Langtang, Gosaikunda & Helambu Trek - 17 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu 

Begin your trip with a flight into Kathmandu with thrilling views of the snow-capped peaks as you land. Your guide will greet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel, where you'll be briefed on the rest of the trip. Depending on when you arrive, set out to explore the city in the afternoon. You might want to visit places such as the tourist district of Thamel, where you'll find souvenirs and nighttime hangouts.

Altitude: 4,265 feet (1,300 m)

Day 2: Explore Kathmandu - Optional Mountain Flight

Today you'll have the chance to fly over the Himalaya to Mt. Everest and back. This optional early morning excursion offers unforgettable views and will start your day off right. Back in Kathmandu, eat breakfast at the hotel before heading out into the city. 

Kathmandu is the historical and cultural heart of Nepal and is a unique blend of Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist spirituality, and Western influence.  You'll visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Hindu Pashupatinath Temple, Durbar Square in Patan and the sacred Buddhist stupa at Boudhanath. In the evening, take in a dinner show at a restaurant in town. Watch a traditional dance performance as you dine on an authentic Nepali meal.

Optional mountain tour flight: 1 hour

Day 3: Drive from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi 

Set out on an early morning scenic drive to reach the starting point of your trek. The road climbs up and out of the Kathmandu Valley to the foot of the Langtang Valley. Along the way, you'll have excellent views of the Himalaya range, including Annapurna, Manaslu, and Ganesh Himal. Settle into your lodgings in the village of Syabrubesi for the night.

Transfer time: 7-8 hours
Altitude: 5,100 feet (1,550 m)

Day 4: Trek from Syabrubesi to Lama Hotel 

Your first leg of the trek will take you across the Bhote Koshi River, which flows down from nearby Tibet. You'll gradually climb up through the forest to join the trail from Syabrubesi. Keep an eye out for beautiful birds along the way. Follow the river through untouched oak and rhododendron forests, perhaps catching a glimpse of langur monkeys in the trees. Finally, work your way up a steep trail to your accommodations in the settlement of Lama Hotel in the forest.

Trekking time: 6 hours
Altitude: 7,830 feet (2,380 m)

Day 5: Trek to Mundu via Langtang Village

As you continue climbing today, you'll see the impressive Langtang Lirung mountain peeking through the trees. The trail ascends out of the forest at Ghora Tabela, which was once part of a Tibetan resettlement project but is now a Nepalese army post. The path here climbs gently as the valley widens, and you'll see some makeshift lodgings used by shepherds to graze here in the summer.

You'll pass through Langtang Village, which was decimated by an earthquake and landslide in 2015 but is on its way to being rebuilt. On your way to Mundu, you'll also find a monastery, where you can stop in and visit before resting for the night.

Trekking time: 6-7 hours
Altitude: 11,620 feet (3,545 m)

Day 6: Hike from Mundu to Kyangjin Gompa 

Today the trail will climb gradually through small villages and yak pastures until the valley widens further, offering expansive views. You'll cross several small streams and moraines to get to the settlement of Kyangjin by lunchtime. Set at the foot of dramatic peaks on all sides, you'll have the rest of the day to acclimatize to the altitude and explore the area. 

Trekking time: 4-5 hours
Altitude: 12,700 feet (3,870 m)

Day 7: Acclimatization Day - Explore Kyangjin 

Rest today and continue exploring your surroundings. You can visit the village's monastery and its local cheese factory, walk up the moraine to see the spectacular ice faces and glaciers of Langtang Lirung or choose to ascend the Kyangjin Ri and Tserko Ri peaks directly behind the village for breathtaking vistas.

Optional trekking time: 7-8 hours
Altitude: 14,275 feet (4,350 m)

Day 8: Kyangjin Gompa to Lama Hotel

You'll retrace your route today from Kyangjin by following the Langtang Khola river back toward Langtang Village. Stop for lunch when you reach Ghora Tabela, and then begin the steep descent through the forest to your tea house in Lama Hotel for the night.

