Makalu Base Camp Trek

You arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu (1,400 m) and are met by our representative for the transfer to your hotel in Thamel.

Your guide runs the pre-trek briefing. The Makalu Base Camp trek walks up the Barun valley to 4,870 m, directly beneath Makalu (8,485 m) — the fifth-highest mountain in the world. The route runs through the Makalu Barun National Park, a conservation area that spans everything from subtropical forest to permanent ice and is one of the richest biodiversity zones in the Himalaya.

This is a genuinely remote trek. There are long stretches with no permanent settlement, the lodges are basic and seasonal, and the route crosses three passes above 4,000 m on the way in. Your guide checks kit carefully — a four-season sleeping bag, a proper down jacket and boots with real grip are all necessary. Overnight in Kathmandu.

An early flight east to Tumlingtar (518 m), a short strip in the Arun valley. The flight takes around 45 minutes and, on a clear morning, gives a long view of the eastern Himalaya — Everest, Makalu and Kanchenjunga strung along the northern horizon.

Tumlingtar sits low and warm in the Arun valley, one of the deepest river valleys in the world and the only river that cuts clean through the main Himalayan range from Tibet. From the airstrip we transfer to a jeep for the drive north.

The road climbs steadily out of the valley on rough track through terraced farmland and villages, gaining over 1,000 m in four to five hours. Num (1,560 m) sits on a ridge above the confluence of the Arun and Barun rivers, with a fine view down into both valleys. This is where the walking starts. Overnight in a lodge.

A deceptive day — the start and end points differ by only 60 m, but the walking between them is anything but flat.

The trail drops steeply from the ridge at Num all the way down to the Arun River at around 700 m, losing more than 800 m on a long series of stone steps through terraced farmland and subtropical forest. It is hot work, and the descent is hard on the knees.

At the bottom the trail crosses the Arun on a suspension bridge, and then the whole thing goes into reverse: a sustained climb of 800 m up the far side, through villages, rice terraces and cardamom plantations. This is a substantial day of effort for no net height gain at all.

Seduwa (1,500 m) is a spread-out village on the hillside where you register at the Makalu Barun National Park entry post. Overnight in a lodge.

A steady climbing day through farmland and forest, gaining around 570 m at a much kinder gradient than yesterday.

The trail climbs north through a landscape of terraced fields — millet, maize and cardamom — passing scattered Rai villages where the trail runs straight through the middle of daily life. Chickens, buffalo, drying grain and children going to school are all part of the walk.

Higher up the farmland gives way to forest, and the vegetation begins the transition that defines this trek: from subtropical to temperate, with oak, chestnut and the first rhododendron. Birdlife along this section is exceptional.

Tashi Gaun (2,070 m) is the last permanent village on the route — a Sherpa settlement of stone houses with a small gompa, set on a shelf with views back down the Arun valley. Beyond here there are no more villages until you come back down, only seasonal herders' huts and lodges. Overnight in Tashi Gaun.

A rest and acclimatisation day before the hardest climbing section of the trek. Tomorrow gains nearly 1,700 m to cross the first pass, so a day spent adjusting here pays for itself.

The usual walk climbs the forested ridge above the village for a few hundred metres — enough to help acclimatisation without tiring anyone out — and gives a good view up toward the wall you will climb tomorrow, as well as back down the Arun valley.

The rest of the day is best spent in the village. Tashi Gaun is a Sherpa settlement, though the community here has a distinct identity from the Khumbu Sherpas, and it has changed relatively little because so few trekkers come this way. It is worth visiting the small gompa and simply watching the village work — this is the last real settlement you will see for over a week. Overnight in Tashi Gaun.

The hardest day of the approach — nearly 1,700 m of ascent, almost all of it steep, taking seven to eight hours.

The trail climbs relentlessly out of Tashi Gaun through dense rhododendron and oak forest. In spring this is one of the finest rhododendron sections in Nepal, with the trees flowering red and pink overhead for hours at a time. The path is often wet and rooty, and there are sections of rough stone steps.

As the height increases the forest thins into dwarf rhododendron and juniper, and the trail crosses the small lake at Unshisa before the final climb. The last section is genuinely tough — steep, exposed and at an altitude where everything slows down.

