Tsum Valley Trek

Welcome to Nepal! When you land at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), you will see and hear Kathmandu. A person will be there to meet you. They will take you by private car to your hotel. After you get settled, you can rest. Or you can walk through the busy streets of Thamel. This is a tourist spot with shops, places to eat, and the feeling of adventure.

This day is for getting ready for your walk. In the morning, your guide will talk to you. They will check your gear. They will take your papers to get the needed permits for the special area. The afternoon is free for you to look around. You might visit the old Swayambhunath Stupa. It sits on a hill with wide city views. Or see the amazing Boudhanath Stupa. It is one of the biggest in the world. You can join people walking around it in a spiritual circle.

The real trip starts today with a long but pretty drive. You will leave the Kathmandu Valley. You will drive on the Prithvi Highway. You will see the land change from city to green hills and river valleys. After Dhading Besi, the paved road ends. It turns into a rough, dirt path that goes through the mountains. This 8-9 hour trip is an experience itself. It shows you parts of village life in Nepal. Then you get to Machha Khola. This is a small village by the loud Budhi Gandaki River.

Walking Time: 6-7 hours

Tie your boots for your first day on the path! The path follows the big Budhi Gandaki River. Its blue water cuts through the valley. You will pass small Gurung villages. You will see farm fields with millet and rice. You will cross several exciting hanging bridges. After passing the hot spring at Tatopani, the path goes up to Jagat. This is a nice stone village. Your permits will be checked here at the Manaslu Conservation Area checkpoint.

Walking Time: 6-7 hours

Going north, the path goes up through changing land. You will pass the villages of Salleri and Sirdibas. Then you will get to Philim. This is a big Gurung village with a school and health center. Soon after, you will reach a main turn at Ekle Bhatti. Here, you leave the main Manaslu Circuit path. You cross a hanging bridge over the Budhi Gandaki. You officially enter the Tsum Valley. The path gets smaller and more dramatic. You make your way to the small, quiet place of Lokpa.

Walking Time: 4-5 hours

Today's shorter walk helps your body get used to the height. You are now in the lower Tsum Valley. The path goes down through a thick forest of rhododendron and pine. You will hear the river below. After a steep climb, the valley opens up. You will get to Chumling. This old village offers your first amazing views of the Ganesh Himal mountains. You can spend the afternoon looking around the old monastery. You can also talk with the kind local people, the Tsumbas.

Walking Time: 5-6 hours

You will cross the Serpu Khola. Then you will walk on a fairly flat path through pretty land. The valley gets wider. You will see fields of barley, corn, and potatoes. You are now deep in the land of the Tsumbas. You will see the special Tibetan-style houses with flat roofs. There are mani walls (stones with Buddhist prayers carved on them) and prayer flags flying. Chhokang Paro is a village with two parts. It sits on a nice flat area. It offers great views and a deep feeling of calm.

Walking Time: 5-6 hours

As you go higher, the land gets drier and more like mountains. The path is easy. It passes smaller places to live and yak fields. The main part of today is a side trip to the Milarepa Piren Phu Cave. This is a holy place. The great Tibetan yogi Milarepa is said to have prayed here. The cave has prayer flags. It offers a strong spiritual feeling. You will keep going to the Nile. This is the last village in the upper Tsum Valley. It is by the Shiar Khola river.

Walking Time: 4-5 hours (there and back)

This is the top point of your Tsum Valley Trek. A morning walk takes you to Mu Gompa. This is the highest and most important monastery in the area. Its far-off spot near the Tibet border makes it feel like the end of the world. You can look at the old prayer rooms. You can watch the monks' daily lives. You can take in the amazing 360-degree views of the mountains around you. After this deep experience, you will go back to the Nile for the night.

Walking Time: 3-4 hours

The walk back down the valley lets you see the amazing land from a new angle. The walk is shorter and more relaxed. This gives you plenty of time to see things you might have missed going up. You can enjoy a slow afternoon in Chhokang Paro. Maybe visit a local home to try some Tibetan butter tea.

Walking Time: 5-6 hours

Today you will see a different part of the valley. From Chhokang Paro, you will go down to cross a bridge. Then you will start a steep climb through a pretty forest. You will reach Gumba Lungdang. This calm nunnery sits on a hillside. It has great, close-up views of the Ganesh Himal mountains. It is a peaceful and simple place. It shows you a special look into the lives of the Buddhist nuns who live here.

Walking Time: 6-7 hours

You will walk back the way you came from the nunnery. You will go back to the main path. Then you will keep going down through the forest. The trip takes you back across the Siyar Khola and through Chumling. As you go lower, the plants get greener again. You will stay the night back in Lokpa. You can think about the great things you saw in the upper valley.

Walking Time: 6-7 hours

You will leave the Tsum Valley today. You will join the main Manaslu path again. The walk is mostly downhill. It follows the known path of the Budhi Gandaki River. It is a long day of walking. But the trip back feels faster as you go down through Philim and head back to the friendly village of Jagat.

Walking Time: 6-7 hours

This is the last day of your walk. The path keeps going down. It passes through the villages of Tatopani and Khorlabesi. You will cross the river one last time. Then you will get back to Machha Khola. This is a time to celebrate with your guide and porter. It marks the end of your walk.

You need to start early for the long drive back to Kathmandu. As you ride on the rough roads, you will have plenty of time to think about the amazing places and people you met in the past two weeks. When you get back to the city, a warm shower and a special goodbye dinner await you.

Your mountain trip ends today. You might have time for some last-minute shopping. This depends on your flight time. You will carry with you the memories of Nepal's hidden Tsum Valley.