Kanchenjunga Trek: Routes, Permits and Stages

Kanchenjunga, at 8,586 m, is the third-highest mountain on earth and the most easterly of Nepal's giants. Its five summits stand on the border with Sikkim, and on the Nepal side the whole upper valley system of the Tamor river is protected as the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area. The area was declared in 1997, covers about 2,035 square kilometres of Taplejung district, and is one of the few protected areas in Nepal managed by a council of local people rather than by the army or a government warden.

That local control, and the restricted area rules that come with the border, shape the trek. There are no crowds, no chain lodges and no souvenir alleys. Most groups walk for days without meeting another foreign trekker. In return, everything takes more planning: permits must be issued in Kathmandu before you start, the drive to the trailhead takes two days, and a licensed guide is not optional but a legal requirement.

We have written this guide for people deciding between routes and trying to understand the permit system. Rules and fees change, sometimes with little notice, so read every number below as the situation as we understand it and check current status before you travel.

Two permits cover the standard Kanchenjunga routes. The first is the restricted area permit, issued by the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu. It is only issued through a registered Nepali trekking agency, only to groups of at least two foreign trekkers, and only when a licensed guide walks with the group. The fee has been charged per person per week, about USD 20 a week for the first four weeks, with a higher weekly rate after that. Your agency needs your passport, a visa valid for the trek dates, photos and the full itinerary.

The second is the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area entry permit, which has been about NPR 3,000 for foreign visitors. It can be bought in Kathmandu or, at times, at the entry checkpoint, but we always arrange it in advance. Both permits are checked and recorded at several posts along the trail, including Sekathum and Ghunsa, so keep them dry and handy.

Since April 2023 Nepal has required foreign trekkers in national parks and conservation areas to walk with a licensed guide. In Kanchenjunga this changes little in practice, because the restricted area permit already demanded a guide, but it does mean the rule applies even to sections outside the restricted zone. Check current status before you travel.

• Restricted area permit: Department of Immigration, via a registered agency, minimum two trekkers, licensed guide required
• Kanchenjunga Conservation Area entry permit: about NPR 3,000 per foreign visitor
• Original passport with a Nepal visa covering every day of the trek
• Travel insurance that covers trekking to at least 5,200 m and helicopter evacuation

The north route follows the Tamor and Ghunsa valleys to Ghunsa, Kambachen and Lhonak, ending at Pang Pema, the north base camp at 5,140 m. It is the classic line, with the biggest views of the north face and of Jannu, and it now has simple lodges at every stop. From Kathmandu it takes about 20 nights with two acclimatisation days and spare time for flights.

The south route goes from the road head near Yamphudin up the Simbua Khola to Tseram and Ramche, with a dawn walk to the Oktang viewpoint above the Yalung glacier. It is shorter and lower, with a highest night of about 4,580 m at Ramche, and passes through some of the finest rhododendron forest in Nepal. Lodges are simpler and fewer.

The circuit links the two by crossing from Ghunsa over Sele Le and a chain of passes, the highest about 4,700 m, to Tseram. It takes about 24 nights from Kathmandu and is the most rewarding way to see the mountain, but the pass day is long and must not be attempted in fresh snow.

From Taplejung bazaar, also called Phungling, a jeep road now runs up the Tamor valley, and most groups drive as far as Sekathum at about 1,660 m. Where the road ends changes after each monsoon. From Sekathum the walk goes through a gorge to Amjilosa at about 2,510 m, then through forest to Gyabla at about 2,730 m and up past Phole to Ghunsa at 3,595 m, where we take a rest day.

Above Ghunsa the trees end. Kambachen at about 4,050 m is a summer settlement under Jannu, and it is where we take the second rest day. Lhonak at about 4,780 m is a sandy plain beside the glacier, and Pang Pema at 5,140 m has a basic teahouse. Most people sleep there, climb the ridge above at dawn, and return to Kambachen the same day.

The two acclimatisation days are not padding. The jump from Ghunsa to Pang Pema is more than 1,500 m in three walking days, and altitude sickness here is a real risk. Our guides carry a pulse oximeter, and the rule is simple: if symptoms do not clear with rest, we go down.

Lodges on the Kanchenjunga trails are family-run and simple. Expect twin rooms with thin walls, shared toilets, one heated dining room and a menu of dal bhat, noodles, potatoes, Tibetan bread and tea. Hot showers, charging and wifi, where they exist, cost extra. Above Ghunsa there are only a handful of lodges, and in the quietest weeks some close, so your guide will phone ahead.

There is no ATM after Taplejung. Carry enough Nepali rupees for drinks, showers, charging and small purchases, about NPR 2,000 to 3,000 a day. Mobile signal is patchy above Sekathum; we carry a satellite messenger. Porters and guides are usually from the Tamor valley, and many are Limbu, Rai or Sherpa. Tips are customary at the end of the trek.

You do not need climbing skills for any Kanchenjunga route, but you do need stamina for 12 or more walking days of five to eight hours on steep, rough ground. Before you come, walk long hilly days back to back with a loaded pack. Bring broken-in boots, poles, a down jacket, a four-season sleeping bag rated to about −15 °C, gaiters for snow on the passes, and a water filter or purification tablets.

Helicopter rescue is possible from most of the route but depends on weather and can take a day to arrange, so your insurance must cover evacuation from above 5,000 m. Talk to your doctor about acetazolamide for altitude before you travel.

A guided north base camp trek with flights, jeeps, both permits, a guide, porters, lodges and meals typically costs from about USD 2,850 per person for 20 nights; the circuit from about USD 3,350 for 24 nights. The main costs are the domestic flight to Bhadrapur, two days of private jeep each way, the weekly restricted area fee and porters, because all supplies above the road are carried in.

Book at least six weeks ahead so the agency can apply for the restricted area permit in good time. Choose October or November for clear skies, or April for flowers. Build in at least one spare day in Kathmandu after the trek, because flights in the east are often delayed by weather and roads can close after rain.