Tsum Valley Trek - 16 Days

We offer a complimentary airport pick-up and drop-off service from/to Tribhuvan International Airport to/from the hotel in Kathmandu. Upon arrival at TIA, you will find our representative holding our company pamphlet with your name on it. After greeting you, they will present you with a garland as a welcome gesture and then take you to your hotel in a private vehicle. Similarly, when you depart for your home country, we will pick you up from your hotel and drop you at the airport. To take advantage of this service, you must share your flight details with us. We provide this service to all our clients so that our valuable clients do not feel alone in a new country or face navigation problems. 

The beginning of the journey

You must arrive in Kathmandu two days before the trek departure date. Please make sure the second day after your arrival is a weekday. We need one full weekday to acquire a restricted area permit for you. To get this Manaslu Circuit trek, we need your passport with a Nepal visa. If, in case, you missed the online trip briefing, it will also provide us time to conduct an in-person trip briefing. On the trek departure day, we will drive you to Sotikhola via Arughat for the trek start.

This 16 days trek includes 15 nights of lodge-to-lodge stays at the best lodges in trek regions. We hand-select all lodges, paying attention to hygiene. You will be staying in rooms with attached bathrooms where possible and in standard rooms at other accommodations.

You will need at least three nights of hotels in Kathmandu before and after the trek, but this package does not include these stays. Kathmandu has a wide range of hotels for all budgets and preferences, and we respect your choices.

This 16-day trek takes you to high elevations, so you need plenty of nutritious food. We will provide you with enough nutrient-rich food, but your choices get limited as you ascend. The food also gets expensive with height. 

We will provide 16 breakfasts, 16 lunches, and 15 dinners during the trek. The cuisine is local, Asian, or Western. Some of the most popular menu items in the trek regions are: 

Breakfast - Muesli Bread, Fruits, Vegetables, Oatmeal, Corn Flakes, French toast with Jam, Butter, Cheese, Honey Tibetan bread or Chapati, Local Tsampa porridge, Eggs, Pancakes, Hot drinks (varieties of teas and coffees, hot chocolates, etc.)

Lunch - Dhal, Bhat, & Tarkari, Tibetan Bread, Potatoes, Vegetables, Salad Pizza (Tomato, Mushroom, Mixed), Various Soups, Sherpa Stew, Steaks, Sandwiches, Momo (dumplings), Macaroni dishes, Tenduk Spaghetti Noodles, Thukpa, Pasta, Vegetable curry, Snacks (Papad, Prawn), Desserts, (Rice Pudding, Apple pie), etc

Dinner - Dhal, Bhat & Tarkari, Tibetan Bread, Various Soups, Potatoes items, Vegetable and salad Pizza (Tomato, Mushroom, Mixed), Sherpa Stew, Steaks, Sandwiches, Momo (dumplings), Macaroni, Tenduk Spaghetti, Noodles Thukpa, Pasta, Vegetable curry, Snacks (Papad, Prawn), Korean Ramen, Desserts items (Rice Pudding, Apple pie), Hard Drinks Steaks, etc

We advise you to take plenty of fresh vegetables. Similarly, liquids such as lemon tea, green tea, hot lemon, ginger tea, and garlic soup (must) are known to be beneficial in high altitudes.

However, we do not recommend non-veg items during the trek because the meat in trek regions may not be hygienic. Similarly, you might consider avoiding dairy and caffeinated items, alcoholic drinks, and hot chocolates.

Weather, mainly temperature, is the most important factor to consider when deciding to trek to the Tsum Valley. March to May and September to November form the busiest season for the Tsum Valley trek. In winter (December to February), the heavy snowfall forces the lodge in Mu Gompa to close. The summer season in Nepal starts in June and lasts till August, but this is the season when the monsoon becomes active, making the trails wet and slippery.

Though all seasons provide different trek experiences for the best views and good trail conditions, spring (March-May) and autumn (Sept -Nov) are the best seasons.

