Highlights

• Breath-taking views of Mount Kanchenjunga and Rathong, Kabru and Talung Peaks

• Stay and roam around the base of the world’s third highest peak in the world, Kanchenjunga 8,586 m

• Learn about the lifestyles and cultures of Rai and Limbu communities

• Trek through the most trending off-the-beaten trails in Nepal

• Explore the vast Kanchenjunga Conservation Area with the chance of rare encounter with Snow Leopard and Blue Sheep

Kanchenjunga South base camp trekking is an epic adventurous journey in the Eastern Himalayas of Nepal. Slightly shorter than the Kanchenjunga North base camp trek, this journey is no less than any other trekking journeys in the Himalayan region of Nepal with the beauty it has and the stunning experience it offers. Long before the Everest was confirmed as the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Kanchenjunga was believed as the highest one.

The Kanchenjunga South base camp trek explores the hidden picturesque Yalung Glacier and the south part of the massive Kanchenjunga. The less explored and rarely walked trekking trail takes you through the lush forests into the valleys, along the fields and villages and gradually to the desolated and pristine mountain land of Kanchenjunga south base camp. Familiarizing yourself with the heart cultures of the region, your steps will take you the blissed land on the earth. As the geography will change in the Kanchenjunga Conservation area and so will the climate and the bio diversities. It feels like a different part of the world like you have never been to and you’ve never expected it to be. Your heartbeat as the oxygen level gets diminishing, starts to skip the beat and you will be breathless in some points. Solely due to the awesome natural formations and the structures of the heavenly land below Kanchenjunga base camp.

Nature Lovers Treks and Tours has so much to offer to any kinds of clients in Nepal. With no exception, Kanchenjunga base camp trekking adventure with Nature Lovers will be your memorable trip for a lifetime. You just need to trust us and enjoy the everyday walking along with taking photographs of your most gorgeous peaks right next to you.

Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trek outline itinerary

Day 01: Fly to Ilam and sightseeing in the tea gardens

Day 02: Drive from Ilam to Taplejung 4 hours and trek to Lalikharka (2200m) 4 hours

Day 03: Trek from Lalikharka to Khesewa (2100m), 5 hours

Day 04: Trek to Mamankhe (2200m), 6 hours

Day 05: Trek from Mamankhe to Yamphudin (2150m), 6 hours

Day 06: Trek from Yamphudin to Tortong (2995m), 7 hours

Day 07: Trek from Tortong to Tseram, 6 hours

Day 08: Trek from Tseram to Ramche and explore Yalung Glacier (4580m), 7 hours

Day 09: Rest day in Ramche and explore Kanchenjunga South Base Camp (4730m)

Day 10: Trek back from Ramche to Tortong

Day 11: Trek from Tortong to Ranipul (1550m) 6 hours

Day 12: Drive from Ranipul to Taplejung and to Ilam 8 hours

Day 13: Fly from Ilam to Kathmandu

Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trek detailed itinerary

Day 01:Fly to Ilam and sightseeing in the tea gardens

Fly early in the morning towards a beautiful town called Ilam where you can do the panoramic sightseeing around the tea gardens.

Day 02:Drive from Ilam to Taplejung 4 hours and trek to Lalikharka (2200m) 4 hours

After breakfast early, drive first to Taplejung to start the trekking adventure from this point onwards. After taking lunch we head to Lali Kharka while in the beginning of our trek, we can see Limbu villages and their daily lifestyles and we head to Lali kharka.

Day 03:Trek from Lalikharka to Khesewa (2100m), 5 hours

We descend to the village of Pokora through  the Phawa Khola, crossing a suspension bridge. Before beginning the trek, climb up to Kunjuri. We get our first views of Kanchenjunga and we stay further ahead in Khesewa.

Day 04:Trek to Mamankhe (2200m), 6 hours

It takes 6 hours to Bhanjyang, a Gurung village with several hotels then we cross suspension bridge and  climb to Mamankhe, a prosperous Limbu village with hotels, shops and a school.

Day 05:Trek from Mamankhe to Yamphudin (2150m), 6 hours

Today’s trek will be towards Yamphudin hillside above the Kabeli Khola. We cross several ascending and descending for a couple of hours before Yamphudin. Eventually you will have the glimpses of the snowcapped mountains en route.

Day 06:Trek from Yamphudin to Tortong (2995m), 7 hours

In a short while, we climb from Amje Khola uphill and arrive at Chitre. We pass the spectacular forests until we come out in the open to cross a suspension bridge and do the final gentle climb to Tortong.

