Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu (1400m/4,593ft)
Upon your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, Himalayan Windhorse representative picks you up and transfers you to the hotel. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Kathmandu.
Day 2: Permits procedure and Afternoon flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur — Drive to Ilam 1210m/2-3 hours
We catch afternoon scenic flight to Bhadrapur. After landing, we take a jeep ride to Ilam enjoying the view of beautiful landscapes. Ilam is Nepal’s largest tea plantation area and serves as a major tourist area even for domestic tourists. The picturesque town of Ilam hosts large orchards of tea plants and is also famous for the Himalayan chew made of cheese. Overnight at a hotel in Ilam.
Day 3: rive from Ilam to Taplejung 1820m/6-7 hours.
Today, we head towards Taplejung in private transportation. Driving along the beautiful countryside view, we pass through Phidim to reach Limbu village of Taplejung. Overnight at a hotel in Taplejung.
Day 4: Trek from Taplejung to Mitlung 921m/4-5 hours.
The trekking route today passes through lush mid hills and several villages with traditional mud-brick houses. We also come across rice paddies, terraced farm fields, and cardamom farms. We then continue to trek following the flow of Tamor River to reach Mitlung. Overnight at a home-stay/lodge in Mitlung.
Day 5: Trek from Mitlung to Chiruwa 1270m/5-6 hours.
Today we trek through the Limbu and Tamang villages of Sinwa, Tawa, and Porke. We also pass over old landslide debris and boulder, and strewn river deposits, before descending to Thiwa Khola. We then cross a wooden bridge to reach Chiruwa. Overnight at a lodge in Chiruwa.
Day 6: Trek from Chiruwa to Sukethum 1579m/5-6 hours .
Trekking through the villages of Taplethok, Tamewa, Hellok, and Lelep, we move alongside Tamor River and descend towards Simbu Khola, which emerges from the Yalung Glacier. We then trek through steep and narrow Ghunsa Khola valley to finally arrive in Sukethum. Overnight at a lodge in Sukethum.
Day 7: Trek from Sukathum to Amjilosa 2308m/6-7 hours.
Moving with the flow of Ghunsa Khola, we head towards Amjilosa walking through steep uphill on exposed terrain. Relishing the amazing landscape view and crossing several bridges over Ghunsa Khola, we reach the Tibetan village of Amjilosa. Overnight at a lodge in Amjilosa.
Day 8: Trek from Amjilosa to Gyabla 2730m/6-7 hours.
Today, we walk through forested trail filled with rhododendrons and bamboo, before ascending to Gyabla. We also come across a big waterfall on the opposite side of the river on our way to Gyabla. Making a steep ascent and then a descent, we arrive in Gyabla. Overnight at a lodge in Gyabla.
Day 9: Trek from Gyabla to Ghunsa 3595m/6-7 hours.
Leaving behind the beautiful Gyabla village, we trek towards Ghunsa through a broad meadow. We then climb a small hill and descend to cross the river to reach the Tibetan village of Ghunsa with wooden houses, a micro hydropower plant, school, and a health post. Overnight at a lodge in Ghunsa.
Day 10: Acclimatization day.
To adjust with the thinning air, we take a short hike to the opposite side of Ghunsa Khola with a gain of about 400m. After returning from the hike, we can spend rest of the day exploring the ancient village of Ghunsa visiting monasteries and learning about their Buddhist culture and tradition. Overnight at a lodge in Ghunsa.
Day 11: Trek from Ghunsa to Khangpachen 4050m/5-6 hours.
Today, we begin our trek entering the forested path along the south bank of Ghunsa Khola and passing several Mani walls and Chortens along the way. We also trek through several scree slopes and some glacial moraines to reach the Tibetan settlement of Khangpachen from where we can get the stunning view of the north face of Jannu (7710m). Overnight at a lodge in Khangpachen.
Day 12: Trek from Khangpachen to Lhonak 4780m/5-6 hours.
Leaving behind Khangpachen, we follow the trail on the left side of Kanchenjunga Glacier. We hike along a high plateau to reach the campsite of Lhonak. From Lhonak, we can see the panoramic view of massive mountain peaks like Wegde Peak (6802m), Mera Peak (6364m), Nepal Peak (7177m), Twins (7350m), and many others. Overnight at a lodge in Lhonak.
Day 13: Trek from Lhonak to Kanchenjunga Base Camp 5143m and Trek back to Lhonak 4780m/6-7 hours.
