Manaslu-Tsum Valley Trek – 23 Days

Namaste! Welcome to the Land of Himalayas. Once the plane lands at Tribhuvan International Airport, you can get your visa on arrival from the Visa desk. After collecting luggage, a representative of Himalayan Eco-cultures will attend to you with a placard of your name right outside the arrival gate. Then we will proceed towards our hotel, where our travel planner will meet and brief us about the upcoming trekking events. Check-in in your hotel and get fresh as we will be going out for a delicious Nepali dinner where we can also enjoy some cultural shows.

Dinner and accommodation in the 3-star hotel included

“The city of thousand Temples,” Kathmandu, is a cultural hub of Nepal. Today, we will be exploring some UNESCO heritage sites:

• Kathmandu Durbar Square
  Built-in the 15^th century, the ancient palace of Nepal’s monarch is an exemplary illustration of Nepalese art and culture. 

• Pashupatinath Temple
  It is dedicated to Shiva, the god of destruction in Hindu mythology. Not only is the temple exemplary with its fine artwork, but the temple depicts the relationship between birth and death in Hinduism.

• Swaymbhunath Stupa
  According to myth, the stupa self-emerged, and according to Buddhism, its eye represents the wisdom and compassion of Buddha. In contrast, the third eye represents the message of heavenly bodies.

Breakfast and accommodation in a 3-star hotel

After breakfast, we will drive to many historical and commercial settlements to reach Soti Khola. Though the latter half of the drive can be dusty and bumpy, we can peek at some fantastic scenery of the vegetation and landscape through our window in the first half. Along the way, we will cross many settlements which have historical and commercial significance. After reaching Soti Khola, we will explore the area and spend the night there.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

Through the rocky and narrow trail, we will start our trek. Enjoying the countryside, we will walk through the pine forest. We will encounter many rivers and waterfalls along the route. Our winding trail will further lead us to Machha Khola along the river.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

Following the river trail, we will enter the dense forest. We will encounter miniature huts shepherds use as we approach a village. A natural hot spring is on the way, where you can rest for a bit if you like. Then we will cross a suspension bridge over the Budi Gandaki River. Crossing the village of Doban, we will soon reach Yaru. A long bridge away awaits our camp for the day, Jagat. The village is famous for its beautiful houses made of stones.                                    

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

Our walk today will have some descend after crossing Salleri. A further area is decorated with prayer flags and has many Buddhist monasteries. Soon we will find ourselves on the riverbank with huge boulders. Crossing the Suyar Khola bridge, we will find ourselves at a junction where Manaslu and Tsum Valley’s route separates. Walking further along the Budi Gandaki river, we will reach the village of Lokpa.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

Resuming our trek, we will continue to walk alongside Shiar Khola. We will explore many monasteries as we reach the village of Chumling. We will come across many streams before reaching Chhokang Paro, where the unobstructed view of Shringi Himal (7161m) greets us. We will set our camp and explore the area for the day.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

Our trek will ascend uphill today. One of the holy caves, Piren Phu, lies ahead, decorated with prayer flags, paintings, inscribed stones, and Buddhist mantras. Due to that religious relevance, Tsum valley is considered a heritage site with tremendous cultural significance. After climbing past the village of Nile and Chule, we will reach a monastery on Mu Gompa, where we will rest for the day.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

We will return to Chhokang Paro after breakfast. Crossing the same monasteries and settlement we passed a day ago will follow the same old route.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

Through the village’s narrow track, we will move ahead and cross the bridge over Shiar Khola. A steep climb will lead us through pines and rhododendron forests. Mani walls with prayer flags can be found along the trail. Crossing the pine forest, we will be astounded by the beautiful views of Ganesh and other mountains as we close up to the small nunnery of Gumba Lungdang.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

After crossing the Langdang Khola, our trail will climb steeply through the pine forest. Then we will walk on the moraine of the Torogumba glacier. The course can be icy and slippery, so we must navigate carefully. After crossing the Torogumba Kharka, we will reach the Ganesh Himal base camp, where a fantastic view of the mountain range of Ganesh Himal will overwhelm us.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

Retracing the trail we climb, we will descend back. Along the path, we will cross many monasteries and streams, including the micro-hydropower of Ripchet. Climbing down the villages of Gumlung and Lungwa, we will arrive at lokpa.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

After breakfast, we will enter Nyak by crossing the bridge over Budhi Gandaki. The path continues through an uphill climb. A beautiful view of Shringi Himal will accompany us as we cross many suspension bridges over Budi Gandaki. Once we reach Ghap, we will camp for the day.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

As we ascend through the landslide-prone area, we will pass the mani walls and charming stone houses and enter the lush forest again. Colorful and artistic paintings are everywhere as we enter the settlements again. Manaslu’s majestic appearance will begin to wow us as we reach Lho.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

With the accompany of the marvelous Manaslu, we will begin our short hike today. The trail is comparatively more straightforward and filled with beautiful views of the green pasture land and splendid mountains. Soon we will reach Sama Gaun, one of the most crucial settlements in the Manaslu area.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

Crossing the Birendra Tal, we will begin the gradual climb towards the base camp. Walking along the Manaslu glacier, we will reach the height of 4440m where the prayer flags and the writings in the giant boulders mark the arrival. After some time, we will descend back to the Sama Gaun for the night.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

A short trek today will begin with slow walks. Crossing over the yak pastures and we will ascend a ridge. On the way, we will cross the village of Kani and then reach the village of Samdo. The little village will charm us with beautiful views of Samdo peaks, stone houses, and herding yak.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

To let our bodies, recuperate from the altitude, we will rest one more day in Samdo. For the acclimatized walk, we will explore the Tibetan border. Beautiful Samdo glacier is a treat for the eye where we may sightsee many high-altitude animals, including marmots and blue sheep.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

As we begin to explore the high altitude, the hike can get tougher, but the scenic Himalayan views will get more beautiful along with it. Slowly, the terrain gets dryer and rockier as we reach Dharmasala.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

Slowly and steadily, today, we will climb the highest point of our trek. The strenuous climb can get more challenging during the snowfall. On reaching the top of the Larkya La Pass (5106m), we will have an enchanting view of mountains like Himlung, Kang Guru, and Annapurna. Then our hike will move steeply downwards to Bimthang.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

As we begin to descend, we will re-enter the region’s lush forests. Walking across Dudh Khola, we will cross small settlements. As we get near Dharapani, the territories grow denser along with paddy fields and trees of oaks and rhododendron.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and mountain accommodation included

We will drive for 10 hours on a private jeep to Kathmandu. We can explore the Thamel area, buy some souvenirs, go to a spa or enjoy ourselves in the cafes and restaurants.

Breakfast included

Our representative will escort you to Tribhuvan International Airport three hours before departure. We hope you had a wonderful experience with us, and we will soon meet again on your next adventure.

Breakfast included