Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek

Your Manaslu Tsum Valley trek begins with a long but scenic drive from Kathmandu to Machha Khola. You leave early in the morning. The first part of the road is smoother, but it becomes narrower and bumpier as you follow the river into the hills.

Along the way, you pass green valleys, terraced fields, small towns, and forested slopes, slowly moving from the city into a quiet mountain setting. You reach Machha Khola in the late afternoon or evening, check into a teahouse, and rest before starting your trek the next day.

Today’s trail follows the Ghata Khola, crossing a bridge and ascending on a rocky ridge to Salleri. We can witness Mt. Sringri as we trek. Then, the trail will descend to Sirdibas, requiring us to cross a long suspension bridge. From here onwards, the trail begins to ascend.

After an hour’s climb, we will pass by Ekle Bhatt. The route goes through the pine forests, and then the trail divides into two. One goes to Tsum, while the other goes to Manaslu. We will take the right path towards Tsum Valley and reach Lopka (2040 meters). The trek takes 6 to 7 hours.

Today, we will again gradually ascend to higher elevations. Our destination is Chhokang Paro (3031 meters). The trail first descends to Domje and follows the Syar River.

From here onwards, the trail ascends through dense forests, wooden bridges, and several settlements.

Finally, we will reach Chhokang Paro. Chhokang Paro is a beautiful village that lies in the upper part of Tsum. The trek duration is 4 to 5 hours.

After visiting the beautiful Mu Gompa, we will head back to Chhokang Paro. From head towards Manaslu. We will trek past small settlements, passing by the Siyar River and alpine meadows. Trekking from Mu Gompa to Chhokang Paro takes 7 hours.

Today you walk back down from Chhokang Paro to Chumling, retracing much of the trail you used to go up into upper Tsum. The path drops through small villages and forests along the Syar Khola, with a mix of gentle descents and some short uphill sections. The walk usually takes around 5-7 hours, and you reach Chumling in the afternoon to rest in a teahouse.

On Day 9 you leave Tsum Valley and head toward the main Manaslu Circuit trail. From Chumling you walk down to Lokpa, then continue on a forested path that climbs and drops along the ridge. Deng is a Gurung village with views of Sringi Himal.

We will head to Namrung (2540 meters) via Ghap for this day’s trek. First, we will begin with an uphill climb from Deng to Rana village. Then, we must cross several bridges on top of the Budhi Gandaki River.

The trail gets more challenging as it gets crisscrossed before reaching Ghap. After reaching Ghap, we will continue our trek into a steep valley. The trail will gradually ascend. Similarly, it goes through the forests of rhododendrons and bamboo.

En route, you will come across a waterfall and a wooden bridge. We will finally arrive at Namrung village after a 7 to 8-hour trek.

Today you walk from Namrung up the valley to Samagaon, the main village before Larkya La Pass. The trail climbs steadily through forests and open slopes, passing small settlements like Lho and Shyala with close views of Manaslu, Himalchuli, and Ngadi Chuli.

The path is a mix of gentle climbs, short descents, and some stone steps, with a few suspension bridges over side streams. As you get higher, the valley opens up and the mountain views become bigger and clearer. You reach Samagaon in the afternoon, check into a teahouse, and use the next day to rest and adjust to the altitude before heading higher.

We will take an acclimatization day today. It allows our body to adapt to the higher altitude and its surroundings. Samagaon is a beautiful and large village. You can explore or hike to the Birendra Tal, Anie Gompa, or Pungyen Gompa. There is also a glacial moraine near the Samagaon.

We will leave Samdo village following the wide trail towards the Budhi Gandaki River. Then, after crossing the river, the trail enters the juniper forest. As we continue moving forward, the Larkya Glacier will come into view. Similarly, we can also come across Manaslu Glacier and Manaslu ice fall.

Then, we must climb a valley before reaching Dharmasala (4460 meters). It takes 4 to 5 hours to trek from Samado to Dharmasala. The village offers magnificent views of Mt. Manaslu, Simnang Himal, Nagdi, and many more.

We will climb to the highest point of the Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek, the Larkya La Pass. We will walk towards Larkya Glacier. From here, the trail gets rocky and rugged. Then, we will descend to four frozen lakes and ascend to Larkya La Pass again.

The pass sits at an elevation of 5106 meters. You can view mountains like Annapurna II, Humlung, Cheo Himal, Minjung, and others from the top of the pass. Again, we must cross several steep and narrow sections with rugged terrains. The tail will descend and become gentler as we cross another grassy moraine.

From here onwards, the trail becomes more straightforward. We will traverse a meadow and a mani wall before reaching Bhimtang (3590 meters). Trekking from Dharmasala to Larkya La Pass to Bhitang takes 7 to 9 hours.

We will start descending to the lower region from Bhimtang. We will slowly start our descent as the trail goes through the forest. Then, the trail follows the Dudh Koshi River. Similarly, we will have to cross steep sections while descending. The trail passes by Hompuk, Gho, and several other villages. After 6 to 7 hours of hiking, we will arrive at Tilijie (2300 meters).

You start the day by leaving Tilije in a shared jeep and heading down the rough mountain road toward Dharapani and then Besisahar. The track follows the Marsyangdi valley, passing small villages, steep cliffs, and seasonal waterfalls. Road conditions can change with the weather, so expect a bumpy, dusty ride in places.

At Besisahar you switch to another vehicle to drive to Kathmandu along the Prithvi Highway. The route passes through Dumre and Mugling, with views of terraced fields, river valleys, and mid-hill landscapes. After a long but scenic day on the road, you reach Kathmandu in the evening, marking the end of the Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek journey.