Langtang a heaven for many trekkers renowned for its majestic landscapes is a go-to destination for many trekkers. You will get to enjoy the beauty if you go at a certain time. The best time for the Langtang Valley trek is during the favorable season (on-season) autumn and spring when we can fully enjoy the beauty. The unfavorable(off-season) seasons that are probably not recommended are Monsoon and winter, which mostly hide the beauty and make the trek difficult.
Langtang, also known as Lamtang, is one of the most popular trekking destinations in Nepal. Langtang Valley, located in the Rasuwa district, has many beautiful, breathtaking landscapes that attract Nepali people and foreigners from all over the world. This trek offers the magnificent beauty of the mountain’s flora and displays how the locals live there. While trekking in Langtang, we can see various mountains like Kyanjin Ri, Tserko ri, and even Yala Peak. The Kyanjin Valley, which we could say is the base, has a glacier lake from which the locals generate electricity.
Trekking in on-season
Trekking during autumn and spring is considered the best season and is highly recommended because it is easy and allows you to fully enjoy feeling connected to nature. Many people, including professional trekkers, opt to travel during this season.
Trek During Spring
Spring(March to May) is considered one of the best times to visit Langtang Valley. During this time, the weather would finally start to glow with moderate temperatures. This time, you could also see incidental rainfall. This season is perfect for people who don’t prefer temperatures that are too hot or too cold. As we go uphill day by day, we encounter muddy roads cause the roads are all made of stones and mud, so it is best to wear long boots. The temperature would scale from around 10 to 20 degrees Celsius.
When you reach Kyanjin Gompa, you can clearly see the majestic mountains and cleared-up sky. The flowers will be starting to bloom, which would be an amazing view for your eyes. The view from both Kyanjin Ri and Tserko Ri would be heavenly. The food you would get uphill is mostly rice, lentils, and vegetables, which would mostly be radish. Yak cheese and Chhurpi are very popular food you would get uphill.
Wildlife is highly active during this time, so it’s better to travel in a pair. You could encounter red pandas, yaks, snow leopards,ghoral, and many different species of birds. The most common animal you would see is yaks, as they are the main food source for the people up there. Snow leopards and red pandas would be hard to encounter, but there’s always a chance.
As this is a highly recommended and popular season for the Langtang trek, be prepared to encounter a lot of people. It would be better to book hotels earlier cause if you are late at booking you might have to sleep in the kitchen or in a yak shed.
Trek during autumn
Autumn(September to November) is another good season to visit Langtang Valley. This is the most popular time, even more so than spring. You might feel the temperature hotter than in spring and cooler in the morning and evening. The road is drier as there is absolutely very little chance of rainfall during this period. As you go uphill, you might start to feel colder. The temperature ranges from 5 to 20 degrees Celsius.
The sky would be completely clear and more clear as this is post-monsoon season so you would get to enjoy the beautiful peaks of Kyanjin Ri and Tserko Ri. Even during this time, the food you would get is similar to spring food, like rice, lentils, radish vegetables, yak cheese, and yak meat. The insufficient variety of foods uphill you might say is due to the harsh terrain conditions. You get to enjoy the greenery and river flowing beside you along the way.
The animals you would encounter are red pandas,ghoral and yaks, and very rarely leopards. As the sky is completely clear, you can get a perfect photo shot of the mountains. The glacier lake would not be frozen, so watching your steps over there is better.
As this is a very popular time, it is better to make reservations as early as possible and prepare yourself to see a lot of Nepalese and foreign people. During this period of time, you could enjoy Nepalese culture, such as Dashain and Tihar, which are very famous Nepali festivals. You would get to enjoy and see how the people celebrate during this period. Be very careful about the hotel you intend to stay in as some places have very few hotels(2-3).
Trekking During Off-Season
Trekking during the monsoon and winter is not popular among trekkers as the terrain is difficult to walk, and irregular weather conditions cause the sky to be dull, making it difficult to enjoy the magnificent beauty of the valley and all it has to offer.
Compared to spring or autumn, during this period, you will not encounter as many people, but you might encounter a few professional mountaineers.
Trek during Monsoon
Monsoon(June to August) is probably not the best time to visit unless you are ready for a wet, muddy walk. The climate is warm, but you should expect rain at any minute because the weather is unpredictable at this time. The temperature ranges from 15 to 30 degrees Celsius. Make sure you carry a raincoat and long boots because the road will be muddy and slippery.
The sky would not be clear but due to the rain, the river would be something to keep an eye on. While you trek the surroundings will be full of greenery and you will enjoy walking and listening to the river flow. The mountains would be very difficult to climb especially Tserko Ri cause the path consists of huge rocks which become slippery. The glacier lake would be something to enjoy.
Due to the rain, you will not see much wildlife, but be prepared to see a lot of leeches along the way. Make sure you carry salt with you and wear a thick pair of socks. You should be careful while you go near the river, as the river level will rise very high. The river near the place called Pahiro would be something to look out for.
