Gosaikunda Lake Trek

The journey of the Gosaikunda lake trek normally takes about 6 to 9 days to trek with approximately 50-60 km of walking from the starting point to the ending point. Most hikes start at Sundarijal on the outskirts of the Kathmandu Valley and end at Dhunche, or start at Dhunche and end at Sundarijal, and include a variety of days with walking ranging from short rest days to longer ridge crossings near the high point.

The daily hours of trekking vary from 4 to 7 on this trek and the highest spike in elevation is on the trek to Gosaikunda lake which is a long day. Royal Holidays Adventure ensures that a controlled pace is incorporated into all Langtang Gosaikunda Trek packages, beginning each day early to bypass the afternoon cloud, and ending at the teahouses with sufficient daylight for rest and recuperation. Groups that are travelling slower than average may make the trip one day longer without having to disrupt their permits or logistics as there are options for an overnight stop at Kutumsang, Magin Goth and Tharepati.

The Gosaikunda Trek is of medium to difficult levels generally due to the hike up-to the altitude rather than technical road or terrain. It works well for most trekkers with a bit of experience in multi day hiking and fitness for walking steep hills but is not suitable for someone who has never walked on the hills and is not used to such hiking in the mountains as a first-time hike.

A person with an uncontrolled cardiovascular or respiratory disease, recent experiences of altitude illness or no hiking experience should re-think this trip or get medical advice before they book. A hike to its highest elevation relatively early on the circuit may not allow enough built-in acclimatization time for slow acclimatizers, so they should discuss their plans with their guide well before going on the trip. It is not recommended for children, old timers, and pregnant travellers because the pace is necessary to keep within a small schedule.

The Gosaikunda Lake Trek is a slightly more challenging trek per day walked on the cardiovascular system, while the overall duration of the trek is shorter than the standard Langtang Valley trek, peaking at a higher elevation. Gosaikunda is more developed in terms of tea houses and the duration of the trek compared to Panchpokhari, which remains in the more remote and less-trodden part of the valley, but has similarly severe trail conditions. When choosing between the three routes, trekkers should not take a single route as being always easier than the others, but should consider the amount of time available, how high they are going and how far away from other people they want to go.

These permits help support conservation efforts, ensure visitor safety, and are checked at several points along the trekking route.

• Langtang National Park Entry Permit – Required for entry into Langtang National Park. It can be obtained from the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in Kathmandu or at the park entrance in Dhunche.
• TIMS Card (Trekkers’ Information Management System) – Mandatory for trekkers and issued by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) or the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN).
• Permit Checkpoints – Both permits are inspected at Dhunche and other checkpoints along the trail. Trekking without valid permits may result in fines or being denied access to the route.

When using a licensed agency, like Royal Holidays Adventure, permits are secured prior to booking and carried properly through checkpoints, which is one of the most frequent problems for independent trekkers. Also, licensed guides have to be registered with the authorities and if a rescue or evacuation is called for, it will be necessary to have an authorized guide who is registered with the authorities, as insurance companies and rescue coordinators will likely require proof that a trekker was accompanied by a registered guide. The rules regarding solo trekking in designated trekking regions in Nepal have changed over the past few years; therefore, it is best to confirm the current regulations with the individual agency before finalizing plans rather than assuming that they are the same as they were before.

The best time for the Gosaikunda Lake Trek is in the spring (March to May) or autumn (September to November) seasons when the weather is stable, and the mountain views are clear. Each season is unique and cannot be replaced by the others.

Gosaikunda Lake Trek can be done during the winter season but only for those who are well-equipped for the cold conditions and prepared to go through for heavy snowfall may close the higher parts of the trek altogether near the Laurebina and Gosaikunda Lake. The months of monsoons are the peak time for landslides, leech-infested lower trails and total cloud cover, which takes away the mountain views that everyone is visiting the mountain to see, so Royal Holidays Adventure does not recommend for the Gosaikunda Trek during June and July.

Gosaikunda Lake Trek packages with Royal Holidays Adventure typically range according to number of people going for a standard group departure, with private and customized itineraries prices are usually higher. The exact figure depends on group size, trip duration, and the season booked.

