Self-Launched Langtang, Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek — 15 Days

Land at Tribhuvan International Airport and take a prepaid airport taxi to Thamel (~NPR 800-1,000 / £5-6). Check into a Thamel guesthouse. Spend the afternoon getting your permits sorted at the Nepal Tourism Board office (Bhrikutimandu): Langtang National Park entry permit (~NPR 3,000 / £17) and TIMS card (~NPR 2,000 / £11). If you want a guide or porter, this is the day to arrange one directly — either through a local trekking agency or via the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) listings. Buy a Nepali SIM (Ncell or NTC) for ~£3-5, top up, and pick up any rented gear (down jacket, sleeping bag ~£1-2/day each). Evening: eat momos and dal bhat in Thamel and do a final gear check.

🚌Prepaid airport taxi ~£5; all Thamel walking

🛏Thamel guesthouse, twin/double room with hot water (e.g. around Chhetrapati or Paknajol)

• →Permit + TIMS card collection at Nepal Tourism Board
• →SIM card purchase and gear rental
• →Optional: hire licensed guide/porter directly
• →Thamel evening food wander

Catch the early local bus from Machhapokhari bus park (Kathmandu) to Syabru Besi — roughly 7-8 hours on a winding mountain road, fare ~NPR 600-800 (£4-5). Book the seat the day before or turn up by 6:30am. The road climbs past Trishuli Bazaar and Dhunche with Ganesh Himal, Manaslu and Langtang Lirung views on clear days. Alternatively, a shared jeep from Kathmandu costs ~NPR 2,500-3,500 per person (£14-20) and is faster/less cramped. Overnight in a Syabru Besi teahouse, eat dal bhat, and check the weather forecast for the pass.

🚌Local bus Kathmandu–Syabru Besi ~£5 (or shared jeep ~£17)

🛏Syabru Besi teahouse, basic twin room

• →Scenic mountain-road drive through Trishuli and Dhunche
• →Teahouse dinner and pre-trek briefing with your guide (if hired)

First trekking day: cross the Bhote Kosi suspension bridge and climb steadily through subtropical forest and oak stands along the Langtang Khola. About 6-7 hours, ~1,400m of climbing. Keep an eye out for langur monkeys in the canopy. Teahouses at Rimche/Lama Hotel are simple but have hot showers for a fee (~NPR 200) and charging points (~NPR 100-200 per device). Dal bhat, garlic soup and tea for dinner.

🚌On foot ~6-7 hrs

🛏Lama Hotel teahouse, basic twin room

• →Bhote Kosi suspension bridge crossing
• →Forest trekking with langur-spotting
• →Teahouse village life

A long, gradually steepening day (~6-7 hrs) through forest, past the herder settlement of Ghora Tabela and out into open alpine valley with Langtang Lirung dominating ahead. Langtang Village was destroyed in the 2015 earthquake and rebuilt — the memorial and the rebuilt houses are a sobering, moving stop. Teahouse accommodation at ~3,430m; sleep warm, drink water, and take it slow to start acclimatising.

🚌On foot ~6-7 hrs

🛏Langtang Village teahouse, basic twin room (bring a warm sleeping bag)

• →Ghora Tabela herder settlement
• →Langtang Village earthquake memorial and rebuilt village
• →Langtang Lirung valley views

A shorter 3-4 hour walk up through yak pastures and mani walls to Kyanjin Gompa. Visit the small Kyanjin monastery and the famous cheese factory (yak cheese for sale — a good protein hit). Afternoon free to rest at altitude; drink plenty of water and don't push it. Optional: an hour's walk up to Langshisha Kharka viewpoint in the late afternoon if you feel good.

🚌On foot ~3-4 hrs

🛏Kyanjin Gompa teahouse, basic twin room

• →Kyanjin monastery visit
• →Kyanjin cheese factory
• →Optional Langshisha Kharka viewpoint walk

Acclimatisation day: start early (4:30-5am) for the steep 2-3 hour climb to Kyanjin Ri for sunrise over Langtang Lirung, Dorje Lakpa and the glaciers. Descend for a late breakfast, then walk out to the glacier moraine in the afternoon, or repeat the monastery and cheese factory if you skipped them. Do not climb Tserko Ri (4,984m) unless you're fully acclimatised — it's a 6-7 hour day.

🚌On foot ~4-6 hrs total

🛏Kyanjin Gompa teahouse, basic twin room

• →Sunrise climb of Kyanjin Ri (4,773m)
• →Glacier moraine walk
• →Monastery and cheese factory revisit

Retrace your steps down the Langtang Valley — a long but fast descent (6-7 hrs) through Mundu and Ghora Tabela beside the Langtang Khola. Knees permitting, it's a relaxed day with plenty of tea stops. Back down below 2,500m the air is thick and warm again.

