TSUM VALLEY TREK
Description
Discover Nepal's Hidden Sacred Valley
Journey into one of Nepal's most remote and culturally preserved Himalayan valleys, where ancient monasteries, breathtaking mountain scenery, and centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist traditions create an unforgettable trekking experience.Overview
The Tsum Valley Trek is one of Nepal's most unique and culturally enriching trekking adventures. Hidden in the northern Gorkha district near the Tibetan border, this sacred valley remained closed to foreign visitors until 2008, allowing its traditions, monasteries, and way of life to remain remarkably well preserved. Known as a "Beyul" (Hidden Sacred Valley), Tsum Valley is believed to have been blessed by Guru Rinpoche and has long been a place of pilgrimage for Buddhist practitioners. Along the trail, you'll walk through peaceful villages, cross suspension bridges over glacial rivers, pass colorful prayer flags, and visit centuries-old monasteries where monks continue their daily spiritual practices. The journey offers stunning views of Ganesh Himal, Sringi Himal, Buddha Himal, Himalchuli, and many surrounding peaks while introducing trekkers to the warm hospitality and unique traditions of the Tsumba people. With fewer visitors than Nepal's more popular trekking regions, Tsum Valley is perfect for those seeking authentic culture, tranquility, and an off-the-beaten-path Himalayan adventure.Quick Facts
| 🕒 Duration | 11–12 Days |
| 📍 Region | Manaslu |
| ⛰ Maximum Altitude | 3,700 m (Mu Gompa) |
| 🥾 Difficulty | Moderate |
| 🏡 Accommodation | Local Teahouses |
| 🍛 Meals | Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner |
| 🌸 Best Season | March–May & September–November |
| 🚙 Transportation | Private & Local Jeep |
| 📄 Permits | RAP + MCAP |
| 🧑🦯 Guide | Licensed Guide Required |
| 🚩 Start Point | Machha Khola |
| 🏁 End Point | Machha Khola |
| 🏠 Trip Style | Tea House Trek |
Trek Highlights
- Explore one of Nepal's least-visited Himalayan trekking destinations.
- Visit the sacred Mu Gompa and Rachen Gompa, two of the valley's most important Buddhist monasteries.
- Experience authentic Tibetan Buddhist culture and the traditional lifestyle of the Tsumba people.
- Enjoy breathtaking views of Ganesh Himal, Sringi Himal, Buddha Himal, and surrounding peaks.
- Trek through rhododendron forests, waterfalls, suspension bridges, and traditional villages.
- Discover the spiritual atmosphere of Nepal's hidden sacred valley.
- Stay in locally operated teahouses and experience genuine Himalayan hospitality.
Why Choose This Trek?
The Tsum Valley Trek is ideal for travelers looking to experience a quieter side of the Himalayas. Unlike the busier Everest and Annapurna regions, Tsum Valley offers peaceful trails, authentic cultural encounters, and an atmosphere of spiritual serenity. Its combination of dramatic mountain scenery, centuries-old monasteries, and preserved Tibetan Buddhist heritage makes it one of Nepal's most rewarding trekking experiences.Trek Difficulty
The Tsum Valley Trek is considered a moderate trekking adventure. Daily walks typically range from 5–7 hours, with gradual altitude gain throughout the journey. While the trail does not involve technical climbing, good physical fitness and previous hiking experience will help you enjoy the trek comfortably.Recommended Fitness Level
- Moderate physical fitness
- Comfortable walking 5–7 hours per day
- Light cardio or hiking preparation before the trek
Permits Required
- Restricted Area Permit (RAP)
- Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP)
- Licensed trekking guide is mandatory according to Nepal Government regulations.
Altitude Sickness
Although the Tsum Valley Trek reaches 3,700 meters, trekkers should still be aware of altitude-related symptoms.Common Symptoms
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Mild dizziness
Preventive Measures
- Gradual acclimatization and proper rest days.
- Stay hydrated throughout the trek.
- Walk slowly and maintain a comfortable pace.
- Eat nutritious meals and maintain energy levels.
- Avoid alcohol and smoking at high altitude.
- Inform your guide immediately if symptoms develop.
- Medication such as Diamox should only be taken after medical consultation.
Ready to Explore Tsum Valley?
Escape the crowds and discover one of Nepal's most sacred and culturally preserved Himalayan destinations. Contact Somewhere in the Himalayas today to customize your Tsum Valley adventure and experience the hidden heart of the Himalayas. Plan Your AdventureIncluded/Exclude
Tour Amenities
Tour Plan
- Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu
During your arrival, I will be there to pick you up from the airport and transfer you to the hotel. Rest of the day is free to explore or rest at the hotel.
- Day 2: Trek preparation day
This day, we will check all the gears and documents that are required for the trek and also, buy/rent some gears if there are any left. Remaining part of the day is free to explore around Kathmandu.
