Langtang Valley and Ganja La Trek
Langtang Valley and Ganja-la Trek starts after a bus ride from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi. From Surya Besi, you will start your trek towards Langtang Himal area. You will take a direct approach via the Langtang Khola. You will trek for days on a gradual winding path through the dense forest of oaks, birch, pines, and rhododendron and reach Kyanjin Gompa (3,749m). The trek takes place inside the Langtang National Park. This national park is the country’s first Himalayan National Park. It is home to 46 mammals including animals like Assamese monkey, grey wolf, red panda, clouded leopard, leopard cat, snow leopard, musk deer, and Tibetan sheep. The Langtang Valley and Ganja La trek is a high altitude trek that takes you to an altitude of 5121 meters in Ga. So, you will spend a day acclimatizing in Kyanjin Gompa. It is the perfect base for acclimatization. It has a wonderful surrounding of high snow-capped mountains.
After a good Ganja La pass in Kynagin at Langtang Valley, you will trek to set up a high camp below the Naya Kanga peak and Ganja La 5,121m. Ganja La pass also allows you to head towards Helambu region with stunning views of towering mountains of the Langtang region. These include Ganchenpo (6387m), Dorje Lakpa (6990m), Pemthang Karpo Ri (6830m), Langtang Lirung (7245m) and Shishapangma (8046m). A visit to the Langtang valley is a wonderful opportunity to explore Tibetan and Tamang Villages. You will also climb several small peaks and ridges that offer delightful a visit to glaciers placed at low altitude regions. After crossing Ganja-la pass, you will walk through charming villages of Helambu. These villages like Sermanthang, Dupku etc. are home to warm, hospitable people. Finally, you get to the town of Melamchi, which lies near the tip of Kathmandu. A scenic drive from Melamchi leads you to Kathmandu. This marks the end of this adventurous trip of a lifetime with Nepal International Tours & Treks Pvt. Ltd. to Langtang Valley & Ganja La.
Best Time for Langtang Valley and Ganja La Trek
The most popular seasons for the Langtang Valley and Ganja La trek are the seasons of spring and autumn. Autumn falls in the months of September, October, and November. Spring falls in the months of March, April, and May. These months have a moderate amount of sunshine and a low amount of precipitation. So the trekking trails are dry and the views of mountains are crisp. Although the winters might be cold, you can do the winter (December, January, February) trek to Annapurna Circuit. Similarly, with appropriate gear and planning, Langtang Valley and Ganja La trek in the summer (June, July, August) is also possible with appropriate clothing.
Langtang Valley and Ganja La Trek Difficulty
Langtang Valley and Ganja La trek is a moderate trek which also has some strenuous trails along the way. Langtang Valley and Ganja La trek lasts 14 days. You will reach an altitude of 5121 meters in Ganja La pass. When you trek to such a high altitude, there are always possibilities of altitude sickness. So you should prepare to avoid such risks. For the most part of the trek, you will trek uphill. So, you will have to prepare for this trek by preparing your body physically for around 2-3 months before embarking upon the trek. Physical preparation is the best way to keep the threat of altitude sickness away. We also advise you to take a hike of a day or two before coming to this trek. This will give you some idea about how demanding Annapurna Circuit Trek might be.
Main Attractions of the Langtang Valley and Ganja La Trek
- A scenic bus ride from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi.
- Trek to beautiful villages like Manang, Marpha, Ghorepani, and Muktinath.
- Visit Kyanjin Gompa.
- A chance to view exotic animals in the Langtang National Park (ACAP) like snow leopards, musk deer, Himalayan Tahr etc.
- Cross Ganja La pass (5121 meters)
- UNESCO World Heritage Tour in Kathmandu
- Panoramic view of snow-capped mountains from Kyanjin Ri
Day 01: Arrive at Kathmandu 1,300m. and transfer to Hotel.
Day 02: In Kathmandu half day guided tour.
Day 03:Drive from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi 1,460m. 7 hours.
Day 04:Trek to Lama Hotel 2,420m. 5 hours.
Day 05:Trek to Langtang village 3,430m. 3 hours walk.
Day 06:Trek to Kyangin Gompa 3,850m. 3 – 4 hours.
Day 07:Rest-Day for acclimatization at leisure for a hike around.
Day 08:Traverse Ganja-la 5,121m. descend towards Keldrong Kharka.
Day 09:Trek to Kharka before Dukpu. 4,023m.
Day 10:The Kharka before Dupku to Tarkeghyang 2,560m. 6 – 7 hrs.
Day 11:Trek to Sermathang 2,621m. 4 – 5 hrs.
Day 12:Trek to Melamchi Pul 840m. 3 – 4 hrs and Drive to Kathmandu 2hrs.
Day 13:Free day in Kathmandu.
Day 14: Transfer to Airport for International departure.
Outline Itinerary
Day 01: Arrive at Kathmandu 1,300m. and transfer to Hotel.
