Manaslu Circuit Tsum Valley Trek

The Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek is two days by road (at the beginning and end of the trip) and 18 days by foot through some of the greatest landscapes Nepal can provide.   Trekking through forests, yak pastures, along riverbanks, and up and down rocky trails while under the watchful eye of several of the highest mountains in the world is a trip never to be forgotten.

Crossing the high Larkya La Pass takes your breath away with views of impressive ice falls and giant mountains.  There are hot springs, a high-altitude lake, striking wildlife, and visits to Buddhist monasteries – every day brings you in touch with a different aspect of mountain life. 

Keep in mind it is an extremely strenuous trek, with long days of 6 or 7 hours at times, and altitudes on the majority of the trekking days being over 3,000 m / 9,842 ft and reaching around 5,000 m / 16,404 ft on two occasions. 

This is a trek to think seriously about before committing to it.  That said, we will do our utmost to ensure your experience is both safe and electrifying! 

On the Tsum Valley section of the trek, you enter into a hidden valley with its landscape and people closely resembling that of Tibet.  This is an area where very few outsides go due to its remoteness.  There are opportunities to visit monasteries and meet with Buddhist monks. 

Why This Trek? – Highlights to Love

• An exciting blend of culture, mountain views and landscapes.
• A hidden valley where people live as they have done for generations.
• An exhilarating, tiring, yet peaceful hike through Buddhist communities.
• Visit sacred places and marvel at the craftsmanship of mani walls and monastery murals. 
• See the 8^th highest mountain in the world  – Manaslu – up close
• Set off in the middle of the night to cross the Larkya La Pass at 5,160m / 16,929 ft high
• Trek through areas which only a limited number of trekkers are allowed to enter
• Gaze into Tibet as you stand on the border
• Photograph many snow-covered mountains
• Leave your daily life worries far behind!

Manaslu Circuit and Tsum Valley Trek Itinerary

Day 1: Kathmandu to Maccha Khola (Drive)

• Drive time: 8 to 9 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 160 km / 99 miles

Today it’s a long road journey to reach the start of the Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek at Maccha Khola.  

You will be collected from your hotel by your guide.  The time will depend on whether you have chosen to travel by public bus or by private jeep. 

Of course, the private jeep is more comfortable and gives you the flexibility to stop when and where you are on the road for a short break or to take interesting photographs.  On the other hand, the public bus is less expensive.

Traveling by public bus you will need to leave your hotel around 5.30 am (although the bus may not leave from the bus park until 7 am, depending on demand), by jeep you will leave your hotel around 8 am. It takes 8 to 9 hours to reach the final destination by public bus, and around 7 to 8 by jeep. 

After turning off the main highway, the road becomes rough and bumpy – setting the theme for the trek perhaps! As you travel on, there are views of the mountains to keep you occupied. 

Finally, you reach your destination and experience the first trekking lodge of this trip.

Day 2: Maccha Khola to Jagat

• Trek time: 5 to 6 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 14 km / 8.6 miles

One of the advantages of trekking in this area is that there is plenty of time to acclimatize on the way.  Today the trail starts at a low altitude and the weather will be pleasant, giving you a chance to get comfortable with trekking in Nepal. 

Some of the exciting highlights of today are crossing a swaying suspension bridge, encountering local shepherds, and perhaps spotting a monkey or two in the forest, and entering the Manaslu Conservation Area.  

Tonight stay at the mainly Gurung and Tamang-inhabited Jagat village, situated in a valley. Trekking lodges, known as teahouses, are simple affairs but we are sure you will come to appreciate them as time goes on!

Day 3: Jagat to Lokpa

• Trek time: 5 to 6 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 17 km / 10 miles

Today we follow the trail on the Manaslu Circuit Trek until we branch off to the Tsum Valley after lunch.

We begin by hiking through forests and along streams until, climbing up, we reach the village of Salleri where the trail heads down to the village of Siribass.  From here the valley gets wider until the large Gurung village of Philm. 

Passing the settlement of Ekle Bhatti, we enter a gorge and cross the Budhi Gandaki River and into a valley of bamboo forest.  It is around here we take lunch before heading on to where the trail branches off towards the Tsum Valley. 

We head towards the trail to Tsum Valley and finally reach Lokpa where we overnight.

Day 4: Lokpa to Chumling

• Trek time: 5 to 6 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 6 km / 3 miles

Enjoy a good breakfast in preparation for some steep climbs uphill today.  

