Short Tamang Heritage Trek - 9 days

Kathmandu, a bowl-shaped valley ringed by green hills, looks beautiful from high up in the skies. As your plane enters Kathmandu, enjoy the bird's-eye view of the city. After landing, you can make your way to the immigration counter and have your visa stamped. Later head to the airport's terminal where you will find our guide hold holding a placard with your name or Third Rock Adventures written on it. He will greet you and take you to your hotel.

Once you arrive at the hotel, you can check into your room and freshen up. After a brief rest, you will meet your trekking guide for a short briefing about your trek. You can go over your packing list with your guide and buy or rent the items that you don't have with you. Thamel has a multitude of trekking gear and equipment shops and rental outlets, and you can buy/rent your gear from a shop offering the best deal. Complete your packing before you retire for the night, as you will be leaving early tomorrow.

Overnight in Kathmandu.

You will depart from your hotel early in the morning and board a vehicle heading towards Syabrubesi. The village of Syabrubeis is the trailhead of most of the treks in Langtang Valley.

The route follows a winding mountain road filled with amazing views of lush forests, paddy fields, and hillside villages. The road is a mix of asphalt and dirt jeep track. So you will be riding partly on good roads as well as bumpy and muddy patches. However, the scenery filled with small streams, rivers, and waterfalls cascading down the mountain cliffs is gorgeous. At the entrance of the Langtang National Park, your trekking permits will be checked.

After almost a three-hour drive, you will reach the charming town of Dhunche, where you will stop for lunch. The last part of the drive takes you down a serpentine mountain road, close to the Nepal-Tibet border. At Syabrubesi you will end your first day's journey and head to a guesthouse for rest and food.

Syabrubesi, a riverside Tamang village, is dotted with lodges and restaurants that mostly cater to tourists trekking in the Langtang Valley.

Overnight in Syabrubesi.

After an early breakfast, you will start your trek. On the first day of your Short Tamang Heritage Trek, you will hike from Syabrubesi to Gatlang, one of the largest villages on the Tamang Heritage Trail. Leaving Syabrubesi, you will take an upward hike and climb to about 700 meters. It is a steep climb filled with great views of the Langtang Range and Ganesh Himal. After an uphill walk past tall pine trees, you will come across a flat dirt track. After trekking for about three hours, you will reach a village where you will stop for lunch. From here you will be able to view the Gosainkunda trail.

Later you will continue your hike towards Gatlang on a flat and easy trail. On reaching the village, you will check into a teahouse run by a local family. Once you have rested for some time, you can explore the village.

Unfortunately, during the 2015 earthquake, Gatlang lost many of its old and beautiful Tibetan-style houses. However, at the center of the village, you will still find some authentic Tamang houses built of stone and wood.

The locals are very friendly and welcoming. You will find most of them dressed in the Tamang traditional attire. The men wear a 'syate' (traditional cap) and a 'syoldo' (a long woolen coat held at the waist with a belt known as a 'che'). The women also wear a 'syate' or cap and 'angdung,' a long skirt, held with a belt, and a colorful waistcloth known as 'gunyi.'. All the clothes they wear are handwoven and stitched by the women themselves. You can see some of the women weaving clothes on the traditional loom and spinning yarn while strolling around Gatlang. It is a fascinating walk, filled with vibrant scenes of Tamang village life.

After exploring the village and interacting with the villagers, you will walk back to the teahouse and enjoy dinner before retiring for the night.

There's also a sacred lake, Parvati Kund, high above the village. If you are not too tired, you can hike to the lake with your guide.

Overnight in Gatlang.

Leaving Gatlang, you will proceed towards Tatopani. With a nice view of Langtang Lirung, you will walk down a long concrete staircase. After a steep 500-meter descent with mesmerising views of the snowcapped Himalayan mountains and terraced fields, you will cross the Chilime Khola (river) and arrive at Chilime, the largest village on the Tamang Heritage trekking trail. Mani walls and quaint water mills adorn the trail. There is a large hydropower plant and a dirt jeep track that connects the village to the Pasang Lhamu Highway, the main highway in Rasuwa District.

You will walk through fields and local houses of before descending to the river again. Traverse the river via a long metal suspension bridge. After crossing the bridge, you will make a steep climb. This is one of the toughest sections of your journey. En route, you will walk past the Tamang villages of Cherka and Gonggang, where you can stop for lunch and refreshment. Later, continue trekking on a gentle uphill and flat trail for two more hours before finally arriving at your destination, Tatopani.