March to May (Spring)

It is the best season to trek to Tsum Valley. You will find weather favorable throughout the trek, enabling you to catch stunning views of the Manaslu mountains and glaciers in the region. The temperatures start rising in mid-March, and the clear skies mean fantastic views. During April and May, the temperatures rise comparatively, making it slightly hot in lower regions, but the temperature is perfect for the trek at high altitudes. Most trekkers choose to trek to Tsum Valley in spring. It is also the season rhododendron flowers bloom in the forests making your trek scenic. 

September to November (Autumn)

It is also one of the perfect seasons for the trek. Many tourists come to trek to Tsum Valley this season, taking advantage of the favorable weather. As the monsoon recedes in September, a perfect trekking climate sets in. The temperature can reach 20 degrees in the daytime but falls to 5 degrees at night. 

If you decide to trek during this time, clear skies, amazing views of the mountains, and good trail conditions will enrich your trek experience. Moreover, several major festivals like Dashain, Tihar, Chhat, and Indrajatra fall in autumn, making the whole environment festive. November treks are also popular due to clear, sparkling days. From late November, the temperatures dip, and snowfalls begin in the high trek altitudes.

The Tsum Valley 16 days trek is a moderate-grade hike. The highest point you will reach lies at Ganesh Himal Base Camp (4200m). The second highest point is Mu Gompa at 3,700m. You will be hiking for 5 to 7 hours in lower regions and about 3-4 hours in high elevations. Treks in higher elevations are more difficult due to low oxygen levels.

A normally fit person can certainly complete this trek. However, as with all high-altitude hikes, the fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the trek. You just need to be ready to walk for four to six hours, taking enough breaks in between. We recommend you participate in stamina-building exercises such as jogging, cycling, or swimming a few weeks before your trek departure date. The trek routes involve long climbs, steep descents, and forward trails on rocky paths at certain sections. We do not recommend this trek for those suffering from certain medical conditions such as heart, blood, or lung disease.

Trekking group/single

We conduct private as well as group treks. However, Nepal Government provides a special permit only to a group with at least two trekkers. So, you will need at least one partner for this trek. However, you need to worry. If you do not have a trekking partner, we will find someone for you. We can handle any group size and add an assistant guide for a group of 12 or more members. Moreover, if you have your group, based on the group size, we will provide you with discounts. However, a private trip for a solo traveler to Tsum Valley is not possible.

A typical day during the trek

Every day will reward you with a unique experience of trekking, climbing, enjoying the scenery, taking photos, tasting new dishes, and exploring local villages. Our friendly, experienced, and government-licensed guide/Sherpa will accompany you throughout the trek, providing information about the places as you visit them. 

We assign porters to carry your luggage. However, the luggage weight limit per trekker is 9kg. One porter will carry two trekkers’ luggage. However, we expect you to bring a small backpack to keep your valuables and informational documents safe. 

Each day will start with an early morning hot cup of tea/coffee. After a wholesome breakfast, you will set off on the day’s walk around 7 AM to 8 AM, depending on the duration and nature of that day’s walk. 

After trekking for three to four hours, we will serve you lunch around midday en route to the next destination. You will be resting for about an hour before starting the trek again. The afternoon trek will generally be shorter, lasting for two or three hours. After reaching your destination, you can snack on extra-dietary food, and you are free to explore your destination until it gets dark.

We serve dinner around six to seven pm. After dinner, your guide will brief you about the next day’s plan. After this briefing, you will have some time before going to bed. You can use this time to converse with your fellow trekkers, read books or play games such as chess, cards, or Monopoly. Most of our guests also engage in learning light fun Nepali words. 

Communication during the trek

While on the trek, you can use the internet service available at most of the lodges you will be staying in by paying a small fee. You can freely contact your friends and family from the lodges. However, at high altitudes, we will use mobile phones for safety. Discovery World Trekking remains in contact with all its trek teams at least once a day via the trek lead. We want to ensure that the trek is progressing smoothly and everyone is comfortable. You can buy a local sim in Kathmandu for your mobile. However, at high altitudes, the signals may not be strong enough. 

