Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek – 18 days

What is the best time for Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek?

Nepal has four seasons: Spring, autumn, Monsoon and winter. The promising time to explore the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek is spring and autumn.

The spring season falls from March to May. During these times, the weather is mild; there are fewer chances of rain, less crowded than other popular treks. Furthermore, you’ll also see blooming flowers everywhere, especially rhododendron.

The autumn falls from late September to November. The monsoon has ended. There is no rain. There is a chilly and cool temperature in the morning and evening. You’ll get the stunning views of the mountains. Furthermore, the trails are also in favourable conditions. Aside from this, you’ll enjoy staying in Nepal in the autumn season. From late October to November, we Nepalese are celebrating our biggest festival, Dashain & Tihar. Through our festival, you’ll be acquainted with the culture, customs and traditions of Nepal.

Winter can be fruitful but challenging, too. During this season, there is extreme cold everywhere. Due to the heavy snowfall, the tea houses are also closed in this area. Therefore, your only option is camping.

Trekking in winter is somehow rewarding; there will be fewer crowds, and you’ll see the snow-capped mountains that make you feel like heaven on earth. But it is quite tough to continue your trek without proper lodging and accommodation facilities.

The monsoon season is the last best option for you. During this time, there is a high chance of rain. As a result, there are slippery trails, mud flowing from high altitudes, landslides, road blocked roads.

Therefore, we suggest avoiding trekking in winter and the monsoon.

Accommodation Facilities during Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek-18 days

The Kanchenjunga route is a remote path and trekking zone of Nepal. Therefore, you’ll get fewer facilities and amenities compared to the Everest and Annapurna Base Camp treks.

It’s a long 18-day trek. Throughout the journey, you’ll get simple, comfortable, basic tea houses, lodges and homestays. You’ll get luxurious accommodation while you are in Kathmandu, Jhapa and Taplejung.

The more you drive your feet upwards, your facilities turn from elegant to basic. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll have uncomfortable and pitiful living facilities. We, Hill Walkers Home always dedicated to our customers and visitors.

The tea houses of this area are small in size. However, they are providing a comfortable stay to the trekkers. It was established by the family members. You’ll get a comfortable bed, a warm pillow and a bed. The bathrooms may be shared or attached, also depending on the altitudes during our trek.

Usually, tea houses charge $7 to 10 USD to their customers. Usually, it is quite cheaper than hotels in Kathmandu.

Availability of Meals & Food

We are going for long 18 days trekking journey. It is quite obvious; we need healthy, nutritious and plentiful meals during the trek. Throughout our trip, the meal is provided through tea houses, lodges and tea houses. Here are the menus and lists of foods.

Breakfast (the first meal): Usually, the breakfast is considered as the first meal of the day. We are providing nutritious and delicious meal to our visitors. Here are our menu’s

• Tea ( milk, black, green)
• Boiled eggs
• Omelette
• Sel Roti
• Puri & Tarkari
• French toast

Lunch & Dinner –  Your body demands an ample amount of energy throughout your trekking journey . Therefore, we are providing energetic and delicious Dal, Bhat, and Tarkari aka Rice, Lentils and Vegetables to our trekkers. Usually, we serve lunch from 12-1 pm and dinner from 7 to 9 pm. Here are the complete lists.

• Dal, Bhat, Tarkari (Rice, Lentils & Vegetables)
• Chowmeen
• Soups (Vegetables, Chicken & others)
• Mo:Mo (Dumplings)
• Chapatti & Veggies
• Spaghetti
• Pizza & Burgers
• Thupka
• Local dish cooked by the Sherpa’s.

Drinking Water Facilities

Having pure and safe water is key for the succession of any trekking. By keeping all in mind, you’ll get safe and clean drinking water from us. The packaged bottles and mineral water are easily available when we are in a lower altitude.

Throughout our trek, the cost of water may vary depends how upwards we ascend. The higher the elevation more you have to pay for the drinking water. It may cost around 200 to 500 litres on average. It will be better; if you refill the bottle when you are in the lower region. Aside from this, you may also use water purification tablets.

Necessity and Importance of Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance is exceptionally significant and necessary when you travel to another country. This time you are going for 18 days long remote path journey –Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek. For that reason, we highly recommend it for you.

Throughout the trek, you may have to faces obstacles like unconditional weather, road blockages, floods and several other issues. It is helpful in many ways. Here are its advantages

• Helicopter evacuation; if you suffer from any health issues
• Covers all your expenses and cost of medicines
• Helpful if your baggages are lost or theft.
• Refunding all your money; if trip get cancelled due to any avoidable circumstances
• Helpful in every unconditional circumstances
• Ensuring overall travel security
• A complete financial solution during your trekking journey.

What is the difficulty level of Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek?

The Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek is regarded as strenuous, moderate to difficult. One should have a high level of fitness and should be an experienced trekker to complete the trek.

The trek involves steep ascents and descents, long hours of walking and high-altitude passes. The maximum altitude is 5,143 meters, so altitude sickness could be an issue for the trekkers.

It is one of the rewarding but challenging treks in Nepal. Throughout the trek, you have to deal with rugged terrains, unmanaged and steep trails. Therefore, you need appropriate gear and equipment to conclude the trek.

Sometimes, the weather can be unpredictable at high altitudes. Aside from this, during the late autumn and winter, there are also chances of heavy snowfall.

The 18-day trek involves long hours of walking for more than 2 weeks. Therefore, a trekker must possess good physical stamina and endurance.

Is Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek possible for the beginners?

If you have never been on any long days of hiking or trekking, we are sorry this trek is not for you. One must possess trekking experience and have mountaineering skills to complete this trek.

It is an exhilarating and adventurous journey on the eastern side. Through the trek, you will traverse with untouched and remote path in Nepal.

This trek will provide you with fewer facilities compared to Annapurna and Everest Base Camp. The walking journey has several ascents and descents. Furthermore, the rugged terrain and unmanaged trails can be a big issue for the trekkers.

During the hike, the weather can be unacceptable and sudden changes at temperature changes. As a result, the beginner trekkers may have problems with altitude sickness.

Permissions and Documents for Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek

For Kanchenjunga Base Camp trekking, you need some special permits. Here are the details to follow.

The first one is Restricted Area Permit also known as RAP. This permit is mandatory for the trekker’s outside of Nepal. You can obtain this permit from registered trekking agency of Nepal.

The second one is Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Permit aka KCAP. This permit is mandatory and necessary for all the trekkers. One can obtain this permit by showing their passport (foreigner’s) citizenship (Nepalese) from the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Some other essential documents

• A valid passport (must have the validity of 6 months)
• 4-5 passport sizes photographs
• Travel Insurance
• Nepal tourist VISA
• Some additional documents