Langtang, Gosainkunda & Sacred Helambu (Hyolmo Homeland) Lodge Treks
Nepal Himalayan Trekking

Langtang Tamang Culture Lodge Trek – Nepal Himalayan Trekking
Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu 1340m (4395′) | Transfer Kathmandu Guest House
Welcome to Nepal! You will be met at Tribhuvan International Airport by a representative from Kamzang Journeys or Khumbu Adventures (our partners in Kathmandu) Doma, Lhakpa and Nuru Sherpa). Look for a sign with your name on it as you leave the arrival area. We strongly suggest purchasing a NTC (Nepal Telecom) SIM card as you leave the airport if you have an unlocked phone. It’s very useful for data in the remote regions of Nepal. We will transfer you to the Kathmandu Guest House (or see Great Stays tab for luxury, boutique, and other hotel options in the Kathmandu Valley) where your room has been booked for you. Drink plenty of water to hydrate after your flight, and enjoy your first evening in Kathmandu …

We’ll need your travel medical insurance, a copy of your passport and Nepali visa, and one (or more) visa-sized photos (inquire if we need for your trek); please have them ready to give to Lhakpa, Doma or Nuru. And please ask if you need your gear checked, or have shopping or sightseeing questions!

Thamel is a myriad of shops of all imaginable varieties, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, spas, climbing walls, colorful banners and signs, and eccentrically clad backpackers. Enjoy dinner at Roadhouse Cafe, New Orleans, Yin & Yang, Third Eye, or one of Thamel’s other restaurants … (B)

Day 2 – Kathmandu
Enjoy a free day exploring Kathmandu’s many World Heritage sites or embark on a tour of the beautiful Kathmandu valley, surrounded by Himalayan snow peaks (See Kathmandu Valley Tours for optional tours with a qualified guide, car, and entrance fees included). Or just relax at the hotel, visit the spa, have a massage, wander Kathmandu’s fascinating streets, pop into neighborhood Hindu temples and Newari-styled courtyards, join in on koras of the Buddhist temples. (B)

Cafe Caravan & Dolpo Gallery
Dolpo Artist Tenzin Norbu creates wonderful Dolpo paintings, the prints (and some originals) are available from our Cafe Caravan at Boudhanath Stupa, housed in one of Boudha’s original historic buildings, decorated in a bright, Tibetan style and overlooking the magnificent stupa!

Sightseeing in Kathmandu
Nuru Wangdi Sherpa (Khumbu Adventures & Café Caravan) has his Kathmandu guide license and a large SUV vehicle, and can arrange any sightseeing you might want to do in Kathmandu and the Kathmandu valley. He is often available for guiding your excursions as well. Mobile + WhatsApp: +977 9803633783 (WhatsApp)

Massage in Kathmandu (Ramji of Relieving Hands)
Ramji is a blind masseur trained by Seeing Hands in Kathmandu, who now offers wonderful at home (or hotel) massages, with his own massage table and oil. He is truly a master masseur, a real healer and VERY highly recommended. His prices are extremely reasonable. Let us know if you want help to arrange a massage.
Relieving Hands by Ramji

Kathmandu | World Heritage Sightseeing Tours – Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Durbar Square & Swayambunath
Kathmandu is filled with World Heritage sites and sacred destinations, crowded with traditional neighborhoods and colorful festivals. Spend a few days exploring Nepal’s exotic capital and the history-laden Kathmandu valley. We can arrange sightseeing guides and vehicles as required. See Kathmandu Heritage & Happenings for more details.

We recommend beginning with Pashupatinath in the early morning and moving on to Boudhanath mid-morning. Hindu Pashupatinath on the sacred Bagmati river and its sacred temple complex is one of Nepal’s most important sites, a powerful cremation site, and Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. Here, monkeys run up and down the steps of the burning ghats, and trident-bearing saddhus draped in burnt-orange and saffron sit serenely meditating when they’re not posing for photos-for-rupees. Local guides can explain the significance of the complicated ceremonies. Please be respectful when taking photos.

Boudhanath, in the midst of traditional monasteries (gonpas in Tibetan) and hung with long strings of multi-colored prayer flags, attracts Sherpas, Tibetans, and tourists alike for daily circumambulations (koras) of the iconic stupa. The striking Buddha eyes of Boudhanath Stupa watch over a lively and colorful Tibetan community and attract pilgrims from all over the Himalayan Buddhist realm. There are wonderful spots for lunch at Boudhanath (Roadhouse Cafe has wood-oven pizzas and a breathtaking view of the stupa and colorful Nepals circling it), and it’s a good place to learn the technique of thanka painting and purchase a thanka (Buddhist mural). See also Bhaktapur for more options for shopping for thankas.

Wander through the many temples, pagodas, courtyards, and the museum at Kathmandu Durbar Square, a timeless gathering spot and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kathmandu Durbar Square, including the old royal palace, is Kathmandu’s ‘Palace Square’, a showcase for the world-renowned artisans and craftsmen of Kathmandu and a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist palaces, temples, stupas, and statues. The Malla and Shah kings ruled over the Kathmandu Valley during the centuries of the building of the layers of this Durbar Square. Along with their opulent palaces, the square surrounds numerous courtyards and temples, all works of art with intricate and often erotic carvings. Kathmandu Durbar Square is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace. The social, religious and urban focal point of the city, Durbar Square is often the site of festivals, marriages, and other ceremonies such as Teej. Some important structures are Hanuman Dhoka Palace, Kumari Ghar (Abode of the Living Goddess), Taleju Temple, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages.

In the evening (take the interesting back streets from Durbar Square) climb the many steps to the gilded Swayambhunath stupa (known as the monkey temple) which rises from the Kathmandu valley floor at 1420 meters and is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal. Swayambunath, the ‘self-created’  stupa, was founded over 2000 years ago at a time when the Kathmandu valley was filled by a large lake, with a single lotus in the center. Mythology says that Manjusri, a bodhisattva, drained the lake with one cut of his sword and the lotus flower was transformed into the stupa. From its commanding views of Kathmandu, circumambulate Swayambunath’s white-washed stupa, painted with distinctive Buddha eyes, the complex a unique synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism. Another interesting time to visit Swayambunath is in the mornings when Nepalis visit the temple dedicated to the God of Smallpox with colorful offerings for the goddess.

Stop to photograph reflections in Kathmandu’s many pokharis or ponds, including the beautiful Rani Pokhari (queen’s bath) near New Road, and the Naga Pokhari (pond of the snake gods of the underworld) just beyond the palace gates. The many bathing ghats, square enclosures with steps leading down to water spouts, often decorated with naga heads, are also interesting and colorful gathering spots.

Day 3 – Drive Syabru Besi 1500m
After breakfast at KGH, you will board your private jeep for the scenic drive through the middle hills of Nepal, driving past traditional villages with terraced paddy fields, to the start of the Langtang trek in Syabru Besi. You will stop for a local lunch in Trishuli Bazaar, after which the road ascends on spectacular, switch-backing roads as you head towards Dhunche Bazaar, with Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, and some of the Langtang peaks visible en route. Once in Dhunche, there is a quick descent down to Syabru Besi where you will stop at a Tamang lodge near the Bhote Koshi River, which flows south from Tibet, for the evening. These lodges provide the chance to sample some delicious (and nutritious) Tamang and Hyolmo food, and always offer Nepali dal baht. (7-8 hrs drive) (B, L, D)

Day 4 – Trek Lama Hotel 2480m
Your first day of trekking is a beautiful hike through Nepal’s lush, forested middle hills, filled with Langur monkeys, fruit trees, local water mills, water buffaloes, cows, goats, and traditional Tamang villages. The day begins with several hours of uphill hiking to reach Bamboo village (1850m), where you can stop for lunch. The trekking route follows the Langtang Khola, en-route crossing the river several times on suspension bridges. You’ll be able to stop for a cup of tea at local tea houses as you trek, a chance to interact with the Tamang inhabitants, originally from Central Tibet.

