Trek Highlights
- 5-day private trek to the Gosaikunda sacred lake (4,380m), one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage lakes in Nepal.
- The route starts at Dhunche and walks up through Sing Gompa and Cholangpati to reach the lakes via the Lauribina viewpoint (3,920m).
- Janai Purnima full-moon festival (July or August) draws thousands of pilgrims for ritual bathing. Outside the festival the area is quiet and the lake is frozen for most of the year.
- Private guide and porter ratio that does not change based on group size. No shared-group surcharge gimmicks.
- 10% deposit to lock dates, balance paid in person in Kathmandu.
- Every booking helps fund our Nagarjun Learning Center work at Saldum, where 70 children are taught by one dedicated teacher.
Why I built this trek the way I did
I am Shreejan, the founder of The Everest Holiday. The 5-day Gosaikunda trek is the short version of the route, focused on reaching the sacred lake and walking back the same way. The lake at 4,380m is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage destinations in Nepal, mentioned in the Skanda Purana as the place where Lord Shiva created a lake to cool his throat after drinking the poison Halahala.
The 5-day shape is built around the altitude gain. Day 1 is the drive from Kathmandu to Dhunche (1,960m). On day 2 you walk up to Chandanbari, also called Sing Gompa (3,330m). On day 3 you climb past Cholangpati and the Lauribina viewpoint (3,920m) to the Gosaikunda lakes at 4,380m. Day 4 is the long walk back down to Dhunche, and day 5 is the drive back to Kathmandu. There is no rest day in the 5-day plan. If you want a slower climb, ask us about adding a night at Lauribina before you book.
The Janai Purnima full-moon festival (July or August depending on the lunar calendar) is the busiest time on this route, with thousands of Hindu pilgrims hiking up for the ritual bathing. Outside the festival the trail is quiet and you may not see another group all day. The lake itself is frozen for most of the year because of its altitude.
We run this as a private trek only. Your pace, your rest days, your conversations at dinner.
Every booking on this trip helps us pay the teacher’s salary at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum, where 70 children get free education. The salary is currently funded out of my own pocket. Your trek is what makes that sustainable.
The lake is still. Perfectly, impossibly still. At 4,380 metres, the surface of Gosaikunda reflects the surrounding ridgelines like polished glass, and the only sound is the wind threading through prayer flags strung across the boulders. Hindu pilgrims believe Lord Shiva thrust his trident into this mountainside to release water, and standing here at dawn, with frost on the rocks and mist lifting off 108 alpine lakes, you understand why the legend endures.
The Gosaikunda Trek begins with a drive from Kathmandu to Dhunche (1,960m), the gateway town of Langtang National Park. From there, you climb through dense rhododendron and oak forest to Sing Gompa (3,330m), where a small Buddhist nunnery sits at the edge of a ridge with views across to the Ganesh Himal range. The final push takes you above the treeline into a stark, boulder-strewn alpine landscape where the sacred lakes appear one by one.
What Makes This Trek Special
For many Nepalis this walk is a pilgrimage.
Most trekkers choose Nepal for mountains. Gosaikunda gives you mountains and something deeper. You walk the same trail that Hindu sadhus and Tibetan Buddhist monks have walked for centuries, past mani stones and prayer wheels, through forests where langur monkeys crash through branches overhead, and into a high-altitude basin where the air is thin and the silence is total. The lakes themselves are not just scenery. To millions of Nepalis, they are sacred. And when you sit at the edge of Gosaikunda at sunrise, watching the first light hit the water while prayer flags snap in the wind, you feel why.
The speed of this trek is both its appeal and its challenge. You gain over 2,400 metres of elevation in two trekking days. Our guides monitor your breathing, hydration, and pace closely. We build the itinerary with a stop at Sing Gompa specifically to break the ascent, and your guide carries a pulse oximeter to check oxygen levels each morning. If you have trekked before and want altitude without committing to a two-week expedition, Gosaikunda is the answer.
