Tsum Valley Trek Guide

Our guide and driver will pick you up from your place (Hotel) at about 9:30 am and your guided sightseeing tour starts from Swoyambhunath following with Boudhanath, Pashupatinath, and Patan Durbar Square. You will have a lunch break at Bouddha and you will be escorted to your hotel in the late afternoon.

After breakfast, we'll head to Machha Khola, where our trek begins. The journey from Kathmandu to Dhading Besi is a smooth 3-hour drive on a paved road. From there, we'll encounter a rough and winding dirt road to Machha Khola, lasting 5 to 7 hours depending on traffic and road conditions.

The total travel time for the day will be approximately 9 to 10 hours. Please note that the road from Soti Khola to Machha Khola is recently constructed and not yet paved. To ensure your comfort and safety, we'll arrange sharing 4WD vehicle with an experienced driver for your transportation.

Once we pass the Machha River and Khorla Besi, we'll come across a relaxing hot spring known as Tatopani. Following a path through the forest, we'll arrive at Dovan, situated beneath the impressive Budi Gandaki river. As we climb higher, you'll notice a change in the scenery and the speed of the rapids.

Our trail moves uphill and then continues through a flat leveled path trail to sandy banks. The path then gets steep near Sirdibas and as we cross a dramatic suspension bridge over the river, we further climb up to a beautiful village of Phillim. From Philim, we lose the height and enter to Tsum valley. As we head a little further with a climb, we reach Lhokpa. The views of Ganesh Himal and Shringi Himal from Lokpa is amazing. 

Today will be challenging as we climb to higher altitudes, mostly uphill. Along the trail, we'll catch glimpses of the Himalayas peeking through the scenery. Passing by charming villages like Lungwa Khola, we'll hike through pine forests to Gumlung. Crossing the Siyar Khola, we'll arrive at Chumling, a lower part of the Tsum valley known for its Chumling Gompa and quaint stone streets.

Leaving behind Chumling, we begin our walk to Chhokang Paro. Chookang Paro is also popularly known as Chhekemper and is located on the top of the hill. Our trail for today follows one of the tributaries of the Budhi Gandaki River for the most part of the day. We pass a small monastery on the way and crosses another tributary from where we begin to ascend up to the hill to Chhekampar. Chhekampar consists of two unique settlements namely Chhokang and Paro. Being on the top of the hill, Chhekampar acts as a vantage point that offers close-up views of Ganesh Himal Range.

The village of Nile is to the west, which is the north of the upper Tsum valley last settlement. As we pass into the grotto of Piren Phu, also known as the cave of piegeons. It is one of Tsum Valley's most holy caves. It is located near the town of Burji, at the foot of a steep hill. It was assumed that the revered Tibetan Saint named Milarepa meditated in that cave because of the cave 's footprint. The road is a perfect way to walk through green woods and the landscape can turn lush and low. Two different convents are connected to the rocky cave.

After an early breakfast in the morning we will abandon Nile as the road progresses towards Mu Gompa. This is the region's largest monastery. The highest and most far-away in the Tsum Valley is Mu Gompa. It was established in 1895 A.D. and consists of several books, among them a Kangyur, an images of Guru Padmasambavya and Tara. Chortens rows and spectacular mountain views and houses have been developed into the monastery. One of the oldest monasteries in the Tsum valley is Dephyudonma 's ancient monastery associated with the dawn of Buddhism run by Lama on the lap of rough mountains.

We descend down the valley to Chhule and continue walking down to Phurbe. We stay on the east bank of the Siyar Khola and cross flat boulder-covered plains and follow the power lines to Rachen Gompa/ Nunnery Gompa. We visit this ancient gompa and interact with the monks and nuns living in the gompa. 

Next day leaving Rachen Gompa we trek towards Domje village form where the trail starts to cross over a mani wall with several flags of prayer, continuing the steep climb through a oak, junipar and rhododendron wood. It is a lovely view of the Tibetan culture. Eventually, there is a prayer flag in the forest marking the climb and passing through a large silver pine to the Gompa in Lungdang. In the mountains.

After our breakfast we walk down to Rainjam and catch the unforgettable glimpse of the Himal Ganesh. We climb up and down to Ripchet slightly after that. The village of Ripchet is lovely with big houses. It offers you the chance to learn about the local people 's hospitality history, practices and lifestyles.

It's time for us to descend to Jagat, where we'll reconnect with the Budhi Gandaki river. Along the trails, we'll catch glimpses of the mountains. The hike today through forests and downhill terrain should be pleasant and easy on our legs. We'll traverse several suspension bridges to reach Sirdibas village before finally arriving at Jagat.

Both Khorlabesi and Machha Khola are in the banks of the Budhi Gandaki River. After hot breakfast, we will take the trail to Machha Khola. It’s mostly a decent today. We will walk on the side of the mountain with the roaring Budhi Gandaki below us, cross suspension bridges and finally arrive at Machha Khola, the end point of our trek.

We will depart for Kathmandu in the morning, starting with a newly built but unpaved road until Dhading Besi, where some bumps are expected due to the current state of the route. From Dhading Besi, the road transitions to concrete, offering a smoother but still mountainous drive. While the terrain can be uneven at times, the journey offers scenic views, and we anticipate arriving in Kathmandu, by late morning or early afternoon, depending on traffic and weather conditions.

Use your last morning in Kathmandu according to your flight time. Pack your things, check out of the hotel, Head to Tribhuvan International Airport for your departure. Wishing you a safe and pleasant journey back home!