Tsum Valley and Manaslu Trek.-20 Day/s

After a long hauling flight, you arrive to the ‘Ancient City Temple’ of Kathmandu. Our representative will be waiting for you to pick you up in the Airport. After a brief document and baggage check our representative will transport you to your hotel as per your booking. Get acclimatized to the time zone and the city. As we have not planned anything for today you can stroll around the Thamel market. Welcome dinner at the hotel.

Overnight stay at hotel in Kathmandu.

We have breakfast in our hotel and head out for the sightseeing tour of Kathmandu. Our first destination of our tour we head out to Kathmandu Durbar Square. From the durbar square we can see the old king’s palace. We can see the enormous Gaddi Baithak built in the Rana era from outside the Durbar square.

To the right of Gaddi Baithak, we can see the “Kumari Ghar” the home of the living Goddess Kumari.  We can head inside receive her blessing for our journey ahead. Walking a few steps from Kumari Ghar we can see Kastamandap. Originally it was built in the 16^th century as a public rest house of cultural and historic significance. After visiting a few more heritages sites in the area we head to Soyambhunath (Monkey Temple). Soyambhunath is a temple atop the hill overlooking the Kathmandu valley. Our tour guide will tell us more about the place temple.

Later, we will drive to Boudhanath, a Tibetan-Buddhist monument of religious and historic significance. Boudhanath is the largest Buddhist stupa in the world, offering a mesmerizing view. We will take a short break and have lunch there while enjoying the beautiful stupa views. Afterward, we will continue our drive to Pashupatinath, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Pashupatinath is one of the most sacred Hindu temples and holds great religious significance.

Overnight stay in Kathmandu.

After breakfast we will set/ Head drive to Machha Khola. The drive to Machha khola is a scenic journey that takes you through picturesque landscapes and alongside the beautiful Budi Gandaki River. As you leave Kathmandu, you’ll pass through bustling towns and villages, eventually reaching the countryside with its terraced fields and traditional Nepalese homes. The road winds its way alongside the Budi Gandaki River, offering stunning views of the river valley and the surrounding hills such as Mt Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Hiuchuli and many other mountain peaks.

Along the way, you’ll catch glimpses of local life, with farmers tending to their fields and villagers going about their daily activities. Before reaching Machha Khola, you’ll encounter stunning views of the Sal forest and a suspension bridge from the valley as you pass through Labubesi Village.

Overnight stay in Machha Khola.

From Maccha Khola we gradually ascend to Thado Khola, then head up stream to Khorla Besi. Our route takes us through the dramatic landscapes as we get to see many deep gorges sculpted rocky trail and a few landslides. As we continue our hike, we will reach Tatopani a natural hot spring (Tatopani means hot water in Nepali).

From Tatopani we continue our trail alongside the Budhi Gandaki River crossing a suspension bridge in Yaru Khola, ascending a wider stone staircase to Thado Bharyang. After climbing over a hill, we finally reach the village of Jagat. Jagat is the entry point to Manaslu Conservation Area. While exploring Jagat we can walk alongside the marshyangdi river taking in the view of the surrounding hill. From a view point we will be able to see the magnificent view of Shringi Himal.

Overnight stay in Jagat.

From Jagat the trail onwards marks our entry to the restricted region of Manaslu by climbing a rocky ridge to Salleri. Walking alongside the Buri Gandaki River we cross a long suspension bridge before reaching the valley of Philim a charming Gurung Settlement. We stop in the village for tea break and make a short ascend towards Ekle Bhatti our destination for the day. Leisure activities and explore the village followed by the calming surrounding of the village.

Overnight Stay in Ekle Bhatti.

After breakfast, we start our journey to Chumling. This part of the trail can be quite tricky as it comprises of steep uphill ascent. The region also marks the start of Tsum valley. Walking along the trail on a clear day you will be able to see the stunning panoramic views of the mountains such as the Ganesh Himal, Baudha Himal.

Taking in the view our path descends to Lungwa river valley, then shortly ascending to through the dense subtropical forest of Juniper, Pine and Rhododendron. Further along the trail crossing the Syar Khola we arrive to the village of Chumling. From the village we can explore the surroundings and visit the monasteries such as Mani Dhungyur, Panago Gumba and Gurwa Gumba.

Overnight stay in Chumling.

Enjoy breakfast besides the magnificent view of Shringri Himal at sunrise. After our breakfast in Chumling we head towards Upper Tsum Valley also called Chhokang Paro in the local language. Travelling across the local farmland while enjoying the scenic Himalayan view continuing our trek along the path, we will see many local Tibetan styled houses with sloped houses.

After a gradual ascent we reach Ripchet. Our trail continues passing along many Chortens and villages before finally reaching Chhokangparo.

