Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter is the most seen trend in Nepal tourism. It is carried out by most trekkers now, despite several cases of undertaking this journey alone. But since the Nepal Tourism Board takes responsibility for caring for its travelers, hiring a guide and porter is mandatory now, allowing trekkers to be safe and secure.
Kanchenjunga Trek is a once-in-a-lifetime trekking package that takes you to the pristine nature of Taplejung District in the northeast part of Nepal. Mt. Kanchenjunga, remote villages, lush green forests, rocky and rugged terrains, and green valleys are some instincts that attract hundreds of tourists every year. But while the destination is thrilling and adventurous, it is also remote and physically challenging. In the past, trekkers could go solo trek to Kanchenjunga Region; however, this led to several cases like accidents and injuries, missing cases, and unable to get emergency support. Considering these things, a law to compulsorily hire guides and porters was passed, effective April 1, 2023.
Going on the Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter has a plus point regarding safety but also makes the journey enjoyable. With the help of a guide and porter, trekkers can learn well about the traditional settlements, their people, and history. Similarly, it is wise to immerse into the rich local culture and vibrant ethnic communities of the Kanchenjunga Region and experience the views of snow-capped mountains, river basins, valleys, and pasturelands.
First, trekkers will be safe during the journey. Second, they will get enough time to experience the diverse natural, cultural, and religious locations. And third, their physical burden gets reduced by around half time as they don’t have to carry their backpacks and luggage. So if you look from the surface and within, embarking on the Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porters has numerous advantages. Here are some advantages, tips to hire them, and the cost they charge you while you go on this beautiful journey to Eastern Nepal. Explore them in detail!
Learning About Kanchenjunga Region
Kanchenjunga, on the India-Nepal border, among a sea of clouds at sunriseKanchenjunga Circuit is a naturally blessed region that opens several prospects for tourism. The remote experience in the Taplejung District of Nepal also offers panoramic views of the Himalayas, including Mount Kanchenjunga, which stands on the border of Nepal, Sikkim, and Tibet.
Mount Kanchenjunga is known as ‘Kang-chen-zod-nga’ in Tibet, which refers to ‘the five treasure houses of snow.’ The Five Treasure House of Snow means the five major peaks of Kanchenjunga, and the main peak is the third-highest in the world. The traditional villages, valleys, river basins, and lush green forests are some attractions in this region. During your Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter, you will experience your stay in the settlements inhabited by Sherpa, Limbu, Rai, and Tamang communities.
Moreover, the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (2035 sq.km.) offers insights into the region’s diverse flora and fauna. The conservation area is also home to several endangered species of animals like snow leopards, blue sheep (Naur), the Himalayan Tahr, and many others.
Importance of Hiring a Guide and Porter
There are several importances values of hiring a guide and porter for the Kanchenjunga Trek in Nepal. Whether you look from the safety point of view or get acknowledged with the local environment and cultural aspects, guides and porters play vital roles in making your trek fruitful. We have collected some reasons to go to Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter. See them below!!
Ensuring Safety and Security
While booking a trek to Kanchenjunga Region, trekkers must be mindful of their safety and security. Since the destination lies in the remote location of Eastern Nepal, there are several chances of accidents, missing cases, and technical difficulties in the hike. So hiring guides and porters can help you in different ways to ensure your safety. First, your guides and porters have extensive knowledge of the Kanchenjunga Region, ensuring you will not miss on the way. They can suggest and lead you through the easiest routes and support you while embarking on the strenuous trek.
Similarly, during emergencies, guides and porters are always your first-hand support. They can accompany you with safety measures during the cases such as altitude sickness, injuries, and others.
Local Knowledge and Cultural Insights
The main motive of the trek is to live the adventurous journey to Kanchenjunga. In the meantime, cherishing the beauty of diverse cultures and traditions comes second to none. While you embark on the Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter, you will quench your cravings for knowing Nepal’s culture, traditions, and lifestyle of the people. Guides and porters always accompany you for cross-cultural activities; they know the region’s people, culture, traditions, customs, and dos & don’ts, allowing you to groom easily.
Kanchenjunga Circuit features diverse people with distinctive backgrounds, including Buddhism and cultural aspects like praying in monasteries. Guides and porters will brief you on how to approach and participate in cultural activities with the local people, making your journey memorable.