Note the many beehives in logs attached to the houses. These next two trekking days pass through honey hunting territory, a dangerous means to procure the much-loved honey from bees nest high above. You have several ascents and descents which can be hot, but overall it’s not a very challenging day so you can take in the view and enjoy the hiking. One last climb to reach your lodge in Lama Hotel, where you will stay for the night. (5-6 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 5 – Trek Langtang 3430m
Enjoy a hot cup of coffee with breakfast, a lovely start to a chilly morning! After breakfast, you’ll trek through dense forests as you climb steadily up through Langtang valley, leaving the tree line behind after several hours. The views grow increasingly spectacular as you ascend, Langtang Lirung (7227m) dominating the skyline. You reach Ghora Tabela (2970m) mid-day, a good stop for lunch. Ghore Tabela was a former Tibetan resettlement project, but is now a Nepali Army post. 

As you trek, the woods rich with birdlife, you will pass vestiges of the Tibetan Buddhist religion that Tamangs follow, nested in rhododendron and evergreen forests. Buddhist prayer wheels, mani walls, and chortens mark important sections of the trail and passes, beautiful reminders of their Tibetan culture. You’ll pass through the checkpost for Langtang National Park, and trek along the Langtang Khola for several hours until you reach Langtang village, destroyed in a massive avalanche during the 2015 Nepal earthquakes. Langtang village is the largest village in this part of Rasuwa, with many lodges, local dwellings, a school, and a Buddhist monastery. Check into your lodge for the evening, with time to explore the village in the afternoon. (5-6 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 6 – Trek Kyanjin Gompa 3860m
Gaining altitude, you’ll hike out of Langtang and through pastures (kharkas, in Nepali) where the Tamangs graze their yaks. Continuing along the main trail, you trek by Nepal’s largest Tibetan Buddhist mani wall, stones with Buddhist inscriptions carved for the gods. You’ll cross several wooden bridges which span tributary streams, trekking along glacial moraines as the views become more extensive, and finally reach your destination, Kanjin Gompa, backed by high Himalayan peaks and very close to the border of Tibet. This idyllic setting requires at least two days to appreciate, so we’ve scheduled an extra day tomorrow to do some exploring. Check into your lodge and enjoy a spectacular Himalayan sunset; Dorje Lhakpa (6990m), Langtang Ri (6370m), Langtang Lirung (7245m) are amongst the Himalayan peaks that grace the skyline. (3-4 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 7 – Kyanjin Gompa | Exploration & Climb Kjanjin Ri 4800m
There are many great day hikes out of Kyanjin Gompa, all with wonderful views of the tumbling icefalls, chances to spot indigenous birds, as well as rare wildlife such as Himalaya thar and blue sheep.

DAY HIKE OPTIONS | Hike up the Lirung Valley to the north of the monastery for unbeatable views of Langtang Lirung and the surrounding peaks of Kimshung (6780m) and Yansa Tsenji (6575m) that border Tibet. Or climb Kyanjin Ri to the viewpoint at 4600 meters for incredible Himalayan panoramas, a half-day semi-strenuous return climb. A hike to Tsergo Ri (4984m) is a full-day excursion, at least a 5-hour climb heading east towards Langshisha Kharka. (B, L, D)

Day 8 – Trek Langtang + Lama Hotel 2480m
Your return trek to Langtang and Lama Hotel village follows the same trail during the descent, although the route downhill always looks different! Enjoy the descent through bamboo and rhododendron forests, perhaps a few grey-faces Langur monkeys in the treetops, as you pass through the Tibetan landscapes heading back to Langtang village and Lama Hotel. (6 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 9 – Trek Syabru Besi 1500m
The last day of trekking, sadly, back to your transport at Syabru Besi. You’ll spend the night here in a lodge before heading back to Kathmandu tomorrow. (B, L, D)

Day 9 – Trek Thulo Syabru 2120m
A slightly different and higher route back, spending the night at Thulo Syabru instead of Syabru Besi, and adding an extra trekking day to reach Dunche, a bustling Tamang bazaar. (B, L, D)

Day 10 (or 11) – Drive Kathmandu | Transfer Hotel
Board your prive jeep and enjoy another beautiful drive through Nepal’s verdant, cultural Middle Hills back to Kathmandu, where hot showers await at the Kathmandu Guest House. You have the late afternoon in Kathmandu for a wander, and enjoy dinner out to celebrate your wonderful journey! (B, L)

Day 11 (or 12) – Trip Ends
Transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight home. Namaste + Tashi Delek! (B)

Not Enough of Nepal?
We highly suggest taking advantage of your trip to Nepal, adding on excursions into the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Bandipur, Gorkha, the Annapurna Foothills, and Chitwan and Bardia National Park. Enjoy heritage tours, mountain biking, Kathmandu valley hiking, Himalayan panoramas with a hike down from the Chandragiri Cable Car, whitewater rafting, yoga and meditation courses, Nepali cooking classes, Buddhist or Hindu retreats, and much more. There are many wonderful, boutique, luxury, and heritage lodges in the Kathmandu Valley, and many options for world heritage sightseeing tours, bicycle trips, hikes, and craft-cuisine tours. Nepal boasts world-class restaurants, chic cafes, timeless alleyways to wander through, countless Hindu and Buddhist festivals, and lots of great shopping.

Don’t miss an Everest sightseeing flight or epic helicopter tour, sightseeing trips to Bhaktapur, Patan, and Panauti (Kathmandu Valley’s other historic and/or capital cities), a weekend at Shivapuri Heights Resort or Dwarikas in Kathmandu, a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for sunrise and sunset Himalayan panoramas, a spa and wellness getaway at the ultra-luxurious Dwarikas Dhulikhel Resort and visits to ancient temple and monastery complexes such as Namo Buddha, Changu Narayan, and Dakshinkali. Spend a night at The Old Inn in Bandipur or Three Mountain Lodge en route to Pokhara, or The Famous Farm in Nuwakot, and get to know Nepal’s Newar heritage.

Enjoy a luxury 3-6 day trek in the Annapurna Foothills, staying in the wonderful Ker & Downey luxury lodges. Relax in heritage style at Temple Tree Resort in Pokhara for some pampering at the spa and infinity pool, try out paragliding, zip-lining, and enjoy a morning of boating on the lake and the hike to Shanti Stupa. Once refreshed, drive to Chitwan National Park, spending a few nights at Maruni Sanctuary Resort or Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge for wildlife and bird spotting, river trips, and safaris in style. Tiger Tops also owns Karnali Lodge at Bardia National Park, reached by flight from Kathmandu, and there are nearby archeological sites to visit nearby.

Namaste!

Nepal Modules
Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip!

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Langtang, Gosainkunda & Helambu Lodge Trek – Nepal Himalayan Trekking

Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu 1340m (4395′) | Transfer Kathmandu Guest House
Welcome to Nepal! You will be met at Tribhuvan International Airport by a representative from Kamzang Journeys or Khumbu Adventures (our partners in Kathmandu) Doma, Lhakpa and Nuru Sherpa). Look for a sign with your name on it as you leave the arrival area. We strongly suggest purchasing a NTC (Nepal Telecom) SIM card as you leave the airport if you have an unlocked phone. It’s very useful for data in the remote regions of Nepal. We will transfer you to the Kathmandu Guest House (or see Great Stays tab for luxury, boutique, and other hotel options in the Kathmandu Valley) where your room has been booked for you. Drink plenty of water to hydrate after your flight, and enjoy your first evening in Kathmandu …

We’ll need your travel medical insurance, a copy of your passport and Nepali visa, and one (or more) visa-sized photos (inquire if we need for your trek); please have them ready to give to Lhakpa, Doma or Nuru. And please ask if you need your gear checked, or have shopping or sightseeing questions!