Up until the 2015 earthquake, Tatopani was known among both tourists and locals for its refreshing hot spring. But sadly, after the earthquake, the hot spring dried up, and the village doesn't receive that many visitors anymore. However, it's still a lovely little village that has preserved traditional Tamang culture. You will be staying in a teahouse overnight.

Overnight in Tatopani.

After a hearty breakfast, you will start your trek to Thuman. The trail follows an upward path and enters a beautiful rhododendron forest. During spring this section of the trail transforms into a stunning wonderland filled with pink and red rhododendron blooms. Take a steep trail and walk to the highest point of your trek, Nagthali. It is an exhausting climb, but the views are well worth the effort.

Nagtahli is a popular viewpoint on the Tamang Heritage Trail from where one can enjoy amazing views of the Langtang Range, the Ganesh Himal Range, and the Tibetan mountains. It lies on an open grassy plateau with few teahouses scattered far apart. The teahouses at Nagthali offer food and lodging to trekkers. You will stop at one of the quaint teahouses and have your lunch. Enjoy the incredible mountain views while the teahouse owner rustles up a delicious meal for you.

After lunch, you will continue your trek and head down to Thuman. It is a steep descent past a thick rhododendron forest. En route, you will cross meadows and grazing pastures filled with herds of sheep and yak. You will meet local herders who are ready to chat and exchange pleasantries. The locals are very friendly and do not mind having their photos clicked.

After walking for about two or three hours from Nagthali, you will reach the village of Thuman. Thuman is a lively hillside village facing towards the east. The large settlement is filled with modern buildings as well as traditional stone and wood houses. You will stay at one of the teahouses run by a local family. Thuman has an ancient Buddhist monastery and a yak cheese factory which you can visit.

Overnight in Thuman.

Bidding goodbye to Thuman, you will make your way down to Briddim, another culturally rich village on the Tamang Heritage Trek. En route, you will pass long mani walls and stone chortens. The trail meanders down a steep hill from where you can enjoy great views of the surrounding landscape—terraced fields and green hills. During your descent, you will be able to view Syabrubesi from where you started your trek.

The trail leads you down to the Trishuli River via a fragrant pine and fir forest. It is a beautiful walk filled with scenic views. Cross the river via a suspension bridge and get to the other side. Once you are on the other side, you will climb uphill and enter a lush pine forest. There's a dirt road leading to the village, but one should avoid the road and take the small walking trail that takes you straight up to the village.

Along with Gatlang and Thuman, Briddim is probably one of the prettiest villages on the Tamang heritage circuit. You can explore the village and visit the village's Buddhist monastery after checking into a teahouse.

This village is considered a living museum of Tamang heritage and culture and has several beautiful Tibetan-style buildings. The Tsechu festival, one of the most colorful and vibrant festivals in Rasuwa, is celebrated in Briddim. The festival is observed during February/March right after Losar (Tibetan New Year). The Tsechu festival in Briddim is marked by elaborate Buddhist prayer rituals, masked dances by Buddhist monks, and traditional songs and dances by the local villagers. For a more enriching experience, you can plan your trek during this festival.

Overnight in Briddim.

Today is the last day of your Short Tamang Heritage Trek. From Briddim, you will descend down to Saybrubesi via the village of Khangjim. There's a rough jeep track all the way down to Syabrubesi.

On reaching Syabrubesi, you can check into a guesthouse and enjoy a hot shower. Later in the evening, you can celebrate your success with the local crew.

Overnight in Syabrubesi.

Leaving Syabrubesi, you will head towards Kathmandu by vehicle. You will take the same picturesque route that you took at the beginning of your journey. Enjoy mesmerizing views of waterfalls and river valleys as you drive alongside the mountainous road. After a long drive of about 7 to 8 hours, you will finally reach Kathmandu. Upon reaching the city, you will be dropped at your hotel. Enjoy a warm shower and a delicious meal before resting for the night.

Overnight in Kathmandu.

Today marks the end of your trip. With treasured memories of your trek, you will bid goodbye to Kathmandu and head homewards. Our driver will drop you off at the Tribhuvan International Airport at least three hours before your flight's departure. If you haven't had enough of Nepal and want to extend your holiday, you can get in touch with us. We have a range of itineraries to different destinations that might interest you.