Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu (1,400m)
- Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport. Your Summit Routes representative meets you and transfers you to your hotel in Thamel.
- Trek briefing, restricted area permit preparation, and kit check in the afternoon.
- Overnight: Hotel in Kathmandu.
- Meals: Dinner.
Day 2: Fly Kathmandu → Suketar / Taplejung (2,420m)
- Flight: ~55 minutes to Suketar Airport (the gateway to the Kanchenjunga region).
- Suketar sits above the market town of Taplejung in the far east of Nepal — a different Nepal entirely from Kathmandu, culturally and geographically.
- Afternoon walk through Taplejung to orientate, meet the full guide and porter team, and review the route.
- Overnight: Lodge in Taplejung.
- Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.
Day 3: Trek Taplejung to Chirwa (1,270m)
- Trek Distance: ~14 km | 5–6 hours.
- The trail descends steeply from Taplejung into the Tamor River valley through cardamom and banana plantations, terraced rice paddies, and the first Limbu villages of the route.
- This section is warm, lush, and culturally rich — mani walls, prayer flags, and traditional longhouses line the trail well before the high mountains come into view.
- Chirwa is a large Limbu market village at the valley floor, with tea houses catering to the small trekking traffic that passes through.
- Overnight: Tea house at Chirwa.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 4: Trek Chirwa to Sekathum (1,660m)
- Trek Distance: ~12 km | 5–6 hours.
- The route follows the Tamor River upstream through a narrowing valley, crossing suspension bridges and passing through Yamphudin and smaller Rai settlements where the trekking population thins noticeably.
- Sekathum marks the confluence of the Ghunsa Khola and the Tamor River — from here the trail turns north and begins its serious climb toward the high Himalaya.
- Overnight: Tea house at Sekathum.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 5: Trek Sekathum to Amjilassa (2,490m)
- Trek Distance: ~13 km | 6–7 hours.
- The trail climbs steadily alongside the Ghunsa Khola through increasingly dense forest — oak, maple, and the first rhododendron stands that will dominate the mid-altitude sections of the route.
- Amjilassa is a small tea house settlement in a forest clearing — remote, quiet, and the last reliable resupply point before Ghunsa.
- Overnight: Tea house at Amjilassa.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 6: Trek Amjilassa to Gyabla (2,730m)
- Trek Distance: ~10 km | 4–5 hours.
- A shorter day through dense rhododendron and birch forest as the valley begins to take on a more Tibetan character. Prayer flags appear more frequently; the vegetation shifts from subtropical to sub-alpine.
- Gyabla is a small cluster of tea houses and a yak pasture — the first settlement with a distinctly Tibetan architectural flavour on the route.
- Overnight: Tea house at Gyabla.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 7: Trek Gyabla to Ghunsa (3,595m)
- Trek Distance: ~11 km | 5–6 hours.
- The forest clears above Gyabla and the valley opens into high pasture. The first views of the Kanchenjunga range appear ahead — the scale of the massif becoming apparent for the first time.
- Ghunsa (3,595m) is the most significant settlement in the upper valley — a permanent Tibetan Buddhist community with stone-built houses, a functioning gompa, a small cheese factory, and yak herders who graze the surrounding plateaus. It is one of the most isolated villages in eastern Nepal.
- Overnight: Tea house at Ghunsa.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 8: Acclimatisation Day at Ghunsa — Hike to Rampuk Kharka (4,200m)
- A mandatory rest and acclimatisation day before entering the high glacier zone above 4,000m.
- Morning: Visit the Ghunsa gompa — a working monastery with wall murals and prayer rooms open to respectful visitors.
- Afternoon: Acclimatisation hike to Rampuk Kharka (4,200m), a yak pasture with early views toward Kanchenjunga’s west face. Return to Ghunsa for the night.
- Overnight: Tea house at Ghunsa.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 9: Trek Ghunsa to Kambachen (4,050m)
- Trek Distance: ~10 km | 5–6 hours.
- The trail leaves Ghunsa and climbs through the upper valley past yak herding summer pastures. The terrain becomes increasingly rocky and alpine — glacial moraines appear on the valley sides, and the air thins perceptibly.
