Langtang Valley Trek Food- Cost and guide recommendation

Why know about Langtang Valley Trek Food options?

Especially foreigners who are sensitive to spicy or oily food find it difficult to adapt when they are travelling for the first time. Also, they are worried if the food option given to them is compatible with their taste or if it is even healthy enough. 

Getting sick from unhealthy food is quite common when you travel to a new country, and it’s important to worry about the situation. So, having an idea about all the food options in the place you are heading will reduce your stress. It helps you ask for the right food during the journey.

All the types of food that are available during the Langtang Valley Trekking, their cost, health impact, and wholesomeness matter a lot for trekkers. Further, it will help you make a list of foods that you should avoid if you do not want to become sick on this trip.

Here's a list of the Langtang trek food that you should eat more of to remain healthy. Since your diet also determines the ease you feel during trekking, you should know about this trekking food knowledge. 

Food for the Langtang Trek

Normally, the mountain trek starts early in the morning, and after a few hours of walking, you ask for breakfast. 

Options for breakfast

In your Langtang Trip Nepal, you can see all the options for breakfast with their cost in the menu provided below. The recommended food would be a hot beverage with Porridge, Muesli, Egg, Salad, Potatoes, Bread, Tibetan Chapati, Pancakes, and Soup. Buckwheat bread and Tibetan Chapati are unique local dishes that will keep you full during the trip.

Note: Just Porridge or muesli for breakfast might not give you energy for the walk, as most of the hiking is done in the morning. We suggest a heavy breakfast that will keep you energized for about four hours. 

Breakfast sets can cost between Rs 800 and Rs 1500. Normally, the travel agency manages costs and bookings on your behalf.

Langtang Valley Trek Food options for lunch and dinner

For lunch and dinner, savory local dishes are served hot and tasty.

Nepalese food options: Nepalese Dal Bhat (most recommended); Chowmin, Momo

International food option: Pasta. Spaghetti, Korean Dish, Fried Rice 

Local recommended food: Potato roll soup, Tngmo momo with curry 

We suggest a heavy lunch and light dinner while on the trek. Since you will walk from 3 to 4 pm in the evening, getting a good lunch is important to give you energy throughout the trek. For dinner, you can go for light options such as pasta, soup, or salad. 

Why should you eat Nepalese Dal Bhat on the trek?

The Nepalese Dal Bhat is the most popular dish in Nepal, and the local Nepalese eat this meal every day for lunch and dinner without getting tired. In fact, most Nepalese do not prefer to eat any food other than Dal Bhat for their entire life if provided the choice. It’s that food. 

Here’s what is included in the Nepalese Dal Bhat set

• Plain Steamed White Rice
• Lentil soup with local spices
• Mixed fried Vegetable curry with spices
• Sautéed green leafy vegetables 
• Meat gravy (if you want)
• Pickle 

Some places may or may not include: Papad, Curd, and different pickle varieties 

The plate of Dal Bhat will keep you full and feeling good throughout the day. The best part of this set is that it comes with unlimited additions. You can just ask them to add some rice, some soup, or vegetables without having to pay extra cost.

So, for someone who likes to eat food in large amounts, this might be the best choice. You can have Nepalese Dal Bhat for lunch and then eat something else for dinner, so that you will not be bored with the taste and also enjoy unlimited food every day. 

This is also the least oily option, and you can ask to use less spice or avoid pickle if you think it’s too spicy. 

Drinks on the Langtang Valley Trek

Other than the classic tea and coffee, the options for drinks are hot lemon, hot chocolate, milk, and Juice. Drinking 3 to 4 cups of hot drinks while you're in the mountains contributes to keeping your body hydrated as well as gives that needed boost for the journey. 

Beer and hard drinks are also available, but anything that makes your body dehydrated is not recommended when you are climbing towards the higher altitude. On the return journey, if your body is well adapted, you might have hard drinks below Langtang village. Homemade local drinks are also best to try; they are made up of home grains and are healthy if consumed in small amounts.

Water

During the journey, you will need to drink at least 4 to 5 L of water so that you remain hydrated and your body metabolism remains active. However, buying 4 to 5 plastic bottles each day while you are in the mountains is not recommended.

In fact, the government is trying to implement a plastic ban in the long trek, which is obviously a very good initiative to keep the trekking route clean. 

So you have two options here. 

You can get a normal bottle for around Rs 200 in Thamel and then buy some water purification tablets for the trek. The purification tablets will clean your bottle in 2 to 3 minutes after you refill it in the Tea House or at the taps along the trekking route. But the problem is that some people find that the purification tablets make the water smell weird.

So, the other option is to buy a filter bottle/ electric bottle that will filter the water automatically. These water filters can cost up to Rs 7000 in Thamel or up to $150 if you were buying them in your home country. However, considering that you buy a good water bottle and it can be used for 4 to 5 years, it's a good investment for travel enthusiasts.

Hot water: Yes, you need to buy hot water when you are in the Langtang Valley trek. Since there is no free electricity in this region, the locals do not give you hot water free of charge. It incurs a little charge.

Not recommended food in Langtang

There are a few things that are wise to avoid while you are trekking, not just in Langtang time but in any remote mountain area of Nepal, including Helambu. 

Meat: Although the lower regions, such as the Lama Hotel, might have fresh meat, the meat in the higher mountain region cannot be very good for your health. Especially since the locals do not freeze it (as the temperature in the mountains is always Low), they put the meat outside at a normal temperature. And such 2- to 3-day-old meat might not be very good for your health. 

Diary product: Most of the dairy products that are taken from the local cow or buffalo are good for health. But yak products such as yak milk and egg cheese might not be very good for your health. Almost all regions in Langtang have options for yak dairy products, but there are only a few that are recommended by your guide. If you eat yak dairy products from a random place, then you might suffer from diarrhea. 

Hard Drinks: Obviously, all kinds of alcoholic drinks are not recommended at higher altitudes. Especially when you are on the initial part of the journey and gaining altitude each day, just avoid any kind of alcoholic products. 

Food in the Langtang Trek Recommendations 

Almost all the food that is provided to you in the Langtang Valley trekking zone is locally grown. The locals might purchase some veggies from the lower altitudes and carry them to the higher regions, but most of them are grown locally by the farmers. So you are likely to be fine eating all kinds of vegetables. However, there is a special food that might help you feel energetic during the trek. They are:

Soup

Local vegetable soup is very good when you are at a higher altitude. Or, food that includes soup, such as Thukpa, is also good for your health, especially when it is taken as dinner.

Vegetable salad

Since the vegetables are locally grown, the fresh vegetable salad might be good if you are having trouble digesting Nepalese food. 

Egg

Since you will not be eating much meat, eggs can be a good replacement for protein in your diet. 

Does International food taste good on the Langtang trek?

There are some good options for international cuisine such as Pizza. Burger, and Spaghetti. These international foods are not prepared by the export chef but made by the local people who have always lived in the Himalayas. This means it might not taste the same as in your home country, but they will definitely taste good with a Nepalese twist. 

What Food should you carry from Kathmandu to Langtang?

You will be provided with a full-course meal and can purchase any drinks of your choice while you are on the trek. Also, you can carry some extra nuts and chocolates for the daytime. The recommended food that you can carry for your Langtang Valley trek in Kathmandu or Syabrubesi is 

• Walnut

• Cashew nut
• Dry fruit
• Energy bars
• Chocolates

See our Langtang trek pricing and inclusions to discover transparent costs and comprehensive packages that cover everything from accommodations to guided tours, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable trekking experience.