Langtang, Gosainkunda and Helambu Trek

Trip Fact

  • Duration: 17 Days
  • Destination: Nepal
  • Group Size: 01-08
  • Activity level: Moderate - Challenging
  • Starts at: Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Ends at: Kathmandu, Nepal

About Langtang, Gosainkunda and Helambu Trek

Langtang Gosainkunda and Helambu Trek offers us an excellent opportunity to discover and explore the affluent Tibetan culture. Rich Sherpa cultures as you follow the trail passing through the numerous Sherpa villages in the valley. The lushness of the forest and the grandeur of the Himalayas will always be accompanying us. The pristine and serene lakes in the backdrop of snow-clad mountains look divine. We can find many unique floras and faunas preserved inside the park. This trip allows us to explore the villages and interacting with people to experience the unique culture, tradition, and lifestyle of the people residing in those places.

Our 17 days trek to Langtang Gosainkunda and Helambu starts and an end at Kathmandu with tours of Kathmandu’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites followed by a drive to Syabrubesi the next day which is a Tamang village located on the banks of the Bhote Koshi River and begin our trek. We reach Kyanjin Gompa and then climb Tserko Ri the next day. From there we get tremendous views of the Langtang Lirung (7,200m/23,622ft) range. Next, we continue trekking in the beautiful Langtang Valley and reach Gosaikunda which is a revered place of pilgrimage for both Buddhists and Hindus. Moreover, the place is named after the glistening Gosaikunda Lake whose water is believed to have magical healing powers. We pass by a few more lakes on our trek and cross the Laurebina Pass. Our trek in the Helambu Valley begins after crossing the pass. Another highlight of our hike is to reach the top of Ama Yangri at 3,800m. The view of the Himalayas from the top of the hill is believed to rival that of Poon Hill. From here, Mt. Shishapangma and the Langtang ranges seem so close that we feel that we can almost touch them. We continue trekking in the Helambu region for a few more days and end our remarkable journey to the mountains with a drive to Kathmandu.

Trip Highlights

  • Sightseeing of historical and cultural heritage sites in Kathmandu valley.
  • Explore Tserko Ri (5,000m)
  • Gosainkunda, a mythological lake
  • Langtang National Park, home to 7000 m peaks and Red Panda.
  • Helambu village, where the culture is intact
  • Kyanjin Gompa to enjoy yak cheese and surrounded glacier views.

Itinerary

Day 01
Arrival Day (1,300 m/4,264ft)
  • Kathmandu
  • Dinner
  • Hotel
Namaste!!Welcome to the beautiful Himalayan country Nepal. After following immigration and customs formalities at the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, we will be greeted by a representative from High Wonders Travel who will take us to our booked hotel. After checking in, we take a rest or we may also stroll in the streets of Thamel, a tourist hub in Kathmandu. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner hosted by High Wonders at a local restaurant with Nepali cultural music and ethnic dance show. For dinner, you will be served excellent authentic Nepalese cuisine which will introduce you to the Nepalese food culture.
After breakfast, our tour guide will take us to the monuments and places that come under the category of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Kathmandu. We will visit Kathmandu Durbar Square, where we might see "Kumari", the living goddess, as well as visit pagoda style temples. Then we will visit Swayambhunath Stupa, a Buddhist temple which is known as the monkey temple. After that, we will visit Pashupatinath temple, one of the biggest and popular Hindus temples of Nepal, and thousands of devotees visit this temple every day. We might see cremation taking place on the bank of the Bagmati River. From here, we move towards Bouddhanath stupa, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world where over 50 Tibetan Gompas or monasteries are located. After, we drive back to the hotel.
We leave Kathmandu in the morning for Syabrubesi, a village which is also the starting point for treks into the Langtang valley. This is a major village town and trading post for the people who stay in this region. The locals come down here to buy their essential commodities. After driving for something like 30 km, we approach pristine villages on the banks of the river Trishuli. Driving through scenic foothills and Ridgeline vistas to Syabru Besi passing Dhunche, on a clear day we get to enjoy outstanding views of Manaslu, Annapurna, and Ganesh Himal. Terraced green hills and lush forests make the drive very pleasurable. Our trek for today ends with a descent into the small village of Syabrubesi.
We Cross through the suspension bridge while heading precipitously along a stream. The River we are following is a lot of the Langtang River. We can enjoy our walk going through oak, rhododendron and bamboo forests. There is also a variety of wildlife in these forests: yellow-throated martens, wild boars, frisky langur monkeys, red pandas, and Himalayan black bears are some of them we are most likely to come across in this area.
We continue ascending from Lama Hotel and enjoy the mountain landscape with abundant waterfalls. As we reach the green meadows of Ghoda Tabela, we begin to see the white peaks of the Langtang range. Our trail continues to climb up the widening valley, passing a few temporary settlements used by herders. We pass a Buddhist monastery before reaching the Langtang village which was affected by the April 2015 earthquake. We continue on our trail to Mundu.
After breakfast, we will start our journey to Kyangjin Gompa, a principal monastery of the region. We pass by water mills, prayer wheels, chortens, with sacred mounds of rocks with inscriptions carved on them. We also pass by the largest mani wall in Nepal, made from stone with prayers written on them. After the short trek, we spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the Buddhist shrine in Kyangjin Gompa and surrounding areas with the amazing views of the mountains.

