Short Makalu Base Camp Trek - 18 days

Welcome to Nepal! After your plane lands in Kathmandu, you can complete the immigration process and head towards the Tribhuvan International Airport's terminal. You will find our representative holding a placard with Third Rock Adventures written on it. He will greet you and take you to your hotel via a private vehicle. 

On reaching the hotel, you can check in and have a good rest. Later you will meet your trekking guide, who will brief you about your trek. You can check your packing list with him and rent or buy any gear or equipment you will need during your Short Makalu Base Camp Trek. There are lots of trekking gear rental outlets and shops in Thamel, so you won't have to venture far to shop. Have an early night as you have to catch a morning flight to Tumlingtar tomorrow.

Overnight in Kathmandu.

After waking up early, you will have your breakfast and drive towards the domestic airport to catch a flight to Tumlingtar, a small town located in Sankhuwasabha District of eastern Nepal. You will board a tiny plane and fly towards the mountains. During the flight, you can enjoy spectacular views of Langtang Lirung, Dorje Lakpa, Ganesh Himal, etc. You also get to view the summits of the five highest mountains in the world during the flight—Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Cho Oyu, Makalu, and Lhotse.

Upon reaching Tumlingtar Airport, you will board a jeep and drive towards Num, a small village that is the starting point of your Makalu Base Camp Trek. The first part of the journey is smooth, on a paved road. However, the ride becomes bumpier as you get closer to your destination. But the views are awesome, and you can enjoy scenic views of the snow-capped mountains and hillside settlements as you reach Num. On reaching the village, you will head to a guesthouse and take a well-deserved rest.

Overnight in Num.

After a hearty breakfast, you will depart from Num and begin your trek. The trail takes you on a steep descent down to the Arun River via a stone staircase. You will walk past a lush tropical jungle filled with trees and terraced paddy fields. On reaching the Arun Khola (river), you will cross it via a suspension bridge. Having crossed the bridge, you will make a steep ascent to Seduwa. En route, you will cross small villages and stop for lunch at a local teahouse in Lumbungma, a Rai village. While tiring, it is a peaceful walk without any tourist crowd.

On reaching Seduwa, you will make your way to a local teahouse and rest your tired legs. Seduwa, one of the largest villages on the trail, is the gateway to the Makalu Barun National Park, Once you enter this village, you are officially inside the national park. You will spend your night at a teahouse or a homestay run by a local family.

Overnight in Seduwa.

Today's trek is relatively short and easy. After leaving Seduwa, you will walk on a flat trail across paddy fields. As you move further, you will come across picturesque Rai and Sherpa villages dotted with traditional mud and wooden houses. Observe village life and local farms as you make your way through Mane Gaun, Ghyang, and Chyakse. Enjoy the beautiful scenery, Buddhist mani walls, and lush forests. The trail today is relatively flat with some gradual uphills and downhills. After a leisurely walk, you will cross a suspension bridge and climb a stone staircase before arriving at the last village on the Makalu Base Camp trekking trail, Tashigaon.

Tashigaon is a large Sherpa settlement with houses scattered on a wide hillside. Colorful prayer flags and ancient mani stones adorn the village's pathway. You will make your way to a guesthouse or homestay and enjoy a good rest.

Overnight in Tashigaon.

Today's hike is quite tough as you will gain 1500 meters in altitude. Leaving the village, you will make your way past the terraced fields and a white Buddhist chorten. The trail gradually climbs up and becomes steeper as you reach higher. You will cross a small wooden bridge and get across the river. From here you will make a steep ascent via a stone staircase. It's a grueling uphill hike, and you can stop for a brief rest at Uttise Danda. On the way, you will cross a dense jungle filled with rhododendron trees, wild ferns, and wildflowers.

After walking for a couple of hours, you will reach Danda Kharka, the lunch stop for the day. Danda Kharka is a summer camp for cattle herders and has two teahouses. Having left Tashigaon, the last village on the route, you will be walking in absolute wilderness, with no large settlement or human habitation (except for stray huts of yak and cattle herders) en route.

