Saipal Base Camp Trek

Route: Tribhuvan International Airport → Hotel in Kathmandu

Altitude: Kathmandu – approx. 1,400 m

Transfer Time: Approx. 30–45 minutes

Meals: Not Included

Overnight: 3/4 Star Hotel in Kathmandu

Welcome to Nepal! On arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, our representative will greet you and transfer you to your hotel in Kathmandu. After checking in, the rest of the day is free to rest after your journey or take a relaxed stroll through the lively streets of Thamel. In the evening, your trek leader will meet you for a short briefing on the route, gear, domestic flight baggage limits and what to expect from a fully supported camping trek in remote far-western Nepal.

Route: Kathmandu Sightseeing → Evening Flight to Nepalgunj

Altitude: Kathmandu – approx. 1,400 m → Nepalgunj – approx. 150 m

Sightseeing: Boudhanath, Swayambhunath & Kathmandu Durbar Square

Flight Time: Approx. 1 hour

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Overnight: 3/4 Star Hotel in Nepalgunj

After breakfast, set out on a guided half-day tour of three of Kathmandu's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Circle the giant white dome of Boudhanath Stupa alongside pilgrims spinning prayer wheels, climb to the hilltop Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple) for sweeping views across the valley, and wander the palaces, courtyards and pagoda temples of Kathmandu Durbar Square.

The afternoon is free for final packing and any last-minute gear shopping. In the evening, take a short flight west to Nepalgunj, a warm lowland town on the Indian border and the gateway to the Humla region. Transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Route: Nepalgunj → Simikot (flight) → Kharpunath

Altitude: Simikot – approx. 2,910 m → Kharpunath – approx. 2,100 m

Flight Time: Approx. 45 minutes

Walking Time: Approx. 3–4 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Camping at Kharpunath

An early-morning mountain flight takes you north over the Mahabharat and Himalayan foothills to the airstrip at Simikot, the district headquarters of Humla and the traditional gateway to Mount Kailash. Our camping and kitchen crew will be waiting on arrival. Spend the morning exploring Simikot's stone houses, prayer flags and busy bazaar while the team prepares the loads.

After lunch, begin the trek with a gentle descent to Kharpunath, home to a revered Hindu temple set on the banks of the Karnali River. Descending to a lower camp on the first night is an excellent start for acclimatisation. Settle into your first campsite beside the river.

Route: Kharpunath → Ripghad

Altitude: Kharpunath – approx. 2,100 m → Ripghad – approx. 2,250 m

Walking Time: Approx. 6–7 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Camping at Ripghad

Follow the roaring Humla Karnali downstream on an old trading trail that hugs the river through terraced fields, walnut groves and pine forest. Along the way you pass typical Khas villages, where flat-roofed houses are stacked up the hillsides and daily life has changed little in generations. Few trekkers ever come this way, so expect curious smiles and warm greetings. Camp tonight near Ripghad.

Route: Ripghad → Ogaliya → Kheta

Altitude: Ripghad – approx. 2,250 m → Kheta – approx. 2,650 m

Walking Time: Approx. 6–7 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Camping at Kheta

Today the trail turns west and becomes noticeably tougher. Leaving the Humla Karnali where it bends away to the southeast, you follow a smaller tributary into the Khet Khola valley, winding around forested ridges and spurs through pristine pine forest. The scattered settlements here, such as Ogaliya, are tiny and rarely visited by outsiders. Continue along the Khet Khola until reaching a flat, sheltered spot to make camp near Kheta.

Route: Kheta → Dhid Lagna Pass → Kawadi Khola

Altitude: Kheta – approx. 2,650 m → Dhid Lagna Pass – approx. 3,650 m → Kawadi Khola – approx. 3,100 m

Walking Time: Approx. 7–8 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Camping at Kawadi Khola

A demanding but rewarding day. The trail climbs steeply out of the Khet Khola through dense pine forest, where the deep valleys still hide most of the high peaks, offering only tantalising glimpses of what lies ahead. The ascent tops out at the Dhid Lagna Pass (approx. 3,650 m), your first pass of the trek. From here a steep, knee-testing descent drops down to camp beside the Kawadi Khola. Trekking poles are a big help today.

Route: Kawadi Khola → Dhaule Kharka → Rani Kharka

Altitude: Kawadi Khola – approx. 3,100 m → Rani Kharka – approx. 3,900 m

Walking Time: Approx. 5–6 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Camping at Rani Kharka

Climb steadily around the hillsides, leaving the pine forest behind for open high pastures. The route follows the valley up to Dhaule Kharka, a seasonal herders' meadow, where the landscape suddenly opens and big panoramic views begin. Continue to Rani Kharka, a wide grassy camp with a front-row view of the massive east face of Saipal (7,031 m), the second-highest peak in far-western Nepal. Evenings here, as the last light fades on the ice, are unforgettable.

