Langtang Valley Trek Map

This guide maps out exactly where the Langtang Valley Trek goes: every village, the distances and elevation between them, and how to use maps sensibly both before and during the trek.

Quick Answer: Where Is the Langtang Valley Trek?

The trek is located in Langtang National Park, north of Kathmandu, close to the Tibetan border. Most itineraries, including our standard departure, begin and end at Syabrubesi (1,503 m), reached by a 7–8 hour road journey from Kathmandu. From there, the trail follows the Langtang Khola upstream through forest to Lama Hotel, into open alpine terrain at Langtang Village, and finally to Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m) — the trek's high-altitude base, with optional hikes to Kyanjin Ri (4,773 m) and Tserko Ri (4,984 m). It's an out-and-back route: you return via the same trail, back to Syabrubesi.

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Interactive Langtang Valley Trek Map

The map below shows the complete Langtang Valley Trek route — Syabrubesi to Kyanjin Gompa and back, with every village, river crossing, and viewpoint marked along the way. You can zoom in on any section, switch to full-screen mode, and explore the trail in detail: bridges over the Langtang Khola, the monastery and yak cheese factory at Kyanjin Gompa, and the branch points for the Kyanjin Ri and Tserko Ri side hikes.

Use it two ways — for planning before you fly, to get a real sense of the terrain and distances involved, and alongside the day-by-day itinerary once you're reading it, to visualize exactly where each day's walking actually takes you. One honest caveat worth stating clearly: GPS accuracy in remote mountain terrain can vary, sometimes significantly, due to signal reflection off valley walls and general satellite limitations at altitude. Treat this map, and any digital navigation tool, as a planning aid — on the actual trail, your guide's knowledge and the trail's own markers are what you should be following, not a blue dot on a screen.

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Trek Route Overview

The route follows a single, well-defined valley system rather than branching across multiple trails, which is part of why navigation on this trek is genuinely straightforward compared to more complex routes.

Kathmandu → Syabrubesi (1,503 m): an entirely road-based journey, climbing out of the Kathmandu Valley and following the Trishuli River into increasingly rural hill country.

Syabrubesi → Lama Hotel (2,380 m): the trail enters Langtang National Park and follows the Langtang Khola upstream through dense subtropical and then temperate forest — genuine red panda territory, though sightings are rare.

Lama Hotel → Langtang Village (3,430 m): the landscape shifts decisively from forest to open alpine terrain, passing Ghoda Tabela and gaining real, sustained elevation.

Langtang Village → Kyanjin Gompa (3,870 m): open valley floor walking beneath Langtang Lirung's glaciated north face, through yak pastures and past mani walls and chortens.

Return via the same trail: the descent retraces this exact route back to Syabrubesi, giving you an entirely different perspective on terrain you climbed just days earlier.

Point-to-Point Distance Table

For trekkers who want the raw numbers in one place, separate from the daily itinerary structure:

Total on-foot distance: approximately 77 km round trip, Syabrubesi to Kyanjin Gompa and back, before any optional viewpoint hikes.

How the Landscape Changes Along the Route

Part of what makes this trek genuinely rewarding to visualise in advance is how dramatically the landscape shifts over a relatively short distance — few Nepal treks compress this much visual variety into 77 km.

Syabrubesi to Lama Hotel: subtropical and temperate forest — oak, rhododendron, and bamboo, with the Langtang Khola roaring alongside the trail for most of the way. This section feels more like a jungle river gorge than a Himalayan trek, genuinely lush and humid at the lower elevations.

Lama Hotel to Langtang Village: the transition zone, where forest gradually thins and opens into alpine terrain. Ghoda Tabela marks roughly the midpoint of this shift — by the time you reach it, tree cover is noticeably sparser, and the first real mountain views appear.

Langtang Village to Kyanjin Gompa: open valley floor, yak pastures, and glacial moraine, with Langtang Lirung's enormous glaciated face dominating the skyline for the entire day. This is the most classically "high Himalaya" section of the standard route — wide, dramatic, and increasingly stark as you approach Kyanjin Gompa itself.

Above Kyanjin Gompa (Kyanjin Ri and Tserko Ri): true high-alpine terrain — rock, snow patches, and sweeping panoramic views with essentially no vegetation. The visual character here is entirely different again from anything lower on the route.

