| Driving Hours | (160km / 99.4miles) 6-8hrs |
|---|
After early morning breakfast, you will start the journey with a scenic drive to Arughat, followed by Soti Khola. The bus will follow the Prithivi Highway, west of Kathmandu, along the banks of the Trishuli river. After a few hours, you will reach Dhading Bensi, the district headquarters of Dhading.
From Dhading Bensi, the bus will follow the Budhi Gandaki river and head to Arughat Bazaar, providing exceptional views of Mt. Manaslu and Ganesh Himal on the way. Arughat Bazaar is a compact settlement on both the banks of Budhi Gandaki and joined by a suspension bridge. A drive of about two hours from Arughat will take you to Soti Khola.
| Highest Altitude | 890m / 2,965ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 6-7 hrs |
You will head to Machha Khola early morning. The trek begins by crossing the Soti Khola as you enjoy the attractive views of several waterfalls and rivulets. Then you will be walking inside a beautiful Sal forest and head to a ridge above the gigantic Budhi Gandaki rapids. You will then make your way to Liding and then to Khursane.
From Khursane, you will descend by the sides of terraced farmlands to reach an ethnic Gurung village called Lapubesi. Then the path enters a wide valley, and you will follow the sandy river banks of Budhi Gandaki to reach Nauli Khola, which you must cross to reach Maccha Khola.
| Highest Altitude | 1,400m / 4,593ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 6 to 7 hrs. |
After early morning breakfast, you will trek through a fertile landscape, across several ups and downs, and reach Tharo Khola, which you will cross to enter Khorlabesi. Then, you will leave Khorla Besi behind and reach Tatopani. Tatopani means hot water in Nepali, and, sure enough, there is a natural hot spring at Tatopani. The valley you will be trekking on now starts to get narrower and leads to Budhi Gandaki River, which you need to cross on a suspension bridge. Then comes a stone staircase adorned with prayer flags to reach Tharo Bharyang. You will continue along a path paved with stones to Jagat, a town that lies west of the Budhi Gandaki River.
| Trek Duration | 1,400m / 4,593ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 6 -7 hrs |
Before heading to Lokpa, we register our permits for Manaslu and Tsum valley at the entry checkpoint in Jagat. Then we will climb over a rocky ridge to Salleri, where we stop for a while to enjoy the views of Mount Sringi and descend to Sirdibas. At Sirdibas, we cross the longest suspension bridge in Nepal to enter Philim and continue our trek forward, reaching Ekle Bhatti and then Lokpa, the entry point of Tsum Valley. This village is the first village in the Tsum valley that allows us to view the beautiful Manaslu range. This village is isolated and said to have been blessed by Padmashamva centuries ago.
| Highest Altitude | 2,386m / 7,828ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 5-6 hrs |
The day starts with a trek from Lokpa village, the route to Tsum Valley, although the actual entrance to Tsum Valley begins from a deep slender, and narrow gorge leading to Lokpa. From the path, you will get amazing views of the Boudha Himal (6,672m) and Ganesh Himal.
The route then descends to the Lungwa river valley and progresses through a dense forest full of rhododendron, juniper, and pine. Then you will reach Gumling, and shortly afterward, you will arrive at Syar Khola, which means you have reached the village of Chumling. The short trek will leave you enough time to visit the three main monasteries of Chumling – The Panago Gompa, Mani Dhungyur, and Gurwa Gompa.
| Highest Altitude | 3,031m / 9,944ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 5-6 hrs. |
The destination for this day is Chhokangparo, and we begin early in the morning. The upper Tsum valley opens from Chhokang Paro, situated on flat land. Actually, there are two settlements in Chhokangparo, one is Chhokang, and the other is Paro. You will follow Shair Khola and reach Domje – the largest town in Tsum Valley. From Domje, you will climb uphill to reach Chhokagnparo and get stunning views of Ganesh Himal and Himalchuli. We are sure you will enjoy the local hospitality and taste their unique Tibetan tea (butter tea).
| Highest Altitude | 3,361m / 11,026ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 4-5 hrs |
The Nile village is on the western side and is the last village north of the upper Tsum Valley. It is on the sunny side of the Shiar Khola, and you have to walk for twenty minutes to reach the Nile from Chhule. Along the way, you will pass the sacred Phiren Phu Cave, also called Pigeon Cave. People believe the Tibetan Buddhist master Milarepa meditated in this cave, and his footprints are imprinted on this cave.
As you proceed, you will walk past green meadows and fertile but narrow landscapes. There are two more gumbas in this region, abundantly painted with Buddhist murals. In these Gumbas, you will find artistic scripts carved on the stones. In addition, you will also find scripts written on papers, and prayer flags make these gompas a socio-cultural asset. You will cross a suspension bridge on the Shair Khola to arrive at the Nile village.
| Highest Altitude | 4,060m / 13,320ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 3-4 hrs |
After early morning breakfast, you will head out of Nile Village on a trail that gradually ascends to Mu Gompa – the largest monastery in this region.
