Manaslu & Tsum Valley 22 Days

The Manaslu and Tsum Valley trek gives you the opportunity to visit a remote region which is visited by a few trekkers each year. The Manaslu massif is located north of the city of Ghorka, next to the Annapurna mountain range. Tsum Valley is close to the Tibetan border. During this trek, you will enjoy the best what remote teahouse trekking has to offer. The Manaslu circuit starts in the warm rice fields. During the first part of the Manaslu trek, you will pass a wild gorge next to the roaring Bhuri Gandaki river. In this, you will turn north towards the Tsum Valley. The Tibetan Buddhist culture is still very present in Tsum and the scenery in the area is stunning with its beautiful forests. The countryside is overshadowed by the towering Ganesh Himal. In Tsum valley you will pass by ancient villages and Buddhist monasteries waiting to be explored. After this remote and tranquil exploration, you will join the Manaslu circuit again. Passing by waterfalls, subtropical forests and eventually, you will cross the Larkya La pass at 5200 meters altitude. After descending you will join a few days the Annapurna Circuit with its comfortable teahouses.

The Manaslu and Tsum Valley itinerary begins with a private drive to Macha Khola which is situated 35 kilometres from Ghorka. For the last kilometres, you travel on an unpaved road through the rice fields. From the little village of Macha Khola, you will hike through small villages and open wide trails. Here it is warm and tropical and you will pass through several bamboo forests. The closer you get to the swirling Burhi Gandaki, the more you walk into a gorge. Once into the canyon, you will hike past high rock walls and beautiful waterfalls. During the Manaslu and Tsum Valley trek you cross the Burhi Gandaki river regularly by suspension bridges, and during other parts of this trek, you will hike right beside the river. The earthquake of April 2015 destroyed a critical part of the trail. This section of the circuit was restored by donations of foreign foundations in 2016. A 200 meter steel cantilever pathway has been built, and both trekkers and locals can safely travel along the trail again. At Philim you walk into the Lower Tsum Valley at Lokpa. From there on you will spend seven days in the Tsum, working your way from Lokpa through the village of Chumling to the upper valley. After entering the Tsum valley you will soon find yourself in beautiful pine and rhododendron forests. Heading east the valley opens up to reveal beautiful landscapes and small Tibetan-style villages. The upper valley is relatively wide and flat at Chokang Paro and Chule-Nile. The gompa above Chule is particularly fine and worth visiting as it is also an excellent viewpoint. Mu Gompa is located in a remote position a couple of hours walking beyond Nile. You will be able to visit the gompa and walk high above it to get some great views before returning there to spend the night. After an optional morning exploration up the valley to Kalung and Bhajyo at 4030 meters, you will descend to Rachen Gompa. This is the biggest monastery in the valley, with a beautifully painted interior of Buddhist murals. After this impressive visit, you trek back down the valley and rejoin the trail of the Manaslu. Starting from the village of Samagoan the mountain slopes are overgrown with birch and juniper. From here on it is still a couple of days of hiking to the Larkya La pass. From Larkya Phedi you will leave early in the morning with your guide to ascend towards the high pass. While crossing Larkya La you will be treated to a spectacular view of the snowy peaks. You will see the famous Himalayan peaks including the Himlung Himal and Annapurna II. After passing the Larkya La, the trail descends steeply downwards. The alpine vegetation will again be replaced by the warm forests of rhododendron. Once descended the last part of the Manaslu and Tsum Valley trek follow the trail of Annapurna Circuit.