Arun Valley and Mike Danda Trek - 18 Days

1. Day 1 Arrive in Kathmandu 1,300m. Transfer to Hotel.

   When you arrive at Kathmandu International Airport, our staff will be there to greet you outside the airport exit terminal gate. They will provide you with complimentary transport to your respective hotel. Our guide will meet you at your hotel. He will brief you about the hotel, Kathmandu, and Trekking / Camping in Arun Valley, and Mike Danda. He will also give the do’s and don’ts and other related information in Nepal.

2. Day 2 Half Day sightseeing tour of Kathmandu.

   Today day will be your cultural tour of Kathmandu valley. You will have breakfast at the hotel and head out to the various UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu. You will go to the most renowned temples in Kathmandu like Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath (Monkey temple), Boudhanath, Kathmandu Durbar Square, and Patan Durbar. All of these temples reflect the wonderful architecture of the medieval period of Nepal.

3. Day 3 Fly to Tumlingtar 950m. 5 – 6 hrs.

   Today will fly to Tumlingtar. The altitude of Tumlingtar is merely 950 meters. This is 450 meters below the altitude of Kathmandu valley.

   You will take a bus to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu Airport and head out to Tumlingtar in a flight that lasts approximately 40 minutes long. You can see various snow-capped peaks from Langtang all the way to Mt. Everest, Makalu & Mt. Kanchenjunga during the flight.

   The airport at Tumlingtar is located on a shelf above the Arun River. At the airport, you will meet our trekking crew and porters. You can see a distant view of Mt.Makalu from the airport. You will head out for an overnight camp in a village in Tumlingtar. During the evening time, you can go for a stroll around the nearby villages.

4. Day 4 Drive to Chinchilla 1,800m. Approx 5 – 6 hours.

   The fourth day’s trip starts with a pleasant 5-6-hour drive along with the farm fields and village to Chinchilla. You will gain an altitude of around 900 meters this day as the altitude of Chinchilla is 1800 meters.

   As you leave Tumlingtar, the road takes a gentle uphill to Khadbari. You will be surrounded by the sub-tropical forests of Sal (Shorea-Robusta) trees along the way. You will pass through a few more farm fields along the way before you reach Khadbari. Khad-bari is the headquarter of Sankha Sabha. It is a rather large town village with a busy bazaar. The market is especially busy on Saturday.

   The trail from Khadbari to the village of Manibhanjang has a few uphills and downhills. The road is not paved as you drive along the dirt road and ascend a ridge to get to the village of Chinchilla. There are plenty of productive farmed land, lush green forest, dense undergrowth, and a variety of fern species. Chinchilla is a small farm village that offers you wonderful views of Mt.Makalu 8,463m and the Khumbukarna mountain range. This village has around 6-8 houses.

5. Day 5 Trek to Mamakhe 1,870m. approx. 4 – 5 Hrs.

   This day’s trek from Chinchilla to Mamakhe has a few gentle uphills and downhills. You will reach an altitude of 1870 meters this day after trekking for 4-5 hours.

   The trekking route leaves the main trail of Makalu after Chinchilla. This is not a path that is not quite popular among western trekkers. Therefore, the trail is quite fresh. You will walk along with farm fields and rural villages before reaching the overnight camp at Mamakehe.

6. Day 6 Trek to Barabise 1,200m. 4 – 5 hrs.

   You will walk through a cool dense bamboo forest on your way to Bara-bise. You will also come across a number of streams. The number of streams is higher if you come here during the monsoon season. The path has many downhills as you will descend to an altitude of 1200 meters in Bara-bise. You will also cross numerous farmhouses before reaching Bara-bise.

   The total length of the days’ trek will be somewhere between 4-5 hours. Bara-bise is a gorgeously small village that has thatch-roofed houses. The village is located by the side of a river This place is more or less subtropical.

7. Day 7 Trek to Deorali 1,800m. 5 – 6 hrs.

   The route from Barabise heads towards the northern side. Along the way, you will leave the river at Barabise behind. You will ascent gently through farm terraces almost all the way to Deorali. You will gain an altitude of 600 meters this day as the altitude of Deurali is 1800 meters. You will reach Deurali for an overnight camp after a trek of 5-6 hours. A cool breeze blows in Deurali. You can feel the temperature getting cooler compared to the previous regions in the trek.

8. Day 8 Trek to Apung 1,930m. 5 – 6 hrs.

   The trek from Deurali to Apung continues along with more remote areas. You will encounter just a few farm villages. The trek takes place more or less along a dense forest that is full of rhododendron, magnolia, and oaks, and other alpine trees. Apung has an altitude of 1930 meters. So, the trek is quite gently sloped. You will trek only a few gentle uphills before reaching your overnight camp Apung after trekking for around 5-6 hours.

9. Day 9 Trek to Dhap 2,600m. 5 – 6 hrs.

   You will encounter quite a few uphills today. You will trek alongside lush green fields over the magnificent landscapes of the surrounding area. You will also get to view the snow-capped peaks of Kumbhakarna and Mt.Makalu at a distance.

   You will continue alongside numerous pastures and meadows before reaching a cool shade of the nearby forest. After trekking for 5-6 hours, you will eventually reach the small place of Dhap. You will stay in an overnight camp in this place that has an altitude of 2600 meters.

10. Day 10 Trek to Jaljala 3,340m. 4 – 5 hrs.

    You will walk uphill to a high ridge of Jaljala after trekking through a cool, alpine, and dense forest. You can see a flourishing forest that has a great diversity of plants. You will be enchanted by the sweet aroma of the Dendrobium apparatus. This plant is known as Lokta in Nepali. This plant is also used for making rice paper. After you reach the top of the ridge, you can see a wonderful panoramic view of Mt. Kumbhakarna, Mt.Makalu, and Mt. Kanchenjunga towards the east.

