Tsum Valley Trek - 13 Days

Trip Overview

The Tsum Valley Trek takes visitors to the hidden valley of Tsum, meaning “vivid.” Home to the direct descendant Tibetan people known as Tsumbas, the Tsum Valley is located to the east of Manaslu, on the border with Tibet. This isolated hidden Shangri-La just opened to trekkers in 2008. It remains relatively untouched, with ancient villages and Tibetan Buddhist monasteries waiting to be explored. Each day you will walk between 5 and 8 hours, with the high point of the trek being 4,000 m above the largest of the monasteries in the valley, Mu Gompa. You will be accommodated in lodges and traditional ‘homestays’ on this trek, rather than in tents. As the Tsum Valley is much undeveloped, with its unique culture, most hospitable people traditionally offer us a friendly welcome to their home, which can be somewhat rudimentary, and you can expect to eat similar food to the locals (dal bhat, chapatis, and noodle soup). If you are not prepared to "rough it" a little bit, then this trek is probably not for you!

The trail to the sacred pilgrimage site of Tsum Valley heads up the Budi Gandaki River Valley through unexplored countryside inhabited by the Tibetan community and authentic Tsum villages such as Chhokangparo, where the area has long been considered Baeyul, or Hidden Land, and offers the unspoiled culture and tradition of Tsumba with fabulous mountain views of the Ganesh Himal Range, Sringi Himal, Bauddha Himal, and Himalchuli. The valley is extensively rich in culture and tradition, dotted with Buddhist monasteries, nunneries, chhortens, prayer walls, and significant religious monuments; the longest mani walls at Dzong and Phurpe are great attractions.

The Tsum Valley Trekking Permit is rock-bottom cheap compared to other restricted area trekking routes and even cheaper than its sister trekking route to the Manaslu Circuit Trek. Our ‘Tsum Valley Trekking Itinerary’ is provided only as a guideline so we can personalize this program per your needs and preferences to suit your schedule and budget. This trip can be combined with the Round Manaslu Trek.

When is the best season to trek to Tsum Valley?

The best times or months to visit Tsum Valley are from September to November (autumn season) and spring (March to May). The winter (December to February) trek is also possible with adequate warm clothing. Trekking in the summer season (June, July, and August) can be wet, and views are affected by summer clouds and rain. If your holiday off is given between the months of June and August, Nepal also offers great monsoon trekking routes.

Tsum Valley Trekking Permit Requirements and Its Cost.

The Tsum Valley area also falls in a restricted area in Nepal, and that requires a special trekking permit to be obtained from the Department of Immigration Nepal.

The permit cost is USD 40.00 per person a week from the months of September to November. And from December to August: USD 30.00 per person for the first 7 days. It will cost 7 American dollars for each additional day per person if you stay there more than a week. Additionally, you will need an MCAP (Manaslu Conservation Area) permit that costs NPR 3000 per head, obtained from the National Trust for Nature Conservation. Your permit cost is included in the trekking package price, which is published for the years 2026 and 2027. 

How long is the Tsum Valley Trek itinerary, and what is the difficulty?

We have designed a 13-day comfort standard itinerary that is suitable for all age groups, like families with kids, couples, honeymooners, and even physically active seniors aged up to 65; this could be an ideal Tsum Valley trek itinerary. We also have a shorter version of the 10-day Tsum Valley Trek for teenagers and fit young adults with a budget-friendly, cheaper 10 days package trip cost.

The Tsum Valley Trek is generally considered a modestly challenging hike, appropriate for hikers with good physical fitness and some previous, even if limited, trekking experience. While it doesn't require technical climbing, the route requires 5 to 7 hours of walking each day; the trail consists of steep, rugged terrain at high altitudes (up to 3,700 m+ in the valley).