22-Day Makalu Base Camp Trek Nepal

22 Days to the Foot of the World's Fifth-Highest Peak

Days 1 to 3  |  Kathmandu and the Flight East

Arrive in Kathmandu and spend two days at the valley's UNESCO heritage sites. On Day Three, fly to Tumlingtar, a short and scenic flight past the Khumbu ranges with Makalu and Everest visible from the window. The subtropical airfield at Tumlingtar is the start of an approach that climbs from jungle heat to glacial cold over the next two weeks.

Days 4 to 8  |  The Arun Gorge

Trek through the Newari market town of Khandbari and along excellent ridge paths with views across the layered eastern foothills. Descend steeply through dense deciduous forest to the Arun River at 690 meters, one of the lowest points on any major Himalayan trek, then climb back up through banana groves and terraced fields to Tashi Gaun, the last permanent village on the route and the gateway to the passes above.

Days 9 to 13  |  The High Passes and the Barun Valley

Cross the Shipton La, then the Keke La at 4,230 meters and the Tutu La at 4,185 meters, to enter the Barun Valley. Follow the Barun Khola upstream through cloud forest and past waterfalls dropping from the cliffs, climbing through alpine pasture to the high camp at Shershong. From here the north wall of Makalu's east ridge takes over the skyline, still lit at sunset after the light has gone from the surrounding peaks.

Days 14 to 15  |  Makalu Base Camp

Reach Makalu Base Camp at 4,705 meters, at the foot of the mountain. From here the pyramid of Makalu looks carved, with clean ridges and sheer faces. From the plateau above camp, the Kangshung Face of Everest fills the western horizon: 3,000 meters of ice, visible only from this side of the range.

Days 16 to 22  |  The Return

Retrace the route over the high passes, with a sunset camp on the Shipton La, then descend through the Arun Valley to Tumlingtar. Fly from Tumlingtar to Kathmandu for the last night and your international departure.

Day by Day

Days 1 to 2  Kathmandu  Sacred Sites and the Briefing

Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfer to your hotel with a traditional Sherpa welcome. You have two days in the Kathmandu Valley: Swayambhunath on its hilltop, with the painted eyes of the Buddha watching over the city; Pashupatinath on the Bagmati River, where the cremation ghats have been in continuous use for centuries; and Boudhanath, the great stupa at the center of the Tibetan Buddhist community in Nepal. The pre-trek briefing covers the route, the altitude gain, gear, and the acclimatization plan for the high passes. This is a demanding expedition, and the briefing is thorough.

Stay: Kathmandu Hotel

Day 3  Kathmandu to Tumlingtar  The Flight East

The flight from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar is one of the best mountain flights in Nepal. It tracks east along the Himalaya with the Khumbu peaks to the north and, on clear days, the pyramid of Makalu above the nearer ridges well before the plane starts its descent. The airfield at Tumlingtar sits in a subtropical valley at 518 meters, warm and green and very different from the high country ahead. The trek starts at the airstrip and heads through green hills to the first camp.

Stay: Professional Tented Camp

Days 4 to 8  Mane Bhanjyang to Tashi Gaun  The Arun Gorge

The route through the Arun Valley is one of the most ecologically varied sections of any major trek in Nepal, dropping from subtropical ridge forest to a river gorge below 700 meters before climbing back to the high country. The Newari market town of Khandbari is the last sizable settlement on the lower approach, a busy bazaar serving the farming villages of the eastern hills. From the ridge paths above town you see fold after fold of forested ridges fading into the eastern haze: the green middle hills that lie below the high Himalaya.

The descent to the Arun River is steep, through dense deciduous forest, with the trail dropping through oak and rhododendron to the river at 690 meters, where the gorge walls close in and the sound of the water fills the valley. The Arun here is one of the most powerful rivers in Nepal: big, cold, and fast, running from its source in Tibet through the deepest gorge in the country. The climb back up passes banana groves and terraced fields to Tashi Gaun, the Lucky Village, at roughly 2,050 meters. This is the last permanent settlement on the route; above it, the country belongs to yak herders and expeditions.

On the approach to Tashi Gaun you can see the change to Buddhist culture: mani walls carved with the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum beside the trail, prayer flags strung between trees on the ridges above, and houses that change from the tiled roofs of the Hindu lower hills to the flat-topped stone buildings of the Buddhist high country. The shift is gradual.

Stay: Professional Tented Camp

Days 9 to 13  Shipton La to Shershong  Into the Barun Valley

The Shipton La, at approximately 4,230 meters, is named for Eric Shipton, the British mountaineer and explorer who surveyed this part of the eastern Himalaya in the 1950s and whose expeditions made the first detailed maps of the Makalu-Barun region. The climb to the pass goes through cloud forest, with huge rhododendrons and branches draped in old-man's-beard lichen, one of the best forest sections of the whole route. From the pass you look down into the Barun Valley and get your first clear view of Makalu's east ridge.

From the Shipton La the route crosses the Keke La at 4,230 meters and the Tutu La at 4,185 meters in quick succession, each giving a different angle on the surrounding ranges. You reach the Barun Valley floor on the afternoon of the second day of this section, and from there you see the scale of it: walls of ice and rock on every side, waterfalls dropping hundreds of meters from the cliffs, and the Barun Khola running cold and clear through an alpine meadow that sees almost no people outside expedition season.

The high camp at Shershong sits in the upper Barun on a grassy plateau above the last trees, with the north wall of Makalu's east ridge rising straight ahead at sunset. The mountain is already enormous from here, and the light on the upper face in the last hour before dark makes this a favorite camp for many experienced Himalayan trekkers.

