A seven-day walk that starts on the rim of the Kathmandu Valley at Sundarijal and climbs through Shivapuri forest and Tamang and Hyolmo villages to the 3,650 m ridge at Tharepati, then drops to the monastery villages of Melamchigaon, Tarkeghyang and Sermathang. No flights, modest altitude and views of Langtang, Jugal and Dorje Lakpa.
A seven-day walk that starts on the rim of the Kathmandu Valley at Sundarijal and climbs through Shivapuri forest and Tamang and Hyolmo villages to the 3,650 m ridge at Tharepati, then drops to the monastery villages of Melamchigaon, Tarkeghyang and Sermathang. No flights, modest altitude and views of Langtang, Jugal and Dorje Lakpa.
Helambu is the hill country of the Hyolmo people, a short drive north-east of Kathmandu. We start walking at Sundarijal, where the city's water pipeline comes down from the hills, and climb on stone steps through Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park to the ridge-top village of Chisapani. From there the trail follows a long ridge north past Pati Bhanjyang, Chipling and Gul Bhanjyang to Kutumsang, with the Langtang and Jugal ranges ahead of you on clear mornings.
Above Kutumsang the villages end. The path climbs through fir, oak and rhododendron forest past the army checkpost and Magingoth into Langtang National Park, reaching Tharepati at 3,650 m, the highest point of the trek and a junction with the trail to Gosaikunda. Next morning we leave the ridge and drop steeply east into the Melamchi valley to Melamchigaon, a Hyolmo village with a painted gompa and fields of potatoes and barley.
The second half of the trek is about Hyolmo culture. From Melamchigaon we cross the Melamchi Khola and climb to Tarkeghyang, the largest village in Helambu, with its old gompa and stone-paved lanes, then contour south through apple orchards and forest to Sermathang. The last day descends through farming villages to Melamchi Pul Bazaar, where our vehicle waits for the drive back to Kathmandu.
Much of Helambu was badly damaged in the 2015 earthquake. Villages and lodges have since been rebuilt, many in concrete, and dirt roads now reach several of them, so in places you share the route with the odd jeep. Teahouses along the trail are simple but run by local families, with rooms in every village where we stop.
Days are between three and seven hours of walking, and the highest night is at 3,650 m, so altitude is rarely a problem. The trek suits people who want a proper multi-day walk close to Kathmandu without domestic flights, and it works well as a short trip or as the first part of a longer holiday in Nepal.
Helambu suits anyone in good general health who walks regularly. There is no technical ground, but the trail is mostly stone steps and steep forest paths rather than gentle valley walking: the climb from Sundarijal to Chisapani gains about 850 m, Kutumsang to Tharepati gains about 1,200 m, and the descent from Tharepati to Melamchigaon loses over 1,100 m in a few hours, which is hard on the knees. Expect five to seven hours on the longer days. To prepare, spend six to eight weeks walking hills or stairs with a light pack, building up to back-to-back days of four to six hours, and add some leg strength work for the descents. Trekking poles help a lot on this route. Children used to walking and older trekkers who take their time manage it well.
We meet you at Tribhuvan International Airport and take you to your hotel. In the afternoon your guide goes through the route, checks your gear and collects what we need for the permits. The rest of the day is free to rest or walk around Thamel.
A one-hour drive takes us to Sundarijal on the north-east rim of the valley. We show permits at the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park gate and climb on stone steps beside the water pipeline and reservoir, then through the Tamang village of Mulkharka and oak and rhododendron forest to the pass at Borlang Bhanjyang. A short descent brings us to Chisapani, a ridge-top village with views north to Langtang and Jugal on a clear evening.
If the morning is clear, we watch sunrise over the mountains before leaving. The trail drops to the saddle at Pati Bhanjyang, then climbs through Chipling and over the forested Jhogin Danda ridge to Gul Bhanjyang, a Tamang village on a saddle. A final climb along the ridge takes us to Kutumsang, the last permanent village before the forest.
Today is a steady climb with no villages, only a few seasonal lodges. Above Kutumsang we enter Langtang National Park, show permits at the army checkpost and climb through fir, oak and rhododendron forest past Magingoth to the ridge at Tharepati. Late afternoon and the next dawn give the best views of the Langtang and Jugal ranges from this, the highest point of the trek.
After an early look at the mountains we leave the ridge and descend steeply east through rhododendron and fir forest into the Melamchi valley. It is a knee-testing drop of over 1,100 m, so take it slowly and use your poles. Melamchigaon is a Hyolmo village of rebuilt houses, potato fields and a gompa with brightly painted walls and statues of Guru Rinpoche, which we visit in the afternoon.
The trail continues down to cross the Melamchi Khola on a suspension bridge at about 1,920 m, then climbs the far side of the valley through the village of Nakote to Tarkeghyang. This is the largest village in Helambu, with stone lanes, prayer flags and an old gompa that we visit with your guide.
A gentler day contouring south along the east side of the valley through pine and rhododendron forest, small villages and apple orchards. Sermathang sits on a broad ridge with a gompa and views east to the Jugal Himal, and the afternoon is free to walk around the village.
The last walk is a long descent through Kakani and Dubachaur, past terraced fields and farming villages, to Melamchi Pul Bazaar on the river. After lunch our vehicle drives you back to Kathmandu by way of the Araniko Highway and Dhulikhel, usually three to five hours. If the trail below Sermathang is damaged we drive out directly from Sermathang.
Free time until your transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight home, or the start of your next trip in Nepal.
Permits we arrange: shivapuri_nagarjun_np, Langtang National Park, TIMS card
The trek crosses two protected areas. The first day from Sundarijal to Chisapani runs through Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, where the entry permit is checked at the Sundarijal gate. North of Kutumsang the trail enters Langtang National Park, and the army checkpost on the way to Tharepati checks your Langtang permit. You also need a TIMS card. We arrange all three in Kathmandu before you start; we need a copy of your passport and a passport photo.