We spend the whole day exploring Tserko Ri which will also help us acclimatize to the high altitude. We wake up early morning today then head to Tsergo RI. Easy hike around half an hour then after crossing stream, the rest of the trail is steeply uphill along the ridge to Tsergo RI. Along the way the whole day we will see magnificent Mountain View, wild mountain goats, and Tibetan snowcock. Around the hills, we will see many yaks grazing on the pasture. We might experience some altitude sickness on the way so please do not panic rather walk slowly at a constant pace. Tsergo Ri is the highest point of your trip from where we can enjoy the marvelous 360° view of mountains such as Langtang Lirung (7246m), Yubra (6264m), Kyimoshung (6781m), Tsergo Peak (5719m), Yansa Tsenji (6567m),Yala peak (5732m), Langshisa Ri (6412m), Naya Kanga (5863m), Morimoto Peak (6150m), Yansa Tsenji (6567m), Gang Chhenpo (6378m) and Gangala pass. Descend all the way to Kyangjin. By late afternoon and explore the beautiful monastery while enjoying views of the Himalayas, glaciers, birds, and yaks.

Mention that the trail is a pretty long way down, steep and covered with rocky pebbles. Please be careful while stepping downhill as the trail is slippery.

After a healthy breakfast in the morning, we trek downhill to Lama Hotel. It is about 6 hours relaxed hiking at our pace, which goes through the beautiful green forest and ethnic Tamang settlements.
We follow the trail descending to the river after which we cross it to ascend back to Thulo Syabru passing through pine and juniper forests with a view of Langtang Himal and many others in the backdrop.
A broad trail climbing up to Dimsa village will be taken which continues through rhododendron, hemlock and oak forests less steeply until it reaches Shin Gomba, It is another famous place for cheese. The trek will be accompanied by magnificent views of Langtang Himal and Langtang Valley.
The first part of the trail emerges and we steadily climb up to Laurebinayak and the top of Laurebinayak gives us an exotic feeling. With a steep ascent all the way to Gosaikunda. We follow a rugged trail with dramatic views to the Manaslu range, Ganesh Himal range, Tibetan peaks, and Langtang Lirung. On a clear day, even the Annapurna range can be seen rising up behind and to the north also across the valley is Langtang Lirung. We pass a few huts in the high pasture of Laurebinayak, cross a small ridge and have our first views of the holy lake of Gosaikunda. The lake is surrounded by mountains on almost all sides and has a great ensemble of nine other lakes to accompany it. The main three being Saraswatikunda, Bhairab Kunda, and Gosainkunda. According to legend, Gosainkunda was created by Shiva when he pierced a glacier with his trident to obtain water to quench his thirst after having swallowed a poison that threatened to destroy the world. Every year during Janai Purnima in August, hundreds of Hindu pilgrims visit the lake for a holy bath. The large rock at the center of the lake is said to be the remains of a Shiva shrine.
We move around the lake’s shore before ascending towards the Laurebina Pass (4610m). The Helambu region begins at the Lauribina La (pass) and descends to the Melamchi valley. The trail is rough and crosses moraines, but is well marked with cairns. We pass through three more small lakes before reaching the pass. We climb a small hill and enjoy excellent views of the area. Our trail passes through Surya Kunda before reaching Ghopte.
We slide down through a forested area and climb through a dry river-bed to arrive at a Kharka that is surrounded by rhododendron forest. We then climb through the forest which will take us to Thare Pati Village. Climbing the ridge directly above the village gives us a marvelous view of the Jugal area. Cross the village and enter a forested area, again descending to Melamchi River followed by yet again climbing to the Malemchigaon.
We pass a stupa and cross a small stream below Tarkeghyang. Our trail passes through forests that lead up to Ama Yangri which is the highest point of our trek today located at 3,800m. There are stupas and Buddhist prayer flags at the top of the hill. Furthermore, we get stunning views of Mt. Shishapangma and the Langtang ranges. The mountains are so close that we feel that we can almost touch them. As we descend we can often see yaks grazing in the bushes before entering a forest. We also walk on a trail made of broken stone before reaching Tarkeghyang which is a beautiful Sherpa village. 
We will cross a small forest with the view of the beautiful village of Helambu region. The trail makes a sweep around the wide valley end between Parachin and the pretty Sherpa village of Gangyul. The people of this village practice Drukpa Kagyu Buddhism, the same as the national religion of Bhutan. 
We trek through meadows, fields and beautiful villages to reach Melamchi Bazaar. From here we drive to Kathmandu. After reaching Kathmandu, we freshen up and take a rest. In the evening we celebrate the successful completion of our journey, we will have a farewell dinner.
Our journey in Nepal comes to an end today! But the memories will remain forever on the wonderful times we spent together. A High Wonders Travel representative will drop us off at the airport approximately 3 hours before our scheduled flight.
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What's Included

