Makalu Expedition

30 min Drive Hotel/Resort

Kathmandu Altitude: 1400 m above sea level

Overnight at Kathmandu

Meals: BB plan + welcome dinner

Welcome to Nepal trekkers! You depart from your home country and arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, located in Kathmandu. The flight offers you a glimpse of the Himalayas when you enter this country.

As you reach nearer to the capital city, you can see the place crowded with houses and buildings from above. You will land in the Tribhuvan international airport.

Our officials will be waiting to welcome you at the terminal and then take you to your respective hotel from there. They will give a brief introduction about themselves and help you check in to your rooms.

Then leaving for the day, you have the rest of the time for yourself. If you are tired, you can rest, but if you still have some energy in you, we recommend you visit the local areas for fun.

Hotel/Resort

Overnight at Kathmandu

Meals: BB plan + Dinner party

Today you get to live a moment in the busy and crowded yet beautiful city of Kathmandu. This place has several attraction sites for sightseeing, but you will only visit the main one due to lack of time.

Your mentor will come and pick you up after breakfast, so be ready by the time they arrive. Your first destination is Swayambhunath, also called Monkey Temple, which lies on top of a hill. This place is religious to the Buddhist followers and offers a complete view of Kathmandu.

From there, you head to another Buddhist ground in Boudhanath. This structure is surrounded by buildings of restaurants, shops, and cafes. As you enter the place, you can hear prayer chants playing on the streets, giving a feeling of peace and calm.

Then, you drive towards Pashupatinath, which is about half an hour away from Boudha Stupa. This place is an essential structure for the Hindu religion as lord shiva resides in the main temple. The area lies on the bank of Bagmati and is surrounded by several temples and statues.

At last, you head towards Basantapur Durbar Square to end the sightseeing. This place was a royal palace of the Malla and Shah kings, but now it is just a tourist site.

With this, you return to your hotel, where your guide will give you a brief summary of the Makalu Expedition. They will provide you with the necessary details on how the trip will begin and end, what to bring along, what to do and not, and many more.

After the briefing, if you feel like you have missed out on some things needed for the expedition, then you can buy them from the local markets. Or you can rent the gears as well, but check them thoroughly before the trip.

Later in the evening, we have a dinner party organized for you, so do not be late.

45 min flight & 2 hrs Drive Lodge

Flight Duration: 45 min

Drive Duration: 2 hours

Tumlingtar Altitude: 518 m above sea level

Khabar Altitude: 1030 m above sea level

Overnight at Khadbari

Meals: All meals

The respective officials will collect you from the hotel and drive you towards the Kathmandu airport to catch the domestic flight to Tumlingtar. The flight is about an hour-long that takes you through the great Himalayas.

You land at the airport and begin your drive towards the next destination from there. The vehicle follows a winding uphill road to reach Khadbari, the main town of this district that houses the government officials.

The Newar and Rai tribes have inhabited a large proportion of this land. With the significant administrative center residing here, you must register at the check-post to continue the trek. You stay the night in one of the cozy lodges or tea houses.

5-6 hrs Trek Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 5 to 6 hours

Chichiri Altitude: 1830 m above sea level

Overnight at Chichiri

Meals: All meals

The trekking session begins from this day onwards as you head to Chichiri. You start the trek after breakfast by following the route that passes through the beautiful traditional villages of this region.

You follow the trail to Mane Bhanjyang, continue over a small ridge, and head towards Bhotebas, a minor pass at 1740 m. You get a great glimpse of Mount Makalu from the top.

Walking further ahead, the trek continues through a dense forest till you arrive at Chichiri. You spend a cozy night in one of the stays.

5-6 hrs Trek Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 6 hours

Num Altitude: 1490 m above sea level

Overnight at Num

Meals: All meals

With a beautiful night, the trek continues to Num today. You walk at a moderate pace along the bamboo, oak, and rhododendron forest viewing a superb view of nature. Then walking further along the ridge, you enter Mure, a small sherpa town, where you have your lunch.

Then, you follow the trails on the north side of the village that lead you towards Kuwapani. You will observe plenty of rural life as you walk upwards along with the fields of corn, sal trees, and bamboo.

From here, your trailheads cross you over a minor pass called Daju La Pass at 2100 m. Then continuing the walk on a winding and dirt route, you make a steep descent along with the dense forests and reach Num.

