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I did the Gosainkunda and Helambu trek in late November and early December 2023. My blog provides detailed information that will assist you in planning your trek. I did the Langtang trek before continuing on to Gosainkunda and you can see my blogs on that trek by clicking here.
Contents
1. When to do the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek
The main two considerations are the weather and the number of trekkers:
1.1 Weather
The best months to do the Gosainkunda and Helambu trek are:
March to early June
Early October to mid December
The monsoon season is from around 10 June to early October. The views would be restricted and there would be leeches during the monsoon. Click here to see the historic data for the start and finish dates for the monsoon (section 6 of the blog).
The winter period from mid December to early March would be cold and there is a greater risk of snow.
1.2 Number of Trekkers on the Gosainkunda & Helambu Treks
Nepal Tourism publishes annual statistics of the number of foreign trekkers on the main treks. These statistics show that October and early November is the busiest period and April is the second busiest period. These statistics only provide a partial picture as they exclude Nepali trekkers.
Gosainkunda Lake is a holy lake and is very popular with Nepali trekkers and pilgrims. Many Nepali would visit it during the religious festivals and holidays.
Most Nepalese use the trail from Dhunche to Gosainkunda Lake. They often spend the first night at Shin Gompa (Chandanbari). They set out early the next day to hike to Gosainkunda Lake, returning to Shin Gompa or Dhunche for the night. They don't often spend the night at Gosainkunda Lake due to the altitude and lack of time.
If you are coming from the Langtang trek it is best not to hike from Thulo Syabru to Gosainkunda via Shin Gompa as suggested by many itineraries. Hike the shorter route via Mukharka and Chyolangpati instead. Shin Gompa will always be busy with Nepali trekkers and pilgrims, as will the trail from Shin Gompa to Gosainkunda Lake.
I believe that the holiday period during the festivals of Dashain and Diwali (Tihar) would be the busiest period for Nepalese trekkers. The dates of these festivals are based on the lunar calendar and take place in October and November.
In 2024 Dashain is from October 3rd to 16th and Diwali (Tihar) is from October 21st to November 2nd. The Nepalese often seem to take a holiday after Tihar and there could still be many Nepali trekkers on the trail 7 to 10 days after the end of Tihar.
1.3 Conclusion
The Gosainkunda Lake trail would be very busy in April. March would be much quieter, but colder, and there is more risk of snow on the ground. May and early June would be quieter and it would be warmer. However, there is a risk of some pre-monsoon rain.
In autumn the best weather is from late October to mid December. However, the trail is very busy from early October to mid November. The best time to do the Gosainkunda and Helambu treks in the autumn is probably from about 10 days after the end of Diwali (Tihar) to mid December.
2. The Trail heads for the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek
The trail heads for the Gosainkunda and Helambu treks are:
Near Pairo on the Langtang trail for trekkers entering from the Langtang trek.
Dhunche for trekkers only doing the Gosainkunda and Helambu trek and going from west to east. I don't recommend this busy route. It takes 5 to 8 hours to travel between Kathmandu and Dhunche depending on the mode of transport. A private jeep would cost about $150 to $160.
Sundarijal for trekkers going from east to west. It is only a R1,000 ($8) taxi ride from Kathmandu to Sundarijal
3. Itinerary for the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek
3.1 Itinerary when continuing on from the Langtang Trek
If you are coming from the Langtang trek I would suggest the following itinerary:
Take 2 days to hike to Gosainkunda Lake and stop for the night at either Thulo Syabru, Mukharka or Chyolongpati. I took 9.25 hours to hike from Pairo on the Langtang trail to Gosainkunda Lake.
Spend 1 night at Gosainkunda Lake or 2 nights if you are hiking up Surya Peak.
Gosainkunda Lake to Ghopte (5.25 hours)
Ghopte to Kutumsang (5.5 hours)
Kutumsang to Chisapani (6.25 hours)
Chisapani to Kathmandu (3.5 hours hiking & 30 minutes by taxi)
If you start trekking from Dhunche you should take longer hiking to Gosainkunda Lake because of the altitude. I don't recommend taking this trail as it is busy and ascends too quickly for good acclimatisation.
See my daily trip report for the itinerary that I followed.
3.2 Starting from Dhunche
If you do hike from Dhunche you should probably spend 2 nights at Shin Gompa/Chandanbari (3,330 metres) and 1 night at Laurebina (3,910 metres) before staying at Gosainkunda Lake (4,480 metres).
