Tsum Valley Trekking | Journey To The Picturesque Tibetian Valley

Tsum Valley Trekking

Tsum Valley Trekking is an activity that is conducted in Tsum Valley. Tsum Valley is an area that is linked closely with Tibet. When you visit the place, you get to see so many Tibetan influences, especially when it comes to language, culture, and religion. Tsum Valley is located to the north of the Manaslu region. The trek route leading to this place deviates from the Manaslu Circuit trek route.

As a matter of fact, around two-thirds of the Tsum Valley trek route is a part of the Manaslu Circuit trek route. During the Tsum Valley trekking, you come across so many attractions. These include natural spectacles as well as religious and cultural heritages. All these features make the Tsum Valley trek an ideal journey for trekkers of all kinds, belonging to different walks of life.

Altogether, the Tsum Valley trekking is a 23-day-long journey. During this time, the trekkers walk for a duration of around 17 days. When you look at it, you realize that the Tsum Valley trekking actually includes the entire Manaslu Circuit trek route. And so, you’ll be spending the majority of time walking in the Manaslu Circuit trek route itself. And exploring the places and attractions that happen to fall within it.

However, certain places are unique to Tsum Valley, and they are Lokpa, Chhumling, Chhokang Paro, Chule, and so on. These villages are naturally and as well as culturally gifted. It’s a guarantee that you’ll find it to be an absolute pleasure moving around them and exploring the attractions in them. They are beautiful and rejuvenating.

Tsum Valley trekking can be considered a religious trek, as during the journey, you get to explore so many religious heritages. The routes are filled with Buddhist relics like chortens, mani walls, structures wrapped in prayer flags, and so on. The most significant heritage of the region is Mu Gompa, which is regarded highly by the Buddhists living in the region.

Another important religious heritage that you’ll get to explore on the route is Rachen Nunnery. During the journey, you will also get to explore Milarepa caves that are situated on the outskirts of the valley. There is a very interesting story about how these caves came into existence. And how the region got popular as a crucial pilgrimage site, especially for Tibetan Buddhists.

It is said that Guru Milarepa, one of the prominent figures in Tibetan Buddhism, and one of the disciples of Gautam Buddha, came to the region centuries ago. He had a great hand in spreading Buddhism in the region. He traveled to different places and spent a great amount of time in the caves around the valley. It is said that he would meditate in them for days and nights. It is for this reason that those caves were named Milarepa caves.

Tsum Valley Trekking is an ideal journey for you if you are looking for not just natural attractions, but religious ones as well, in your trek. Apart from exploring these heritages, you will also get to interact with the locals and get to know their way of life. Exploring the Himalayas and the natural beauties here is a plus.

Manaslu Circuit Trek

Manaslu Circuit Trek is also known as the Manaslu trek. It is one of those journeys that is slowly gaining popularity among tourists. It’s unbelievable to sometimes notice that trekkers have now started picking the Manaslu Circuit trek route over other, more popular routes. Such as the Everest Base Camp trek route and the Annapurna Circuit trek route, and why not! The Manaslu Circuit trek route offers everything that these other routes do.

On top of that, it offers the peace and serenity factor that is disappearing at an alarming rate from the other trekking routes. When you go for the Manaslu trek, you’ll realize that nature is exactly how it should be - real and untouched. Manaslu Circuit trek is the journey for you if you’re looking to explore nature on your trek.

Altogether, the Manaslu Circuit trek is a 16-day journey, and during this time, the trekkers walk for a duration of 10 days. During this time, they cover places such as Jagat, Deng, Namrung, Samdo, Dharamsala, and so on. Needless to say, during the trek, you get to enjoy the most amazing views of peaks such as Manaslu, Himchuli, Ngadichuli, and so on.

The route is located so close to the Annapurna Circuit trek route. So, you’ll also get to enjoy glimpses of peaks in the Annapurna region towards the end of the journey. Some of them are Dhaulagiri, Machapuchhre, peaks in the Annapurna Massif, and so on. These mountain views that you’ll be able to enjoy from various viewpoints scattered along the route will definitely make your day.