Understanding this progression in advance — jungle, to forest, to alpine valley, to high-mountain viewpoint — makes the trek feel like a genuine journey through distinct zones rather than one continuous climb, which is exactly how it feels on the ground.

Route Statistics

Village-by-Village Route Guide

Elevation Profile

Where altitude increases most rapidly: Day 3 (Lama Hotel to Langtang Village) is the single biggest elevation gain day on the trek, and Day 5's viewpoint hike is the highest single-day altitude swing.

Where acclimatisation becomes important: from Langtang Village onward (3,430 m+), and especially the two nights at Kyanjin Gompa, which exist specifically to let your body adjust before Day 5's altitude push. Full detail on symptoms, prevention, and response is in our Langtang Valley Trek Altitude Sickness Guide.

Route Difficulty by Section

Forest trails (Syabrubesi to Lama Hotel): well-established but genuinely demanding, with sustained climbing through subtropical and temperate forest, root-covered paths, and several suspension bridge crossings over the Langtang Khola.

River crossings and suspension bridges: most concentrated in the lower forest sections — sturdy, well-maintained structures, though a brief exposure consideration for trekkers uncomfortable with height or movement underfoot.

Steeper climbs (Lama Hotel to Langtang Village): the trek's biggest single elevation gain, on trail that shifts from forest to increasingly open terrain, passing stone-stepped sections near Ghoda Tabela.

Open alpine terrain (Langtang Village to Kyanjin Gompa and beyond): wide valley floor walking on relatively gentle gradient, though at meaningful and increasing altitude.

For the full picture of what makes each stage physically demanding, not just the terrain itself, see our Langtang Valley Trek Difficulty Guide.

Trek the Langtang Valley Trek

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Optional Side Trips on the Map

Kyanjin Ri

Branches directly from Kyanjin Gompa — a steep, direct climb above the village. Additional distance: roughly 3–3.5 km round trip. Hiking time: 5–6 hours round trip. Difficulty: steep and sustained, non-technical. Views: a full panorama including Langtang Lirung, Kimshung, and Yala Peak.

Tserko Ri

Also branches from Kyanjin Gompa, on a longer, higher line than Kyanjin Ri. Additional distance: roughly 3.5–4 km round trip. Hiking time: 6–7 hours round trip. Difficulty: meaningfully more demanding — longer, steeper, and higher. Views: the same panorama as Kyanjin Ri, plus clearer views of Shishapangma across the Tibetan border.

Langshisa Kharka

A quieter extension beyond Kyanjin Gompa into higher glacial terrain, for trekkers with extra days who want more remoteness without a technical climbing objective. This branches further up-valley from Kyanjin Gompa, past the standard route's usual turnaround point.

Extending the Route to Gosaikunda

For trekkers with more time, the standard Langtang route connects into a genuinely different second half via the Langtang Gosaikunda Trek. Rather than retracing the standard route from Kyanjin Gompa back to Syabrubesi, this extension descends to Thulo Syabru, then climbs again through Sing Gompa toward Lauribina La (around 4,610 m) and the sacred alpine lakes of Gosaikunda (4,380 m), before finishing via Dhunche rather than Syabrubesi — a different trailhead entirely for the return journey.

This adds roughly four additional trekking days and a second significant high-altitude section, making the combined route meaningfully more demanding than the standard trek. It suits trekkers who specifically want Gosaikunda's cultural and scenic payoff — a genuine Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage site — rather than simply more time on the same trail.

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Explore Sacred Lakes and Hidden Himalayas on the Langtang Gosaikunda Trek!

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Best Offline Maps

Maps.me: widely used by Nepal trekkers, genuinely solid offline functionality, and generally reliable trail data for popular routes like Langtang. A sensible default choice.

Organic Maps: a genuine, privacy-focused alternative to Maps.me, built on similar open-source data, with comparable offline functionality.

Gaia GPS: more detailed topographic data and elevation profiles, popular with trekkers who want more technical mapping detail than a basic navigation app provides.

AllTrails: better known for shorter day hikes globally, with less consistently detailed data for multi-day Himalayan routes specifically — usable, but not our first recommendation for this trek.

Paper trekking maps: still genuinely useful as a backup with zero battery dependency, available in Kathmandu before departure — worth carrying even if you're primarily using a phone app.

Offline functionality, GPS accuracy, ease of use, and battery considerations all matter here: download whichever app you choose before leaving Kathmandu, since data connectivity disappears well before you'd think to check, and carry a power bank regardless of which tool you use, since battery drain is a bigger practical risk than any of these apps' underlying accuracy.

