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Prayer flags on the summit of Pikey Peak

Solukhumbu

Pikey Peak

A short trek in the lower Solukhumbu: Sherpa villages, rhododendron forests and, from the top of Pikey Peak, views of Everest, Makalu and Numbur.

  • Walking days 5 days
  • Highest point 4,065 m
  • Level Moderate
  • Permits 2,000 NPR (≈ €12)
  • Start Kathmandu
  • Guide not required

At a glance

From Dhap, at the end of a long dirt road via Okhaldhunga, you climb through Jhapre to Pikey base camp, then to the summit of Pikey Peak (4,065 m) for sunrise over Everest, Makalu and Numbur. You come down via Jase Bhanjyang to the Sherpa village of Junbesi and its monastery, then on to Phaplu.

A short alternative to the Everest region, with no flight to Lukla, lodges all the way and very few people.

Highlights

  • Sunrise over Everest from Pikey Peak
  • Junbesi and Thubten Chholing monastery
  • Sherpa villages away from the Khumbu crowds
  • Short: five to six days of walking

Drawbacks

  • Long drive to reach Dhap (8 to 10 hrs)
  • The view depends on the weather: a clear morning or nothing
  • No organised rescue like in the Khumbu

In pictures

First light over the Himalaya from Pikey Peak
Layers of hills from Pikey Peak

Route

From Dhap to Phaplu via base camp, the summit at sunrise and Junbesi.

5 daysof walking
4,065 mhighest point
48 kmD+ 1,950 m D− 2,480 m
DhapStart
PhapluFinish
Dhap — 2,850 mJhapre — 2,815 mPikey Base Camp — 3,640 mJase Bhanjyang — 3,520 mJunbesi — 2,680 mPhaplu — 2,410 mPikey Peak — 4,065 mDhap — Start: DhapPhaplu — Finish: PhapluDhapPhapluPikey Peak 4,065 mJhaprePikey Base CampJase BhanjyangJunbesiNumbur 6,959Airstrip — PhapluStart : DhapStartFinish : PhapluFinishN
  • Airstrip
  • Chosen route
  • Other possible trails
  • Possible start or finish

Drag the “Start” and “Finish” labels to another served point, or tap a point. The “+” buttons add a side trip. Zoom with + and − (or Ctrl + scroll wheel), then drag the map to move around.

How do I use it in a hiking app?

The file contains the route you chose on the map (start, finish, side trips), with altitude, and a marker for each night, pass and viewpoint.

  • Organic Maps or Maps.me (free, offline): download the Nepal map before you leave, then open the GPX file from your phone and choose the app.
  • OsmAnd: menu “My places” → “Tracks” → “Import”.
  • Komoot, Gaia GPS, Wikiloc, Garmin: use the app's or website's “Import a GPX file” feature.

With no signal, your phone's GPS still works: you can see your position on the track. The track is indicative: on the ground, waymarks and advice from the lodges come first.

Itinerary
  1. D 0Dhap2,850 m
  2. D 1Jhapre2,815 m−35 m11 km300 m370 m
  3. D 2Pikey Base Camp3,640 m+825 m13 km850 m80 m
  4. D 3Jase Bhanjyang via Pikey Peak 4,065 m3,520 m−120 m4 km280 m510 m
  5. D 4Junbesi2,680 m−840 m10 km330 m1,120 m
  6. D 5Phaplu2,410 m−270 m11 km190 m400 m
Distances and elevation gain estimated from OpenStreetMap and a terrain model.
  • Dhap — Shared jeep from Chabahil (Kathmandu) via Okhaldhunga, leaving around 5–6 am, 8 to 10 hrs, about 2,000 NPR (≈ €12).
  • Phaplu — Jeep from Phaplu or Salleri to Kathmandu (9 to 10 hrs); irregular flights from Phaplu.

Elevation

above 3,000 m: climb slowly1,0002,0003,0004,0005,000D 0 · Dhap — 2,850 mDhap 2,850 mD 1 · Jhapre — 2,815 mD 2 · Pikey Base Camp — 3,640 mPikey Peak — 4,065 mPikey Peak 4,065 mD 3 · Jase Bhanjyang — 3,520 mD 4 · Junbesi — 2,680 mD 5 · Phaplu — 2,410 mPhaplu 2,410 mD 12345
Altitude of each night, with the day's passes and viewpoints (red dots). Green dot: rest day.

Permits

No national park or conservation area on the classic route: a TIMS card if you go through an agency (whether it is required on this route is not officially confirmed) and possibly a local tax.

Trekker card

TIMS card

2,000 NPR (≈ €12)

Issued only by a licensed agency since April 2023: it goes hand in hand with hiring a guide. See the Guide and porter page.

Some agencies wrongly list the Sagarmatha National Park or Gaurishankar permit: neither applies to this route. See Permits.

Guide

Guide not required

No guide is required: the 2023 rule (licensed guide and TIMS card) covers a list of protected-area routes that does not include the lower Solukhumbu. A guide is still advisable.

See Guide and porter.

A guide for this trek? The Guides Nepal directory lists guides, porters and agencies who know this trek, with their licence checked, the languages they speak and traveller reviews.

See guides for this trek

Transport

Getting to the start

Kathmandu → Dhap

Duration 8 to 10 hrsPrice ~2,000 NPR (≈ €12) by shared jeep

Via the BP Highway, Ghurmi and Okhaldhunga; private jeep 150 to 300 USD (≈ €135 to €270).

Getting back

Phaplu → Kathmandu

Duration 9 to 10 hrs

Shared jeeps from Phaplu and Salleri (ATM in Salleri).

When to go

J: PossibleF: PossibleM: IdealA: IdealM: IdealJ: Not advisedJ: Not advisedA: Not advisedS: PossibleO: IdealN: IdealD: Possible

IdealPossibleNot advised

October–November (clearest skies) and March–May (rhododendrons).

Winter: cold but often clear; monsoon: peaks hidden.

On the trail

AccommodationLodges at every stage, basic at base camp.
BudgetAbout 25 to 35 USD (≈ €22 to €31) per day, excluding guide and transport.
MoneyBank in Salleri; nothing on the trail.
Mobile signalPatchy.

Good to know before you go

The summit: leave base camp around 4:30 am, 1 to 1.5 hrs of climbing; bring a head torch and warm clothes.

What about the visa? A two-week trek plus a few days in Kathmandu and Pokhara quickly adds up to more than 15 days: get the 30-day visa. The calculator on our sister site Visa Nepal shows the cheapest length.

Which visa length?

Comments

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Preparing your trek

PermitsPrices, where to buy, documents needed, trek by trek.Guide and porterMandatory or not, region by region, and what it costs.TransportBuses, jeeps and flights to the start of each trek.Altitude and safetyAcclimatisation, altitude sickness, rescue, insurance.BudgetDaily costs, cash to bring, ATMs.FAQThe questions people ask before they go.