Trekking time: 6-7 hours
Altitude: 7,830 feet (2,380 m) 

Day 9: Lama Hotel to Thulo Syabru 

You'll continue tracing your steps today toward Syabrubesi through the enchanting forested hills. Stop today in the Sherpa and Tamang village of Thulo Syabru, where you'll have a spectacular view of Langtang Himal and Ganesh Himal.

Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Altitude: 7,315 feet (2,230 m)

Day 10: Thulo Syabru to Sing Gompa

Get ready for a challenging day as you ascend through mountain villages. The trail here climbs fairly relentlessly and will take you past monasteries, schools, and rhododendron forests. You'll enter the area surrounding the Tamang Heritage Trail, where you'll come across members of this ethnic group with Tibetan roots and pass through the village of Thuman and the hilly terrain of Nagthali. 

Trekking time: 3-4 hours
Altitude: 10,660 feet (3,250 m)

Day 11: Sing Gompa to Gosaikunda  

You're in for a treat today, as you'll leave the forests and trek along high ridges with gorgeous views for most of the way to the sacred Gosaikunda Lake. Travel along Laurebina Pass before steadily climbing past open meadows, stone walls, and two small lakes to get to Gosaikunda at the highest altitude you'll reach on this trek.

This place of religious pilgrimage is believed to be where the Hindu deity Shiva came to soothe his burning throat after saving the world by swallowing the poison that threatened to destroy it. Its waters are believed to wash away the bather's sins, and tens of thousands of Buddhists and Hindus visit the majestic lake each year.

Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Altitude: 14,630 feet (4,460 m)

Day 12: Gosaikunda to Ghopte 

Cross back over the high Laurebina Pass and trek toward Ghopte along the north side of the lake. You'll pass some smaller lakes and lodges on the way as you enter the Helambu region. Make sure to enjoy the excellent views of the Tadi Khola Valley to the south. 

Trekking time: 6-8 hours
Altitude: 11,285 feet (3,440 m)

Day 13: Ghopte to Melamchi Gaon

You'll trek today towards the Sherpa village of Melamchi Gaon. Cross a suspension bridge over a river to get there. When you arrive, you'll find a monastery and a shrine said to have been built by an 8th-century Buddhist guru.

Trekking time: 6-7 hours
Altitude: 8,400 feet (2,560 m)

Day 14: Melamchi Gaon to Tarkegyang 

Continue your descent today. Your path will take you past several holy chortens, or religious monuments, as you hike toward the bridge to cross the Melamchi Khola river.  Head toward the indigenous Hyolmo village of Tarkegyang along a ridgeline trail. You'll spend the night at a tea house here.

Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Altitude: 8,500 feet (2,590 m)

Day 15: Tarkegyang to Sermathang 

Travel from Tarkegyang along a dirt road uphill into the forest to reach the settlement of Sermathang. The route is a steady ascent through the forest until you reach another dirt road. Once you reach town, you'll notice that it has a few monasteries as well as impressive views of the Dorje Lhakpa peak and the Panch Pokhari lakes. You might also catch a glimpse of Jugal Himal to the northeast. Spend your last night of the trek in a comfortable hotel where you'll be treated to a dance performance.

Trekking time: 3-5 hours
Altitude: 8,565 feet (2,610 m)

Day 16: Trek to Melamchi Bazaar - Return to Kathmandu

Make your descent to Melamchi Bazaar, where the Melamchi Khola and Indrawati Khola rivers join. The trail drops down through Thimbu, where it meets the road. There you'll find your ground transportation back to Kathmandu.

Trekking time: 3-4 hours
Altitude: 2,790 feet (850 m)
Transfer time: 2 hours

Day 17: Depart Kathmandu

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and spend the morning relaxing. If you'd like, perhaps head out to do some last minute souvenir shopping. Then get ready to make your way to the airport to catch your flight home.