After breakfast, we will begin our drive towards Arughat. The drive will present us with beautiful countryside views of Nepal along with mountain scenery. Up to Dhading Bensi, the road is a hard surface, however, from here onwards the road is rough and bumpy until we reach Soti Khola.
Tsum Valley with Manaslu Circuit Trek - 21 days
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Day 01 Drive Kathmandu to Soti Khola (750m/2460ft) - 7/8 hours drive
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Day 02 Trek to Macha Khola (930m/3051ft) - 5 hours
Today is our first trekking day. Crossing a bridge, we will trek through lovely forest. Further, the trail ascends onto a ridge and we reach Khursane. From here, we will come across two beautiful waterfalls and gradually descend through rice terraces. Then, the trail ascends to reach Labubesi, a small Gurung village. The trail then ascends and descends to a sandy river bed. We will ascend over a ridge and descend to another river. Before reaching Macha Khola, we will cross a suspension bridge.
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Day 03 Macha Khola to Jagat (1340m/4396ft) - 7 hours
With a few ascents & descents, we will cross Tharo Khola and reach Khola Besi. The trail then leads us to Tatopani. Ascending from here, we will cross Budhi Gandaki River on a thrilling bridge. From here, we will trek on a stone staircase and come across a landslide area. Further, we will cross a suspension bridge over Yaru Khola and again ascend on a stone staircase. We will ascend and descend several times and cross the west bank of the Budhi Gandaki. Climbing on a ridge, we will trek along a river and reach Jagat.
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Day 04 Jagat to Lokpa (1830m/6003ft) - 6 hours
After breakfast, we will descend on stone steps. We will then ascend along a terraced hillside and reach the small hamlet of Saguleri and Sirdibas. We will see beautiful views of Shringi Himal (7,187 m). Further, we will pass through small villages and continue trekking upstream. The trail will take us to Philim. After crossing a bridge, we will trek for around a couple of hours and reach Lokpa.
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Day 05 Lokpa to Dumje (2460m/8070ft) - 6 hours
Leaving Lopka behind, we will cross a suspension bridge and trek through a forest. On the way, we will see views of Ganesh Himal. We reach Rainjam and descend to Sarpu Khola. Further, we will ascend towards the Upper Tsum Valley and reach Dumje for the night stay.
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Day 06 Dumje to Nile (3,361m/11026ft) - 6 hours
Trekking through small villages, we will ascend to a ridge. During the trek, we will come across several chortens. From Lamagaon, we will head towards Burji village and head north to Milarepa’s Cave. After crossing Siyar Khola, we reach the Nile where we will spend the night.
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Day 07 Nile to Mu Gompa (3700m/12139ft) - 2/3 hours
Today, we will trek to the famous Mu Gompa monastery which is is one of the largest and most remote monasteries in the Tsum valley. The monks spend their lives in retreat and puja activities at this ancient monastery. The monastery has beautiful wall paintings with a statue of Guru Padmasambhava and Tara. There are great views of the of the valley and border mountains from the monastery.
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Day 08 Exploration day around Mu Gompa (3700m/12139ft)
Mu Gompa is an ancient monastery built in 1895 AD. According to ancient scripture, Mu Gompa was established in the eighth by Guru Rinpoche, an Indian saint credited with spreading Buddhism into the Himalaya and Tibet. After breakfast, we will explore Mu Gompa and the nearby area. We will trek to a nunnery and to a small pond (Chosyang Tal)situated a bit further from the nunnery. We also have the option to trek to Vajyo.
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Day 09 Mu Gompa to Rachen Gompa (3300m/10791ft) - 5/6 hours
Today, we will trek back to Chhokang Paro. We will visit Rachen Gompa here and get a chance to interact with locals. Before reaching Rachen Gompa, we will cross a huge courtyard. After visiting the Gompa, head south and cross a bridge to descend to Chhokang Paro.
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Day 10 Rachen Gumpa to Chumling (2360m/7717ft) - 6 hours
Crossing a river, we will pass by Chhokang Paro. From here, we will descend to Chumling. In around a couple of hours, we will come across an old monastery and continue descending to Siyar Khola. We reach Chumling to stay the night.
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Day 11 Chumling to Deng (1800m/5905ft) - 8 hours
Descend to Lokpa following the same trail. We will cross a suspension bridge and trek along a rocky ridge. Passing through Ghate Khola, we will come across millet, maize, and potato fields. Further, we will trek through a gorge, and walk along the Budhi Gandaki. The trail then passes by a dense bamboo forest and takes us to Deng.