Overnight in Chhokung Paro.

Rising up early we will get see the Ganesh and Himachuli Himal. After your breakfast with the view, we continue our trek heading towards Lamagaun one of the settlements in Chalnakhel. From Lamagaun we can take a longer route first heading over over to Rachen Gumba or continue on our trail visiting Piren Phu cave which translates to “Pigeon Cave”. Here we can see many ancient scripts and inscription on the walls and ceiling. The local guide will tell us more about the place then we head onwards passing by the prayer’s flags and mani wall we cross a few bridges before finally reaching Nile.

Overnight stay in Nile.

On our 9^th day of Tsum valley trek we hike from Nile to Mu Gompa where we will be our closest to the Nepal- Tibet border. A quick walk along the west bank of the valley takes us to Mu Gompa the highest point of the Tsum valley trek. The path passes by Himalayan meadows and yak pastures we can also see the many Himalayan peaks in surrounding the horizon.

Before reaching Mu Gompa, we will first reach Dephyudonma gumba which is the oldest in the region. After reaching Dephyudonma Gumba we visit Mu Gompa built in the highest part of the region in 1895. Here we can see the life-sized statue of Avalokiteshwara, historic portrait of Tara and Padmasambhava.

As there are no lodging amenities in Mu Gompa you will have to return to Nile. After a brief rest from our travel, we head back to Chhokung Paro.

Overnight Stay in Chhokung Paro.

We wake up in the village of Chhokang Paro and have breakfast. Then we prepare for our descend towards the village of Gho. From Gho we walk till we reach a bridge of Langdang Khola after crossing the bridge we reach a crossroad where we take the path reaching Te Gaon along the path, we can see the mesmerizing Ganesh himal and Ghanje Glacier. After a short walk we come across yet another path. One which leads to Ripche and another which takes us to Chumling we take right path and head to Chumling. After a long day’s hike, we reach Chumling. We rest for the day recharge our electronics and ourselves.

Overnight stay at Chumling.

On our 11^th day we take the trail along the Syar Khola. We trek till we reach Sardi Gorge alont the route, we can take in the peaceful surrounding nature atmosphere. Walking along the banks we can take in the peaceful sounds of nature and river streams. Walking further we reach Lokpa. We can rest have our lunch in the settlement. The Ganesh and Shringi himal can be seen from a viewpoint. We can see cattles herding and grazing while we pass through the meadows land and the pastures. We hike till we reach a point where all the streams meet to Buri Gandaki River. We cross a suspension bridge walking past the village of Chumjet and Nyak. The trail here onwards is carved besides the river narrow with steep ridges, we need to be careful while walking. After crossing the dense pine and rhododendron forest we finally reach the Gurung settlement of Dang. The village is located atop of a ridge overlooking the mountain range till the end of the Nepal- Tibet border.

Overnight stay in Dang.

Today our journey to Namrung takes us back to Manaslu trekking trail. Walking upwards from Dang we cross two suspension bridge taking us past the Buri Gandaki Nadi. Then we ascend upwards to Rana Gaun (1980m) and then to Bihi (2130m). from Bihi we can take the route to Ghap or Prok both route takes us to Namrung. The hike here onwards is adventurous as the path goes in and out the valley crossing canyons and through the tall bamboo and dense rhododendron forest. On the final stretch of the trek we cross the river rapids before finally reaching Namrung. Here we are welcomed by Nubri the locals of Namrung. We can finally rest after our long journey.

Overnight stay in Namrung.

While in Namrung we can wake up early to get a view of the beautiful sunrise overlooking the Himalchuli, Pangpoche, and Manaslu Himal. Namrung serves as a crucial stop over point on the Manaslu Circuit Trek an alternative route to the well-known Annarpurna Circuit.

The Namrung village is inhabited by mostly Gurung community, an ethnic group known for their rich cultural heritage. The Gurung people have a unique language, dress and traditions. During your stay in Namrung you can explore the local lifestyle and experience the traditional dances, music, ritual with the friendly locals who offers into their way of life.

After the local experience our journey to Lho first descends to Simnang valley then we head to Hinang river passing by a chorten along the route we can view Nagadi Chuli. Shortly we’ll ascend to Shrip where we’ll head to Sho. On Shrip we come across a gigantic prayer wheel. The village of Lho is located after we cross a steep ridge carved on a mountain side. Upon entering Shorten de Lho we reach the entrance to Lho valley here we can view Ribum monastery. From the village we can take an optional trip to Kani where we can see the sun setting in the valley. We can also see the sunrise from Kani, if the weather is favorable, we can see Manaslu Himal and other mountain range in the region.

Overnight stay in Lho.