3.3 Starting from Sundarijal
Some trekkers start the Gosainkunda and Helambu trek from Sundarijal and trek from east to west. If you aren't acclimatised this would be a safer route than from Dhunche.
3.4 An Alternative Route through Helambu
It is possible to hike from Thadepati to Kathmandu on a trail further to the east of the Thadepati to Sundarijal trail. Thadepati is between Ghopte and Mangen Goth and this alternative Helambu trail turns east at Thadepati. It takes 2 days to descend southwards to Sermanthang from where it is a 6 to 7 hour bus ride to Kathmandu.
4. Permits for the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek
The only permit required is for the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. I bought it at Chisapani and it cost R1,000 ($8).
5. Hiking Times on the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek
These hiking times exclude stops at tea houses for drinks and lunch.
DAY | FROM | TO | TIME |
1 | Pairo | Thulo Syabru | 2 hrs |
1 | Thulo Syabru | Mukharka | 2 hrs |
1 | Mukharka | Chyolangpati | 2 hrs 45 mins |
2 | Chyolangpati | Laurebina | 52 mins |
2 | Laurebina | Gosainkunda | 1 hr 50 mins |
4 | Gosainkunda | Suryakunda Pass | 1 hr 10 mins |
4 | Suryakunda Pass | Gyaje | 1 hr 15 mins |
4 | Gyaje | Phedi | 35 mins |
4 | Phedi | Ghopte | 2 hrs 15 mins |
5 | Ghopte | Thadepati | 1 hr 40 mins |
5 | Thadepati | Mangen Goth | 1 hr 30 mins |
5 | Mangen Goth | Kutumsang | 2 hrs 20 mins |
6 | Kutumsang | Chipling | 3 hrs 10 mins |
6 | Chipling | Chisapani | 3 hrs |
7 | Chisapani | Mulkharka | 2 hrs 30 mins |
7 | Mulkharka | Sundarijal | 1 hr |
6. Information on Accommodation for the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek
6.1 Quality of Accommodation on the Gosainkunda & Langtang Trek
The hotels at Kutumsang and Chisapani are very good and the hotels at Thulo Syabru are excellent.
The 4 tea houses at Gosainkunda lake are very basic and run down. They are very similar to the tea houses on the first section of the Langtang trek.
The tea houses at the other main stops on the Gosainkund and Helambu trek are basic and don't usually have attached bathrooms. They are better however than the very poor quality tea houses at Gosainkunda Lake.
6.2 Other Guests at the Tea Houses
When trekking I try to stay at tea houses that have few other guests and certainly no groups. On most treks you know that no other trekkers will arrive after dusk. Unfortunately this isn't the case with tea houses on the trail from Dhunche to Gosainkunda Lake. On this section Nepali trekkers often hike in the dark with torches and can arrive as late as 21.00
The tea houses on the other section of the Gosainknda and Helambu trek are mainly frequented by foreign trekkers. These tea houses are much quieter as long as you avoid the busy periods of April, October and the first half of November.
6.3 Cost of Rooms on the Gosainkund & Helambu Trek
In the off season most tea houses cost R500 ($4) a night and if you negotiated you might get the room for free. Most of these tea houses don't have rooms with attached bathrooms.
The accommodation improves as you get closer to Kathmandu. At Kutumsang and Chisapani I stayed in hotels rather than tea houses. The cost of good rooms with attached bathrooms was R800 ($6) to R1,000 ($8).
6.4 Food at the Tea Houses
I always ate the local rice and noodle dishes so I can't comment on the western food served at the tea houses. Western food is available along the entire Gosainkund and Helambu trek.
Dal bhat cost between R400 ($3) at Chisapani and R850 ($6.50). Black tea cost between R100 ($0.70) and R150 ($1.20). The cost of food increased with the altitude.
6.5 Internet, Electricity and Showers at the Tea Houses
I couldn't obtain internet through Nepal Telecoms until I reached Ghopte when trekking from the west to east. There was no internet at all at Chyolangpati and Gosainkunda Lake. There was internet at Thulo Syabru but not during the daytime.
There was solar power for lighting at all the tea houses. I am sure there would be free charging of electrical devices at Thulo Syabru. The owner of the tea house at Gosainkunda Lake charged my phone for free. There was free charging of electrical devices from Ghopte to Chisapani.
7. The Tea Houses on the Gosainkunda & Helambu Trek
7.1 Hotels at Thulo Syabru
Thulo Syabru was the nicest village on the Langtang, Gosainkunda and Helambu treks. There were several very good hotels but I didn't spend the night there. I had lunch at the Hotel Monalisa which had been recommended by a guide. The food was good and the hotel seemed very comfortable.
