Rolwaling Trek
Take a peek into one of the many remote valleys in the Himalayas, where Sherpa culture is strong, the landscape is dominated by the surrounding hills and life endures on the banks for the turquoise river that is fed by the stunning Tsho Rolpa Lake and surrounding glaciers.
Our 10 day Rolwaling valley trek, is designed for you to acclimatise super well, even without taking a rest day on the way up. This means that some days are quite short but that gives you time to experience the wonderful landscape, talk to your hosts at the tea houses and experience the stunning culture of this valley. We break up the drives both to and from the trek with a night in Charikot, a great way to start your trek in Nepal and equally a wonderful way to finish it.
For those with extra time, we have a couple of optional extra exploration days from Na which can be added on, so the trek becomes either 11 or 12 days long.
- Starts In: Kathmandu
- Ends In: Kathmandu
- Duration: 10 Days
- Difficulty Grade: Demanding
Highlights
- Explore Buddhist culture in the Rolwaling Beyul (Sacred valley)
- Amazing high alpine scenery
- Off the beaten path trekking
- A chance to spot the snow leopard
Itinerary
Day 01: Drive from Kathmandu to Charikot [1,515m], Visit Kalinchowk Temple
Take a private jeep from Kathmandu to Charikot along the scenic Arniko Highway. The road climbs steadily up to 2,600 meters, crosses the Bhote Kosi and Sun Kosi Rivers (two of eastern Nepal’s most important waterways), and then descends to Charikot. Arrive in Charikot in time for lunch, and spend the afternoon exploring the small town, which is the headquarters of Dolakha District, and home to the famous roofless temple, Dolakha Bhimsen.
While you’re here it’s highly recommended to take the cable car up to the beautiful Kalinchowk Bhagwati Temple. If the weather is clear you’ll enjoy amazing views of Numbur Himal and Gauri Shankar. The temple, located at 3,800 meters/12,467 feet, is important to Buddhists and Hindus, and it is a major pilgrimage site. It is particularly busy with pilgrims in August-September. But, it is said that once you leave the temple precinct you should never return—making this a truly once-in-a-lifetime trip! The panoramic Himalayan views from the temple are spectacular.
Driving time: Approx. 6 hours
Accommodation: Charikot Panorama Resort
Meals included:
Lunch, Dinner
Day 02: Drive from Charikot to Chhetchhet, Trek to Simi Gaun [2000m]
We have a few more hours of driving ahead of us today. The first couple of hours will be on paved roads, offering spectacular views of Nepal’s middle hills. The last hour will take us along a rough road next to the river, leading us to the trailhead at Chhetchhet, where we’ll pause for a cup of tea before starting our hike.
Today’s trek is brief but steep, as we ascend 2800 steps to reach Simi Gaun village, where our tea house for the night is situated on a ridge. Along the way, you’ll encounter the charming homes and farmland of this lovely village.
Driving time: Approx. 3 hours
Walking time: Approx. 2 -3 hours
Accommodation: Local Tea House
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 03: Trek from Simigaon to Kyalche [2760m]
Today’s beautiful walk takes us through the forest, up and down (welcome to ‘Nepali flat’) on the stone and concrete steps that we’ll become very familiar with over the coming days. The forest is rich in both flora and fauna – keep your eyes out for the bright blue verdita flycatchers flitting through the trees and black-faced langur monkeys that will quickly scurry away at the sight of you. It is said that red pandas live in this forest, although they’re very shy so sightings of them are very rare.
A significant portion of today’s ascent occurs before lunch, which we will enjoy in Surmuche at an altitude of 2,470 meters. This location offers stunning views of Mt. Gauri Shankar (7,135 meters) on clear days. After lunch, we continue our climb, occasionally catching glimpses of Gauri Shankar and enjoying the views of the valley below. As we near Kyalche, the majestic Chekigo mountain (6,257 meters) appears up the valley, presenting a breathtaking sight from our tea house for the night.
Walking time: Approx. 4-5 hours
Accommodation: Local Tea House
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 04: Trek from Kyalche to Thang Dingma [3344m]
This morning, we start with a climb before descending to Dongang, a small village known for its tea houses, which suffered significant damage from a lake burst higher up the valley in July 2024. We may pause here for a cup of tea, as it is the last tea house before our destination today at Thang Dingma. The next segment of the trail presents some challenges, featuring three major landslides to navigate and a series of ups and downs along the way. The locals have begun constructing a new trail higher up on the mountain, which will eventually bypass this section.
After a couple of hours, we arrive at a bridge spanning the Rolwaling Khola. This river is fed by the Rolwaling Glacier, and today you’ll notice numerous small streams cascading down the hills that also contribute to the river’s flow. For almost the last hour of our walk, we will ascend a series of stairs, but we should reach Thang Dingma in good time for lunch. Tonight’s accommodation is the most simple during our trek, but the family we stay with here in Thang Dingma are lovely and staying in a place that doesn’t have a lot of other visitors is always special, as it gives us a chance to really get to know our hosts. The remainder of the day is free for you to appreciate the views and allow your body to acclimatize.
