Everest Base Camp vs Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek

Everest Base Camp is a well-supported trek of 12 to 14 days on a busy trail with good lodges. Kanchenjunga Base Camp is a remote trek of about 20 to 24 days in the far east of Nepal, in a restricted area with simple lodges and very few trekkers. Choose Everest for a first big trek; choose Kanchenjunga if you have three weeks and want wilderness.

Everest Base Camp and Kanchenjunga Base Camp at a glance

• Days from Kathmandu. Everest Base Camp: 12 to 14. Kanchenjunga Base Camp: 20 to 24 for both base camps.
• Highest point. Everest Base Camp: Kala Patthar, 5,545 m. Kanchenjunga Base Camp: Pangpema, about 5,140 m.
• Permits. Everest Base Camp: national park and local permit. Kanchenjunga Base Camp: restricted area permit and conservation area permit; minimum two trekkers with a guide.
• Lodges. Everest Base Camp: comfortable, with wide menus. Kanchenjunga Base Camp: basic, with simple meals; some sections very sparse.
• Trekkers per year. Everest Base Camp: tens of thousands. Kanchenjunga Base Camp: a few thousand at most.
• Access. Everest Base Camp: flight to Lukla. Kanchenjunga Base Camp: flight to Bhadrapur and a long drive to Taplejung.

Two very different journeys

The Everest trek is short, high and social. Within two days of Kathmandu you are in Namche Bazaar with a bakery and a view of 6,000 m peaks, and the trail above is shared with trekkers from all over the world. The Kanchenjunga trek starts in cardamom fields and subtropical forest at about 1,200 m and takes more than a week to reach the high country. On the way you pass through Limbu, Rai and Sherpa villages that see few visitors, and for whole days you may meet no other group.

North and south base camps

Kanchenjunga has two base camps on the Nepal side. The north, Pangpema at about 5,140 m, faces the huge north face. The south, Oktang at about 4,700 m, looks up the Yalung Glacier. A full trek visits both, crossing between the valleys over the Sele La group of passes. Shorter trips of two weeks visit one only. See north vs south base camp.

Difficulty and risk

Neither trek is technical. Everest goes higher and has the greater altitude risk. Kanchenjunga is harder in other ways: more days, rougher trails, longer stages, simpler food and little help close by. Rescue takes longer to arrange. It suits people who have already done a trek of two weeks and enjoyed it.

Cost

Kanchenjunga costs more overall, mainly because it is longer and needs special permits, a guide and usually porters for the whole route, plus flights and long jeep transfers. Per day the two are closer. Everest has the Lukla flight; Kanchenjunga has the permit and the distance.

Best season

Both are best from October to November and March to May. Kanchenjunga has a shorter window. The eastern Himalaya gets the monsoon earlier and heavier, so trails stay wet into late September, and high lodges close in winter when the passes between the two base camps fill with snow. Spring is superb in the east, with long stretches of rhododendron forest in bloom.

Food and lodging in practice

On the Everest trail you can order pizza, fresh coffee and apple pie, charge a phone and usually find Wi-Fi. On the Kanchenjunga trek expect dal bhat, noodles, potatoes and tea, rooms with thin walls and a shared fire in the kitchen. Higher up some lodges open only in season, and groups sometimes carry a tent as a back-up. For many trekkers this simplicity is the attraction.

Getting there and back

Everest needs one short flight. Kanchenjunga needs a flight to Bhadrapur in the far south-east, a drive of a day or more through Ilam's tea country to Taplejung or beyond, and the same in reverse. Allow two full days of travel at each end.

Choose Everest Base Camp if

• This is your first or second trek in Nepal.
• You have two weeks.
• You want good lodges and plenty of company.
• Standing at the foot of Everest matters to you.

Choose Kanchenjunga Base Camp if

• You have three weeks or more.
• You have trekked at altitude before.
• You want empty trails and real remoteness.
• You can travel as a pair or group, as the permit requires.

Plan it

See the Everest Base Camp guides and the Kanchenjunga Base Camp trek guides, or ask us about dates and group size.

Common questions

Is Kanchenjunga Base Camp harder than Everest Base Camp?

It is longer and more remote, with rougher trails, so most people find it harder overall, although Everest reaches a greater height.

Can you trek Kanchenjunga solo?

No. The restricted area permit needs at least two trekkers and a licensed guide through a registered agency.

Which is more crowded?

Everest, by a very wide margin.

Which has better views?

Everest for famous peaks close together; Kanchenjunga for scale and solitude.

Heights, days, fees and rules are approximate and can change, so confirm the current details with us before you book.