Manaslu Circuit with Tsum Valley Trek - 24 days

After arriving at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, you will be welcomed by our representatives from Third Rock Adventures. You will then be driven to the hotel located in Thamel, just 5 km away from the airport.

After unpacking at the hotel, you can head to the lively streets and enjoy the local cuisine. You will be offered a welcome dinner with authentic Nepali food in the evening.

Overnight stay in Kathmandu.

On this day, you will meet the team at our office and then head to the concerned authority to get your permits and documents ready for the trek. Once that is done, you can explore the historical and cultural places of Kathmandu.

First up, you can visit the Kathmandu Durbar Square in Basantapur, also known as Freak Street. You can explore the alleyways, Hanuman Dhoka Museum, temples, and shrines. From there, take a drive to the western hills of the city towards Swayambhunath stupa. The dome is a sacred place for Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims and offers a panoramic view of the city beneath.

Additionally, you can also visit the outskirts of the Pashupatinath temple located on the northern side. The temple is famous among Hindu pilgrims and worshipers of Lord Shiva.

Overnight stay in Kathmandu.

On this day, you will drive to the west of Kathmandu, passing the Prithvi highway towards Soti Khola village. The drive will take you along Dhading passing terraced farms, lush green hills, and small towns. From the rugged dirt road, you will reach Soti Kola. You can witness views of Mt. Manaslu, Annapurna, and Langtang range from the village.

Overnight at Soti Khola.

After having breakfast, you will begin the first day of the trek to Budhi Gandaki River valley, passing by terraced farms filled with rice paddies. You will cross a cliffside ridge along a shaky bridge at a distance, which is a big adventure. Down below, the Budhi Gandaki River flows rapidly.

Pass huge waterfalls along the way to Khursane and reach the Labubesi village with Gurung residence. The valley opens up to the river shore climbing the side ridge. After crossing a suspension bridge, you will reach Machha Khola village.

Overnight stay at Macha Khola.

On this day, the trailhead will follow the gorge along the river to a narrow trail that goes up and down. Crossing the Tharo Khola, you will reach Khorlabesi. From there, you walk further to reach Tatopani, which has a natural hot spring. It is a good place to relax your sore muscles after the long trek.

From there, you will cross the suspension bridge over the river to reach Dobhan. Further ahead, you will cross another suspension bridge over the Yaru Khola and take the stone staircase and climb to Tharo Bharyang. There are many Gurung villages in the high terrains. You might even witness some Langur monkeys jumping from trees.

Climbing over the ridge, you will reach Jagat. On entering Jagat, you need to show your trekking permits at the check post, as the area beyond Jagat is restricted.

Overnight stay at Jagat.

You will be entering the restricted region of Tsum valley on this day, and you can immediately see the isolation and untouched beauty of this area. Crossing over the Dudh Pokhari Khola, the trek will take you to the villages of Salleri and Siridibas. After spending a short while interacting with the locals, you can descend to the bridge over the Budhi Gandaki River.

A short distance away, you will come across another village called Philim, which is relatively larger. There is a checkpoint to enter the Tsum valley where you have to show the permits. From there, you will head to Lokpa village, which sits in between Budhi Gandaki and Siyar Khola. You can witness the livelihood of the locals living there secluded from the rest of the world.

Overnight stay in Lokpa.

After breakfast, trek to the south bank of the Siyar Kola and take the path through a forest. Crossing over the Lungwaa and Sarli Khola, you will head to the north bank. From there, take a gradual ascend to Chumling village.

You can witness the Tibetan Buddhist communities living there following a particular way of life. You can also witness the Ganesh Himal range in the east of the village.

Overnight stay in Chumling.

From Chumling, you will hike for about 2 hours and reach Dumje to take a short break. Then cross the river and hike up to Gho village, where clear views of Ganesh Himal can be seen. Taking a difficult trail, you will reach Chaurikharka, then further ahead Chhokang Paro. You can see prayer flags in the village and some Buddhist shrines nearby.

Overnight stay in Chhokang Paro.

After having breakfast, the initial leg of the trek will take you on a relaxing flat trail along the north of the Siyar Khola. On the way, you will cross the secluded villages of Lamagaun, Bursi, Lar, Phurbey, Chhule, and Pungdun. You can also stop at the Rachen Gompa and Milerapa Cave in between the trail.

The trail elevates slightly before reaching the Nile for the night. Indulge in some locally prepared meals and drinks.

Overnight stay in Nile.

As we trek deeper into the Tsum valley, you will begin to drench in the culture and tradition of the locals and understand their way of life. After breakfast, you will pack up your belongings and begin your trek by ascending. Mu Gompa is a monastery and also the highest point in the valley. The monastery was established by Drupa Rinpoche, a Bhutanese Lama who meditated in the nearby caves.

You will witness many monks meditating and praying in the monastery. From the high altitude, the views of the surrounding mountains are very clear.

Overnight stay in Mu Gompa.

After breakfast, the trek takes you further up to the valley to Bursi village. You will be passing the different villages of Kalung and Bhajyo to reach Bursi. Here you will visit one of the oldest monasteries, Rachen Gompa. There is also a nunnery where nuns reside. There is a place for lodging for travelers, so it is a great chance to try the local meal and witness the lives of the monks and nuns living here. This is a great way to understand the Tibetan Buddhist religion affected by the Nepali and Tibetan influence.

Overnight stay in Rachen Nunney.

From Rachen Nunney, you will trek down to Chumling village. It is the same trail we had followed on the previous days; hence the trek will be relatively easier. As you trek down, you can witness the views of Ganesh Himal on the horizon.

Overnight stay in Chumling.

