Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek

Your Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek begins with your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. A representative from Top Trail Nepal will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.
After checking in, you can rest after your international journey or spend some time exploring the streets around Thamel. Later, you will meet your trekking team for a briefing covering the route, restricted-area permits, accommodation, transportation, altitude and expected trail conditions.
This is also a good time to check your trekking equipment and arrange any last-minute items before travelling toward the Manaslu region.

After breakfast, you leave Kathmandu and begin the long road journey toward the Budhi Gandaki Valley. The route travels through the middle hills of Nepal before continuing toward Dhading, Arughat and the lower Manaslu region.

Beyond the larger towns, the journey becomes more rural. Terraced farmland, forested hillsides, riverside villages and steep valleys replace the busy surroundings of Kathmandu.

The final section follows the Budhi Gandaki corridor toward Machha Khola, a small riverside settlement where you spend the night before beginning the trek.

Distance: Around 160 km by road
Drive Hours: 7 to 9 hrs

The first walking day follows the Budhi Gandaki River through a narrow valley of forest, rocky cliffs and small settlements.

You pass through Khorlabesi before reaching Tatopani, traditionally known for its natural hot springs. From here, the trail continues through forest and crosses a number of streams and suspension bridges as you move deeper into the valley.

The route gradually climbs through Dovan and other riverside settlements before reaching Jagat, an important village and checkpoint on the Manaslu route.

From Jagat, the trail continues north through the Budhi Gandaki Valley, passing through Salleri, Sirdibas and Philim.

The landscape alternates between cultivated terraces, rocky sections and forest, while views toward the Sringi Himal begin to appear when the weather is clear.

Beyond Philim, you reach the junction where the trail separates from the main Manaslu Circuit and turns east toward the Tsum Valley. The final section climbs through forest to Lokpa, a quiet settlement surrounded by steep hillsides.

The trail descends and climbs through a rugged landscape of forest, streams and steep valley walls. Several suspension bridges cross side valleys while the first broader views of the Tsum region begin to appear.

You pass through the area around Ripchet before continuing toward Chumling, a traditional Buddhist settlement with stone houses, mani walls, prayer flags and a small monastery.

The peaceful setting and strongly Tibetan-influenced culture give the village a noticeably different atmosphere from the lower Budhi Gandaki route.

After breakfast, you cross the river and continue farther into the upper Tsum Valley.

The trail passes through Rainjam and crosses the Serpu Khola before climbing toward Gho. As you gain elevation, thick forest gradually gives way to wider cultivated slopes and increasingly open mountain scenery.

Traditional stone houses, chortens, mani walls and prayer flags become more common throughout this section. On a clear day, there are excellent views toward the Ganesh Himal range and Himalchuli.

By afternoon, you reach Chokhangparo, also known as Chhekampar, one of the main settlements of the upper valley.

Today you travel into the highest permanently visited section of the Tsum Valley.

The route continues through small traditional settlements including Lamagaon, Phurbe, Pangdun, Chhule and Nile. The valley becomes broader and increasingly dry as you approach the Tibetan borderlands.

Along the way, there are opportunities to see important Buddhist sites associated with the valley, including the areas around Rachen Gompa and Piren Phu, depending on time and the route taken by your guide.

From Nile, the trail continues gradually upward toward Mu Gompa at around 3,700 m. Set against the barren upper valley, Mu Gompa is one of the most important and remote monasteries in the Tsum region.

The accommodation here is considerably more basic than in the villages below, but the isolated setting is one of the memorable experiences of the trek.

After breakfast, you begin a long descent through the Tsum Valley.

Retracing the route through Nile, Chhule, Pangdun and the upper villages, you gradually leave the barren landscape around Mu Gompa and return toward cultivated fields and greener hillsides.

The descent passes familiar monasteries, mani walls and traditional settlements, but walking in the opposite direction provides a different view across the valley and surrounding mountains.

You continue beyond Chokhangparo and descend toward Chumling, making this one of the longer walking days of the Tsum section.

oday you leave the Tsum Valley and rejoin the main Manaslu Circuit.

The trail descends through forest toward Lokpa before returning to the Budhi Gandaki corridor. As you lose elevation, the surroundings become warmer and vegetation grows denser.

You pass cultivated areas where local communities grow maize, millet, potatoes and seasonal vegetables before continuing along the river through bamboo and forest.

By late afternoon, you reach Deng, a small settlement beside the Budhi Gandaki.

Leaving Deng, the trail follows the Budhi Gandaki through a series of climbs and descents.