The Langtang View Hotel was opposite the Hotel Monalisa and also looked to be a very good hotel.
7.2 Tea Houses at Iba
Iba is a 1.25 hour walk from Thulo Syabru. The tea house looked quite reasonable.
7.3 Tea Houses at Mukharka
Mukharka (2,997 metres) is a 2.75 hour walk from Thulo Syabru and there are 2 tea houses there. The lady running the Himalayan Guest House was very pleasant and offered me a free room. I decided to hike a further 2 hours and 45 minutes to Chyolangpati (3,620 metres).
Mukharka could be a good place to stop as it would be a 5.5 hour walk to Gosainkunda the next day. If you are tired when you reach Mukharka take into consideration that there is a 600 metre ascent from Mukharka to Chyolangpati.
7.4 Tea Houses at Chyolangpati
There are 2 tea houses at Chyolangpati. I stayed at the Langtang Lerung View Hotel which is larger and newer than the Hotel Tibet Mountain View.
Two rooms at the Langtang Lerung View Hotel had attached bathrooms. I didn't like these rooms as the wall between the 2 bathrooms didn't extend all the way to the ceiling. To make matters worse there was a gap in the wall between the bathroom and bedroom.
I had the end corner room without a bathroom and it cost R500 ($4). The rooms with attached bathrooms cost R1,000 ($8). The tea house was fine and much better than the tea houses at Gosainkunda. It was a bit cold as Chyolangpati is at an altitude of 3,620 metres.
7.5 Tea Houses at Laurebina
Laurebina is at an altitude of 3,910 metres and there are excellent mountain views. There are 2 tea houses and both of them look better than the tea houses at Gosainkunda. It would be difficult for them to be worse!
7.6 Tea Houses at Gosainkunda
There are 4 basic and poorly maintained guest houses at Gosainkunda. They are all about the same standard. I stayed at the Hotel Tibet for 2 nights and it cost R500 ($4) a night. Unfortunately it was the busiest of the 4 tea houses as it is the first one when arriving from the west.
A lot of Nepali trekkers and pilgrims visit Gosainkunda lake. Don't despair if it is crowded when you arrive as most of them don't spend the night due to the high altitude and lack of time. They usually commence the trek back to Shin Gompa (Chandanbari) in the afternoon.
7.7 Tea House at Gyaje/Phedi High Camp
There is a tea house at Gyaje which is 2.5 hours east of Gosainkunda lake. It looked better than the tea houses at Gosainkunda lake and I had a cup of tea there.
7.8 Tea Houses at Phedi
I had lunch at the Hotel Dawa Baby and I think there is another tea house lower down.
7.9 Tea Houses at Ghopte
There are 2 basic tea houses at Ghopte. They are fine as long as they aren't busy. I stayed in the Namaste Hotel & Lodge and paid R500 ($4) for a room. I stayed in the new wing which strangely doesn't have a toilet.
There was wifi which I negotiated for free. After I left my guide told me that the internet could be accessed on Nepal Telcoms.
7.10 Tea Houses at Thadepati
Thadepati (3,730 metres) has 4 tea houses including the Hotel Yak & Yati, which is higher up the hill near the lookout tower. I believe there was only 1 trekker staying at Thadepati the previous night. Thadepati is in a nice location but I am not sure about the quality of the tea houses.
7.11 Tea Houses at Magen Goth
The tea house in the photo was in the lower section of Magen Goth and is the first tea house reached when trekking from Thadepati. I had lunch there and it was pleasant sitting out in the sun.
After this tea house the trail for the Helambu trek ascends through a forest to upper Magen Goth. There was a fancy tea house on top of the hill.
7.12 Hotels in Kutumsang
I stayed at the Mountain View Lodge & Resort. The rooms in the main building cost R1,500 ($12) and the rooms in the outer buildings cost R1,000 ($8). I stayed in one of the outer rooms and Niru negotiated a rate of R800 ($6).
All the rooms had bathrooms but I was told to shower in one of the rooms in the main building. The shower was free. There was a bit of a strange smell in my room. It was probably because there wasn’t a U bend in the shower drain pipe to prevent smells from the sewer pipe. Otherwise it was a very good hotel
7.13 Hotels in Chisapani
The first hotel I reached in Chisapani looked very good but it cost R3,500 ($27). We reached the modern Hotel Chisapani soon afterwards. I took their best room which cost R1,500 ($11.50). The other rooms with attached bathrooms cost R1,000 ($8). There were too many stray dogs around the hotel and they disturbed me at night.