The toughest point of the trek is crossing Larkya La, which is a mountain pass situated at an altitude of 5135 m. Speaking of high altitude, you’ll be spending more than five days at an altitude above 3000 m. This will largely contribute to increasing the difficulty level of the journey. At such an altitude, the chances of trekkers suffering from altitude sickness are really high.

With the help of the guide and the friendly locals, you shouldn’t find this to be much trouble. To cope with the altitude, you will be spending around one day, or more than that, depending on the situation, acclimatizing. Generally, the trekkers acclimate in this village known as Samagaon. You will have the option to either rest or go for a hike around the area.

Provided that you’re willing to add a couple of days to your itinerary, you can make a visit to the Manaslu Base Camp. It is situated at an altitude of 4800 m, and is the final stop before the climbers start making a climb to reach the peak. It is fascinating to explore around the base camp area, simply enjoying the greyish white setting and the views of the peaks in the region.

Another place that you can explore by going on a side trek from Manaslu Base Camp is Tsum Valley. The resulting Tsum Valley trekking is a balanced journey altogether. With so many natural and as well as religious and cultural heritages. Though you will get to explore them even when you stick to the route strictly, accessing Tsum Valley will add another dimension to your journey.

Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek

There are two ways of approaching the Manaslu Tsum Valley trek, and in both approaches, you need to cover at least a section of the Manaslu Trek route. In the first approach, you treat the Manaslu Tsum Valley trekking as a side trek. You cover the entire Manaslu Circuit, and in the process, add a couple of days to your itinerary and explore the Tsum Valley, simple as that.

In the other approach, your objective is just to visit Tsum Valley. And so, you only cover a section of the Manaslu Circuit trek route, preferably from Soti Khola to Jagat. This way, you will save a great amount of time and effort. This trek is meant especially for individuals who want to explore Tsum Valley. Yes, without the burden of actually covering the entire Manaslu Circuit trek route.

Manaslu and Tsum Valley trek is a trekking journey in its pure form. It’s isolated, untouched, and the beauty of nature and religion that you get to experience here is unparalleled. If you are a trekking enthusiast and have never tried this trek, you should definitely go on this journey. It’s up to you whether you go for the extended version or the shortened one.

Breeze Adventure is an outstanding travel and tour operator in Nepal. It offers you amazing services, especially when it comes to trekking and expeditions. However, if you’re not quite into trekking, you could also go for other luxury tours that it offers. They are trustworthy, affordable, and client satisfaction is their main motto. They even allow their clients to make changes to their itinerary. So that the resulting journey meets all their interests and is much more personal to them.

Their packages cover the most interesting places in countries like Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. If you’re looking to spend your upcoming vacation in any of these countries or are in serious need of consultation services, make sure to contact Breeze Adventure. It’s a guarantee that you’re going to have the most amount of fun with them by your side at all times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tsum Valley Trek Price

Tsum Valley Trek costs around $700-$900 per person. Price normally varies as per the company you choose. And the services they offer. The cost includes all the permit charges, food, accommodation, and more. As this is a challenging trek, the cost is quite reasonable to ensure safety. You will have a lot of fun on this trek. It is definitely a worthy journey for happy memories. 

Tsum Valley Trek Difficulty

Tsum Valley Trek is without a doubt a difficult journey. It includes many ups and downs in terms of altitude, weather, and topography. This requires a good level of preparation. However, for the experienced trekkers, this appears to be a moderate journey. With good preparation and guidance, you will have a great journey. 

Tsum Valley Trek Distance

Tsum Valley Trek requires about 16 days on average. It is a moderately difficult trek and lies in the Mansalu Region of Nepal. You will reach up to 3700 m, which is the trekking point.  Similarly, the highest point in this region can reach up to 4500 m.