Assistance with Logistics
Trekking can be thrilling but also hectic. The logistic facilities, including accommodation, food, permits, and many others, appear to be very challenging to manage by the trekkers themselves. The reason is simple: the unknown remote areas and exposure to unknown people. Here, your guide and porter can help you find the logistic partners who serve you well with accommodation and food. There are several tea houses around the region where you can find these amenities. Regarding permits, your guides and porters can help you with where and how to get the required permits.
Alleviating Physical Burden
Porters especially do this when you take on the Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter. They carry your backpacks and necessary equipment, making you lightweight and allowing you to delve into the beauty of nature. This also reduces the chance of getting injured on the trail or lagging to go missing.
Emotional Support and Motivation
Kanchenjunga Trek is a multi-day trekking package, so, surely, trekkers get exhausted. Some might be able to carry on the journey, while some might not. Here the possible thing to make trekkers continue their trek is to motivate them, mostly carried out by guides and porters. They encourage trekkers during the challenging parts of the trek and provide moral support to overcome difficulties to complete the journey they started.
Environmental and Socioeconomic Considerations
Kanchenjunga Trekking Circuit is remote, mostly inhabited by dense forests. The important thing to know while trekking is your journey should not disturb wildlife and the ecosystem. The guides and porters provide insights into the region’s dos and don’ts, which helps you to do what activities to do and what not.
Besides, hiring guides and porters is also a support to the local economy around Kanchenjunga Region. It creates employment opportunities for several people, helping them to uplift their quality of life.
Responsibilities and Services of a Guide During This Trek
The main responsibility of a guide during the Kanchenjunga Trek is to make your journey safe and easy. Regarding this topic, guides are well-known for your navigation and route planning. After deeply analyzing the location and time, they propose the easiest and shortcut routes or customize your route and itinerary as per your demand. Similarly, they assure your safety and workout on planning for emergency preparedness.
In addition, they are well-aligned with the cultural and historical insights of the region and can provide you with a briefing on these things during the journey. For example, you reached Ramche Village in Kanchenjunga Circuit; here, your guide can provide details about its location, people and their culture, history, and culture. Besides, after you reach the day-to-day destination, guides are responsible for making the accommodation and meal arrangements. Here language and communication skills are essential, and guides are very skillful.
Responsibilities and Services of a Porter
Equipment and Gear Management are the major responsibility of porters while you embark on the beautiful journey of Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter. Under this, carrying loads, managing logistics, and route assistance also come thoroughly. Porters usually carry your backpacks, equipment, and supplies, which allows you to indulge in the beauty of the Kanchenjunga region fully. Similarly, they manage the load according to the trekker’s preferences and physical condition.
Besides, porters help trekkers with setting up and breakdown of camping equipment. They also carry out the management and maintenance of these gears. In addition, they support trekkers in language and communication, find accommodation services, and help monitor their physical condition and well-being.
Tips for Hiring Guide and Porter Services
Research and Recommendations
It is advised to research before you hire any guide and porter. For this, you can review the previous trekkers’ reviews who have already pursued their services. It will help you know whom you are dealing with and setting off on the journey. Besides, your trekking agency can also help refer professional guides and porters services.
Verify Credentials and Licenses
Always remember that professional and certified guides and porters should accompany you. You can cross-check their licenses and certifications for this. Ask them to verify their credentials with the designated certifications provided by Nepal Tourism Board. These may include things such as training certifications or affiliations with professional organizations. Since your safety and security will be partially in their hand, it is a wise idea to undertake this action.
Assess Communication and Language Skills
Communication is the most effective way to make the Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter meaningful. Ensure that your guide speaks the language you understand well, so there will be no barriers while conversing. Also, analyze their ability to convey skills, provide information, and understand your expectations from this journey. This will help you build rapport, which is very crucial for any task in the world.
Experience in the Trekking Region
This is one of the most important things that trekkers should cross-check on their guides and porters. They should have extensive knowledge about Kanchenjunga Circuit and nearby destinations to help them understand the natural beauty, people, lifestyle, culture, and tradition. You can ask them about their experience and knowledge of the trekking region and also the examples of previous treks they have guided or porter services they have provided. This will let you know how much Kanchenjunga Region acknowledges them.