Day 07:Trek from Tortong to Tseram, 6 hours

We star our day by ascending through the rhododendron forests to the isolated hut at Tsento Kang. We walk through, to a shrine decorated with rock cairns, prayer flags and a Trisul (a weapon of the Hindu God Shiva) just before Tseram. We hike up to the unnamed lake for a couple of hour ahead of us to feast the breath-taking views of the surrounding panoramas.

Day 08:Trek from Tseram to Ramche and explore Yalung Glacier (4580m), 7 hours

Trek from Tseram to Ramche and after lunch continue to Oktang to descend back to Ramche at the end of the day. We will continue along the trail passing the Yalung Glacier and gradually to the Yalung Base Camp. We will walk through beautiful farmlands and cattle grazing fields before climbing the Ramche. We can see beautiful views of the snow-capped mountains surrounding the valley and the green forests and the rivers flowing by will catch our attention in Ramche. Ramche has the last teahouse on Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trek.

Day 09:Rest day in Ramche and explore Kanchenjunga South Base Camp (4730m)

Explore for the whole day around the tranquil valley of Kanchenjunga south base camp. Finish your breakfast and pack your lunch to visit your neighbour who has been waiting for you all this time. The ever-smiling Kanchenjunga will welcome you with wide smile and will almost hug you which will definitely tear your heart and fill it with much love and admiration. You will come across a ridge from where you can observe the 3 main summit routes of Kanchenjunga from the south side. Another impressive thing is the eastern part of Kumbhakarna Glacier flowing from Jannu. Back to Ramche for the night camp.

Day 10:Trek back from Ramche to Tortong

Retrace the way back on the same trail, towards Tseram and ultimately to Tortong. Enjoy the scenery of the vicinity as much as possible before coming to a halt for the day.

Day 11:Trek from Tortong to Ranipul (1550m) 6 hours

From Ranipul, we follow the ancient trading route between Tibet and India. Because of the local initiation and the support of the government, the shortcut trail has been built for the comfort of the trekkers to descend down straight to Ranipul avoiding the long way descending to Yamphudin. Ranipul is a little village next to the Tamor River.

Day 12:Drive from Ranipul to Taplejung and to Ilam 8 hours

On our very last day in the mountain and under the Himalayas, we start driving for a long day journey towards Ilam via Taplejung. Enjoy the scenic drive before arriving amidst the lovely tea gardens.

Day 13:Fly from Ilam to Kathmandu

After successful completion of Kanchenjunga South Base Camp trekking with Nature Lovers Treks and Tours’ team, now it’s time to finish our journey and fly back to Kathmandu where the final farewell or celebratory dinner will be held. Cheers. 

Cost for 1 PAX: $2090 /-

Cost for 2 or more PAX: $1770 per person

Note: Trip cost varies with the group sizes.

Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking Cost Breakdown

Cost Includes

• Airport transfers and other ground transports

• Complimentary farewell dinner with cultural program

• Kathmandu valley sightseeing tour with entrance fees

• Kathmandu – Ilam– Kathmadu by flight

• Well experienced and friendly guide and necessary porters with their salaries plus insurances

• All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, tea/coffee during the trekking days

• Fresh cooked meals and clean drinking water on the mountains

• Lodge (as per availability)and camping accommodation during the trek

• All camping gear, tents, kitchen utensils, cook, kitchen staffs and necessary porters

• Kanchenjunga Conservation Area entrance permit and TIMS Card

• Duffel bag, down jacket, sleeping bag and walking stick (provided if required and to be returned after the trip completion)

• Company t-shirt and certificate of appreciation

• Route maps

• Comprehensive medical kit

• All local government taxes and VAT

Cost Excludes

• Any expenses that are of personal nature

• Personal travel and emergency rescue insurance

• Personal trekking gear and equipment

• Gratuities to the staffs, mandatory

• Extra accommodation and meals behind schedule

• Nepal visa and international flight.

Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking Useful Information

Customized Trips and Trip departure

Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking departs from Kathmandu as per our fixed departure dates. You can join any available fixed departure groups if you are a solo or small group travelers if you wish to, when the trips cannot be customized.

But if you are in a private group, fixed departure dates are not suitable for you and so you need to choose your own dates and packages, when you can customize the trek as per your travel needs. For further information, please kindly contact your own friendly neighbor, Nature Lovers Treks and Tours.

Accommodations in Kathmandu and during trek

You will be staying in the teahouse lodges and tented camps during the trek.

Nature Lovers Treks and Tours has the best accommodation arrangement for you from the beginning to the end. We believe after the tough walking day, everyone deserves the proper rest and the right ambience to relax and chill. Therefore, our choice of accommodation is the best when it comes to the trekking days. The rooms will be clean and comfy. Our entire accommodations will be on twin-sharing basis as you can see, so you have to let us know if others; let’s say if you want triple or quadruple sharing or if you want a double bed, etc. There will be extra charge for the single supplement. Similarly, you will have the proper comfy tents during camping days.

