Tsum valley, Manaslu and Annapurna Circuit Trekking – 28 Days

Today, you’ll walk through the protected territories of the Manaslu conservation area. Starting along the bank of the Budhi Gandaki, you walk past the attractive settlements of Salleri, Sirdibas, and Philim. As you trek further, the trail branches off into two at Ekle Bhatti, where you choose the trail to Tsum Valley. You keep climbing along the bank of Budhi Gandaki, encounter a waterfall on the way, and finally reach Lokpa. Lokpa is the first village in Tsum Valley that affords you a spectacular view of the Manaslu range, including Himalchuli and Boudha Himal. Overnight stay at Lokpa.

From Lokpa, you follow the descending trail to the Lungwa River and walk uphill to Gumling through the dense rhododendrons and pine forests. Then, you cross Syar Khola and reach the village of Chumling. On the way to Chumling, you can enjoy a clear view of Baudha Himal and Ganesh Himal.

Mani Dhungyur and Gurwa Gompa are impressive monasteries in Chumling that draw the attention of every trekker. From Chumling, you continue your trek to Chhokang Paro as you cross several streams. Chhokang, a part of the upper Tsum Valley, offers an excellent Shringi view.

Himal (7161 m). The warm hospitality of local people with Tibetan tea will be a memorable experience.

The trail scales up from Chhokangparo along the side of Shiar Khola to Rachen Gompa, an ancient nunnery of Tsum Valley. As you continue your trek, you see people busy on their farms. After passing Lamagaon, you encounter a Piren Phu/ Milarepa cave adorned with colorful prayer flags. The walls of this cave have ancient Buddhist paintings and arcane scripts that mark the socio-religious importance of this cave.

After exploring the cave, you continue walking past the Nile and Chule villages and finally reach Mu Gompa. Mu Gompa is the largest monastery in the area, and a hundred monks live there. The evening prayer at the Mu Gompa monastery is something sure to delight. Overnight stay at Mu Gompa.

Today, you roam around the Mu Gompa area, exploring the natural beauty and experiencing the vibrant atmosphere and spiritual bliss. This place offers beautiful views of the mountain peaks and beautiful pastures. A day of acclimatization helps you to adapt to the high altitude and thin air. Overnight stay at Mu Gompa.

Today, you retrace the path back to Chhokangparo via Rachen Gompa. You walk past the monasteries, villages, and terraced farms and reach the Milarepa cave. From there, you continue to the monastery of Rachen Gompa. Then, you follow the trail along the bank of Sotikhola to reach Chhokangparo.

Today, you leave Chhokangparo to walk along the familiar trail to Lokpa. Bidding goodbye to the beautiful people of Chhokangparo and the impressive monasteries in the village, you walk on the downhill trail to reach Chumling. Chumling looks attractive at the backdrop of Baudha and Ganesh Himal. As you leave Chumling, you cross Syar Khola and reach Gumling, from where the trail descends to the Lungwa River. Then, you walk along the ascending trail and stop at Lokpa for an overnight stay.

After breakfast, you leave Lokpa and cross a bridge over the Budhi Gandaki River to reach Nyak. Then, you enter a narrow gorge. After a series of ascent and descent, you cross a suspension bridge again to reach Nupri. You tread through the bamboo forest to reach Deng, an attractive Gurung village. The Shringi Himal (7161 m) looks magnificent in the north as you walk past the Mani walls and cross the bridges over the Budhi Gandaki. Finally, you stop at Ghap for an overnight stay.

As you leave Ghap, you walk on a steep trail through the bamboo and rhododendron forest, cross streams several times and then reach Namrung. From Namrung, you continue to walk past the village of Sho, several Mani walls, and a landslide area to get to the attractive village of Lho.

The village of Lho affords you the stunning views of Manaslu (8163 m), Himal Chuli (7983 m), Ngadi Chuli (7971 m), and other surrounding mountain peaks. Overnight stay at Ghap.

After breakfast, you follow the ascending trail on the right side of the Budhi Gandaki River while enjoying the excellent view of Mt. Manaslu and other mountain peaks. You walk through the rhododendron forest and pass several small monasteries and Mani walls before you reach Shyala, an attractive village relying on yaks and potato farms. Then, you cross a bridge over Numla Khola, descend to the broad valley, and walk past the small settlements to reach Sama village. Overnight Stay in Sama Gaun.

The rest day allows you to adapt to the high altitude and cope with the thin air. Besides, you’ll have time to explore the natural and cultural beauty of Sama Gaun. A side trip to Birendra Lake or Pungyen Gompa can be exciting. The evening prayers at a nearby gompa can be a delightful experience that is enough to solace and make peace in your heart and mind. Overnight Stay at Sama Gaun.

After breakfast, you descend to the Budhi Gandaki River and climb up the trail leading to Birendra Lake and Manaslu Base Camp. Then, you walk through the forested hills on a more accessible track to Kermo Kharka. The trail climbs further, and you cross a wooden bridge over the Budhi Gandaki before you reach Samdo. The Samdo peaks shine like a diamond on the northern horizon. Besides, the glacial basin to the east and Syacha Glacier to the north of Sama Valley make a spectacular view. Overnight stay at Samdo.