Day 02: In Kathmandu half day guided tour.
Day 03:Drive from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi 1,460m. 7 hours.
Day 04:Trek to Lama Hotel 2,420m. 5 hours.
Day 05:Trek to Langtang village 3,430m. 3 hours walk.
Day 06:Trek to Kyangin Gompa 3,850m. 3 – 4 hours.
Day 07:Rest-Day for acclimatization at leisure for a hike around.
Day 08:Traverse Ganja-la 5,121m. descend towards Keldrong Kharka.
Day 09:Trek to Kharka before Dukpu. 4,023m.
Day 10:The Kharka before Dupku to Tarkeghyang 2,560m. 6 – 7 hrs.
Day 11:Trek to Sermathang 2,621m. 4 – 5 hrs.
Day 12:Trek to Melamchi Pul 840m. 3 – 4 hrs and Drive to Kathmandu 2hrs.
Day 13:Free day in Kathmandu.
Day 14: Transfer to Airport for International departure.
Detail Itinerary
Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu and transfer to Hotel.
On arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport meet our staff with our complimentary transport transfer to relevant Hotels, our guide will give you a briefing of the Hotel, Kathmandu, Trekking, and related information that you might require while in Nepal with us.
Day 02: Half day guided sightseeing tour in Kathmandu.
You will head out for a half day sightseeing tour of the capital city of Nepal- Kathmandu today. The sightseeing tour will begin after you have your breakfast in the morning. Kathmandu has a great repository of ancient cultural heritage preserved in the form of temples and religious monuments. You can see modern buildings as well as temples that date back to the medieval period in Kathmandu valley.
Pashupatinath Temple:
Pashupatinath Temple is the most widely visited temple in all of Nepal. This largest Hindu temple in the world lies on the banks of Bagmati river. The temple sees over a million Hindu devotees yearly. This temple has special ties to Lord Shiva. The temple is especially full on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. Pashupatinath temple is a two-storied temple. It also has various other temples surrounding it.
Boudhanath Stupa:
Boudhanath temple, established as a World Heritage Site in 1979 A.D, is also called as “Little Tibet”. It is a holy Buddhist site in Kathmandu. Made in the the 5th century C.E, tourists all around the world visit this monatery that has its characteristic Buddha’s eyes. All people who visit this place rotate the numerous prayer wheels in the precinct of this temple. People make several rounds of this monastery while they are here.
Kathmandu and Patan Durbar Squares:
Kathmandu Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square are known for their powerful Newari architectural styles. You can find the palaces of kings of Kathmandu and Patan in these squares. Krishna Mandir and Hanuman Dhoka are the most popular places in these squares. Krishna Mandir lies in Patan Durbar Square whereas Hanuman Dhoka is inside the premises of Kathmandu Durbar Square. You can also visit the museums located in these Durbar Squares.
Day 03: Drive from Kathmandu – Syabrubesi 1,460m. 7 – 8 hours.
Early morning drive to Syabrubesi, the ride to the winding uphill and downhill road, passes many rural towns and farm villages the bigger town on route Trisuli Bazaar, this place lies in the sub-tropical climatic zone the road, the ride leads uphill to a cooler region leaving the rice paddy behind to maize and millet terraced fields as the weather changes with the culture and the people as well, passing at Dhunche 1,965m, a major town of the Langtang area and Rusuwa district. From here, the journey continues further downhill for 1-2 hours to Syabrubesi village for the overnight stop.
Day 04: Trek to Lama Hotel 2,420m. 5 – 6 hours.
The route from Syabrubesi is quite pleasant with the uphill climb for a while but the rest of the walk is gradual on the winding trail through the terraced farm fields and villages, as the trail descends and joins the path coming from upper Syabru at the Riverside Lodge near the place of Bamboo, an ideal spot for camping with ample time to go for a refreshing splash in the nearby river of upper Trisuli River.
Day 05: Trek to Langtang village 3,430m. 3 hours walk.
Trek continues for few hours on the road to Langtang village and to its beautiful valley, the walk leads through the alpine forest for an hour, on reaching a small stream and then leaving the tree line behind. From here the trail follows uphill for an hour, then the walks get better on the gradual winding path with few ups and down till Langtang Village is reached for the overnight stop and as well for lunch with ample time to visit the villages with a glimpse of Langtang Himal peeping in the north on top of the great rock wall.
Day 06: Trek to Kyangin Gompa 3,850m. 3 – 4 hours.
From this wonderful village, morning walk leads through the gradual path for a short while, then the path winds uphill for few hours through the prickly Burberry and high alpine shrubs, and encountering “mani-prayer wall” where walking in the clockwise direction is the positive way of respecting the local culture and religion, as our walk leads to farther east the valley opens up and then walking on the grassy meadow with views of numerous snow-capped peaks in the distance. The walk is more pleasant and can be vigorous due to altitude gain as we come to our destination at Kyangin Gompa. Kyangin Gompa, a scenic charming spot, with peaks looming from all direction, the closest peak that you can see is the Langtang Lirung of over 7,000m and its icefall just at leisurely distance from the campsite, Kyangin Gompa, a small monastery located on the top of the ridge formed by glacial moraine of rocks and boulders, within Kyangin Gompa area there are 6-7 lodges and a cheese factory.