Some of the highlights to enjoy are seeing a deep gorge and some amazing peaks such as Ganesh Himal. Trek down to the Lungwa river valley only to climb again through forests of pine, rhododendrons, and juniper.

Chumling village has only a few houses, all built in traditional Tibetan style on its stone paved streets.   There are several monasteries nearby to explore including Panago Gompa and Gurwa Gompa. 

Day 5: Chumling to Chekampar (also called Chokhangparo)

• Trek time: 3 to 4 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 10 km / 6 miles

If you can get up on time, the sunrise over Shringri Himal is worth the effort!  Then we set off today to the Upper Tsum Valley where each settlement could be straight out of Tibet with its style of houses.  

Ganesh Himal is the mountain showing off today – a particularly good view is gained from a high ridge as you make your way over a landslide area and on upwards towards the day’s destination.  

Chekampar is located in flat meadows and is actually made up of two small settlements and goes by various local names.  Just to confuse us!

Day 6: Chekampar to Nile

• Trek time: 3 to 4 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 9 km / 5 miles

Leaving Chekampar behind today the trails head towards the last settlement in the Tsum Valley.  The altitude is also now rising, and we need to be aware of our bodies and any symptoms of illness.  

On the way, we pass a Milarepa Cave.  Milarepa was a Tibetan guru who traveled through Tibet and Nepal around the 11th century teaching Buddhism.  There are many places throughout Nepal where he stopped, mainly caves where he meditated.  We will also visit Rachen Gompa and come close to the Tibetan border before reaching the Nile, the last settlement in the valley, and the place where we stop for the night.

Day 7: Day Trip to Mu Gompa.  Overnight if possible, or  return to the Nile 

• Trek time: 5 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 8 km /4 miles

Today we will also stay overnight in the Nile to soak up every atmospheric drop of the Tsum Valley.  And there is plenty to enjoy.  Not only are the views of the mountains particularly wonderful, but we also make our way to Mu Gompa where we can participate, when possible, in some Buddhist rituals and visit with the monks. 

This is the most famous monastery in the region, and it is worth its fame.  Painted murals of Guru Padmasambhava and Tara adorn the walls and the gompa is surrounded by chortens (Buddhist shrines) and mani walls.  On the way to the gompa, you again get close to the Tibetan border.  

We return to the Nile to overnight there once again.

Day 8: Nile to Chekampar

• Trek time: 4 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 5 km / 3 miles

Today we have to retrace our steps back to Chekampar.  No such thing as a straight road in the Himalayas!

Day 9: Chekampar to Chumling

• Trek time: 8 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 6 km / 3 miles

It feels easier to walk today as we descend quite a bit in altitude.  Again, we pass through forests, interesting villages, and along rivers to reach our overnight destination. 

Day 10: Chumling to Deng

• Trek time: 5 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 7 km / 4 miles

Although at a very comfortable elevation today, again we experience the ups and downs of the Himalayas with ascents and descents throughout the day. 

We are treated to fabulous views of Sringi Himal as we follow the trail along the ridge before passing through areas of cultivated land and along the Budhi Gandaki River.

Before reaching our destination of Deng there is a rhododendron forest to hike through and a suspension bridge to cross.  By now suspension and cantilever bridges have become a feature of our trek!

Day 11: Deng to Namrung

• Trek time: 10 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 18 km / 11 miles

We are now back on the Manaslu trek trail proper where we start with a steep ascent and then descent to the Budhi Gandaki river, which is also a regular feature of this trek. 

There are also landslide areas to negotiate today and forests to cross on the way to the overnight at Namrung.

Namrung is situated in a lovely spot and has gained some of the best teashops and lodges as a result!  Finally, we have some WiFi (no guarantees tho!) and you can reconnect with friends and family.

Day 12: Namrung to Lho

• Trek time: 3 to 4 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 10 km / 6 miles

Once again the altitude is rising but by now our bodies are quite used to the elevation.  We meet Nubri people today.  The Nubri also came from Tibet many hundreds of years ago and mostly still wears Tibetan-style clothes.  

Walking through pine and rhododendron forests there are wonderful views of Manaslu on the way to Lho with its mani walls and gateways with Buddhist paintings on them.

Day 13: Lho to Sama Gaun

• Trek time: 5 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 7 km / 4 miles

Hiking through more pine and rhododendron forests we also walk through a gully filled with moss to reach another village where the majority of people are Nubri. 

