Manaslu Circuit and Tsum Valley Trek Nepal

Firstly, you will meet your trek guide at your hotel, who will accompany you on a scenic bus ride. The road trip from Kathmandu to Machha Khola will be a long journey, taking approximately 8 to 9 hours. The road is going to be bumpy after reaching Dhadingbesi, but the natural scenery along the way makes the experience worthwhile. Then, we will come across Arughat, Soti Khola, and finally arrive at Machha Khola, the starting point of our exciting Manaslu Tsum Valley trek

Today will be the first day of your trek. We will follow a narrow path along the Budi Gandaki River and will come across some bridges on our way. Then, we will reach Tatopani (translates to "hot water" in English), where we can find natural hot springs. The trail will move up and down and traverse through the beautiful villages of Doban and Yaru Phat. 

Next, we will cross a long bridge over the Yaru Khola, climb our way through the stone steps to Thado Bharyang and finally ascend to arrive at the Gurung village of Jagat. The Manaslu Conservation Area entry point lies in Jagat, where we will carry out our permit formalities to trek in the restricted area of the Manaslu region.

We will leave early in the morning after having our breakfast in Jagat and make our ascent over a ridge to arrive at Salleri and then to Philim. From Ekle Bhatti, the paths of the Manaslu Circuit and Tsum Valley separate. We will take the path towards Tsum Valley and begin our ascent to Lokpa, the first village of Tsum Valley. Lokpa is a small and peaceful village where we can get amazing views of the Himalchuli and Boudha Himal. We will stay overnight in the local teahouse at Lokpa.

From Lokpa, the path will wind through the dense forests with a few narrow bridges along the way. We will then cross the Syar Khola before reaching Chumling. We can find player flags, chortens, and monasteries such as Panago Gumba, Mani Dhungyur, and Gurwa Gumba in Chumling. Exploring the upper regions of Chumling will provide us with an incredible view of the Ganesh Himal.

The trek will continue from Chumling, descending towards Domje (the largest village of Tsum Valley). We will then make an uphill climb to arrive at Chhokhangparo (3,010 m), one of the most important villages of the Tsum Valley. Chhokhangparo, also known as Chekampar, is a twin village made up of Chhokhang and Paro. Our stay here will be very interesting, as we will get to experience the Tibetan Buddhist culture, appreciate the generosity of the locals, and try local dishes like the Tibetan chiya (butter tea).

Today’s walk will be on a gentle path with gradual ascents. We will pass through beautiful villages of Lama Gaon and Burji and encounter several stupas on our way. Next, we will visit the sacred Milarepa Piren Phu Cave, also known as the pigeon cave. We then cross a suspension bridge above the Shiyar Khola and traverse through the Pangdun village to arrive at Nile.

We will go on a hike from Nile to Mu Gompa Monastery, the highest point of our Tsum Valley trek, with an elevation of 3,700 m. Mu Gompa is more than 100 years old and the largest monastery of the Tsum Valley. We can get excellent scenery of the Ganesh Himal from here. After enjoying our time in Mu Gompa, we will return back to Nile for our overnight stay.

Note: We also have the option to stay overnight in Mu Gompa. So, if trekkers want to spend the night in Mu Gompa, please inform the trek guide beforehand.

From Nile, we will be retracing our steps back to Chumling, mostly on a downhill path. En route, we will come across the peaceful villages of Pangdun, Phurbe, and Chokkhangparo before reaching Chumling for our overnight stay.

The journey of today will take us out of the Tsum Valley and towards the Manaslu Circuit trail. The path to Lokpa village will follow along the Shair Khola. Then, we will go on a descent towards the Budhi Gandaki River. The trail will go through an ascending and descending rocky path followed by a suspension bridge towards Nupri. Finally, we arrive at Deng after trekking through the dense forest.

After having our morning breakfast, we leave Deng and climb towards Rana. Further hiking on an incline path for about 2 hours will take us to Bhiphedi. We will then pass through the villages of Ghap and Prok. The trek continues as we move past the pine and rhododendron forests and cross several wooden bridges to reach Namrung village. From here, we can find one of the best views of snow-capped peaks such as Ganesh Himal and Himalchuli.