5-6 hrs Trek Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 6 to 7 hours

Seduwa Altitude: 1460 m above sea level

Overnight at Seduwa

Meals: All meals

After the morning meal, you head towards Seduwa village, located on the opposite side of the valley. You first make a big, steep descent along the terraced fields and colossal stone steps down to the suspension bridge over the Arun Khola.

Then crossing the river, you take a long, winding climb passing a dense forest of oaks, sal, rhododendron, and bamboo to Seduwa. Today, you will ascend and descend to reach your destination.

Seduwa is the entry checkpoint for Makalu-Barun National Park. You register here at the checkpoint before climbing into high altitude. This place has several houses, small shops, and a school. You can see the picturesque view of the landscape with terraces sowed with barley and corn.

5-6 hrs Trek Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 5 to 6 hours

Tashigaon Altitude: 2070 m above sea level

Overnight at Tashigaon

Meals: All meals

All set to go, you leave the lodge and have a lovely walk towards Tashigaon without harsh ups and downs. You begin the trek by climbing along with many stone steps and passing several Mani walls through Murmidanda.

Then continuing the walk, you climb through the forest of rhododendron and bamboo. Then traverse through small farms dotted across terraced rice fields to Manigaon village.

The trail then takes you uphill to Narbugaon, and you walk for about 2 hours and reach Chyaksa Danda, a small settlement at 1900 m. From here, you continue to trek past dense forests while hearing cuckoos, drongos, and barbets. You also cross small streams via log bridges in these forests.

Following the trails past forest and farmland, you arrive at the entrance of Tashigaon school. Then you do a long climb via a stone staircase and reach the top of Tashigaon.

6-7 hrs trek Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 6 to 7 hours

Kauma Danda Altitude: 3470 m above sea level

Overnight at Kauma Danda

Meals: All meals

Today you have several ascents, so be prepared for it. You ascend out of the village and climb steadily on stone steps making your way through the beautiful forests.

Then walking for a while, you cross a log bridge and continue climbing uphill that later opens up to the forests of rhododendron until you reach Chipola. From here, you start to gain altitude while leaving the green jungles behind.

As you keep ascending the routes, you reach Dhara at 2867 m, a tea shop. You stop here for lunch as this is the last refreshment shop until Kauma Danda.

The trail keeps going high and leads you to Unshisa, a giant rock at 3200 m. From here, the climb is more relentless on the stone steps as the tree lines decline.

There are several prayer flags in the higher altitude with beautiful views around. After a few hours' walk, you finally arrive at Kauma Danda, with several tent sites on the sloping hillside.

7-8 hrs trek Tented Camp

Overall Duration: 7 to 8 hours

Mumbuk Altitude: 3570 m above sea level

Kauma La Altitude: 3603 m above sea level

Tutu-La Altitude: 4125 m above sea level

Keke La Altitude: 4170 m above sea level

Overnight at Mumbuk

Meals: All meals

Today, you will cross three high passes with dramatic ridge and airy traverses, offering close-up views of snow-capped peaks. You head out of the village of Kauma Danda and make an ascent via the stone steps through rhododendron bushes to Kauma La Pass.

You get to see the beautiful view of Makalu, Kanchenjunga, Baruntse, and Chamlang from here during clear weather. Then, you make a short descent and again climb up to cross over Tutu La pass.

Then, you continue to walk along the stone staircase and make a descent towards Kalo Pokhara. From here, you again climb the trails to Keke La Pass and then head down to Debate, where you stop for lunch.

After lunch, you head down, taking a steep and rocky path to Mumbuk.

4-5 hrs trek Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 4 to 5 hours

Nehe Kharka Altitude: 3700 m above sea level

Overnight at Nehe Kharka

Meals: All meals

You start the journey to Nehe Kharka after a hefty morning meal. You continue to descend downhill to the south riverbed of the Barun River. From this riverbed, you make a steep climb up the hillside and reach Nehe Kharka.

6-7 hrs trek Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 6 to 7 hours

Shersong Altitude: 4615 m above sea level

Overnight at Shersong

Meals: All meals

You leave Nehe Kharka and continue walking the loose trails before crossing the Barun River. Then heading through the grassy field, you reach Yangri Kharka at 3557 m.

