The Langtang-Helambu region of Central Nepal has something for everyone, year-round. It offers a variety of trekking routes, from leisurely to challenging and all accessible within a six hour drive from Kathmandu. No delayed flights to worry about – here is a place you could explore for a lifetime and never know all of its many hidden treasures.

• Gosainkund Pilgrimage
  12 days trekking. Moderately Challenging. Camping and Lodge Stay Trek. Min/Max: 1,950m-4,600m.
  The Gosainkund Lakes are one the Himalaya’s most important pilgrimage spots. This trek follows this ancient path from Dhunche through high pastures and forests to the holy lakes (4,328m/14,200ft) and across Laurebina La (pass), into the Helambu region. Along the route, you’ll encounter herder and farmer settlements of Nepal’s Tamangs and Yolmus, peoples who migrated centuries ago form Tibet. Views from the high ridges look east onto Dorje Lakpa and the Jugal Himal. The trek can also be done in reverse, beginning in Helambu and ending in Dunche.

• Yalmu Villages
  12 days trekking. Moderate. Camping or Lodge Stay Trek. Min/Max: 828m-3,585m.
  This short trek into Helambu takes you through the heart of the Yalmu culture, camping or staying in lodges along the way. The Yolmu people are Sherpa-linked in their appearance, customary hospitality, and devotion to Tibetan Buddhism, but have their own language and customs. Hidden among the oak, rhododendron and fir forests, and these steep river valleys, are a number of sacred cave dwellings and meditation sites of historic lamas. The mountain scenery provides a stunning back-drop for a transcendental experience. Moderate elevations and easy access from Kathmandu make this an ideal winter time.
  
  
• Langtang Valley Trek
  10 days trekking. Moderate. Camping or Lodge Stay Trek. Min/Max: 1,950m-3,750m.
  20 days trekking. Challenging. Camping or Lodge Stay Trek. Min/Max: 1,950m-4,600m.
  The Langtang Valley is home to Nepal’s re panda, Himalayan tahr, and lovely mixed conifer and rhododendron forests. Native yak wool dress, ropes, blankets, and locally made cheese are testimony to the yak’s importance among these Tamang and Bhotia herders. The trek follows the rushing Langtang Khola up into a glacially carved valley lined with snowy peaks. From Kyangjin monastery, (3, 5750m/12,303ft, you can explore nearby glaciers and valleys on day hikes. Those with climbing expertise might attempt Ganfa La Chuli (5,844m/19,137ft) or another Trekking Peak (see Treks Plus Peaks below). The 10 day trek returns the same way; the 20 day trek follows the Gosainkund Pilgrimage trek route, described above. Another option, for those with basic mountaineering skills, is to enter Helambu via Ganja La (5,120m/16,800ft) from the upper Langtang Valley.
  
  
• Tilman’s col
  24 days trekking. Challenging. Camping Trek. Min/Max: 1,950m-approx. 5,500m.
  H. W. Tilman, and mountaineer, was the first Westerner to explore the Langtang Valley in 1949. His chosen exit route is not for the average trekker today: from the upper Langtang Valley it continues east onto the Langshisa Glacier and scales a notch in the rugged Jugal Himal. The successful give thanks at Panch Pokhari (see below), and continue south along a north-south ridge with views back toward the Himalaya. This trek reaches remote corners of Nepal where few other foreigners roam.
• Five Lakes/Panch Pokhari
  14 days trekking. Moderately Challenging. Camping Trek. 825m-3,700m.
  The trek takes you to five alpine lakes tucked beneath the jagged Jugal Himal in the eastern portion of Langtang National Park. A circular route begins in Chautara and slowly climbs through scattered villages ringed by corn, millet and wheat terraced fields. The trail mounts a long ridge to Panch Pokhara, affording expansive views of the Jugal Himal. Few trekkers reach this sacred lake site, where local people perform annual rituals and take blessing from the holy waters. Ambitious hikers might spend a day exploring the high slopes above the lakes, within a stone’s throw of the Tibet border. The exit route crosses the Indrawati Khola valley and visits Helambu to the west.
  
  
• Kathmandu Rim
  5 days trekking. Gentle. Camping Trek. Min/ Max: 1,400m-2,700m.
  A relatively gentle trek for the first timer or for those with limited time skirts the hilltops surrounding the Kathmandu Valley. The trail climbs quickly to Shivapuri (2,732m/8,963ft), the first night’s halt, from where a spectacular Himalayan panorama unveils. The trail follows the ridgeline east through oak and rhododendron forests where wild boar, deer and pheasant roam. From Nagarkot, the last night’s camp, the trail descends into Kathmandu, visiting Changu Narahyan, one of the valley’s oldest and loveliest temples and the architectural wonders of Bhaktapur.