Stay: Professional Tented Camp

Days 14 to 15  Makalu Base Camp  Base Camp and the Plateau

Makalu Base Camp, at 4,705 meters. At 8,485 meters Makalu is the world's fifth-highest peak, and its four ridges meet at the summit in a shape closer to geometric perfection than any other mountain of its size: a pyramid so clean and steep that no two faces look alike and each angle shows a different set of climbing problems. Mountaineers who have seen all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks often rank Makalu from base camp among the most impressive. The camp sits in a broad glacial bowl, with the mountain filling the whole northern view.

On the second day, a hike to the plateau above base camp opens the view to the west. The Kangshung Face of Everest appears above the nearer ridges: the mountain's eastern side, a near-vertical wall of ice and rock about 3,000 meters from base to summit, and the least visited face of the highest mountain in the world. Very few accessible points look onto it, and this plateau is one of them. From here you see Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and the ring of Barun peaks all at once.

Stay: Professional Tented Camp

Days 16 to 19  The Homeward Passes  Barun to Arun

The return crosses the Tutu La, Keke La, and Shipton La in reverse, with a sunset camp on the pass itself on the last high night. The Shipton La at sunset, with the Barun Valley below to the east and the ridges of the Arun basin falling away to the west, is one of the best campsites on the route. The next morning you descend through the cloud forest toward Tashi Gaun, on ground you now know well.

Stay: Professional Tented Camp

Days 20 to 22  Return to Kathmandu

Finish the descent through the Arun Valley to Tumlingtar and take the morning flight back to Kathmandu, along the same Himalayan skyline as on the way out; this time you will recognize Makalu from the window. Your last day in Kathmandu is free for rest, Thamel, and a final walk through the market. International departure is on Day 22 or the next morning, depending on your flight home.

Stay: Kathmandu Hotel then International Departure

The Sherpa Standard

Every SherpaHolidays trip is fully supported. Here is what that means on this one.

Accommodation and Meals

• Kathmandu: Hotel rooms on a twin-sharing basis, with a traditional welcome.
• Expedition Camping: 17 nights in professional tented camps with high-quality equipment, at carefully chosen campsites along the route.
• Full Board: All meals on the trek: three fresh, nutritious meals a day prepared by the expedition kitchen team.

Leadership and Logistics

• Expedition Lead Guide: A dedicated English-speaking Sherpa guide with specialist knowledge of Makalu-Barun National Park and the high-pass crossings.
• Sherpa Support Team: A full team of professional porters and assistants who handle all logistics, carry the equipment, and run the camps.
• Altitude Protocol: Regular altitude monitoring and planned acclimatization days for all high-pass crossings above 4,000 meters.

Transport and Logistics

• Internal Flights: Kathmandu to Tumlingtar and return, for guests and trekking staff.
• Private Transfers: All airport pickups, drop-offs, and city transfers in private vehicles.
• Permits and Fees: All trekking permits, Makalu-Barun National Park fees, and monument entry fees, handled for you.

What Is Not Included

• International airfare to and from Kathmandu
• Nepal entry visa fees
• Lunch and dinner while in Kathmandu
• Specialized high-altitude trekking clothing, sleeping bags rated for expedition temperatures, and personal medications
• Comprehensive travel insurance, which is a condition of every booking. Your policy must cover emergency medical treatment, emergency evacuation, trip cancellation and interruption, and repatriation. We can recommend providers.
• Tips for guides and porters
• Single supplement (for those taking a private room)

Five Highlights

Makalu Base Camp

At 8,485 meters, Makalu is the world's fifth-highest peak and is widely regarded as the most perfect pyramid in the Himalaya, its four ridges meeting at a summit so clean it looks designed. From base camp at 4,705 meters, the mountain fills the whole northern view. Mountaineers who have stood at the foot of all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks often rank this view of Makalu among the most impressive.

The Kangshung Face of Everest

The plateau above Makalu Base Camp looks out on the Kangshung Face, Everest's eastern side: a near-vertical wall of ice and rock about 3,000 meters from base to summit, which you cannot see from almost anywhere in the standard trekking regions. The first expedition to climb this face did so in 1983. From the plateau you see Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu at once, above the ring of Barun peaks. The trek to reach this view takes 22 days.

The Barun Valley

Ed Hillary, who by the mid-1950s had climbed Everest and explored some of the most remote corners of the world, called the Barun Valley the most beautiful high-altitude valley he had ever seen. Only a few trekking groups come here each season. The valley floor is broad alpine meadow, with walls of ice and rock on every side, waterfalls dropping hundreds of meters from the cliffs above, and the Barun Khola running cold and clear down the middle.

The Shipton La and the History of Exploration

The Shipton La is named for Eric Shipton, whose expeditions through this part of the eastern Himalaya in the early 1950s produced the first detailed maps of the Makalu-Barun region and laid the groundwork for the first ascent of Everest. Shipton and Hillary both walked through this country. The trail to the pass that carries Shipton's name climbs through cloud forest that looks much as it did when they came through.

From Tropics to Ice

The route from Tumlingtar to Makalu Base Camp covers one of the widest ecological ranges of any trek in Nepal: subtropical river gorge at 690 meters, dense deciduous forest on the climb out, cloud forest hung with lichen below the passes, high alpine meadow in the Barun Valley, and glacial terrain at base camp. Over the two-week approach you walk from banana trees to glaciers.