Langtang Valley Trek

Upon your arrival at the Kathmandu Airport, you will be greeted by one of the representatives from Himalayan Trekkers and then escort to the designated hotel. You can then rest or stroll around the surrounding streets before we head to Boudhanath Stupa. It is the biggest stupa built in pagoda style in the country which represents Mahayana Buddhism. It is one of the most loved destinations by both international and local visitors for its peaceful aura and religious significance.

Then we will drive to Pashupatinath Temple which is just a 15-minute drive from the stupa to join the aarti ceremony that takes place every evening. Pashupatinath is one of the most significant Hindu sites in the world which is devoted to Lord Shiva. Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the main temple but can explore the surroundings. You can also witness the open cremation ceremony on the bank of the Bagmati River opposite the aarti ceremony. 

After exploring these two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, we will return to Thamel and stroll around the streets and get a glimpse of the area. 
(Note: These visits are only possible if your arrival is before the afternoon.)

After your breakfast, we will begin the full-day Kathmandu exploration. We will explore the remaining world heritage sites other than those that were visited on the previous day (if). If not, we will explore those landmarks and others such as Swayambhunath Temple which is widely famous as the monkey temple because the number of monkeys you see here could be your first time seeing this amount of these creatures. The temple has a history interrelated to the birth of the Kathmandu valley. The top of the hill where the white dome of Swoyambhu is located offers fantastic views of the valley and surrounding mountains. 

We will then visit Bhaktapur Durbar Square and explore the surroundings. Bhaktapur is an ancient Newari town that is also called the city of devotees. The durbar square complex and its surroundings are the major attractions of this town. And some of the highlights of the durbar square are Nyatapola Temple, Golden Gate, 55 window palace, etc. There is a lot to explore in Bhaktapur. 

Then we will drive to Patan and explore Patan Durbar Square. It is also an ancient Newari town known for its arts and architecture. The ancient houses and the complexes, buildings, temples, and statues in the durbar square really show wonderful craftsmanship. Pottery is also famous here. Krishna Mandir, Patan Museum, etc. are the most notable sites here. 

Later in the afternoon, we leave Patan and drive back to Kathmandu and explore the Kathmandu Durbar Square. Once a royal palace is now a museum. This place is also called Hanumandhoka as you can see the statue of Hanuman, a god that resembles a monkey here. The complex also houses Kumari Ghar, the residence of the only Living Goddess, Kumari, and Kasthamandap, a temple built with a single tree’s wood. 

After sightseeing, we can take a stroll around the freak street, the hub of hippies in the 90s. Then, we will take a walk to Newroad market, Indrahowk market, Ason market, and finally enter the Thamel market. 

Later this day, we will have a short briefing session regarding this Langtang Valley Trek journey and you might buy your personal gear on the Thamel market. 

Day 3 starts with an early morning breakfast so that we can leave early to avoid the traffic. We will leave Kathmandu behind and start the Langtang journey with a long scenic drive to a place called Syabrubesi in the Rasuwa district. As soon as we leave the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu, we can smell the fresh air and enjoy Nepal's beautiful scenery. We drive along the beautiful Trishuli River with the magnificent Himalayan views of the Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and Langtang ranges. 

After 3-4 hours of drive with short breaks in between, we will reach Trishuli Bazaar in the Nuwakot district where we will have a quick lunch break. Then, our drive turns right from the Bazaar to Dhunche town before we reach today’s destination, Syabrubesi. We will check in to our accommodation, rest, explore the surroundings if time permits, eat our dinner, and have a goodnight. 

Finally the main theme of this journey, trekking begins starting today. We will have our breakfast, grab our belongings, and start to walk via the ridge on Syabrubesi’s main road. Soon after starting, we reach the Ghopcha Khola River and pass by terraced fields and dense forests with a variety of plant species like oaks, maple, alder, and bamboo. If we are lucky enough for the day, we might also spot some endangered species such as the red panda others such as yellow-throated martin, wild boar, langur monkey, and Himalayan black bear en route. 