From Lho we trek onwards to Shyala village. The settlement offers us insights of the people and the serine surroundings. We continue our trek through the village past the meadows. We reach the end of the valley after crossing Shyala Samagaun Bridge. Our trail continues as we head towards the green grazing fields of cattles. Along the path we come across the local school of the village and after a short walk we reach the main settlement of Sama Gaun. We are welcomed by the friendly people of the village offering us numerous lodges to stay in.

We can keep our belonging in the lodge and take an optional hike to Pungyan Gumba which sits atop the hill at 5039m overlooking the valley. The people of the village believes that Lord Pungyen is the guardian of Mount Manaslu. The hike takes about 5 to 6 hours upon reaching we will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the surroundings mountains the peaceful ancient gumba is truly a sight to behold. When the sun starts setting in, we head back to Sama Gaun and rest for the night.

Overnight stay in Sama Gaun.

Exploring the southern part of Sama Gaun, we head to north towards Manaslu Base Camp. Today our trails take us through the sparse vegetated forest. After walking for a while, we reach Birendra Lake. The icy blue wateris truly a sight to behold. Clicking pictures along the way, our path heads around the lake ascending towards Manaslu Base Camp. Upon reaching Manaslu Base Camp we can see the towering view of Mount Manaslu. Exploring the region, we can see the people camping who are planning to climb the mountain. After our exploration we head back to Sama Gaun to stay for the night.

Overnight stay in Sama Gaun.

Today our trek is relatively a short one with not many settlements between the villages. The hike towards Samdo provides us a different view of the landscape walking alongside the Buri Gandaki River the hills surrounding the path. We get to see some mountains peaks along the way. After a few more steps we reach the flat lands of Kermo Kharka here we can see the mani walls along the path and many chortens. After crossing a wooden bridge, we continue onwards reaching a big chorten. Crossing it marks the entrance to Samdo village.

Overnight stay in Samdo.

Today our trek takes us through an arid landscape. After crossing a wodden bridge we reach the seasonal Tibetan market of Larke Bazaar. Walking along the Larke Khola gradually ascending the valley we reach a path with Mani walls which marks the beginning of the ascent to Larkya La Pass. Crossing two streams we can see the Larkya Glacier. Here we go around the Salka Khola valley climbing up to a guest house a resting place called Dharmasala also known as Larkya La Phedi. Here we can enjoy a slightly diffrent view of Larkya Glacier and Mount Manaslu. Today we rest at Dharmasala as we prepare to cross the Larke La Pass the next day.

Overnight stay in Dharmasala.

Today we have to leave early as the route is the toughest and longest. Before the winds start blowing strongly, we have to cross Larkya La Pass (5,160m). The trail starts as we climb gently across the moraine before descending to a lake. We have to be careful as we cross a slippery grassy slope. Depending upon the weather we will get a clear view of Cho, Himlung and Annapurna II Mountain range. The views from the top of the pass make the trip well worthwhile.

Crossing the four frozen lake we continue the trail and descend reaching a loose gravel trail. A short off-road hike takes us to Ponkar Lake, we can see the Ponkar glacier on its left the unbothered presence will make your heart swell with the uncontainable beauty of nature. Taking the route back we hike crossing the grassy moraine the route becomes easier as we reach a small meadow. Walking past it the valley opens up as we head to a large meadow field, past a mani wall and a small post that marks the entry to Bhimtang.

Overnight at Bhimtang.

Walking up early morning in Bhimtang we can get a clear view of Himlung, Jarkya, Cho, Pawar Himal to the north. Manaslu, Nadi Chuli, and Himal Chuli to the Southern East.

A warm breakfast prepares us for trek to Goa. First, we descend moving out of the valley. Taking a bridge across the Bhimdang Glacier passing by a few villages along the way. We reach a convergence of rivers enjoying the views we cross a bridge and reach Karche here we can have lunch rest our legs before we continue.

Walking along the stream of Dhudh Khola we reach a gravel road, the path is carved from a hill. We can see a few landslides along the trail while finally making to the village of Gho.

Overnight at Gho.

The trail to Dharapani is full of ups and downs. We exit the valley heading through a dense oak forest. Walking alongside the Dudh Khola we reach Tilche a Gurung village. Here we can take a have lunch and rest. After resting we walk through a stone arch exiting the village and cross the suspension bridge passing Dudh Khola. Walking ahead our route widen as we enter the Marsyangdi valley. Walking further aling the trail we can see Thoche Gumba and find a sign post marking the entrance the of Dharapani. Reaching the village, we can lay down our belongings, stretch our legs and rest for the night.

Overnight stay in Dharapani.

We have our morning breakfast from a local lodge and pack our belongings and head towards the bus stop where a shared jeep will be waiting to take us to Besisahar. From Besisahar we can take a public or tourist bus to Kathamndu or Pokhara.