Walking time: Approx. 4-5 hours
Accommodation: Local Tea House
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 05: Trek to Beding [3740m]
The beauty of todays trail is astounding, topped off by the snow-capped mountains that come into view. Walking through the green valley you quick get the feeling that you’re completely surrounded by mighty white himalaya and understand just how deep in the mountains we are!
Beding is a small Sherpa village of around 30 families. There are 70 houses in the village but many families have moved into the city or down the trail to where conditions are easier. There’s a local school although it currently has no students or a teacher, the monastery school that you’ll pass on your way into town is quite well attended!
We get to Beding in time for a little rest before having lunch, in the afternoon we will go for an acclimatisation walk or climb if you will to a retreat gompa high on the cliff-side above Beding. While the site is almost like that of the Tigers Nest in Bhutan, few come up here for the building, but the view is definitely worth the climb!
Another options for an afternoon walk would be a view point on the climb to Menlung La, this is a bit of a longer walk but you will be treated to great views of Gauri and Shanker mountains.
And of course, a walk around town will be a nice, gentle stretch for the legs and the monastery care-taker will be happy for you to open up for a visit.
Walking time: Approx. 2-3 hours
Accommodation: Local Tea House
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 06: Trek from Beding to Na [4180m]
We continue along the Rolwaling Khola and have a comparatively shorter day today, just 3 hours to Na village.
On the way we’ll pass a rock painting of Guru Rimpoche (who is said to be one of the founders of Tibetan Buddhism) and high in the hills above, surrounded by prayer flags fluttering in the breeze, you’ll see a monastery which is a sacred Guru Rimpoche cave retreat. This gompa used to be closed when anyone was in retreat but it is now open all the time with an old monk, who has lived here most of his life, happy to show you around. It will take about half an hour to climb up to the gompa from the main trail, the climb will aid your acclimatisation and the chat and possible tea with the monk is a great experience.
We head back down the hill where we cross a little stream and come to a mani wall which marks the entrance to Na which is hidden at the base of the hill. Na is a the summer grazing village for families who live in the area and have yaks.
There’s a small monastery to visit and you’ll find the village interesting-looking compared to the villages we’ve walked through so far, with dry stone walls.
Walking time: Approx. 3 hours
Accommodation: Local Tea House
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 07: Trek from Na to Omi Tsho and Tsho Rolpa
A couple of hours above Na is the Tsho Rolpa glacial lake, the highest point of our trek!
Today we have a wonderful day trip ahead of us, we will visit both the stunning lakes above Na. The walk from Na starts gradually, passing yaks grazing on the floor of the river valley. The last section is a steep climb and as we’re pushing altitude to our highest point, we take it slowly. We crest the top of the climb and find ourselves on a ridge between two massive glacial moraines, the bigger being the Rolwaling glacier. The last bit of the walk to Omi Tsho (Dudh Kunda) from here is out-of-this-world stunning, mountains and glaciers to all sides! The lake itself is a beautiful shade of turquoises and there are big amounts in the background, so it is a great place to sit and enjoy the views for a while.
From Omi Tsho, we make our way south along the moraine ridge of the Rolwaling glacier, we then descend onto the moraine and cross it. We climb the other side of the moraine and come into a beautiful little valley, from here we climb the wall off the Tsho Rolpa lake and the lake suddenly appears below us. While you’re there taking in the incredible scenery, it’s worth checking out the dam wall that regulates the water going down stream. There’s an alarm system in the villages along the banks of the Rolwaling river to alert residents of issues upstream.
Spend some time, soak in the proportions of the world. We then head back down the hill to Na, where we will spend another night.
Walking time: Approx. 6-7 hours
Accommodation: Local Tea House
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 08: Trek from Na to Surmuche [2470m]
This morning we leave the alpine scenery of Na behind and head back down the trail, we make our way along the river and back down into the forest. You’ll notice the warmer air as we go down and will no doubt enjoy the familiarity of the trail and faces along the way but with the opposite view down the valley.
We will stop for lunch at Thang Dingma and say hello to our hosts there from the other night. We then continue down the valley, through Dongang and Kyalche and by mid afternoon we should be at the lovely tea house at Surmuche, where we will spend our last night on the trail.
Walking time: Approx. 7-8 hours
Accommodation: Local Tea House
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 09: Trek from Surmuche to Chhetchhet or Lamabagar, Drive to Charikot
We have a couple of different route choices this morning, the first part of the trail is the same steep descend to the bridge below Rikhu. From here there is the option of heading back down to Chet Chet the way we came up there day. It involves a little climb to Simigaon and then the big downhill from there to the river at Chhetchhet. Here our car will be waiting to take us back to Charikot for another night in the wonderful Charikot mountain resort.