Thamel is a myriad of shops of all imaginable varieties, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, spas, climbing walls, colorful banners and signs, and eccentrically clad backpackers. Enjoy dinner at Roadhouse Cafe, New Orleans, Yin & Yang, Third Eye, or one of Thamel’s other restaurants … (B)

Day 2 – Kathmandu
Enjoy a free day exploring Kathmandu’s many World Heritage sites or embark on a tour of the beautiful Kathmandu valley, surrounded by Himalayan snow peaks (See Kathmandu Valley Tours for optional tours with a qualified guide, car, and entrance fees included). Or just relax at the hotel, visit the spa, have a massage, wander Kathmandu’s fascinating streets, pop into neighborhood Hindu temples and Newari-styled courtyards, join in on koras of the Buddhist temples. (B)

Cafe Caravan & Dolpo Gallery
Dolpo Artist Tenzin Norbu creates wonderful Dolpo paintings, the prints (and some originals) are available from our Cafe Caravan at Boudhanath Stupa, housed in one of Boudha’s original historic buildings, decorated in a bright, Tibetan style and overlooking the magnificent stupa!

Sightseeing in Kathmandu
Nuru Wangdi Sherpa (Khumbu Adventures & Café Caravan) has his Kathmandu guide license and a large SUV vehicle, and can arrange any sightseeing you might want to do in Kathmandu and the Kathmandu valley. He is often available for guiding your excursions as well. Mobile + WhatsApp: +977 9803633783 (WhatsApp)

Massage in Kathmandu (Ramji of Relieving Hands)
Ramji is a blind masseur trained by Seeing Hands in Kathmandu, who now offers wonderful at home (or hotel) massages, with his own massage table and oil. He is truly a master masseur, a real healer and VERY highly recommended. His prices are extremely reasonable. Let us know if you want help to arrange a massage.
Relieving Hands by Ramji

Kathmandu | World Heritage Sightseeing Tours – Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Durbar Square & Swayambunath
Kathmandu is filled with World Heritage sites and sacred destinations, crowded with traditional neighborhoods and colorful festivals. Spend a few days exploring Nepal’s exotic capital and the history-laden Kathmandu valley. We can arrange sightseeing guides and vehicles as required. See Kathmandu Heritage & Happenings for more details.

We recommend beginning with Pashupatinath in the early morning and moving on to Boudhanath mid-morning. Hindu Pashupatinath on the sacred Bagmati river and its sacred temple complex is one of Nepal’s most important sites, a powerful cremation site, and Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. Here, monkeys run up and down the steps of the burning ghats, and trident-bearing saddhus draped in burnt-orange and saffron sit serenely meditating when they’re not posing for photos-for-rupees. Local guides can explain the significance of the complicated ceremonies. Please be respectful when taking photos.

Boudhanath, in the midst of traditional monasteries (gonpas in Tibetan) and hung with long strings of multi-colored prayer flags, attracts Sherpas, Tibetans, and tourists alike for daily circumambulations (koras) of the iconic stupa. The striking Buddha eyes of Boudhanath Stupa watch over a lively and colorful Tibetan community and attract pilgrims from all over the Himalayan Buddhist realm. There are wonderful spots for lunch at Boudhanath (Roadhouse Cafe has wood-oven pizzas and a breathtaking view of the stupa and colorful Nepals circling it), and it’s a good place to learn the technique of thanka painting and purchase a thanka (Buddhist mural). See also Bhaktapur for more options for shopping for thankas.

Wander through the many temples, pagodas, courtyards, and the museum at Kathmandu Durbar Square, a timeless gathering spot and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kathmandu Durbar Square, including the old royal palace, is Kathmandu’s ‘Palace Square’, a showcase for the world-renowned artisans and craftsmen of Kathmandu and a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist palaces, temples, stupas, and statues. The Malla and Shah kings ruled over the Kathmandu Valley during the centuries of the building of the layers of this Durbar Square. Along with their opulent palaces, the square surrounds numerous courtyards and temples, all works of art with intricate and often erotic carvings. Kathmandu Durbar Square is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace. The social, religious and urban focal point of the city, Durbar Square is often the site of festivals, marriages, and other ceremonies such as Teej. Some important structures are Hanuman Dhoka Palace, Kumari Ghar (Abode of the Living Goddess), Taleju Temple, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages.

In the evening (take the interesting back streets from Durbar Square) climb the many steps to the gilded Swayambhunath stupa (known as the monkey temple) which rises from the Kathmandu valley floor at 1420 meters and is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal. Swayambunath, the ‘self-created’  stupa, was founded over 2000 years ago at a time when the Kathmandu valley was filled by a large lake, with a single lotus in the center. Mythology says that Manjusri, a bodhisattva, drained the lake with one cut of his sword and the lotus flower was transformed into the stupa. From its commanding views of Kathmandu, circumambulate Swayambunath’s white-washed stupa, painted with distinctive Buddha eyes, the complex a unique synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism. Another interesting time to visit Swayambunath is in the mornings when Nepalis visit the temple dedicated to the God of Smallpox with colorful offerings for the goddess.

Stop to photograph reflections in Kathmandu’s many pokharis or ponds, including the beautiful Rani Pokhari (queen’s bath) near New Road, and the Naga Pokhari (pond of the snake gods of the underworld) just beyond the palace gates. The many bathing ghats, square enclosures with steps leading down to water spouts, often decorated with naga heads, are also interesting and colorful gathering spots.

Day 3 – Drive Syabru Besi 1500m
After breakfast at KGH, you will board your private jeep for the scenic drive through the middle hills of Nepal, driving past traditional villages with terraced paddy fields, to the start of the Langtang trek in Syabru Besi. You will stop for a local lunch in Trishuli Bazaar, after which the road ascends on spectacular, switch-backing roads as you head towards Dhunche Bazaar, with Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, and some of the Langtang peaks visible en route. Once in Dhunche, there is a quick descent down to Syabru Besi where you will stop at a Tamang lodge near the Bhote Koshi River, which flows south from Tibet, for the evening. These lodges provide the chance to sample some delicious (and nutritious) Tamang and Hyolmo food, and always offer Nepali dal baht. (7-8 hrs drive) (B, L, D)

Day 4 – Trek Lama Hotel 2480m
Your first day of trekking is a beautiful hike through Nepal’s lush, forested middle hills, filled with Langur monkeys, fruit trees, local water mills, water buffaloes, cows, goats and traditional Tamang villages. The day begins with several hours of uphill hiking to reach Bamboo village (1850m), where you can stop for lunch. The trekking route follows the Langtang Khola, en-route crossing the river several times on suspension bridges. You’ll be able to stop for a cup of tea at local tea houses as you trek, a chance to interact with the Tamang inhabitants, originally from Central Tibet.

Note the many beehives in logs attached to the houses. These next two trekking days pass through honey hunting territory, a dangerous means to procure the much-loved honey from bees nest high above. You have several ascents and descents which can be hot, but overall it’s not a very challenging day so you can take in the view and enjoy the hiking. One last climb to reach your lodge in Lama Hotel, where you will stay for the night. (5-6 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 5 – Trek Langtang 3430m
Enjoy a hot cup of coffee with breakfast, a lovely start to a chilly morning! After breakfast, you’ll trek through dense forests as you climb steadily up through Langtang valley, leaving the tree line behind after several hours. The views grow increasingly spectacular as you ascend, Langtang Lirung (7227m) dominating the skyline. You reach Ghora Tabela (2970m) mid-day, a good stop for lunch. Ghore Tabela was a former Tibetan resettlement project, but is now a Nepali Army post. 

