Gosaikunda

A pilgrimage that happens to be a trek

Most Nepali treks are walks that pass some temples. Gosaikunda is the reverse: it is a major Hindu pilgrimage destination that happens to have a trekking trail leading to it, and understanding that changes how you experience it.

The lakes are held to have been created by Shiva, who struck the mountainside with his trident to produce water after drinking poison to save the world. The largest lake is associated with him directly, and a rock formation in it is identified as his resting place. For Nepali and Indian Hindus this is a site of genuine religious significance, not scenery.

Janai Purnima

On the August full moon, tens of thousands of pilgrims walk up to bathe in the lakes. Many do it in a single push from the roadhead, overnight, without the acclimatisation any trekking operator would insist on — and in ordinary clothes.

If you are there for it, the scene is extraordinary and unlike anything else in Nepal. It is also monsoon season, the trail is crowded beyond the lodges' capacity, and altitude sickness among pilgrims is common. We will take you, but we will not pretend it is a comfortable trek.

The walking

From Dhunche or Syabrubesi — both reached by road, six to seven hours from Kathmandu — the trail climbs steeply through forest to Sing Gompa, where there is a small cheese factory and a monastery. Above that the treeline gives way and the route contours across open hillside to Laurebina, with the Ganesh Himal and Manaslu behind you.

The lakes sit in a shallow basin at around 4,380 m. There are more than a hundred in the wider area; the trail passes four or five of the significant ones. For much of the year they are frozen.

Crossing to Helambu

Beyond the lakes, Laurebina La (4,610 m) drops into the Helambu region and out to Sundarijal, which is an hour from Kathmandu. This turns the trip into a genuine traverse — up one valley, over a pass, down another, no backtracking, no repeated transport. It is the best way to walk it.

The altitude catch

The climb from Dhunche to the lakes gains a great deal of height quickly, and Gosaikunda has a worse altitude-sickness record than its modest maximum height suggests. A night at Sing Gompa rather than pushing through is the difference, and any itinerary that goes roadhead-to-lakes in two days is one we would not run.

Combining with Langtang

Gosaikunda joins naturally to the Langtang valley — walk the valley first, come back down to Syabrubesi, then climb to the lakes and exit over the pass. Around twelve days for the pair, with no flight at any point.

Permits

Langtang National Park entry and a TIMS card.

Where to go next

• Langtang Region — The high valley directly north of Kathmandu
• Kathmandu Valley — Seven UNESCO Monument Zones within an hour of each other
• Muktinath & Jomsom — A temple at 3,800 m held sacred by Hindus and Buddhists alike, in the arid Kali Gandaki valley

Related activities: Trekking in Nepal, Cultural & Heritage Tours.

Or see every trip we run: all trekking and tour packages.