Day-by-day plan for the standard 12-day Tsum Valley trek — walking hours, altitude gain, lodge names, NPR prices. The Mu Gompa acclim day + Dhephyudonma side hike that makes 12 days the sweet spot.
The standard 12-day Tsum Valley trek with the Mu Gompa acclim day. Walking distance 98 km, max altitude 4,060 m (Dhephyudonma side hike from Mu Gompa). Kathmandu to Kathmandu via jeep both ends. Here's the day-by-day with the actual walking hours + NPR prices.
The 10-day version skips the Mu Gompa acclim day + the Dhephyudonma side hike — saves 24 hours, drops the trek's best panorama. The 14/16-day versions add Rachen Nunnery + Gumba Lungdang + Ganesh Himal Base Camp — adds 2–4 days and the Ganesh BC day is the hardest of the trek.
12 days hits the sweet spot: proper Mu Gompa cultural depth, one acclim day, no Ganesh BC marathon.
05:00 departure from your KTM hotel. Agency jeep or shared Hiace. ~8–9 h, ~165 km. Highway to Arughat, then rough unpaved road for the last 4 hours. Sit on the left for Budhi Gandaki river views.
Arrive Machha Khola late afternoon. Tsum Valley Hotel or Hotel Manaslu View, NPR 500 twin shared. Hot dal bhat NPR 500 + last beer at sane prices (NPR 400).
06:30 breakfast, walking by 07:30. ~22 km, +475 m gain, 6–7 h walking. Stop at Tatopani hot spring (small natural pool, NPR 100 entry) if time allows.
Critical: Jagat is the TVRAP + MCAP check-post + the NEW (since 2024) NPR 1,000 Chumnubri Rural Municipality permit + USD 10 trail development fee. Bring cash. Your guide handles the paperwork; you wait 10 minutes.
Hotel Mont Blanc (largest property) or Hotel Manaslu, NPR 500 twin shared.
~14 km, +895 m gain, 6 h walking. Trail follows the Budhi Gandaki through Sirdibas + Salleri (different from the EBC-route Salleri), then diverges NE at Lokpa into the Tsum Valley proper.
Second critical check-post: TVRAP stamped at Lokpa. Welcome to the restricted Tsum zone.
Lokpa has only ONE lodge — a small family-run teahouse in a jungle clearing. Books up in October peak weeks; your guide radios from Jagat to reserve. NPR 600 twin shared.
~8 km, +146 m gain, 4–5 h. Easier day on the legs. Cross from the Budhi Gandaki valley into the Shiar Khola gorge — the Tsum Valley proper begins here. Tibetan-style stone houses, chortens, mani walls.
Chumling has 3–4 family teahouses. Chumling Family Lodge or Hotel Tsum View, NPR 600–800 twin.
~10 km, +645 m gain, 4–5 h. Climbing into Upper Tsum. The cultural heart of the valley — Tsumba village with ~5 teahouses, monastic school, Tibetan-medicine clinic.
Norling Family Guest House is the largest property; NPR 800 twin attached. Get a room facing the Ganesh Himal valley head.
Visit the Amchi (Tibetan-medicine clinic) in the afternoon — free pulse diagnosis, herbal remedies for altitude headaches.
~12 km, +316 m gain, 5–6 h. The cultural highlight day before Mu Gompa. Mid-morning stop at Milarepa's meditation cave (Piren Phu / Pigeon Cave) — sacred 11th-century pilgrimage site. NPR 200 donation to the caretaker monk.
Arrive Nile mid-afternoon. Hotel Nile or Chumchet Family Lodge, NPR 600–800 twin. Visit the small Tsum Museum (NPR 200 entry) — the best primer on Tsumba culture + the 1920 Shyagya non-violence pact.
~10 km, +353 m gain, 5–6 h. Final climb to the northernmost point. Arrive lunchtime — drop your bag, hot tea, explore the monastery.
Sleep at Mu Gompa. Monastery guesthouse, NPR 800 twin shared, basic squat toilet, yak-dung-heated dining hall. Evening puja 17:30 — go.
See our Mu Gompa monastery stay guide for the full cultural detail.
The acclim day. 04:50 wake for the 05:30 morning puja. Breakfast at the monastery.
08:00 departure for Dhephyudonma side hike. 5–6 h round trip, +360 m gain to 4,060 m. Smaller, more dramatic monastery on the upper ridge. Best Tsum panorama: Ganesh Himal, Sringi Himal, Boudha Himal, the Tibetan border. The textbook climb-high-sleep-low acclim hike.
Back at Mu Gompa by 14:00. Lunch + rest + evening puja.
~18 km, -669 m loss, 4–5 h descent. Big drop on tired legs. Hotel Chhekamparo or Mountain View Guest House, NPR 600–700 twin.
~6 h. Single-lodge village on a remote ridge. The Standard 12-day variant adds this overnight as a cultural side trip — alternative is to descend straight to Lokpa (~10 h day, brutal).
Single property: Gumba Lungdang Guest House, NPR 700 twin shared.
~6–7 h descent. Long day. Back to the single Lokpa lodge.
06:30 walking. Lokpa → Jagat → Machha Khola (~6–7 h). Pick up your luggage from the agency jeep, ~8–9 h drive back to KTM. Arrive late evening.
Hot shower. Celebratory dinner in Thamel.
| Item | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| TVRAP permit (7 days, peak) | 40 |
| MCAP permit | 22 |
| Chumnubri permit (Jagat cash) | 7.50 |
| Trail development fee (Jagat cash) | 10 |
| Licensed guide × 12 days (mandatory) | 360 |
| Porter × 10 days (optional, NPR 3,000/day) | 225 |
| Jeep KTM → Machha Khola return | 60 |
| Lodging × 11 nights at NPR 700 | 58 |
| Meals × 12 days at NPR 2,000 | 177 |
| Donations + extras | 30 |
| Total realistic budget | ~USD 990 |
Without porter: ~USD 770. Group of 4 sharing guide + porter: ~USD 600 per person.
Day 12 is brutal. Lokpa → Machha Khola (~7 h walk) + jeep KTM (~9 h drive) = ~16 h on the move. Most groups arrive Kathmandu after 21:00. Build a buffer day in Kathmandu before your international flight.
The dining-hall heating problem. Most Tsum lodges heat only the dining hall, not the rooms. -5 °C in your room is normal at Mu Gompa. Sleeping bag rated -10 °C is the difference between sleeping + shivering.
The "no signal for 5 days" reality. Cellular drops at Jagat and doesn't return until you descend back to Machha Khola on day 12. NCell + NTC both fail. Some lodges at Chhokangparo + Nile have rough satellite Wi-Fi (NPR 500–800/day) but it's not reliable.
The standard 12-day Tsum Valley itinerary is the right shape for most trekkers — Mu Gompa cultural depth, Dhephyudonma acclim panorama, no marathon Ganesh BC day. USD 990 all-in with guide + porter. The trek's defining moment is the 05:30 morning puja at Mu Gompa on day 8.
Plan your trek with the Tsum Valley planner; see the permit guide for the agency timeline; the Mu Gompa stay for the day-7 cultural detail.