Khongma (3,760 m) is a bleak spot: a couple of basic lodges on an open shoulder, often in cloud, and cold once the sun goes. But the views back over the ridges toward Kanchenjunga on a clear evening are exceptional. Overnight in Khongma.

The pass day, and the most spectacular of the approach. Although the start and finish differ by only 150 m, the trail crosses three passes in between.

The route climbs from Khongma over Shipton La at around 4,220 m, then Keke La at about 4,170 m and Tutu La at roughly 4,100 m, dropping and re-climbing between each. The terrain is open alpine — boulder fields, small tarns and stunted juniper — and the passes are strung with prayer flags.

The views are the reward. From the top of the passes the panorama takes in Makalu (8,485 m) ahead, Chamlang (7,319 m), Peak 6 and Peak 7, and on clear days Kanchenjunga far to the east. This is the moment the trek's objective finally becomes visible.

The trail then descends steeply into the Barun valley to Dobato (3,610 m), a small clearing with basic shelters. Overnight in Dobato.

A day of descent into the Barun valley proper, and a complete change of scenery from the open passes.

The trail drops steeply from Dobato through dense forest to the floor of the Barun valley, losing several hundred metres before turning north to follow the river upstream. The descent is steep and often slippery, on a rough path through rhododendron and fir.

Once on the valley floor the walking becomes gentler, following the Barun Khola through some of the most impressive scenery of the trek: a deep, glacially carved valley with sheer walls rising thousands of metres on both sides, waterfalls dropping from hanging valleys, and huge boulders scattered across the floor. This is a designated strict nature reserve, and the forest here is essentially untouched.

Yangle Kharka (3,557 m) is a seasonal yak pasture with a few stone huts and simple lodges on a flat beside the river. Overnight in Yangle Kharka.

A steady climb up the Barun valley, gaining around 850 m and taking you above the treeline for good.

The trail follows the river north through Nehe Kharka and Mumbuk, passing through the last of the birch and juniper. The valley walls close in, and waterfalls pour off the cliffs on both sides — in some places the trail passes directly beneath them.

As the trees give out the landscape turns to open alpine meadow and moraine, and the peaks at the head of the valley come fully into view: Makalu (8,485 m) ahead, Chamlang and Peak 6 to the south, and the huge ice walls of Tutse and Peak 7. Yak herds graze the meadows in season.

Langmale Kharka (4,410 m) is a summer pasture with a handful of stone shelters and a lodge or two, set in a broad basin. It is properly cold here and the altitude is now significant. Overnight in Langmale Kharka.

The day you reach base camp — around 460 m of ascent, but slow going at this altitude and on this terrain.

The trail climbs up the valley over glacial moraine and boulder fields alongside the Barun Glacier, passing the seasonal shelters at Shershong. There is no vegetation now beyond cushion plants and lichen; the landscape is entirely rock, ice and sky, and the sense of scale is enormous.

Makalu Base Camp (4,870 m) sits on a flat of moraine and grass beneath the mountain, and the arrival is genuinely dramatic. The south face of Makalu (8,485 m) rises straight ahead in a single sweep of rock and ice — a pyramid of a mountain, and one of the most impressive faces in the Himalaya. Everest and Lhotse are visible to the north-west, and Baruntse and Chamlang close the valley behind.

Overnight at base camp in a basic lodge or tented camp.

A full day at base camp — and after eight days of walking to get here, a day to actually look at it.

The main excursion climbs the moraine ridge behind base camp toward the viewpoint at around 5,250 m, a steep but non-technical ascent of two to three hours. From the top the panorama is one of the finest in the Himalaya: Makalu at close range, and to the north-west a clear view of the Everest–Lhotse massif and the Kangshung face, seen from an angle almost nobody gets to.

Closer options include a walk out onto the Barun Glacier moraine with your guide, or up toward the base of Peak 4 and the ice lakes. In the spring climbing season there are usually expedition tents on the flats, and the atmosphere of a working 8,000 m base camp is worth experiencing.

