Langtang and Gosainkunda Pass Trekking - 16 Days

You will arrive at Tribhuvan Airport in kathmandu- the only international airport in Nepal. The representative(s) from The Great Adventure Treks will be there outside the airport terminal. They will help you check in to your hotel in a private transport. Our guide will give you all the relevant information about the hotel as well as the Langtang Valley and Gosaikunda Pass Trek. If you have any other queries, the guide will answer them and give you other travel related information.

You will head out for a half day sightseeing tour of the capital city of Nepal- Kathmandu. After having breakfast, your tour will begin. Kathmandu is a modern city that is replete of ancient culture. The architecture of this city represents its religious and cultural importance. You can find modern buildings as well as temples of the medieval age in Kathmandu.

Pashupatinath Temple:

Pashupatinath Temple is the most widely visited temple in all of Nepal. This largest Hindu temple in the world lies on the banks of Bagmati river. The temple sees over a million Hindu devotees yearly. This temple has special ties to Lord Shiva. The temple is especially full on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. Pashupatinath temple is a two-storied temple. It also has various other temples surrounding it.

Boudhanath Stupa:

Boudhanath temple, established as a World Heritage Site in 1979 A.D, is also called as “Little Tibet”. It is a holy Buddhist site in Kathmandu. Made in the the 5th century C.E, tourists all around the world visit this monatery that has its characteristic Buddha’s eyes. All people who visit this place rotate the numerous prayer wheels in the precinct of this temple. People make several rounds of this monastery while they are here.

Kathmandu and Patan Durbar Squares:

Kathmandu Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square are known for their powerful Newari architectural styles. You can find the palaces of kings of Kathmandu and Patan in these squares. Krishna Mandir and Hanuman Dhoka are the most popular places in these squares. Krishna Mandir lies in Patan Durbar Square whereas Hanuman Dhoka is inside the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square. You can also visit the museums located in these Durbar Squares.

You will head out to Syabrubesi on a 7-8-hour bus ride after having breakfast. As you drive through winding uphills and downhills, you will get to many rural towns and farm villages along the way. The track to Syabrubesi lies north of Kathmandu valley. Trisuli Bazaar is one of the bigger towns you will come across en route to Syabrubesi. This town has a sub-tropical climate. As you get past Trishuli Bazaar, the road takes you uphill to cooler regions. You will also leave the rice paddy behind as you come across maize and millet terraced fields. You will notice a change in the weather as well as the people and culture. You will get to the entry point of Dhunche (1,780m). It is a major town of Langtang area and Rasuwa district. It lies within the boundaries of Langtang National Park.A downhill bus ride for 1 – 2 hours from Dhunche will take you to Syabrubesi village (1460 meters) for your overnight stay.

Today you will hike to Lama Hotel as you leave behind Syabrubesi. Initially, the trail to Lama Hotel will take you to Bhote Koshi River. Walking further, you will get to the trail along Langtang Khola. A steady uphill trek will lead you to Bamboo (1,960 m). The ascent will also have rugged trails. From Bamboo, the trail takes you along a gentle slope to Rimche (2,400 m), where you can have lunch. Trekking steadily for an hour from Rimche, you will reach your overnight stop at Lama Hotel. Lama Hotel is a splendid place to spend your night. You might also be lucky to catch the glimpses of red pandas, monkeys, and bears on your way to Lama Hotel. You can also go for a refreshing splash in the nearby river during your stay in Lama Hotel. The trek from Syabrubesi to Lama Hotel (2420 meters) is 5-6 hours long.

The trek to Langtang Village is an uphill climb for most part of the way. You will get a splendid opportunity to hike through the cool shade of rhododendron and oaks forest. You will reach a gorge following the torrent glacial river Trishuli upstream after trekking for a while. A 3-hour trek from Lama Hotel will take you to Ghoda-Tabela. “Ghoda-Tabela” is a Nepalese word that refers to a Horse Stable. This splendid place is set amidst pines, hemlocks and rhododendron forests. The break here is a pleasant one. The trek then continues to Langtang valley. You will walk through cool shade of the alpine wood for an hour. While walking you will also notice that you have left the tree line behind.

You will have an uphill trek for about an hour. Then, you will be walking along a gradual winding trail. You might also encounter a few ups and downs before you reaching Langtang village. You will have your overnight stay here. You can catch glimpses of Langtang Himal to the north of this place. Overall, today’s trek is 5-6 hours long.