Route Map and Company T-shirt

Nature Lovers Treks and Tours offers you a complimentary trekking map and the company t-shirts.

Safe Drinking Water during Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking

Hydrating yourself is the most important thing to do during the trek. You should drink at least 3 liters of water every day or more. The main reason is to avoid the altitude sickness and to avoid other health issues. Nature Lovers Treks and Tours provides you water purification tablets or liquids to purify the water in the mountains. You can even buy mineral water or boiled water on extra cost.

Your trekking guides and porters

Nature Lovers Treks and Tours has the best guides and porters in the whole tourism industry. We can guarantee you on that. Ask yourselves a question. What do you look for in a guide and a porter? Are they fully insured and are they paid well? Well, they are the staffs of Nature Lovers Treks and Tours so they are hundred percent happy with their treatment by the company. They are experienced, licensed and knowledgeable in the field. They are well paid and fully insured for their journey as well as for the medicals.

Now, let’s talk about our backbones. The leader or a guide should have a significant knowledge in the climbing and trekking so that he can wonderfully and safely lead you, clearing any obstacles on the way. We, Nature Lovers Treks and Tours can proudly say that our guides (climbing, assistant, trekking guide) are highly qualified for the role. They are fully trained, experienced and licensed. They have undergone through a whole lot of training to make themselves useful in various situations and to make your journey a smooth and pleasant one.

Our guide knows the local areas, the cultures, the traditions and the lifestyles much more than anyone do. Some of the things he tells you, might even be hard to find in the travel guide books. Depending upon the situations and weather conditions, the daily plans might change slightly which when happens, he will inform you beforehand. You should always be flexibly ready to accommodate to your guides’ instructions. Let him know if you have any health problems as well since he will act accordingly to the situation. Depending upon the group size, we will also provide you assistant guides and extra Sherpas if needed.

Our porters are always fully equipped with the gears they need and as per the company policy, they are always insured and completely looked after. They are our backbone. We allow maximum weight of 25/30 kg to be carried by one porter. They are the strongest in our group with less communication skills. We also closely work with IPPG {International Porter Protection Group} and follow their ethics and guidelines.

Your safety

Nature Lovers Treks and Tours puts your safety as the top priority. We provide you our own comprehensive first aid medical kit bag along with the professional team of guides and porters. We are always in communication with our field team members to keep track of your safety and concerns. Your entire journey will be monitored by us and we make sure you enjoy your journey in full scale. We are available 24/7 for your health and safety checks during Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking.

Urgent point to note

We always suggest you to keep extra one or two days in your trek since we are taking the domestic flights. The weather in the mountains is unpredictable and can change anytime drastically which means your flight can be delayed or at worst cancelled and postponed for the next day. Therefore, this goes to all the Kanchenjunga base camp trekkers, that extra days are needed if you wish to take domestic flights.

Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking cost?

The cost of the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking varies from $1500-$2500 depending upon the number of days you choose to trek. The longer the trek, more expensive it will become. Similarly, the price will differ with the group sizes. Normally, Nature Lovers Treks and Tours offers a comprehensive package which is inclusive of all the cost and expenses for the entire journey from the moment you land in Nepal till the moment you fly back home. However, you could also choose to buy only service-based package from us when we will be providing you only the supporting field staffs plus trekking permits and you have to arrange the rest by yourselves.

How is the Accommodation during the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking?

In Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking, we will provide you the teahouses and tented camping accommodations. A teahouse is typically a mountain lodge which is a combination of a lodge or a guest house and a restaurant or a café with basic furniture and interiors suitable for the social hangout. Few teahouses have attached bathrooms and the central heating furnace. Also very few teahouses provide the European toilets while Asian style of toilets are available in every teahouses. Hot showers are available but on extra cost. The same goes with the hot drinking water since they use the gas or solar to boil the water. Sleeping blankets are usually provided but we recommend you to carry your own sleeping bags for the hygienic purpose {can be arranged on request}. At the same time, it’s better to carry your own toiletries including the towels.

During the camping days, you will be sleeping in the camps set up by our field Sherpa staffs. There will be separate kitchen and dining and toilet tents. Your meals will be freshly cooked and you will be served day and nights by our Sherpas. Our staffs will carry the sleeping bags, pillows and mattresses for you to sleep in the tents. Undoubtedly, you will have a perfect camping trek experience with Nature Lovers Treks and Tours.

What are the permits that I need for Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trek?

For Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trek, you will need to make three different permits: Kanchenjunga Restricted area permit, KCAP {Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project} fee and TIMS Card (Trekkers' Information Management System).

How does this tipping system in Nepal work and do I have to tip?

