Langtang Valley Trek with Ganja la Pass  - 14 Days

On arrival at Kathmandu International Airport, a representative from Himalayan Glacier will pick us up and escort us to our designated hotel. In the afternoon, we may take rest or visit Himalayan Glacier’s office. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner hosted by Himalayan Glacier. For dinner, you will be served authentic Nepalese cuisine which will introduce you to the country’s food culture. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Today after breakfast, we start a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu which are also listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. We visit the historic Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, the famous ‘Monkey Temple’ (Swayambhunath) and Buddhist shrine (Bouddhanath), which is also one of the largest stupas in the world. At noon, we get our equipment checked by our climbing leader, get introduced to fellow participants, and discuss our trip at Himalayan Glacier’s office. Overnight in Kathmandu.

After morning breakfast, we drive along the north-western hills of Kathmandu enjoying the Himalayan views and mountainous lifestyle through the terraced fields and rustic villages. Magnificent views of Mt. Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and Langtang Ranges becomes visible as we drive along. We will stop for lunch at Trishuli Bazar before continuing further to Dhunche, a major town in Langtang area of Rasuwa district. From Dhunche, we descent down to Syabrubesi, which lies withing the premises of the Langtang National Park. Overnight at Syabrubesi.

Today is the first day of our trekking, which we begin by following the Langtang Khola River passing through dense forests and crossing several suspension bridges. As we continue to walk, we will hike to Bamboo (1,960m/6,430ft.) following rough, uneven trails with minor ups and downs. From Bamboo, a gently sloping trail will take us to Rimche (2,400m/7,874ft.) where we stop for lunch. One hour hike from Rimche will get us to our stop at Lama Hotel with a little climb before dropping down to the village. Overnight at Lama Hotel.

Today after breakfast, we start trekking day towards the village of Mundu. Our trail continues along dense forests. After making a steady climb up through the valley, we leave the tree line behind us enjoying marvelous views of Langtang Lirung. On the way to Mundu, you will also pass the Langtang Village. Langtang Valley alone lost 400 lives, flooded away by the 2015 earthquake-triggered avalanche, destroying the entire village and infrastructures. We also see the ruins of Langtang Village, where life is slowing building back and a few teahouses have reopened. Overnight at Mundu.

After breakfast, we will start our journey to Kyangjin Gompa, a significant monastery of the region. You will pass by water mills, prayer wheels, chortens, with sacred mounds of rocks with inscriptions carved on them.  We will also pass by the largest mani wall in Nepal, made from stone with prayers written on them. The prayers written on the mani wall is supposed to be blown away by the wind. After a short trek, you will spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the Buddhist shrine and the surrounding areas with amazing views of the mountains. Overnight at Kyangjin Gompa.

After morning tea and breakfast, we get out of the village and pass on through yak pastures and start hiking up to Tserko Ri (5000m/16,404ft) for mountain sunrise views. Since, we are really getting into the high altitudes, we might start feeling the thin air hitting us. In the afternoon, we return to Kyanjin Gompa- surrounded by the Himalayas all around. We can take a walk around Kyanjin Gompa enjoying the views, glaciers, icefalls, birds and yaks. Overnight at Kyangjin Gompa.

After breakfast in Kyangjin Gompa, we head towards Ganja La Phedi, firstly crossing the Langtang River. Then, we will ascend through the trails amidst rhododendron forests while gradually gaining altitude level. At times, we need to walk through snow-paved trail, especially during cold seasons. We reach the base of the Ganja La Pass and set up our tents to spend the night. Overnight camping at Ganja La Phedi.

Today is a very crucial day as we will cross the Ganja La Pass. After breakfast, we follow a long ascending trail, and the hike would be a bit challenging. The pass is covered with snow almost throughout the year. We might require fixing ropes at certain places as we make long ascents through boulders and cross small lakes before reaching the summit of Ganja La Pass that is situated on a rocky moraine. From the top, we get to enjoy spectacular views of Mt. Naya Kanga, Ganja La Peak, and several other high mountains. Then, we gradually start descending down to Keldang from the glacier through moraines. After descending for a couple of hours, we will reach a meadow, which is an excellent campsite on the flat valley below the glacier. Overnight camping at Keldang.

Leaving Keldang after breakfast in our camp, we descend following a prominent ridge line. During today’s hike, we gradually lose altitude through forests, ridges, farmlands, lush terraces, and grasslands. We finally reach Yak Kharka after about 6 to 7 hours hike through undulating paths. In the past, there were no accommodation facilities here and trekkers had to sleep at camps, but recently few teahouses have come up at this place. Overnight at Yak Kharka.

From Yak Kharka, we follow mostly descending trails losing altitude, considerably about 1,500m (4,921ft.). The trail would be similar, except that as you descend lower, we will notice more vegetation. We pass through numerous Sherpa villages before reaching Tarke Ghyang, popularly known as Helambu. Overnight in Tarke Ghyang.

After breakfast today, we cross a small forest along easy trails with beautiful views of the Helambu region. After 2 hours of gentle walk, we reach the amazing valley of Gngyul, a charming Sherpa village. After exploring the village for a while, we head towards Sermathang. In the evening, we visit the local village as well as an old Buddhist monastery. Overnight in Sermathang.

On our final day of the trek, we walk down to Melamchi Pul Bazaar with many Sherpa villages. From the Bazaar, we board on a private vehicle to Kathmandu. To celebrate the successful completion of our journey, we will have a farewell dinner in the evening. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Our adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! A Himalayan Glacier representative will escort us to the airport approximately 3 hours before our scheduled flight. If we wish to extend our holidays in Nepal, then we may request Himalayan Glacier to organize other adventurous activities for a few more days, or head back to our home country with plenty of memories to cherish!