You need a Kanchenjunga Conservation Area permit and, because the area has been treated as restricted, you usually trek through a registered agency with a licensed guide. Rules have changed over the years, so confirm them for your dates. You reach Taplejung by flying to Bhadrapur and driving.
Permits
Trekking here needs a permit for the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area. The wider region has also been under restricted-area rules, which normally mean a special permit, a registered agency and a licensed guide. The rules and fees have changed more than once, so treat any number you read online as out of date until it is confirmed for your dates.
Who arranges them
Your agency arranges the permits in Kathmandu before you leave. You will need a passport copy, passport photos and your travel dates. Allow several working days, and more in the busy spring and autumn seasons.
Getting east
The usual route is a flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur, then a drive of many hours to Taplejung on rough roads. The alternative is a short flight to Suketar when flights run, which saves hours but depends on weather. Build a spare day into your plan at each end.
Staying connected
Mobile signal is patchy in the lower valleys and absent higher up. Tell family that you will be out of contact for days at a time, and carry a satellite messenger if you are walking without a guide close by.
Money and gear
Carry all the cash you need in Nepali rupees, because there are no machines beyond Taplejung. Bring good boots, a warm sleeping bag rated for well below freezing, and a rain jacket. The east of Nepal gets more rain than the west, even in the good seasons.
Paperwork checklist
Bring your passport with enough validity, passport photos, your travel insurance details with climbing and rescue cover, and your agency's confirmation. Keep copies of everything, and keep the originals in a dry bag.
Travel insurance
Choose a policy that covers trekking up to 5,500 m and helicopter evacuation. Read the exclusions, because some policies cap altitude at 4,500 m. Send us the policy before you travel so we can check it.
Plan it
Pick your dates with the best time to go and compare the sides in north versus south base camp.