These are planning tools, not a replacement for local knowledge. Trail conditions can change — a landslide, a rerouted section, seasonal snow — in ways a downloaded map simply won't reflect. Treat any digital map as a complement to your guide's real-time knowledge of current conditions, not a substitute for it.

Do You Need a Guide if You Have a Map?

Yes — and this isn't just a regulatory answer, though it's also the legal one.

Maps help with planning, genuinely — understanding distances, elevation, and daily structure before you fly makes real practical difference. But a map is a snapshot, not a live feed.

Trail conditions may change due to landslides, weather, or ongoing maintenance work in ways that no map, however recently downloaded, will reflect. Our guides use the map to brief trekkers before each day, but they're relying on current, direct knowledge of the actual trail conditions, not the map alone.

Local guides provide navigation, safety, cultural interpretation, and logistical support that a map simply can't — reading changing weather, managing pace and altitude, and handling the practical realities of teahouse bookings and permit checkpoints.

Current Nepal trekking regulations require a licensed guide for all trekkers in Langtang National Park as of February 2025, regardless of your own navigation confidence or map quality. This isn't a preference-based recommendation — it's a legal requirement for this specific route.

Common Navigation Mistakes

1. Relying only on mobile data. Signal disappears well before Lama Hotel — plan around offline tools entirely.
2. Forgetting to download offline maps before leaving Kathmandu. Once you're on the trail, downloading map data becomes genuinely difficult.
3. Ignoring altitude while focusing only on distance. A short-distance day like Day 4 can still be genuinely demanding given the altitude involved.
4. Starting late in the day. Shorter daylight hours and afternoon weather changes both punish a late start.
5. Assuming GPS is always accurate in mountain terrain. Signal reflection off valley walls genuinely affects accuracy here.
6. Not carrying a power bank. A dead phone means a dead map, regardless of which app you chose.
7. Treating a downloaded map as a substitute for your guide's knowledge. Trail conditions change in ways static map data doesn't reflect.
8. Not confirming your map app actually has offline data for this specific region before you fly. Some apps require manual region downloads that are easy to miss.
9. Underestimating how much elevation affects walking time relative to distance. A shorter distance at higher altitude often takes as long as a longer, lower-altitude day.
10. Not familiarising yourself with village names before the trek. Recognising "Ghoda Tabela" or "Kyanjin Gompa" on a map or itinerary in advance reduces confusion on the trail.
11. Assuming the trail is more complex than it actually is. This is a single, well-defined valley route — genuinely straightforward to follow with a guide.
12. Not checking weather specifically before attempting Kyanjin Ri or Tserko Ri. Conditions at these viewpoints can differ meaningfully from Kyanjin Gompa itself.
13. Packing a map app but never actually testing it before departure. Learn the interface at home, not for the first time on the trail.
14. Assuming a paper map alone is sufficient without any digital backup. Both together offer better redundancy than either alone.
15. Not asking your guide about current trail conditions before optional side trips. Route-specific, current knowledge beats any map's static data.
16. Confusing distance covered with altitude gained when assessing how hard a day will feel. Both matter, and neither alone tells the full story.
17. Not marking key waypoints (teahouse stops, water sources, junction points) before departure. A little preparation makes the actual trail feel far more familiar.
18. Assuming mobile signal will return sooner than it actually does on the descent. Connectivity returns gradually, not immediately, heading back down.
19. Overloading a phone with too many navigation apps and losing track of which has the actual offline data downloaded. Pick one primary tool and know it well.
20. Not accounting for weather-related route changes when planning the Gosaikunda extension specifically. Lauribina La can be snow-affected even when the standard Langtang route is clear.

