Arun Valley Trek

This day is yours to use wisely. The practical reason for it is to sort any last-minute gear, get your permits arranged, and let your body adjust to Nepal's time zone before the serious walking begins. But it also gives you a full day to properly take in Kathmandu, which deserves more than a rushed morning. Start with Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati River, one of the most sacred Hindu shrines in Asia. The atmosphere here is unlike anything else, especially if you arrive in the early morning. Then walk over to Boudhanath Stupa, a massive circular structure with those calm painted eyes gazing out in all directions. On the way back, stop at Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple) perched on a hilltop west of the city for a view over the entire valley. By evening you should have your bags packed and be in bed early. Tomorrow is an early morning.

The flight to Tumlingtar is one of those short hops in a small propeller plane where the mountains feel close enough to touch. As you roll across the Kathmandu Valley and gain altitude, ridgelines appear below you and eventually you spot the braided green threads of the Arun River winding through the hills. The landing strip at Tumlingtar is a simple one, and the town itself is a relaxed little place. From Tumlingtar, you descend gently through terraced farmland and cross a bridge over the Arun River. The trail hugs the east bank, passing through small villages where children will likely stop and stare or shout "Namaste!" with big grins. The air down here is warm and humid, very different from what you'll encounter higher up. You pass through Bheteni and Chyawabesi, good places to stop for a quick bite, before reaching Kartike for the night.

Today's walk starts getting more interesting. After breakfast, the trail climbs away from the flat riverbank and into Sal tree forests. As you gain height above the Arun Valley, you'll get your first proper view down into the green corridor of the valley. It's worth stopping here and just looking. The scale of it is surprising. You pass through the scattered settlements of Bharta and Nepali Danda before the trail opens up to rice field terraces and banana plantations. Gothe Bazaar is a lively little market town that feels like it has a genuine pulse to it — locals gather here, there are small shops, and the teahouses are welcoming. After several hours of walking through humid jungle and open farmland, arriving in Gothe Bazaar feels like a proper reward.

The trail today follows the Likhuwa (Irkhuwa) Khola, a river valley that branches west from the main Arun corridor. This is where the route starts feeling genuinely remote. You leave the main valley behind and enter a narrower, quieter world. The path crosses and recrosses the river on wooden bridges, passes through tiny settlements, and stays generally above the river for good stretches. You'll pass through Chalise and Tabular, both small communities with limited but adequate lodging options. Dobhane, where you'll spend the night, is modest — basic teahouses with simple meals, but the setting more than compensates. By this point, you'll likely have not seen another foreign trekker since Tumlingtar, which is one of the real pleasures of this route.

The trail climbs steadily today, moving away from the river and through alternating stretches of dense forest and open hillside. The vegetation starts changing as you gain altitude—tropical plants give way to temperate forest, and on clear days the first white peaks start appearing above the ridgelines ahead of you. Tending is a small settlement sitting at a comfortable altitude, surrounded by fields and forest. The evenings here are cooler than what you've been experiencing down in the valley, and after days of warm, humid trekking, that cool mountain air in the evening feels wonderful. The families running the teahouses here are warm hosts, and these smaller, out-of-the-way guesthouses often serve the best meals on the whole trek.

This is a serious day of climbing. The trail gains nearly a thousand meters of elevation as it works its way up through increasingly dramatic terrain toward the base of the Salpa La Pass. Rhododendron and oak forests surround you for most of the morning, and if you're trekking in spring, the rhododendron blooms can be extraordinary—deep reds and pinks against the grey stone. "Salpa Phedi" means "foot of the Salpa Pass," and that is exactly what it is: a cluster of basic lodges sitting at the bottom of the final climb. It can be cold here, especially at night, so have your warmer layers ready. Tomorrow is the highest point of the entire trek, so rest well.

This is the big day. The crossing of Salpa La Pass at 3,415 meters is the highest point of the Arun Valley Trek and the moment where both the effort and the reward feel most clearly matched. The climb from Salpa Phedi is steep and can take 3–4 hours to reach the top. Go slowly, take breaks, and drink water regularly. As you near the pass, the forest thins and rocky slopes open up into wide views. On a clear day, you'll be able to see Chamlang (7,321 m) and Makalu (8,463 m) standing proud to the north. These giants of the Himalaya suddenly feel much less distant from up here. The descent into Sanam on the other side is equally steep but brings you into Sherpa country. The stone houses change in style, prayer flags appear, and the atmosphere shifts noticeably. Sanam is a traditional Sherpa village and a good place to rest your legs and take in the cultural shift.