Our path from Namrung passes through the villages of Lihi, Sho, and Lho with gentle ascents. We will observe mani walls, chortens, and monasteries along the way, offering us the authentic Tibetan culture vibes. En route, mesmerizing views of Mount Manaslu and Ganesh Himal can also be seen. When we arrive at Lho, we can visit the charming Ribung Gompa and also capture Mt. Manaslu in its backdrop. 

After continuing our trek for a few more hours, we eventually reach the peaceful Shyala village. Here, trekkers are rewarded with incredible views of the mountain peaks, such as Ngadi Chuli, Manaslu, and Manaslu North.

Today we will go on a side trip to Pungyen Gompa before heading to Samagaon. We will have a packed lunch, as there are no tea houses available during the Pungyen Gompa hike. We are treated to stunning Himalayan vistas of Mount Manaslu, Himalchuli, Ngadi Chuli and others from the Gompa. After staying here for a while, we head towards Samagaon for the overnight stay.

This will be an acclimatization day for our body to get used to the high altitude. The Manaslu Base Camp (4,800 m) hike route goes through the Birendra Lake (3,900 m). We will either go to the Manaslu Base Camp or just stop by at the turquoise Birendra Taal. As we climb higher from the lake, the path will follow snowy and rocky trails before reaching the Manalsu Base Camp. 

At the foot of the 8th highest mountain in the world, we will be welcomed by towering peaks (Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, Ngadichuli, and Mount Manaslu itself) and glaciers. After spending some time at the base camp, we return to our teahouse at Samagaon.

The path from Samagaon will be gentle and wind through thin alpine woodlands along the Budhi Gandaki River. We will come across several narrow valleys and ridges on our way without making any steep ascents. We will reach Samdo in about 3 to 4 hours, where we are going to spend our night.

Our journey from Samdo to Dharamsala will be short and at a steady pace, as we are above the 4000 m region. The trek will go past a wooden bridge over the Budhi Gandaki River and then be continued by a well-marked trail. En route, we will also come across Larke Bazaar, a former Tibet-Nepal trade point. Finally, we make an ascent to Dharmasala, also known as Larkya Phedi. 

The overnight stay in Dharmasala will be basic. We will have plenty of time to rest and acclimatize today so that we can fully get prepared for the challenging trek the following day to Larkya La Pass, one of the longest passes in Nepal. We also have the choice to go for an optional hike to Larkya Glacier today.

Today is a big day, as we will cross the most challenging and longest section of the Manaslu Tsum Valley trek, the Larkya La Pass (5,160 m). The trek will begin early in the morning in order to avoid the strong wind blowing in the middle of the day at the pass. Our climb to the Larke Pass will be gradual and steady. Upon arrival at the Larkye La Pass, we will be blessed with unparalleled views of the Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, Kanguru, and Annapurna II.

Next, we make our descent, passing through the glacial lake of Pongkar Tal and the Salpu Danda Glaciers. The path will be challenging and trekkers need to stay cautious at all times. Soon, the route will take us to small and large meadows before arriving at Bimthang.

This marks the last day of our trekking as we proceed towards Dharapani. First, we will cross a bridge over the Dudh Khola River and then traverse through the scenic villages of Karche and Gho. Then, we make our way through fields and pastures to arrive at the Gurung settlement of Tilije. We will have our lunch at Tilije and continue our journey to finally reach Dharapani.

We will take a jeep ride from Dharapani to Besisahar in the morning. After taking our lunch in Besisahar, we take another ride via tourist bus heading towards Kathmandu. The bus ride will pass along the Marsyandi River and Trishuli River, giving us sights of the terraced farms, lush forests, and glimpses of the mountain peaks on a clear day. 

As the guide takes you back to your hotel, the fulfilling Manaslu Circuit Tsum Valley trek comes to an end. Thank you for traveling with Rising Adventure. We hope to see you again for yet another unforgettable adventure in Nepal.