Tsum Valley Trek

On a clear day, taking off for Kathmandu is already an unforgettable experience. From the air, it appears that the Nepalese capital is only a little distance north of the Himalayan ranges. You will enter the passenger pickup area outside the building after customs. A Lekhbesi Holidays sign will be visible. You can expect our representative to welcome you to Nepal. A thorough trek briefing will be given to you after the transfer to your accommodation. You can spend the remainder of the day exploring Kathmandu and finishing up your journey preparations. After this vacation, you'll hear the Nepalese greeting "Namaste," which you'll never forget.

You will begin the tour with a picturesque drive to Arughat, then Soti Khola, following an early-morning breakfast. West of Kathmandu, the bus will go along the Trishuli river's banks as it follows the Prithivi Highway. You will arrive at Dhading Besi, the district's administrative center, after a few hours. 

The bus departs from Dhading Bensi and travels down the Budhi Gandaki River to Arughat Bazaar, offering breathtaking views of Mt. Manaslu and Ganesh Himal along the way. Compact Arughat Bazaar is connected by a suspension bridge to both banks of the Budhi Gandaki. You may reach Soti Khola from Arughat by car in about two hours.

You'll leave early in the morning towards Machha Khola. You start the journey by crossing the Soti Khola while taking in the picturesque sights of several waterfalls and rivulets. Then you will be moving through a lovely Sal woodland as you make your way to a ridge over the enormous Budhi Gandaki rapids. After there, you'll travel to Liding and then Khursane. 

You will descend from Khursane via the slopes of terraced farmlands to arrive at the Gurung settlement of Lapubesi. The route then enters a broad valley, and to get to Nauli Khola, which you must bridge to get to Maccha Khola, you must follow the sandy Budhi Gandaki riverbanks.

You will hike through a fertile environment after an early-morning breakfast, over various ups and downs, until you reach Tharo Khola, which you will cross to enter Khorlabesi. You will then depart from Khorla Besi and arrive in Tatopani. Tatopani, which is Nepali for "hot water," actually has a natural hot spring. As you continue your climb, the valley will get progressively smaller and narrower until it reaches the Budhi Gandaki River, which you must cross through a suspension bridge. After that, a stone stairway leading to Tharo Bharyang is decorated with prayer flags. Continue on a stone-paved path until you reach Jagat, a settlement west of the Budhi Gandaki River.

We register our permits for Manaslu and Tsum valley at the entry checkpoint in Jagat before continuing on to Lokpa. Then, after ascending a rugged hill to reach Salleri and pausing briefly to take in the views of Mount Sringi, we will descend to Sirdibas. To enter Philim and continue our walk, we cross the longest suspension bridge in Nepal at Sirdibas. Later on, we arrive at Ekle Bhatti and Lokpa, the gateway to Tsum Valley. The Manaslu range can be seen clearly from this settlement, which is the first one in the Tsum valley to offer that view. This remote community is claimed to have received the blessing of Padmashamva years ago.

Although the true entrance to Tsum Valley starts from a deep, thin, and tight ravine leading to Lokpa, the day begins with a hike from the village of Lokpa along the road to Tsum Valley. You will have breathtaking views of Ganesh Himal (6,672m) and Boudha Himal from the walk.

The path then descends to the valley of the Lungwa River and continues through a thick stand of juniper, pine, and rhododendron trees. You will next arrive at Gumling and shortly thereafter at Syar Khola, indicating that you have reached the village of Chumling. You'll have ample time after the little hike to see Chumling's three main monasteries, Panago Gompa, Mani Dhungyur, and Gurwa Gompa.

We set out early in the morning for Chhokangparo, our target for the day. From the flat-landing Chhokang Paro, the upper Tsum valley can be accessed. In reality, Chhokangparo is made up of two settlements: Chhokang and Paro. The main settlement in Tsum Valley, Domje, is reached after following Shair Khola. You must ascend a hill from Domje to reach Chhokagnparo, where you may take in breath-taking vistas of Ganesh Himal and Himalchuli. We are confident that you will appreciate the warmth of the locals and sample their special Tibetan tea (butter tea). 