- Day 3: Drive Kathmandu to Jagat (1340 m)
(180 km, 9-10 hr drive) We will drive about 180 km away from Kathmandu towards the east driving along the beautiful Trishuli River. The road from Kathmandu to Jagat is 40% off-road. Stunning views of green hills and Nepalese villages accompany the further drive. It will take around 9-10 hr depending on the traffic to reach Jagat. Jagat is a small village in Manaslu region. One gets to see teahouses, guesthouses and local houses in the region. This is the main entrance point for Tsum and Manaslu visitor with a permit check point. Jagat has 5-7 teahouses in the area. You will get neat and clean rooms with Wi-Fi, charging, a hot shower, and good food.
- Day 4: Trek Jagat to Lokpa (2240 m)
(14 km, 5 hr hike) Getting into Manaslu’s restricted region, we complete our paperwork. Then, we walk to Salleri before our path climbs to Philim. Philim is a large village in Manaslu region with a checkpost for Manaslu and Tsum Valley permits. After walking for around 1 hour, we will reach Chisapani. You will get a good view of the Budi Gandaki River. From here, we start the ascent to Lokpa village for around 2 hrs. The route to Lopka is enjoyable and a bit uphill. Lokpa is a small village which consists of 5-7 houses of the local people. They are the ones who run the teahouses in the area. Locals believe that Padmashamva blessed this village centuries ago. There are around 2-3 teahouses. You will have Wi-Fi, electricity, and a bucket shower but no attached bathrooms. The meals are simple but healthy.
- Day 5: Trek Lokpa to chumling (2385m)
(8.5 km, 4 hr hike) We wake up with the mesmerizing Himalchuli and Baudha peak before us. The route from Lokpa to Saradi Danda is very peaceful and comfortable. You will find a jungle view only in between. As we do not have any places to have lunch in between. After climbing for some hour, we will reach Chumling, where we will stay for the night and even have lunch. Chumling is a small local village in the Tsum Valley of Nepal. You will find local muddy houses of the people who follow Buddhism. Most of the people in the region are Tibetan. There are monasteries in the area. In Chumling, you will find 10-15 local houses of the people. As you begin the remote region, the services in Chumling’s teahouses will be remote. You will find 2-3 teahouses with basic services. One gets to taste the local food of Tsum Valley. There are basic services like Wi-Fi, electricity, and a bucket shower.
- Day 6: Trek Chumling to Chekampar (3050 m)
(11 km, 5 hr hike) This is a relatively easy day on the premises of the Himalayas. In the morning, we start the walk by crossing a suspension bridge. After around 2 hours of gentle walk, we will reach Renjam which will be our lunchpoint. Then, we walk towards the Upper Tsum Valley for a couple of hours. As the valley approaches, the magnificent slate views from Chhekampar’s cliffs will welcome us. Chhekampar is a beautiful village with a school, health post, Micro hydropower, and monasteries. There are around 30-40 houses for local people. They all follow the Buddhist religion. Many people raise goats and yaks and make chhurpi, Yarshagumba, and other kinds of food. Chhekampar has around 3-4 teahouses. The services and facilities are basic but good enough to get a warm sleep. There are no attached bathrooms in Chhekampar. But you will have Wi-Fi, a bucket hot shower, and NTC sim network services.
- Day 7: Trek Chekampar to Niley (3360 m)
(10 km, 5 hr hike) On this day, we explore the beauty and culture of the Upper Tsum. On the vast, flat land, we head north of the valley. Waking via beautiful routes, we soon get to Lama Gaon and Burji. You will see many stupas, beautiful villages and fields in between the routes. We will visit Milarepa’s Cave, the so-called Pigeon Cave, before getting to the Nile shortly. The Rachen Nunnery has a little school that prepares little kids for their future. Nile is a big village of 30-40 villages comprises stones, mud and wood. They have mane walls, stupas, and schools. Also, they have a primary health post. You will get views of mountains in the Tsum Valley, like Ganesh Himal. There are around 4-5 teahouses in the Nile. The rooms and services are basic yet comfortable and warm. You will get a gas, hot shower, Wi-Fi, charging and a good and neat dining area with healthy foods.
- Day 8: Hike to Mu Gumba, Trek back to Chekampar (3700 m)
(7 km, 3 hr hike) This is our second day to explore the Tsum Valley. We start with a two-and-a-half-hour walk to Mu Gompa. Mu is an unusual settlement at a very high altitude. Here, the view of Ganesh Himal in the west is stunning. Mu Gompa is the biggest monastery in the Tsum Valley. Female monks are there to study. More than 200 students can accommodate and learn in Mu Gompa Tsum Valley. After exploring Mu Gumba, we begin the descent to Phurba and follow Siyar Khola. Soon, we reach the Rachen Gompa area, an essential part of the visit. A big monastery school of 200-300 students. There are many monks. Only female monks reside in this area. Nearby is a Lama gaon; many people here are Lama and Tibetan. There are more than 50 local houses of people in the area. You will find wheat, buckwheat, potato and some more. After a short exploration around the Gumba, we descend down to Chekampar and spend overnight
- Day 9: Trek back to Lokpa (2240 m)
(18 km, 7 hr hike) This day, we will retrace the trail walking all the way upto Lokpa following the Shyar Khola
- Day 10: Trek back to Jagat
This day, we will retrace the trail all the way down to Jagat.
