Tsum valley Trekking (17Days)

  • Duration 17
  • Destination Nepal
  • Trip Grade Moderate
  • Starts at Kathmandu
  • Ends at Kathmandu
  • Meals Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
  • Accommodation Tea Houses/Lodges/Hotels
  • Max. Altitude 17 Days
  • Activity Trekking
  • Group Type Trekking
  • Group Size 1-12
  • Best Season Autumn (October to November)
Highlights

The Tsum Valley Trek is defined by its deep spiritual serenity and stunning alpine geography, offering highlights that are entirely unique even within Nepal. At its core is a vibrant, untouched Tibetan Buddhist culture, where hikers can explore historic, high-altitude monasteries like Mu Gompa and Rachen Gompa, alongside sacred landmarks like Milarepa’s Cave, where the legendary yogi meditated centuries ago. This spiritual essence is beautifully matched by the local Tsumba people’s strict adherence to Syangya, an ancient code of non-violence that prohibits the slaughter of any animal, allowing local wildlife like Himalayan Tahr and Blue Sheep to roam the valley completely unafraid of humans. Framing this entire cultural oasis are the jaw-dropping, close-up vistas of the Ganesh Himal and Sringi Himal ranges, which look out toward the vast Tibetan plateau. Because it was sealed off to the outside world until recent decades, the ultimate highlight of Tsum Valley is the rare chance to step back in time, walking through pristine pine forests and ancient stone-built villages entirely undisturbed by mass commercial tourism.

Tsum valley Trekking (17Days) Overview

The Tsum Valley Trek is a deeply spiritual and remote journey into a hidden Himalayan valley tucked away in northern Gorkha, near the Tibetan border. Known as the “Valley of Happiness,” this culturally rich destination was a restricted area completely closed to foreigners until 2008, allowing its ancient Tibetan Buddhist traditions and pristine landscapes to remain perfectly preserved. As you hike beneath the stunning peaks of the Ganesh and Sringi Himal ranges, you pass through traditional stone villages inhabited by the indigenous Tsumba people, who strictly practice Syangya—a centuries-old code of non-violence that forbids harming any living creature. Over the course of roughly 12 to 15 days, the trail leads you past ancient mani walls and sacred chortens up to historic, high-altitude monasteries like Mu Gompa (3,700m) and Rachen Gompa. Offering a tranquil, crowd-free alternative to Nepal’s busier trekking hubs, Tsum Valley is an extraordinary blend of rugged alpine beauty, rich cultural immersion, and deep spiritual serenity.

Day to Day Itinerary
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Arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). Upon arrival the guests would be received by our representatives and transfer to hotel.

Cost Includes
  • Airport / Hotel / Airport pick up & transfer by private car / van
  • Three nights accommodation with breakfast at a 3-star category hotel in Kathmandu
  • Kathmandu city tours, inclusive of all entry fees, tour guide and private car / van
  • Full board meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) during the trek
  • Best available twin sharing lodge to lodge accommodation during the trek.
  • One highly experienced, helpful and friendly guide, porters (1 porter for 2 people) and their food, accommodation, salary, equipment, and insurance
  • duffle bag, down jacket and sleeping bag during the trek 
  • First aid medical kit
  • Manaslu National Park Permits fee
  •  Fee- Trekkers’ Information Management System
  • TIMS Fee- Trekkers’ Information Management System
  • Government taxes & office service charge
Cost Excludes
  • Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu
  • Travel insurance
  • International airfare
  • Nepal entry visa: you can obtain a visa easily upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. (a multiple-entry tourist visa good for 30 days can be obtained by paying US $ 40 or equivalent foreign currency. Similarly, multiple-entry tourist visas for 90 days can be obtained by paying US $ 100. Please bring 2 copies of passport-size photos.)
  • All kind of drinks (hot, cold and alcoholic)
  • Hot and cold showers during the trek
  • Personal shopping and laundry
  • Personal trekking equipments
  • Tips for trekking staff and driver (Tipping is appreciated but it is not mandatory)
Departure Dates
Useful Info

Upon Arrival 

When you arrive at Tribhuban International Airport, our staff will greet you and transport you to your accommodations. After resting, the next day you will have a sightseeing tour of the city’s most influential cultural landmarks. Before departing for your trek, we will review your itinerary, introduce you to your guide and help with the final preparations for your journey.

Meals and Drinking Water

We provide quality food in sufficient quantities (breakfast, lunch and dinner) from guesthouses chosen from a menu . Tea or coffee is also included with meals. While Everest Base Camp Trekking, your guide will help with menu selection and ensure that you get the best value meals possible. Although the food is usually plentiful and delicious, you should be aware that the menu is not normally extensive due to the extreme locations. Most teahouses offer a variety of rice and noodle dishes, as well as soup and seasonal vegetables. A variety of cereals, bread and egg dishes are generally available for breakfast. There will also be plenty of snacks available such as biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks and in some areas you will find fresh fruit in season. You can buy bottled mineral water from local lodges and shops en route or you can also ask your guide to fill your water bottle with boiled water and treat with water purification pills.

Our Trekking Guides and Staff

Your guide’s role is to ensure that all aspects of the trip run smoothly. He will share his local knowledge, and provide advice on how to fill your free time as well as co-ordinate the day-to-day running of the tour – although occasionally he may need your understanding if things do not go according to plan. If you have any problems on the tour, please let your guide know so that steps can be taken to correct the situation.

