Langtang Gosaikunda Trek - 12 Days

The glorious journey of this trek starts with an early drive from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi. Boarding on a bus, you will get to experience the true beauty of Nepal’s countryside, filled with terraced farming and pristine flowing of the Trishuli river along the way. And in just a span of a few hours, you will be away from the city area and enter the peaceful ambiance of village life.

Making a few stops along the way for lunch break and refreshments, we will reach Dhunche, where we will get the permit for entering the Langtang National Park. After a total of 7-8 hours of driving, we will arrive at Syabrubesi, which marks the beginning point of the awaited Langtang Gosaikunda Trek. Once we are done checking into the hotel, you can explore the area and do some last-minute shopping if needed because the following day we will enter pure wilderness. 

Today is the day our trek technically begins so pack up your bags and lace up your boots. We begin our trek by crossing a bridge that will lead us to the great alpine forests filled with rhododendron trees and if we’re in the right season, we can even see them bloom in the gorgeous shade of crimson. The reverberating sound of the Bhote Koshi River follows you even deep into the forest.

You will come across some small tea houses along the way but nothing major. Today’s hike mostly consists of an uphill ascent and after six hours you will arrive at today’s end destination, which is known as the Lama Hotel. Lama Hotel is located in the middle of the forest of the national park and has very basic facilities with limited tea houses. 

It is the third day of the trek and today is even more exciting as we will be getting even closer to the mountains. With our stomach full with an early breakfast, we continue the trek, which starts with a rigorous uphill then gets easier after a certain time. And the best part of today’s trek is that you will finally see the glorious mountains that will erase all your tiredness in one go. The mountain Langtang Lirung is the most prominent mountain that is noticeable.

For lunch we will make a stop at a place called Ghodatabela, which translates to horse stable and you might get to see some horses grazing around. Also keep an eye out for monkeys, deer, and Himalayan thar who roam about in search of food and water. From Ghodatebla, we move on towards the Langtang Village and before we get on to the new village, we will cross through the old village, which is now full of big rocks that came tumbling down during the 2015 earthquake and wiped out the village.

The new Langtang Village has been shifted further up and in a safer area now, with all the hotels being rebuilt and functioning well. It is one of the well-facilitated parts of the entire trek. The mountains will always be the highlight of this trek but here you can also interact with the local people and observe their daily activities and simple lives. 

Today’s trek is short in terms of distance but might be a bit challenging considering the pick up in elevation. But embarking as early as possible is the best way to tackle today’s climb, as once the afternoon crosses, heavy winds begin to blow, which makes the trek harder than usual. Passing a village called Mondu, after which there are no other villages, the trekking path presents itself in a horizontal, taking it easy on our legs. The trail is filled with stoned walls in the middle of the path representing the mani with prayers inscribed on it and should only be walked on the right side.

Some intimidating yaks might block the way but actually are very peaceful creatures. The shrubby plants fill the path with rocks and stones crunch beneath your boots while being surrounded by the prettiest sight of the mountains. One final climb of a small hill will present you with the first view of the Kyanjin village. Just in time for lunch, you will check into the hotel and explore Kyanjin Gompa and the Cheese Factory. Then, to view the evening sunset, we will summit Kyanjin Ri. The mesmerizing sunset from the top of the peak will make your eyes shine even brighter when you look at the 360° view. 

As a part of acclimatization, we will summit Tsergo Ri, which has an elevation of 4,984 meters and is the highest point of the entire trek. So lace up your boots and get yourself ready because it is a long climb to the top.

After an early breakfast to fuel our feet, we embark on the expedition to the top. Since the entire trek takes about 8 hours with 5 hours of ascending and 3 hours of descending, we will be taking a packed lunch because there are no hotels above the Kyanjin village. As it is the highest point of this trek, you can already imagine the spectacular view that can be seen from the summit.

Then, after coming back down, we will cozy up in the dining room of the hotel, drinking hot beverages to warm ourselves and keep cozy. Getting plenty of rest because we still have half of the trek left.

We are done with the Langtang Valley leg of the trek and we now begin with our second leg of the trek, which is Gosaikunda. Leaving Kyanjin village, we retrace our steps back to Lama Hotel. Since today’s hike is mostly downhill, the trek will be easier, and you will feel the time go faster. Along the way, you can make stops at bakeries in Mondu and Langtang to try the sea buckthorn juice, which is known for its healthy properties.

As we get closer to the Lama Hotel, we will lose sight of the mountains for the day. Upon reaching the hotel, you can check in to your room and relax for the remaining time and head to bed early as we have another exciting day ahead.

Optional: If you are interested in viewing sunrise from the top of Kyanjin Ri, then that can be arranged as well. You can summit Kyanjin Ri and then descend to Lama Hotel afterward. 

