, rhododendron forests, rare wildlife, and an amazing-mesmerizing view of the mountains.
Makalu Base Camp Trek Trip Introduction:
Mt. Makalu (8,481 m/27,825 ft) is the fifth tallest mountain in the world, in the Khumbu region of northern Nepal. At the base of Mt. Makalu lies a Himalayan glacier valley which is called the Makalu-Barun Valley. The valley is a part of the Makalu Barun National Park, home to some of the rarest flora and fauna of not only Nepal but also the world.
The trek opens windows to enjoy both the high Himalayan Mountains and the cultural life that thrives on their laps. The people living in the Makalu region are mainly Sherpas of Tibetan origin. The trek offers some of the most outstanding sceneries of lush tropical greens of Arun Valley, Makalu, and its tributaries as well as the Khumbakarna mountain range. You can enjoy the majestic vista of Kanchenjunga, Everest, Lhotse, Baruntse, and Chamlang. The highlight of the trip will be the rarely-seen Kangshung face of Everest, which can be seen from the Makalu base camp.
Itinerary Outline:
1st Day: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,300m/4,264 ft)
2nd Day: Kathmandu sightseeing tour & trek preparation day
3rd Day: Flight to Tumlingtar (950m/3,116ft) and camp
4th Day: Trek to Mani-Bhanjyang, 5-6 hrs walk
5th Day: Trek to Chichila, a 5-6 hrs walk
6th Day: Trek to Num, 5-6 hrs walk
7th Day: Trek to Seduwa, 5 hrs walk
8th Day: Trek to Tashi Gaun, a 3-4 hrs walk
9th Day: Trek to Kahuma Danda, a 5-6 hours walk
10th Day: Trek to Mumbuk, 5-6 hrs walk
11th Day: Trek to Nehe Kharka, 6-7 hrs walk
12th Day: Trek to Sherson (4,600m/15,088ft) 6-7 hrs walk
13th Day: Acclimatization day
14th Day: Trek to Makalu Base Camp and back (5,000m/16,404ft)
15th Day: Trek to Yangri Kharka, 6-7 hrs walk
16th Day: Trek to Mumbuk, 5-6 hrs walk
17th Day: Trek to Kahuma, a 5-6 hours walk
18th Day: Trek to Navagaun, 6-7 hrs walk
19th Day: Trek to Num, 6-7 hrs walk
20th Day: Trek to Chichila, a 5-6 hrs walk
21st Day: Trek to Khadbari, 6-7 hrs walk
22nd Day: Trek back to Tumlingtar (950m/3,116ft), 3-4 hrs walk
23rd Day: Flight to Kathmandu
24th Day: Leisure at Kathmandu
25th Day: Departure from Kathmandu
Trip Cost Includes:
✅ All airport and hotel transportation by private vehicle in Kathmandu per the suggested itinerary.
✅ Deluxe twin-sharing accommodation in Kathmandu with breakfast
✅ Farewell dinner in Kathmandu (Alcoholic beverages are excluded)
✅ Travel cost from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar & Tumlingtar to Kathmandu by flight
✅ Full board meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea & coffee) during the trek
✅ Seasonal fruits during the trek are provided
✅ Comfortable & clean accommodation on teahouse/lodge/tent during the trek
✅ Government Registered Trek guide (English speaking, First Aid and eco trained), Sherpa porter (one porter for two trekkers)
✅ All necessary paper works, Entry fees, and permits & TIMS card
✅ Four seasonal sleeping bags, Nepal Vision Treks duffel bag, and trekking map (sleeping bag to be returned after trip completion)
✅ First aid exclusive medical kit bag
✅ All government and local taxes
Trip Cost Excludes:
❌ Visa fees (You can obtain a visa easily upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu so (bring accurate USD cash and two passport photographs)) International airfare to and from Kathmandu
❌ Lunch and dinner except during the treks and welcome & fare well dinner in Kathmandu (and also in the case of early return from the mountain than the scheduled plan)
❌ Any extra night accommodation in Kathmandu because of early arrival, late departure, and early return from the mountain (due to any reason) than the scheduled itinerary plan
❌ Travel and rescue insurance
Makalu Base Camp Trek Map
Itinerary
Welcome to the Himalayan country Nepal. Our representative will be waiting at the Tribhuvan International Airport to welcome you and help you transfer to your hotel in Kathmandu. Later in the evening, we will take you for the welcome dinner at one of the finest restaurants in Kathmandu offering typical Nepalese cuisine during which we will also brief you about the trip. Overnight at hotel.
After breakfast, we will take you on our guided trip to the cultural world heritage sites in Kathmandu Valley. We will visit the revered Hindu temple Pashupatinath, the world's biggest stupa- Bouddhanath stupa, and later visit Swayambhunath. We will also explore the historic Kathmandu Durbar Square and enjoy its magnificent architecture and warm ambiance. While in Kathmandu Durbar Square, we will also visit Kumari temple, home of the living goddess Kumari. 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.
