Langtang Gosaikunda Trek - 12 Days

Before we can begin our Langtang Gosaikunda Trek, we’ll need to make an overland journey from the capital city of Kathmandu to the smaller town of Syabrubesi. Traveling by road in Nepal offers a great chance to get a firsthand look at the country’s most beautiful rural scenery, and the roads are often long and winding. We’ll allow the full day to make this lovely drive, departing in the morning, stopping along the way for an authentic local lunch, and arriving in Syabrubesi sometime in the afternoon. The town itself is located in the lap of the Langtang Himal and Ganesh Himal mountain ranges, on the outskirts of the Langtang National Park. The park was the first of its kind to be established in Nepal, and we’ll be exploring its wild landscapes throughout the course of our Langtang Gosaikunda Trek. Tonight, we’ll have some free time in town before settling in for the evening at a comfortable local guesthouse.

It’s time to lace up our boots and get hiking! The Langtang Gosaikunda Trek begins by crossing a daring suspension bridge strung across the glacial waters of the Bhote Koshi River, which originates from the icy highlands of the Tibetan plateau. From here, we’ll ascend through thick woodlands of rhododendron and conifer, keeping our eyes peeled for cliffside beehives and monkeys moving furtively through the treetops. We’ll also spot some picturesque waterfalls gleaming through a screen of forest greenery as we move between the small villages on today’s route. After about six hours of trekking, we’ll reach the community known as Lama Hotel. As the name of this town suggests, we’ll have an easy time selecting a cozy trekking lodge for tonight’s accommodations. Trekking in Nepal typically involves family-run teahouses where you’ll enjoy home-cooked meals and local hospitality—and as you’ll learn on our first night in the mountains, the Langtang Gosaikunda Trek is no exception.

Today’s trail brings us swiftly above the community of Lama Hotel, climbing past the Langtang Khola River and bringing us within view of the Langtang Himal’s highest Himalayan peaks. Chief amongst them is Langtang Lirung, which stretches to more than 7,000 meters in elevation. With this magnificent view dominating the horizon, we’ll continue trekking to reach the town of Godatabel. This marks the halfway point of today’s trek, which should involve about five hours of hiking in total. The village is also known as Ghoda Tabela; there are multiple ways to spell the names of communities in the Himalayas, and you’ll soon become proficient at distinguishing the many variants which are signposted across the mountains. After stopping for lunch in Godatabel, we’ll trek across alpine pastures where livestock roams freely beneath the watchful gaze of the mountains. When we arrive at Langtang village, we’ll get checked in at tonight’s excellent teahouse accommodations—the town has undergone extensive reconstructions after suffering earthquake damage in 2015, and the hard-working lodge owners here in Langtang will be happy to welcome us as their guests.

Our next day on the Langtang Gosaikunda Trek brings us along steep footpaths used by yak herders as they roam the alpine heights of this particularly beautiful territory. Keep your eyes peeled, as you’ll likely be able to spot a few of these ubiquitous beasts of burden throughout the course of today’s trek. We’ll only be hiking for about three hours, but there’s plenty to see along the way. As we approach our destination of Kyanjin Gompa, we’ll come across the longest mani wall in the region. These walls are comprised of individual stones, each of which is carved with Buddhist mantras, and they can be found throughout the length and breadth of the Himalayas. The town of Kyanjin Gompa shares its name with its own principal monastery—after all, “gompa” is another word for these Buddhist temples. The local monastery is an exceptional example; while small, it’s reputed to be hundreds of years old. The village also offers the opportunity for travelers to indulge their culinary curiosity by visiting the local yak cheese factory. We’ll spend the afternoon here in town and overnight in the best available trekking lodge.

Now that we’ve ventured to Kyanjin Gompa, we’ve enjoyed what some trekkers regard as the best views in the entire Langtang Valley. In fact, many Langtang trekking itineraries go no further into the valley, turning around at Kyanjin Gompa and winding their way back to Syabrubesi from here. And while we’ll retrace our steps back to Lama Hotel today, our adventure on the Langtang Gosaikunda Trek has only just begun. We’ll descend for about five or six hours, losing more than 1,000 meters in altitude along the way. After stopping for lunch in Langtang village, we’ll make the final push to the familiar Lama Hotel. You’ve probably already seen everything the town has to offer, but for our money, there are few better places to sit by the river and watch the world go by. After spending the afternoon enjoying some hard-earned rest and relaxation, we’ll stay the night here at Lama Hotel.

Are you ready to plunge deeper in the wilds of the Langtang Valley? As we leave the most popular trekking routes behind and begin to explore the furthest reaches of the Langtang National Park, you’ll quickly come to understand why this is one of the best treks in Nepal. Today’s path begins with a gentle descent to the nearby riverbank, passing through some pleasant juniper forests before climbing steeply to the village of Thulo Syabru. There’s a distinct possibility of encountering some interesting wildlife during today’s hike, including monkeys, wild boar, and—of course—plenty of colorful birds. If you’re exceptionally lucky, you may even spot the rare red panda moving slowly through the treetops. But that’s only if you can pry your eyes away from the mighty Ganesh Himal and Langtang Himal, which may prove to be a Herculean task: these impossibly beautiful Himalayan ranges are enough to draw anyone’s attention. When we arrive in Thulo Syabru, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery of the town’s terraced fields and chat with locals as they pursue their daily tasks before turning in at the best available teahouse.

