Viewpoints · Sandakphu
Spot Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga
Learn to read the skyline from Sandakphu: four of the five highest mountains on Earth in one sweep. With a guide's help and a little patience you can name each peak, from Everest's flat-topped pyramid to Makalu's black rock.
Face north-west at the summit viewpoint on a clear morning. Far beyond the forested Nepali hills you will see a cluster of snow peaks. The highest, often with a plume of cloud blowing off its summit, is Everest, 8,849 m, roughly 140 km away. Immediately beside it is Lhotse, 8,516 m, joined to Everest by a ridge. To their right stands Makalu, 8,485 m, a sharp pyramid with dark rock faces.
Then turn north. The Kanchenjunga massif, about 70 km away, fills a wide arc of sky, its main summit 8,586 m. To its left and right run Kabru, Pandim and many lower peaks of Sikkim and Nepal. Together they are four of the five highest peaks in the world; only K2, in the Karakoram, is missing.
Binoculars help, and a phone app that labels peaks can confirm what you see. Late afternoon, once the day's cloud breaks up, can be as good as dawn, with warm light on the western peaks.
Cost: Free
Questions people ask
Good to know
How far is Everest from Sandakphu?
About 140 km to the north-west in a straight line. It looks small but clear on good days, part of a cluster with Lhotse and Makalu. Kanchenjunga, by contrast, is only about 70 km away and dominates the northern view.
Which mountains can you see from Sandakphu?
Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga, four of the five highest in the world, plus Kabru, Pandim and many other peaks of the Kanchenjunga range, and on clear days more of the Everest region such as Chamlang and Baruntse.
Is the Everest view better from Sandakphu or Phalut?
Both show Everest. Sandakphu is the better-known viewpoint and easier to reach. Phalut, further north, is closer to Kanchenjunga and gives a broader, emptier panorama. Clear weather matters more than which summit you choose.
Also in Sandakphu
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