During this time, you can relax about where to stay. Because the hotels are less crowded, you can even bargain and get cheap hotels with cheap food. Basically, you could say you could have the whole valley to yourself. Foods you would get during this time are rice lentils and radish vegetables. If you are an experienced trekker, you might not face much difficulty, but a beginner trekker might have to face many difficulties along the way.
Trek during Winter
Winter(December to February)is considered to be the most difficult time to trek at Langtang. The temperature is very cold during this period. With constant snowfall, your visibility is affected severely. You will have difficulty locating hike trails, which may injure you. The temperature scales from -5 to -10 degrees Celsius. Make sure you have proper snow gear before going, and highly not so popular among beginners.
You could enjoy the snowy landscapes with the frozen river. As you go higher, the colder it gets, and tea houses may be closed. The glacier lake of Kyanjin Gompa would be frozen. The mountains would look beautiful due to frequent snowfall. Make sure you carry enough medicines for fever and altitude sickness and probably an oxygen tank as well because the cold is unbearable the higher you go.
You would not see much wildlife, except that your chances of encountering a snow leopard become high. It is highly advisable to travel in a group of 4 or more. The landscape offers a mesmerizing view to see and capture photographs.
During this period, you will see a very small crowd, and even many tea houses as you go uphill won’t be available. You will get only rice and lentils to eat. The people may charge you more for food and even for warm water. You should keep in mind that this is not a beginner-friendly duration to visit. Only trek if you are an expert, and it is highly suggested that you get a guide.
Attractions of Langtang Valley Trek during Peak Seasons
Kyanjin Ri
Kyanjin Ri, which has an altitude of 4773 m, is one of the main attractions of Langtang valley. Kyanjin Ri was named after the Kyanjin monastery. Kyanjin ri is said to be a tourist-friendly hike. The mountain offers a breathtaking, mesmerizing view of the Langtang Himalayan range. The starting point of the hike begins from Tianjin Gompa and then you hike for around 2 hours when you’ll reach peak 1 which has an altitude of 4360 m.
From peak 1 it takes around another 2 hours to reach peak 2. Before you ascend the mountain, make sure you carry enough water and some altitude medicine with you because the oxygen level will be very low at the top. The trail you walk on is pretty decent. From the top of the peak you can relax click photographs and enjoy the beauty it has to offer. You could see beautiful rhododendrons at the top and if you are lucky, then you could witness a beautiful avalanche.
Tserko Ri
Tserko Ri is probably one of the most difficult mountains to ascend which has an altitude of around 5033m. It takes around 6-7 hours to ascend to the top. The trial is decent till midway, from a certain point the trial gets difficult. If you are agile, then you won’t have much difficulty because you will have to climb between rocks to reach the top. When you reach the top from there you will see a very beautiful langtang himalayan range. It is more beautiful than Kyanjin Ri.
The wind would be blowing continuously on the top. If the sky is clear do check out the beautiful sky and eagles, and vultures soaring the sky which makes the scenery breathtaking, and relaxing. While descending there are two ways, one would be the way you came up another way is from the back which is a bit long but you get to see more mountains and rivers flowing at the bottom of the mountain. There are natural water supply when you descend from the back(new way).
Glacier lake
The Glacier Lake of Langtang Valley is one of the main attraction points. The lake is around a 25-30-minute walk from Kyanjin Gompa where you could see a lake formed by the melting of the Himalayas. When you reach the lake you can see hydropower over there. The lake is very important to the local people as it is the only way from which electricity is generated and supplied to the people of upper Langtang Valley.
Conclusion
Langtang Valley Trek is one of the most popular treks in Nepal. If you go during the off-season, then you could say it is beginner-friendly. During the off-season, you might face some difficulty. You will get to see the beautiful Langtang Himalayan range. Make sure you carry important things before your trek and make early reservations during the off-season. We recommend the Mardi Himal Trek if you’re looking for another easier trek.
FAQs
Q: Is Langtang Valley Trek tourist-friendly?
A: Yes, Langtang Valley Trek is said to be one of the most tourist-friendly treks in Nepal. The difficulty level is easy compared to other treks as there are many lodges on the way and the place is also developed in some way as there is running electricity so you will get access to WIFI as well.
Q: How much budget would be required?
A: A budget of around 200$-300$ is enough for the trek. If you are looking to do this trek on a cheap budget then 200$ seems enough, just make sure you bargain and ask about the prices of different hotels when you reach a checkpoint.
Q: How many days are required to complete the trek?
A: From Kathmandu, you could complete the trek in 10 days. The real trek begins from Syabrubesi, so if you walk for 6 hours a day 8 days would be enough for you to complete the trek at ease as the bus ride from Kathmandu to Syabrubesi is just 6 hours ride.
Q: Which season is perfect for the trek?
A: Every person has their own preference while traveling and it depends on what they want to observe when they trek to Langtang valley. But among many seasons the best seasons are considered to be Autumn and Spring as during this time you get to enjoy nature, see clear mountains and friendly weather.
Q:Is it Langtang or Lamtang?
A: Both langtang and lamtang mean the same. The local people have been calling Lamtang for a very long time, but nowadays people prefer to say Lantang. Don’t confuse yourself when you see a signboard where they write Lamtang, it’s just what the locals prefer to say.