Then you continue to pass through lush forests, boulder fields, and yak pastures, making a moderate walk. You keep ascending the altitude and arrive at Langmale Kharka.

Here onwards, you walk over the ancient lateral moraine alongside the Barun river and follow the easy trail to Shersong.

4-5 hrs trek Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 4 to 5 hours

Makalu Base Camp: 4800 m above sea level

Overnight at Makalu Base Camp

Meals: All meals

After morning meals, you leave Shersong and head to Makalu Base Camp. You follow the right-side trails and head up to climb the moraine. After arriving at the top, you gradually descend and cross a small bridge over the river.

From there, you continue your trek towards the stone huts of the Makalu Base Camp. This base camp offers marvelous views of several peaks. The camp is set up here where the health and gear conditions are checked.

31 days climbing toward Mt. Makalu Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 31 days climbing toward Mt. Makalu

Meals: All meals

You spend several days in the base camp to practice and train, climbing the peak along with adequate acclimatization days. The Sherpa crew will help set up additional camps at higher altitudes, so you don't have to do the hard work. Also, the team will be fully equipped with all the necessary climbing gears.

You will follow the instruction and guidance of the experienced climbing experts. The climb faces several technical climbing sections, and the guide will help you tackle them with ease.

You will summit Mount Makalu only on clear weather conditions, so an extra day is kept aside for climate. As you reach the top, it welcomes you with the breathtaking views of Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Nuptse, Baruntse, and other peaks of the Mahalangur region.

You spend a short quality time at the summit and descend to Makalu Base Camp.

6-7 hrs Trek Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 6 to 7 hours

Overnight at Mumbuk

Meals: All meals

After achieving your target of summiting Mt. Makalu, you now prepare to return back. This morning feels overwhelming with success as you are all set to head down after a delicious meal.

You begin by retracing your steps on the trail as you trek past Shersong and Nehe Kharka. The course from here onwards is relatively easy as it leads you back to Mumbuk for the night.

You celebrate the evening with dances and folk songs in this beautiful village.

6-7 hrs Trek Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 6 to 7 hours

Overnight at Tashigaon

Meals: All meals

You pack your bags, then have breakfast and leave Mumbuk. Then continuing the walk following the same route, you cross minor passes before arriving at Kauma Danda. You trek for some hours before reaching Tashigaon, your today's destination.

5-6 hrs Trek Tented Camp

Trek Duration: 5 to 6 hours

Overnight at Num

Meals: All meals

After morning meals, you follow the trails that go through cultivated fields and hillside forests towards Narbugaon. Then, you make a steep descent and take the easy paths that lead you to the trading village of Seduwa. From here, you cross the Arun river and do a gentle climb to reach Num.

5-6 hrs Trek Lodge

Trek Duration: 6 to 7 hours

Overnight at Khadbari

Meals: All meals

Leaving Num, you walk through a steep forest section and reach a minor pass called Daju La. Then, walking further ahead, you cross Kuwapani viewing great scenarios of Mount Makalu.

From here, you continue to walk towards Chichira, passing the picturesque village of Mane Bhanjyang before arriving at Khadbari, ending your Makalu Trek.

2 hrs Drive Lodge

Drive Duration: 2 hours

Overnight at: Tumlingtar

Meals: All meals

Today, you start a relaxing day, so the day begins after breakfast. You drive towards Tumlingtar from Khadbari, taking the same route back. The comfy drive after a long Makalu Expedition feels perfect to end the journey.

Hotel/Resort

Overnight at Kathmandu

Meals: BB plan

You have an early morning meal as you have to catch the flight from Tumlingtar to Kathmandu. The flight has approximately 45 minute air time, so enjoy the view while it lasts.

After landing at the runway, you will be taken to your hotel, where you can rest and call it the end, or you can visit the local market.

Hotel/Resort

You have not entirely toured around Kathmandu valley in earlier days, so this day is your leisure day. You will visit this town's remaining UNESCO heritage sites, i.e., Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square.

During the evenings, you can look around the local markets and buy souvenirs for your friends and families. Enjoy your last day in Nepal.

After an incredible time in the mountains, you now return to your home country today. The officials will drive you to the airport according to your scheduled time.

Meals: Breakfast