As you trek, the woods rich with birdlife, you will pass vestiges of the Tibetan Buddhist religion that Tamangs follow, nested in rhododendron and evergreen forests. Buddhist prayer wheels, mani walls, and chortens mark important sections of the trail and passes, beautiful reminders of their Tibetan culture. You’ll pass through the checkpost for Langtang National Park, and trek along the Langtang Khola for several hours until you reach Langtang village, destroyed in a massive avalanche during the 2015 Nepal earthquakes. Langtang village is the largest village in this part of Rasuwa, with many lodges, local dwellings, a school and a Buddhist monastery. Check into your lodge for the evening, with time to explore the village in the afternoon. (5-6 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 6 – Trek Kyanjin Gompa 3860m
Gaining altitude, you’ll hike out of Langtang and through pastures (kharkas, in Nepali) where the Tamangs graze their yaks. Continuing along the main trail, you trek by Nepal’s largest Tibetan Buddhist mani wall, stones with Buddhist inscriptions carved for the gods. You’ll cross several wooden bridges which span tributary streams, trekking along glacial moraines as the views become more extensive, and finally reach your destination, Kanjin Gompa, backed by high Himalayan peaks and very close to the border of Tibet. This idyllic setting requires at least two days to appreciate, so we’ve scheduled an extra day tomorrow to do some exploring. Check into your lodge and enjoy a spectacular Himalayan sunset; Dorje Lhakpa (6990m), Langtang Ri (6370m), Langtang Lirung (7245m) are amongst the Himalayan peaks that grace the skyline. (3-4 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 7 – Kyanjin Gompa | Exploration & Climb Kjanjin Ri 4800m
There are many great day hikes out of Kyanjin Gompa, all with wonderful views of the tumbling icefalls, chances to spot indigenous birds, as well as rare wildlife such as Himalaya thar and blue sheep.

DAY HIKE OPTIONS | Hike up the Lirung Valley to the north of the monastery for unbeatable views of Langtang Lirung and the surrounding peaks of Kimshung (6780m) and Yansa Tsenji (6575m) that border Tibet. Or climb Kyanjin Ri to the viewpoint at 4600 meters for incredible Himalayan panoramas, a half-day semi-strenuous return climb. A hike to Tsergo Ri (4984m) is a full-day excursion, at least a 5-hour climb heading east towards Langshisha Kharka. (B, L, D)

Day 8 – Trek Langtang + Lama Hotel 2480m
Your return trek to Langtang and Lama Hotel village follows the same trail during the descent, although the route downhill always looks different! Enjoy the descent through bamboo and rhododendron forests, perhaps a few grey-faces Langur monkeys in the treetops, as you pass through the Tibetan landscapes heading back to Langtang village and Lama Hotel. (6 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 9 – Trek Thulo Syabru 2250m
This morning’s trail takes us through more bamboo and rhododendron forests, and we might have a chance to see  wild boar and a variety of birds on the route to Thulo Syabru. Along the way, enjoy the spectacular views of Ganesh Himal. You’ll descend to a trail following the riverbank, and then climb steeply for a couple of hours to get reach the village of Thulo Syabru. (5 – 6 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 10 – Trek Sing Gomba 3330m 
Hiking uphill through somewhat rugged Himalayan terrain, you pass through dense forests of pine and rhododendron, followed by forests of oak, hemlock, and fir, as you trek towards Sing Gompa, also called Chandan Bari. From Thulo Syabru, you’ll trek past colorful Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and schools as you hike towards Foprang Danda (3200m) and Dursagang (2660m). Soon, the forests open a bit and the Himalayan views expand to include Langtang Himal, Ganesh Himal, Tibetan Peak. Visit the cheese factory at Sing Gompa once you’ve had lunch at the lodge, and explore the lovely surroundings.

You’ve entered the Tamang Heritage Trail, a more recently opened cultural part of the Langtang region. (4-5 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 11 – Trek Gosainkunda Lake 4380m
A wonderful day of ridgeline trekking to reach the sacred Gosainkunda (Gosaikunda) Lake, which flows into the Trishuli, hiking along ancient and well-used pilgrim trails. We have fabulous Himalayan peak views en route, from Langtang to Ganesh Himal and on to Manasu and the Annapurnas. Gosainkunda is renowned for its full moon festival every August, when Gosainkunda sees thousands of Nepali and Indian Hindu pilgrims who bathe in the holy lake. Hindus believe that a bath in Gosainkunda Lake washes the sins of a lifetime, leading to enlightenment.

The forests are full of rhododendron, juniper, oak and alpine shrubs and flowers as you trek along the Laurebina pass route, and eventually, you reach Laurebina (3910m).  After a short tea break, you’ll ascend trek past the tree line, and then descend for half an hour to reach Saraswati and Bhairav Kunda (4165m), the first lakes in this spectacular region. The rest of the afternoon is a gentle trek to reach the sacred Gosainkunda Lake, where you check into your lodge for the night. Local mythology has it that Gosainkunda Lake was created by the powerful Hindu god Shiva when he pierced the glacier with his trident to find water to quench his thirst after he drank poison. Every August, Hindus flock to Gosainkunda Lake for Janae Purnima, a full moon festival. Enjoy the views of Langtang Lirung (7727m), the Ganesh Himal range, Paldor Peak (5903m), Dhorje Lhakpa (6966m), Manaslu (8163m), and the Annapurna range, an incredible Himalayan panorama!  (5 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 12 – Trek Ghopte 3530m | Cross Laurebina Pass 4600m
Have a good breakfast and a hot cup of coffee before leaving Gosainkund, trekking towards the four lakes nearby to the Lauribina La. From this epic pass, you’ve earned the incredible Himalayan views, which include the Annapurnas, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Langtang Ri, Langtang Lirung and Dorje Lhakpa. After hanging your five-colored Tibetan prayer flags (lung-ta in Tibetan), you begin the descent to Phedi (3730m), your lunch stop. Continuing to trek on an undulating trail, you pass ancient chortens, Dhupi Char, finally reach the camping spot at Ghopte, marked by prayer flags, where you’ll be happy to see tonight’s lodge. There are two sections of Ghopte, the later with the lodges, and a cave in between. (5-6 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 13 – Trek Melamchi Ghyang 2530m
You enter wonderful Helambu this morning, taking the intersecting trail heading east before the Thadepati Pass (3690m), the direct route south through Helambu and not as beautiful as our eastern route. You’ll cross a suspension bridge to reach the scenic and bustling Melamchi Ghyang. Melamchi translates as ‘blessing’, and this village is definitely blessed, and perhaps the most beautiful village in Helambu, even with the post-earthquake building. Apple as well as kiwi trees growing, and again they grow their own rice. The impressive Melamchi Ghyang School, one of the best boarding schools in Nepal apparently, is located at the far end of the village. About 300 students attend the school, and we helped to arrange for the adorable Pemba Dolma from Tarkye Ghyang to be sponsored at the school with the help of Tsering’s Fund, the Kamzang Fund, and a sponsor. Melamchi Ghyang even has three shops, two of them worth visiting – Helambu seems to be oddly missing the ubiquitous Nepali shops for some reason we never quite discovered.

Enjoy your stay at Helambu Lodge right in the middle of town. After lunch, hike up to the Guru Rimpoche Yandak Chok Meditation Cave at the top of the village, adorned with thousands of prayer flags, and explore the village, sharing the trail with thrushes and other birds. (6-7 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 14 – Trek Tarkye Ghyang 2600m
A very cultural hike today as we head towards the relatively large village of Tarkye Ghyang. After breakfast, we pass through the lower section of the village, and once past a series of large chortens, descend through terraced paddies and past traditional houses, crisscrossing the jeep track to Melamchi Khola, Kathmandu’s water source, which you cross on the old wooden bridge (they are building a new, much bigger one for cars right above the old one). En route, you trek past many small memorial chortens during the 600 meters descent.