Since 1 April 2023 foreign trekkers in Nepal's national parks and conservation areas must walk with a licensed guide, and the TIMS card is issued through a registered trekking company. Your guide carries the permits and handles the checkposts. Helambu's upper forest between Kutumsang and Tharepati is quiet and walking alone there has never been a good idea.
The highest night is at Tharepati, 3,650 m, reached on the third day after nights at about 2,200 m and 2,450 m. Most people feel only mild breathlessness and perhaps a headache there. Drink plenty, walk at a steady pace and tell your guide about any symptoms. If anyone feels unwell at Tharepati, the next day's descent to Melamchigaon loses over 1,100 m, which is the right treatment.
Both ends of the trek are reached by road. Sundarijal is about an hour's drive from central Kathmandu. From Melamchi Pul Bazaar the drive back runs down the Melamchi valley to the Araniko Highway and through Dhulikhel, usually three to five hours depending on the road. Sections of the Melamchi valley road can be rough after the monsoon, and where the trail from Sermathang is affected we drive out from Sermathang instead.
There are no ATMs on the trail. Bring enough Nepali rupees from Kathmandu for drinks, snacks, hot showers, charging and tips; teahouses rarely accept cards. Most lodges have electricity, and charging is usually available for a small fee. Mobile signal is reasonable in most villages, weaker in the forest above Kutumsang.
October and November bring the clearest views. March to May is warmer and the rhododendrons flower, though haze builds by midday. December to February is cold at Tharepati and snow can lie on the ridge. In the monsoon (June to September) the forest is wet and full of leeches, and cloud hides the mountains, which is why we do not run the trek then.
Melamchigaon, Tarkeghyang and Sermathang are Hyolmo villages with active Buddhist gompas. Walk clockwise around chortens and mani walls, ask before photographing people or the inside of a gompa, and leave a small donation if you visit one. Refill a bottle with treated or boiled water rather than buying plastic bottles.
Everything is yours to bring, except items marked “We provide” or “Rent locally”.
Base layers (merino or synthetic), top and bottom
For cold mornings at Tharepati
Quick-dry trekking shirts
Two or three
Fleece or light insulated jacket
Down jacketWe provide
On loan for the trek
Waterproof jacket and trousers
Trekking trousers
Two pairs
Warm hat and gloves
Needed at Tharepati, especially in November and early March
Sun hat or cap
Broken-in trekking boots with ankle support
The long stone-step descents are hard on new boots
Trekking socks
Four pairs
Sandals or light shoes for the evenings
Daypack, 25 to 35 litres, with rain cover
Your porter carries the main bag
Duffel bag for the porter
Keep it under 10 kg
Sleeping bag rated to about -10°CWe provide
On loan for the trek
Trekking polesRent locally
Strongly recommended for the descent to Melamchigaon
Headtorch with spare batteries
Water bottles or bladder, 2 litres total
Power bank
Water purification tablets or filter
Sunscreen and lip balm with SPF
Sunglasses
Personal medicines and blister plasters
Insect repellent and leech socks
Useful in May and October in the lower forest
Passport with at least six months' validity and Nepal visa
Two passport photos and a copy of your insurance policy
For the permits
Nepali rupees in small notes
No ATMs on the trail
It is a moderate trek. There is no technical walking and the highest point is 3,650 m, but the trail is steep in places, with long flights of stone steps up to Chisapani and a steep descent of over 1,100 m from Tharepati to Melamchigaon. If you can walk five or six hours on hilly ground for several days in a row, you will manage it.
The risk is low. Only one night is spent above 3,000 m, at Tharepati (3,650 m), and you reach it gradually after nights at about 2,200 m and 2,450 m. Mild headaches can happen there; your guide checks on you, and the next morning's walk goes straight downhill.
You need a Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park entry permit for the first day from Sundarijal to Chisapani, a Langtang National Park entry permit for the section from Kutumsang over Tharepati, and a TIMS card. We arrange all of them before you leave Kathmandu.
No. Since April 2023 foreign trekkers in Nepal's national parks and conservation areas must be accompanied by a licensed guide, and both parks on this route fall under that rule. Your guide also knows which lodges are open and the right trail through the forest above Kutumsang, where junctions are easy to miss in cloud.
No. The trek starts at Sundarijal, about an hour's drive from Kathmandu, and finishes at Melamchi Pul Bazaar, from where we drive back to Kathmandu. That makes Helambu a good choice if you want to avoid weather delays on mountain flights.
Simple family-run lodges with twin rooms, shared toilets and a warm dining room. Many were rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake. Hot showers and charging are available in most villages for a small fee. Tharepati has only a few basic lodges and is the coldest night of the trek.
From Chisapani and the ridge to Kutumsang you see the Langtang range, Dorje Lakpa and the Jugal Himal. Tharepati gives the widest view, north towards Langtang and east over the Jugal peaks. Views are clearest early in the morning; cloud often builds by late morning.
October and November for clear skies, and March to May for warmer days and rhododendrons in flower. December to February is possible but cold at Tharepati, where snow can lie on the trail. We avoid June to September because of rain, leeches and cloud.
Yes. Tharepati is the junction with the trail west to Ghopte, the Laurebina La and the Gosaikunda lakes, and many people link the two treks, finishing at Dhunche or Syabrubesi. That route crosses a pass above 4,600 m and adds several days, so ask us for a combined itinerary.
Yes, for children who are used to hill walking. The altitude is modest, the villages are close together and there is no flight. We can shorten the longer days by adding a night at Chipling or Gul Bhanjyang.
Helambu Trek
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