We will continue ascending steeply along the trail, come across a steel suspension bridge at 2000 m and cross to the north bank of the Langtang Khola and arrive at Lama Hotel. Lama Hotel isn't one hotel, but a collection of lodges and homes and our destination for the night. After we reach there, we will settle in at one of the best local lodges there for the night. 

Today after breakfast, we will start early and trek alongside the river through a rich and lush environment. We get a view of beautiful Langtang Lirung and others. Then the trail goes across a log bridge and onto the meadows of Ghoda Tabela at 3000m. From here, the trail goes through the dense forest where here, you can catch a sight of Langur Monkeys and some unique local birds. Once, there was a Tibetan resettlement project here, but now it is a Nepalese army post/checkpoint where you will be registered though it has no permanent inhabitants. The route then ascends gently and reaches a wide valley where few temporary settlements can be seen. 

We then continue and pass by a few traditional chortens, water mills, Mani Walls, and Prayer Wheels before arriving at Langtang Village. Langtang Village is a large scenic settlement of mostly Tamang people who follow Buddhism with flat-roofed Tibetan-style houses, encircled by stone walls surrounded by fields of buckwheat, potatoes, wheat, turnips, and barley. We will explore the village surroundings and might also have some interesting interactions with the locals. 

After breakfast, we'll set out for Kyangjin Gompa, the region's most important monastery. We pass religious mounds of rocks with inscriptions etched on them, as well as water mills, prayer wheels, and chortens. We also walk through Nepal's largest mani wall, which is constructed of stone and has prayers written on it. We will spend the rest of the afternoon following the short climb exploring the Tibetan Buddhist shrine in Kyangjin Gompa and the surrounding environs, which provide us with breathtaking views of the mountains such as Dorje Larpa (6990 m), Langtang RI (6370 m), and Langtang Lirung (7245 m). We will also visit the cheese factory there and observe the procedure of making it. We dine in and call it our day. 

We wake up with amazing scenery of mighty peaks and glaciers. We then head to the monastery to observe the Buddhist monks’ enchanting morning prayers and pilgrims praying. We return to our lodge, eat our breakfast, and prepare for the day. We either hike to Langshisa Kharka (4100 meters) or Tserko Ri (5450 meters) depending on the weather and your interests. Both places provide close-up views of the surrounding peaks, including Yala Peak, Langtang Ri, Langtang Lirung, Naya Kanga, and Langshisha Ri Peak. However, the path to Langshisha Kharka is less difficult than Tserko Ri.

As we say our goodbyes to the vibrant Buddhist village of Kyanjin Gompa, we will be hiking all the way back to Lama Hotel today. As we descend, we will pass by familiar yak herding towns and open alpine grasslands. After lunch at Ghoda Table, we will take some time to see any sights in Langtang village that we might have missed, such as the earthquake memorial, before setting out on the path to Lama Hotel. 

We will check into the teahouse and unpack our hefty backpacks. Then it's time to relax and take in the scenery of pines and rhododendrons wafting in the mountain breeze as residents go about their daily routines.

We will start our walk back to Syabrubesi after breakfast this morning. Our routes return to Syabrubesi descending through pine forest and through Bamboo and Ramche before crossing the Bhote Khola River. Today’s trek will be easier than the previous days as it mostly involves descending. 
Once we check-in we will have a rest and in the evening, we sit together for dinner where we all will share experiences. 

After our breakfast, we leave the Langtang Region via road to get back to Kathmandu. We will return along the same gorgeous road we took a week ago to get her. 
You will then check into the hotel when we reach the city and can get some well-deserved rest and leisure. This evening, spend some time exploring the city's bustling Thamel neighborhood's tourist markets. 

This is how our amazing Langtang Valley Trek ends. Today after breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport 3 hours prior to your scheduled flight. If you have some leisure time before your flight, you can make the last Thamel stroll and buy get some souvenirs to take back home.