A sumptuous lunch later, you will carry on your trek and take a steep incline. Climb on stone steps past large boulders and a pristine forest. After walking for about 3-4 hours from Danda Kharka, you will finally reach Khongma Danda, the destination for the day. Located on a grassy meadow surrounded by green hills, Khongma Danda has a couple of teahouses with very basic amenities. You will stay at one of the teahouses run by a local family. 

Overnight in Khongma Danda.

Before heading further into high altitude, you need to acclimatize your body. Therefore, you will stay an extra night at Khongma Danda to acclimatize. You can spend this day resting and hiking to a viewpoint above Kongma. It takes around an hour to climb to the viewpoint, which lies at the top of the hill. There's a view tower and a stone chorten at the top. From here you can enjoy mesmerizing views of Barun Tse, Chamlang, Peak 7, Peak 6, and other snowcapped mountains. Later you can hike down to the teahouse and enjoy a card game or read a book by the warm stove.

Overnight in Khongma Danda.

 This is going to be one of the toughest days of the trek as you cross three high mountain passes—Chungru La (4050 m), Shipton La (4216 m), or Thulo Danda, and Keke La (4150 m).

After leaving Khongma Danda, you will hike up to the viewpoint and take the trail leading down to a ridge. Soon you will cross the first mountain pass, Chungru La (4050 m). En route, you will come across a sacred lake known as Sanu Pokhari worshipped by the Kirati ethnic community (Rai, Limbu, Snuwar, etc.). After crossing the lake, you will cross a steep incline via stone steps. After an arduous climb, you will reach a small stone teahouse at Thulo Danda or Shipton La Pass, where you will have your lunch.

The high-altitude meadows around Shipton La are a popular harvesting ground for Yarhagumba hunters. Yarshagumba, or caterpillar fungus, is a rare Himalayan fungus found only at high altitudes in the Himalayas. It is highly prized for its medicinal properties and is used in Chinese and Tibetan medicines to treat various ailments. It is also known as Himalayan Viagra for its aphrodisiac properties.

After a hearty lunch, you will leave Shipton La and descend about 300 meters to another high-altitude lake known as Thulo Pokhari. Walking away from Thulo Pokhari, you will reach a stream with a small wooden bridge.  

From Thulo Pokhari you will make another steep ascent and reach the final pass, Keke La. Stone chortens and prayer flags adorn the path and add beauty to the bleak landscape. At this point, you have left the lush jungles behind and are above the treeline.

While this is a grueling hike, after each bend and ridge you will be rewarded with new and amazing views. Leaving Keke La, you will make another steep descent till you reach Dobate, your stop for the night. 

Once you reach the teahouse, have a warm drink and rest your tired muscles. It has been a long and demanding day, so have dinner early and retire early.

Overnight in Dobate.

Surrounded by rocky cliffs, snow-covered mountains, and waterfalls, Dobate is an important junction in the Makalu route. It is a point where the trail forks into two paths, one leads to the Barun Valley and the Makalu Base Camp while the other moves towards Sarange Danda and Jaljale Pokhari.

Today we will take the path leading to Makalu Base Camp. After leaving the teahouse, you will make a steep descent to the Barun River. While descending, you can savor incredible views of deep canyons and mountain ridges. The trail is covered by short rhododendron shrubs, which look divine decorated with red and pink rhododendron blooms during spring. After climbing down for more than two hours, you will finally reach the Barun River. Cross it, and walk alongside the river. 

The Barun River is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. The river originates from the Makalu Glacier and flows down, collecting water from the holy pilgrimage sites of Dudh Pokhari, Barun Pokhari, and the sacred waterfall of Shiva Dhara. It merges with the Arun River before flowing down to form the Sapta Koshi.