Expert Route Planning Tips

1. Download offline maps before leaving Kathmandu, not after arriving in Syabrubesi.
2. Carry a power bank dedicated to keeping your navigation tool charged.
3. Learn village names rather than relying purely on GPS coordinates or a blue dot.
4. Check weather specifically before committing to Kyanjin Ri or Tserko Ri.
5. Understand elevation as well as distance when assessing how a day will actually feel.
6. Test your chosen map app thoroughly at home before you fly.
7. Carry a paper map as backup, even if your primary tool is digital.
8. Ask your guide to point out key landmarks each morning, building real familiarity with the route as you go.
9. Note where water refill points and teahouses sit relative to each day's distance, not just the endpoint.
10. Familiarise yourself with the shape of each day's elevation profile in advance, not just the total distance.
11. Keep your phone in airplane mode when not actively navigating, to conserve battery.
12. Confirm your map app's offline region download actually covers Langtang National Park specifically, not just a broader Nepal region.
13. Use the interactive map above to visualise the whole route before you fly, not just read the itinerary as text.
14. Discuss the Gosaikunda extension with your guide early if you're considering it, since the route diverges meaningfully from the standard trail.
15. Treat any map as a planning tool, and your guide's real-time knowledge as the actual navigation authority on the trail.
16. Mark your own personal points of interest (photo spots, rest points) on your map during planning, not just the standard waypoints.
17. Keep a backup, low-tech method (a compass, a printed route summary) in case all digital tools fail.
18. Don't assume trail markers alone are sufficient without a guide — they're a supplement, not a replacement.
19. Ask specifically about current conditions on any optional side trip before committing to it, rather than relying solely on general route information.
20. Understand that the return route retraces the same trail — plan your photography and exploration accordingly on the way up, since the way down covers the same ground.
21. Note where the trail crosses rivers and bridges in advance, since these are natural, memorable waypoints for tracking progress.
22. Keep your map tool's brightness low to conserve battery during long usage stretches.
23. Cross-reference your map with the day-by-day itinerary before departure so the two reinforce each other.
24. Ask your operator directly what navigation support (maps, GPS devices) your guide carries, beyond your own personal tools.
25. Remember that getting genuinely lost on this specific route is rare with a guide — use maps for understanding and confidence, not out of real navigational necessity.

Trek the Langtang Valley Trek

A Short Trek to Majestic Peaks and Deep Culture.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Langtang trail well marked? Yes — it's a well-established, single-valley route with clear trail markers throughout, genuinely straightforward to navigate with a guide.

Can I trek without GPS? Yes, with a guide — GPS is a helpful planning and confidence tool, not a navigational necessity on this specific route.

What is the highest point? Tserko Ri, at 4,984 m, if you attempt the optional hike; Kyanjin Ri (4,773 m) is the more commonly chosen alternative.

Is the route circular? No — it's an out-and-back route. You return via the same trail you climbed.

Where does the trek begin? Syabrubesi (1,503 m), reached by road from Kathmandu.

How long is the trail? Approximately 77 km round trip on the standard 8-day itinerary.

Which offline map is best? Maps.me or Organic Maps are our practical recommendations — solid offline functionality and generally reliable trail data for this route.

Can I extend to Gosaikunda? Yes — the Langtang Gosaikunda Trek continues from Kyanjin Gompa through a genuinely different second half of the route.

Do I need a guide? Yes, legally — a licensed guide is mandatory in Langtang National Park as of February 2025, regardless of your own navigation confidence.

Is mobile navigation reliable? Generally yes for offline-downloaded map data, though GPS accuracy can vary in mountain terrain — treat it as a planning aid, not an absolute authority.

What villages does the trek pass through? Syabrubesi, Bamboo, Rimche, Lama Hotel, Ghoda Tabela, Langtang Village, Mundu, and Kyanjin Gompa, in that order.

Is Lama Hotel an actual hotel? No — it's a cluster of simple teahouses in forest, named after an early lodge but not a single building today.

How far is Syabrubesi from Kathmandu? Roughly 120 km by road, a 7–8 hour drive.

What's the distance between Lama Hotel and Langtang Village? 15 km, typically covered in 6–7 hours of walking.

Does the trail follow a river? Yes — the Langtang Khola accompanies much of the route, particularly through the lower forest sections.

Are there suspension bridges on this trek? Yes, several, mostly concentrated in the Syabrubesi-to-Lama Hotel forest section.

Is the trail suitable for GPS watches? Yes, generally — most GPS watches with offline mapping handle this route well, subject to the same general mountain-terrain accuracy caveats as phone apps.

Can I use AllTrails for this trek? You can, though it's less consistently detailed for multi-day Himalayan routes than Maps.me or Organic Maps — not our first recommendation.

What's the best paper map for this trek? Trekking-specific paper maps of the Langtang region are available in Kathmandu bookshops and trekking gear shops before departure.

Is there phone signal along the route? Reliable through Syabrubesi, increasingly patchy from Lama Hotel onward, and largely unavailable at Kyanjin Gompa.