Arrive by 4:00 PM on Day One
Please arrive in Kathmandu by 4:00 PM on Day 1 so our team can complete the welcome briefing, confirm your gear, and ensure a smooth early-morning departure for Dhunche the next day. If your flight lands later, please let us know in advance and we will adjust accordingly.
Online Trip Briefing
Before your trek, we arrange a video call to walk through the full itinerary, answer your questions about gear, fitness, and weather, and confirm all logistics. This is included at no extra charge for all tiers.
Note to Hikers
Every trek with The Everest Holiday is a personal trek arranged for your group, whether that is one person or twenty. We never add strangers to your group. Your guide, your pace, your experience.
Kathmandu Accommodation
Accommodation in Kathmandu is not included in the trek package but can be arranged on request. We recommend hotels in Thamel for easy access to restaurants, gear shops, and our office.
5-Day Gosaikunda Trek Overview
Gosaikunda is a cluster of 108 freshwater lakes sitting between 4,100m and 4,600m in the Rasuwa District of Langtang National Park. Three lakes hold religious significance: Saraswati Kunda, Bhairav Kunda, and Gosaikunda itself, which is the largest and most sacred. Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims have trekked here for centuries, and during Janai Purnima (the full moon festival in August), thousands gather at the lakeshore for ritual bathing despite near-freezing water temperatures.
This is one of the shortest high-altitude treks in Nepal. In just five days, you drive from Kathmandu, climb to 4,380m, spend time at the lakes, and return. The altitude gain is rapid — you move from 1,960m to 4,380m in roughly two trekking days — which makes proper acclimatisation critical despite the short duration. This is not a gentle warm-up trek. It demands respect.
What sets Gosaikunda apart from every other short trek in Nepal is the combination of spiritual weight and raw alpine scenery. There are no teahouse crowds here, no souvenir stalls, no queue for a photograph. The lakes sit in a glacial basin surrounded by rocky ridges, and on clear days, the panorama stretches from Langtang Lirung (7,227m) in the east to Manaslu (8,163m) and the Ganesh Himal range in the west.
For trekkers with extra time and fitness, an optional extension crosses the Laurebina La Pass (4,610m) and descends to Helambu, connecting the sacred lakes to the warm Hyolmo villages of the Kathmandu Valley's northern rim. But even without the pass crossing, the five-day route delivers altitude, spirituality, and wilderness in a remarkably compact itinerary.
Highlights
- Stand at the shores of Gosaikunda Lake (4,380m), one of Nepal's holiest pilgrimage sites, where Lord Shiva's legend lives in every rock formation
- Trek through dense rhododendron and oak forest that erupts in crimson and white blooms during spring (March-May)
- Visit the Buddhist nunnery at Sing Gompa (3,330m) and taste fresh yak cheese from the small local dairy
- See panoramic views of Langtang Lirung, Ganesh Himal, and Manaslu from the ridgeline above the treeline
- Experience one of Nepal's shortest high-altitude treks — reach 4,380m in just five days from Kathmandu
- Walk through a landscape of 108 glacial lakes scattered across a boulder-strewn alpine basin
- No flights needed: drive from Kathmandu to Dhunche in 7-8 hours, saving money and avoiding weather delays
Gosaikunda Trek at a glance
| Duration | 5 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Gosainkunda lakes, 4,380 m |
| Region | Langtang National Park |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Permits | Langtang National Park and TIMS card |
| Best months | October to November and March to May |
Best time to trek Gosaikunda Trek
| Season | Months | What it is like | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn | October to November | Clearest and most reliable; the main season | Best overall |
| Spring | March to April | Warm lower down, rhododendron in the forest, the lakes still part-frozen early on | Great, second season |
| Winter | December to February | Cold and clear, snow around the lakes, some lodges shut | Cold but often clear |
| Monsoon | June to mid-September | Rain, leeches and cloud on the view | Avoid |
Permits
Langtang is not a restricted area, so there is no special permit. You need the two below, and we arrange both and include them in your trek price.
| Permit | Foreigner | SAARC |
|---|---|---|
| Langtang National Park entry | NPR 3,000 | NPR 1,500 |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 | NPR 1,000 |
Trekking as a group?
