Gosaikunda Trek Blog

Gosaikunda Trek needs no introduction. It’s among the most trekked destinations in Nepal by Nepali and foreigners. While trekking here, you’ll find countless people, from a teen to senior citizens. Being short, accessible, and affordable, Gosaikunda Lake Trek is everyone’s trekking.

The distance between Dhunche and Gosaikunda is just 17 km. Trail distance-wise, it’s one of the shortest high-altitude trekking in Nepal. And also the quick altitude gain on any other trekking route.

Due to several steep ascends and rapid altitude gain, trekking to Gosaikunda is arduous. Most trekkers consider it a multi-day hike and pilgrimage site visit instead of high-altitude trekking. So they tend to complete it within two to three days. As a result, while returning, most trekkers experience trembling feet, extreme fatigue, and cramps.

Here in the blog, we’ll discuss why the easy Gosaikunda Trek becomes challenging for many trekkers. Also, we’ll give you some valuable suggestions at the end of this blog so you have a proper idea before planning this trek.

Want to know how we use our handpicked itinerary for this trek? Here’s how our licensed trek guide handpicks his Gosaikunda Trek Itinerary while guiding clients from NepTrek.

First, let’s go through some aspects that make this trek look easy.

Gosaikunda Trek Distance

Dhunche to Gosaikunda Lake is just 17 km in distance. Considering other trek routes like Everest Base Camp Trek, 65 km one way, and Annapurna Base Camp, 55 km from Pokhara, Gosaikunda’s trail is very short. If this distance were on other treks, you’d be on day two of the itinerary. Even the most popular Langtang Valley Trek, adjacent to Gosaikunda Lake, is around 35 km from Syabrubesi to Kyanjin Gompa.

Due to the shorter distance, people often try to complete this trek in just two days, one to hike up and another to return to Dhunche. But, in doing so, almost all miss the point: the high-altitude landscape and associated risk. We’ll discuss these arduous sections.

Trek Accessibility

Logistically, unlike Everest and Annapurna region trekking, to start Gosaikunda Trek is very easy. You don’t need to book the flight tickets or worry about delays and cancellations.

You can catch a bus from Machhapokhari Chowk, Kathmandu, to Dhunche, which comes at a very affordable rate. You’ll have an option of taking scorpio if you feel like taking a Scorpio ride.

Upon starting this trek from Dhunche, you’ll trek on a single main trail that leads to the lake.

In May 2023, the local authorities started maintaining the Gosaikunda trekking route by making plastered stairs on the track to Deurali. Also, the newly installed iron bars on the cliffs en route to the lake past Buddha Mandirr keep you safe.

The overnight camps are just a few hours apart en route. You can hike to Deurali, Dhimsa, or Chandanbari on the first day. These three camps are an hour apart, making it easy for you to walk if you still have fuel left.

In a nutshell, reaching Gosaikunda Lake is very easy. However, a proper itinerary plan and fitness are a must.

Gosaikunda Trek route- Loads of Trekkers

Established trek routes like Annapurna Base Camp Trek and Everest Base Camp Trek are filled by foreign trekkers. On the other hand, the Gosaikunda Lake Trek Route is more prevalent among Nepali and gets crowded.

Nepalese consider this trek a pilgrimage trek rather than a high-altitude trek. Viewed as an abode of Lord Shiva, the prominent Hindu god, people intend to take holy baths at the lake. Moreover, two to three “Gosaikunda bathing festivals” yearly see thousands of trekkers scaling the 17 km route from Dhunche.

If you’re planning this Gosaikunda Lake Trek solo, you’ll not be alone on the route. This trek gets so busier that even for solo trekkers, the only solitary thing is reaching the bus stop from home. From Dhunche, you’ll find many people trekking up and returning.

For peaceful hikers, there may be better trekking destinations like Tsho Rolpa Trek than this. But for those looking for a short, budget, and easy treks in Nepal, Gosaikunda Trek in 2023 can be the one.

Short distanced camps

With short-distanced tea house camps, trekkers on Gosaikunda Trek get flexible options of stopping for lunch and settling overnight. Deurali from Dhunche is 5 km away, now a famous overnight stopping place for trekkers. For decent-paced trekkers, Dhimsa and Chandanbari are popular overnight stopping places. But not many trekkers trek to Chandanbari on the first day.

If you fail to take an early bus from Kathmandu to Dhunche, you can take the bus till 11 am from Machhapokhari Chowk. Upon reaching Dhunche in the evening, you can stay overnight at the lodges in Dhunche and start the trek the next morning. The next day, upon beginning the trek from Dhunche, you can trek up to Lauribinayak. And while trekking here, you can stop for breakfast at Deurali and lunch at Cholangpati.

Also, if you’re on Langtang Gosaikunda Lake Trek, there’s no need to stop at Cholangpati on the day you start trekking from Pairo or Thulo Syabru. With two more hours of decent-paced trek, you can reach Lauribinayak.

Since the camps are a few kilometres apart, you’ll have multiple stop options to stay even if you fail to hike. Or even during altitude sickness, you can descend for 2-3 hours and settle in for rest and overnight accommodation.

If you plan to stay at Gosaikunda Lake overnight, there are four tea houses on the lakeside. The good part is that almost all these tea houses offer fair lodging and accommodation. Furthermore, those who hike to Surya Kunda from Gosaikunda reach Deurali while returning.

