Makalu Base Camp Trek: Everything You Need to Know

Makalu (8,485 m) is the fifth-highest mountain in the world, sitting just 22 km east of Everest. The Makalu Base Camp Trek is a 16-day expedition to the base of this isolated, beautiful peak — a trek that gets you closer to a major 8,000 m mountain than almost any other in Nepal, with a fraction of the crowds of EBC. If you have done the Everest trek and want something more remote, this is the obvious next step.

Here is the honest guide: how to get there, what it costs, how to plan the itinerary, and what makes Makalu special compared to other 8,000 m base camp treks.

What Is Makalu?

Makalu is an isolated 8,485 m peak 22 km southeast of Everest, sitting entirely within Nepal on the border with Tibet. The mountain is named after the Hindu god Shiva (one of whose names is 'Maha Kala', meaning 'Big Black'), and its pyramid-shaped summit is considered one of the most beautiful of all the 8,000 m peaks. Makalu was first summited in 1955 by a French team led by Jean Franco — and remains a serious mountaineering objective, with fewer successful summits than Everest or K2.

The Makalu Barun National Park covers 1,500 km² of eastern Nepal and is one of the most biologically diverse protected areas in the Himalayas, ranging from tropical forest at 400 m to alpine tundra at 4,000 m. The Makalu Barun National Park pages provide ecological background. The park is home to red panda, snow leopard, Himalayan black bear and over 420 species of birds.

Makalu Base Camp Trek Itinerary (17 Days from Kathmandu)

Day	From → To	Walk Hrs	Altitude (m)
1	Kathmandu → Tumlingtar (flight) → Num (jeep)	—	1,560
2	Num → Chichila	5	1,980
3	Chichila → Numra → Seduwa	6	1,500
4	Seduwa → Tashigaon	4	2,100
5	Tashigaon → Khongma	6	3,560
6	Acclimatization at Khongma	—	3,560
7	Khongma → Dobate → Mumbuk	6	3,550
8	Mumbuk → Yangri Kharka	5	3,610
9	Yangri Kharka → Sherson → Makalu Base Camp (4,870 m)	6	4,870
10	Acclimatization + viewpoint hike (5,500 m)	—	4,870
11	Base Camp → Yangri Kharka	5	3,610
12	Yangri Kharka → Mumbuk	5	3,550
13	Mumbuk → Khongma	6	3,560
14	Khongma → Tashigaon → Seduwa	6	1,500
15	Seduwa → Chichila → Num → Tumlingtar (jeep)	—	400
16–17	Tumlingtar → Kathmandu (flight)	—	1,400

Makalu Permits and Cost

Permit / Item	Cost (USD)
Makalu Barun National Park Entry Permit	$30 (SAARC $15)
TIMS Card	$10
Licensed guide (per day)	$30–$40
Full-board tea house trek (per day)	$40–$50
Kathmandu–Tumlingtar return flight	$230
Tumlingtar–Num jeep (one-way)	$30
Total 17-day trek (all inclusive)	$1,500–$2,000

Best Time to Trek Makalu Base Camp

October–November and April–May are the prime windows. October–November gives the clearest views of Makalu's summit. April–May is the climbing season — you may see climbing expeditions at Base Camp — and the weather is more stable. Avoid monsoon (June–September) — the lower Makalu trail (Num to Tashigaon) is a notorious leech highway. December–March is too cold at Base Camp (−20 °C at night) for safe trekking.

How Hard Is Makalu Base Camp?

Hard. Makalu is one of the most physically demanding tea-house treks in Nepal. You will be walking for 17 days, with sustained altitude above 4,000 m for a week, and a maximum altitude of 4,870 m at Base Camp (with an optional day hike to 5,500 m for acclimatization). The trail between Tashigaon and Khongma is a 1,400 m uphill on a steep, exposed ridge — one of the toughest single-day climbs on any major Nepal trek. Prior high-altitude experience above 4,500 m is strongly recommended.

Makalu is not a good choice for first-time trekkers. If you have not done a 14+ day trek above 4,000 m, do Manaslu Circuit or Annapurna Circuit first. For acclimatization basics, see our altitude sickness in Nepal guide.

Tea Houses on the Makalu Trail

Tea houses in the lower Makalu valley (Num, Chichila, Seduwa, Tashigaon) are basic but adequate — shared rooms, simple menus, friendly families. Above Khongma, tea houses are very basic: dormitory rooms, no heating, no showers, limited menu. There is no mobile signal above Khongma until you return. Bring a power bank and a 4-season sleeping bag.

Several agencies offer 'semi-camping' Makalu treks — meaning the guide carries a backup tent and food in case the tea houses are full. This is a good idea in shoulder seasons. Book through a registered Makalu-area agency rather than a Kathmandu agency that has never been there.

Highlights of Makalu Base Camp Trek

• Makalu Base Camp (4,870 m) — the closest viewpoint to Makalu's massive south face, one of the great mountain walls in the Himalayas
• The Makalu Barun Valley — one of the most biologically diverse valleys in the Himalayas, with rhododendron forest, bamboo groves and alpine meadows
• The Shereni viewpoint (5,500 m, optional day hike) — close-up view of Makalu, Everest, Lhotse and Kangchenjunga from a single point
• Tashigaon village — the last traditional Sherpa village on the trail, with stone houses and 400-year-old gompa
• Wildlife — Makalu Barun is one of the best places in Nepal to see red panda, Himalayan tahr and (rarely) snow leopard

Makalu Base Camp vs Everest Base Camp — Which Should You Choose?

Factor	Makalu Base Camp	Everest Base Camp
Days	17	12–14
Max altitude	4,870 m (5,500 m day hike)	5,545 m (Kala Patthar)
Cost	$1,500–$2,000	$1,200–$1,800
Crowds	Very low	Very high
Mountain views	Makalu (close), Everest (distant)	Everest (close), Makalu (distant)
Tea houses	Basic	Comfortable
Flight	Kathmandu–Tumlingtar	Kathmandu–Lukla
Best for	Serious trekkers, isolation	Iconic EBC experience

If you want the iconic EBC experience with comfortable tea houses and plenty of company: EBC. See our Everest Base Camp day-by-day guide. If you have already done EBC and want the next level of isolation and remoteness: Makalu.

Makalu Base Camp is the trek I recommend to anyone who has done EBC or Manaslu and wants to go somewhere genuinely remote in the eastern Himalayas. It is hard, expensive and quiet — but the close-up view of Makalu's pyramid from Base Camp is one of the great mountain moments in Nepal.