Langtang rises directly north of Kathmandu, so close that on a clear morning you can see Langtang Lirung, 7,227 m, from the rooftops of Thamel. No flight is needed: a jeep reaches the trailhead at Syabrubesi in 6–7 hours, and by the third day of walking you are among yak pastures and glaciers near the Tibetan border. That short approach makes Langtang the best choice for travellers with 7–10 days who still want high mountains, and the least expensive of Nepal's big trekking regions.
The region holds three distinct treks. The Langtang Valley follows the Langtang Khola through forest home to red pandas and langur monkeys, past the rebuilt Langtang village, to Kyanjin Gompa at 3,870 m, where a cheese factory founded in 1955 still sells yak cheese. To the south-west, a steep trail climbs from Dhunche past Sing Gompa to Gosaikunda at 4,380 m, a lake sacred to Shiva. East of the lakes, Laurebina La at 4,610 m leads down into the Hyolmo villages of Helambu.
Most of the people here are Tamang, a Tibetan Buddhist community whose stone villages, carved wooden windows and mani walls line every route. The Tamang Heritage Trail links Gatlang, Tatopani hot springs and Nagthali in a gentle 7-day loop with homestays. In 2015 the earthquake triggered an avalanche that buried old Langtang village and destroyed most lodges up the valley. The valley has been rebuilt, and trekking income helps families who lost relatives and homes.
Langtang National Park, created in 1976, was Nepal's first Himalayan national park and covers about 1,710 km². Teahouses run along all the main trails, with simpler rooms than Everest or Annapurna but warm dining rooms and dal bhat at every stop. For those who cannot walk far, helicopters land at Kyanjin Gompa and beside Gosaikunda in 35–40 minutes from Kathmandu. Our packages include permits, licensed guides, porters, jeeps and meals, priced in INR and USD.
