What can i expect from this adventure?

The Gosainkund Trek is a lovely short trek, among the most spectacular sights near the city of Kathmandu. This area is quieter than the most popular routes in the Annapurna and Everest region. Yet, it offers you the real Nepali Himalayan mountain experience.

This trek lets you experience it all: hillside terraces, pine forests, deep gorges, authentic villages, peaceful valleys and, breathtaking glaciers originating from the high mountains surrounding you. And, finally, the sacred Gosainkund Lake (4,380 m / 14,620 ft), also spelled as Gosainkunda or Gosaikunda.

What is so special about Gosainkund Lake?

The main highlight along this trekking route is – of course – the stunning Gosainkund Lake. It is an alpine freshwater lake, high up in the mountains. When you trek to the lake between October to June, the lake will probably be frozen.

This particular lake is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, as they believe that Shiva created the lake by piercing a glacier with his trident. He wanted water to quench his thirst after consuming poison, gathered from the churning of the oceans.

Now the lake is a famous pilgrimage site, so you may see Hindu followers who visit the lake for ritual bathe and dip in the icy water. And, it is said that drinking of its holy water relinquishes the sins of a hundred lifetimes.

How many days is the Gosainkund Trek?

The trek to the holy Gosainkund Lake and back is 8 days. However, you can customize this itinerary with us.

In a nutshell: what is trekking to Gosainkund like?

The trek to Gosainkund Lake is an exciting adventure. You’ll walk through lush forests, meet friendly locals, and discover the beauty of the Himalayas. The stunning turquoise lake of Gosainkund is surrounded by majestic mountains. The air is fresh, and the scent of wildflowers tickles your senses as you enjoy the peaceful view. Talking with the local folks adds a cool twist.

The best part? You’re away from daily life, enjoy typical Nepali dishes, explore new places on foot every day and just take in the natural surroundings.

Can I customize the Gosainkund Lake Trek?

Yes! Actually, we encourage you to do so. Because that makes this trek unique and truly YOURS! Obviously, you don’t need to figure it all out by yourself. We are here for you. Do you want to speed up and make it more challenging? Or, take it easy and slow? Just contact us, and let us know what you’d like to do.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

– Govinda & Lilly

Which Places Will I visit?

What does the itinerary look like?

Welcome to Nepal! We will pick you up at the international airport in Kathmandu, and bring you to your hotel in the travelers area of Thamel.

airport transfer – hotel

After a good night of sleep and hopefully beating the jetlag, we will meet again for a pre-trip meeting. You will be introduced to your mountain guide and we will discuss the itinerary. If you have any questions or requests, please let us know.

What’s next? You can use this day to adjust to the different timezone, altitude and climate. Also, you can prepare yourself for your trek and do some last shoppings at one of the many outdoor gear shops around your hotel.

breakfast – hotel

From Kathmandu, we set off to Dhunche, the starting point of your trek. Dhunche is north of the Kathmandu Valley in Langtang National Park. This is also the capital of the Rasuwa district. It takes us a 6 to 7 hours drive to reach the place.

breakfast – private vehicle – dinner – mountain lodge

In the morning, we cross the river Trisuli Khola and climb steeply through a beautiful forest of blue pine. This day is excellent for seeing wildlife. For instance, troops of langur monkeys and red pandas make this forest their home.

If the weather is clear, the Langtang Valley as well as snowy peaks of Tibet become visible as we approach Thulo Syabru.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today, our route goes steeply up through forests of rhododendron, pine and banyan trees. These forests are the habitat of many different species of birds and wild animals.

After reaching Sing Gompa, we can visit the Newari-style monastery if it’s open and the nearby yak cheese factory.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

From Sing Gompa, our route climbs steeply up a ridge. This ridge marks a transition zone between rich, moist mountain forests on the northern slopes, and the dry scrub vegetation on the slopes that face south.

Later on, we begin to see the waterfalls from the first of the lakes, Saraswati Kund. The trail climbs gently but continuously to a spur marked by prayer flags and two rock carvings of Ganesh. Shortly after, the second lake in the chain appears, Bhairav Kund. Then it is only a further 35 minutes untill we reach the third and largest lake Gosainkunda.

