Makalu Base Camp Trek

Our airport team will assist you on your arrival day and help you check in to the hotel. We drop you at the hotel in a private vehicle and later inform you about the day program. 

Our guide meet you at the hotel lobby and drive to the Kathmandu airport. The flight from Kathmandu to Tumlimgtar is around 35 minutes and offers scenic aerial views of the mountains. From Tumlingtar, we will drive to Num. First, following a winding route, we drive uphill to Kandbari and join a dirt road to Chicula (1,900 m). Here onwards, the road is bumpy to Num.

For the first couple of hours, the trail steeply descends to the Arun River, and then we walk on an uphill path to Seduwa. We cross a suspension bridge over the Arun River and pass by groves of giant bamboo and small villages to Seduwa.

It's a gentle walk today. There's no brutal ascent and descent like yesterday. We continue climbing on stone steps and pass by several mani walls. The trail goes through farms across the hillside. After a couple of hours of walking, we reach Chyaksa Danda (1,900 m) and further trek through dense forests. Along the way, we cross a few streams and reach Tashigaon.

The trail from Tashi Gaon to Kauma offers fantastic landscapes. The trail is steep, but the breathtaking mountain views pay for the tough walk. We will be walking along the cliffside and passing by small settlement areas.

We spend a day in Kauma resting and acclimatizing. We go on a short hike and explore the village. This off-day will let us have good insight into the unique lifestyle of the locals.

Leaving Kauma behind, the trail steeply ascends and further passes by lovely rhododendron forests to the top of a ridge. We can see stunning views of Mt. Chamlan, Peak 6 & Peak 7 from the top of the ridge. We then have a final descent through lush forests to Mumbuk for a night's stay.

We follow a downhill, steep gully along a stream for about 500 meters. The trekking route up the glacial valley is rocky and muddy. We can see an impressive view of Peak 6 on the way. Neha Kharka is a temporary camping site in Barun Valley with a large open grassy plain.

We will be walking in the west and soon join the alpine tundra. The trail further ascends to the higher point of Barun Valley. We get to see superb views of mountains like Pyramid Peak, Peak 4, etc. The altitude gain is quite high today because of no camp between Neha Khara & Sherson, therefore we will be walking slowly and making sure our bodies are fine.

Sherson is a small village situated near the Lower Barun glacier. The trail involves a long uphill walk with steep rocks. We pass by villages like Jhark, Ramara, and Mera before reaching Sherson for the night stay.

We leave Sherson early in the morning and begin trekking towards the Makalu Base Camp, the base of the fifth-highest mountain in the world, Mt. Makalu. We reach the Makalu Base Camp in an hour-and-a-half-long hike from Sherson. We trek on rocky terrain to the base camp. The base camp offers a breathtaking panorama of mountains.

The view we wake up with is unlike any other place. We'll find ourselves close to a great 8000 meters above the mountain. We cannot leave the base camp before exploring the nearby areas. At the foothill of Makalu is the holy Barun Pokhari. We walk around the lake and hike to a viewpoint. 

*Fact: Makalu Barun National Park is home to over two dozen mountains and is abundant in flora & fauna. Moreover, the region is popular for the Yarsagumba hunt.

Today, we begin the day early. It's a long descent to Neha Kharka following the same route. Leaving the base camp, we ascend and descend, relishing the excellent mountain panorama of Neha Kharka.

The trail today goes through lush forests of pine and rhododendrons. Even though we will be retracing the path from Neha Kharka to Mumbak, the views are gonna seem brand new.

The trail ascends to Shipton La pass. It's a steep rugged uphill climb to the top of the pass. From there, we begin descending towards Kauma village to spend the night.

After breakfast, we begin trekking on a downhill route that leads to Tashi Gaon. We will take our time on the way and walk slowly, soaking in the beautiful scenery and noticing the daily lifestyle of the locals while passing through the villages.

We descend to Seduwa and continue walking down to Mulgaon. From here, the trail gets steep & rocky and passes through fields of corn/barley. We reach Ipsuwa Khola and cross a suspension bridge. The trail further enters Arun Valley and drops down to Balung. We then cross a stream at 590 m and walk through forests to Pakuwa.

The trail is rocky and passes by green fields. We reach Tome village (520 m). From this village onwards, the valley gets wider and U-shaped. We then walk uphill along a steep, narrow rocky stairway to the top of a ridge and descend to the banks of Sankhuwa Khola (370 m). The Bumling village is located across this khola.

As it's the last day of the walk, we take it easy and enjoy every step. The trail descends, following downstream to its confluence point with the Arun river. We cross the river and begin walking along the east bank to the river. The trail passes by Chyawabesi and ascends to Tumlingtar.

We take a morning flight back to Kathmandu. Our team will escort you to the hotel. The rest of the day is free. You can relax and explore on your own. Later, we meet in the late evening over the farewell dinner.

Our long adventurous trip in Nepal has ended. It's time to fly back to your home. Our airport team will drop you at the airport.