Assess Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Always remember that your guides and porters should be professional. Here the term professional means their maturity in handling emergencies, knowledge about trekker safety, and managing unforeseen circumstances. Feel free to ask them about their first aid and risk management training to know about strong safety measures and emergency preparedness. It can ensure your safety during travel through the remote and rugged trails of Kanchenjunga Circuit.
Discuss Responsibilities and Expectations
Be transparent about your expectations, interests, and preferences on the Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter. It helps them understand what you want from this trek and prepare accordingly. You may discuss their services, including guiding, route planning, load carrying, and assistance with logistics, which helps in mutual understanding of the trek itinerary, daily distances, and rest days.
Cost and Payment Terms
There are several cases of conflicts that happened due to cost and payment terms. That’s why it is essential to deal with and fix the rate of services and tips (not mandatory) before booking the service of guides and porters. You should discuss the total cost of guide and porter services that might include additional charges. It is even more trustworthy if the deal is handwritten, which helps both parties to work transparently and effectively.
See more on: Kanchenjunga Trekking Cost and Itinerary
Cost of Hiring Guide and Porter For Kanchenjunga Trek
The cost of hiring a guide and porter for the Kanchenjunga Trek depends on several factors. The time of year you are traveling, duration of your trek, level of service provided, and number of trekkers in your group. So, the cost can vary from time to time and from one agency to another. It is not to allocate a fixed price for hiring guides and porters but to allocate fees in some range.
Guide:
Daily Cost: The guide’s average daily cost can be between $25-$40 per day [per person].
Porter:
Daily Cost: The daily cost of hiring a porter can be between $20-$35 per person on average.
Extra Charges: Trekkers can be responsible for the cost of guides and porters’ accommodation and meal services. Tips are highly appreciated, but it is not mandatory. These costs may not include permit fees, insurance, and accident expenses. We recommend trekkers stay close to get the latest updates on changes in the cost of hiring them.
Conclusion
Crossing Selele PassOverall, the Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter is the safest mean to trek around Kanchenjunga Circuit. Since most of the trekkers traveling to this destination will not be familiar with the remote destination in Taplejung District, which shares a border with Sikkim, the chances of getting lost on the way are high, which can be minimized with the help of a guide and porter. Similarly, they are crucial for navigation and route planning.
In addition, porters carrying your weight will spare you a quality time to dwell in the natural beauty, culture, lifestyle, and tradition of the community existing in Kanchenjunga Trail.
You may also like:
- Three Passes of Everest Trek
- Hire guide and Porter for Trekking in Nepal
- Everest Base Camp Trek Cost and Itinerary
- Arun Valley to Everest Base Camp Trek
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it compulsory to hire a guide and porter for Kanchenjunga Trek?
Hiring a professional guide for Kanchenjunga Trek is compulsory since the Government of Nepal and Nepal Tourism Board have made it mandatory to hire a guide for any trek within Nepal. It is optional for porters; however, we recommend hiring porters, too, since they can relieve you physically during the long journey.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire A Guide?
You will be charged around $25 to $40 daily to hire a guide.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire A Porter?
Hiring a porter for the Kanchenjunga Trek costs around $20 to $35 per day.
Why should I hire a guide and porter for the Kanchenjunga Trek?
Going for the Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter is crucial to stay safe and secure. Guides help you with navigation and provide cultural insights into the Kanchenjunga Region. Similarly, porters carry your luggage and backpacks, making your trip more enjoyable.
How do I find a reliable guide and porter for the Kanchenjunga Trek?
Seeking recommendations from experienced trekkers, reading reviews from previous service seekers, and consulting reputable trekking agencies will help you find a reliable guide and porter for the Kanchenjunga Trek.
Do Guides and Porters Understand English?
Professional and certified guides and porters speak and understand English. They use English as a communication language, making trekkers from all over the country easily communicate during the trek.
What Factors Are Responsible For The Changes in Guide and Porter’s Cost?
Factors like group size, time of the year, duration of trek, and the service they provide change the cost of guide and porter during Kanchenjunga Trek.
Why Can’t I Go to Kanchenjunga Trek Without Guide and Porter?
Trekkers must go to the Kanchenjunga Trek with Guide and Porter because of the recent law passed by Nepal Government and Nepal Tourism Board. The law was passed for the safety of trekkers and the cases of missing and getting injured in the remote trekking destination hiked up.