By this day, you will probably get used to your daily morning routine of early breakfast and then embarking on your day’s trekking journey for the next destination. As you bid farewell to the owners of the tea house and some trekkers who are going in the direction opposite to you, you will retrace your steps around half way. A short break after Rimche, which will be a significant memory because of the uphill climb you had to do when you began your trek and now it is only downhill.

After reaching a place called Pahiro, we will take a different path. The path leading to Thulo Syabru. The first part of the trail is an uphill path, after which it gets easier, crossing a suspension bridge, walking through the green forest and finally arriving at the picturesque village of Thulo Syabru. The hotels are nice and you can enjoy a 

From today onwards, we will officially be walking on the trail of the Gosaikunda. It is the shortest hike of the entire trek and you can trek at a slow and steady pace without any worry of reaching late to the destination. The trail is filled with lush green forests that are filled with oaks and rhododendrons, which will be in full bloom in spring.

With the views of the stunning Ganesh Himal, you will finally arrive at Shin Gompa after 4-5 hours of hiking. After checking into a local tea house, you can explore the area, which is famous for its monastery and cheese factory, which is adjacent to Chandanbari. 

Finally, the most anticipated day of the entire trek has arrived. Today we will be trekking to what is considered one of the holiest places in Nepal. Every year thousands of devotees hike here to just be able to touch the holy water of the lakes. And it is not only a significant place because of the religious links it has but also equally important ecologically, as the lakes of Gosaikunda are part of the Ramsar sites, which are known as the wetlands of ecological importance.

Today will be a dramatic elevation gain as we will be touching the 4000 meters mark as we reach Gosaikunda. Apart from the pristine lakes with ethereal beauty, you can also see mountains like Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang, and Ganesh Himal from here. But again, it would not be a complete trek without getting to see the holy lakes that we’ve come so far to see: Saraswati Kunda, Bhairabkunda, and Gosaikunda. There are other 108 associated lakes that are scattered in the large area but unfortunately we cannot physically go see all of them. But the main ones we see are enough to make our day and have precious memories of. 

Our journey is now about heading back to Kathmandu, but not before doing a round trip from a different route. Instead of going back the same way we came from, we will be taking a different way. We will ascend and cross the Laurebinayak Pass, also called the Laurebina Pass, today. With an elevation of 4,610 meters, this mountain pass leads us to Gopte by slicing a thin path through the Langtang mountains. We will climb up a steep hill to get there, pausing when we need to rest. But definitely worth the challenge, as you will get to view some of the best landscapes from this part of the trek.

The top of the pass will be unmissable, as there are chortens and prayer flag drapes, making it known you have made it to the top. You have now moved from the Langtang region to the Helambu region. After the long hours of hiking, you will arrive at Ghopte, which is a small village and check into a tea house to get the much-needed rest.

You will be relieved to know that most of the strenuous part of the trek will be over after today and the trail will get easier and easier by the day. After hiking through the forests of juniper, oaks, and rhododendron, we will arrive at a highland called Tharepati. The pass, which is roughly 3,650 meters above sea level, provides a clear view of some of the highest peaks in the Helambu area. From here on out, it is descending till we get to a mysterious place known as Magen Goth and then do the final push towards Kutumsang.

The entire trek is about 6-7 hours and you will be tired to the bone, rightfully so. So, you will check into a comfortable hotel and rest for the night. A new day awaits tomorrow so you need to be fit and ready. 

Enjoying breakfast and looking at the glorious views of the Dorje Lhakpa is not something you do every day. So savor the moment while it lasts and take as many pictures you want as a memory and something to look back on once this trek is over. Then we begin our trek as we descend to a village called Gul Bhanjyang and Pathi Bhanjyang, making a stop at them for a short tea break and lunch break.

Then continuing our trek, passing grazing pastures and meadow fields where you can see many local people working on agriculture and animal husbandry—a calming sight of a simple village life. Then, around late afternoon, you will finally reach the village of Chisapani. It is also one of the places that was heavily impacted by the 2015 earthquake but now the people of the village have rebuilt it from the ground and have good functioning lodges. 

As the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.” Today is the last day of the Langtang Gosaikunda Trek but the start of your other journey as well. Cherishing the memories you have made, you will depart from the Chinapani village and hike towards Sundarijal. After being away from the chaos of Kathmandu for so long, you will again be thrust back into it as we arrive at the bus stop after a three-hour hike. And a fun fact is, you will be crossing Shivapuri National Park, which means you officially enter two national parks for this trek.

It won’t be long before we are getting on a bus that is headed to your hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu. You will arrive at your hotel just in time for lunch and will have plenty of time to explore some parts of Kathmandu. Based on your schedule, you can plan out with your guide to visit different places. After a farewell dinner, you will be taken to the airport as per your departure schedule. Thank you for choosing us and we hope to be of service to you in the near future as well. Safe journey.