However, after 2 hrs of a trek from Nile village, you will first reach Dephyudonma Gumba (monastery), one of the oldest monasteries in the region, signifying the dawn of the Buddist religion in this valley.
Mu Gompa, established in 1895, lies at the highest and farthest point in the Tsum Valley and contains many religious books, including Kangyur, a life-size statue of Avalokiteshwara, and portraits of Buddhist masters Padmasambhava and Tara. To reach Mu Gompa, you will pass through several yak pastures and arid Trans Himalayan terrain.
| Highest Altitude | 3,700m / 12,139ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 4-5 hrs |
Shortly after breakfast, we head to Rechen Gompa, a nunnery situated in the Shiar Khola Valley in the foothills of the mountains bordering Nepal and Tibet. You will return through Chhule and continue down as far as Phurba. Then onwards, you will take a route on the east banks of Siyar Khola through boulder-covered plains to reach Rachen Gompa. This Gompa, built in 1905, houses Ngak-pa sect nuns. The Gompa’s interior contains several murals relating to Buddhism and its history.
| Highest Altitude | 3,240m / 10,629ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 5-6 hrs |
The trek heads south, leading to Chhokangparo, on a route towards Chumling. Within two hours of the trek, you will see a small white Gompa at Gho (2,485m). From this monastery, you will descend on a path that eventually leads to a wooden bridge over Siyar Khola. After crossing this bridge, you will reach Domje, home to a Tibetan herbal medicine clinic and a school.
From Domje, we head east, climbing through pine, juniper, and rhododendron forest, and from the path, you will see several mani walls and prayer flags. You will ascend one more time through the silver pine forest and reach Lungdang Gompa.Especially in spring, you will get breathtaking views, complete with blooming rhododendrons from the trails.
Gumba Lungdang is home to about forty nuns and is known for its intense puja, which takes place from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. From the gompa, you can enjoy beautiful and astonishing views of the mountains all around.
| Highest Altitude | 4,200m / 13,779ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 7-8 hrs |
Today will be an exciting day as you will trek to the Ganesh Himal Base Camp. You will start the trek by ascending, but the views will reward you amply. The path takes you through smaller valleys. Few people head towards Ganesh Himal Base Camp, so the trails might not be obvious, but you should not worry, as our guides will show you the path. You will reach Ganesh Himal Base Camp in about four hours. After appreciating the views from Ganesh Himal Base Camp, you will return back to Gumba Lungdang for the night.
| Highest Altitude | 3,200m / 10,498ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 6-7 hrs |
We head back to Lokpa. At first, you will descend to Domje, taking the upper track, crossing the Laudang Khola. From Domje, you will head south, passing beautiful dense forests and crossing suspension bridges to Ripche (2,470m). Then you will descend to Batti Ghumlong and, from there, ascend a bit to reach Lokpa.
| Highest Altitude | 2,040m / 6,692ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 6-7 hrs |
It is time to descend to Jagat, where you will rejoin the Budhi Gandaki river. From the trails, you will get a few glimpses of the mountains. Today’s hike through forests and terrain downhill should be pleasant and easy for your legs. You will cross several suspension bridges to reach Sirdibas village before arriving at Jagat.
| Highest Altitude | 1,400m / 4,593ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 7-8 hrs |
After early morning breakfast, you will descend to Lapu Bensi. The trek will mostly be pleasant as you walk downhill, but the suspension bridges provide excitement. Before reaching Lapu Bensi, you will reach Machha Khola, then cross a suspension bridge over Nauli Khola, and follow the sandy Budhi Gandaki river bed to arrive at Lapu Bensi – a beautiful Gurung Village.
| Highest Altitude | 900m / 2,952ft |
|---|---|
| Trek Duration | 4-5 hrs |
Today’s trek back to Arughat Bazaar will be a short one. Firstly, we follow the Budhi Gandaki river for a few hours to reach Soti Khola. From Soti Khola, we will take a jeep to Arughat Bazaar. After a couple of hours of driving, you will reach the Arughat Bazaar. Arughat Bazaar has small cafes and shops that you should consider visiting.
Itinerary Facts
Driving Hours (126 km/78miles) -7-8
After early morning breakfast, we will drive you back to Kathmandu. The drive will be scenic as the bus moves by the side of the beautiful Trishuli river. The greenery of the hills will be eye-pleasing as well. Soon, the bus heads east to Kathmandu via the Prithivi Highway. Your trek package ends in Kathmandu. You are free to spend your time in Kathmandu as you wish.