One of the most accessible areas for trekking is the Langtang region in the north of Kathmandu valley. While the area cannot boast any of the Himalayan giants, the scenery here is every bit as spectacular as most of the better known destinations. It is also far less visited by tourists making a trek here somewhat more of an adventure. Just above Kathmandu is the area known as Helambu, which is ideal for short duration treks and is especially suited to winter season trips. Here there is a series of north-south running valleys that provide a variety of possible trekking routes. At the head of these valleys is a ridge that separates Helambu from the east-west running Langtang valley. Here the high alpine scenery, with mountains visible from their base to their peak, and the sparsely inhabited nature of the country makes this an ideal destination for trekkers who are on a tight time schedule. Langtang is a narrow valley bordering Tibet but still far away from Tibetan Plateau. Langtang has the heavenly beauty of the land with its rushing rivers and lush forests. The influence of Tibet can be experienced here. The Tamang tribe is the main group of settlers in this region.
Langtang is protected as a national park and it has a number of high peaks which attracts lots of tourists every year. It is the second largest National Park of Nepal and one of the least crowded trekking destinations. There are around 4500 people who live inside the park and they are dependent on timber and firewood. The park contains a wide variety of climatic zones, trees like Oak, Maple, Pine, Rhododendron and animals like Himalayan black bear, Himalayan tahr (goat), Rhesus monkeys, Red Pandas. To the west of Langtang is a virtual wilderness area centered on the Ganesh Himal range, a collection of 6-7000 meter peaks that see very little tourist activity.