What is Included

• Licensed English-speaking trekking guide
• Porter service for carrying luggage
• Langtang National Park Entry Permit
• TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) Card
• Tea house accommodation throughout the trek
• Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the trek
• Ground transportation to and from the trailhead
• Basic first aid kit and emergency support coordination

What is Excluded

• Licensed English-speaking trekking guide
• Porter service for carrying luggage
• Langtang National Park Entry Permit
• TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) Card
• Tea house accommodation throughout the trek
• Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the trek
• Ground transportation to and from the trailhead
• Basic first aid kit and emergency support coordination

The greatest impact on cost per person is the size of the group: a larger group has a lower guide and transport per-person cost due to increased share of expenses, whereas solo and private treks have a higher per-person cost. Also, the season of the year can make a difference, as bookings in autumn are usually slightly more expensive because of increased demand on tea house rooms and transport, and bookings close to the date can be more expensive than those several weeks ahead of time. With this, travelers who are comparing the price of trekking in various agencies for Langtang Gosaikunda trek should be very careful to see what they are getting offered with the low price quoted, as sometimes they might not even be getting permits with the cheap price or they might be using unlicensed guides.

A group tour is for trekkers who are okay with sharing the trail and the tea house dining halls with other trekkers at a set time and is usually the cheapest option to book the Gosaikunda Lake Trek. While the per-person payment may be higher, due to the lack of a shared group of people to split the expense of the fixed cost, a private trek affords the trekking party more flexibility in terms of their own choice of daily pace, start date and rest days, which is especially advantageous for those who have a sensitivity to altitude or have limited time for their trek.

The government has licensed guides for every Gosaikunda Lake Trek, and it is the responsibility of Royal Holidays Adventure to find one for each trek. Each trained in wilderness first aid/altitude illness recognition. Safety on this trail is based on having a daily health assessment, pacing ourselves on the highest days and a predetermined evacuation plan agreed upon with each hiker before we leave.

Apart from ground rescue, which is often on the ridgelines above Tharepati is impractical, each trekker must carry travel insurance which includes helicopter evacuation at high altitudes. Guides include the contact information for rescue coordination at Kathmandu and can call the helicopter directly from several points on the route where landing is possible, compared to areas that are not. This planning is not assumed but confirmed with each trekker at the pre-trek briefing, so that everybody knows how it works before they go off into the backcountry.

The effect of altitude is random, irrespective of fitness level, so Royal Holidays Adventure does not use group average to determine if an individual is coping well on the Langtang Gosaikunda Trek. Guides are trained to take early signs seriously and not wait for a trekker to complain of symptoms as altitude sickness can rapidly become serious – even life threatening, hours before they realise. Guided travel is required on this route for this reason, and that is the most important aspect of the trip: this expert guidance, and the pre-arranged evacuation arrangements.

Gosaikunda is situated in the central part of Nepal in Langtang National Park, north of Kathmandu Valley near Dhunche in Rasuwa district. The lake is located at an altitude of 4380 m and is the largest of several alpine lakes considered sacred in the Hindu mythology and popular among trekkers and pilgrims.

Gosaikunda is about 75-80 kms. from Kathmandu by air but the trekking distance is longer, as the terrain is very winding. The road to Dhunche (trailhead town) takes about 6-7 hours and the walk to Gosaikunda Lake itself can take another 2-3 days depending on the route and pace.

Most trekkers ascend to Gosaikunda via Kathmandu to Sundarijal or Dhunche and then hike the rest of the way for a few days in Langtang National Park. Sundarijal approach extends the days of walking to Chisapani and then to Kutumsang after reaching Gosaikunda and starts from Dhunche which significantly reduces walking time for those with limited time. With every Gosaikunda Lake Trek Package, trekkers can enjoy the road transfer organized by Royal Holidays Adventure.

The trail climbs above the Melamchi and Trishuli river valleys before ascending to the glacially eroded landscape around Gosaikunda, where the lake and its surrounding smaller lakes lie in a depression shaped by glaciers. The Gosaikunda Trek is a hilly trek, showcasing a varied landscape over a short distance, with rhododendron and oak forest dominating the lower and middle sections of the trail, and alpine scrub and bare rock stretching upward toward 4,000m.