Here, along with yak pastures and a traditional monastery, there is a heliport and health post.  With these facilities, we also find some WiFi.

Sama Gaun is a very interesting village to spend an afternoon exploring and enjoying.

Day 14: Acclimatization Day (Day Trip to Manaslu Base Camp or Pungyen Gompa)

• Trek time: 9 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 11 km / 6 miles

As we are about to go higher again, we take today as an acclimatization day.  The best way to acclimatize is to be active, so no sleeping in bed all day! 

There are three options today.  If you are exhausted or feeling unwell you can spend a couple of hours walking to Birendra Tal, an attractive high-altitude lake.

The other two options require a bit more energy.

One of the choices is to hike to Pungyan  Gompa.  This will take 5 to 6 hours and leads through yak fields and down an exposed path.  With a 400-year-long history, the Nubri people believe in Lord Pungyen as the guardian of Mt Manaslu, and this monastery is dedicated to him.  A peaceful place, you can enjoy the murals and seek some solitude. 

The other option is to hike to Manaslu Base Camp (4,880m / 15,748 feet), which will take around 7 hours.  Although this is the hardest option, the views of the mountains are worth it. They include Himalchuli (7,893 meters / 25,895 feet), Shringi Himal (7,187 meters / 23,579 feet), and Ganesh Himal (7,319 meters / 24,012 feet).

Day 15: Sama Gaun to Samdo

• Trek time: 3 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 10 km / 6 miles

Once you reach your overnight destination at Samdo there is plenty of time today to hike to either Samdo Peak or to explore the neighbouring villages.

But to get to Samdo it’s a short hike through a valley where yaks graze and through the trees to cross the Budhi Gandaki River to the village of White Kani where the main yak trade is conducted.   

Samdo is an interesting village in that the locals are mainly of the Bhotia community who also follow Buddhism.

Day 16: Acclimatization Day (Day Trip to Tibet Border)

• Trek time: 9 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 12 km / 7 miles

This is another chance to explore the Tibetan border as you acclimatize for the big push over the Larkya Pass.  From the border in this part of the region, you can see Samdo Glacier and the huge serac at the top of the glacier. 

There are many peaks to see from here including Larkay Peak, Hiunchuli, Manaslu, Kang Guru, and many more! And naturally, you can see into Tibet.

Day 17: Samdo to Dharmasala

• Trek time: 3 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 3 km / 1 miles

There has always been trade between Nepal and Tibet and today we hike through Larke Bazaar, a main trading post.  There is plenty of cultural and historical interest today, as well as the beautiful mountains and landscapes. 

Passing through Larke Bazaar the trail takes us across the Budhi Gandaki River and on to where we can see monasteries and the Larkya Glacier.

Day 18: Dharmasala to Bimthang via Larkya Pass

• Trek time: 10 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 18 km / 11 miles

An exciting day that will start around 3 am!  Why you might ask.  The answer is high winds generally start in the late morning/ early afternoon in the Himalayas, so we need to cross any exposed and/or high passes before then.

As you can imagine, this is a challenging day as the pass is 5,160m / 16,929 ft high and so we take it slowly at this high altitude and with rocky moraine underneath our feet. 

However, the views are simply out of this world – both at the top of the pass and on the way down.  From the top, we can see Himlung (7,126m/ 23,379 ft) and Annapurna II (7,937m / 26,040 ft).  On the downwards trail there are stunning views of huge icefalls, Pongkar Tal (a lake), and Salpu Danda Glaciers.

What a day! 

Day 19: Bimthang to Dharapani

• Trek time: 7 hours
• Accommodation: Tea House
• Distance: 21 km / 13 miles

This is the final day of the amazing Manaslu and Tsum Valley Trek.  And we are breathing easier now the elevation is lower.  With the low altitude and warmer weather, we feel lighter as we make our way towards our final overnight teahouse.

Now the vegetation is lush, and we can keep an eye open for wildlife and birds.  Entering areas of agriculture, the trail becomes easier, and we feel both a sense of achievement and sadness having completed this long and arduous adventure. 

We can celebrate on our last night before heading back to Kathmandu the following day.

Day 20: Dharapani to Kathmandu (Drive)

• Travel time: 12 hours

After breakfast, we head to Tilije where we pick up a local jeep to  Beshi Sahar.  And from there onward by local bus or private jeep to Kathmandu.  

There is always a feeling of sadness at the end of a successful trek as we say goodbye to each other.  Pheri bhetaula (see you again).