If you are looking for a short and easy teahouse trek filled with amazing trails and nature’s bounty, Langtang valley in Nepal is the perfect getaway for you. It is an introduction to himalayan trekking with the bonus of breathtaking and eye-catching close-up views of the mountains right from the beginning till the end. Langtang valley trek is a day drive towards the north of the capital followed by superb hike heading up to the Kyanjin Gompa. Langtang national park is covered by forests and it is home to different animals and birds including the rare red panda. In this article, we will discuss the things you need to know before embarking on your Langtang trek. If you wanna know about the trekking route, itinerary, best season to trek, permits that you will need, food and accommodation during the entire trek, continue reading!
Main highlights of Langtang valley trek
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Langtang National park
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Langtang valley
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Kyanjin Gompa. Old monastery in the region
- Kyanji
-Ri 4773 m
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Tserko Ri 5000m (highest altitude in this trek)
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Varieties of birds and animals snow leopard, musk deer, black bear, wild boar, langur, red panda
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Eye-catching Mountains (Langtang Lirung, Sisapangma, Dorje Lakpa, Gangchhenpo, Naya Kanga, Surya Peak, Close up view Yala Peak) and glacier
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Local Yak Cheese factory
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Experience Local Tamang community and their culture
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Red Panda conservation
Itinerary
Day 1
Drive from Kathmandu to Syafru Besi via jeep or local bus (Time 7 hours)
Day 2
Trek to Lama Hotel (7 hours trek) (Lunch Stop at Bamboo)
Day 3
Lama Hotel to Langtang valley (6 hours trek) (lunch break at Ghodatabela or Thyangsap)
Day 4
Langtang to Kyanjin Gompa (3.5 hours)
It is a very short trek from Langtang to Kyanjin Gompa. If you are not tired from the hike to the Langtang valley, you can take a short trek to Kyanji- Ri (4773 m), which takes you around 1.5-2 hours. From Kyanjin Gompa, you can see the beautiful view of Langtang Lirung (7220m) which is the highest peak in the region. Other mountain ranges are also visible from the area.
Day 5
Kyanjin Gompa to Tserko Ri (4 hours trek)
Back to Kyanjin Gompa. Experience the local Tamang culture and visit the local yak cheese factory.
Day 6
Kyanjin Gompa to Lama hotel (6 hours)
Day 7
Lama hotel to Syafru Besi (5 hours)
Day 8
Syafru Besi to Kathmandu drive (7 hours)
Planning your trek
With the help of a trek organizer and hiring a guide with good trek experience, you can do the langtang valley trekking easily. Or, if you want to do it by yourself, you can go for it as well. Most trekkers can easily do the langtang trek in a week including transports. There are famous routes that most trekkers and guides follow. You can simply point out the major routes that lead to the Langtang valley. Maps are available at Nepal Tourism Board office, Kathmandu free of cost. Or you can buy it in Thamel in any map shops.
Best Season to travel
Trekkers avoid monsoon season in Nepal (June- August). It rains heavily so the route is risky. Except that, other time of the year is perfect of the trek. Trekkers prefer to travel in September –December for the best view of the mountains. March, April, and May for the green forests, rhododendron flowers and the best view of the mountains.
Getting a permit
Before you leave for the trek in Langtang valley, you should be well aware of two different permits required for the trek. They are TIMS card and Langtang National Park entry permit. They are very important before you start any trek in Nepal. Here are all the details about the permits:
TIMS Card: There are 3 types of TIMS card, They are green blue and pink. If you are a solo traveler, you will be given a green card, which costs $20 USD. Blue TIMS card is for the organized group trekkers, which costs $10. If you are a SAARC national, your pink TIMS card will cost you only $6. You can obtain these card at Nepal Tourism Board, Kathmandu. Or, trekkers agencies association of Nepal, TAAN in Kathmandu or Pokhara.
Langtang national park entry permit: For any trekking route in the Langtang valley, you trek via Langtang national park. The permit is available in Nepal tourism board or you can buy it at the entry point at Dhunche.
Food and accommodation
During the trek, meat is only available in Syafru Besi. You will only get fresh vegetables, eggs, yak cheese and tuna fish instead of meat. You can have Tibetian bread or toast, hash brown potatoes, local eggs for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, Nepali daal bhat, chowmin, pizza, dumplings, fried rice are available.
For your accommodation, you will be staying at a tea house, a small and simple guest house, which has a normal bedroom and a huge dining room.
Difficulty level
You will need an average level of fitness to tackle this trek. You will have to walk for an average of 5-6 hours daily uphill and downhill with the normal speed and including coffee and lunch break. Though it can be completed by every level of trekker.
Clothing
Make sure you have a light jumper, good trekking shoes, trousers, cap. Don’t forget to take a pair of sunglasses and a trekking stick.
Good luck for your Langtang valley trek!
Good to read your blog manish bhai . Eager to read more from you .