Short Treks in Nepal : Langtang or Gosaikunda

Two of the shortest and easiest high-altitude treks you can do in Nepal Himalayas are the Langtang Valley Trek and the Gosaikunda Trek. They are both located about 70 km north of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, and the treks can be done as 5-day treks, or perhaps 6-day treks - and that's including transport to and from Kathmandu!

And if you're willing to spare the air-fare, you can even get a mini Everest trek in 5 days as well.

5-6 days may not sound like a short trek, and surely you can walk around in the Nepalese hills on a day-trip from your comfortable Kathmandu hotel, but if you want to get up in the high-altitude landscape, beyond the trees and away from civilization, then it can be difficult to do it in less than a week – unless you charter a helicopter! Langtang and Gosaikunda are two of the exceptions.

Short high-altitude trek #1, Langtang Valley (Nepal): Day one : Bus from Kathmandu to Syabru Besi (~1450 meters). If the bus arrives early, start walking a couple of hours immediately! Day two : Walk to Ghoda Tabela (~3000 meters) or even to Langtang Village (~3400), if you have the energy. Day three : Walk to Kyanjing Gompa (~3800 meters) but return and spend the night in Langtang Village to avoid the AMS headaches. Day four : Walk down to Syabru Besi. From Langtang Village it should take you 8-10 hours, depending on your shape. The locals walk down in 6 hours, but don’t count on beating their records. They are virtual Himalayan express trains! Day five : Early morning bus back to Kathmandu.

Nature as Art. Black and White Poster of mountain in the upper Langtang Valley. Click to buy this poster now!

Short high-altitude trek #2, Gosaikunda Lake (Nepal): Day one : Bus from Kathmandu to Dunche (~2000 meters). Day two : Walk from Dunche to Sing Gompa (~3300 meters) Day three : Easy day today, walk up to Laurabinyak (~3900 meters). It’s not far, 3-4 hours but significantly higher. So stay there for the night to avoid the AMS headache. Day four : Walk up to the Gosaikunda Lake (~4400 meters) and return to Laurabinayak / Sing Gompa for the night. Day five : Return to Dunche. Day six : Bus to Kathmandu.

Poster of view from Laurebinyak, early morning. Click to buy this poster now!

Short high-altitude trek #3, Mount Everest (Nepal):
Day one : Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla (~2800 meters) and trek to Phakding (~2650 meters).
Day two : Walk to Namche Bazar (~3450 meters)
Day three : Walk up to Syangboche (~3750 meters) and have a look at Mt. Everest (and Lhotse and Ama Dablam - if the weather is clear). Take a sigh and then walk back to Namche.
Day four : Namche to Lukla (walking)
Day five : Lukla to Kathmandu (flying).

The first two treks are possible to do as “tea-house treks”, meaning that you don’t need to worry about food and lodging. Bring minimal equipment so you can do a quick assault! But if you have an extra day or two, I’d recommend just taking the extra time to enjoy the stunning high-altitude landscape up there. And if you have 10 days, you can do both of these treks. And yes, it’s “worth it” to do both!

See you on the trail!

There’s a more detailed map and route description for the Langtang Valley Trek here. Also hints on getting up there, to the starting points of the two treks here.