    You will reach the overnight camp at Jalaja after trekking for 4-5 hours. Nature lovers, as well as botanists, are enamored by the peace and tranquility of Jaljala. The peace of this region compliments the wonderful backdrop of snow-capped mountains seen from Jaljala (3440 meters).

11. Day 11 You will walk an uphill to a high ridge of Jaljala after trekking through a cool, alpine, and dense forest. You can see the flourishing forest that has a great diversity of plants. You will be enchanted by the sweet aroma of Dendrobium paparius. This plant is known as Lokta in Nepali. This plant is also used for making rice paper. After you reach the top of the ridge, you can see a wonderful panoramic view of Mt. Kumbhakarna, Mt.Makalu, and Mt. Kanchenjunga towards east. You will reach the overnight camp at Jalaja after trekking for 4-5 hours. Nature lovers, as well as botanists, are enamored by the peace and tranquility of Jalaila. The peace of this region compliments the wonderful backdrop of snow-capped mountains seen from Jalaila (3440 meters)

    You will have a free day at Jalaila today. You can embark upon an optional hike in the unexplored region JalJala. This region has not been explored fully by the foreign trekkers. So, the rich natural beauty of this place is intact. You can go to a wonderful viewpoint that offers you a great panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. The spot will also give you a great Sunset and Sunrise view depending upon the season you will trek in.

12. Day 12 Trek to Milke Danda. 3,662m. 5 – 6 hrs.

    After spending some quality time at Jalaila, you will head out to Mike Danda. The trail leads you to a ridge through a forest. You will also get to see some views of the snow-capped mountains occasionally. As the trail can be quite confusing at times, you will have to allow the Sherpa guide to take a lead and show you the way. This trail is seldom used by trekkers. Shepards, woodsmen, and villagers are the only ones to frequently use this trail. They primarily use this trail to gather the Daphnia plant in order to make the rice papers.

    You will then come across the top of another ridge. Finally, you will reach your overnight camp at Milke Danda. You can get serene views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains from Mike Danda. Milke Danda is located at an altitude of 3662 meters. It takes around 5-6 hours to get to Milke Danda from Jalaja.

13. Day 13 Rest day at Milke Danda for a local hike.

    This day will be another of your leisure days during this trip. You can utilize this free day at Mike Danda to explore the unexplored region of this area. You will have many more opportunities to view some wildlife of this region ranging from civets, cats, foxes, wolfs, antelopes, musk deer, snow leopard, and Red Panda. After hiking and seeing some of these wild animals, you return back to your camp for dinner in these tranquil surroundings.

14. Day 14 Trek to Nundhaki 1,800m. 5 – 6 hrs.

    After spending some delightful time with Jaljala and Milke Danda, your trekking trail will mostly descend. You will trek through a cool shade of the forest for 2 -3 hours and reach a clearing that has wonderful views of the surrounding landscapes. You will also get to see some snow-capped mountain range in a distance. The walk from the dense forest is predominantly downhill.

    You will pass through many Shepard’s huts, hamlets, and farm terraces before reaching the village of Nundhaki (1800 meters). The time it takes to trek from Mika Danda to Nundhaki is 5-6 hours. Nundhaki is a juncture that makes access to Kanchenjunga on the eastern side and Sikkim across the border accessible. You will spend your night in an Overnight camp close to the village area in Nundhaki.

15. Day 15 Trek to Chainpur 1,400m. 5 – 6 hrs.

    The trail from Nunndhaki to Chainpur also descends gently. This makes the trek along a gradual downhill quite easy. You will get to the village of Chainpur(1400 meters) after trekking through some gently winding trails. You will get to Chainpur from Nundhaki in around 5-6 hours. Chainpur was once a major village Sankha Sabha region as it was the administrative capital.

    But now the administrative offices have been shifted to the nearby town at Khandbari. Nonetheless, Chainpur has its fair share of charm. It is renowned for its outstanding metal brass and copper works. It is also famous for manufacturing Gurkha knives, which are also called “Khukuri”. The village is multi-ethnic as Brahmans, Chhetries, Kirats, Tamang, Sherpas, and Newars reside here.

16. Day 16 Trek to Tumlingtar 4 – 5 hrs.

    From Chainpur, you will walk along a gentle downhill. As you descend along with the villages, you feel the temperature rising gently. The trek leads to a semi-tropical area. As the vegetation changes, you will find some citrus fruits like mandarin oranges. You can also see the plantation of other fruits like guava and papaya. You will trek downhill as your trail takes you through a Sal forest. You will hike through the forest for an hour before your final descend to Tumlingtar.

    The total length of the trek this day is 4-5 hours. You will have your overnight camp here. The distance between the camp at Tumlingtar and the Tumlingtar airstrip is not great. Tumlingtar is perched on top of a plateau above two rivers- Arun and Sabha. The place houses more than 100 homes scattered across this wide red earth plateau.

17. Day 17 Free day at leisure.

    You will return back to Kathmandu from Tumlingtar today day. The flight is only around less than an hour. You can get a panoramic view of the mountains during this flight. If your flight takes off early in the morning, you will have the whole day in Kathmandu to do whatever you like. However, if the weather is bad or if there are other technical reasons, the flight might be delayed as well. After you arrive in Kathmandu, our staff will receive you and transfer you back to your hotel.

18. Day 18 Transfer to Airport for international departure.

    We will transfer you to the international airport for your flight back home. Make sure that you have your confirmed air ticket with you along with other necessary travel documents. We could also arrange another tour for you in Nepal if you are interested.

Price Includes

Price Does not Include