Langtang & Helambu

T he Helambu and Langtang trekking areas are a hop and a skip away from Nepal’s capital city.  You can literally walk out of the Kathmandu Valley to get there. Yet you can still experience the intact, unique cultures of Tamangs, Newars and Sherpas, living in some of the most beautiful scenery in Nepal.   An ideal destination if you are short on time or simply want to cut out the uncertainties of air travel, Langtang and Helambu offer landscapes and cultural experiences every bit as spectacular as anywhere else in Nepal.

The snowy south face of Langtang Lirung(7227m) peers right over the looming green mass of Shivapuri, and presides over the closest trekking area to the Kathmandu Valley. Here you may join Hindu and Buddhist devotees on a full moon pilgrimage to the high-altitude lakes around Gosainkund, explore the unfrequented passes overlooking Tibet up from the flower-scatteredalpine meadows of the Langtang Valley, and enjoy the heartfelt hospitality of Sherpa and Tamang households. Rhododendrons blend into moss-hung pine giants, yaks trundle down pastures on their way home, and in the monsoon, the blanket of clouds filling the lower valleys transports you a world away from the hustle and bustle of the capital city, Kathmandu.

The welcoming Sherpas who live here call themselves Hyalmo after the name of their sacred valley, Helambu. Here is a green and pleasant land of quiet villages, terraced slopes and pine forests leading up to Langtang National Park – perfect for relaxed, culturally oriented trekking. A little more adventurous is the popular route to the alpine lakes of Gosainkunda, holy to Hindus, Buddhists and Tamang shamans alike. Time your visit with the August full moon, when thousands of pilgrims trek up to bathe in the frigid waters at 4000m, and you’re in for an intense experience.

The Great Himalaya Trail passes over into Langtang via the 5308m Tilman pass from where you can see right into Tibet. The descent delivers you into another, very different hidden valley, of glaciers, alpine meadows and cheese factories.After sampling the delicious yak cheese and curd, you can head homeward via the verdant gorge of the Langtang Khola, keeping an eye out for families of playful grey langur monkeys and the iridescent Impeyan Pheasant, the national bird of Nepal. Langtang seems too good to be true, but it’s as good as anywhere else!

Top Treks

Langtang Traverse via Tilman Pass – 19 days

Challenging but stunning, trek via Panch Pokhari, over the glaciated Tilman Pass (5308 meters) and down the Langtang Valley. This is a camping trek.

Explore more treks in Langtang & Helambu

Fast Facts

  • Langtang National Park, which covers 1,710 sq. km and occupies the upper catchment areas of two of Nepal’s largest river systems – the Trisuli and Koshi
  • Langtang is home to Tamang people as well as Helambu Sherpa and Newar people long separated from their main cultural groups and with unique cultural traditions
  • You need a permit to enter the Langtang National Park

More Destinations

  • Far West Nepal Far West Nepal The sight of a white-turbaned Dhami, a shaman, with silver bangles on his arms and gold rings in his...
  • Humla Humla Humla is the most remote district in Nepal, and one of the poorest. There are few tourists, and thos...
  • Rara & Jumla Rara & Jumla More species of birds (236) nest around Rara Lake than people visited in 2010 (170). Yet the larges...
  • Dolpa Dolpa Until recently, what little the outside world knew of Dolpa was gleaned from artistic and spiritual ...
  • Annapurna & Mustang Annapurna & Mustang Annapurna, attracts the largest number of trekkers in Nepal. Here you will find everything the Himal...
  • Manaslu & Ganesh Himal Manaslu & Ganesh Himal Enjoy stunning views of Nepal's 8th highest mountain on the Manaslu Circuit. Go off the beaten track...
  • Everest & Rolwaling Everest & Rolwaling Everything here moves on a higher plane, and you can’t quite say you’ve been trekking in Nepal u...
  • Makalu Barun Makalu Barun Catch breathtaking views of Makalu, Everest and Lhotse; walk beneath towering granite cliffs and col...
  • Kanchenjunga Kanchenjunga Circling the Kathmandu Valley on the descent to the capital, you may well catch a sight of Everest. ...

Plan Your Trek

plan your trek