The place itself, Helambu, is a region of highland villages about 80 km from Kathmandu. Helambu Trek is short, easy, and known as a trekker’s paradise. The trek sets off from Sundarijal, itself a beautiful spot in the North-East corner of Kathmandu valley. You will be exultant right from the beginning.
The trail begins at the west of Sundarijal at the end of an auto road. Thereupon, the trail ascends through an oak forest, and into Shivapuri watershed and wildlife research area which will engulf you in its serenity and mellifluous chirps of birds.
The trail further ascends to a pass, Burlang Bhanjyang, which marks the Shivapuri ridges; the ridges are arrestingly verdant. Hereafter, the trail descends through a lush oak forest which will rejuvenate you in its bracing breeze, and soon you will be led to Chisapani, from where you can have a beautiful and beguiling view of silvery snowcapped mountains to the North.
The trail continues down across open farmland to reach Pati Bhanjyang followed by other villages like Chipling, Khutumsang, Tharepati, Malemchigaon, Nakote, and Tarkeghyang. These are the villages predominated by Sherpas, Tamangs, Lamas, and these villages are culturally rich teeming with expansive people.
Their pastoral life and bucolic scenes are virtually an art, blissfully exquisite. The trek holds a wide range of treasures—azure lakes, rolling hills, undulating peaks, awe-inspiring waterfalls and many more, in fact, an opulent package of wonder!
What is more, since the trek includes the Langtang National Park, you might catch a glimpse of exotic birds and animals, some rare species. On top of that, the settlements predominantly comprise of the Buddhists, so most of the religious sites will be magnificent monasteries, and Helambu is famous for its sweet apples, and Buddhist monasteries and pilgrim site, a complete trek enchantingly stands out as a unification of nature and super nature that you don’t want to miss.
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu
Day 02: Visit Swoyambunath & Patan
Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Bhaktapur & explore Bhaktapur city
Day 04: Visit Bhaktapur / Changunarayan & drive to Nagarkot
Day 05: Drive back to Kathmandu: visit Boudhanath & Pashupatinath
Day 06: Drive Kathmandu to Sundarijal & trek to Chisopani
Day 07: Trek Chisopani to Kutumsang
Day 08: Trek Kutumsang to Tharipati
Day 09: Trek Tharipati to Tarkeghyang
Day 10: Trek Tarkeghyang to Kakani
Day 11: Trek Kakani to Melamchi & drive to Kathmandu
Day 12: Free Day in Kathmandu
Day 13: Departure
Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu airport and you will be transferred to the Hotel by one of our representatives. Welcome dinner at one of the traditional Nepali restaurants in Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m
Day 02: Visit Patan and Swoyambunath: start our tour visiting a magnificent Buddhist stupa Swoyambhunath followed by a visit of Patan to witness its incredible architecture from medieval period.
Swoyambhunath is one of the oldest stupa of the Kathmandu Valley. It is situated on one of the highest hills in the valley. It watches over the Valley from the top of a hillock on its western side just three kilometers west of the city center. The stupa is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal and its establishment is linked to the creation of the Kathmandu Valley out of a primordial lake. Swayambhu is also known as Samhengu and is recognized as a World Heritage Site. It is also one of the oldest and most glorious Buddhist shrines in the world which is said to be two thousand years old. The four sides of the stupa are painted with the eyes of Lord Buddha.
Patan - the second largest town in the valley is situated to the south of Kathmandu. Patan's great building boom took place under the Mallas in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Numerous temples of widely diverse styles, as well as many Buddhist monasteries, are scattered around the fascinating town. Patan is famous for its crafts and metal works which are wonderful souvenirs.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Bhaktapur: Today we drive to the oldest part of the Kathmandu valley. We stop at old Thimi on our way and observe some traditional farming and old alleys of Thimi village. Then finally we go to visit an ancient city called Bhaktapur. This fascinating city reminds you the true culture and living style of medieval period. The guest house where you spend the night is right at the main square so it gives you great opportunity to observe all the magical parts of this ancient city.
Bhaktapur- Located about 20 km east of Kathmandu in the Valley, Bhaktapur is known as the 'City of Devotees', the 'City of Culture', the 'Living Heritage', and 'Nepal's Cultural Gem'. It is one of the 3 royal cities in the Kathmandu Valley. We visit four different squares in this city: Durbar Square (palace square), Tamaudi Square (public square), Pottery Square and Dattatrey Square.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 04: Drive Bhaktapur – Nagarkot: Today we drive to one of the oldest temples of the valley, Changunarayan before we go to Nagarkot. It is a fascinating place where you can see oldest Manu script found in Nepali history and some magnificent temples. Then, an exciting drive to Nagarkot for an hour on winding road. It is a great place to escape from Kathmandu’s hustle bustle.
Nagarkot – One of the most popular hill station / viewpoints close to Kathmandu valley. Thirty - three different mountain peaks of different mountain ranges including Mt. Shisapangma of Tibet can be seen from Nagarkot.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 05: Drive back to Kathmandu: On our way back from Nagarkot, we trek down to Thali, which takes about 4 hours followed by a short drive to Kathmandu. We visit Pashupatinath and Bouddhanath on our way to the Monastery.
Pashupatinath Temple is one of the holiest pilgrimage destinations for all the Hindus of the world. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the trinity and the guardian (patron) deity of Nepal. This is one of the oldest temples, situated on the banks of the Holy Bagmati River. It is a double–roofed golden temple with four triple silver doorways. Pashupatinath covers an area of 281 hectares, which is one of the biggest temple complexes in Nepal.