Whatever you do, take it slowly and drink constantly at this height. Overnight at Makalu Base Camp.

A long descending day back down the Barun valley, giving up more than 1,300 m.

It is worth being outside at first light before setting off — the sunrise on Makalu's south face from base camp is the best view of the trek, and the mountain lights up long before the valley floor does.

The trail then retraces the route down the moraine past Shershong to Langmale Kharka (4,410 m), where we usually stop, and continues down through the alpine meadows into the upper Barun valley. The vegetation returns in stages — cushion plants, then juniper, then birch — and the air thickens noticeably with every hour.

Below Mumbuk and Nehe Kharka the valley walls close in again and the waterfalls reappear. The day ends at Yangle Kharka (3,557 m), back among the trees. Overnight in a lodge.

A hard day, and one people tend to underestimate because the net gain is only 200 m. In fact it involves a steep climb out of the Barun valley and then the three passes again.

The trail leaves the valley floor and climbs sharply through the forest back up to Dobato (3,610 m) — a sustained ascent of several hundred metres on a rough, root-bound path. From there the route recrosses Tutu La, Keke La and Shipton La, dropping and climbing between each.

Crossing the passes in this direction gives the better views, because Makalu and Chamlang are now behind you and the eastern panorama toward Kanchenjunga opens up ahead. On a clear day this is the finest hour of the return journey.

The trail descends the last stretch to Khongma (3,760 m). It is a long day with a lot of cumulative ascent. Overnight in Khongma.

An enormous descending day — more than 2,250 m — and the one that gives your knees the hardest time of the whole trek.

The trail drops steeply from Khongma past the lake at Unshisa and down into the rhododendron forest, losing height fast on wet, rooty, uneven ground. The descent to Tashi Gaun (2,070 m) takes several hours, and it is worth stopping there for lunch and to see the village again on the way out.

Below Tashi Gaun the trail continues down through the terraced farmland of the lower valley, past Rai settlements and cardamom plantations, with the temperature and humidity climbing steadily. By mid-afternoon you are back in subtropical country.

Seduwa (1,500 m) is reached in the late afternoon, and you check out of the Makalu Barun National Park here. Poles are strongly recommended today. Overnight in a lodge.

The last walking day, and it repeats the sting of day two in reverse: a long steep drop to the Arun River at around 700 m, then a sustained 800 m climb back up the other side to Num.

The descent through terraced fields and forest is quick but hard on tired legs. At the bottom the trail crosses the Arun on a suspension bridge, and then the climb begins — hot, exposed in places, and a genuine effort at the end of two weeks of walking. Take it steadily.

Num (1,560 m) is reached around midday, and the walking ends there. A jeep takes us down the rough road through the terraced hills to Tumlingtar (518 m), four to five hours away in the Arun valley. It is warm and low here, and there are hot showers and cold drinks. Tonight is the celebration dinner with your guide and porters. Overnight in Tumlingtar.

A short flight west back to the capital, taking about 45 minutes. Mountain flights in Nepal go early, so expect a morning departure — and, as always with domestic services, some flexibility on timing if the weather is poor.

On a clear morning the flight gives a final view of the range you have just walked into: Makalu, Everest and Lhotse along the northern horizon, with the Arun valley cutting through the mountains below. It is a good way to see the trek in context.

Arriving in Kathmandu (1,400 m) you transfer to your hotel, with the rest of the day free. After more than two weeks in basic lodges — several of them above 4,000 m — a hot shower, clean clothes and a proper meal are genuinely welcome. Thamel is a short walk for anything you need. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Your final day in Nepal. If your flight is later in the day there is time to see more of the Kathmandu Valley — Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple and Swayambhunath are all a short drive from Thamel and each worth an hour.

Our representative will collect you from your hotel and transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport approximately three hours before your scheduled departure.

The Makalu Base Camp trek is one of the wildest routes in Nepal — a walk from subtropical cardamom terraces through untouched rhododendron forest and over three alpine passes into a glacial valley beneath the world's fifth-highest mountain, with barely a village along the way. If you enjoyed the remoteness, the Kanchenjunga treks and the Everest Three Passes route cover comparable ground. Safe travels.