Ascending again, we cross the newly built jeep track (no vehicles) and trek along a trail passing cultivated cardamom and winter barley (ua in Nepali, karu in Tibetan), with a large variety of birds en route. We learned the name of the plant that looks like buckwheat leaves – kurchungma – that locals give to the cows for food. Once you’ve reached the chorten at the village of Nakote, you might want to stop for a cup of tea, and have a chat with the interesting villagers.

You reach Tarkye Ghyang by the early afternoon, and stay at the welcoming Tarkyeghang Hotel with a lovely family (do meet Anu, who speaks perfect English and has taken on the ‘mother’ role to Pemba, a girl that The Kamzang Fund sponsors) and spend the afternoon in their beautiful yard in the sun, heaven. Explore the village in the afternoon, which is still rebuilding after the 2015 Nepal earthquake. All of the village houses were destroyed, but fortunately, only one person died. If the lodge isn’t full, you might be able to have your dinner in the cozy lodge kitchen around the fire, real mountain-Nepali style. Cold beer is available, and we recommend the delicious dal baht made from produce all from their fields: rice, ryako sag, potatoes, achar. When Lhakpa and Kim trekked this route, Anu was helping her two aunts with the lodge (the one that cooks and takes more charge of the lodge is Sher Khandu, which means golden goddess), and they had taken in a Tamang grandfather with his cow, who you will doubtless see in the yard (with the cow). Note the photo of the pre-earthquake village in the small, local teahouse across the street from our lodge, and don’t miss the lovely pink sunset in back of the chorten and prayer flags, just outside the lodge yard.

The story of Tarkye Ghyang: Ghyang = village with monastery, and tarkye = field from where lamas bring grains to the monastery for puja. Another meaning is a hundred horses (ta gya) according to the story told by a knowledgeable villager. A high rinpoche came from Tibet about 500 years ago to do pujas for a plague of some sort, during which thousands of people had died. But after his Buddhist pujas, the deaths stopped. The King of Nepal gifted him the tarkye land and 100 horses, which the rinpoche said he had no need for. (5-6 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 15 – Tarkye Ghyang | Climb Ama Yangri 3252m
Because we love Tarkye Ghyang and the lodge so much, we think it’s worth spending an extra day here and climbing the very do-able Ama Yangri peak, returning to the lodge in the afternoon. You have two options, a big hike up to Ama Yangri peak for some spectacular Himalayan views, or a forest hike and potential mediation at the Dopadong Retreat Center in the surrounding hillsides.

Ama Yangri Peak Option | Enjoy some village-roasted tsampa in the kitchen by the fire to start the day, as you’ll have a 1200-meter day hike up to the viewpoint on top of Ama Yangri (3752m) this morning. It’s an incredible hike, and if the weather is good you’ll enjoy a 360-degree panorama from the top of the peak. The first hour or so of hiking passes through a magical rhododendron forest, filled with incredibly scented daphne (used to make Nepali paper), a creeping green bryophyte, and lavender primula, with lots of bird life. Kim even saw some sort of small wild cat with a black tail during the 2021 explorations of this valley.

Stop for a pre or post-peak Rara soup (or lunch) and tea at Chomuthang, where there is a great tented lodge slightly off the trail in the direction of Panch Pokhari. Refreshed, continue the ascent up stone steps, a magical region with sculpted rocks, eventually reaching dwarf juniper, passing droppings of thar or blue sheep on the open trail. The prayer flags (lung-ta) on top of the peak are visible from way down below and reached a ridge through an old forest fire burned area. There is a small monastery being built at the summit, with hundreds of fluttering, 5-colored prayer flags marking the top. Descend the same way you came up, a fabulous day trip loop! (11½ km)

Day 16 – Trek Sermathang 2590m
Leaving Tarkye Ghyang, you’ll have another beautiful Helambu Himalayan trekking day, passing through several villages, past many Buddhist chortens and multi-colored Tibetan prayer flags, hiking on quite steep trails throughout but almost all downhill. You’ll trek past a monastery and hike along the sides of planted fields, through forests of rhododendron and fern.

Taking the high trail to the left past the Helambu check-post in Sermathang, you soon reach Yangrina Eco Resort, which gets beautiful afternoon light (and hike along the nicest trail of the day to the lodge, semi-eco but a lovely Buddhist-style building). Sermathang is a large village below the trail, with several Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. If the weather is good, you’ll have views of Dorje Lhakpa, Jugal Himal and the Panch Pokhari lakes. (5 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 16 – Trek Kakani Bhanjang 2000m & Drive Kathmandu | Transfer Hotel
A beautiful and downhill hike out Helambu, trekking past more chortens, Buddhist monasteries and traditional Nepali villages, as the region becomes less Buddhist and more Hindu.  Your private jeep will meet you at Kakani Bhangjang Duwachaur, or perhaps before this, and drive you along the very bumpy road back to Kathmandu.

You have the afternoon in Kathmandu for shopping, some sun in the garden of the Kathmandu Guest House or your luxury or boutique hotel, shopping or perhaps a visit to Boudhanath for some ‘koras’ to give thanks for the safe journey in the mountains. (4 hrs trek) (2 hrs drive) (B)

Option | Extra Days in Kathmandu
See our list of World Heritage sightseeing tours and more, and enjoy an extra few days in magical Kathmandu!

Day 17 – Trip Ends
Transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight home. Namaste + Tashi Delek! (B)

Not Enough of Nepal?
We highly suggest taking advantage of your trip to Nepal, adding on excursions into the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Bandipur, Gorkha, the Annapurna Foothills, and Chitwan and Bardia National Park. Enjoy heritage tours, mountain biking, Kathmandu valley hiking, Himalayan panoramas with a hike down from the Chandragiri Cable Car, whitewater rafting, yoga and meditation courses, Nepali cooking classes, Buddhist or Hindu retreats, and much more. There are many wonderful, boutique, luxury, and heritage lodges in the Kathmandu Valley, and many options for world heritage sightseeing tours, bicycle trips, hikes, and craft-cuisine tours. Nepal boasts world-class restaurants, chic cafes, timeless alleyways to wander through, countless Hindu and Buddhist festivals, and lots of great shopping.

Don’t miss an Everest sightseeing flight or epic helicopter tour, sightseeing trips to Bhaktapur, Patan, and Panauti (Kathmandu Valley’s other historic and/or capital cities), a weekend at Shivapuri Heights Resort or Dwarikas in Kathmandu, a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for sunrise and sunset Himalayan panoramas, a spa and wellness getaway at the ultra-luxurious Dwarikas Dhulikhel Resort and visits to ancient temple and monastery complexes such as Namo Buddha, Changu Narayan, and Dakshinkali. Spend a night at The Old Inn in Bandipur or Three Mountain Lodge en route to Pokhara, or The Famous Farm in Nuwakot, and get to know Nepal’s Newar heritage.

Enjoy a luxury 3-6 day trek in the Annapurna Foothills, staying in the wonderful Ker & Downey luxury lodges. Relax in heritage style at Temple Tree Resort in Pokhara for some pampering at the spa and infinity pool, try out paragliding, zip-lining, and enjoy a morning of boating on the lake and the hike to Shanti Stupa. Once refreshed, drive to Chitwan National Park, spending a few nights at Maruni Sanctuary Resort or Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge for wildlife and bird spotting, river trips, and safaris in style. Tiger Tops also owns Karnali Lodge at Bardia National Park, reached by flight from Kathmandu, and there are nearby archeological sites to visit nearby.

Namaste!

Nepal Modules
Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip!

Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu 1340m (4395′) | Transfer Kathmandu Guest House
Welcome to Nepal! You will be met at Tribhuvan International Airport by a representative from Kamzang Journeys or Khumbu Adventures (our partners in Kathmandu) Doma, Lhakpa and Nuru Sherpa). Look for a sign with your name on it as you leave the arrival area. We strongly suggest purchasing a NTC (Nepal Telecom) SIM card as you leave the airport if you have an unlocked phone. It’s very useful for data in the remote regions of Nepal. We will transfer you to the Kathmandu Guest House (or see Great Stays tab for luxury, boutique, and other hotel options in the Kathmandu Valley) where your room has been booked for you. Drink plenty of water to hydrate after your flight, and enjoy your first evening in Kathmandu …

We’ll need your travel medical insurance, a copy of your passport and Nepali visa, and one (or more) visa-sized photos (inquire if we need for your trek); please have them ready to give to Lhakpa, Doma or Nuru. And please ask if you need your gear checked, or have shopping or sightseeing questions!

Thamel is a myriad of shops of all imaginable varieties, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, spas, climbing walls, colorful banners and signs, and eccentrically clad backpackers. Enjoy dinner at Roadhouse Cafe, New Orleans, Yin & Yang, Third Eye, or one of Thamel’s other restaurants … (B)

Day 2 – Kathmandu
Enjoy a free day exploring Kathmandu’s many World Heritage sites or embark on a tour of the beautiful Kathmandu valley, surrounded by Himalayan snow peaks (See Kathmandu Valley Tours for optional tours with a qualified guide, car, and entrance fees included). Or just relax at the hotel, visit the spa, have a massage, wander Kathmandu’s fascinating streets, pop into neighborhood Hindu temples and Newari-styled courtyards, join in on koras of the Buddhist temples. (B)

Cafe Caravan & Dolpo Gallery
Dolpo Artist Tenzin Norbu creates wonderful Dolpo paintings, the prints (and some originals) are available from our Cafe Caravan at Boudhanath Stupa, housed in one of Boudha’s original historic buildings, decorated in a bright, Tibetan style and overlooking the magnificent stupa!

Sightseeing in Kathmandu
Nuru Wangdi Sherpa (Khumbu Adventures & Café Caravan) has his Kathmandu guide license and a large SUV vehicle, and can arrange any sightseeing you might want to do in Kathmandu and the Kathmandu valley. He is often available for guiding your excursions as well. Mobile + WhatsApp: +977 9803633783 (WhatsApp)

Massage in Kathmandu (Ramji of Relieving Hands)
Ramji is a blind masseur trained by Seeing Hands in Kathmandu, who now offers wonderful at home (or hotel) massages, with his own massage table and oil. He is truly a master masseur, a real healer and VERY highly recommended. His prices are extremely reasonable. Let us know if you want help to arrange a massage.
Relieving Hands by Ramji

Kathmandu | World Heritage Sightseeing Tours – Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Durbar Square & Swayambunath
Kathmandu is filled with World Heritage sites and sacred destinations, crowded with traditional neighborhoods and colorful festivals. Spend a few days exploring Nepal’s exotic capital and the history-laden Kathmandu valley. We can arrange sightseeing guides and vehicles as required. See Kathmandu Heritage & Happenings for more details.

We recommend beginning with Pashupatinath in the early morning and moving on to Boudhanath mid-morning. Hindu Pashupatinath on the sacred Bagmati river and its sacred temple complex is one of Nepal’s most important sites, a powerful cremation site, and Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. Here, monkeys run up and down the steps of the burning ghats, and trident-bearing saddhus draped in burnt-orange and saffron sit serenely meditating when they’re not posing for photos-for-rupees. Local guides can explain the significance of the complicated ceremonies. Please be respectful when taking photos.

Boudhanath, in the midst of traditional monasteries (gonpas in Tibetan) and hung with long strings of multi-colored prayer flags, attracts Sherpas, Tibetans, and tourists alike for daily circumambulations (koras) of the iconic stupa. The striking Buddha eyes of Boudhanath Stupa watch over a lively and colorful Tibetan community and attract pilgrims from all over the Himalayan Buddhist realm. There are wonderful spots for lunch at Boudhanath (Roadhouse Cafe has wood-oven pizzas and a breathtaking view of the stupa and colorful Nepals circling it), and it’s a good place to learn the technique of thanka painting and purchase a thanka (Buddhist mural). See also Bhaktapur for more options for shopping for thankas.

Wander through the many temples, pagodas, courtyards, and the museum at Kathmandu Durbar Square, a timeless gathering spot and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kathmandu Durbar Square, including the old royal palace, is Kathmandu’s ‘Palace Square’, a showcase for the world-renowned artisans and craftsmen of Kathmandu and a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist palaces, temples, stupas, and statues. The Malla and Shah kings ruled over the Kathmandu Valley during the centuries of the building of the layers of this Durbar Square. Along with their opulent palaces, the square surrounds numerous courtyards and temples, all works of art with intricate and often erotic carvings. Kathmandu Durbar Square is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace. The social, religious and urban focal point of the city, Durbar Square is often the site of festivals, marriages, and other ceremonies such as Teej. Some important structures are Hanuman Dhoka Palace, Kumari Ghar (Abode of the Living Goddess), Taleju Temple, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages.

In the evening (take the interesting back streets from Durbar Square) climb the many steps to the gilded Swayambhunath stupa (known as the monkey temple) which rises from the Kathmandu valley floor at 1420 meters and is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal. Swayambunath, the ‘self-created’  stupa, was founded over 2000 years ago at a time when the Kathmandu valley was filled by a large lake, with a single lotus in the center. Mythology says that Manjusri, a bodhisattva, drained the lake with one cut of his sword and the lotus flower was transformed into the stupa. From its commanding views of Kathmandu, circumambulate Swayambunath’s white-washed stupa, painted with distinctive Buddha eyes, the complex a unique synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism. Another interesting time to visit Swayambunath is in the mornings when Nepalis visit the temple dedicated to the God of Smallpox with colorful offerings for the goddess.

Stop to photograph reflections in Kathmandu’s many pokharis or ponds, including the beautiful Rani Pokhari (queen’s bath) near New Road, and the Naga Pokhari (pond of the snake gods of the underworld) just beyond the palace gates. The many bathing ghats, square enclosures with steps leading down to water spouts, often decorated with naga heads, are also interesting and colorful gathering spots.

Day 3 – Drive Melamchi Bazaar & Kakani Bhanjang. Hike Sermathang 2590m
A beautiful first day’s hike into Helambu, driving right from Kathmandu. Your jeep will drop you at Kakani Bhangjang Duwachaur – very bumpy road – and then hiked a bit on the road, but mostly on old trails intersecting the new-ish dirt jeep track. Though some villages, past may Buddhist chortens, lots of prayer flags, quite steep throughout, almost all uphill. Passed a monastery that we didn’t go into, hiked along the sides of a few planted fields when the trail seemed to vanish, took one old trail through rhododendron, fern forest which ended up in a landslide – and we cut back down to the road.

HIked for a bit on newly being-built concrete steps, very theme-park-ish, might lead to the gompa mentioned below. This is where we lost our way a bit …

Passed the turnoff to Yangrina Eco Resort as a local man at the chorten teahouse told us the school was up there, so had to backtrack along a different trail, at 4 pm, with beautiful afternoon light and the nicest trail of the day, to the lodge, which is semi-eco but a lovely building. (11½ km)

Day 4 – Trek Tarkye Ghyang 2600
You have two choices for today’s beautiful hike, the high route or the cultural route.

High Route | The high route ascends almost immediately through flowering forests from Yangrina Resort. You will be climbing to the top of the ridge on a newly widened trail, and then will descend to Chomuthang, where there is a small tented teahouse-lodge for a snack or lunch. From Chomuthang (3150m), if you are not spending an extra day in Tarkye Ghyang, you might want to try to hike to the top of the prayer-flag festooned Ama Yangri Peak (3771m), another approximately 620-meter climb. It’s an easy hour’s descent on stone steps though a wonderful forest to Tarkye Ghyang, where you will stay for the evening.

