Langtang
Langtang Valley Community Trek
Nine days in the valley that rebuilt itself after 2015, walking to Kyanjin Gompa with the Tamang families who did the rebuilding.
Overview
The Langtang valley lost most of its buildings and many of its people to a landslide triggered by the 2015 earthquake. What has happened since is the reason we run this trek: the valley was rebuilt largely by its own residents, on ground they chose, with lodges owned by the families who run them.
The walking is genuinely demanding. You gain nearly three thousand metres over five days, and the day up Kyanjin Ri is a hard four hours on loose ground. In return you get one of the few Himalayan valleys where the tourism economy is still mostly locally owned.
We build two acclimatisation days into a route that many operators do in seven days flat. That is not caution for its own sake — it is the difference between reaching Kyanjin Ri and spending the day in a sleeping bag.
Highlights
- Kyanjin Ri at 4,773 m, and the whole Langtang Lirung massif from the top
- The community cheese factory at Kyanjin Gompa, running since the 1950s
- Tamang homestays in Briddim, a village that hosts on a strict rotation
- Langtang village, rebuilt three hundred metres from where it stood
- Yak pasture at Numthang with the valley opening out ahead of you
Community impact
Every lodge on this itinerary is owned by a Langtang or Briddim household. We use no outside-owned properties on this route, which is harder to arrange than it sounds and costs us a little more.
Briddim operates a rotation system: each of the twenty-four host families takes groups in turn, so income is spread rather than captured by whoever is closest to the trail.
A fixed contribution per traveller goes to the valley’s memorial and reconstruction fund, which the community administers itself.
Suitable for
Trekkers who have walked multi-day routes before and are comfortable with sustained altitude. You will spend three nights above 3,500 m and one day at 4,770 m.
Day by day
- 1Day 1
Kathmandu to Syabrubesi
A long, spectacular and occasionally alarming seven-hour drive north to the valley mouth at 1,460 m. Nothing is asked of you today except patience.
- 7 hours driving
- 1460 m
- Community lodge, Syabrubesi
- Meals: Lunch, dinner
- 2Day 2
Syabrubesi to Lama Hotel
The valley closes in immediately. Six hours climbing through oak and bamboo forest beside the Langtang Khola, with a decent chance of langur monkeys.
- 6 hours
- 13 km
- 2470 m
- Community lodge, Lama Hotel
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 3Day 3
Lama Hotel to Langtang village
Out of the forest and into the open valley. You pass the landslide site before reaching the rebuilt village — your guide will tell you what happened here, if you want to hear it.
- 5–6 hours
- 11 km
- 3430 m
- Community lodge, Langtang
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 4Day 4
Langtang to Kyanjin Gompa
A short, deliberately easy day past mani walls and yak pasture into Kyanjin Gompa. Afternoon at the cheese factory and the monastery, both of which reward an hour.
- 3 hours
- 7 km
- 3870 m
- Community lodge, Kyanjin Gompa
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 5Day 5
Kyanjin Ri, and back down for dinner
The hard day. Four hours up loose ground to 4,773 m for the full sweep of Langtang Lirung, Dorje Lakpa and the Tibetan border ranges, then back to the same bed.
- 6–7 hours
- 8 km
- 4770 m
- Community lodge, Kyanjin Gompa
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 6Day 6
Acclimatisation and the upper valley
An easy walk up to the yak pastures at Numthang and back, or a full rest day if the previous one took more out of you than expected. Both are fine.
- 3 hours, optional
- 6 km
- 4000 m
- Community lodge, Kyanjin Gompa
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 7Day 7
Kyanjin Gompa to Lama Hotel
A long descent retracing the valley, which looks like a different place walked downhill.
- 6 hours
- 18 km
- 2470 m
- Community lodge, Lama Hotel
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 8Day 8
Lama Hotel to Briddim
Off the main trail and up to Briddim, a Tamang village of about forty houses that runs its homestays on a strict rotation. The evening is the point of the day.
- 5 hours
- 12 km
- 2230 m
- Tamang homestay, Briddim
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- 9Day 9
Briddim to Syabrubesi, drive to Kathmandu
Two hours down to the road and the long drive back. You will be in Kathmandu in time for a very good dinner.
- 2 hours walking, 7 driving
- 6 km
- 1460 m
- Not included — onward travel from Kathmandu
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
What's included
- All accommodation — homestays, teahouses and one night in Kathmandu
- All meals on trek, plus breakfast in cities
- Licensed English-speaking Nepali guide
- Porter support, one porter per two travellers
- All national park fees, TIMS cards and local permits
- Airport transfers and ground transport on the itinerary
- Drinking-water filtration throughout
- Guide and porter insurance, wages and equipment
What's not included
- International flights to and from Kathmandu
- Nepal entry visa (available on arrival)
- Travel and medical insurance — mandatory, and we check it
- Lunch and dinner while in Kathmandu or Pokhara
- Drinks, snacks and personal expenses
- Tips for your guide and porters
- Emergency evacuation costs, which your insurance must cover
What to pack
On your feet
- Broken-in walking boots with ankle support
- Trail shoes or sandals for the evenings
- Three or four pairs of wool walking socks
- Gaiters (Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr only)
Layers
- Base layer, top and bottom
- Fleece or light down mid-layer
- Waterproof shell jacket
- Sun hat and a warm hat
- Gloves — thin liners are enough below 3,500 m
Kit
- 35–45 litre daypack
- Head torch and spare batteries
- Reusable water bottle, one litre minimum
- Sunglasses rated for altitude
- Sunscreen SPF 50 and lip balm
- Power bank — village electricity is not guaranteed
Documents & health
- Passport with at least six months validity
- Travel insurance covering trekking to your route’s maximum altitude
- Personal first-aid kit and any prescription medication
- Two passport photos for permits
Photographs
Frequently asked questions
Do I need previous trekking experience?
For most of our mid-hill routes, no. If you can walk comfortably for five hours on consecutive days you will be fine. Our guides set a pace that suits the slowest walker, not the fastest, and there is no prize for arriving first.
What happens if the weather turns?
Every itinerary has slack built into it. Your guide can shorten a stage, swap a pass for a valley route or add a rest day without it costing you anything. Safety decisions are the guide’s to make and are never negotiable.
How does the homestay arrangement work?
You stay in a family home with a private or shared room, depending on the village. Meals are cooked by your hosts and eaten together. Families are paid a fixed nightly rate agreed with the community, not a per-head commission.
Is drinking water provided?
Yes. Every trip carries filtration so you refill from a communal source rather than buying bottled water. We do not sell single-use plastic on any route.
What is your cancellation policy?
Full refund up to 45 days before departure, 50% up to 21 days, and no refund inside 21 days — though we will always try to move you to another date instead. Trips cancelled by us are refunded in full.
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