At Gosainkunda are half a dozen lodges, a Shiva shrine and a helipad. And on the northwestern side of the lake are numerous small stone shelters for pilgrims.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

The trail traverses the northern side of Gosainkunda Lake and climbs on a rocky trail marked with cairns towards the pass. Passing three more small lakes, the trail finally reaches Laurebina La pass (4,610 m / 15,124 ft). From the pass, you can have some fine views over the surrounding hills and the large Surya Kund (Sun Lake).

The trail descends alongside a stream through alpine country to High Camp. Then, the trail goes along a rough, knee-busting route that descends for an hour down the middle of the valley to Phedi. From here, the route drops down to a stream then climbs through scrub bamboo to a crest (3,750 m / 12,303 ft). Then, the trail descends further through forests, climbing in and out ravines below the towering cliffs of Thare Danda. On one of these ridges are some prayer flags. Just beyond these is Gopte, the village where we have dinner and spend the night.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Descending from the ridge at Gopte, the trail makes numerous ups and downs. We trek across ravines and the boulders of old moraines, and make a final ascent to Tharepati (3,640 m / 11,940 ft). This is a stunning place, as it ‘hovers’ beneath a jaw-dropping curtain of Himalayan peaks.

Then, the trail goes steeply down through a dense pine forest till we reach the small village of Magin Goth (3,285 m / 10,775 ft). From here, we have an ongoing descend. The trail ducks in and out fir and rhododendrons forests, passes isolated farms till we reach a big white chorten towards a ridge. And by passing this chorten, we reach Khutumsang.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

We start off by climbing the ridge and continue over a small pass (2,580 m). We descend on the other side and pass the Tamang village of Golphu Bhanjyang. We pass a white chorten and leave the village behind us and ascend again.

The trail leads us further south, via the Tamang village of Thotong (2,260 m / 7,415 ft), Lapchu Danda (2,420 m / 7,940 ft) and Chipling (2,170 m / 7,120 ft). Then we pass the Brahmin and Chhetri village of Pati Bhanjyang (1,770 m / 5,805 ft). And as we get near Chisopani, we get a rewarding view of the mountains.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today is the last day of our trek. We trek uphill through peaceful forests of brown oak and rhododendron, till we reach the pass at Borlang Bhanjyang (2,440 m / 8,005 ft). We descend on the other side through a rhododendron forest. If the sky is clear, we can see the Kathmandu Valley from here. And maybe even flights taking off and landing at Tribhuvan Airport.

We pass the Tamang village of Mulkharka (1,800 m / 5,900 ft) and follow the trail downhill till we reach the entry checkpost for the Shivapuri National Park.

The final part is a steep walk downhill to Sundarijal. Here, our driver will be waiting for us and bring us back to Kathmandu.

breakfast & lunch – private vehicle – hotel

If it’s the final day of your holiday in Nepal, we will bring you back to the international airport. Goodbye friends! We hope that we will meet each other again in the future.

breakfast – airport transfer

What is Included?

Airport transfer
All required trekking permits
Experienced mountain guide
Private vehicle (Pokhara > Dhunche)
Private vehicle (Sundarijal > Kathmandu)
Hotel in Kathmandu (w/ breakfast) – 3 nights
Mountain lodge during your trek - 7 nights
Breakfast, lunch and dinner during your trek
Salary, accommodations, meals, gear and insurance for all trekking staff
VAT and tourist service charges

What is not Included?

International airfare to and from Nepal
Nepal tourist visa
Alcohol, hot and cold drinks
Travel health insurance (that covers rescue & evacuation above 4,000 m)
All other expenses that are not mentioned below 'what's included'

Tell me more about this region

By Mountain People - Langtang en Helambu region Nepal
Langtang & Helambu

Gosainkund Trek

895 euro

Destination: Langtang & Helambu
Duration: 11 days
Altitude: 4.000m >
Difficulty: 3/5

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Why travel with BMP?

Great adventures

Together, we set a goal and we'll do everything we can to make it happen!

100% customized

Govinda & Lilly tailor these sample trips to your preferences and budget.

