Rolwaling Valley Trek

Your first day of the trek starts early from Kathmandu (1,400 m / 4,593 ft), at around 6:00 AM to avoid city traffic. The drive follows the Araniko Highway east toward Khadichur before joining the Lamosangu-Ramechhap Highway and continuing through Charikot.

After Charikot, the road becomes rough and unpaved until it reaches the starting point of the trek at Chhechhet. Chhechhet is situated near the Tamakoshi River. From here, you cross a suspension bridge over the river and begin a climb that follows a zigzag path uphill.

Soon you’ll reach Simigaun, where most of the lodges are located at the top of the village. Here, the surroundings open up, and you can see the beautiful Gaurishankar mountain from the viewpoint near the village teahouse area.

After breakfast in Simigaun, you will ascend to the upper part of the village, where the local people fully practice Tibetan Buddhist culture. You’ll pass beautiful mani walls and small Buddhist shrines built more than a century ago. During this uphill climb, you’ll reach the last open viewpoint of the day, where you can enjoy a view back over the Tamakoshi River valley.

Finally, you’ll enter a forest section which is full of rhododendron, bamboo, and pine trees. This zone also supports a large range of wildlife, including the rare Red Panda and several Himalayan bird species. After reaching the high point of the day, the trail drops down toward the Rolwaling Khola (River). You will hear the sound of the river long before you see it.

Next, you’ll follow the bank of the river till you reach the Dongang village (2,791 m / 9,157 ft). Since it is located deep inside the canyon, it loses the sun early and gets cold much faster than Simigaun.

We describe this day as the hardest day of the entire trek due to the steep altitude gap you must cover. So you need to be careful. After crossing a suspension bridge over the Rolwaling Khola, the valley starts to open with the views of Gaurishankar again. Within 1-2 hours of the trek, you’ll arrive at Beding Village. It is the largest village in the valley, also known as the “Home of the Summiteers”.

From Beding, the trek continues toward Na Village (4,180 m / 13,714 ft). Trees no longer appear in this section, and the landscape changes to open ground with juniper and alpine grass, where you will likely see yaks grazing. Just before reaching Na, you’ll see a large rock painted with the image of Guru Rimpoche, who is known as the founding father of Tibetan Buddhism. 

The day starts early from Na Village to reach Tsho Rolpa before strong winds develop. For the first hour of the trek, you’ll walk over rocky and slightly icy ground until you reach stone steps leading to the top of the terminal moraine that holds back the lake. Once you reach Tsho Rolpa Lake (4,580 m / 15,026 ft), you’ll see the bright blue lake surrounded by ice walls and mountains such as Chobutse (6,686 m / 21,936 ft) and Gaurishankar (7,134 m / 23,406 ft).

After spending some time up there, you’ll head back to Na for lunch. You’ll have normal food items up there and descend through the same trail you ascended. You will pass through Beding and arrive at Thangdingma (3,100 m / 10,171 ft), (also spelled Thangthing Kharka or Thanding) by late afternoon. 

After breakfast in Thangdingma, the descent continues by following the Rolwaling Khola. You’ll first pass Dongang (2,790 m / 9,154 ft) and then Gyalche (2,760 m / 9055 ft) villages. If you are hungry, then you can take a lunch at Gyalche; if not, you’ll keep moving forward.

The afternoon trek continues past dense forest where rhododendron, juniper, and oak trees provide shade on the path. Waterfalls can also be seen dropping down from the valley walls that you might have missed on the way up. After a while, you’ll reach the Sumurche settlement and then finally Simigaun. There are many ups and downs between Sumurche and Simigaun, so stay patient and keep walking without getting frustrated.

If you like, we can organize a farewell dinner and tipping ceremony here; otherwise, we can arrange it in Kathmandu according to your preference.

The final day begins from Simigaun with a downhill trek toward the valley floor. Tired legs from five days of trekking can make this descent challenging, so do use support if you have, like a stick or trekking pole. The trek ends at a long suspension bridge over the Tamakoshi River near Chhetchhet. This downhill walk takes approximately 2 to 3 hours of total walking.

From Chhetchhet, you board a vehicle and start the long road back to Kathmandu. The drive takes between 7 and 9 hours, depending on road conditions and traffic. The route follows the mountain road beside the Tamakoshi and Sun Koshi rivers, passing through Charikot (the district headquarters of Dolakha) before joining the Araniko Highway that takes you back to Kathmandu. Your journey to Rolwaling Valley finally ends here.