Helambu Trek

You start a guided tour to four of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu. Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the palaces of the medieval Kings who ruled over the Kathmandu Kingdom. Pashupatinath houses a sacred Lingum, or the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva. The Aryaghat alongside Pashupati and on the banks of the Bagmati River is a famous funeral site for the Hindus. The Buddhists shrine of Boudhanath is one of the largest stupas in the world, and one of the holiest Buddhist pilgrimage and tourist destinations in Kathmandu. The area of Boudhnath is also famous for over 50 Tibetan Gompas or monasteries. Swayambhu meaning the “the self-existent” is popular among the foreigners as the Monkey Temple owing to the large number of monkey population residing in the area. Bhaktapur Durbar square and Patan Durbar Square are also listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Bhakatpur is an irresistible city with an authentic local lifestyle preserved over centuries of isolation from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu. While in the city square, you get to admire the Nyata-Pola Temple, the Golden Gate, waterspouts and the 55 Window Palace which merge together to provide an ambience of a magical outdoor theater to its visitors. Overnight at hotel.

Today, we make an hour’s drive to Sundarijal (1350m), our trek start point. From Sundarijal, we trek to Chisopani (2300m). We enter through the trail of Shivapuri National Park. The first settlement we come across is Mulkharka mostly inhabited by the Tamang people. Then we walk along the ridge through a forest of oaks and rhododendron to Chisopani. Overnight at guest house.

After taking our morning breakfast, we head for a journey to Kutumsang. We will enjoy the magnificent views of the Langtang mountains on the way. After some hiking, we arrive at Pathi Bhanjyang and Gul Bhanjyang. From Gul Bhanjyang, the trail ascends to another pass. Another downhill trek from the pass takes us to Kutumsang. Overnight at Kutumsang.

We climb above Kutumsang on a steep trail mostly through fir and rhododendron forest where there are no permanent settlements. Then we will pass to Yurin Danda with magnificent views of the Himalayas. We will reach tharepati for our overnight stay.

Today we head for Tarkeghyang. During early part of the trek, the trail descends until we cross the Melamchi Khola. Then we ascend Tarkeghyang passing through Sherpa settlements. We enjoy the golden majestic mountain views with the sunshine. We discover the village of biggest and oldest monastery of the region. The village is more popularly known as Helambu, since most of the inhabitants belong to the Helmu caste.

It’s an easy walk today as there is not any ascending trail. We pass through forests, streams, and waterfalls. The trail makes a sweep around the wide valley end between Parachin and the Sherpa village of Gangyul. From Gangyul, we arrive at Sermathang. We will discover a village. There is also a Buddhist monastery at the highest point of the village.

On our final day of the trek, we descend to Malemchi Pul Bazaar. The village is mostly inhabited by the Sherpa, but there are also people of other ethnicities. From the Bazaar, we catch a bus to Kathmandu. After reaching Kathmandu we have the rest of the day off to rest or do some souvenir shopping. To celebrate the successful completion of our journey, we will have a farewell dinner for the group.