- Day 11: Drive back to Kathmandu
This will be the last day of our trip. We will be driving from Jagat to Kathmandu driving the same way towards Kathmandu.
- Day 12: Final Departure
Final departure to your home country/another destination according to your flight schedule
Tour Location
Calendar & Price
Frequently ask Question
Accommodation during the trek?
This trek includes multiple nights at the mountain/lodges, where we will be selecting the best available lodge and hotels during the whole trip. Most of the rooms in the mountains will be provided with attached bathrooms but places where it is not available, we need to share common bathrooms. You can find some teahouses and lodges with good services on the trekking routes during your trekking days. But as you ascend higher they become more basic. Rooms are basic, almost every room consists of a twin beds with a mattress, pillow and blankets. You can share a room with a fellow trekker with whom you feel at ease. Although, each lodge has its own set of standards, please do not anticipate luxurious accommodations, particularly in the mountains. Most teahouses offer hot showers, boiled drinking water, extra blankets, charging stations, and WIFI for an additional fee. The price of teahouses is determined by the location and facilities/services they offer.
Food/Meals during the trek?
For trekking in the Himalayas, our body requires enough starch, protein and nutrition as food is the main source of energy for hiking on such vast Himalayan trails. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are included in your trek package during the whole trek. Usually, lunch is served on the way to our destination and breakfast and dinner will be offered at the same hotel where we spend our night. The services are basic, with some popular western, Asian or local Nepalese menu which is the most popular and consumed. The most popular and common menu includes Dal-Bhat set, consisting of rice, lentils and vegetables, also, noodle items, spaghetti, pasta, momo (dumpling), Tibetan bread, chapatti, Local Tsampa Porridge, potatoes, sandwiches, macaroni, pizza, vegetable curry and many more. The desert items like Rice pudding, apple pie and chocolate pudding are available on the menu during the trek. Although there are lots of varieties of food, you cannot compare them with the choices available in large cities as local agricultural products are used to prepare meals on the trek. Some other ingredients which cannot be grown at the particular elevation are purchases from the market. Advance order of breakfast and dinner will be taken to save time on the trek; breakfast orders are usually taken after dinner and dinner orders are taken as soon as you arrive at the teahouse. Depending on the schedule of the day, our day will begin. Breakfast will be served in your lodge each morning, after which you will leave the hotel for next destination. An evening briefing will be given each day to let you know the plans for the next day. During noon, you will stop for lunch on the trail at any nearby lodge. At high-altitudes, it is strongly advised to drink hot liquid drinks with fresh vegetable and fruits. Drink plenty of water, not all at once but regularly on time intervals to keep you hydrated. It is always the best choice to avoid smoking cigarette, consuming too much alcohol, non-vegetarian foods like meat, caffeine containing drinks, hot chocolate, dairy and cheese products on high altitude treks as these things can increase the chance of getting altitude sickness and diarrhea.
Safe Drinking Water?
There is no problem with drinking water availability. The majority of locations sell bottled mineral water, yet there is rarely a place to discard disposable bottles. We urge visitors to take whatever action they can to preserve the environment. Purchasing single-use plastic bottles is not something we advise. The trail is clear of bottles and trash when you purchase or bring your own Nalgene bottles for the hike. Another way to obtain drinking water is to fill up your water bottle at tea shops. The water in a number of guesthouses is filtered by Euro-guard. Tea establishments also sell boiled filter water, which is perfectly safe to drink but might not be very cheap for the duration of the hike. Avoid drinking river water as it is typically contaminated with sand and ice, and it might also contain animal feces and toilet runoff. Although the tap water in the lodges is better since it comes from high up, far from rivers and pure glaciers, it still needs to be treated. Use Lugols solution, often known locally as iodine drops (3 per liter), which are sold at Kathmandu's Thamel supermarkets. Another option are the tablets with a chlorine base, however the water does taste like them. As an alternative, you could get a Steripen, which is a little fragile to carry on the hike but uses UV to kill the bacteria. Modern technology makes the Aquaprove water purification tablet the finest choice. Above all, it is effective against every germ found in contaminated water. It is all-natural, tasteless, lightweight, and easy to use.
Waste Management during the trek!
Leave No Traces, Only the Footprints! Remove your own trash. To promote sustainable tourism, we plan eco-friendly travel and engage in responsible ecotourism. The absence of a strong waste management program in Nepal has resulted in considerable harm to the trekking trail. Behave and travel responsibly. It is our preference that all of our customers bring their trash, keep it in a bag or container, and properly dispose of it in a dustbin or designated area.
Tipping
Your guides, porters, and staff do not receive pay for tips, although it is much appreciated. Tipping is generally recognized in Nepalese culture as a kind of gesture of gratitude ("Dhanyabaad") for excellent service. Usually, recommendations are given at the conclusion of the hike, and it's ideal to do this as a group. On the final day of the walk, most groups offer the tips.







