Langtang Valley Trek – One Of The World’s Most Beautiful Valleys

Updated: December 7, 2022
Langtang-Valley-Trek-routes

On this page you will find a comprehensive and impartial guide to the Langtang Valley Trek.

Langtang Valley Trek

Route Overview

The famed British mountaineer and travel writer, Bill Tilman (1898-1977), called this “one of the world’s most beautiful valleys.” The Langtang Valley Trek is a relatively easy trek and is often far less busy than other popular treks in Nepal. The trek can be done in seven days, however, it usually takes 10 to 12 days.

The local people are mostly of Tibetan origin and, according to legend, the valley was first discovered by a lama – a teacher of Tibetan Buddhism – who was pursuing a runaway yak. “Lang” is Tibetan for “lama” while “tang” is Tibetan for “follow.”

The highlight of this trek is the sight of the Langtang Lirung range, which is simply stunning. The eponymous mountain is 23,773 feet high and dominates the valley.

Langtang Regional Map

The Langtang valley region is in central Nepal, around 19 miles directly north of Kathmandu and near the border with Tibet. Although close to Kathmandu, closer than any other trek, this is as wild as it gets.

The valley runs from east to west, sandwiched between the Himalayas to the north and the slightly lower Langtang Lirung range to the south.

Langtang-Valley-Trek-map

Langtang Recommended Map

We believe the best map of the Lantang region is the the Langtang & Helambu Map of the GHT which can be purchased online via Amazon. The map is produced based on that data collected from the National Geographic Information Infrastructure Programme (NGIIP).

Langtang Trek Itinerary

It is possible to conduct this trek staying only at tea houses, but there is some time under canvas in this particular itinerary. There are several trek itineraries for this route, however, the one below is the most popular. You could also possibly arrange to meet your operator in Syabrubesi if you want to make your own way there.

Day 1-2: Arrive Kathmandu

Day 3: Drive  to Syabrubesi

Day 4: Trek across the Bhote Kosi

Day 5: Trek to Langtang

Day 6: Trek to Kyangjin and onward

Day 7: Acclimatisation Day

Day 8: Retrace route to Langtang

Day 9: Return to  Syabrubesi

Recommended Guidebook

The Langtang Valley trek appears in many guidebooks.

We recommend A Trekking Guide to Langtang: Gosainkund, Helambu and Tamang Heritage Trail by Sian Pritchard-Jones and Bob Gibbons or if this guidebook isn’t available then Trekking the Tamang Heritage Trail of Nepal by Alonzo Lucius Lyons.

Frequently Asked Questions

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About the author 

Mark Whitman

Mark has trekked extensively in Asia, Europe, South America and Africa. He founded Mountain IQ in 2014 with the sole aim to be the best online information portal to some of the most popular mountain destinations around the world. When not writing for Mountain IQ, Mark is out exploring the outdoors with his wife!

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