Return safely

With memories that last a lifetime!

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Travellers reviews

Our guests give us 5-star ratings on Tripadvisor.

Jess M
Jess M
07/03/2024
Keep your head in the clouds but your feet on the trail. The hard miles brought big smiles on this trip with By Mountain People. They were flexible, positive, and really just a joy to be with. Made for a fun and easy trip. I continue to recommend By Mountain People to both friends and family if they have a thought of doing a trek in Nepal. Many Thank You Guys!
Sean G
Sean G
18/02/2024
Great people for a great adventure! I can't say enough about how well everything was orchestrated. Our guide and porter were wonderful and very friendly. Nepal is a beautiful country with very friendly people. It's been a few months now and I still think of the trekking almost daily. If I ever have another opportunity to hike in Nepal, I would be blessed! Thank you Govinda!
Anouk K
Anouk K
10/12/2023
Jiri - Everest Base Camp My friend and I booked a 20+ day trek with Lily & Govinda from mid-nov to begin-dec. We loved their personal approach in arranging the trip, from preparations and choosing which trek to go for, to regular check-ins during and a great feedback/debrief session afterwards! We started from Jiri instead of the popular way of flying to Lukla. That was a great experience and an absolute recommend to start lower if you have time!
eliza b
eliza b
19/11/2023
Magnificent slow trek and bird watching to Khopra Danda! Magnificent trek!! In October 2023 the two of us did this beautiful trek organized by BMP. It all started 6 months earlier, when I was looking for a company that would put people first in organizing treks in Nepal. What a nice coincidence when I learned that Govinda, a former language student of mine, happened to be the owner of By Mountain People, an organization that had customized and small scale treks as its core business! We had very nice and informative preparative talks about our wishes. Being almost 70 years of age, we wanted to have sufficient possibilities to adapt our journey on the way, in case the altitude would cause problems. Also we wanted to visit places off the beaten track and see something of village life on the way. Govinda suggested the Khopra Danda trek with some extra days so we could shorten the daily walking distance. This was a very good advice and he organized it very well! We met Govinda again in Kathmandu before we started out. He introduced us to our guide Pratap Gurung. Pratap was really a very excellent guide!! His knowledge of the natural surroundings and especially of the birds were truly amazing!! He was very attentive to our wellbeing and patiently answered our many questions. He taught us so much about the different species and habitats of all the birds he would point out to us. His experience made that we always felt safe and well looked after. Also we learnt that Govinda stayed regularly in contact to ensure that everything went well. Following our 2 weeks of trekking, BMP also organized an extra 4 days visit to Chitwan National Park. Here we stayed in the nice Safari Club hotel. Her also we were very happy with our guide Yadav Duwadi He is a nice and calm guide with a lot of knowledge and very attentive. We absolutely recommend this “slow trekking” by BMP! Specially for senior travellers such as us, but also for everybody who wants to fully enjoy the beauty of the Himalayas. A guide such as Pratap Gurung was perfectly suited for this type of trekking. Thank you BMP!! Thijl and Linda
Gira_sv
Gira_sv
12/09/2023
Tilicho Lake and Annapurna Circuit I went on a 19-day trek on the Annapurna Circuit. I had great communication with Lily and Govinda before arriving in Nepal and throughout my trip. They shared with me all the information that I needed. Ganesh, and a porter, Nima. Both of them were incredibly kind. They literally held my hand through the toughest parts of the trek and we also had lots of fun playing cards, sharing anecdotes and trying to learn each other’s languages. The Annapurna circuit itself is incredibly beautiful and diverse. Since I arrived at the end if the monsoon season there were still some rains and landslides which made the days at lower altitudes a little tricky but once we started to ascend the weather changed and we had wonderful views of the mountains on this range and visited several Tibetan towns and Gompas. Overall, I had a great experience with them I would take a trip again with them in a heartbeat. Thanks, Ganesh, Nima, Lily, and Govinda!