Cultural Route | This morning’s trek is a lovely one, the first 20 minutes along the wooded jeep trail leading from the resort and school back to lower Semanthang. You then have another 15 minutes hiking along the basically unused jeep track to the upper reaches of Semathang, where you enter Langtang National Park (the buffer zone). Just after the check post, you’ll take a right along the old, small trail up stone steps, passing many chortens and lots of prayer flags, continuing along this lovely, undulating trail through rhododendron forests filled with bird songs for several hours. At a bend with an ancient chorten you’ve reached the village of Ghangyul, which grows kiwi amongst other crops. The little homestay just above the trail, next to the large, whitewashed chorten makes a wonderful Rara soup and chai for lunch.

Back on the jeep trail, the road ends (but will soon be connected to the road on the other side), and a small trail leads to the soon-to-be-connected jeep track, passing several old landslides en route. There are wild boar in this section of the forest, keep your ears open for loud rustling and stay on the trail!

You reach Tarkye Ghyang by the early afternoon, and stay at the welcoming Tarkyeghang Hotel with a lovely family, and spend the afternoon in their beautiful yard in the sun, heaven. Explore the village in the afternoon, which is still rebuilding after the 2015 Nepal earthquake. All of the village houses were destroyed, but fortunately, only one person died.

If the lodge isn’t full, you might be able to have your dinner in the cozy lodge kitchen around the fire, real mountain-Nepali style. Cold beer is available, and we recommend the delicious dal baht made from produce all from their fields: rice, ryako sag, potatoes, achar. When Lhakpa and I trekked this route, Anu was helping her two aunts with the lodge (the one that cooks and takes more charge of the lodge is Sher Khandu, which means golden goddess), and they had taken in a Tamang grandfather with his cow, who you will doubtless see in the yard (with the cow) … Note the photo of the pre-earthquake village in the small, local teahouse across the street from our lodge, and don’t miss the lovely pink sunset in back of the chorten and prayer flags, just outside the lodge yard.

The story of Tarkye Ghyang: Ghyang = village with monastery, and tarkye = field from where lamas bring grains to the monastery for puja. Another meaning is a hundred horses (ta gya) according to the story told by a knowledgeable villager. A high rinpoche came from Tibet about 500 years ago to do pujas for a plague of some sort, during which thousands of people had died. But after his Buddhist pujas, the deaths stopped. The King of Nepal gifted him the tarkye land and 100 horses, which the rinpoche said he had no need for. (13km)

Day 5 – Tarkye Ghyang | Climb Ama Yangri Peak 3252m (Optional Dopadong Retreat Center Meditation)
You have two options for today, a big hike up to Ama Yangri peak for some spectacular Himalayan views, or a forest hike and potential mediation at the Dopadong Retreat Center in the surrounding hillsides.

Ama Yangri Peak Option | Enjoy some village-roasted tsampa in the kitchen by the fire to start the day, as you’ll have a 1200-meter day hike up to the viewpoint on top of Ama Yangri (3752m) this morning. It’s an incredible hike, and if the weather is good you’ll enjoy a 360-degree panorama from the top of the peak. The first hour or so of hiking passes through a magical rhododendron forest, filled with incredibly scented daphne (used to make Nepali paper), a creeping green bryophyte, and lavender primula, with lots of bird life. Kim even saw some sort of small wild cat with a black tail during the 2021 explorations of this valley.

Stop for a pre or post-peak Rara soup (or lunch) and tea at Chomuthang, where there is a great tented lodge slightly off the trail in the direction of Panch Pokhari. Refreshed, continue the ascent up stone steps, a magical region with sculpted rocks, eventually reaching dwarf juniper, passing droppings of thar or blue sheep on the open trail. The prayer flags (lung-ta) on top of the peak are visible from way down below and reached a ridge through an old forest fire burned area. There is a small monastery being built at the summit, with hundreds of fluttering, 5-colored prayer flags marking the top. Descend the same way you came up, a fabulous day trip loop! (11½ km)

Day 6 – Trek Melamchi Ghyang 2530m
A very cultural hike today, finishing in the large and beautiful Melamchi Ghyang. Melamchi translates as ‘blessing’, and this village is definitely blessed, and perhaps the most beautiful village in Helambu, even with the post-earthquake building. Apple as well as kiwi trees growing, and again they grow their own rice. The impressive Melamchi Ghyang School, one of the best boarding schools in Nepal apparently, is located at the far end of the village. About 300 students attend the school, and we helped to arrange for the adorable Pemba Dolma from Tarkye Ghyang to be sponsored at the school with the help of Tsering’s Fund, the Kamzang Fund, and a sponsor. Melamchi Ghyang even has three shops, two of them worth visiting – Helambu seems to be oddly missing the ubiquitous Nepali shops for some reason we never quite discovered.

Leaving Tarkye Ghyang, you’ll begin your descent to the valley bottom, crossing the newly built jeep track (no vehicles) and trekking along a trail passing cultivated cardamom and winter barley (ua in Nepali, karu in Tibetan), with a large variety of birds en route. We learned the name of the plant that looks like buckwheat leaves – kurchungma – that locals give to the cows for food. Once you’ve reached the chorten at the village of Nakote, you might want to stop for a cup of tea, and have a chat with the interesting villagers.

Descending further through the school and down to the Melamchi Khola (river), Kathmandu’s water source, you will cross on the old wooden bridge (they are building a new, much bigger one for cars right above the old one), and ascend, crisscrossing the jeep track and passing many small memorial chortens for 600 meters up to the scenic and bustling village of Melamchi Ghyang.

Enjoy your stay at Helambu Lodge right in the middle of town. After lunch, hike up to the Guru Rimpoche Yandak Chok Meditation Cave at the top of the village, adorned with thousands of prayer flags, and explore the village, sharing the trail with thrushes and other birds. (9½ km) (5-6 hrs)

Day 7 – Trek Thadepati 3690m
Today’s trek begins with some of the most incredible stone step engineering in Nepal, beautifully constructed steps all the way from Melamchi Ghyang to Thadepati …

Leaving Melamchi Ghyang, stop for a look at the Guru Rimpoche’s bed (of stone), adorned with fluttering prayer flags, about 20 minutes out of town. You might spot danphe, the national bird of Nepal, on the way up, and the Asian koels continue their distinctive songs, while forest thrush blend with the earth-toned forest bottom and langurs swing from tree to tree. Again, you will trek amongst the beautifully scented daphne flower used to make Nepali paper color the trail as you ascend. You will trek through lovely rhododendron and pine forest, followed by bamboo forests about 700 meters into the 1100m climb, a beautiful, wooded trekking day!

You will reach Thadepati mid-day, in time for lunch on the slate deck of the lodge. Thadepati is the meeting point along the trail for trekkers coming down from Langtang and Gosainkunda (lake), an interesting spot to spend a lively evening chatting with fellow trekkers and guides. Spend the afternoon looking for red panda, which are relatively abundant in the area in the bamboo and rhododendron forests. You can also hike up heading north, towards Gosainkunda, if the weather is good. Views are spectacular from this vantage point, so whether you hike up a bit or sit on the stone patio at the lodge, you’ll enjoy a Himalayan panorama.