Tipping is not compulsory for Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking however tipping is all about showing your gratitude and appreciation. We care about our staffs in the fields so we expect you to look after them in return for them looking after you throughout your journey. They are your closest friend in the remotest parts and also your protector whenever anything seems to happen to you. So tipping is highly expected and we’ve made it mandatory too. The amount of gratuities can be determined by yourselves. Normally, a guide expects around $5 or more per day per person while a porter expects $4 or more per day per person.

Can I charge my phones, batteries or other electronic devices in Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking?

You can charge your electronic devices during Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking only in few days but also by paying small amount or fees for charging. Don’t forget to buy a plug adapter or socket fittings before you leave Kathmandu.

Is there WiFi and mobile signal on the Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking?

Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking route has poor network coverage most of the days. But you can buy one of the Nepalese Sim cards from any local phone shops in Kathmandu which has coverage mostly all over Nepal. It is wiser to buy a sim card with around 4 GB data in Kathmandu and use the mobile data in the trek whenever available.

WiFi is available on some of the teahouses in Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking route and cost some charges. However, the signal varies from place to place and please don’t expect to receive the fast data coverage in the trek.

When is the best time to trek to Kanchenjunga South Base Camp?

Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking can be done throughout the year. However in average, Spring {March, April and May} and Autumn {September, October and November} are the best times or seasons to trek to Kanchenjunga South Base Camp. Spring and Autumn are known as the Peak season or Busy season in Nepal. It’s because the temperature is moderate during these seasons and the best panoramic mountain views are guaranteed while during other Summer {June, July and August} and Winter {December, January and February} season, the clear weather is not guaranteed. But if you are an explorer, a photographer and a peace lover, less busy season can also be the right time to do Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking. The problem is the weather is harsh cold in winter and there’s snow everywhere while the summer has rainfalls and clouds obscuring the mountains and the views are not so great most of the time.

Do I have to worry about the altitude sickness in Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking?

The itinerary of our Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking is perfectly designed by Nature Lovers Treks and Tours and has separated enough time in the places to let the body acclimatize well in high altitudes. As long as you follow the guide, you should be fine. Altitude sickness in fact can affect anyone regardless of the age or the fitness level, so it is very important to walk slowly and gradually as you go higher. Learn more in details about Altitude Sickness to prepare yourselves for the upcoming Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking.

Do I need to be healthy and physically fit for Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking?

When it comes to trekking in the mountains, health and fitness of a person plays a vital role. If you are a healthy person without any serious medical problems, Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking is for you but if you have any sorts of medical issues, please consult to your doctor before coming to Nepal for the trek. We will be gaining the high altitude of 4730 m above the sea level which is not a joke. People normally start to have breathing problems above 3000 meters from the sea level, if they have pre-existing health conditions.

Now when it comes to the fitness level required, Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking demands high physical fitness. The trekking includes daily walks of about 4-8 hours and involves many ascents and descents which means you need lots of practices before you start the trekking journey. You will be traversing through the forests, high passes and high hills. If you do not have the previous trekking experience, it's going to be tough on you but obviously if you have previous experiences, it will be lot easier. For those not having previous trekking experiences, please exercise regularly for at least two months prior to your trekking departure. Go for the morning walks, do some jogging as you get time, participate in some cycling activities, etc. This way, you will be good to go for trekking to Kanchenjunga South Base Camp.

What kind of food items or meals can I eat on Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking?

Only breakfast is included in Kathmandu while full board meals or full meals are included during the trek. Tea and coffee will also be provided during the entire trip. During the trek, you will have your breakfast and dinner in the same teahouse / tented camps where you spend the night while the lunch will be served en route towards the next destination of the day. There are good choices to choose from; Nepalese, Tibetan, Indian, Continental, etc. during teahouse days. Except in camping days, when freshly cooked meals will be served and usually the foods are basic and with few choices but they will certainly be healthy and nutritious. Our Sherpas will make sure that you eat enough food for the trekking journey.

Do I need a travel insurance for Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking?

Travel insurance is a must when you trek to Kanchenjunga South Base Camp. Therefore before you come to Nepal, please make sure you have your insurance documents with you since our insurance companies cannot insure foreign nationals. Because of the reason that they cover all the expenses, if you face some unfortunate happenings and you have to be rescued or medically assisted during the trip or if your belongings are lost or stolen. We strongly advise you to take out an insurance which covers any medical risks up to 4700 meter as well as the medical evacuation from the mountains.

What gears and equipment do I need to pack for Kanchenjunga South Base Camp Trekking?

Choosing the right gear and equipment is important as well for the successful trek to Kanchenjunga South Base Camp. Pack the right gears and equipment but remember, packing as light as possible is the best way to go when trekking to Kanchenjunga South Base Camp. You should read this What to take for travel to get all the details on what you need to pack or carry.