Bouddhanath Stupa is located about 6 km east of downtown Kathmandu and it is the largest stupa in the Valley and one of the largest in the world. It presents one of the most fascinating specimens of stupa design with hundreds of prayer wheels and 108 small images of Buddha all around. Just like Swoyambhunath, this stupa has four sides with the watchful eyes of Lord Buddha. All the Buddhists throng to this stupa to take part in the sacred rituals during the Buddhist festivals.
In the Afternoon: We participate in Buddhist puja ceremony at Sheichan Bairoling monastery.
Overnight: Sheichan Bioroling Monastery
Day 06: Drive Kathmandu to Sundarijal and trek to Chisopani (2194m): Sundarijal is the starting point of this trek after one hour of driving from Kathmandu. The trek begins by ascending to Mulkharka (1895m) and continues to Chisopani going through the dense forest of Shivapuri national park.
Overnight: Lodge
Driving Time: 1 hour
Walking Time: 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 860m
Day 07: Trek Chisopani to Kutumsang (2446m): The day starts with gradual downhill that crosses some meadows and fields; through Pathi Bhanjyang and Gul Bhanjyang. Then the trail climbs the ridge from Gul Bhanjyang to another pass at 2620m. It is then downhill to Khutumsang, which sits saddled atop the ridge.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6 - 7 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 252m
Day 08: Trek Kutumsang to Tharipati (3597m): The trek continues towards the northern Himalaya, up the Yurin Danda ridge offering stunning view of the mountain peaks. The trail climbs above Kutumsang on a steep, eroded trail mostly through fir and rhododendron forests. In Tharipati, there is no permanent settlement, only few lodges. This is the highest point of the trek. You can have the breathtaking view of the snow-capped mountains of Dorje Lakpa, Gaurishankar, Langshisa, and many others.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 1151m
Day 09: Trek Tharipati to Tarkeghyang (2740m): From Tharipati the trail gradually descends through the pine and rhododendron forest with great view down into the Helambu valley. Melamchi Gaon is inhabited by Sherpa with their distinctive culture and it is surrounded by beautiful forest. There are some Buddhist monasteries which we can visit. The trail gently descends to the Melamchi Khola and then ascends to Tarkeghyang, a charming Sherpa village with one of the oldest and biggest monasteries.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: -857m
Day 10: Trek Tarkeghyang to Kakani (1996m): It is fairly easy walk for today, walking on a flat surface through a beautiful forest. We cross some small streams along the way. The beautiful Sherpa village of Shermathang is at the distance of a little over half way of our total trek today. After Shermathang, the trail descends for about 2 hours to Kakani.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: -744m
Day 11: Trek Kakani to Melamchi (870m) and drive to Kathmandu (1334m): The trail gradually descends through meadows and cultivated fields all the way to Melamchi Pul Bazaar. It is quite pleasant walking for today with nice mountain views followed by an exciting drive back to Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel
Walking Time: 3 hours
Driving Time: 4 hours
Difference in Elevation: -662m
Day 12: Free Day – You can explore the town on your own or just relax at your hotel.
Overnight: Hotel
Day 13: Transfer to the airport and departure.
Special Note: This Itinerary can be customized according to the duration of your holiday. We have many options for shorter visits based on your interests and budget.
NOTE: The price of the tour will be adjusted according to the group size.
| Srl. |
Description |
Qty. |
Remarks |
|
| 01 | Day back-pack |
1 |
||
| 02 | Gore-Tex Jacket |
1 |
||
| 03 | Down Jacket |
1 |
||
| 04 | Fleece Jacket |
1 |
||
| 05 | Micro Fleece |
1 |
||
| 06 | Trekking pants(Trousers) |
2 |
||
| 07 | Hiking shoes (Boots) |
1 |
||
| 08 | Runners (sport shoes) |
1 |
||
| 09 | Trekking Socks |
3 |
||
| 10 | Rain poncho |
1 |
||
| 11 | Sun-glasses |
1 |
||
| 12 | Water bottles |
2 |
||
| 13 | Thermal underwear(long) |
1-2 |
||
| 14 | T- shirts |
2-3 |
||
| 15 | Sunscreen/lotion |
1 |
||
| 16 | Flip flop (sandal) |
1 |
||
| 17 | Towel |
1 |
||
| 18 | Hat(Baseball cap) |
1 |
||
| 19 | Pristine drops (Water purifier) |
1 |
||
| 20 | Head light/flash light |
1 |
||
| 21 | Sleeping Bag |
1 |
||
| 22 | Gloves |
1 |
||
| 23 | Wind Proof Trouser (s) |
1 |
||
| 24 | Personal medical kid |
1 |
||
| 25 | Toiletries |
1 |
||
Climate:
From the eternal snow of the high peaks to the extensive tropical lowlands, Nepal has a wide variety of climates.
Spring: March to late May: In this season, Kathmandu is in full bloom, lots of different types of flowers can be seen at this time of the year. Temperature is mild, end of the cold winter and approaching warm and hot summer. Temperatures vary between 10 ° C to 28 ° C but can rise up to 30 ° C. Between 2000 and 3000m, temperature rarely drop below 0 ° C. However, few frosts or snowfalls are possible in March above 4000 m.
The summer/monsoon period: It interrupts the majority of trekking from late June to late August. Some of the trekking regions "trans-Himalayan", Dolpo and Mustang, however, remain protected from monsoon prevailing rest of the country. They are the only channels available in Nepal in the summer.
Autumn: mid September – mid December - Perfect temperature and weather for trekking. Brings cooler days, but clear skies. Above 3000 m altitude, temperatures can drop to -10 ° C at night.
In winter: mid-December - mid-February - Nights are generally cold, dry climate, Above 3000m, temperature drop down to 0 ° C to - 15 ° C at night, the days are often sunny.
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