🚌On foot ~6-7 hrs

🛏Lama Hotel teahouse, basic twin room

• →Langtang Valley descent
• →Mundu and Ghora Tabela villages
• →Langtang Khola river walk

Walk down to Bamboo, then turn off the main valley for a steep 1-2 hour climb up to Thulo Syabru, a large Tamang village on a ridge with great views back to Langtang Lirung. About 5-6 hours total. Afternoon: explore the stone-paved lanes, visit the small gompa, and try local Tamang specialities — buckwheat bread, gundruk and tongba (millet beer) if you fancy it.

🚌On foot ~5-6 hrs

🛏Thulo Syabru teahouse, basic twin room

• →Bamboo village stop
• →Steep climb to Thulo Syabru ridge
• →Tamang village walk and local food tasting

A beautiful, steady climb (5-6 hrs) through rhododendron and oak forest — this is red panda territory, though sightings are rare. Pass Phodrang Danda and the Buddhist monastery and cheese factory at Sing Gompa (Chandan Bari, 3,250m), a good lunch stop. Continue up to Lauribina, which has superb views of Ganesh Himal, Langtang Lirung, Manaslu and even Annapurna on clear days. Expect cold nights at this altitude.

🚌On foot ~5-6 hrs

🛏Lauribina teahouse, basic twin room (very cold — sleeping bag essential)

• →Rhododendron and red panda sanctuary forest
• →Sing Gompa monastery and cheese factory
• →Ganesh Himal/Manaslu/Annapurna panorama

A short but high and often windy 3-4 hour climb past Laurebina to the sacred lakes of Gosainkunda, the high point of the trek. Walk the lake circuit — Saraswati Kunda, Bhairab Kunda, Dudh Kunda, Gosaikunda itself — and, if you're there in August, you may overlap with the Janai Purnima festival when Hindu pilgrims bathe in the lakes. Accommodation at this altitude is basic and cold; the two or three lodges can fill up in peak season, so arrive by mid-afternoon.

🚌On foot ~3-4 hrs

🛏Gosainkunda teahouse, basic multi-bed room (cold — sleeping bag essential)

• →Gosainkunda sacred lakes circuit
• →Optional Janai Purnima festival (August)
• →Riverside lake-side photography

A big day: an early start for the 1.5-2 hour climb to the Lauribina La (4,610m) for sweeping Himalayan views, then a long rolling traverse and descent (7-8 hrs total) along the Helambu trail to Ghopte. The trail is exposed and rocky in places; go slowly over the pass, watch for altitude symptoms, and pack energy snacks. Ghopte is a simple lodge cluster in forest.

🚌On foot ~7-8 hrs

🛏Ghopte teahouse, very basic twin room

• →Lauribina La pass crossing (4,610m)
• →Helambu Trail ridge traverse
• →High alpine panorama

Rolling ridge walking (6-7 hrs) through forest with a mid-day high point at Thadepati (3,690m), a viewpoint with a lodge where you can lunch. From there descend into the Helambu region proper to Kutumsang, a Sherpa/Tamang village with a handful of teahouses and a small police checkpost (log your TIMS/permits here).

🚌On foot ~6-7 hrs

🛏Kutumsang teahouse, basic twin room

• →Thadepati viewpoint
• →Helambu village walk
• →Permit checkpost at Kutumsang

A moderate 5-6 hour day through terraced farmland, rhododendron and Sal forest, passing Magen Goth, Chipling and Pati Bhanjyang, with glimpses of Ganesh Himal and the Kathmandu Valley rim. Chisapani has more lodges than previous nights, hot showers and a few restaurants — a comfortable penultimate night.

🚌On foot ~5-6 hrs

🛏Chisapani teahouse/lodge, twin room

• →Hill village and terrace walking
• →Mountain scenery viewpoints
• →Chisapani sunset

Final trekking day (4-5 hrs): walk through Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park (park fee ~NPR 1,000-2,500 depending on season) past Borlang Bhanjyang and down to Sundarijal. From Sundarijal catch a local bus or shared micro to Kathmandu (NPR 100-150 / ~£1) back to Thamel — about 45 minutes. Celebrate with a farewell dinner in a traditional Nepali restaurant with cultural performances (~NPR 1,500-2,500 / £8-14), or a simple Thamel rooftop meal for less.

🚌On foot ~4-5 hrs; local bus Sundarijal–Kathmandu ~£1

🛏Thamel guesthouse, twin/double room

• →Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park walk
• →Borlang Bhanjyang viewpoint
• →Farewell Nepali dinner with cultural show

Depending on your flight time, do a final Thamel morning of souvenir shopping (pashmina, prayer flags, tea) and a last proper breakfast. Take a prepaid taxi to Tribhuvan International Airport (~NPR 800-1,000 / £5), allowing 3 hours before an international departure (Nepali traffic can be terrible).

🚌Prepaid taxi to airport ~£5

🛏N/A — depart

• →Thamel souvenir shopping
• →Airport transfer