Moderate
4380m
9 Days
You can download our complete tour details and guide for GOSAIKUNDA TREK. Also, you can schedule a callback from UFO Adventure Travel.
The trek is not a technically difficult undertaking. However, the high altitudes involved during the trek (between 3500 and 440 meters) and the cold of Himalayas, the temperature will go below freezing after sunset. You will be advised by the UFO guide to rest and keep your body hydrated as much as possible on the first day of arrival. Your oxygen levels will be monitored from time to time to check on the level of acclimatization. There is a fair walking to be done every day, and we would encourage you to do a bit of walking/running and breathing exercises. A good level of fitness will be required to enjoy this trek.
Trek to the sacred high altitude lake of Gosaikunda
Experience the Himalayan landscape in all its glory
Part of the Langtang circuit trek.
Land at Kathmandu Airport where UFO guide will take you to the group
hotel. We would advise you to rest a bit
and then get ready for a group meeting at the hotel. Evening is at leisure.
You head north out of Kathmandu driving through scenic foothills and ridgeline vistas to Dhunche. The first part of your drive upto Trishuli Bazaar is quite smooth. The path then moves along the gravel road. During the rainy season, the way is sometime blocked due to landslides. However, we should probably not face any problem during December. Our drive from Kathmandu to the destination will be made in comfortable 4x4 SUVs.
The first part of the
trails ascends gradually through mineral water factory up to Ghatte Khola
(stream). Crossing a suspension bridge over this stream, you begin to trek
steep up until you reach Sing Gompa through pine, silver oak and rhododendron
forests with marijuana plants. There is an old cheese factory at Sing Gompa
After our morning tea and breakfast, with fine mountains views, we head for a
beautiful walk through oak trees and breathtaking scenery to our next campsite,
Lauribinayak. We can catch a glimpse of some high peaks like Langtang Lirung (7727mtrs), Ganesh Himal Range, Paldor Peak (5903mtrs),
Dhoreje Lakpa (6966mtrs) Manaslu (8163mtrs)
and Annapurna range in the distance plus panoramic views of whole area in the
early morning.
We steadily
climb up from Lauribinayak and make our way to the holy lake of Gosaikunda. The
trek undoubtedly gives an exotic feeling. You follow a rugged terrain trail
littered with the dramatic views of the Manaslu Himalayan Range, Ganesh Himal
and the Langtang Himal. On a clear day, even the Annapurna Mountain Range is
visible to the North. The first view of the holy lake of Gosaikunda with the
turquoise waters gleaming, takes your breath away. There are around a dozen
lakes in the Gosaikunda region. Others being the Saraswatikunda and Bhairab
Kunda. According to the Hindu legend, lord Shiva created Gosaikunda lake when
he pierced the glacier with his trident to obtain water to quench his thirst
after he swallowed a poison that threatened to destroy the whole world. We will
spend the night on the banks of the lake.
After a filing breakfast, we head back down to Sing Gompa. A leisurely
walk downhill through some classic Himalayan scenery
The first part of the trails descend
through pine, silver oak and rhododendrons forests. We cross back on the suspension bridge over
the Sing Gompa Stream inching our way back to city life.. Now the path
stretches at flat level through some human settlements and mineral water
factories up to Dhunche. It is a small town and headquarters of Rasuwa district.
We rendezvous
with our transport and head back to Kathmandu and check into our hotel. Evening
is at leisure to explore the city.
After breakfast, there is a single departure to the Kathmandu Airport.
I wanted to introduce my 9 year old girl to trekking & camping and make it like a yearly family ritual. UFO team made this experience for us so memorable. UFO team was very particular about small things & coordinated everything so well. It was a short 2 days trip to Benog Tibba in Uttarakhand where we trekked through quaint villages and beautiful trails and saw some amazing views.
UFO are great partners when seeking adventure. I did an expedition to Mentok Kangri (6210M) & Kang Yatse II (6250m) in Ladakh, day hike to the double living root bridge in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya and camping in Hemis national park in Ladakh. UFO are very hospitable in accommodating their guests specially at high altitudes.
UFO is certainly the organizer to go for treks with if you want personalized and customized service. We did the Goecha La trek in Sikkim with UFO. The guides, food and equipment was spot on and the trek leader had specialist knowledge of the area. The days were planned way better than other groups we spoke with. Despite the high-end service, UFO prices are extremely competitive. Just go for it!
Our representative will get back to you within next 4 working hours and solve all your queries about Goecha la trek
HOW DIFFICULT IS THE GOSAIKUNDA TREK?
If it were not for the altitude, the Gosaikunda trek would be considered fairly easy. However, when you take the altitude into consideration, the trek becomes moderate. On average you will be trekking 5 or 6 hours per day and you will need a good level of fitness. Some basic training and fitness will help you enjoy the trek immensely. It is a perfect introduction to trekking in the Himalayas in Nepal.
WHAT IS THE SCENERY LIKE ON THE GOSAIKUNDA TREK?
Rivers, valleys, forests, suspension bridges, monasteries, Nepalese villages and, of course, the stunning alpine lakes make up most of the beautiful scenery on this trek.
DO I NEED TO BOOK IN ADVANCE?
The trek is pretty popular so we always recommend booking at least 2 months in advance. We run with a small team of very experienced guides and with short trekking seasons we get booked up quite early.
WHAT KIT WILL I NEED FOR THE TREK?
The key challenge on this trek is the big variations in temperature you will increase both between day and night and as you increase altitude from Dhunche up to Gosaikunda. The best solution to this is lots of different layers of clothing that you can adjust to keep your temperature just right. And of course a really good sleeping bag.
HOW MANY DAYS DO I NEED FOR THE TREK?
We have found that our 7 day itinerary has a great success rate and a very low risk of altitude sickness. If you want to extend and include the whole Langtang Valley circuit, that will take about 14 days.
WHAT TRAVEL INSURANCE DO I NEED?
You will need a specialist high altitude trekking insurance that covers you up to an altitude of 5000m and that specifically covers you for helicopter evacuation. The profile of the trek means that it is not easy to descend quickly by foot and helicopter evacuation is sometimes essential.
WILL I NEED ANY VACCINATIONS FOR THIS TREK?
Any visitor to Nepal should have all their vaccinations checked as the list of what is recommended is lengthy and includes hepatitis A and B. You must check your vaccination record with your doctor
WHAT IS THE ACCOMMODATION LIKE ON THE TREK?
Our trek is based in lodges, which are often called tea houses. We have tried camping treks but find that staying in lodges is a more comfortable and enjoyable experience. The standard of accommodation and the facilities available vary a lot but generally decrease as you go higher up the mountain.
WHAT WILL THE FOOD BE LIKE ON THE TREK?
Before the food in the lodges were relatively limited and the "Lodge" fixed menu was a good option. Since then, as the lodges have improved in quality so have the choice of foods with most lodges now offering an extensive menu. In order to allow clients to choose exactly what they wanted we now operate all our treks on a lodge only basis. You will need to budget for between $25-30 each day for all meals.
WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?
Our crew are some of the very best paid in Nepal and tips are not a substitute for wages. Tipping is though part of the culture in Nepal and we recommend $15 per day per guide and $8 per day per porter. These amounts are for the group as a whole and not per person.