After the exertion of the previous day, today offers a gentler but still beautiful stretch. The trail descends through forested ridgelines with views back toward the pass you crossed yesterday. This section passes through classic Sherpa territory — small monasteries, mani walls lined with carved stones, and yak pastures. Gudel is one of the larger Sherpa villages in this part of eastern Nepal, sitting on a sunny ridge with good views of the surrounding hills. The people here have a reputation for friendliness, and you'll likely be invited in for butter tea or offered local raksi if you look like you need warming up. It's worth walking around the village in the evening before dinner.

The trail from Gudel drops through a mix of forested slopes and cultivated terraces. This part of the route transitions from Sherpa villages into Rai territory, and the cultural texture changes again. Rai people are one of Nepal's indigenous communities, known for their distinctive traditions, language, and warm hospitality. Bung is a sizable Rai village spread across a hillside, and it's one of the more charming overnight stops on the entire route. The views from Bung look back toward the higher ridges you've crossed and out across the rolling green hills toward the south. There's usually a small bazaar area where local life goes on entirely on its own terms, with or without trekkers passing through.

Today the trail climbs again, heading northeast through forests and across ridgelines toward the higher terrain around Pangma. This is a longer day with consistent elevation gain, and you'll pass through several smaller settlements along the way. The views improve steadily as you climb. Makalu appears again on the northern horizon, and in clear conditions you can also spot the jagged ridgelines of Mera Peak. The trail here is less used than the routes to Everest Base Camp, so you'll often have it entirely to yourself. That quiet—just the sound of birds, wind, and your own footsteps—is something many trekkers remember long after the details of each day have blurred.

The descent toward Khiraule is a pleasant change after several days of significant climbing. The trail winds through rhododendron and pine forest, offering filtered views of the surrounding mountains before eventually dropping into a broader valley. Khiraule sits in a quieter, more sheltered part of the landscape. Trekking days like this one, without a major dramatic highlight, are often where you find yourself actually looking around and noticing the small things: the light on the hillside in the late afternoon, the sound of a river below, the smell of woodsmoke from a village chimney. Give yourself permission to slow down today.

The trail climbs gently toward Sete, passing through mixed forest and a few small settlement clusters. This section connects the deeper trail of the Arun Valley route to the fringes of the Lukla approach, so the path gradually becomes slightly more defined, and the occasional trekking group may begin to appear again. Sete is a quiet overnight stop, often used by trekkers on both the Arun Valley approach and the Jiri to Lukla historic route. It's a good spot to restock any essentials you may be running low on before the final push toward Lukla the next day. The stars on a clear night at this altitude can be something quite special.

The final trekking day brings you into Lukla, and the change in atmosphere is immediate and unmistakable. Lukla is the main gateway to the Everest region, and after nearly two weeks of walking through remote valleys with very few outsiders, suddenly arriving here feels like stepping back into a different world. The streets are busier, there are bakeries selling apple pie and espresso, and the sound of small planes coming and going fills the air constantly. Take the afternoon to walk the main street of Lukla at your own pace. Have a celebratory meal, share stories from the trail with your guide, and raise a glass of local tongba or whatever sounds good. You've crossed one of Nepal's deepest valleys, climbed a mountain pass, and walked through communities that most visitors to Nepal will never see. That deserves a proper acknowledgment.

The early morning flight from Lukla is one of the most dramatic short flights anywhere in the world. The runway drops away at the edge of a cliff and the plane climbs steeply into the mountain air, with Himalayan ridges filling the windows on all sides. Within 40 minutes, you're back in Kathmandu. Depending on your onward travel plans, you'll have time to shop for last-minute souvenirs in Thamel, pick up some Nepali tea or spices, or simply find a rooftop cafe and sit quietly with a good coffee watching the city below. If your international flight is later in the evening, your guide can arrange a drop-off at the airport when the time comes. The Arun Valley doesn't feature on most Nepal itineraries, and walking away from it, you'll understand exactly why that should change.