Overview
The Langtang Gosaikunda trek is an eleven-day teahouse trek that links the glaciated Langtang Valley with the sacred lakes of Gosaikunda in one classic circuit north of Kathmandu. After the drive to Syabrubesi you climb the Langtang Khola through forest to the yak pastures of Kyanjin Gompa at 3,870 metres, with an acclimatisation day for the viewpoints above it, then trek back down and cross to the pilgrimage lakes at 4,380 metres by way of Thulo Syabru and Cholangpati. It is graded moderate to challenging, walked on well-worn trails with teahouses each night, and finishes with a sunrise at the lakes before the descent through Chandanbari to the roadhead at Dhunche. This combined route suits trekkers based in Kathmandu who want both a Himalayan valley and its holy lakes in a single trip.
The itinerary
- Drive roughly 7 to 8 hours along the Trishuli and up the Langtang road
- Arrive at the riverside town of Syabrubesi (1,550 m)
- Stroll through the bazaar at the trailhead and check in for the night
- Follow the Langtang Khola upstream through dense forest
- Cross suspension bridges with chances of grey langur monkeys
- Overnight at the cluster of lodges called Lama Hotel (2,450 m)
- Climb through forest into the open upper valley
- First big views of Langtang Lirung above the treeline
- Reach the rebuilt Langtang Village (3,430 m)
- Short walk past mani walls, water mills and yak pastures
- Arrive at Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m) below the glaciers
- Visit the monastery and the village cheese factory
- Climb Kyanjin Ri (about 4,300 m) for a sweep of the Langtang peaks
- Stronger walkers can push higher towards Tserko Ri
- Return to Kyanjin Gompa to rest and adjust to the altitude
- Retrace the valley trail down through the forest
- Long descent following the Langtang Khola
- Overnight back at Lama Hotel
- Descend to the river then climb the far side of the valley
- Wide views of the Ganesh Himal across the gorge
- Reach the hillside Tamang village of Thulo Syabru (2,230 m)
- Steady climb through rhododendron and pine forest onto the ridge
- Pass Sing Gompa, also called Chandanbari (3,330 m), with its small monastery and cheese factory
- Continue up the ridge to Cholangpati (about 3,580 m) as the forest thins
- Overnight at Cholangpati
- Ascend the exposed ridge past Lauribina (3,910 m)
- Wide views over the Langtang, Ganesh and Manaslu ranges on a clear day
- Pass the smaller Saraswati and Bhairav lakes
- Reach Gosaikunda Lake at 4,380 m, ringed by bare peaks
- Sunrise over the frozen shoreline and the surrounding summits
- Walk the shrines and cairns around the sacred lakes
- Retrace the ridge down past Lauribina and Cholangpati
- Overnight at Chandanbari, also called Sing Gompa (3,330 m)
- Descent through forest and Tamang hamlets to Dhunche (2,030 m)
- Scenic drive back down the Trishuli valley to Kathmandu
- Drop-off at your hotel in Kathmandu, the end of the trip
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Things to carry
- Layered clothing including a warm down jacket for Kyanjin Gompa and the lakes
- Broken-in trekking boots and warm socks
- A sleeping-bag liner, hat, gloves and a buff
- Sunglasses, sun hat, high-factor sunscreen and lip balm
- A refillable water bottle with purification, a daypack and a power bank
Good to know
Complete guide
The combined Langtang and Gosaikunda circuit is one of the best trekking weeks close to Kathmandu, joining a glaciated Himalayan valley to a set of sacred alpine lakes without the crowds of the Everest or Annapurna trails. It gives you the yak pastures and glacier views of Kyanjin Gompa and the pilgrimage lakes of Gosaikunda in a single loop. Here is how the trek works and what to know before you go.
What the Langtang Gosaikunda trek covers
The route climbs the Langtang Valley from Syabrubesi through Lama Hotel and Langtang Village to Kyanjin Gompa at 3,870 metres, with an acclimatisation day for the viewpoints, then descends and crosses via Thulo Syabru and Cholangpati to the Gosaikunda lakes at 4,380 metres, returning through Chandanbari to Dhunche. If you want only the valley half, the standalone Langtang Valley trek covers the Kyanjin Gompa section on its own in fewer days.
How hard it is and altitude on the crossing
This is a moderate to challenging trek because of its length and the pace of the Gosaikunda climb rather than any technical ground. The Langtang Valley builds height gently, which sets you up well, but the push to the lakes gains altitude quickly to 4,380 metres. Use the Kyanjin Gompa rest day, walk slowly on the ridge, hydrate well, and treat any headache seriously.
Permits, guides and teahouses
You need the Langtang National Park entry permit. A licensed guide walks with you on every trek we run, and we arrange all of this. Nights are spent in teahouses, family-run lodges rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake with simple twin rooms and warm dining rooms, so you carry only a daypack. Bring a sleeping-bag liner, a power bank and small cash for charging, Wi-Fi and hot showers.
The lakes, the valley and other alpine-lake treks
Gosaikunda holds more than a hundred lakes, with the main one revered as a creation of Lord Shiva and busiest during the Janai Purnima pilgrimage each August, while the Langtang Valley rewards you with some of the closest glacier views of any teahouse trek. If the high lakes are what draw you, the Tilicho Lake trek in the Annapurna region reaches one of the highest lakes in the world and makes a natural next step.