Today, we head towards Kanchenjunga Base Camp following the trail along the glaciers on the northern ridges. The camp is also known as Pang Pema from where we get the mesmerizing and spectacular view of Mt Kanchenjunga (8586m) along with the skyline filled with snow-capped mountain ranges bordering Nepal-India and Nepal-Tibet. Then walk back to Lhonak. Overnight at a lodge in Lhonak.
Day 14: Trek from Lhonak to Ghunsa 3595m/5-6 hours.
After the amazing experience in KBC and Lhonak, we retrace our trail to Ghunsa enjoying the spectacular view of different mountains. Descending past Lhonak and Khangpachen while walking on the moraines of Kanchenjunga Glacier and Kumbhakarna Glacier, we arrive in Ghunsa. Overnight at a lodge in Ghunsa.
Day 15: Trek from Ghunsa to High Camp 4100m/6-7 hours.
To reach the High Camp, we trek along a steep rocky trail through a forested area filled with birch, pine, and colorful rhododendron. An amazing view of Jannu (7710m), Nyukla Laching (6670m), Temachunggi (6044m), and other mountains can be observed from High Camp. Overnight at a lodge in High Camp.
Day 16: rek from High Camp to Tseram 3870m/8-9 hours via Sele -La Pass 4480m and Sinion La Pass 4660m.
Today might be the most challenging day as we cross over two passes on our way to Tseram, the highest pass being the Sele La (4480m) and Sinion La (4660). Upon reaching the top of the passes, we are rewarded with an amazing view of Yalung Glacier, Jannu (7710m), Makalu (8481m), Baruntse (7129m), Kanchenjunga (8586m), and many other mountain ranges along the Sikkim border. We then descend to Tseram. Overnight at a lodge in Tseram.
Day 17: Trek from Tseram to Ramche 4580m/4-5 hours.
Passing the moraines of Yalung Glacier into an ablation valley, we ascend towards Ramche. We also come across a lake and a meadow where we can spot the blue sheep grazing on the grassy hills. We will visit the small monastery in Ramche, in the evening. Overnight at a home-stay/lodge in Ramche.
Day 18: Explore to Oktang 4730m/2-3 hours and trek back to Tseram 3870m/5-6 hours.
Today, we explore Yalung Base Camp area. Trekking through the glacial moraines and challenging rocky path, we cross Oktang, from where we can get a panoramic view of Jannu (7720m) and Kanchenjunga (8586m), and several other peaks. Retracing the same trail, we trek towards Anda Phedi relishing the view of different mountain ranges and herds of blue sheep over the grassy slope. Overnight at a lodge in Tseram.
Day 19: rek from Tseram to Tortong 2995m/6-7 hours.
We descend towards Tortong through the densely forested path filled with rhododendrons and bushes. We also stumble across few streams, Chortens, monasteries, ponds, and waterfalls on our way to Tortong. Overnight at a lodge in Tortong.
Day 20: Trek from Tortong to Yamphudim 2080m/6-7 hours.
We continue to descend to the Amji Khola and then crossing Lasiya Bhanjyang (3310m) and Dhupi Bhanjyang (2620m), we descend towards Yamphudim. Yamphudim is a village inhabited by a mixed community of Sherpa, Rai, Limbu, and Gurung. Overnight at a lodge in Yamphudim.
Day 21: om Yamphudim to Khebang 1915m/5-6 hours.
Leaving behind the village of Yamphudim, we descend towards Khebang passing through valleys, waterfalls, and forest area. Crossing suspension bridges over several streams, we walk past small settlements alongside Kabeli Khola to arrive in Khebang. Overnight at a home-stay/lodge in Khebang.
Day 22: Drive Khebang to Ilam 1210m/6-7 hours by jeep.
We take a long drive to Ilam enjoying the view of green hills, snow-capped mountains, rivers, and daily activities of the locals throughout the ride. From the mountainous part, we are now in the flatlands of Nepal. Overnight at a hotel in Ilam.
Day 23: Morning drive from Ilam to Bhadrapur airport 3-4 hours by jeep and flight back to Kathmandu.
We drive towards Bhadrapur airport to catch our flight back to the capital city. Enjoying the aerial view of the mountains, we arrive in Kathmandu. After landing, we transfer you to the hotel. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Kathmandu.
Day 24: Final departure from Kathmandu.
We drop you at the Tribhuvan International Airport for your final departure with a hope of seeing you again.