Day 07: Rest-Day for acclimatization at leisure for a hike around.
At leisure a rest day for a short walk at the nearby hill called Kyangin Ri 4,700m. To add more heights on this adventure which offers a panoramic view of the surrounding snow-capped peaks, visit the cheese factory with rest of the day at leisure.
Day 08: Trek to Ganja-la pass 5,121m. and descend towards Keldang.
From the Kyngin Gompa, follow the path towards Ganja-la; traversing steeply from right to left to the cairned summit of the pass. There is a small glacier on the far side; descend to a camp by the second of two small lakes or ponds on the west side of the glacier below the rubble covered site. If time allows a much better camping site at Keldang at 4,270m.A little two hours further on. Descending steeply from the glacier through moraines to the Kharka; provides an excellent campsite on the flat valley below the glacier the trail starts off across the steep east –facing hillsides of the Dukpu Danda. Where there is a cave for the porter’s shelter and the first clean water and woods at 4,510m.
Day 09: Trek to Kharka before Dukpu. 4,023m.
A good day trek with a great deal of up and down the path through hillsides studded with kharka. There is little water until the last kharka before Dukpu. The Kharka can be noticed with a large boulder just below the trail and a smoke-blackened ‘ rock shelter’ on its north flank. There is a steep ascent to a little col just before it. A steep descent into the ridge and steep ascents to another little col. This is a reasonable site for the camping, with wood water and good views. It is about six hours walk from Keldrong.
Day 10: The Kharka before Dupku to Tarkeghyang 2,560m. 6 -7 hrs.
From the Kharka it is another twenty minutes to Dupku at 3,993m. A final ridge is crossed, marked with Chortens at about 4,054m which is reached after nearly two hours of hard walk, from here a long descent into Helambu. After an hour from the last ridge at 3,627m, there is a small clearing on the narrow ridge crest after a long diagonal descent on the western side of the ridge, passing wooden water troughs on the way then with a steep descent to the campsite just above the Tarkeghyang village. This is quite a long and hard downhill day.
Day 11: Trek to Sermathang 2,621m. 4 – 5 hrs.
After a lovely morning we head towards another important village of the area to Sermathang, the walk leads on the gradual winding path offering excellent views of the surrounding landscapes all the way to our overnight stop at Sermathang after a good four hours walks. The trial makes a sweep around the wide valley end in between Parachin and Pretty Sherpa village of Gangyul. The people of this village practice Drukpa Kagyu Buddhism, the same as the national religion of Bhutan.
Day 12: Trek to Melamchi Pul Bazar 840m. 3 – 4 hrs. and drive to Kathmandu
The last day of the trek is more or less down hill all the way to Melamchi Pul Bazaar, road head for the drive to Kathmandu. The trek passes through mid hills villages of Kakani and Thimbu before heading towards the subtropical region back to the rice paddy fields. On arriving at Melamchi Pul which is a busy bazaar, where people from the rural villages from the hills comes here for the marketing and to catch a bus to Kathmandu city. After few hours of of tour and a lunch break, we will continue our drive to Kathmandu.
Day 13: Free day at leisure in Kathmandu.
A free day in Kathmandu, please inform our staff if you would like to go on another short tour in and around Kathmandu Valley.
Day 14: Transfer to Airport for the International departure.
Today as per your international flight time, keep your confirmed air ticket, our staff will transfer you to the International airport for your final departure from Nepal, the land of high Himalayas.
Cost Included
- Pick up from airport and transfer to hotel
- Accommodation in 3-star hotel in Kathmandu with breakfast.
- Kathmandu valley sightseeing and prepare for trek
- A professional Sherpa Guide with Government License
- Sherpa porter who will carry your baggage(2 people 1 sherpa porter)
- Food during Trekking(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner )
- All Accommodation during Trekking(Tea House/ Camping)
- Necessary Trekking permits
- TIMS (Trekkers Information Management system card)
- Necessary Equipment( sleeping bag and Down Jacket)
- All program as per Itinerary
- Necessary Land Transport
- Food, salary Transport, clothing for Guide and Porter
- Insurance for Guide and Porter
- First aid kit from The Great Adventure Treks and Expedition
- Emergency Rescue Help ( covered by your travel insurance)
- Farewell dinner with cultural show.
Cost Excluded
- Lunch and dinner in kathmandu.
- Any kinds of Drinks( soft and Hard Drinks)
- Visa, international flight ticket
- Kathmandu monuments fees
- Personal Nature expenses
- Tips for Staffs
- Rescue and Evacuation cost