Unlike the more popular Everest and Annapurna routes, the Gosaikunda route has smaller villages and lodgings where you can stay overnight, such as Chisapani, Kutumsang and Tharepati. The local lifestyle here is revolving around tea house hospitality, seasonal herding, and in the vicinity of Gosaikunda, a pilgrimage of various religions during Janai Purnima festival.

The communities in the Gosaikunda Lake Trek are mainly comprised of Tamang and Sherpa people, whose livelihoods depend on the tea house tourism industry, as well as small-scale farming and the herding of yaks or cattle in the summer season. As trekkers cross the prayer flag-lined ridges and miniature chortens that highlight the cultural significance of the route, especially when approaching the sacred lake, the guide provides context on the culture and local customs, as well as the religious significance of Gosaikunda to the Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims who visit during the August full moon festival.

Tea house accommodation (adopting the well-known Nepali tea house system) is available at all night stops along the trek, with simple twin-share rooms. Higher the altitudes, the simpler the facilities, especially at Laurebina and Gosaikunda itself, where you can find only simple facilities like hot water and electricity that may be unavailable or charged separately.

The accommodation on the Gosaikunda Lake Trek is done in the local tea houses which have twin share rooms along with basic bedding. Except for below 3,500 meters, most lodges will have shared bathrooms with facilities at higher elevations more likely to be shared or squat style toilets, which feature a toilet seat and a basin.

Near Gosaikunda there are some of the highest stops where you may not get hot shower facilities too, but most tea houses offer this facility for an extra cost. Electronic device charging facilities are also available at many lodges for a token fee; however, this decreases with elevation.

Along the Gosaikunda Trail, prices increase slowly with increasing elevation, and the tea houses all offer the same menu, which consists of dal bhat, noodle soups, fried rice and simple pasta dishes. At altitude, dal bhat is the safest and best option as it is freshly cooked and will give a good source of sustained energy for the next day of hiking, while there are food packets at each stop for any hiker looking to supplement the meal and boiled water for drinking.

The entire Gosaikunda Lake Trek is within the Langtang National Park, the first national park in the Himalayas of Nepal, which has been set up to protect the forest, alpine and high-altitude ecosystems of the Himalaya. The park has a few different vegetation zones which hikers encounter during the several days of their hike.

The lower parts of the trail pass through thick rhododendron, oak and pine forest, where the sightings of red pandas, Himalayan black bears and many bird species, are rare because of the elevation gain and the speed of most itineraries. On top of the tree line, near Laurebina, the vegetation becomes alpine scrub and grassland, before turning to bare rock and scree near the Gosaikunda Lake, where occasional Himalayan tahr can be spotted on the higher ridges.

Royal Holidays Adventure requests all trekkers on Gosaikunda Lake Trek to carry out non-biodegradable waste, minimize the use of single use plastics and remain on designated trails to reduce erosion and disturbance of the wildlife habitat within the national park. Guides at the entrance checkpoint to the park give brief information on park rules and regulations before the trek, and campfires are discouraged in favor of the use of controlled fuel sources in the tea house kitchens.

Packing for the Gosaikunda Lake Trek needs to account for a wide temperature range, from warm forest sections at lower elevation to freezing conditions near the lake, especially outside the peak spring and autumn windows. A layered clothing system works better than a single heavy jacket given how much the temperature shifts across a single day.

The following items are essential for a safe and comfortable Gosaikunda Lake Trek, especially considering the cold temperatures and changing mountain weather.

• Four-season sleeping bag for cold nights
• Waterproof trekking boots with good ankle support
• Warm down jacket suitable for near-freezing temperatures
• Layered clothing for changing weather conditions
• Rain jacket or waterproof outer shell
• Warm hat, gloves, and thermal socks
• Small backpack for daily essentials
• Reusable water bottle or hydration bladder
• Optional but Recommended Gear

These items are not mandatory but can make your trekking experience more comfortable and convenient.

• Trekking poles for better stability on steep trails
• Power bank to charge electronic devices
• Personal water filter or purification tablets
• Headlamp with spare batteries
• Sunglasses and sunscreen
• Basic personal first aid kit
• Snacks or energy bars

Camera or binoculars for photography and mountain views