This trek covers most expenses during the trek, but not all costs. Please refer to the cost includes and cost excludes section for details. You will need at least three days of hotel stays in Kathmandu, two days before the trek and one day after. This package does not include hotel accommodations and meals in Kathmandu. Kathmandu has all sorts of hotels and lodges that can fit all tastes and budgets. In addition, trekkers must bring personal spending money to cover several costs such as visa application fees, insurance for the trek, souvenirs, hot (tea/coffee), cold and alcoholic drinks, tips for crew members, snacks, etc. We advise you to bring cash (major currencies) and exchange them in Kathmandu as trek regions do not honor foreign currencies. We estimate that you will need USD 10 to 20 per trek day to cover miscellaneous costs. 

Electricity and battery recharge, water on trekking

Throughout the lodges at Manaslu Circuit Trek trails, electricity for electronics recharge is available at an extra cost. You can easily buy bottled water from en-route shops, but some trek regions might not allow plastic water bottles. Hence, we advise you to bring a water bottle and fill it with boiled/filtered water, which you can buy at tea houses/lodges. It is better to use a water purification pill before drinking. If you need these pills, we can provide them for you.

This Manaslu trip grade is challenging, and you will reach a height of 4,200m at Ganesh Himal Base Camp. Though the elevation is not too high, this trek comes with high altitude risks such as potential altitude sickness, landslides, etc. So, travel insurance is compulsory.

All trekkers must provide a copy of their comprehensive travel insurance policy certificate to Discovery World Trekking before starting the trek. The policy should cover emergency repatriation, including helicopter rescue and evacuation up to the highest trek altitude (4,000m), and medical treatment costs. It is important because the trek region does not have adequate health facilities. 

We can recommend insurance companies for you based on our previous client experiences, but we are not involved in selling insurance policies at all.

During emergencies, we will use your insurance and other informational documents to arrange a quick and effective rescue. 

All foreigners, except Indians, require a visa to enter Nepal. Citizens from most countries can get on-arrival visas at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) or immigration checkpoints along Nepal-India and Nepal-Tibet borders. 

To apply for an on-arrival visa, you will require a passport with at least six months of validity, a passport-size photo, and visa fees. The current visa fee is USD 50 for a 30-day stay. Chinese and SAARC (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, and Sri Lanka) get free visas. Similarly, children under ten get free visas. 

However, citizens from certain countries - Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, and Afghanistan - may not receive an on-arrival visa. If you are a national from any of these countries, you need to contact your nearest Nepali embassy for a visa.

 Nepal government may change visa rules at any time, so for the latest information visit https://www.immigration.gov.np. 

Nepali Rupee (NPR/Rs) is the local currency.
(1 USD = ~ Rs.130 NPR).

You can exchange most (major) foreign currencies through local banks and legitimate money exchanges in Kathmandu and all over Thamel. Some hotels also exchange small amounts of cash.

Legal money exchanges display their ongoing rates visibly. If you have Indian Rupees, note that only Indian Rupee notes of INR 100 and 2,000 are legal in Nepal.

Despite having the security advantage of a traveler's cheque, we advise you cash exchange to avoid hassles like lengthy processes and high bank commissions. You can withdraw cash in Nepali Rupees from one of the many ATMs in Kathmandu. Several of these ATMs are open 24/7. However, the maximum you can withdraw from the ATM is Rs 35,000 for a 500 Rupee fee using a foreign card.

If you use the money exchange facility at banks and financial institutions, they will charge you a fee of four percent or more, depending upon the bank.

The luggage weight limit is 9 kg per trekker. We assign one porter for two trekkers, and our porters will not carry more than 18 kg of luggage. However, if you need, we can arrange one porter just for you. We also expect you to bring a small backpack to keep your valuables and informational documents safe. We advise you to carry just the essentials to the trek. You can store your extra luggage for free at the Discovery World Trekking store for the duration of your trip.

Discovery World Trekking guarantees client safety, security, and satisfaction. We will carry all the necessary gear, equipment, and first aid kits, ready to face any situation. Our trek guides are first-aid trained. If a trekker falls sick, your guide has the authority to decide whether to continue the trek or descend immediately. In emergencies, we deploy a helicopter to bring sick trekkers back to safety (funded by insurance). You will be trekking as a group, which ensures further safety.