Our suggestion

Don’t rush down to Dhunche from Gosaikunda Lake on a single day. As no bus leaves for Kathmandu from Dhunche in the evening, there’s no point in rushing down with trembling legs. It’s better to stay at Deurali overnight, trek down to Dhunche the following morning for 2 hours, and take a bus to Kathmandu.

Why the easy Gosaikunda Lake Trek is among the arduous trekking in Nepal?

Steep ascend and entire-downhill route

One thing everyone hates about the Gosaikunda Lake Trek route is that most sections are steep and tiring. There are only two flat-like sections, Dhunche to Mini Gosaikunda and Chandanbari to Cholangpati. Please note that not all areas between these two flat-like are almost flat.

The cemented stairs from Ghatte Khola to Deurali tire you quickly. And if you trek here in June/July, you’ll get beat up by heat and sweat. From Deurali, you’ll ascend to Dhimsa with multiple sections intense-ascend. Past Dhimsa to Chandanbari, the route is relatively steep but tires trekkers. Past Chandanbari, the trail is easy due to lesser steep ascends. However, some sections inside the forest area past Chandanbari could be more challenging to climb.

The trek route past Cholangpati to Lauribinayak is also tiring. However, with a plastered trekking route, the trek will be less strenuous.

For every trekker on Gosaikunda Trek, the section between Lauribinayak and Buddha Mandir is the most challenging climb. It’s a one-and-a-half-hour steep climb. However, while crossing this section, you’ll get the panoramic Langtang mountain range and even Mt. Manaslu and Annapurna South.

Past Buddha Mandir, you’ll hike on a relatively easy trail with iron railings on the cliffs.

While returning from the lake, your legs tremble and often develop cramps. As the entire route to Dhunche is downhill, you may experience extreme fatigue, cramps, and even thigh swelling.

Rapid altitude gain

The 17 km long Dhunche-Gosaikunda route sees you start the trek from 2,030 meters to 4,380 meters. Considering the distance and the altitude difference, trekkers gain more than 2000 meters in just two days. And in between, there’s no acclimatization stop.

On a 17 km long route, gaining 2,350 meters altitude without acclimatization puts trekkers at risk of altitude sickness. And many suffer altitude sickness as well. But even after experiencing headaches, nausea, and vomiting, signs of altitude sickness, they push themselves to the lake and return as quickly as possible.

On the first day of this trek, people trek from Dhunche to Chandanbari at 3,400 meters (approx). In doing so, they gain more than 1300 meters in altitude in a single day. This climbs on day one and puts trekkers at risk of altitude sickness. There’ve been many cases where people experienced vomiting and shortness of breath, even at Chandanbari.

On the second day, upon leaving Chandanbari, trekkers trek to Gosaikunda and return to either Deurali or Dhunche. Returning will be fine if your legs stay energized. But climbing to Buddha Mandir from Lauribinayak and reaching Gosaikunda at 4,380 meters from 3,400 meters causes altitude sickness.

However, very few stay at the lake. Most spend 1-2 hours at the lake and descend to Deurali as quickly as possible. In doing so, many people escape the time frame of the appearance of altitude sickness.

In a nutshell, the rapid altitude gain during the Gosaikunda Lake Trek is no joke. It’s better to walk up slowly, stay at Deurali and Lauribinayak for two overnights, and trek to the lake on the third day morning.

Altitude sickness- Major issue among trekkers on Gosaikunda Trek

Unconcerned about altitude sickness, more than 30% of trekkers on the Gosaikunda Trek get altitude sickness due to rapid ascend.

Headache is the most common symptom that appears first. Shortness of breath, vomiting, lack of appetite, and diarrhea occur later. Few trekkers experience mild headaches and vomiting by the time they reach Chandanbari. And others experience these symptoms at Lauribinayak.

While trekking here, we’ve seen that people barely rehydrate on the route. Also, people ignore headaches and nausea, assuming it’s due to cold and tiredness.

Slippery grits and plant litter over the trail- One to get concerned

The trekking trail is entirely downhill while returning to Dhunche from Gosaikunda Lake. Trails are covered with grits and plant litter; most sections are slippery. Frequently, trekker slip, tear their ligaments, injure themselves, and even get fractured.

While returning, people tend to hike down to Dhunche on a single day. Due to the rush, the leg starts trembling. And trekkers tend to injure themselves.

Gosaikunda Lake Trek in 2025 with NepTrek

Many people laugh at this, but taking a licensed trekking guide with you for Gosaikunda Trek can make a lot of difference. With an experienced trek guide, your trek runs smoothly and offers a unique trek experience. A licensed trekking guide keeps you safe, plans your itinerary wisely, and pre-books the tea houses and transportation.

NepTrek houses some of the experienced trekking guides who’ve been to Gosaikunda Lake on multiple occasions. With our professional trek guides, your Gosaikunda Trek 4 days experience will be one of a kind.

Moreover, our highly affordable Gosaikunda Trek Package for 2025 fits your budget, expectations, and safety.

Please get in touch with us using our listed Contact Us addresses. You can also message us on WhatsApp, Instagram, and other social media. Our associates will respond to you as soon as possible.