Tsum Valley Trek

Following an early morning meal, we will start the tour with a picturesque drive to Arughat and then to Soti Khola. The bus will go along the banks of the Trishuli River and the Prithivi Highway west of Kathmandu. We are going to Dhading Bensi, the district capital of Dhading, in a few hours. The bus will go to Arughat Bazaar from Dhading Bensi by following the Budhi Gandaki River, offering breathtaking views of Mt. Manaslu and Ganesh Himal along the route. We will reach Soti Khola from Arughat after around two hours of driving.

Today, we’re going to Machha Khola early in the morning. Crossing the Soti Khola at the start of the journey offers picturesque views of several waterfalls and rivers. After that, we’ll go through a stunning Sal forest and reach a hill overlooking the huge Budhi Gandaki rapids. We will descend from Khursane along the edges of terraced farmlands to Lapubesi, an ethnic Gurung settlement. Following that, the trail opens up into a wide valley, and we follow the sandy banks of the Budhi Gandaki River to arrive at Nauli Khola, which we have to cross to go to Maccha Khola.

We will hike through a rich environment, through various ups and downs, and eventually arrive at Tharo Khola, which we will cross to enter Khorlabesi, after eating an early morning meal. After that, we’ll go from Khorla Besi and head for Tatopani. We will then be walking through a smaller valley that leads to the Budhi Gandaki River, which we must cross via a suspension bridge. Following that, a prayer flag-adorned stone stairway leads to Tharo Bharyang. We hike to Jagat, a town located west of the Budhi Gandaki River, by way of a stone-paved route.

We register our permits for Manaslu and Tsum valleys at the Jagat entrance crossing before moving on to Lokpa. After crossing a steep slope, we will climb to Salleri, where we will pause to take in the views of Mount Sringi before making our way down to Sirdibas. We hike on, arriving at Ekle Bhatti and then Lokpa, the entrance to Tsum Valley, after crossing the largest suspension bridge in Nepal at Sirdibas. The stunning Manaslu range is seen from this town, which is the first in the Tsum valley.

The day begins with a hike from Lokpa village, which is the starting point for the Tsum Valley path. However, the real entry to Tsum Valley is found at the bottom of a steep, narrow valley that leads to Lokpa. We will get breathtaking views of Ganesh Himal and Boudha Himal from the walk. The path then descends to the valley of the Lungwa River and continues through a thick forest with pine, juniper, and rhododendron trees. After that, we’ll go to Gumling, and not too long after that, you’ll get to Syar Khola, which indicates that we’ve arrived in Chumling village. We will have plenty of time to see Chumling’s three primary monasteries, Panago Gompa, Mani Dhungyur, and Gurwa Gompa.

We set out early in the morning, with Chhokangparo as our target for the day. Located on a level terrain, Chhokang Paro is the starting point of the upper Tsum Valley. In reality, Chhokangparo consists of two settlements: Paro and Chhokang. The biggest settlement in Tsum Valley, Domje, is reached by following Shair Khola. We will ascend from Domje to Chhokagnparo, where we will be rewarded with breathtaking vistas of Himalchuli and Ganesh Himal.

The final settlement north of the upper Tsum Valley is the village of Nile, which is located on the western side. From Chhule, we have to walk for twenty minutes to reach the Nile, which is on the sunny side of the Shiar Khola. We will pass the revered Phiren Phu Cave, also known as Pigeon Cave, on our route.

We’ll pass lush meadows and nutrient-rich, constrained landscapes as we go. In this area, there are two other gumbas that are covered in Buddhist paintings. There are beautiful writings engraved on the stones of these gumbas. In order to reach the Nile settlement, we will have to cross a suspension bridge over the Shair Khola.

We will leave Nile Village after an early breakfast and hike up a route to Mu Gompa, the biggest monastery in this area. But first, we will arrive at Dephyudonma Gumba (monastery), one of the oldest in the area and a symbol of the beginning of the Buddist faith in this valley, following a two-hour hike from Nile village.

Located at the highest and farthest point in the Tsum Valley, Mu Gompa was founded in 1895. It has several sacred texts, including the Kangyur, a life-size statue of Avalokiteshwara, and pictures of the Buddhist gurus Tara and Padmasambhava. We will travel through various yak farms and parched Trans Himalayan landscapes before arriving at Mu Gompa.

We leave for Rechen Gompa, a monastery located in the Shiar Khola Valley in the foothills of the Himalayas separating Tibet and Nepal, shortly after breakfast. We will head back via Chhule and descend all the way to Phurba. After that, we’ll go across grasslands covered with boulders along the east side of Siyar Khola to arrive at Rachen Gompa. Built in 1905, this gompa is home to nuns from the Ngak-pa sect. There are several paintings on Buddhism and its history inside the Gompa.

The trail proceeds south into Chumling, passing through Chhokangparo. We shall encounter a little white gompa at Gho after two hours of trekking. We will soon find ourselves walking down a route from this monastery that crosses Siyar Khola on a wooden bridge. We will arrive at Domje, which is home to a school and a clinic for Tibetan herbal medicine, once we cross this bridge. We rise eastward from Domje through a grove of pine, juniper, and rhododendron. Along the way, we will come across multiple mani walls and prayer flags. We will climb up through the silver pine forest one more time to arrive at Lungdang Gompa.

We will have a thrilling trip to the Ganesh Himal Base Camp today. Although the walk will begin with an ascent, the scenery will more than make up for it. We will also pass through smaller valleys on the way. The pathways may not be evident because not many people travel to Ganesh Himal Base Camp, but don’t worry; our guides will point you in the right direction. It will take us around four hours to get to Ganesh Himal Base Camp. Following our appreciation of the vistas from Ganesh Himal Base Camp, we will spend the night in Gumba Lungdang.

We return to Lokpa. We will first descend to Domje by crossing the Laudang Khola and using the higher track. We will go south from Domje to Ripche over stunning deep forests and suspension bridges. After there, we’ll drop by Batti Ghumlong and then climb a little further to get to Lokpa.

Now is the time to descend to Jagat, from where the Budhi Gandaki river will reappear. We will catch a few glimpses of the mountains from the paths. Before getting to Jagat, we have to cross several suspension bridges to get to Sirdibas village.

Following an early breakfast, we will make our way down to Lapu Bensi. We’ll be walking downward for the majority of the hike, but there will be thrills from the suspension bridges. We will travel to Machha Khola first, then cross the Nauli Khola suspension bridge and follow the sandy Budhi Gandaki river bed to Lapu Bensi, a stunning Gurung village.

The journey back to Arughat Bazaar today will not be long. To go to Soti Khola, we first spend a few hours following the Budhi Gandaki River. We’re going to take a Jeep to Arughat Bazaar from Soti Khola. We will drive for a few hours and arrive at the Arughat Bazaar.

Following a hearty breakfast, we will take you back to Kathmandu by car. The bus will go alongside the lovely Trishuli River, providing for a picturesque trip. The hills’ verdant surroundings will also be visually appealing. The bus soon travels along the Prithivi Highway eastward to Kathmandu. The trek package to Tsum Valley concludes in Kathmandu.