We are a well-established adventure company and we employ professional trekking guides with comprehensive knowledge of English and all required supplementary crew members (everyone has basic communication skills). We also provide training for our staff, thus enhancing their work efficiency. Our guides are intimately familiar with all local castes and customs along the trails and will share with you many cultural insights that are not covered in any guide book. You will have many chances to learn Nepali phrases and other cultural aspects throughout your trek. All of our team/ guides receive training in the following courses.

  • Trekking Guide Training &licensed- Government of Nepal, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation department of Hotel Management & Tourism Training Centre
  • Eco Trekking Workshop and Adventure Meet TAAN (Trekking Agents Association of Nepal)
  • Intensive Wilderness First Aid KEEP (Kathmandu Environmental Educational Project)
  • English Language KEEP
  • Conservation and Biodiversity TAAN
  • Rock, Ice Climbing and Mountaineering (Climbing leaders) Nepal Mountaineering Association

Acclimatization

We are experts in operations at high-altitude. Every trip we run has a sound acclimatization program. We created the Tsum valley Trekking itinerary to allow for gradual height gain spread over a number of days. There is no way of predicting who will suffer from altitude, but for the vast majority of people, a slow ascent will produce minimal effects. Acclimatizing takes time and there are no safe shortcuts. For all trips to altitudes in excess of 3,000 meters, our guides carry medicines essential to the treatment of altitude illness; they are trained to track symptoms as well as administer medications.

Travel Insurance

To be adequately protected in terms of insurance, you will need specialized travel insurance for participation in hazardous activities. A travel insurance policy that covers emergency evacuation, trip injury, lost baggage, theft, liability, medical treatment and expenses is strongly recommended. Make sure the insurance covers all the activities that you will be undertaking during your stay in Nepal such as trekking and climbing. Our agency can arrange for the appropriate policy based on your trek.

Climate and Weather

The climate of Nepal is as varied as its geography. The low-lying Terai has a sub-tropical monsoonal climate. The Himalayan foothills, where most of our treks take place, are best in the cool dry season from September to May. The traditional trekking season in Nepal is late September to December, with October and November generally recognized as having the best weather. Spring is also a popular time of year with warmer weather and the advantage of seeing spring flowers and rhododendrons in bloom. The visibility is good and days are pleasantly warm, although nights can be cold, and snow is possible above 3,000 meters.

The Tsum valley Trekking is likely to have a wide range of temperatures depending on the altitude and the time of day. In the mountains up to 3,500m the nights will be cool, normally around 5 degree C, and during the day temperatures sometimes rise to 25 degree C. At higher altitudes temperatures range from about 20 degree C to -15 degree C.

Group Size

We bring together a small group of likeminded people to give them a memorable and insightful travel experience with an invaluable opportunity to interact in a fun-filled environment. Our travel group generally comprises a maximum of 12 members. We need a minimum of 2 participants to run our fixed departure dates. For individualized trips, no minimum or maximum applies. If you would like to travel independently or with your friends, families and colleagues, you are invited to choose any of the trips at your convenient time frame for any number of people.

Responsible Travel

The beautiful environment of the Himalaya is also an extremely fragile one. At Himalayan Exodus, we are extremely conscious about the environment and aim to minimize the detrimental impact as much as possible. As deforestation is one of the greatest environmental threats, we do not have campfires and we use kerosene as cooking fuel. We also discourage trekkers from using wood-fuelled hot showers in lodges along the way. Many lodges, however, now provide solar energy, a far more eco-friendly alternative.

Garbage disposal is another major problem. Some of the busier trails are at times strewn with litter and garbage thrown by irresponsible trekking groups. Our staff members are well motivated towards eco-friendly practices. We carry the non-biodegradable garbage, apart from that which can be safely and easily burned at the campsite. Our aim is to help protect and preserve this beautiful environment for future generations of trekkers to enjoy.

FAQs
  • The Tsumba people strictly practice Syangya—a historic, century-old Buddhist code of non-violence. No animals are allowed to be slaughtered or hunted within Tsum Valley, and the trading or selling of meat is completely forbidden.

    Teahouses serve healthy, high-energy vegetarian meals like Dal Bhat, noodles, potatoes, fried rice, and Tibetan bread. You should plan to embrace a vegetarian diet for the entire duration of your time inside the valley.

  • The trek is rated Moderate. It is a great option for beginner hikers with good physical stamina because it lacks technical climbing and keeps you at safer altitudes than other major circuits.

  • To protect the fragile alpine environment, buying plastic bottled water is heavily discouraged or outright banned in parts of the conservation area. You should bring a reusable, durable water bottle or hydration bladder and use water purification tablets, drops, or a UV filter pump to treat tap or stream water provided at the teahouses.

    • Charging: Most teahouses rely on solar power. You can charge your phones and cameras, but expect a small fee of NPR 200 to NPR 500 per device. Bringing a heavy-duty power bank is highly recommended.

    • Connectivity: Mobile signals (Ncell and NTC) drop entirely once you cross the gateway into Tsum Valley. A few teahouses offer paid satellite Wi-Fi (like Everest Link), but it can be slow and highly dependent on clear weather. Be prepared to go mostly offline.

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