Dhulikhel Nagarkot Chagunarayan Hiking

The Jugal Himal Trek is a 15-day trek in Sindhupalchok, northeast of Kathmandu. On the way, you reach the five holy lakes of Panch Pokhari, the Jugal Himal Base Camp at 4,500m, and a 5,570m viewpoint that looks straight at Everest and Lhotse on a clear day.

My name is Chandra Gurung, and my team at Himalaya Guide Nepal takes you three days deeper, past the last lodge in Panch Pokhara, up to the Jugal Himal base camp at the foot of the glacier.

This is one of the quietest high trails near Kathmandu. Many days you will not pass another foreigner at all. Just old Tamang and Sherpa villages, thick forest, and a wall of 6,000m peaks that marks the border with Tibet.

The range is a wall of sharp snow peaks. Dorje Lakpa is the tallest at 6,966m. Around it stand Phurbi Chhyachu, Madiya, and Jugal Yangri. Together they form part of the border wall between Nepal and Tibet.

The 2015 earthquake hit Sindhupalchok hard, and tourism slowed for years after that. In a strange way, it kept the region raw. The trails stayed quiet. The villages still farm and herd the old way. You feel like a guest here, not a customer.

The Lapchi Trek follows the Tama Khosi River from Lamabagar and climbs into the offbeaten valley of Lapchi Kang, a small Himalayan range tucked between the road to Tibet and the great Rolwaling Himal valley. The landscape shifts from cloud forest to bamboo groves to high alpine pastures and glacial lakes. It is remote. It is quiet. And it is nothing like the trails you see on Instagram.

The trek is classified as moderate to challenging. You do not need to be a professional mountaineer. But you do need a solid base of fitness and a willingness to camp in wild terrain. Most days involve 3 to 5 hours of walking. The highest point is 4,900m at the alpine lakes above Lapchi Village.

The Manaslu Circuit with Serang Gompa Trek is a 15-day journey through the restricted trails of the Gorkha District and stands as a quieter alternative to Nepal’s commercial Himalayan routes. The route encircles Mount Manaslu (8,163 M), the world’s eighth-highest peak, and passes through a wide range of landscapes. At lower elevations, dense subtropical forests and waterfalls line the Budhi Gandaki River, while alpine terrain and glacial moraines dominate the approach to Larkya La Pass (5,160 M). The trail crosses Gurung and Tibetan-origin villages where architecture, customs, and daily life reflect long-preserved Himalayan traditions.

This itinerary gains its distinct character through its spiritual extension into Kyimolung Beyul, known as the “Hidden Valley of Happiness,” with a visit to the sacred Serang Gompa at 3,100 M. Blessed by Guru Rinpoche, the 500-year-old monastery remains an active center of Tibetan Buddhist practice in the Nubri region. The journey includes an overnight stay at the monastery, where trekkers observe rituals, practice meditation, and experience monastic life. This extension adds cultural depth and spiritual meaning to a demanding high-altitude trek.