We will take a morning flight to Tumlingtar. The flight from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar will take some 50 minutes 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.
We will start the day with a pleasant walk along the farms of Tumlingtar village. The trail will ascend gradually along subtropical forests as we head to Khadbari. Khadbari is a major town in the Makalu region. We will then head towards our campsite at Mani Bhanjyang from Khadbari.
We will set off early after breakfast along the trails atop the Mani Bhanjyang ridge. It will take us some four hours for us along the trails to reach Bhotebas. We will be stopping there for lunch. The Chichila village is just two hours walk after lunch. 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.
Num is a small village with very few houses and a primary school atop a hill plateau. The trail from Chichila to Num will take us through the beautiful rhododendron forest. The forest looks mesmerizing during the blooming season. We will end our walk for the day once we reach our campsite at Num.
The early morning trail will take us down through a steep trail heading towards the Arun River some 800 meters down. The paths can be slippery so we will need to walk cautiously. A suspension bridge waits for us to take us across the Arun River. The path will then ascend upon crossing the River. We will walk up to Runruma and stop there for lunch. Further ascending along a steep, trail will bring us to the Seduwa village. It will serve as our campsite for the night.
This day will be a comfortable day in terms of walking. A pleasant walk along the villages and their terraced farm will take us to Tashi Gaun. The only uphill climb for today will be while we will be approaching Tashi Gaun. We will spread our tents at our campsite and use the rest of the evening to explore the village and its surrounding.
The rhododendron and oak forests, summer pastures, and shepherd huts will be the most prominent features of the walk for the day. We will see plenty of those as we head toward Kahuna Ridge. The uphill climb might be pretty demanding. From atop Kahuma Danda, which will serve as our campsite for the night, we can see a wide range of Himalayan Mountains.
We will walk 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 will require a simple hike downhill to Mamluk.
We will hike some of the most beautiful trails of the Barun Valley on this day. 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 will be 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.
As we will be continuing our trek, we will notice the change in vegetation. Although the forests still have rhododendron, oak, and juniper bushes, we will see lesser vegetation. We will start the hike by crossing the wooden bridge over the Arun River, 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 will start getting a view of the majestic Mt. Makalu. Sherson doubles as the lower base camp for the Mt. Makalu expedition. We will get a proper view of Mt. Makalu's south face and Mt. Baruntse from our campsite at Sherson.
After already having ascended an altitude of more than 4,500 m, we will use a day for acclimatization. It is very important that our body is prepared for further ascending. We will use the day to hike around Sherson. 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.
The Makalu Base Camp Trek is only about five hour's walk away from Sherson. We will start as early as we can 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.
We will start our trek back to Yangri Kharka by heading toward the end of the Barun Valley. We will hike for around 6 to 7 hours to reach Yak Kharkha for the overnight stop.
We will be leaving the Barun Valley and climbing uphill through the alpine forest to reach Mumbuk for the night stop. Mumbuk is a beautiful village with a few lodges. We will hike ascending and descending multiple hills for around six hours.
We will start our walk for the day 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 which can be enjoyed like you are very close to the place.
Navagaun is a Sherpa village and also a neighbor of Seduwa village. As we pass Tashi Gaun, the trails are cool and the forest provides shade from the sun. As we will be continuing our walk, the terraced fields will be aware of approaching Navagaun.
walk for the day will be an easy walk downhill taking us through the farms for a good couple of hours to reach Seduwa. From there, the journey to Num will take another couple of hours. We will be spending the night at Seduwa.
Day 21: Trek to Khadbari, 6-7 hrs walk
Day 22: Trek back to Tumlingtar (950 m/3,116 ft), 3-4 hrs walk
Day 23: Flight back to Kathmandu
Day 24: Leisure at Kathmandu
Day 25: Departure from Kathmandu
Makalu Base Camp Trek Altitude Chart
FAQ
As the trail reaches above 5000m, the trek is also counted as one of the challenging treks. The trek elongates to 20 days and longer due to the long path and journey. Hence, it is one of the most challenging treks.
Makalu Base Camp Trek elongates to 5250m of height which takes around 20-22 days on average for a healthy and physically fit person.
Mt Makalu is one of the eight-thousanders in Nepal. It has a height of 8485m from sea level. It first ascended on May 19, 1955.
Being the eighth thousand, Makalu is hard to climb. It is also one of the hard and technical mountains, which has its trails also comparatively difficult, hence, it is hard to climb.
Departure Date
Departure dates for Makalu Base Camp TrekWe provide a series of fixed departure trek, tour and expeditions in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and India. If you are single and wishing to be with a group, you can join our fixed departure schedule. If the schedule dates are not convenient for you, contact us & let us know; we are more than happy to customize our trips to suit your needs. If any individuals or group doesn’t want to join with our other group, we can operate as per your wish and requirement. We are ground operator of these Himalayan destination and able to arrange your trip as per your interested date and choice.
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