The next steps on our Langtang Gosaikunda Trek will bring us along steep trails, over high ridgelines, and through pleasant forests of hemlock and oak, dotted here and there with brilliant rhododendrons. Our hike today will be relatively short, but we’ll gain about a thousand meters in elevation between Thulo Syabru and Shin Gompa. As we climb, it’s important to take the time needed to allow our bodies to adjust to the high elevation of the mountains here in the Langtang Himal. Fortunately, the little community of Shin Gompa makes for an excellent midway point on the path to the Gosaikunda Lakes. We should arrive after about four or five hours on the trail, and we’ll get checked in at a local teahouse before taking some time to explore the village. A monastery is situated right in the center of town, where you can take the opportunity to chat with Buddhist monks as you learn about their culture. A cheese factory in the adjacent village of Chandanbari is also worth a look if you don’t mind another short walk. Of course, you can also simply enjoy the spectacular views of the Ganesh Himal as the sun sinks behind the wall of the Himalayas.

Today’s section of the Langtang Gosaikunda Trek will bring us well above 4,000 meters in elevation, and we’ll set a slow and steady pace in order to make the ascent safely. Our path begins by cutting through an evergreen forest, where occasional gaps in the pine boughs will reveal the full majesty of the snowbound Ganesh Himal mountains. And as we climb a high ridge, we’ll start to earn even more remarkable views of Hiunchuli, Manaslu, and the Annapurnas. Moving on, it won’t be long before we catch our first glimpse of the holy lakes that we’ve come so far to see: Saraswatikunda, Bhairabkunda, and Gosaikunda. There are countless smaller lakes scattered throughout the mountains, but Gosaikunda is the largest and most culturally significant. Numerous shrines attest to the lake’s importance to both locals and pilgrims; even a rock at the center of the lake is believed to represent a shrine to Shiva. We’ll spend the rest of the day enjoying the alpine grandeur of this remarkable Himalayan locale before settling in at a trekking lodge with a great view of the sacred lake.

Are you ready for one of the chief highlights of the Langtang Gosaikunda Trek? Today we’ll climb up and over the Laurebinayak Pass, also known as the Laurebina Pass. Standing at 4,610 meters in elevation, this mountain pass cuts a narrow swathe through the Langtang mountains and leads us onwards to Gopte. To get there, we’ll make a strenuous climb, stopping to rest whenever we need a break. Our efforts will be rewarded in spades by the fantastic Himalayan scenery: we’ll come across a few smaller alpine lakes along the way, following paths strewn with the rocky debris of glacial moraines. Laurebinayak Pass can be easily identified, thanks to the chortens, cairns, and strings of colorful prayer flags signposting its place in the mountains. This high-altitude pass also marks the entrance to the Helambu region: another of the best areas for trekking in Nepal. The landscape here is characterized by forested slopes, rocky gorges, and—of course—splendid views of the high Himalayas. Our path leads steeply down from the pass, putting us in the community of Gopte after about seven or eight hours of total hiking. When we arrive, we’ll get some well-deserved rest at a local trekking lodge.

After breakfast in Gopte, we’ll continue our trek through Nepal’s Helambu region, leaving behind the high altitudes of the Gosaikunda lakes. But that doesn’t mean the going will be easy—we’ll climb through forests of juniper and pine to get started, ascending steeply to reach Tharepati Pass. Situated at about 3,650 meters in elevation, the pass offers a good look at some of the highest peaks in the Helambu region. From here, we’ll descend to an army checkpoint before entering the mysterious woodlands that characterize the hills on the approach to Magen Goth. We’ll stop for a brief rest in this tiny mountainside community before pushing on to Kutumsang. We’ll arrive after spending about six or seven hours on our feet, and a comfortable trekking lodge will be just what the doctor ordered. As you enjoy the tranquil ambiance of this quiet village, you may be surprised to learn that the busy capital of Kathmandu is just 30 kilometers away.

Before continuing our Langtang Gosaikunda Trek, we’ll first enjoy a leisurely breakfast as dawn breaks over the Himalayan peaks of the Helambu region. The mighty Dorje Lhakpa is especially beautiful from here; watching its pyramid-shaped peak catch the light of the rising sun makes for a sight you won’t soon forget. When it’s time to hit the trail, we’ll descend from a high ridgeline, passing some more mani walls along the way. Our path soon cuts through the little villages of Gul Bhanjyang and Pathi Bhanjyang, and we’ll stop for lunch at one of them before embarking on the second half of our trek. This part of the trail leads us across pastures and meadows, where you’ll see Nepali locals pursuing traditional forms of agriculture and animal husbandry, just as they have for generations. After about five or six hours of hiking in total, we’ll find ourselves arriving in the village of Chisapani. The community suffered heavy damage during the earthquake in 2015, but its residents have worked hard to rebuild. We’ll get checked in at a first-rate guesthouse and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at our leisure.

After nearly two weeks of hiking, it’s time for our Langtang Gosaikunda Trek to come to a conclusion. Our last day of trekking in the Himalayas involves a gradual descent from Chisapani. Our trail winds to its end in the city of Sundarijal, which represents an extension of Kathmandu’s urban neighborhoods. Before we leave the wilderness completely behind, though, we’ll get a good look at the massive hydropower dam project, which is used to provide valuable electricity to residents of the Kathmandu Valley. After bidding one last farewell to the towering peaks of the Himalayas, we’ll meet up with our transport in Sundarijal and make the short drive back to the Thamel neighborhood of Kathmandu. You’ll have plenty of time this evening to explore the fascinating cultural attractions of Nepal’s capital city, and a representative from Alpine Ramble Treks will be happy to bring you back to the Tribhuvan International Airport when it’s time for your departing flight. Thank you for trekking with us!