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Day 12 Deng to Namrung (2630m/8628ft) - 7 hours
After breakfast, you will cross the Budhi Gandaki river and ascend to Bhim. You will then trek through dense forests and lovely villages to Prok. Here, you will see stunning views of Siringi Himal. Further, you will again cross the Budhi Gandaki and trek upstream to a narrow gorge. With one last steep climb, you will reach Namrung to stay the night.
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Day 13 Namrung to Lho (2957m/9701ft) - 5 hours via Hinang Gompa (3200m)
Today, we will gradually ascend and trek through dense forests. We will reach Lihi, a small village with several chortens fastened with colorful prayer flags as well as barley terraces. From here, the trail descends and crosses the side valley of Simnag Himal, and we pass by Sho village. From here, the trail will take us to Lho village, which will welcome us with fantastic views of Mt. Manaslu. We will also visit a famous ancient gompa here, Ribung Gompa.
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Day 14 Lho to Samagaun (3540m/11614ft) - 5 hours via Shyala 360 degree viewpoint
After breakfast, we will begin trekking and reach Shyala village. Shyala is a picturesque village surrounded by high mountains such as Himal Chuli and Ngadi Chuli on the left side and Mt. Manaslu as well as huge glaciers, and other snowy peaks on the right side.
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Day 15 Acclimatization Day at Samagaun - Hike to Manaslu Basecamp (4940m) or Pungyen Gompa (3980m)
After so many continuous trekking days, this is a rest day at Samagaun for acclimatization and exploration. We will explore the village and visit Pungyen Gompa from where we will see stunning views of mountains and glaciers. We will also see several mani stones with Buddhist texts & pictures on them. We will have a chance to observe the lifestyle, tradition and culture of locals residing in this remote area. Alternatively, you can make your day more challenging and rewarding by taking a side trip to the basecamp of the 8th highest mountain Mt. Manaslu (8163m).
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Day 16 Samagaun to Samdo (3865m/12680ft) - 3 hours
We will descend to the Budhi Gandaki River after breakfast. We will then cross a bridge and follow a trail passing by numerous mani walls and lush forests of birch & juniper. Further, we will descend and cross a wooden bridge over the Budhi Gandaki. From here, we will ascend steeply between two forks of the river. We will then reach Kani and finally arrive at Samdo.
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Day 17 Samdo to Dharamasala (4,480m/14698ft) - 4 hours
After breakfast, we will descend and cross a wooden bridge over the Budhi Gandaki and then ascend. We will then cross two streams. On the way, we will see a stunning view of Larkya Glacier. Further, from Salka Khola valley, we will ascend towards Dharamsala, also known as Larke Phedi.
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Day 18 Cross the Larke pass (5,106m/16752ft) and Trek to Bimtang (3,720m) - 8/9 hours
Today is the day we have been waiting for. After about three hours of ascending the northside of the larke La valley Glaciers, will begin to see prayer flags and a superb view of Cho Danda and Larkya Peak. Further, we trek across glacier moraines and ascend slowly. A fantastic viewpoint at the top of the glacier is waiting to welcome us. At last, we made it! Time for celebration. We will see magnificent views of Cheo Himal, Himlung Himal, Mt. Annapurna, and Kanguru and many other surrounding mountains. About 5-7 minutes walk from the pass, there is another excellent viewpoint for taking pictures. From here, the trails descends to Bhimtang.
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Day 19 Bimtang to Tilije (2,300m/7545ft) - 6 hours
Today, the trail will provide scenic mountain views. We will descend and cross a high pasture. We will then cross a bridge over the Dudh Khola, and pass by beautiful rhododendron forest. Further, we will trek along a narrow valley trail and reach high cultivated land at Karche. From here, we will pass by fields and ascend on a steep path. A descent of the ridge we take us to a riverbank and Gho village. The trail from here will take us to Tilije where we will stay overnight.
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Day 20 Tilije to Dharapani and drive to Besisahar (720m/2362ft) - 6/7 hours
After breakfast, we will descend to Dharapani. The trail will be relatively easy and scenic. We will ascend to a small ridge and enjoy the stone paved trail as it passes through a beautiful village. Crossing the Dudh Khola, we again ascend through a chorten-shaped arch, pass by mani walls. From Dharapani, you will drive to Besisahar on a dirt road.
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Day 21 Drive back to Kathmandu (1360m/ 4462ft) from Besisahar
After breakfast, we will drive back to Kathmandu. Following a route along the Marsyangdi and Trishuli rivers, we will pass by beautiful villages, green hills, and agricultural terraces before reaching Kathmandu. Upon reaching Kathmandu, we will head to our hotel and rest for the day. In the evening, we will stroll in the vibrant streets of Thamel and can also shopping.
