At 4,380 meters in Langtang National Park, the alpine lake of Gosaikunda is both a stunning trekking destination and one of Nepal's most important Hindu and Buddhist pilgrimage sites. According to legend, the lake was created when Lord Shiva plunged his trident into the mountainside to bring forth water after swallowing poison during the churning of the cosmic ocean.
Every year during the Janai Purnima festival, thousands of pilgrims make the demanding trek up to bathe in the lake's icy waters, believed to cleanse sins and bring blessings. Outside festival season, the trek is a quieter, dramatic journey through rhododendron forest and high alpine terrain, with views across the Langtang and Ganesh Himal ranges.
Our Gosaikunda trek is typically combined with the Langtang Valley route, and can be arranged for both the festival period and the quieter trekking seasons.
