Situated at a very close distance from the capital city of Kathmandu, Nepal. Gosaikunda trek is one of the most famous and well known treks among trekkers from around the world. Situated in the Rasuwa district, north of Kathmandu, this trek is mostly famous for a high altitude lake- The Gosaikunda. Apart from a trekking destination, Gosaikunda is a sacred lake for Hindus of Nepal and elsewhere. The high altitude lake is located at an altitude of 4380 meters and is surrounded by snow capped peaks. During the spring season, the lake and the surrounding areas bloom with wildflowers giving the lake an aesthetic look.
Gosaikunda trek in itself can be taken as a short trek, probably one of the shortest and fastest treks that can take you into the himalayas. The trek starts at the headquarter of Rasuwa district, Dhunche. Dhunche is a small himalayan village and the gateway to Gosaikunda lake. The lake is accessible from a small village north of Dhunche, Syafrubesi as well as the region of Helambu. Dhunche-Gosaikunda route is mostly favored by trekkers.
Day 1 Kathmandu- Dhunche- Dhimsa
The first day of the trek starts in Kathmandu valley. Dhunche is situated at a distance of 110 km from Kathmandu. Driving through the switchbacks of Kathmandu valley, we descend down to the village of Dhading and following the Trishuli river the road leads to the famous village of Battar. As we cross the bridge at Betrawati, we enter the district of Rasuwa and start climbing up a switchback hill leading into the Himalayas with the Trishuli river flowing alongside us.
Day 1 of the trek either ends in Dhunche or we can continue up the mountain the same day aiming to stop at either Deurali or Dhimsa.
Day 2 Dhisma- Lauribina
Starting early in the morning we descend up the mountain to reach the beautiful village of Chandanbari. A taste of the famous cheese from the cheese factory is a must. Towards the left side of Chandanbari, we can see the peaks surrounding Gosaikunda. As we climb up from Chandanbaari, we get the glimpse of Ganesh Himal range towards the south. The first village or tea house after leaving Chandanbari is at Cholangpaty, a good spot to have a tea break overlooking the himalayas. Past Cholangpaty is where the incline starts going up and as the altitude picks up as well, it’s suggested to walk slowly. The climb up to Lauribina is one of the biggest challenges of the Gosaikunda trek. Second day’s trek ends at Lauribina.
Day 3 Lauribina- Gosaikunda- Cholangpaty
Day 3 starts with an early morning short and decent trek to the Gosaikunda lake. The trail leads right through the himalayas, as you climb up the mountain we reach a rugged landscape above the treeline. With some bushes and himalayan grass, the landscape looks really beautiful. After about 2 hours of walking we reach Gosaikunda lake. The pristine high altitude lake surrounded by the snow capped hill looks amazing. After spending a few hours on the lake we descend down to Cholangpaty.
Day 4 Cholangpaty – Syafrubesi
On the way back we take a different route to Kathmandu via Syafrubesi. A left turn in Cholangpaty takes us downhill into the village of Syafrubesi. A very old village of Tamang people of the mountains. The beautiful trail upto Syafrubesi is surrounded by amazing landscapes and beautiful forests with diverse song of birds. As we descend down on the village of Syafrubesi, we go to the hotspring and explore the village.
Day 5 Kathmandu
On day 5 we drive back to Kathmandu valley.