How accurate is GPS at high altitude? Generally functional, though accuracy can be affected by signal reflection off valley walls in mountainous terrain — a known, common limitation, not specific to this trek.

What's the elevation gain from Syabrubesi to Kyanjin Gompa? Approximately 2,367 m of net gain over four trekking days, before the optional viewpoint hikes.

Does the route pass through Langtang National Park? Yes, for the entire trekking portion — this is exactly why the National Park permit is required.

Is the trek an out-and-back or a loop? Out-and-back, unless extended to Gosaikunda, which finishes via a different route through Dhunche.

Where do I download offline maps? Before leaving home or, at the latest, while you still have reliable Wi-Fi in Kathmandu.

What landmarks mark the trail? Suspension bridges, chortens and mani walls, Ghoda Tabela's open pastures, and Langtang Village's earthquake memorial are among the most notable.

Is there a shorter route to Kyanjin Gompa? No — the standard trail via Lama Hotel and Langtang Village is the only established route for trekkers.

How do I find the trailhead to Kyanjin Ri? It branches directly from Kyanjin Gompa village itself, clearly marked and typically walked with your guide.

How do I find the trailhead to Tserko Ri? Also from Kyanjin Gompa, on a separate, longer line than the Kyanjin Ri trail.

Does the trail cross into Tibet? No — it approaches the border region but doesn't cross it; the standard route stays within Nepal throughout.

What's the elevation of Kyanjin Gompa? 3,870 m — the highest overnight stop on the standard itinerary.

Where does the Gosaikunda extension branch off? After returning to the Thulo Syabru area on the descent from Kyanjin Gompa, rather than continuing directly back to Syabrubesi.

Is Lauribina La part of the standard route? No — it's specific to the Gosaikunda extension, not the standard 8-day Langtang Valley Trek.

What's the total ascent on this trek? Approximately 2,830 m cumulative from Syabrubesi to Kyanjin Gompa.

Can I see the route map before booking? Yes — our Langtang Valley Trek page includes an elevation chart, and this guide's interactive map above shows the full route.

Do guides carry physical maps? Many do, alongside their own extensive route familiarity — confirm specifics with your operator if this matters to you.

What happens if the trail is affected by a landslide? Your guide reroutes or adjusts the itinerary as needed — this is exactly the kind of real-time knowledge a static map can't provide.

Is the route different in winter? The same physical trail, though snow near Kyanjin Gompa can affect conditions and, occasionally, viewpoint hike feasibility.

Can I hike part of the trail independently? No — a licensed guide is legally required for the entire route within Langtang National Park.

What's the closest airport to the trailhead? Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu; there's no airstrip near Syabrubesi, and the whole approach is by road.

Is there a road all the way to Kyanjin Gompa? No — the road ends at Syabrubesi; everything beyond that point is on foot.

How do I know which direction is north on the trail? Your guide handles orientation throughout; a compass or map app can supplement this if you're personally interested in tracking direction.

What's the best way to visualise the itinerary before departure? Use the interactive map and elevation profile above alongside our full Langtang Valley Trek Itinerary for the complete day-by-day picture.

Does the map show teahouse locations? Yes, at the level of villages and major stops — individual teahouse buildings aren't typically marked at that level of detail.

Is the Tamang Heritage Trail on this map? It's a separate, connected route in the lower Langtang region — ask your operator if you're interested in combining the two.

Can I combine this map with the Manaslu or Everest routes? Not directly on the trail — these are separate regions of Nepal, though many trekkers do combine multiple treks across a longer overall trip.

What coordinates mark the start of the trek? Syabrubesi sits at approximately 28.2°N, 85.35°E — most map apps will locate it directly by name.

Is there a designated rest point map for altitude? Not a separate map, but our Altitude Sickness Guide covers exactly where acclimatisation matters most along this route.

How do I use the map alongside the itinerary? Reference the elevation profile and village guide above as you read each day's itinerary entry — the two are designed to reinforce each other.

What's the single most useful navigation tip for this trek? Download your offline maps before leaving Kathmandu, and then trust your guide over the map itself once you're actually on the trail.

Understanding the route in advance — where you're going, how far, and how much elevation each day actually involves — genuinely changes how the trek feels once you're walking it. Talk to our team if you have specific questions about the route or want help deciding between the standard Langtang trek and the Gosaikunda extension.