Manaslu Circuit with Tsum Valley Trek - 18 Days

Option A — Drive from Kathmandu (1,400 m) to Machha Khola (890 m): leaving Kathmandu's traffic behind, the highway gradually narrows as it climbs out of the valley toward Arughat, then Soti Khola, hugging the Budhi Gandaki River past terraced hillsides. Option B — Drive from Pokhara (820 m) to Machha Khola (890 m): this alternative routes east through Gorkha, the historic seat of Nepal's unification, before joining the same Arughat–Soti Khola road. Either way, we arrive in Machha Khola by late afternoon, a small riverside settlement that marks the true starting point of the trek.

Boots finally hit the trail today, following the river upstream on rocky paths through sal forest. Within the first hour we cross the Tharo Khola on a swaying suspension bridge. The trail continues to Tatopani, known for its natural hot springs, before bamboo groves close in around the path on the way to Doban, a compact village wedged between steep hillsides.

Today's walk begins with another string of suspension bridge crossings as the gorge narrows further. We reach Jagat, the official entry checkpoint into the Manaslu Conservation Area, before the trail opens onto wider terraced hillsides on the approach to Philim, a solid Gurung village. Tomorrow we branch away from the main Manaslu trail here, turning north toward the Tsum Valley.

Leaving the main Manaslu trail behind, we branch off at a quiet junction below Philim and begin climbing into a narrower, less-trodden valley — the gateway into the Tsum region. Traffic on this trail thins out almost immediately compared to the main circuit. By the time we reach Lokpa, the first village inside the Tsum Valley, the terrain has opened enough to offer our first real sense of the valley ahead — quieter, higher, and noticeably more remote.

The trail eases into a rhythm today, descending briefly out of Lokpa before settling into a long, contouring walk along the valley's forested flank. Mani walls begin to appear more frequently, an early sign of how deeply Buddhist practice runs through Tsum life. We reach Chumling by mid-afternoon, home to one of the valley's older monasteries.

Crossing a suspension bridge out of Chumling, we climb steadily through pine and fir forest toward Domje, known locally for its army post and community-run health clinic. Past Domje, the trail passes Rainjam, where the valley opens into wider farmland dotted with chortens and prayer walls. By late afternoon we arrive at Chhekampar, also known as Chhokangparo, the administrative and cultural heart of Tsum.

The longest single day of the Tsum detour. The trail climbs steadily out of Chhekampar toward Nile, the valley's uppermost permanent settlement, before continuing up toward Mu Gompa, one of the oldest monasteries in the Tsum Valley, perched near the head of the valley within sight of peaks close to the Tibetan border. On the way back down, we stop at Rachen Gompa, a working nunnery known for its detailed murals, and, where the trail allows, the nearby Milarepa Piren Phu Cave.

We begin retracing our path down the valley today, the walking noticeably easier with the altitude behind us and the trail now familiar. Passing back through Rainjam and Domje, we get one more look at the terraced farmland that makes Tsum feel distinct from the main Manaslu trail. By late afternoon we reach Lokpa, ready to rejoin the main Manaslu circuit tomorrow.

Descending out of Lokpa, we rejoin the main Manaslu trail at Philim, the same junction we left five days ago, before continuing north — this time deeper into the Manaslu region than our first pass through. The trail pushes on past Ekle Bhatti, where the valley narrows into a sharper gorge. We arrive at Deng, a small Tibetan-influenced village where the architecture shifts noticeably.

A longer day today, combining what many standard circuit itineraries split into two. We climb toward Rana, then Bihi Phedi where langurs and white-faced monkeys are occasionally spotted, then Ghap, home to the local Nubri community. Beyond Ghap, the trail climbs through bamboo and rhododendron forest, past Nam Lung, before opening into the barley terraces that mark the approach to Namrung.

We push deeper into the upper Nubri region today, passing mani walls and stone houses toward Lihi, known for its terraced barley fields. From Lihi the path crosses the glacier-fed Hinan River before reaching Sho, with a clear view of Simnang Himal. Beyond Sho, the valley opens dramatically, delivering the first full view of Mt. Manaslu and Naike Peak together, before reaching Lho.

Sunrise over Manaslu is the first thing we see today, before the trail eases into a gradual climb, the forest thinning as we gain height. The trees fall away entirely on the approach to Shyala, where Himalchuli, Ngadi Chuli, and Manaslu all sit in open view. From Shyala, a gentle descent brings us to Samagaun, the largest and most culturally significant village in the region, where we settle in for two nights.

Rather than resting outright, today follows the "climb high, sleep low" principle, with three optional side trips: the shortest to Birendra Lake beneath Manaslu's northern slopes; a longer walk to Manaslu Base Camp for views of the Manaslu Glacier; or a quieter alternative to Pungyen Gompa, a centuries-old monastery. We return to Samagaun by evening for a second night at altitude before pushing on toward the pass.

A shorter day gives the body time to settle into the higher elevation, climbing gradually along a broad valley lined with yak pastures and glacier views. We pass through White Kani, a traditional Buddhist gateway, before continuing to Samdo, a Tibetan-influenced village close to the Nepal-Tibet border.

The distance is short today, but the altitude gain makes it feel like considerably more work, climbing steadily through juniper scrub and tundra vegetation toward Fuka Kharka. A wooden bridge brings us to Larke Bazaar, once a seasonal Tibetan trading post, before the trail climbs on to Dharmashala, also known as Larkya Phedi — our final stop before tomorrow's pass crossing.

This is the day the entire trek has been building toward, moving well before sunrise to beat the winds that tend to pick up on the pass by afternoon. Strings of prayer flags mark the final approach, guiding us past a series of four frozen lakes to the top of Larkya La Pass, with views taking in Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, Kang Guru, and Annapurna II. The descent winds down through moraine toward Dangboche Kharka before the terrain softens on the way to Bimthang.

Our final trekking day begins with a descent through alpine meadows and past several small waterfalls, reaching Karche beside the Dudh Khola. Past Karche, the path flattens toward Gurung Goa, the first permanent village since Samdo. We reach Tilje, marking the end of the trekking portion, before boarding local transport for the drive along the Marsyangdi River to Besisahar.

Option A — Drive from Besisahar (760 m) to Kathmandu (1,400 m): our final day is spent almost entirely on the road, retracing river valleys and terraced farmland as the drive gradually trades rural scenery for the busier outskirts of the capital. Option B — Drive from Besisahar (760 m) to Pokhara (820 m): the shorter exit option, following the Marsyangdi valley down to Dumre before joining the Prithvi Highway into Pokhara — trekkers finishing this way generally have a half-day free in Pokhara on arrival. Either way, this closes out eighteen days from a remote, restricted valley, over one of the higher passes in the Himalaya, and back again.