Manaslu Circuit or Tsum Valley? Choosing your Manaslu region trek
Written by our trekking team
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks, 29 Mar 2023.
The short version
Choose the Manaslu Circuit for a high pass and big mountain views, and the Tsum Valley for a gentler, culture-first trek with no pass. Both start at Machha Khola and follow the Budhi Gandaki to Jagat and Philim. The circuit carries on over the 5,106m Larkya La in 15 days and can be done solo. Tsum turns into a Tibetan-culture side valley, tops out at about 3,700m at Mu Gompa in 13 days and needs at least two trekkers. With three weeks, our combined trek does both.
Side by side
| Manaslu Circuit | Tsum Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | 15 | 13 |
| Walking days | 10 | 10 |
| High point | Larkya La, 5,106m | Mu Gompa, ~3,700m |
| Highest night | Dharamsala, 4,460m | Nile, 3,361m |
| Grade | Challenging | Moderate |
| Route shape | Loop, exits via Dharapani | In and out the same way |
| Permits | RAP, MCAP, ACAP | Tsum RAP, MCAP |
| Minimum group | 1 | 2 |
| Lodging | Teahouses and basic lodges | Teahouses |
| Price | $1,650–$2,100 per person | On request |
Where the two trails split
Both treks start with the drive to Machha Khola and the walk up the Budhi Gandaki through Khorlabesi and Tatopani's hot springs to Jagat, where your permits are logged. Past Philim on Day 4, the trails part. The circuit climbs north to Deng and the Nubri valley. The Tsum trail turns off into the side valley and climbs to Lokpa. We wrote about that turn-off in Jagat to Lokpa.
The pass is the big difference
The Manaslu Circuit is built around the Larkya La. You climb through Namrung, Lho, Samagaon and Samdo, stage at Dharamsala (4,460m), and cross the 5,106m pass on Day 11, about 26km and 8 to 9 hours to Bimtang. It isn't technical, but it's a full-commitment day, and once you start there's no easy way back halfway.
Tsum has no pass at all. The high point is Mu Gompa at about 3,700m, reached on a day walk from Nile, and you sleep back down at Chhokangparo. The longest day is 8 to 9 hours, but the altitude is far gentler.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.
Villages and culture
Both are Tibetan-culture trips. On the circuit, the Nubri villages have prayer wheels, kani gates and long mani walls, and the gompa terrace at Lho looks straight at Manaslu. Samagaon and Samdo have working monasteries and yak herds.
Tsum is culture first. Gompas, mani walls and chortens line the trail, and in Chumling, Chhokangparo, Lamagaon and Nile, Tibetan Buddhist life carries on much as it always has. You pass Rachen Gompa, a nunnery, and finish at Mu Gompa near the Tibet border. Our post on the villages of Tsum covers them.
Mountains. Manaslu wins on big views: Manaslu itself from Lho and Samagaon, and Himlung, Cheo and Annapurna II from the pass. In Tsum, on clear days, you see Ganesh Himal and Sringi Himal above the valley.
Permits and who can go
Solo. If you travel alone, this decides it. On Manaslu we can file the RAP for one trekker with a licensed guide. Tsum's RAP needs at least two trekkers.
Permits. The circuit needs the Manaslu RAP, the MCAP and the ACAP, because it exits through Dharapani. Tsum needs its own RAP and the MCAP for the shared approach. We file all of them.
Guide. A licensed guide walks the whole route on both.
Who each one suits
- Pick the Manaslu Circuit if you want a real high pass and big mountain days, you've done at least one multi-day trek above 4,000m, and you'd like the option to go solo.
- Pick Tsum if you want restricted-area quiet and Tibetan culture without a high pass, or you'd rather keep the altitude below about 3,700m. It still isn't a first-ever trek, because the days are long and steep in places.
- Do both if you have three weeks. Our 21-day Manaslu and Tsum trek goes into Tsum first, then joins the circuit at Deng, and the Tsum week acclimatizes you for the pass.
For more on each, read the Tsum Valley Trek guide or the Manaslu Circuit guide, and see the day-by-day Manaslu itinerary.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between the Manaslu Circuit and the Tsum Valley Trek?
Both start at Machha Khola and follow the Budhi Gandaki before splitting past Philim. The Manaslu Circuit continues over the 5,106m Larkya La in 15 days. Tsum turns into a side valley and tops out at about 3,700m at Mu Gompa in 13 days, with no high pass.
Which is easier, Manaslu or Tsum?
Tsum. We grade it Moderate, because there's no pass and the highest night is 3,361m at Nile. We grade the Manaslu Circuit Challenging.
Can I trek Tsum Valley solo?
No. The Tsum Valley RAP needs at least two trekkers. The Manaslu Circuit can be done solo with a licensed guide.
Can I do Manaslu and Tsum together?
Yes. Our 21-day combined trek does Tsum first, then the full Manaslu Circuit over the Larkya La.
Which has better mountain views?
The Manaslu Circuit, with Manaslu from Lho and Samagaon and the panorama from the Larkya La. Tsum has views of Ganesh Himal and Sringi Himal on clear days.