There’s a long landslide-prone zone en route and you need to be careful while crossing this area. It takes about 40 minutes to walk past the landslide area. After walking for about four hours from Dobate, you will reach Pemathang, a wide grassy meadow located on the banks of the Barun River. Here you will take a short break and have your lunch at the only teahouse.

After a sumptuous lunch, continue your trek towards Yangle Kharka. The route follows an easy and gentle trail with a little bit of flat and up and down. You will head down to the Barun River and cross it via a wooden bridge. Afterwards, you will make your way past large boulders and walk on the wide and picturesque Barun Valley. The pastures along this route are a rich storehouse of the Yarshagumba or caterpillar fungus. The path weaves alongside the Barun River till you reach Yangle Kharka, your stop for the night.

Yangle Kharka is one of the most beautiful places along the Makalu Base Camp trekking route. It lies in a green valley surrounded by the Barun River, rich forests of juniper and pine, snowcapped mountains, and the sacred waterfall known as Shiva Dhara, one of the holiest Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage sites.

Overnight in Yangle Kharka.

You will start your journey early in the morning after breakfast. Leaving Yangle Kharke, you will walk past a grassy pasture dotted with religious shrines. This is a very sacred place for Hindus, Buddhists, and Kiratis. After crossing the grassy meadow, you will come across a flat area filled with boulders and stones. Walk beside the Barun River while enjoying the close-up view of the snow-covered mountains, including the unnamed Peak 5. At Neha Kharka, the trail bifurcates. The left trail leads to Shiva Dhara, while the one on the right leads to Makalu Base Camp.

Local pilgrims who trek up to here usually hike to the Shiva Dhara instead of going to Makalu Base Camp. With Yangle Kharka as their base, Hindu, Buddhist, and Kirati pilgrims make the difficult hike to Shiva Dhara, which is a sacred cave with a waterfall. The trail is narrow and steep, and at some sections, one has to walk on the steep cliff face using metal pegs and chains for support. The hike to Shiva Dhara is one of the most extreme and dangerous Himalayan hikes in Nepal.

As per Hindu mythology, when Bagirath released the river Ganga, Lord Shiva tried to stop its forceful flow by locking the river in his hair. While doing so, four streams fell on the earth and became Shiva Dhara, Akash Ganga, Gaumukh Ganga, and Bagirath Ganga. The Shiva Dhara at Makalu Barun National Park is believed to be one of the streams that flowed out of Lord Shiva's hair. This is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for devotees of Lord Shiva. Another cave known as the Parbati Cave lies close by.

However, you will skip the route to Shiva Dhara and continue towards Lungmale Khadka. On the way, you will stop at Tadosa for lunch. Tadosa is another sacred Buddhist site as Padmasambhava or the Second Buddha is believed to have tied his horse at this place while traveling through the Barun Valley. 

You can enjoy the glorious views of Peak 7 from the lunch point at Tadosa. Later you will continue on a scenic trail filled with small shrubs and towering peaks. After walking for about two hours from Tadosa, you will reach Langmale Kharka, a shelter for yak herders. You will be able to spot plenty of yaks grazing on the grassy alpine pasture. Make your way to the only teahouse and take a well-deserved rest. 

Overnight in Langmale Kharka.

Wake up early in the morning and enjoy the beautiful view of Barun Tse and Peak 7. Later, have your breakfast and start your hike to Makalu Base Camp. This is the final leg of your trek, as today you will be making your way to your final destination, Makalu Base Camp. The snowy summit of Peak 7, Barun Tse, and Mount Chamlang rears close to the trail. You can see yaks grazing on the high-altitude pastures as you make your way up gradually. 

Bereft of trees, the barren landscape filled with frozen glaciers and gray boulders looks dramatic and stunning. The hike takes you on a gradual and easy trail with no steep inclines. But the thin air might make breathing difficult. On the way, you will walk past glacier debris across which lies a glacial lake known as Lamo Pokhari or Lower Barun Lake. If you wish, you can pause your journey and walk to view this lake. This is a young lake and came into existence only about 30 years or so ago, according to locals. Formed by the melting of the Barun Glacier, the Lamo Pokhari is 2.7 km long and 600 m wide.

