Classic treks · Langtang & Tamang country
Langtang Valley & Kyanjin Ri
- 8 daysDuration
- 4,773 mHighest point
- ModerateDifficulty
- ★ 4.896 reviews
Eight days from Kathmandu to a glaciated basin below a 7,227 m peak, on a trail rebuilt by the families who live on it.
Langtang is the shortest route to serious Himalayan scenery from Kathmandu, and after the 2015 earthquake it is also the most direct way to put money into a valley that needs it. Every lodge on this itinerary is locally owned.
The walk starts in a forest gorge full of langur monkeys, opens out above the treeline on day four, and finishes with a dawn climb up Kyanjin Ri for a 360-degree view of Langtang Lirung, Dorje Lakpa and the Tibetan border ridge.
- Kyanjin Ri at 4,773 m — a half-day climb with an enormous payoff
- The yak-cheese factory at Kyanjin Gompa, operating since 1955
- Langur monkeys and old-growth forest in the lower gorge
- A valley where tourism income is visibly rebuilding villages
The essentials
- Duration
- 8 days
- Highest point
- 4,773 m
- Group size
- Max 10
- Style
- Lodge trek
- Starts and ends
- Kathmandu to Kathmandu
- Best season
- Mar–May · Oct–Dec
- Accommodation
- 6 nights in lodges, 1 night in a Kathmandu hotel
- Meals
- All breakfasts, lunches and dinners on trek
- Transport
- Private vehicle Kathmandu–Syabrubesi return
- Permits
- Langtang National Park entry + TIMS card
The shape of the journey
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
When to walk it
March to May brings rhododendron; October to December gives the sharpest views of Langtang Lirung.
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Prime
- Shoulder
- Closed
Day by day
8 days, as they are actually walked. Your guide may reorder a day for weather — that is the point of having one.
-
1
Arrive in Kathmandu
Transfer, briefing and an early night — tomorrow is a long drive.
- 1,400 m
- Kathmandu hotel
- Dinner
-
2
Drive to Syabrubesi
Seven hours north through Trisuli and up into Rasuwa, finishing at the trailhead.
- 1,460 m
- 7 hr drive
- Syabrubesi lodge
- All meals
-
3
Syabrubesi to Lama Hotel
Into the gorge along the Langtang Khola, climbing steadily through oak and bamboo forest.
- 2,470 m
- 11 km
- 6 hr
- Lama Hotel lodge
- All meals
-
4
Lama Hotel to Mundu
Out of the forest and past the memorial at old Langtang village, then a short way further to a quieter overnight.
- 3,540 m
- 13 km
- 6 hr
- Mundu lodge
- All meals
-
5
Mundu to Kyanjin Gompa
A short morning up the widening valley to the last settlement, with the afternoon free for the cheese factory and the monastery.
- 3,870 m
- 6 km
- 3 hr
- Kyanjin lodge
- All meals
-
6
Kyanjin Ri and back
A steep 900 m dawn climb to the summit ridge for the full sweep of the Langtang massif, then down for lunch.
- 4,773 m
- 7 km
- 5 hr
- Kyanjin lodge
- All meals
-
7
Kyanjin Gompa to Lama Hotel
Back down the valley in one long day, with the views you walked past on the way up now in front of you.
- 2,470 m
- 19 km
- 7 hr
- Lama Hotel lodge
- All meals
-
8
Walk out and drive to Kathmandu
Three hours to Syabrubesi, then the road back to the city and a late arrival.
- 1,400 m
- 11 km
- 3 hr walk, 7 hr drive
- Breakfast, lunch
Is this trip for you?
Five to six hours of walking a day with one steep climb at the end. Suitable as a first Himalayan trek if you hill-walk regularly.
What is included
Included
- Licensed NMA guide and porter support (one porter per two travellers)
- Private vehicle transfers to and from Syabrubesi
- All lodge accommodation and one night in Kathmandu
- All meals on trek plus tea and coffee
- Langtang National Park entry and TIMS card
- Guide and porter insurance, wages and equipment
- Group first-aid kit and satellite communicator
Not included
- International flights and Nepal visa
- Travel and evacuation insurance
- Meals in Kathmandu beyond the two listed
- Hot showers, charging and wifi in lodges
- Personal equipment, drinks and tips
What to bring
- Sleeping bag rated to −5 °C
- Broken-in boots
- Warm jacket and waterproof shell
- Thermal base layer
- Sun hat, warm hat, gloves
- Headtorch for the Kyanjin Ri start
- 30 litre daypack
- Water treatment
Demo photography, from the region rather than this departure. Every image is CC0 or public domain.
Departures
20% deposit confirms your place. Balance due 45 days before departure.
| Dates | Availability | Price | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct – 18 Oct 2026 | Places open | $1,190 | |
| 15 Nov – 22 Nov 2026 | Places open | $1,140 | |
| 6 Dec – 13 Dec 2026 | Few places left · 2 left | $1,090 | |
| 7 Mar – 14 Mar 2027 | Places open | $1,190 | |
| 18 Apr – 25 Apr 2027 | Places open | $1,190 |
Your guide
Guide profiles are fictional. The photographs beside them show the terrain each guide works in — they do not depict the people described.
What travellers said
★ 4.8 from 96 fictional demo reviews.
-
★★★★★
Kyanjin Ri at sunrise
Hardest hour of the week and worth every step. Dawa carried a flask of tea up and handed it out at the top.
-
★★★★★
Quiet and cold and brilliant
December meant frost on the lodge windows and about six other trekkers in the whole valley.
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★★★★★
The drive is the hard part
The trek was comfortable. The road out was seven hours of being shaken. Everything else was excellent.
Things to know
Is this a good first Himalayan trek?
It is the one we recommend most often. Eight days including travel, a maximum altitude under 4,800 m reached on a day walk rather than a sleeping altitude, and no technical ground.
Is the valley safe after the 2015 landslide?
Yes. The trail was rerouted around the slide path and has been in continuous use for a decade. Your guide will point out where the old village stood.
How rough is the road to Syabrubesi?
Seven hours, partly unpaved, and genuinely uncomfortable in the last two. We use a private vehicle rather than the public bus, which helps.
Can I add the Tamang Heritage Trail?
Yes — the two link naturally into a twelve-day journey through Gatlang and Briddim on the way out. We run it as a single trip; ask when you enquire.
You might also consider
Close relatives.
Same region or same spirit, different commitment.
Not quite right?
We will build it around you.
Different dates, a shorter version, a family pace or a route that is not on this site. Private departures start at the same price as scheduled ones.