You will head out to Kyanjin Gompa in the morning after having breakfast today. The trail leads you along a gradual path. After a short trek in the morning, you will get to winding up hill trek. After hiking for a few hours in these winding uphill paths, you will get to Burberry and high alpine shrubs. Many “mani-prayer wall” will also be there enroute to Kyanjin Gompa. Getting past these prayer walls in a clockwise direction is the way forward as it is the positive way of respecting Tibetan Buddhism. As you walk to the east, you will find that the valley opens up. Grassy meadows surrounded by beautiful snow-capped peaks will also be a pleasant touch to your trek. You should ensure that you trek gently to Kyanjin Gompa. This is because the altitude gains on the way to Kyanjin Gompa (3870 meters) might prove strenuous. Kyanjin Gompa is a scenic charming spot.

It is blessed with 360-degree views of snow-capped peaks. Langtang Lirung (7,234m) and its icefall is one of the closest mountainous peaks to this monastery. The Kyanjin Gompa lies atop of a ridge that is formed by glacial moraine of rocks and boulders. The hike from Langtang Village to Kyanjin Gompa is merely 3-4 hours long.

Today is a day for acclimatization as well as exploration of Kyanjin Gompa. One of the biggest attractions is the cheese factory here. You can taste some of the most delectable cheese in Nepal here. You can also hike up the moraine. Delightful views of icefalls and the gigantic glaciers of Langtang Lirung will be there to greet you at the moraine. Another fun activity today would be the hike to Kyanjin Ri (4,350 m). Kyanjin Ri is also the highest altitude you can get to on the Langtang Valley and Gosaikunda Trek. You will be blessed with peaks of the Langtang peaks after a stroll directly behind the village.

The journey heads back on the same trail after your stay in Kyanjin Gompa. The trek from Kyanjin Gompa to Lama-Hotel is 6-7 hours long. Initially, you will reach Langtang valley. As you trek past rhododendron forests along the way, you will reach Ghoda-Tabela. Taking a downhill steam alongside the trail next to Trishuli river, you will reach Lama Hotel.

Today’s walk continues along the same trail for an hour before you reach a bridge. The one hour hike up to the bridge is pleasant as you trek through rain and bamboo forest. After you leave the river way down below, you will start to trek uphill through some rocks and boulders. You will also pass farm terraces till you reach Upper Syabru. Upper Syabru is a small settlement with a row of houses like built on a ridge. There is a beautiful monastery near the helipad in Upper Syabru. The monastery is merely a few minutes of walk from the village. The hike from Lama Hotel to Upper Syabru village (2250 meters) is 5-6 hours long.

From Upper Syabru village, the walk follows uphill along a winding trail above the Monastery in Upper Syabru. As you gain some altitude along the trek, you can observe superb views of Ganesh-Himal, Manaslu, Langtang and Annapurna range in the far west. After a small refreshing stop in a teahouse, you will resume your journey. You will continue to trek uphill from the farmlands to the cool shade of the alpine forest. Once you trek past the thick forest, you will get to a meadow with one or two teahouses.

You will have your lunch break here. From this spot, the walk is almost gradual as you walk through the pines and rhododendron forest. You can also get a view of Dhunche town down below. After trekking for 4-5 hours, you will arrive at Shin gompa. The first few houses are cheese processing factory. You will stay overnight near its Monastery.

The trek today offers more spectacular views of an array of snow-capped mountain peaks. These include the Langtang range to the north, Ganesh-Himal range to north-west, and Manaslu and Annapurna range due west. The trek takes you along a gradual uphill for the first one hour. You will enter the woodland of oaks, pines, and rhododendron along the way. After trekking through the cool shade of the forest, you will come to a clearing, which is home to one or two tea houses. This clearing offers you excellent views of the Langtang range. After a small break here, the trail continues uphill as you leave the tree lines and lush vegetation behind. You will then come across dwarf rhododendron, juniper, and alpine shrubs bushes. The path unwinds uphill passing through few teahouses at Laurabina.

This place will bless you with more views of the northwestern Himalayan range. The word “Laurabina” literally translates as “a place without walking sticks”. From Laurabina, the trail takes to a downhill trek for half an hour. Here, you will come the first ponds in this region called Saraswati and Bhairav kund. A small climb brings you to your overnight stop at Gosainkunda which is located near the shore of this glacial pristine pond. During the auspicious time in and around full moon as per the Nepali Lunar calendar, pilgrims come to pay homage and take a ritual bath at Gosainkunda pond. This in the English calendar falls in the month of August.