The route passes small settlements, suspension bridges and forested hillsides while gradually gaining elevation. Pine, fir and rhododendron become increasingly common as you move farther north.

The cultural character of the region also begins to change. Mani stones, chortens, prayer flags and Tibetan-style houses become more noticeable as you approach the higher villages.

Eventually, you arrive in Namrung, an important settlement with good views toward the surrounding mountains.

Today’s route brings you much closer to the Manaslu massif.

After leaving Namrung, you pass through traditional villages including Lihi and Lho, where mani walls, monasteries and stone houses reflect the strong Tibetan Buddhist influence of the upper valley.

From Lho, the trail continues toward Shyala, where clear weather can reveal dramatic views of Manaslu, Himalchuli, Ngadi Chuli and the surrounding peaks.

The final section leads across the broad valley toward Samagaon, one of the largest and most important settlements in the upper Manaslu region.

Today is reserved for acclimatization before continuing toward Samdo and the Larkya La crossing.

Rather than staying completely inactive, you can take a day hike according to your fitness, weather and how well you are adapting to the altitude. One of the gentler options is a walk toward Birendra Tal, while a longer hike toward Pungyen Gompa provides additional elevation and excellent mountain scenery.

Strong and well-acclimatized trekkers may also consider the much more demanding route toward Manaslu Base Camp, although this is a considerably longer excursion and is not necessary for every group.

Your guide will choose the most suitable option after assessing the group. You return to Samagaon for another night.

After the acclimatization day, you continue gradually north toward Samdo.

The trail follows the upper Budhi Gandaki through a broad and increasingly barren valley. Birch and juniper gradually disappear as you enter a landscape dominated by dry alpine slopes, yak pastures and distant mountain ridges.

After crossing the river, a final climb leads through a traditional gateway into Samdo, one of the last permanent settlements before the Tibetan border and the Larkya La approach.

Because today’s walk is relatively short, the afternoon provides useful additional time for rest and acclimatization.

Today you enter the final high-altitude stage before crossing Larkya La.

Leaving Samdo, the trail descends briefly toward the Budhi Gandaki before crossing the river and beginning a gradual climb through a barren alpine landscape.

You pass the area traditionally associated with Larkya Bazaar, once used by traders moving between Nepal and Tibet, before continuing toward the glacial terrain beneath the pass.

The final ascent brings you to Dharamsala, also known as Larkya Phedi, where accommodation is basic. You arrive with enough time to rest, hydrate and prepare for the early departure the following morning.

You leave Dharamsala very early and climb gradually across rocky moraine and glacial terrain toward Larkya La Pass.

The approach is long rather than technically difficult, but the altitude, cold and possible snow make steady pacing important. Prayer flags mark the pass, and in clear conditions the surrounding panorama includes Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, Kang Guru, Gyaji Kang and Annapurna II.

After crossing the pass, the route descends steeply over loose rock and moraine. The descent is long and can be hard on the knees before eventually reaching the open valley around Bimthang.

Arriving at Bimthang marks the completion of the most demanding high-altitude section of the trek.

After the previous day’s high-pass crossing, the landscape changes dramatically as you descend toward the lower valleys.

The trail leaves the open meadows around Bimthang and crosses sections of glacial moraine before entering beautiful rhododendron and pine forest.

Following the Dudh Khola downstream, you pass grazing areas and settlements such as Karche, Gho and Tilije. With every hour of descent, the air becomes warmer and cultivated fields begin to return.

After passing through Thonje, you reach Dharapani, where the Manaslu route joins the Annapurna Circuit.

After breakfast, you begin the long journey back to Kathmandu.

The first section follows the mountain road from Dharapani toward Besisahar, passing through the Marsyangdi Valley and a series of villages, waterfalls and terraced hillsides.

From Besisahar, the journey continues along the main highway toward Kathmandu. Road and traffic conditions can affect the total driving time, so most of the day is reserved for transportation.

After reaching Kathmandu, you transfer to your hotel and have the evening free to rest after completing the trek.

Distance: Around 220 km by road
Drive Hours: Around 8 to 10 hrs

Your Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek officially comes to an end today.

Depending on your international flight schedule, you may have some free time in Kathmandu before departure. A representative from Top Trail Nepal will transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport for your onward journey.

After walking through the sacred Tsum Valley, visiting remote Buddhist settlements, following the Budhi Gandaki into the high Manaslu region and crossing Larkya La, you leave Nepal after completing one of the country’s most varied Himalayan trekking journeys.