The trail follows the side of the glacial lake and takes you to a narrow valley filled with glacial moraine and debris. After leaving the lake, you will come across a wide, barren valley surrounded by snow-covered mountains. You will get your first glimpse of Mount Makalu's summit as you approach Sersong, a place with a small solitary hut. From here you will walk along the Barun River amid a stark and dramatic landscape filled with soaring white peaks, black dirt, and glacial moraine.

Cross a small wooden bridge built across the Barun River and arrive at the Makalu Base Camp. The fifth-highest mountain in the world, Mount Makalu (8463 m), soars directly in front of the base camp. Head to a teahouse and celebrate your successful hike to the base camp.

Overnight at Makalu Base Camp. 

Today you will get to explore the area around Makalu Base Camp. Apart from Mount Makalu, the base camp is surrounded by small hills and glaciers, which are ideal for hiking. You can hike to the Dudh Kunda or Seto Pokhari (Milky Lake), the source of the Barun River, and savor the views of the icy glaciers at the base of Mount Makalu, which feeds the lake. Dudh Kunda is also known as Upper Barun Lake.

From here you get a close-up view of the south face of Mount Makalu. You can also hike to a viewpoint (5300 meters), close to the glacier, and enjoy magnificent views of the rarely seen east face, or Khansung Face, of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Chamlang, Hongku Chuli, and some of the unnamed peaks. Take pictures and savor the views before heading back to the teahouse.

Overnight at Makalu Base Camp. 

Leaving Makalu Base Camp, you will retrace your steps to Yangri Kharka via Langmale Kharka, Tadosa and Neha Kharka. Enjoy the beautiful scenery as you hike past the grassy meadows and rocky cliffs. As you approach Yangle Kharka, verdant forests of juniper and rhododendron cover the landscape. On reaching Yangle Kharka, you will stay at the same teahouse where you stayed a couple of days back.

Overnight in Yangle Kharka.

From Yangle Kharka, you will make the arduous trek to Dobate with a brief stop at Pemathang for food and rest. Bask in the pristine natural beauty once you reach Dobate.

Overnight in Dobate.

This is a difficult day for you as you will be crossing the three mountain passes again. Brace yourself for some exhausting uphills and downhills. En route, you will stop for rest and refreshment at Shipton La Pass or Thulo Danda and Khongma Danda. You call it a day and stop your trek once you reach the teahouse of Danda Kharka.

Overnight in Danda Kharka.

Leaving Danda Kharka, you will be descending to the lively village of Seduwa. It is a day filled with tiring descents past endless stone staircases.

Overnight in Seduwa.

Today is the last day of your Short Makalu Barun trek. After a hearty breakfast, you will bid goodbye to the teahouse owner and start walking towards Num. The hike brings you down to the rich tropical forest of the Arun Khola. You will pass the picturesque Rai villages and terraced farmlands and climb up the long stone staircase to Num. On reaching Num, you will board a jeep and drive towards the town of Tumlingtar. At Tumlingtar, you will head to a guesthouse and have a good rest.

Overnight in Tumlingtar.

Leaving hot and humid Tumlingtar, you will fly across the mountains and return to Kathmandu. Your guide will drop you off at your hotel, where you can rest and freshen up. You can spend the rest of the day as you like—go souvenir shopping, walk around Ason Bazaar and Thamel, or take a guided city tour and visit the city's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Kathmandu is an ancient city with a rich cultural heritage, and exploring the city's ancient cultural sites will give you an insight into the history and culture of Nepal. 

Overnight in Kathmandu.

Today marks the end of your Short Makalu Base Camp Trek. Finally, it's time to leave Nepal and head homewards or towards your next destination. Our representative will drop you off at the Tribhuvan International Airport on time to catch your flight. If you wish to explore more places in the Himalayas, please let us know. We run tours and treks in Bhutan and Tibet too.