Note No. 55 Updated 23 Oct 2026 4 min read

Journal

Tsum Valley Trek photos: waterfalls, chortens and snow peaks

Written by our trekking team

Old stone chortens and prayer flags below a snow-covered range — Exhibit A — Old stone chortens and prayer flags below the snow range in Tsum.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

The short version

These are our own photos from the Tsum Valley, grouped by what they show: the waterfalls of the lower gorge, the chortens and gompas along the trail, the lodges, and the snow peaks above the valley. They came to us without dates or location data, so the captions describe what's in each frame rather than naming a village or a day. Read with the itinerary, they give a fair picture of the trek: a green, wet gorge on the way in, then an open Tibetan-culture valley with snow above it.

About these photos

Our Tsum photos arrived without dates or GPS, unlike the Manaslu and Kanchanjunga sets. So we haven't pinned them to days or villages, and we won't guess. What we can do is group them by what they show and say where on the route that kind of scene belongs, using the itinerary.

If you want the day-by-day route, our Tsum Valley Trek guide has it. This page is just the pictures.

The lower gorge: water everywhere

The first days follow the Budhi Gandaki, then the narrow Tsum gorge from Philim to Lokpa and on toward Chumling. Our photos from this part are almost all water.

A waterfall cascading down a grassy, forested hillside under a blue sky — Exhibit B — A waterfall cascading down a forested hillside under a blue sky.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

A rainbow forming in the spray at the base of a waterfall — Exhibit C — A rainbow in the spray at the foot of a waterfall.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

Some of the falls drop from high on the cliffs. Others are small cascades right beside the trail. In one, a rainbow forms in the spray.

A stream tumbling over pale boulders below a waterfall on the forested slope — Exhibit D — A stream over pale boulders below a waterfall.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

Exhibit E — Clear green water in a rock pool below a small waterfall.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

A thin waterfall falling down a dark rock wall in the gorge — Exhibit F — A thin waterfall down a dark rock wall in the gorge.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

The water is clear and green in the pools, and the gorge walls are dark rock. Day 4, Jagat to Lokpa, is where this starts. We wrote it up in Jagat to Lokpa.

Chortens, a gompa and prayer flags

Higher up, the valley opens and the trail is lined with mani walls, chortens and gompas. This is the Tibetan-culture Tsum the trek is known for.

A stone chorten with prayer-flag pole beside the trail on a forested slope — Exhibit G — A stone chorten and prayer-flag pole beside the trail.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

A gompa and tall chorten among stone-walled fields, snow peaks behind — Exhibit H — A gompa and a tall chorten among stone-walled fields.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

Stone-walled fields, a gompa and a tall chorten, with snow peaks behind, are typical of the upper valley. Our post on Chumling, Chhokangparo and Nile covers the villages where you'll see scenes like this.

Weathered stone chortens in a meadow below jagged snow-streaked peaks — Exhibit I — Weathered chortens in a meadow below jagged peaks.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

Lodges and the trail

Every night on the Tsum trek is in a teahouse. Two of our photos show lodges: one in stone with green roofs on a terraced hillside, and a wooden one with a palm in its garden and a snow peak above the trees.

A stone lodge with green roofs on a terraced hillside below rocky peaks — Exhibit J — A stone lodge on the terraces below rocky peaks.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

A palm in the garden of a wooden lodge, with a snow peak above the trees — Exhibit K — A palm in a lodge garden, with a snow peak above the trees.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

Snow peaks above the valley

The rest of the set is mountains, many of them in evening light. On clear days, the trek page says, you can see Ganesh Himal and Sringi Himal from the upper valley. We can't name the peaks in these frames with certainty, so we won't.

Late light turning a snow peak orange above a dark ridge — Exhibit L — Late light turning a snow peak orange.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

Two snow peaks with a touch of evening light above a cloud-filled valley — Exhibit M — Two snow peaks in evening light above a valley full of cloud.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

Exhibit N — A pyramid-shaped snow peak against a blue sky.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

A black-and-white view of a snow peak above dark forest — Exhibit O — A snow peak above dark forest, in black and white.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks.

What the photos tell you

Put together, they show two halves of one trek. The lower gorge is wet, green and full of falling water. The upper valley is drier and more open, with stone villages, chortens and a lot of sky. And above all of it are the snow peaks, several of them photographed in evening light.

They also show a quiet trail. Tsum is a restricted area, and it's one of the least visited Tibetan-culture valleys in Nepal. You can see the same pictures on the Tsum Valley trek page, where all 27 photos sit after the itinerary. Our Manaslu Circuit journal is the dated, place-by-place set from next door.

Frequently asked

Where were these Tsum Valley photos taken?

On our Tsum Valley trek. The photos came without dates or location data, so we describe what each one shows rather than naming a village or a day.

Are there waterfalls on the Tsum Valley Trek?

Yes. Most of our photos from the lower gorge show waterfalls, cascades, boulder streams and clear pools on the forested slopes.

What will I see in the upper Tsum Valley?

Mani walls, chortens and gompas along the trail, stone-walled fields and villages, and snow peaks above. On clear days you can see Ganesh Himal and Sringi Himal.

Where can I see all the Tsum photos?

All 27 are on our Tsum Valley trek page, after the itinerary. Tap any photo there to enlarge it.