Explore58284020073
Explore58284020073
30/07/2023
Small but super professional trekking company! Wish we could go back already! Govinda and Lilly just went above and beyond for my friend and I!! Shortly before arriving in Nepal, I started experiencing knee pain. I got so worried about the trek, but they changed our itinerary without any fuss whatsoever. They got us the most caring and knowledgeable trekking guide Ganesh. And they checked in with me frequently during the trek, to check if I was doing ok and enjoying. After the trek they even organized a very nice jungle safari to Chitwan NP for us. Their great tips and flexible attitude before and during our trip made it a HUGE succes!! Govinda and Lily thank you so much for your patience and helpful advice. I will be back for sure!
Jonatan D
Jonatan D
27/02/2020
Otrolig resa i Nepal Vi hade en jättebra resa i Nepal! Govinda på By Mountain People var superhjälpsam med att tillgodese våra önskemål och att skräddarsy en resplan som passade oss perfekt. Han såg till att vi fick med alla våra önskemål. Vi hann med vandring i de fantastiska bergen samt en otrolig dag med fågelsådning strax utanför Kathmandu. Jag kan verkligen rekommendera By Mountain People om du vill ha en unik upplevelse!
Gabriel G
Gabriel G
22/02/2020
Father and son Nepal trek By mountain people organised an incredible trip through Gokyo Lake and EBC. Everything ran smoothly, they took care of all the little details and genuinely care about you and your experience throughout. Handled everything with a smile and extreme professionalism - can not recommend them enough! Our amazing guide Ganesh is the reason we can look back on the trek successfully, he helped us at every step and is an all round great guy - be sure to ask for Ganesh he will make your trip unforgettable I cannot wait to book again:)
Luca S
Luca S
06/01/2020
Annapurna Circuit Wir waren im März 2019 in Nepal mit dem Ziel den Annapurna Circuit Trek zu durchlaufen. Zum Glück erhielten wir den Kontakt zu der Organisation bymountainpeople mit Gopal und Govinda. Mit der Hilfe von Gopal und später unserem Guide Raj wurden wir super vorbereitet, ausgestattet und hatten schließlich sehr schöne 14 Tage rund um Annapurna und co. Der Trek, mit dem Thorong la Pass auf 5400m als Highlight, ist ein Abenteuer das man so schnell nicht mehr vergisst. Jeder Schritt lohnt sich ! Wir würden jederzeit wieder bei bymountainpeople buchen! Schon in der Vorbereitung gingen beide auf alle unserer (1000...) Fragen und Wünsche ein und so wurden wir super vorbereitet. Mit den richtigen Tipps , toller Ausstattung und unglaublich freundlicher Betreuung konnten wir unsere Tour starten. Unser Guide Raj verstand es perfekt auf uns einzugehen und uns die Menschen und die Natur näherzubringen. Mit seiner Hilfe schafften wir es überglücklich den 5400m hohen Thorong la Pass zu überwinden. Es waren 16 grandiose Tage, Ein Abenteuer das man so schnell nicht mehr vergisst. Jeder Schritt lohnt sich ! Wir würden jederzeit wieder bei bymountainpeople buchen!
Lars D
Lars D
19/12/2019
By Mountain People made hour 16 day Himalaya trekking (Gokyo-EBC) feel comfortable! After booking a flight to Nepal my girlfriend and I decided that we wanted to book our own domestic flight aswell and search for a porterguide after arriving at Lukla airport. Then when we started looking on the internet and we found out that is was not so simple to do this online. Thru Instagram we met Govinda and met him in a couple of times in the Netherlands. We talked about all this and he than took care of this. When we arrived at Lukla airport in the Himalaya, Ganesh was waiting for us with a sign, he was our porterguide for the 16 day trekking (Gokyo and EBC). Ganesh would always made shure we had a place to sleep and with toilets inside the building. He is an amazing guy, always happy and knows so much to tell about the trekking (hours, hight, peaks etc.) He even teached us a couple of Nepali games! Ganesh felt like a brother and a good friend to us and that will never change. All of this effort by the team, made us feel so comfortable and relaxed doing this very exiting trekking. We will back in Nepal for some more trekking with By Mountain People. Because of the personal touch by Govinda we will remain friends and keep seeing each other in the Netherlands.

By Mountain People on Tripadvisor

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