Bring your own group — friends, family, a club, a university society, your workplace, or a cause you are raising money for — and any of the three comfort levels can run as a private group on your own dates. Private or group, the price per person is the same; we never put strangers in your group. The more of you there are, the less each person pays:
| Group size | Budget (per person) | Standard (per person) | Luxury (per person) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | US$555 | US$790 | US$1,730 |
| 2-4 people | US$345 | US$700 | US$1,185 |
| 5-8 people | US$235 | US$590 | US$965 |
| 9-12 people | US$225 | US$570 | US$910 |
| 13-20 people | US$205 | US$565 | US$855 |
The organiser travels free. Get fourteen or more paying people together and whoever organised the group joins the trip free. The one thing the organiser still pays is their own flights and permits, since those are fixed costs we pay out for every person and cannot absorb, and we cover the rest. Your departure is guaranteed on your own dates — from a solo traveller up to a group of twenty, and we never merge you into another trip.
Planning a group? Message me on WhatsApp with the trip, roughly when, and how many of you, and I will send you a price and a plan.
Compare Our Three Packages
| Feature | Budget | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | USD 345 | USD 700 | USD 1,185 |
| Transport to Dhunche | Local vehicle / shared jeep | Shared tourist vehicle | Luxury private vehicle |
| Trek Meals | Not included (buy at teahouses) | 3 meals daily with fruits | 3 meals daily with fruits, dry fruits, nuts, tea, coffee and soft drinks carried by your porter |
| Accommodation | Shared teahouse rooms | Private twin rooms (attached bath where available) | Best available rooms (wifi, hot showers and charging paid by you) |
| Porter | Not included | 1 porter per 2 trekkers (10 kg each) | 1 porter per trekker (carry nothing yourself) |
| Guide | 1 Nepal government well-trained guide, assistant at 8+ trekkers | 1 senior guide per 6, assistant at 7+ | 1 senior guide per 2 trekkers, plus an assistant guide for every 2 more |
| SIM Card | SIM card (no data) | SIM with limited data | SIM with unlimited data |
| Sleeping Bag & Jacket | Loan included (safety requirement) | Loan included + duffel bag | Loan included + duffel bag |
| Water | Not included | 2L hot water daily + tea/coffee at meals | Tea, coffee and soft drinks carried by your porter |
| Farewell Dinner | Included | Included | Included |
Why Trekkers Trust Us
- Over 300 reviews on TripAdvisor, Google and Trustpilot
- TAAN member (Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal), registered and licensed
- Three generations of Himalayan experience across three generations
- WhatsApp directly to the CEO, not a sales desk
- MATKA 2026: one of only 9 companies chosen by Nepal Tourism Board to represent Nepal in Helsinki
- No strangers in your group: every trek is private, arranged for your party only
Difficulty: Moderate
The Gosaikunda Trek reaches a maximum altitude of 4,380m with an optional extension to Laurebina La Pass at 4,610m. The altitude gain is rapid: you climb from 1,960m to 4,380m in approximately two trekking days. Daily walking time is 5-7 hours on forested trails that transition to rocky alpine terrain above the treeline. No technical climbing or ropes required, but the quick altitude gain demands respect. Prior trekking or hiking experience at altitude is recommended. We advise 4-6 weeks of cardio preparation, focusing on uphill walking and stair climbing. Learn more about altitude sickness prevention.
Five days, one school week
Gosaikunda is one of our shortest treks but it climbs above 4,000 metres and crosses sacred lake territory. Every booking sends a fixed share to the Nagarjun Learning Center, the village school in Saldum that my family runs. Around seventy children attend on free places and eat two hot meals there each day. The centre is verified and listed on the UN Partner Portal. A five-day trek covers about a week of school fees for one of those kids.
Secure payment by Himalayan Bank.
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