Makalu Region Treks

The Arun Valley Trek is a low-altitude traverse of eastern Nepal's middle hills, from the airstrip at Tumlingtar in the Arun valley to Lukla at the gateway to the Khumbu. Instead of heading north to Makalu, it turns west: through terraced farmland and paper-making villages, up to the forested Salpa Bhanjyang pass at about 3,350 m, and across a series of ridges and side valleys before joining the trail below Lukla. Most of the route stays between 1,000 and 3,000 m, so altitude is rarely the limiting factor. The effort comes from the terrain: long climbs and descents between river valleys, often on stone steps, with several passes around 3,000 m on the second half. Villages along the way are home to Rai and Sherpa communities, and much of the accommodation is in homestays and simple lodges rather than the busier teahouses of the Everest trails. It suits trekkers who want a quiet, cultural route with mountain views rather than a high-altitude goal, and those who want to walk into the Everest region instead of flying straight to Lukla. Because it ends at Lukla, it can be extended up to Namche Bazaar or Everest Base Camp. Licence-verified guides you contact directly can suggest how to pace it and whether to continue into the Khumbu.

📅 Duration: 10-14 Days

🏔️ Max Altitude: 3350m

📝 Permit: Standard Parks

The Makalu Base Camp Trek climbs from the hot, terraced Arun valley to the foot of Makalu, the world's fifth-highest mountain, through Makalu-Barun National Park. From Num the route drops to the Arun river, then climbs through the Rai and Sherpa villages of Seduwa and Tashigaon before crossing the Shipton La area, a high ridge with small lakes, into the upper Barun valley. The Barun valley is the reason most people come. It narrows into a deep glacial trough with granite walls and waterfalls, then opens out below Makalu's south face at base camp, with Chamlang and Baruntse nearby. The national park protects some of Nepal's least disturbed forest, from rhododendron and fir to alpine meadow. Lodges are basic and widely spaced, and the stages over the Shipton La and up the Barun are long, so this is a trek for people who have already done a teahouse route and want a quieter, wilder one. The itinerary includes acclimatisation time at Khongma before the high crossing. Licence-verified guides you contact directly can tell you how they handle the permits, lodges and weather on this route.

📅 Duration: 18-22 Days

🏔️ Max Altitude: 4870m

📝 Permit: Standard Parks

The Makalu to Kanchenjunga Trek links two of Nepal's most remote eastern regions along the line of the Great Himalaya Trail. It starts from the Arun valley below Makalu, climbs through the Lhomi villages of Hongon and Chyamtang to the summer settlement of Thudam, then crosses the Lumba Sumba pass (about 5,160 m) into the upper Tamor valley. On the far side, Olangchung Gola is an old Tibetan trading village with a long-established monastery, a reminder that these valleys once carried salt and wool across the border. The route then crosses the Nango La to Ghunsa and finishes with the high country of the Kanchenjunga north side, Khambachen, Lhonak and Pangpema, before walking out to Taplejung. This is a long expedition-style trek rather than a teahouse route. Several sections have no lodges and need tents, the trail beyond Chyamtang is overgrown in places and hard to follow, and two restricted areas mean the trip has to be arranged through a registered agency with a licensed guide. In return it crosses country that very few trekkers see, with almost no other groups. Licence-verified guides you contact directly can explain how they supply the camping sections and which direction they prefer.

📅 Duration: 24-28 Days

🏔️ Max Altitude: 5159m

📝 Permit: Restricted (≈ US$125 in permits)