The ‘Tamang Heritage Trail’ is an exciting new trekking route located between Langtang and the Ganesh Himal. A culturally rich region steeped in Tibetan tradition, the local Tamang people are some of the warmest and most welcoming people in Nepal.        

The suggested itinerary for the Tamang Heritage Trail is as follows:

Day One: Kathmandu to Syabrubesi (8-9 hour bus or jeep drive)
Day Two: Syabrubesi to Gatlang (5-6 hours)
Day Three: Extra day of sight-seeing in Gatlang – see the “Day trips around Gatlang” page for an idea of what to do
Day Four: Gatlang to Tatopani (5 hours)
Day Five: Tatopani to Nagthali (2.5 hours), spend the afternoon walking up to Taruche for views of Kerung (Tibet) and the Ganesh Himal Range (3-4 hours return)
Day Six: Nagthali to Thuman (2-3 hours)
Day Seven: Thuman to Timure (4-5 hours), option to visit the Tibetan border
Day Eight: Timure to Briddim (5-6 hours)
Day Nine: Briddim to Syabrubesi (3 hours)
Day Ten: Syabrubesi to Kathmandu, or continue on Langtang Valley trek

Like many of the trekking routes in Nepal, you can walk the Tamang Heritage Trail. However, hiring a trekking guide and/or porter provides local men and women with employment, and allows you to learn more about the history and culture of the places you visit.

The Parpati Kunda Home Stay can arrange guide and porter service for you. The guides are Tashi’s two younger brothers, Anil and Santosh. If Anil and Santosh are not available, there are several others in Gatlang who can also lead you on your trek.

Name: Anil Lama Tamang
Age: 29
Guide licence number: 5030
Favourite treks: Langtang Vallery, Everest Base Camp

Anil first got his porter license in 2005 when he was 21-years-old. At the time, he was still living in Gatlang, and would serve as a porter around the area. In 2007, Anil moved to Kathmandu and got a guide license.

Anil likes trekking because he gets to meet new friends from all over the world. Trekking is our occupation, and I love my job.

There is an intense month of training in Kathmandu to become a trekking guide.

There are many different subjects, from climbing to talking about the culture and the history of all the different treks. The Tamang Heritage Trail is very different than guiding in the Everest region.

The peak season for trekking in Nepal is October to November and March to May, and Anil will guide around five to six treks a year. Sometimes he works for the Kathmandu-based trekking company, Responsible Trekking, but he also serves as a freelance, independent guide.

You can contact Anil at anilgatlang40@yahoo.com or on his cell phone at 984-190-3545.

Name: Santosh Tamang
Age: 22
Guide licence number: 6851
Favourite treks: Tamang Heritage Trail, Everest Base Camp, Gosaikunda

Like his older brother, Santosh first got involved in trekking by serving as a porter. He was 18-years-old when he first started as a porter, and got his guide licence a year later.

“People with no guide get confused everyday,” Santosh says. “Trekking is not only walking, because in Nepal we have many different ethnic groups. Trekking is about the social part, too, talking to local people and learning about local culture.”

You can contact Santosh by email at santoshchyangpa@ymail.com or on his cell phone at 984-936-7292.

Important information about guides and trekking

Every guide in Nepal is certified through the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. Guiding licenses must be renewed every five years.

When arranging for a guide, make sure you ask questions to ensure he or she has warm clothing and insurance. In terms of prices, plus room and board at a home stay/tea house. Porters . Trekkers usually pay 50 per cent of the guide/porter fee in advance.

Guides can lead up to no limit people, with larger groups having an assistant guide. When you hire a guide, you can expect them to arrange most aspects of your trek, from hiring assistant guides, porters, transportation, hotel reservations, permits, etc.

Every tourist who wants to walk the Tamang Heritage Trail or visit Gatlang must pay the national park entry fee of Rs 3,000 and get a Trekking Information Management Systems (TIMS) card, which costs Rs 1,000 with a guide, and Rs 2,000 without. You can buy both of these at the National Tourism Board building at Bhrikutimandi, Kathmandu. Please note that the price of national park permits and TIMS cards can sometimes change without notice. Make sure you get the latest information from the tourism board, or your guide when booking your trek.