On this day, you will be bidding farewell to the Tsum Valley as you leave Chumling village and descend to Deng. On the way, you will leave behind Lokpa village and cross the bridge over the Budi Gandaki. From here, you will join the Manaslu circuit, which is the second phase of this trek. The trail will pass Buddhist stone arches before heading to Deng.

Overnight stay in Deng.

After having breakfast, the initial phase of the trek takes you across the Budhi Gandaki River over the bridge to join Bihi Phedi. Passing a large waterfall and a wooden bridge out of the canyon, the trail will drop to the Shringi Khola valley. From there, you will head west to the valley, passing by lush forests silent and serene villages with ethnic communities living in huts.

After a few more twists and turns along the way, you arrive at Ghap, where you can witness the beautiful mani walls on the southern side of the river. From the forested trail clad with rhododendron and fir, the trail reaches Namrung.

Overnight stay in Namrung.

You can head to a nearby viewpoint from where Siring, Ganesh Himal, and Himal Chuli can be witnessed at full sight. You will climb through the forests to reach the village of Lihi, filled with many stupas and barley terraces.

After an hour further on the trail, you will reach the village of Sho, followed by the village of Lho. Exploring the unique culture and traditions of the village, you reach the villages of Shyala and then Sama. You can explore the popular Ribung Gompa as well. Surrounded by the views of Himal Chuli and Ngadi Chuli to the left, you can explore Sama village in the evening. The large glacier sits straight ahead along with the snow-capped Manaslu.

Overnight stay in Sama village.

You can wake up late in the morning and enjoy a relaxing breakfast as this is a rest day. You can interact with the Sherpas and understand their traditions and cultures. Exploring the village, you will witness long mani walls with Buddhist texts. Further up the village on a ridge, you can visit the Pungyen Gompa. It is an ancient gompa, sacred to the locals, which also offers amazing glacier views.

Overnight stay in Sama village.

Following your breakfast, you will begin your trek to descend to the Budhi Gandaki River crossing a bridge. Pass by the mani walls in the village and head to the trail closer to the Tibetan border. The juniper and birch forest leads the path to stone located at Kermo Kharka. Ascending to the wooden bridge, you will reach a vantage point from where the mountains can be witnessed before eventually reaching the village of Samdo in a total of 4 hours.

Overnight stay in Samdo.

Samdo is a beautiful place to rest and acclimatize. After a late breakfast, you can visit the nearby vantage points in Samdo. You can opt to visit the trade pass heading to Tibet. You can witness the temporary herding settlements in the area. There along with the majestic views of Him Chuli, Simrang, and Larkye peak, you may also have the chance of witnessing the graceful Lophophorus/ Himalayan Monal. 

Besides this, you also have the option of taking a brief trek to the Gya La pass in the north of Samdo, which also used to be a trade route. After taking either of the two alternatives, head back to Samdo.

Overnight at Samdo.

After having breakfast, take an ascent to Larkya La pass by descending through the terraced fields. You will witness old mani walls and stone arches along the way, after which you will cross a wooden bridge. Passing juniper forestation, you will witness the Larkya Glacier from Manaslu.

The steep path takes an ascent to the side of a gorge near the glacier, after which you reach Larkya Phedi.

There is a small lodge in the phedi and no such settlements. The view is majestic, and the land is silent.

Overnight stay in Larkya Phedi.

Following the trail with a gentle climb to the moraine, you begin your trek to a small lake. The trail gets very challenging as it stays on the moraine to a ridge from where you eventually see the prayer flags in the Larkya La Pass. After a short distance, you will cross the grady slopes to encounter rustic villages, glacier lakes, and beautiful wildlife.

Making gradual ascend, you will reach the summit of Larkya La Pass, from where the views of Mt. Manaslu are up close and clear. It is one of the best views in the entire trek. As the path is slippery, you need to be extra careful in every step that you take. Heading to the top of the moraine, descend to a steep slope to a grassy moraine. Eventually, you will reach a meadow and a spring from where the valley expands to a larger meadow and a path of settlements at the Bimthang village.

Overnight in Bimthang.

The leg of the trail begins with a descent from Bimthang to a glacial stream crossing a wooden bridge then descending to a forest-clad with pine and rhododendron. Eventually, you will reach Hompuk, where the trail becomes better as it descends to the riverside. You will reach Karche fields following the riverside, then take a steep climb to a ridge.

After reaching the river bank at Gho, it continued to the rhododendron and oak forest before arriving at Tilje village occupied by the ethnic Gurung community. Exiting the village, follow the walls of the Marsyangdi valley to a long suspension bridge that brings you to Dharapani.

Overnight stay in Dharapani.

This is the final trekking day and is rather easy as well. You will begin the trek on the popular Annapurna trail by walking through the steep Marsyangdi gorge. You will be passing different villages like Tal and Chyamche along the way, where you can witness large waterfalls.

Upon reaching Jagat enjoy the conclusion of your successful trek by having local delicacies at night and singing and dancing to the folk songs.

Overnight stay in Jagat. 

The drive from Jagat to Besisahar is short; however, the road is dangerous in some tricky turns. The road is rugged, so you will experience an uncomfortable ride most of the way. However, some parts of the road are decent.

After reaching Besisahar, you will then take a long drive to Kathmandu. You will head to the hotel to freshen up and relax. In the evening, you can head out to enjoy local cuisine, souvenir shopping, or even party in clubs and pubs with your trekking crew.

This day marks the end of your stay here in Nepal, so after bidding farewell to the team, you will be dropped off at the airport by our representatives. On the way back, you will certainly reminisce about the amazing time you had in the secluded and untouched Tsum valley, along with the marvelous Manaslu circuit.

If you wish to extend your tour or opt for a different tour shortly, feel free to contact our team of experts who will plan and organize the tour for you.