The final village north of the upper Tsum Valley is the Nile village, which is located on the western side. It is on the Shiar Khola's sunny side, and it takes twenty minutes of walking from Chhule to get to the Nile. You will pass the revered Phiren Phu Cave, commonly known as Pigeon Cave, on the way. The Tibetan Buddhist monk Milarepa is said to have meditated in this cave, which bears his footsteps. 

You will pass across lush meadows and narrow, productive landscapes as you move on. In this area, there are two more gumbas that are covered in Buddhist murals. These Gumbas have beautiful writings cut into the stones. These gompas are a socio-cultural value because they also have prayer flags and scripts inscribed on papers. To go to the Nile settlement, you must cross the Shair Khola suspension bridge.

You will leave Nile Village after an early-morning meal and travel along a trail that gradually climbs to Mu Gompa, the largest monastery in this area.

But after a 2-hour hike from Nile Village, you will first 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. 

A life-size statue of Avalokiteshwara, pictures of the Buddhist gurus Padmasambhava and Tara, and many holy texts can be found in Mu Gompa, which was built in 1895 and is located at the highest and furthest point in the Tsum Valley. You must go through multiple yak pastures and the dry Trans Himalayan environment to get to Mu Gompa.

We leave for Rechen Gompa, a nunnery in the Shiar Khola Valley at the base of the Himalayas separating Nepal and Tibet, shortly after breakfast. You will travel back through Chhule and down to Phurba. You will next go on a route along the east banks of the Siyar Khola through plains covered in boulders in order to reach Rachen Gompa. Nuns from the Ngak-pa sect reside in this Gompa, built in 1905. There are various murals about Buddhism and its history inside the Gompa.

On a path to Chumling, the journey leads to Chhokangparo in the south. At Gho (2,485m), which is two hours into the trek, there is a tiny white Gompa. You will descend on a route from this monastery to eventually reach a wooden bridge over Siyar Khola. You will arrive in Domje, which has a clinic for Tibetan herbal medicine and a school, after crossing this bridge.

From Domje, we move eastward while ascending through a forest of pine, juniper, and rhododendrons. Along the way, we pass a number of mani walls and prayer flags. Reaching Lungdang Gompa requires one more ascent via the silver pine forest.You can obtain spectacular vistas from the paths, especially in the spring when rhododendrons are in blossom.

You will embark on a challenging journey today to the Ganesh Himal Base Camp. Although the walk begins with an ascent, the scenery will more than make up for it. You pass through smaller valleys on the path. The pathways may not be evident because few people travel to Ganesh Himal Base Camp, but don't worry—our guides will show you the way. Ganesh Himal Base Camp will be reached in four hours or so. You will return to Gumba Lungdang for the night after admiring the views from Ganesh Himal Base Camp.

We return to Lokpa. You will initially descend to Domje while using the top track and across the Laudang Khola. You will travel south from Domje to Ripche (2,470m), passing through stunning, lush forests and over suspension bridges. You will next drop to Batti Ghumlong and then climb a little bit higher to reach Lokpa. 

It's time to descend to Jagat, where the Budhi Gandaki river will be rejoined. You will catch a few glimpses of the mountains from the pathways. Your legs should enjoy today's stroll through the woods and downhill terrain. Before getting to Jagat, you must pass through Sirdibas village on a number of suspension bridges.

You will go to Lapu Bensi after an early morning breakfast. As you descend, the journey will be generally pleasant, but the suspension bridges add excitement. Before arriving at Lapu Bensi, you must first pass through Machha Khola, cross the Nauli Khola via a suspension bridge, and then proceed down the sandy Budhi Gandaki riverbed till you see the lovely Gurung village of Lapu Bensi. 

The journey back to Arughat Bazaar today will be brief. To go to Soti Khola, we first spend a few hours following the Budhi Gandaki river. We'll take a vehicle to Arughat Bazaar from Soti Khola. You will arrive in the Arughat Bazaar after a few hours of driving. Consider stopping by the little cafes and shops in Arughat Bazaar.

We'll take you back to Kathmandu once you've finished your early-morning breakfast. As the bus travels by the lovely Trishuli river, the journey will be picturesque. The hills' lush vegetation will also be beautiful to the eye. Soon, the bus travels on the Prithivi Highway to the east, toward Kathmandu. The last stop on your trek is Kathmandu.

Transfer from hotel to Kathmandu airport for your flight back home. End of trip.