Numbur Cheese Circuit Trek

Autumn (late September to November) and spring (March to May) are the two best seasons for the Numbur Cheese Circuit. Autumn delivers the clearest mountain views, stable temperatures and dry trail conditions after the monsoon; it is the most reliable window for the Panch Pokhari night. Spring is warm at low elevations with rhododendron forest in bloom between 2,000 m and 3,500 m, and the ridges are snow-free by April.

The summer monsoon (June to August) brings heavy rain, leeches and slippery trail conditions on the steep forested ridges, and is not recommended for this circuit. Winter (December to February) can see snow on the upper ridge above 3,500 m and cold nights at Panch Pokhari, but the lower trail stays walkable and the villages are quiet; experienced cold-weather trekkers can manage it. The season cards above show the month-by-month temperature and precipitation picture.

The Numbur Cheese Circuit runs through the Gaurishankar Conservation Area, so two permits are needed before the trek begins. The Gaurishankar Conservation Area Permit costs NPR 3,000 per person for non-SAARC nationals (approximately USD 22 at current rates) and is purchased in Kathmandu at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation or through a registered trekking agency. A TIMS card (Trekkers' Information Management System) costs NPR 2,000 for organised trekkers using an agency.

No restricted-area permit or minimum-group requirement applies to this circuit, so it is more straightforward to permit than routes in Manaslu or Upper Mustang. Swotah arranges both permits once you provide a passport copy and two photos, and confirms current rates before departure, since permit fees are set by the government and can change between seasons.

Accommodation on the Numbur Cheese Circuit is simpler than on the Everest or Annapurna routes, because this trail is less visited. From Shivalaya to Jiri the main villages have small teahouse lodges with private or shared rooms, basic menus and, in lower elevations, warm showers for a small extra charge. At Manedanda, Panch Pokhari and Serding the lodges are more basic: simple wooden or stone rooms with blankets, shared pit toilets and no hot water.

At Panch Pokhari (4,515 m) accommodation is a seasonal camp or very basic shelter, and temperatures drop well below freezing overnight, so a four-season sleeping bag is essential. Kathmandu offers comfortable hotel options at the start and end of the trip. Swotah pre-books lodges on the trail to avoid the rare cases where a small guesthouse fills up.

Food on the Numbur Cheese Circuit follows the standard teahouse pattern, with dal bhat as the staple because lodges refill it for free and its carbohydrate and protein load handles long ridge days. Noodles, Tibetan bread, eggs, potatoes and seasonal vegetables are common additions, and the menu narrows above 3,500 m. Three meals a day are included in the Swotah package price.

The circuit's headline food experience is the yak cheese: the government-run cooperative at Manedanda and smaller seasonal factories along the ridge produce a firm, slightly salty Himalayan cheese that can be bought by the block and eaten on the trail. For water, the rule is treat or boil everything; aim for 3 litres a day to reduce altitude sickness risk. Lodges sell boiled water for a small fee, and purification tablets or a UV pen work well as backup.

The Numbur Cheese Circuit starts with a 7 to 8-hour drive from Kathmandu to Shivalaya (1,790 m) in Ramechhap, either by local bus from the New Bus Park or by private jeep, which Swotah uses for comfort on the rough final section of road. The drive follows the Araniko Highway east toward Jiri, then branches south to Shivalaya.

The trek ends at Jiri (1,935 m), which sits on the same road system as Shivalaya, making the return leg straightforward: a direct jeep or bus back to Kathmandu takes around 6 to 7 hours. Jiri was once the road head for the classic Everest approach trek before the Lukla airstrip opened, so it has a solid road connection and regular transport. Swotah coordinates both road legs as part of the package, with private jeep the default for the Jiri-Kathmandu return.

The Panch Pokhari at 4,515 m is the high point and centrepiece of the Numbur Cheese Circuit. The name translates as five lakes, and the five glacially-formed tarns sit in an open ridge basin with views of Gaurishankar, Numburchuli and the Rolwaling massif. The lakes are sacred in both Hindu and Buddhist tradition: pilgrims from nearby villages make an annual yatra (pilgrimage) to bathe in the waters, especially around the Janai Purnima festival in August.