- Kambachen (4,050m) is a high seasonal settlement of stone huts beneath the south face of Jannu (7,711m) — one of the most dramatic mountain walls visible from any trekking route in Nepal.
- Overnight: Tea house at Kambachen.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 10: Trek Kambachen to Lhonak (4,780m)
- Trek Distance: ~9 km | 5–6 hours.
- Above Kambachen the valley narrows into a glacial corridor. The trail traverses moraine ridges with the Kanchenjunga massif growing steadily larger ahead, its five summits now filling the skyline.
- Lhonak (4,780m) is a wild, windswept campsite on the glacier edge — basic tea house shelter only. The altitude gain demands slow, careful movement. Hydration and acclimatisation are critical.
- Overnight: Tea house / camp at Lhonak.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 11: Trek to Pangpema — Kanchenjunga North Base Camp (5,143m)
- Trek Distance: ~6 km | 4–5 hours.
- The final approach to Pangpema crosses the Lhonak glacier moraine and ascends to the North Base Camp at 5,143m — the highest point on the route and the viewpoint for which the entire trek exists.
- Pangpema sits directly beneath the Yamatari Glacier with an unobstructed panorama of the Kanchenjunga massif: Kanchenjunga Main (8,586m), Kanchenjunga West (8,505m), Kanchenjunga Central (8,482m), Kanchenjunga South (8,476m), and Yalung Kang (8,505m) — five summits above 8,400m visible simultaneously from a single vantage point.
- Take your time here. This is the reason for 10 days of walking.
- Overnight: Tea house / camp at Pangpema.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 12: Rest and Exploration at Pangpema
- A full day at North Base Camp to recover, explore the immediate glacier margins, and absorb the surroundings without time pressure.
- Optional: hike above Pangpema to a higher moraine ridge (~5,400m) for broader views north toward the Tibetan plateau. Non-technical but demanding at altitude — guide’s assessment required on the morning.
- Overnight: Tea house / camp at Pangpema.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 13: Trek Pangpema to Kambachen (4,050m)
- Trek Distance: ~15 km | 6–7 hours.
- Begin the long descent back through Lhonak and down the glacier valley to Kambachen. The altitude drop brings immediate physical relief. Jannu’s south face commands attention throughout the descent.
- Overnight: Tea house at Kambachen.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 14: Trek Kambachen to Ghunsa (3,595m)
- Trek Distance: ~10 km | 4–5 hours.
- Return to Ghunsa through the upper valley pastures. The familiar scale of the village feels welcoming after the exposed high glacier zone. Hot food, a hot shower, and a celebration dinner.
- Overnight: Tea house at Ghunsa.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 15: Trek Ghunsa to Sekathum (1,660m)
- Trek Distance: ~22 km | 7–8 hours.
- A long, sustained descent back through Gyabla and Amjilassa to the valley floor at Sekathum. The rapid altitude drop through the rhododendron forest brings a return of warmth, birdsong, and lush vegetation. Trekking poles strongly recommended for the knee-heavy descents.
- Overnight: Tea house at Sekathum.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 16: Trek Sekathum to Taplejung / Suketar (2,420m)
- Trek Distance: ~16 km | 6–7 hours.
- Final trekking day — the trail climbs back out of the Tamor River valley through Chirwa and up the ridge to Taplejung. The contrast between the subtropical lower valley and the high glacier world of Pangpema, traversed in 14 days of walking, comes into full perspective.
- Overnight: Lodge in Taplejung.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 17: Fly Suketar → Kathmandu — Overnight Kathmandu
- Flight: ~55 minutes to Tribhuvan International Airport.
- Note: Suketar flights are weather-dependent. A buffer day can be arranged on request — ask on enquiry if your onward travel allows limited flexibility.
- Transfer to hotel on arrival. Evening free for Thamel, Boudhanath, or rest.
- Overnight: Hotel in Kathmandu.
- Meals: Breakfast.
Day 18: Departure from Kathmandu
- Transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for onward travel.
- Meals: Breakfast.