Route: Rani Kharka → Saipal Base Camp (Nunekhara Glacier) → Rani Kharka

Altitude: Rani Kharka – approx. 3,900 m → Saipal Base Camp area – approx. 4,100 m

Walking Time: Approx. 5–6 hours (return)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Camping at Rani Kharka

Today is the highlight of the journey. Hike up the valley towards Saipal Base Camp to get up close to the colossal east face of the mountain. The snout of the Nunekhara Glacier, with its turquoise glacial lake and floating ice, is as far as you can go without climbing gear. The day can be as long or as short as you like, since you return along the same trail.

Juniper, Himalayan rhododendron and aromatic high-altitude herbs frame the views, and Himalayan monals, eagles and vultures are regular sightings. Return to Rani Kharka for the night.

Route: Rani Kharka → Tharang Kharka → Lepcha Kharka

Altitude: Rani Kharka – approx. 3,900 m → Lepcha Kharka – approx. 4,450 m

Walking Time: Approx. 6–7 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Camping at Lepcha Kharka

Take your time leaving Rani Kharka and enjoy a last morning in the valley beneath Saipal. The trail passes through Tharang Kharka, little more than a basic herders' shelter, before heading north into the Lepcha Khola. From here you begin climbing towards the Sakya Lagna, making camp high below the pass at or near Lepcha Kharka. Breaking the ascent here keeps tomorrow's pass crossing manageable.

Route: Lepcha Kharka → Sakya Lagna Pass → Khaniphuk Kharka → Chala

Altitude: Lepcha Kharka – approx. 4,450 m → Sakya Lagna – approx. 4,709 m → Chala – approx. 3,750 m

Walking Time: Approx. 6–7 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Camping at Chala

An early start for the crossing of the Sakya Lagna (4,709 m), the highest point of the trek. The final climb is a slog, but the summit panorama is worth every step: Saipal gleams to the southwest, while to the north an endless line of jagged ridges marks the edge of the Tibetan Plateau.

Descend through Khaniphuk Kharka and steeply down to the confluence of the Karang Khola and Kalungba Khola, then cross the Kalungba and climb to Chala, a traditional Tibetan-style village of stone houses and prayer flags. The high flora and fauna of this area are another highlight of the day.

Route: Chala → Syakup Pass → Humla Karnali Bridge (near Muchu) → Yalbang Gompa

Altitude: Chala – approx. 3,750 m → Syakup Pass – approx. 4,214 m → Yalbang – approx. 3,020 m

Walking Time: Approx. 6–7 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Camping at Yalbang

A long and varied day. From Chala the trail climbs over the Syakup Pass (4,214 m), then drops very steeply into the Puiya Khola side valley, where a forest trail leads down to the Humla Karnali bridge near Muchu. A steady climb brings you to Yalbang.

You are now on the ancient salt-trading route between Nepal and Tibet, once travelled by caravans of sheep and goats. Yalbang is home to the Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery, where young monks study Buddhism alongside mathematics and English. If time allows, visit the monastery and its prayer hall in the late afternoon.

Route: Yalbang → Simikot

Altitude: Yalbang – approx. 3,020 m → Simikot – approx. 2,910 m

Driving Time: Approx. 4–5 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Overnight: Guest House in Simikot

The newly opened dirt road along the Humla Karnali now connects Yalbang with Simikot, so today the whole team travels back by jeep. The track is rough and bumpy, but it winds past Kermi and other riverside villages with fine views of the valley. On arrival in Simikot, check in to your guest house and celebrate the end of the trek with the crew.

Route: Simikot → Nepalgunj → Kathmandu (flights)

Altitude: Simikot – approx. 2,910 m → Kathmandu – approx. 1,400 m

Flight Time: Approx. 1 hour 50 minutes (including connection)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Overnight: 3/4 Star Hotel in Kathmandu

Take an early-morning flight from Simikot to Nepalgunj and connect onward to Kathmandu. After checking into your hotel, the rest of the day is free to explore the markets or shop for souvenirs. In the evening, join the team for a farewell dinner to celebrate a successful journey to one of Nepal's most remote base camps.

Route: Hotel in Kathmandu → Tribhuvan International Airport

Transfer Time: Approx. 30–45 minutes

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast and some free time until your departure. Our representative will transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport in good time for your flight home, with memories of the wild and untouched far west of Nepal.