The most challenging section of the Manaslu trek is ahead of you. You leave Dharmashala early in the morning and climb up a ridge leading to the moraine of Larkya Glacier. As you trek further, you’ll see arrays of beautiful frozen lakes shining like a huge diamond stone. Walking through Larkya La Glacier, you reach Larkya La Pass, the longest mountain Pass in Nepal. The top of the pass affords the most stunning view of Cheo Himal, Himlung, Gyaji Kung, Kangguru, and Annapurna II. From the pass, you descend to Dangboche Kharka and follow the trail to the attractive Bimthang valley via Salpudanda Glacier. Overnight Stay at Bimthang.

After breakfast, you walk through the icy glaciers and then finally descend to an easier trail along the forested hills of rhododendron, oak, and pines. The trail slopes down further to reach Kharche via Hampuk and Sangure Khare. Then, you walk past the Gurung settlements of Tilije and then climb down to Marsayangdi valley through the forest. You cross the Marsayangdi River at Thonje and reach Dharapani. Overnight stay at Dharapani.

Leaving Dharapani, the pristine mountainous river takes you through lush forests towards Danaque. The trail continues towards Koto village, where you’ll enjoy your lunch. Afterward, you’ll continue walking upstream towards Chame village. Chame is the headquarters of Manang District, where you can enjoy the majestic sight of Lamjung Himal (6983m) in the distance. Overnight in Chame.

Enjoy a delicious breakfast and then embark on the first day of the trek. Leaving Chame, you’ll begin trekking upstream along the Marsayangdi River towards Telekhu village. The trail starts to climb through lush forested ridges towards Bhratang. A short hike will bring you to Dhukur Pokhari, where you’ll begin climbing along the Marsayangdi River and towards Lower Pisang village. A short climb above Lower Pisang will bring you to Upper Pisang village. Overnight in Upper Pisang.

Enjoy breakfast at Upper Pisang while enjoying the beautiful view of Marsayangdi Valley. Leaving Upper Pisang, you’ll begin to cling uphill through Manang Sadak towards Ngawal village. You can enjoy your lunch and then explore the Tibetan-style settlements in Ngawal. The trail continues through Ghyaru, Humde, and Braga villages towards Manang. Overnight in Manang.

Manang is a town in Manang District surrounded by Annapurna III (7555m) and Gangapurna (6454m). It is home to the ethnic tribes of Tibetan and Magar people. You can spend the day exploring the scenic town and nearby destinations. If you’re up for an adventurous hike, you can head to the Gangapurna Lake and Ice Lake in the glaciated region amidst Annapurna massif and Chulu East Peak. Catch the beautiful panoramic sight of Annapurna and Gangapurna ranges on the way. Overnight in Manang.

The trek resumes after a hearty breakfast. From Manang, you head west towards Khangsar Khola. The trail gets steeper as you start gaining altitude. Once you cross the river, you reach Khangsar. Then, you ascend again to reach Shree Kharka. En route, you can see fantastic views of mountains like Annapurna and Gangapurna. The trail is accessible from here onwards, and you arrive at Tilicho Base Camp. Overnight at Tilicho Base Camp.

You wake up to the picturesque views of Tilicho Peak and have breakfast. You ascend to a steep slope and head to explore the Tilicho Lake. The trail continues along the pastureland, where you can see yaks and deer. After crossing the pastureland, you arrive at the breathtaking Tilicho Lake with Tilicho Peak in the backdrop. After exploring the lake area, you return to the base camp and descend to Shree Kharka overnight.

After cleaning up and having breakfast, you descend back through the trail you took to ascend. As you descend, you arrive at Tare Gumba, an ancient monastery. You can do a quick tour of the place if you want. Then, you head towards Khangsar village, and from there, you head towards Thorong Khola Valley. You ascend to a plateau after crossing Thorong Khola, leading you to Yak Kharka. Overnight in Yak Kharka.

Leaving Yak Kharka, you’ll climb uphill through Chauri Ledar village and make your way toward Thorong Phedi. The steep trail goes upstream along the Kone River and climbs through the rocky ridges towards Thorong Phedi. Enjoy the scenic sights of Annapurna Massif and Thorong Peak (6144m) as you approach Thorong Phedi High Camp. Spend the rest of the day acclimatizing for the upcoming climb of Thorong La Pass.

Leaving Thorong Phedi, the trail begins to climb upstream along the Marsayangdi stream. You’ll encounter thick snow as you approach the top of the pass. Once at Thorong La Pass (5,416 m), you can enjoy the majestic view of the surrounding mountains in the Annapurna and Gangapurna ranges, along with the desert-like landscape of Mustang. Mountains as far as Tibet will also be visible from the top. You’ll begin descending to the other side and climb down the rocky ridges to reach the monastic destination of Muktinath Temple. Overnight in Muktinath.

Muktinath, you’ll begin climbing downhill with the company of Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri peaks in the distance. You can enjoy your lunch upon reaching Kagbeni village. The trek continues over the dried beds of Kali Gandaki River and goes towards Jomsom, the headquarters of Mustang District. Overnight in Marpha

In the early morning, jump on the bus, which will take you to Pokhara via Tatopani – Beni and Nayapul. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel. Overnight in Pokhara.

Enjoy your breakfast overlooking the beautiful Phewa Lake. Afterward, you’ll embark on a half-day journey back to Kathmandu by tourist bus. The scenic journey goes along the massive Trishuli River and crosses numerous colorful towns en route. Upon reaching Kathmandu, you can explore the nearby Town of Thamel and shop for souvenirs. Overnight in Kathmandu.