Makalu Base Camp trekking is a challenging trek in the Mahalangur Himalayan region of Nepal. Categorized as Moderate to Challenging trekking in Nepal. You should have strong physical fitness and stamina to accomplish Makalu Base Camp trekking. Makalu trek provides a variety of flora and fauna, a local Himalayan community, and a stunning landscape of snow-clad terrain.
The highlight of 18 days Makalu Base Camp Trek
- Trekking along the peaceful landscape with cultivated terraced fields, waterfall, and Rhododendron forest.
- Makalu Base Camp Trek is a challenging trek through glaciers moraine and gorge.
- Explore Sherpa village and experience the rich Sherpa culture by crossing the high pass.
- Enjoy stunning views of the south face of Makalu, Everest, Lhotse, Chamlang, and Baruntse through Makalu Trekking.
Makalu Base Camp Trek is a popular off-the-beaten-path trekking trail in Nepal that takes you to the Makalu base camp (4870m), the fifth-highest mountain in the world (8,481m). The trek is known for its stunning views of the high Himalayan peaks, lush green vegetation, deep river gorges, waterfalls, diverse flora and fauna, sacred ponds, and lakes. The trek starts from Kathmandu by air and drives to Num Bazaar gradually taking you to the highest elevation of the trek to Makalu Base Camp 4,870 meters. The trek is perfect for any age group or first-time trekkers as it starts from a lower altitude and gradually takes you to higher altitudes at a nominal pace with altitude gain.
About local people and customs
The majority of the local dwellers are Rai, Limbu, Gurung, and Sherpa living together with peace and harmony preserving their culture and customs.
The trek is isolated due to its distinct location, thus, the beauty and remoteness still exist. However, it is not a supper challenging trek because some of the acclimatization days are placed into the below itinerary
The cost of an 18-day Makalu Base Camp Trek depends on various factors such as the duration of the trek, the number of people in your group, services, type of trek accommodation, mode of transportation, and so on. Our standard package cost starts from 1200 USD to 2300 USD per head for an 18-day Makalu Trekking.
Necessary permits and fees for Makalu trek
To accomplish the Makalu Base Camp Trek, you need to get two permits:
A) Makalu Barun National Park Conservation Area permit
B) Trekkers’ Information Management Systems (TIMS) Card.
The cost of National Park permits is 30 USD per person and 20 USD per person for TIMS. All these permits shall be arranged by the registered trek company.
Makalu Base Camp adventure starts after the 45-minute flight to Tumlingtar and a four-hour drive to Num. The trek begins from here and walks through the Makalu-Barun National Park the ultimate objective of the trek is to hike to the base camp of Mt. Makalu 8,481m (the fifth-highest mountain in the world) at an altitude of 8,481m. The Makalu Base Camp offers you magnificent views of the south face of Makalu, Everest, Lhotse, and the Barun Glacier. All along the trail, you will enjoy stunning views of Mt Makalu (8,481m), Mt. Chamlang (7,319m), Baruntse (7,129m), and Mera Peak (6,654m). The trail passes through Makalu Barun National Park allowing you to enjoy the pristine wilderness and biodiversity. This trek gives an opportunity to go to Baruntse Base Base Camp, Amphulaptsa pass to the Everest base camp in the Khumbu region. The distinctive feature of Makalu Base Camp trekking is its pristine wilderness as you pass through dense forests of Rhododendron, orchids, maple, magnolia, aromatic herbs, and an unparalleled gallery of the most colorful flowers ever seen in the Himalayas. The best time to undertake the Makalu Base Camp trek is October to early December and April to Mid June is recommended and the rest of the month is the customized month as per clients' interests and requirements.
Makalu Base Camp Trek Route
The trekking route to Makalu follows the local path to go from one village to another. Num Village-Tashi Gaon-Mumbuk-Yangle Kharka-Makalu Base Camp and return back to Tumlingtar and fly or drive back to Kathmandu.
It is an 18-day tea house trek all the way to Makalu Base Camp and back. If anyone thinking of going to Amphulaptsa pass to Chhukung in the Everest region then you should prepare a full camping trek and should have knowledge of technical crevasse and Glacier walking. The mentioned itinerary is just an idea, if you have your own customized plan please feel free to share.