Day 8 – Trek Mangun Goth (Pake Danda Viewpoint) & Kutumsang 2470m
You’ll begin the trekking day crossing the small Thadepani pass and continue traversing the ridge along beautiful stone steps, a new trail leading partway to Mangun Goth (3300m), a seasonal kharka, or grazing settlement, situated in a damp valley. Have lunch at Namaste Lodge, and hike 20 minutes up to the incredible 360-degree Pake Danda viewpoint right above the lodge while waiting for lunch to be prepared. The views include Shishapangma and Cho Oyu, one in Tibet and the other at the border. Kami Dolma Sherpa, the owner, and her nephew (who spent 7 years working for the Indian Army in Ladakh) run this rustic lodge with picnic tables outside. Mangun is a type of green that grows in the summer and is dried to add to vegetables.

After lunch, you’ll descend through the forest on a lovely trail with some stone steps, through rhododendron, descending to birch forests, with yellow flowers as well as daphne, and lots of bird song throughout. We heard something that sounded like a barking deer, and saw the droppings of musk deer. About 2 hours and 5.5 km later, past an army check post and a small Boudha chorten, you reach the lovely Namaste Lodge in Kutumsang.

Enjoy the afternoon on the grassy lawn of this wonderfully situated lodge, overlooking the rest of the village and the surrounding hillsides, and don’t miss the incredible Himalayan panoramas at sunset and sunrise! (B, L, D)

Day 9 – Trek Hibung (Shivapuri National Park) | Pratiki Resort
There is a small bit of jeep-road hiking to start the day, followed by a flat, grassy opening where Tamang villagers with massive homemade baskets might be out collecting leaves for the ‘charpis’, or local drop toilets. You will continue on another lovely bit of hiking trail to a network of roads, traverse a bit, the scenery becoming hazier as you descend. You’ll soon reach Gophu Bhanjhang, now a dusty, pretty awful jeep-road village, but there is only another twenty minutes or so hiking along the jeep track to reach a smaller motorcycle track, and soon after a chance to stop for tea at an ‘ananda’ (peaceful, a favorite word in Helambu) little lodge in Thodung, owned by Rita Sherpa.

Continuing on another 1.5 km on the same jeep track, quite nice for hiking, you’ll soon cut up to a real trail, a beautiful route with sculpted rocks surrounding the trail. You’ll hike past more deserted lodge-teahouses, and finally descend steeply on more stone steps. You will see Chipling below; stay on the trail and then take the small road towards Chipling, a scenic little village of pastel-colored, steeply terraced fields, with just a few houses and Tamang villagers. Lama Guest House is a lovely spot with an incredible deck overlooking the hills, the perfect spot to stop for lunch.

The next section of the walk is along trails and jeep tracks (but no vehicles), with beautiful views throughout. Kids going to school have to walk an hour down from Chipling, and then one and a half hours back home from school after class 3! You will pass the one standing house in Helambu after the 2015 Nepal Earthquake; the older man sitting outside said it was a few hundred years old. The trail cuts off-road, and switchbacks on an old stream track trail, or alternatively, take the stone steps nearby. You’ll pass through, checkered, terraced fields and Tamang villages. Take a break in the woods, scented of pine, just before Chisopani, with views down overlooking Helambu. Some of the birds you might see include shikari, scarlet minivet, jungle thrush, white-throated thrush, tits, and warblers.

You’ll stay on a flat trail for another kilometer or so, and then drop down to the idyllically set Pritiki Resort, with wonderful cottages overlooking 360-degree Himalayan panoramas at sunset! Enjoy this magical setting … (6-7 hrs) (B, L, D)

Day 10 – Trek Sundarijal (Shivapuri National Park. Drive Kathmandu | Transfer Hotel
A wonderful woods hike, descending through beautiful Shivapuri National Park, home to a vast number of birds, plants, and wildlife. Though generally descending on a dirt trail, you’ll have to negotiate several step sections, and there are a few uphills along the way. Finally, you pass through a Nepal Army Post and descend on a very long section of stone steps through Mulkharka, finishing the trek at the Hindu Temple just above Sundarjial and continue down to the bus park below, where you will meet your private jeeps back to Kathmandu, an hour+ drive depending on traffic.

Back in Kathmandu, hot showers await at the Kathmandu Guest House. You have the late afternoon in Kathmandu for a wander, and enjoy dinner out to celebrate your wonderful journey! (B)

Option | Extra Days in Kathmandu
See our list of World Heritage sightseeing tours and more, and enjoy an extra few days in magical Kathmandu!

Day 11 – Trip Ends
Transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight home. Namaste + Tashi Delek! (B)

Not Enough of Nepal?
We highly suggest taking advantage of your trip to Nepal to add on some excursions to the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Bandipur, Gorkha, the Annapurna Foothills, Chitwan and Bardia National Parks where you can enjoy heritage tours, mountain biking, white water rafting, yoga and meditation courses, Nepali cooking classes, Buddhist retreats and much more. Don’t miss an Everest sightseeing flight, sightseeing trips to Bhaktapur and Patan (Kathmandu Valley’s other historic capital cities), a weekend at Shivapuri Heights Resort or Dwarikas Kathmandu resort, a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for sunrise and sunset Himalayan panoramas, a spa and wellness getaway at the ultra luxurious Dwarikas Dhulikhel Resort and visits to ancient temple and monastery complexes such as Namo Buddha, Changu Narayan, Dakshinkali and Panauti. Spend a night at The Old Inn in Bandipur or Three Mountain Lodge en route to Pokhara and get to know Nepal’s Newar heritage. Relax in heritage style at Temple Tree Resort in Pokhara for some pampering at the spa and infinity pool, try out paragliding, zip-lining and enjoy a morning of boating on the lake and the hike to Shanti Stupa. Once refreshed, drive to Chitwan National Park, spending at least 2 nights at either Maruni Sanctuary Resort or Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge for wildlife and bird spotting in style. Tiger Tops also has a heritage lodge at Bardia National Park, reached by flight from Kathmandu. And of course Nepal has world class restaurants, great bars, endless timeless alleyways for wandering and exploring, countless Hindu and Buddhist festivals and lots of shopping for just enjoying yourself without having to plan. Namaste!

Nepal Modules
Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip!

Dates
Custom Departures
11 & 17 Days

Trek Prices
Langtang Trek
$2150 & $2280
11 & 12 Days

Helambu Trek
$1980
11 Days

Langtang, Gosainkunda & Helambu
$2980
17 Days

+ Price based on 2 Trekkers. Inquire for Larger Group Discounts
+ Single Upgrade Available

Kathmandu Guest House Single & Double Upgrades 
+ Deluxe Upgrade Kathmandu Guest House (3 Nights) – $135
+ Suite Upgrade Kathmandu Guest House (3 Nights) – $225

Kathmandu Guest House | Extra Nights Room Price
Includes Breakfast & Taxes

Standard Single – $55
Standard Double – $65
Deluxe Single – $100
Deluxe Double – $110
Suite Single – $130
Suite Double – $140

Includes

• Kathmandu Guest House
• Airport Pick-ups & Drops
• Transportation by Private Vehicle
• Langtang & Helambu Permits
• Lodge/Teahouse Accommodation & Meals
• Nepali Guide & Porter(s)

Excludes

• Insurance (Travel & Medical)
• Nepal Visa
• Helicopter Rescue Service Cost
• Meals in Kathmandu
• International Flights to/from Nepal
• Equipment Rental
• Alcohol & Soft Drinks
• Laundry
• Tips

Tips & Extra Cash
Allow approx $250 for meals (while not on trek), drinks (on trek) and tips. We recommend $200-$300 per trekker thrown into the tips pool for the crew.

Trip Advisor Reviews

Clients Highlights & Reviews
Travelers’ Comments

Trek Highlights

• Beautiful Langtang region of Nepal Himalaya
• Tamang culture & villages
• Spectacular Himalayan peaks on border of Tibet & Nepal
• Tibetan Buddhist monasties
• Some of the best Himalayan panoramas in Nepal
• Challenging Himalayan trekking

Kim Bannister Photo Gallery | Trip & Trek Photos
Kim Bannister Photography

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