A South Korean trekker had to change rooms because of a strange smell. Once again there probably wasn’t a U bend in the shower drain pipe to prevent smells from the sewer pipe. It seems to be a common problem with cheap hotels in Nepal.
The main part of Chisapani is 10 minutes further from the Hotel Chisapani. There is a good hotel there but it could be noisy at weekends with people visiting from Kathmandu.
8. Surya Peak
I wrote about my ascent of Surya Peak in my My trip report for the Gosainkunda and Helambu treks. This following section provides practical information on the hike as Surya Peak is difficult to locate.
8.1 My Ascent
I only made the decision to hike up Surya Peak when I arrived at Gosainkunda Lake so I hadn't done any research. My guide hadn't been there before and he asked the owner of the Hotel Tibet for directions.
He was told that the route up Surya Peak started near Surya Kund which is the third lake to the east after the main Gosainkunda Lake. This lake is slightly to the south of the main trail from Gosainkunda lake to Phedi.
When we reached Surya Kund there were some abandoned buildings. We left the main trail there and started hiking up to the north. We soon spotted cairns and the route was well cairned all the way to the summit.
The terrain quickly became very rough and it was hard going. The route went up the south west side of the peak. There were 2 or 3 sections that involved scrambling and were hairy.
It took slightly less than 3 hours to reach the summit which was marked with stones and prayer flags. I was puzzled that my Garmin Inreach showed the altitude to be 5,049 metres whereas Surya Peak is at an altitude of 5,150 metres. This summit was at a latitude of 28.080342 N and a longitude of 85.432000 E.
8.2 My Descent
We only spent 20 minutes at the summit as it was cloudy and cold. There would be excellent views in good weather.
While we were ascending I had been concerned about our descent along the same route. Fortunately the tea house owner had told my guide that it was easier to descend down the north side. It crossed very rough terrain and we had to be careful walking over the numerous loose rocks and boulders.
The route joined the main Gosainkunda trail where the prayer flags were on the path at the eastern end of Gosainkunda Lake. It took 2 hours and 45 minutes to walk back to the tea house.
8.3 The Proper Surya Peak
When I returned to the U.K. I did some research to find out why I had only reached an altitude of 5,049 metres when Surya Peak was meant to be at an altitude of 5,150 metres.
There isn't much information about Surya Peak but it was clear that I hadn't been up Surya Peak. Other blogs referred to the peak that I went up as "Trekkers' Peak" or "Gosainkunda Ri". I don't think it has an official name.
It seems that the peak I ascended has been cairned as it is easier to locate and reach from the main Gosainkunda trail. Surya Peak is further to the east and is shown on the map above. Both peaks are above 5,000 metres and the views from the real Surya Peak wouldn't be any better.
8.4 The Route for Surya Peak
I found 3 blogs about the hike to the true Surya Peak that provide details of the correct route:
Themtsarecalling.com This blog is by an American who is clearly very confident and able in the mountains. He set off by himself from Gosainkunda lake at 03.10 and took an exploratory route to Surya Peak. He made it up to Surya Peak and then hiked down to Dhunche the same day! I wouldn't recommend walking solo on this difficult terrain.
Walkhighlands.co.uk This blog is by a Scottish woman who has hiked a lot in Scotland and is a competent hiker. She had a local guide and ascended by the conventional route to Surya Peak. Her pictures indicate the route and show that there is a plaque at the summit stating it is Surya Peak. The round trip took her 6.5 hours.
Summitpost.org This website states the latitude and longitude for Surya Peak are 28.08330 N and 85.43967 E. These coordinates seem to be correct.
The route I took back from the false Surya Peak is part of the route to the official Surya Peak. One blog says the route is well cairned and another says it isn't. I agree with the latter as although we saw cairns they only gave us reassurance that we were on the right route. They weren't frequent enough to help us with navigation.
In reasonable conditions the route I took up the "Trekkers Peak" and down the north side could be used to go on to the true Surya Peak. Both 5,000 metre peaks could be done in one day.
8.5 Logistics for Surya Peak
My guide told a New Zealander and his guide about our route. They went up to the false Surya Peak the following day and came down the same way. They did it faster than us and continued on to Ghopte the same day.
He had hidden his rucksack near to where he had left the main trail before ascending the false Surya Peak. This meant he didn't have to hike back to his tea house at Gosainkunda to collect it.
A local guide could be hired at one of the tea houses at Gosainkunda Lake for the trek to Surya Peak. It would likely cost about $100. Determine beforehand which peak your guide is intending to ascend.
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