Overview
Located just north of Kathmandu is a picturesque region called Langtang. A small, fertile, green valley, it is surrounded by snowcapped peaks, sacred lakes and plenty of wildlife. The region is often referred to as the Switzerland of Nepal because of its valley and scenic beauty. It is located very close to the capital city, yet is situated in the High Himalayas.
This trek is just 13 days with two nights of camping. We move at a little slower pace for children to be able to enjoy the trek to the fullest. It includes two nights of camping full of adventures with a campfire, hot meals cooked over the fire by expert chefs and nights filled with a million stars above.
Vertical Expedition has had a long tradition of commitment to families and family trekking. We are pleased to be able to offer this wonderful family trek into one of the finest alpine valleys in Nepal which is so close to the capital city. While you don’t need to have children to take this trek, they will make it a lot more fun as they will bring their wide-eyed perspective to your enjoyment and adventure.
Itinerary
Arrive today at Tribhuvan International Airport with your family where you will be greeted by a representative of Vertical Expedition and taken to your Three Star Hotel for the night.
We take private car today north from Kathmandu as we make our way toward the Chinese border. Our destination is the pretty village of Syabrubesi, which lies in a valley at the confluence of Bhote Koshi River and the Langtang Khola. The trip to this village takes us past terraced farms as well as at times along the mighty Trisuli River. Syabrubesi has some nice lodge which even serve good continental food where we will spend the night.
The trek begins today as you cross the river and begin walking through some incredibly thick jungle forests of rhododendron, pine and oak. There are several suspension bridges to cross. The first part of the trail follows the Langtang Khola (river) which is an uphill grade. We will stop for lunch at Bamboo village , and then begin a steep grade for 1 ½ hours to reach Lama Hotel. Total trekking time is around 5 – 6 hours.
The forests this morning are dense and beautiful with plenty of wildflowers and butterflies. The trail continues to advance in elevation. Along the way, we are going to start seeing some beautiful images of Langtang Lirung and other snowcapped peaks of the Langtang Range. There are beautiful waterfalls along the way as well as great views of the mountains the higher you ascend. We will reach Langtang Village after around 5 – 6 hours where we will spend the night. In the evening, explore an old monastery with your guide.
Today is a shorter day as we adjust to the higher elevations. Today we will trek around 3 – 4 hours to reach Kyanjin Gompa. At our destination is not only our lodge, but also a cheese factory where they make that delicious yak cheese. What makes Kyanjin Gompa so wonderful is the views of the Langtang Mountain Range. You will have sublime views of the mighty snowcapped peaks.
We follow along a small stream after breakfast. The trees are less in number here due to the higher elevation. With less vegetation means greater visibility of the high Himalayas. We will reach our first yak kharka (pasture) in around two hours where we will see numerous yak grazing. The trail continues toward an even bigger yak pasture at Numthang which offers fabulous, close-up views of the snowcapped peaks. Kharkas are always at high elevations, as these are summer grazing areas for the yaks. Temperatures are cool here, which is good because yak don’t like warm weather. We will spend the night in a tented camp. Trekking time is 4 – 5 hours.
Today is up to Langshisa Kharka and back where we will behold the most panoramic view of the Langtang Mountain Range. And, oh, what a view. It feels like you can reach out and touch these majestic snowcapped peaks. The walk up to Langshisa Kharka is not that difficult and will take around three hours. We will return to our tented camp for the night at Numthang. Total hiking time is around 5 – 6 hours.
We start our return trip today, trekking back to Kyanjin Gompa. As before, we are treated to spectacular views of the high mountains. We will arrive at Kyanjin Gompa for the night. Trekking time is 4 – 5 hours.
As we drop in altitude, we see more and more trees and vegetation. We cross suspension bridges and walk past fast flowing mountain streams. We will overnight at our lodge in Lama Hotel. Trekking time is 5 – 6 hours.
We are returning now by a different way. We ascend gently until we reach Sherpagaon and then the trail is up and down (what we call “Nepali level”) until we reach a wonderful viewing spot to see Thulo Syabru village down in the valley with a fast flowing river roaring past it. Our destination is the picturesque alpine village of Briddhim which will give us great views of the Ganesh Himal Range. We will overnight in Briddhim, with trekking time around 5 – 6 hours.