Adherents of Hindu faith believe that a bath in the pond takes pilgrims to paradise. Legend also has it that drinking the holy water at Gosaikunda, relinquishes the sins of a hundred lifetimes. Hindu pilgrims also come here to change their holy thread. Today’s trek to Gosaikunda is 4-5 hours long.

From Gosainkunda, you will trek through a small path along the bank of the pond. You will climb up near a small creek between the rocks and boulders. The walk up brings you closer to the small pond of Surajkund.

The trail here is more gradual as it winds up to the last pass of Gosainkunda or the east Laurebina La (4600 meters). It is the highest spot of this trek. After reaching the top, you will embark upon a steep descent to Phedi (3,694m). Phedi literally means “the bottom”. You will have a much-needed lunch break here. After a nice lunch break, the journey continues towards east to the Helambu region. The trail is gradual with a few short uphills and downhills. You will also encounter junipers, rhododendron, and other alpine bushes along the way.

After trekking for 3-4 hours from Phedi, you will reach Ghopte (3440 meters). The total duration of today’s trek is 6 hours. Ghopte provides a cozy shelter to pilgrims. Ghopte is also home to a few small caves formed by overhanging large rocks. Ghopte has two teahouses. You will stay in one of them overnight.

After being in the absolute wilderness, the trail from here joins the other path of Helambu that leads to Kathmandu. The walk today is pleasant as it takes you through alpine forests for an hour. Another hour’s uphill trek will take you to Tharepati(3,597m). Tharepati is a lovely spot on the high ridge overlooking the views of the snow-capped peaks of Jugal Himalayan range in the east and Ganesh-Manaslu in the west. You will have your lunch in Tharepati. The delightful views of the mountains from Tharepati are worth the stay here.

From here, the trail descends for few hours to Mangeghot. It is a nice place with a grassy field and has an Army Barrack nearby. The trek from here onwards leads to farm fields, villages and a few forested areas. A few hours of walk from Mangeghot Kutumsang village (2,445m). Kutumsang is a village that is inhabited by Sherpa and Tamang hill tribes. The trek today from Ghopte Odar to Kutumsang is 5-6 hours long.

Today’s walk from Kutumsang to Chisapani Danda (2195 meters) will take approximately 6-7 hours. The walk is quite pleasant. You will pass through a number of rural farm villages before you reach the village of Pati Bhanjayang after a 3-4 hours trek. A couple of hours of a small uphill trek takes you to your overnight stop at Chisapani Danda. Chisapani Danda is a scenic spot at the top of the hilltop.

This hill station lies en-route to Kathmandu and to other places at the rim of Kathmandu Valley. Chisapani, which lies around the outskirts of Kathmandu valley, is an extremely popular short trekking destination in Kathmandu. There are merely 4-6 teahouses here which sees a lot of tourists. The Army Camp in Chisapani is another place of attraction here. You can have some delightful views of the jugal Himal range: and Ganesh Himal-Manaslu and Annapurna range. These ranges lie in the northeast and in the west respectively. Great views of landscape as well as valleys down below are bound to make your stay here memorable.

You will trek for the final time today as you walk to Sundarijal.

You will walk through calm forests and farmlands on your way to Sundarijal. You will come across two beautiful destinations by the name of Burlang and Chepu Bhanjyang (2,438m) after trekking for a few hours. These ridges offer you some delightful views of Kathmandu valley down below. Finally, after trekking for 3 hours, you will reach Sundarijal. In the Nepalese language, the name of this place translates as “beautiful water”. It is a great tourist spot with many families, friends, and couples spending their time in the weekend in Sundarijal.

As you walk past the final staircases of Sundarijal, you will reach the bus stand there. Here, a private vehicle will be waiting for you. After driving for an hour, you will reach back to Kathmandu in your hotel. Sometimes, the drive might be a bit longer if there is excessive traffic along the way. You can also see Boudhanath stupa along the way.

The representatives from The Great Adventure Treks will help you transfer you to the international airport, where you can take your flight back home. Our representatives will take you to the airport approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight. It is your responsibility to keep the confirmed air ticket as well as other necessary travel documents with you. The Great Adventure Treks will be pleased to arrange another tour for you in Nepal if you want to.