Tsum Valley Trek: Nepal's Hidden Valley on the Tibet Border

Tsum Valley is a Tibetan Buddhist valley in northern Gorkha, tucked between the Ganesh Himal and the Tibet border. It was closed to foreigners until 2008. No road reaches it, and only a few hundred trekkers a year walk in.

This guide covers where Tsum is, why it stays so remote, the trail status after the October 2026 flood, our route and altitudes, the permits, and the best time to go.

Where Is Tsum Valley in Nepal?

Tsum Valley is in Chumnubri Rural Municipality, Gorkha district, on the border with Tibet. The Shiar Khola drains it and joins the Budhi Gandaki below Lokpa. Lokpa, on the Manaslu Circuit trail, is where the path into Tsum turns off.

The valley is split into Lower Tsum, around Chumling and Chhokangparo, and Upper Tsum, from Nile to Mu Gompa at the head of the valley. It runs from about 1,600 m at the river to 6,705 m on the surrounding peaks, according to a 2021 community conservation report.

Why Tsum Valley Is One of the Most Remote Places in Nepal

Tsum is remote because of the border, the walk in and the rules. Five facts make it so:

• Closed until 2008. Foreigners could not enter Tsum until it opened to trekkers in 2008.
• No road. The road ends at Machha Khola. From there it takes two full days on foot up the Budhi Gandaki gorge to reach Lokpa, and another day to Chumling.
• Few people. The 2011 census, cited in the report, counted 1,810 people in 529 households, spread over 33 settlements between 1,905 m and 3,100 m.
• Few trekkers. NTNC check post figures, cited in the same report, show 236 foreign visitors in 2015, 274 in 2016, 476 in 2017 and 387 in 2019.
• A restricted area. Every trekker needs a Tsum restricted area permit, filed by a registered agency, and must walk with a licensed guide.

The valley also follows its own law. In 1920 Lama Serap Dorje Drukpa Rinpoche declared Upper Tsum a place of non-violence, the shyagya. Hunting, trapping, harvesting wild honey, selling livestock for slaughter and burning forest are all banned. Lower Tsum joined in 2012.

Is the Tsum Valley Trek Open After the October 2026 Flood?

Yes. The trail into Tsum reopened on 25 October 2026. Nima Lama, chair of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, told Setopati that the main trail through wards 6 and 7 was running again. The municipality built four temporary wooden bridges where the flood damaged the cantilever bridge at Sardibhir, and repaired the path between Chumchet and Chhekampar. People and mules can cross the river again.

What happened: before dawn on 11 October 2026 a flood came down the Shiar Khola from lower Tsum into the Budhi Gandaki. It destroyed houses and bridges between Philim and Soti, and five people from Chumchet were reported missing. Rescue teams brought out more than 80 people, including foreign trekkers. Our Budhi Gandaki flood update has the full timeline.

Two things to check before you go:

• Weather. The Department of Immigration stopped issuing restricted area permits for high-risk areas from 29 to 31 October 2026 because of a snow and avalanche forecast.
• The lower trail. The walk to Lokpa uses the Budhi Gandaki trail the flood damaged, with detours where the bridges went.

We check conditions with the trail before every departure. Contact us for the latest.

Tsum Valley Trek Route and Altitude

Our Tsum Valley Trek is 15 days from Kathmandu and reaches 4,200 m at Ganesh Himal Base Camp. You drive to Machha Khola, walk up the Budhi Gandaki to Jagat and Lokpa, then turn into Tsum.

The walking days are 5 to 8 hours, and nights are in simple teahouses and lodges. The full day by day plan is on the Tsum Valley Trek page.

Mu Gompa and Milarepa's Cave in Tsum Valley

Mu Gompa, at 3,700 m, is the highest and farthest monastery on the route, close to the Tibet border. It is the turning point of the trek: on day 8 we hike up from Nile and come back down the same day.

• Rachen Gompa (3,240 m) is where we spend night 7.
• Milarepa's Cave. Milarepa, the 11th century Tibetan yogi and poet, is believed to have meditated in caves in Tsum.
• Gumba Lungdang (3,200 m) sits below Ganesh Himal and is the base for the day hike to Ganesh Himal Base Camp.
• Mani walls and chortens line the trail through every village. Walk past them clockwise, keeping them on your right.

Tsum is also described as a beyul, a hidden valley set aside by Guru Rinpoche as a refuge.

Tsum Valley Permit Cost in 2026

A Tsum Valley trek needs two permits: the Tsum restricted area permit and the Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP). Fees are per person, from the Department of Immigration.

The Tsum permit covers Sirdibas, Lokpa, Chumling, Chhekampar, Nile and Chhule. If you add the Manaslu Circuit and Larkya La, you also need the Manaslu restricted area permit and the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit for the descent to Dharapani.

• A registered agency files the permits. You cannot get them yourself.
• A licensed guide is required. Since 22 March 2026 a single trekker can hold the permit, so a solo trek with a guide is allowed.

Best Time for the Tsum Valley Trek

The best months for the Tsum Valley trek are September to November and March to May. Autumn has the clearest skies. Spring is milder, with rhododendrons in bloom in the forest.

• Monsoon, June to August. Upper Tsum lies in a rain shadow and gets little rain, but the lower Budhi Gandaki trail is wet, with landslide risk.
• Winter, December to February. Snow can block the higher trails, and most lodges at higher elevations close as villagers move down the valley.

Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek or Tsum Valley Only?

Choose Tsum Valley only for a quieter, cultural trek with no high pass. Choose the combined trek to add the Manaslu Circuit and Larkya La.

Prices are per person and fall as the group grows. See the Tsum Valley Trek and Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek pages for dates and group prices, and the Manaslu Circuit Trek Guide for the pass.