Another very adventurous route is via Rikhu which is above us on the opposite side of the valley. The trail up to Rikhu is fine, it is just quite the climb. Rikhu is a lovely little village with one little tea house, where we might be able to have a cup of tea or a cold drink before continuing. From Rikhu the trail continues to climb and becomes much smaller and very exposed in places, this is not a trails for those with vertigo! The climbing done and we are on a steep downhill again, we then have to contour a section where there is almost no trail and then suddenly we are on a new concrete trail. This last part of the trail is a meter wide and in many sections even has a handrail, the complete opposite of the trail we hiked just a little while earlier. We finish our walk in Lamabagar where our car will be waiting to take us to Charikot.
Walking time: Approx. 3 – 4 hours
Driving time: Approx. 3 – 4 hours
Accommodation: Charikot Panorama Resort https://www.charikotresort.net/
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 10: Drive back to Kathmandu
As we have some hours in the car ahead of us, we set out nice and early so that we get into Kathmandu in good time before dinner. Settle in and enjoy the beautiful scenery!
Accommodation: None
Meals included:
Breakfast
Extra Day 1: Visit Yalung Ri High Camp
This morning we head out for another adventure in the high altitudes of the Rolwaling valley. We head back up the valley towards Tsho Rolpa a little before turning off to the south. Quickly the trail become very steep with many switch backs to climb, the views are stupendous, so it is worth while stopping often to look around. To the north we have the area where we were yesterday, with the Rolwaling glacier, Omi Tsho and the peaks behind. As the trails levels out slightly we get a great view of Gauri Shanker to the North-west, we then get to Yarlung Ri BC, from where we have great views of Kang Nachugo 6720m, Chobuja (Khang Tangri) 6686m and the mountains we saw yesterday as well.
Depending on the weather and how we are going, we might have our packed lunch here at BC but if conditions are good, we will climb further to Yarlung Ri BC. If conditions are right and we feel up for it, we continue climbing another 100m above BC to a great viewpoint at around 5100m from where the views to the north, east and south are great!
We return the same way we came up and will be back down in Na by mid afternoon.
Note: If you opt for another extra day, we will climb back up to Omi Tsho this afternoon and stay in a simply house that is up there. One of the local tea house owners from Na, will come up and cook us dinner and breakfast but we will need to bring sleeping mats to sleep on the ground in the shelter as there are no beds. This sets us up for another great day of exploring tomorrow!
Accommodation: Local Tea House
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Extra Day 2: Explore above Omi Tsho and along the Rolwaling glacier
Today is a big day for exploring more of this amazing high alpine landscape. After a simple breakfast our little hut close to Omi Tsho, we start climbing the ridge-line above the lake. This takes us parallel to the Rolwaling glacier and with another big glacier on the other side of the ridge, it is a stunning walk. We go as high as we feel like but most likely we will stop at around 5200m and the view from there is just amazing, there are mountains and glaciers all around and we have a great view of both Omi Tsho and Tsho Rolpa.
We will then find a way down the ridge towards the Rolwaling glacier, it is a steep walk but taking it slowly, it is perfectly safe. At the bottom we will find a tiny Milarepa cave retreat which is in an amazing spot under a big rock. We might explore further up along the glacial moraine or we can head back down the valley along it. Walking back down the valley we pass through small grassing camps that are used when the Yak herders are up here in the summer. We have also seen snow leopard prints here in the past, so keep your eyes open.
We return to Na by mid afternoon and have a final night in the tea house here before we head back down the valley tomorrow.
Accommodation: Local Tea House
Meals included:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Gallery
Included In Price
- Tea house accommodation while on trek
- Meals as per the itinerary (all meals on trek, with filtered drinking water)
- Transport as per the itinerary in private vehicles
- Your trekking guide and porter/s, with all their transport, equipment, insurance and including meals and accommodation
- A first aid kit appropriate for the group size and activities
- Trekking permits and registration fees
Note: The local tea houses are basic but clean and they do not often have attached bathrooms or hot showers. The price is based on twin share and does not include any extra charge that lodge owners may levy for single rooms, attached bathrooms or hot showers (if these facilities are available) or for battery charging. We can’t know in advance what they may charge for such things in the different lodges along the way, so we prefer to leave this cost out, rather than pass along an estimated charge to you.
The meal inclusions on the trek are breakfast (one set breakfast and a tea or coffee), lunch (one main meal and a tea or coffee) and dinner (soup, main and dessert with a tea or coffee).
Not Included In Price
- Services and activities not mentioned in the detailed itinerary
- International flights to and from Kathmandu
- Nepal visa fees and international airport taxes
- Any gear or equipment that you may need to rent/buy
- Any excess baggage charges
- Single room supplement – please ask if you would like to have a single room (these are not always available in tea houses, but possible in the hotels/guest houses)
- Comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation and rescue evacuation should this be required for any reason (we require this as the minimum insurance cover); Rescue/evacuation costs (to be covered by your insurance)
- Additional nights, optional trips and sightseeing tours outside the detailed itinerary above
- Personal expenses (eg tips, soft drinks/bar bills, laundry, telephone calls, postage, donations, extra snacks, camera charges etc)
- Tips for your guide and drivers, please ask if you would like any guidance about this
- Costs incurred due to changes in programs and reservations due to unforeseen events (eg landslides, strikes, natural disasters, large increase in fuel prices, etc)