  • Complimentary airport arrival and departure transfer service
  • Carefully selected accommodation in Kathmandu with breakfast
  • Teahouses during the trek as described in the itinerary
  • Meals as indicated in the itinerary
  • All ground transportation on a comfortable private vehicle as per the itinerary
  • Guided city tour in Kathmandu by Private vehicle including monuments and entrance tickets as per the itinerary.
  • Services of an experienced, English-speaking and government-licensed local trek leader and porter assistant. Guide and Porter service ratio (1-4 trekkers: 1 guide) - (2 trekkers: 1 porter)
  • Staff costs including their salary, insurance, equipment, transportation, food, and accommodation
  • Down jacket and sleeping bag (to be returned after trip completion)
  • All necessary paperwork and trekking permits (ACAP, TIMS)
  • Medical kit (carried by your trek leader)
  • All government and local taxes
  • All activities/excursions mentioned except where specified as 'optional'

What's Excluded:

  • Nepalese Visa (available on arrival for most nationalities)
  • Travel Insurance and rescue insurance (compulsory)
  • International flights to/from the start/end of your tour and departure taxes  
  • Excess baggage charges
  • Pre and post-tour accommodation due to any reason than the scheduled itinerary (available on request)
  • Personal expenses (phone calls, laundry, bar bills, battery recharge, extra porters, bottle or boiled water, shower, etc.)
  • Tips for guide(s), porter(s) and driver(s)
  • Any other items not mentioned above

Trip Review

  • noimage
    Robert H, United States

    A well organised trek

    We did a seventeen-day Langtang, gosainkunda, and helambu trek with this company. The trek itself is absolutely stunning, we’ve done a lot of hiking and nothing has come close to this. We went at the end of September which worked ...

  • noimage
    Catlyn Smith, United States

    Holy Gosainkunda Lake and Beautiful Helambu Valley

    I enjoyed the trip very much having Subash as our guide on a group. We really appreciate his knowledge, friendliness and his kindness in helping every member of the group. We strongly recommend him and this company high wonders as ...

Availability

Departure Note

The given prices are in per person sharing one double/twin room and excluding international flights. Single rooms can be booked for an extra charge subject to availability. Below are the departure dates available for online booking. If the given dates are not suitable for you, your family and friends then, please click the “Request Private Date” button to select dates more appropriate for you.

Start dates are your arrival date in Nepal whereas the End dates are the returning date from Nepal.

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