The Panch Pokhari basin in the Numbur region is geographically distinct from the better-known Panch Pokhari in Sindhupalchok district to the northwest; the two share a name but are separate sites. The Numbur Panch Pokhari lies within the Gaurishankar Conservation Area and is reached only via the cheese-circuit ridge, keeping it considerably quieter than the Sindhupalchok site. Early morning at the lakes, before the cloud builds, gives unobstructed views across the Solukhumbu hills toward Everest.

The Numbur Cheese Circuit takes its name from the government-run yak-cheese cooperatives that have operated in this highland zone since 1955, when Swiss development expert Werner Graf helped establish the first factory at Langtang and a second shortly after in this region. The Manedanda factory at roughly 3,940 m is the most accessible on the circuit and produces a firm, European-style Himalayan cheese from the milk of yaks and nak (female yaks) pastured on the high ridge meadows between June and October.

Production runs during the grazing season, so trekkers passing through spring or autumn can usually watch curds being cut, pressed and salted by hand using the same basic wooden moulds and presses used for 70 years. Cheese can be bought at the factory for significantly less than its Kathmandu retail price. The circuit also passes smaller seasonal huts higher on the ridge where herders make butter and fresh churpi (hard dried cheese) in traditional stone-weighted presses.

A licensed guide is strongly recommended on the Numbur Cheese Circuit and is included in the Swotah package. The trail is not marked on most commercial maps, several junction points lack signage, and the ridge between Manedanda and Panch Pokhari can become misty quickly; without a local guide the route is genuinely ambiguous. Swotah's guides hold Ministry of Tourism licences and have route-specific experience on the circuit.

A porter is equally advisable on a 17-day trek with camping-style nights at Panch Pokhari. One porter carries 20 to 25 kg, capped at that weight, and Swotah provides a free duffel for the porter so trekkers walk with a 10 to 12 kg daypack. Porter welfare on this circuit is important: the trail is remote, the high section is cold, and porters need the same quality cold-weather gear as trekkers. Swotah insures all trek staff and equips porters for the Panch Pokhari night.

Mobile coverage on the Numbur Cheese Circuit is patchy but not absent. Nepal Telecom (NTC) gives the best signal on the main ridge stops like Manedanda and Serding, and along the road sections at Shivalaya and Jiri. The Panch Pokhari basin at 4,515 m and the forested stretches between Ngeju and Lhachhewar are effectively dead zones. Ncell coverage is more limited than NTC on this circuit.

Wi-Fi is available at a few lower-elevation teahouses for a small fee but does not reach the upper ridge. Electricity for charging is available in the main village lodges and costs a modest fee per device; it becomes unreliable above 3,000 m and is absent at Panch Pokhari. A power bank of at least 20,000 mAh covers a guide's worth of camera, phone and GPS use for the high section. A small solar panel attached to the outside of a daypack recharges a bank in 4 to 6 hours of ridge walking in clear weather.

The Numbur Cheese Circuit passes through the Gaurishankar Conservation Area, a protected zone where waste disposal, firewood collection and wildlife disturbance are regulated. Carry a reusable water bottle and treat your own water rather than buying single-use plastic bottles, pack out all non-biodegradable waste, and stick to the marked trail around the Panch Pokhari basin to avoid trampling the fragile alpine vegetation. The lakes are sacred sites: approach them quietly, do not wash in the water, and follow any guidance from your guide about offerings or protocols observed by local pilgrims.

Tipping is customary and matters to the seasonal workforce on a relatively low-traffic circuit like this. A common guideline is 10 to 15% of the total trip cost, split among the guide, porter and driver. Tips are given directly to the staff on the last day of the trek. Booking with a registered operator like Swotah ensures that the Conservation Area permits, staff insurance and fair porter loads are handled to the required standard.