This is our final day of trekking as we make our way back to our starting point: the village of Syabrubesi. It is a pleasant walk to the village today, taking around 3 – 4 hours. There are some steep spots along the way. We will spend the night at a good lodge.
We return today by private car to Kathmandu, following the same road we took a few days back. Travel time is around 5 – 6 hours. We will check into our Three Star Hotel to spend the night. In the evening, there will be a farewell dinner with a cultural show.
All good things must come to an end, and today, it is time to travel to your next destination. Your representative at Vertical Expedition can help you to plan your future trip as well as to other destinations around South Asia. Be sure to talk to your representative before leaving Kathmandu about a return trip to this great country. As they say, a lifetime is never enough to explore all that Nepal and the Himalayas have to offer.
Trip Information
- All airport/hotel transfers.
- Two nights in a Three Star hotel in Kathmandu. For duration of trek, local lodges and/or tea houses and two men camping tent
- All accommodations and meals during the trek.
- A full day of sightseeing tour in the Kathmandu Valley including an English-speaking tour guide and entrance fees.
- Private transportation by land cruiser.
- And experienced English-Speaking trek leader (government trained trekking guides), assistant trek leader (4 trekkers = 1 assistant guide) and Sherpa porters to carry luggage (2 trekkers = 1 porter). This includes salaries, insurance, food and lodging.
- Sleeping bag, a Vertical Expedition Duffle Bag, T-Shirt and trekking map. (Sleeping bags and duffle bags are to be returned at the end of the trek.)
- Farewell dinner along with one cultural show.
- A comprehensive medical kit.
- All government and local taxes
- Nepal Visa Fee (bring USD currently and four passport photographs)
- International airfare to and from Kathmandu
- Excess baggage charges
- Personal clothing and gears
- Lunch and evening meals in Kathmandu because of early arrival, late departure, and early return from the mountains (due to any reason) than the scheduled itinerary.
- Travel and rescue insurance.
- Personal expenses (phone calls, laundry, bar bills, battery recharge, extra porters, bottle or boiled water, shower, etc.)
- Cost raised by cancellation, landslide, weather, political unrest or illness will not be our responsibility since these factors are not within our control.
- Tips for guide, drivers and porters.
Extras
FAQS
What will be the crew & group size during this trek?
For this trek, there will be one leader, an assistant leader (4 trekkers = 1 assistant leader) and Sherpa porters for carrying luggage (2 trekkers = 1 porter). This arrangement ensures that if anyone in the group is sick, the trip can still go ahead as planned. Vertical Expedition can run this trek for groups of any size. But, Vertical Expedition generally includes maximum of twelve (12) visitors as this company has found this to be the optimum size for a successful trip. However, if you would like to make a group booking for more than twelve people, Vertical Expedition can arrange this, too.
Where will you be staying during this trek?
All accommodations for the Langtang Valley Family Adventure Lodge Camping Trek are on a twin sharing basis with inclusive trip costs and based on standard of hygiene, standard of service and food, location, etc. There are two styles of accommodations on this trip. In Kathmandu, we will stay two nights in Three Star Hotels. On the trek, we will stay eight nights at local lodges/tea houses and two nights at two men camping tent which do vary in quality. Most contain unheated rooms with wood beds and foam mattresses. Vertical Expedition provides attached rooms in some major towns; however tea houses or lodges in some places only have shared facilities as well as shared toilet. If we are a solo traveler, we may have to share the room with someone else of the same sex. Please understand that we will try to provide single rooms if at possible for an additional supplemental fee.
What will be the meals arrangement during this trek?
During our trek, we can enjoy typical Nepali food as well as some basic foods from different types of cuisines. While in Kathmandu, we can enjoy a great selection of foods from a variety of ethnic cultures. In the larger villages, we will have good selections, but some of the small villages may only feature a single item for dinner. Lunch will be served as a picnic lunch. There will be a farewell dinner that will feature a cultural show in Kathmandu.
