Rolwaling Trek

Duration: 19 Days
  • Destination: Nepal
  • Trip Difficulty: Moderate
  • Style: Lodge to Lodge Trek
  • Transportation: Private Vehicle / Aeroplane
  • Meals: Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
  • Accommodation: Lodge to lodge
  • Group Size: minimum 1 pax
  • Max Altitude: 5,755m/18,880ft

Rolwaling Trek is one of the most adventurous and difficult treks in Nepal. As a matter of fact, Rolwaling Valley itself is known as ' the Grave' because of its location. It is located between the Everest and Langtang Himalaya ranges, below  Gauri Shankar (7145m) and south border of Tibet. Rolwaling Trek is also a great alternative to the Everest Base Camp Trek.

 

Trekking to this region will bless you with breath-taking views of teeming alpine lakes, moraines, waterfalls, hanging glaciers, isolated villages, high pastures, and snow-capped mountains. You will get to witness some of the world's tallest mountains in this trek like Everest Range, Mt. Makalu, Mt. Gaurishankar, Rolwaling Himal, Ramdung Peak, and many more. You will get to explore diverse vegetation, climate, and topography during the trek. Moreover, Rolwaling region is also home to some of the most endangered wildlife.

 

Day to Day Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

You will arrive at the Tribhuvan International Airport. One of our team representatives will pick you from the airport and take you to your hotel. Rest of day is free for you to relax, and later, in the evening, you will meet with your guide and end your day with delicious traditional welcome dinner and cultural dance. Overnight in the hotel.

    After having breakfast, we will go on the guided sightseeing tour. We will visit famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Stupa, Patan Durbar Square, and Bhaktapur Durbar Square. Overnight in the hotel.

      After having breakfast, we will drive to Shingati. The drive will be long yet present you beautiful views of landscape and outskirts of Nepal. Along the way, we can enjoy views of the Sunkoshi & Bhote Kosi rivers, picturesque villages, lush green hills, mountains, and terraced fields. We will stay overnight in a lodge.

        We will begin trekking following a narrow trail along the Tamakoshi River Valley. Further, we will ascend on a cliff trail to reach Suri Dhoban from where we can see a wonderful view of Mt. Gaurishankar (7,134 m). We will then cross a suspension bridge and ascend uphill passing through prayer wheels and mani stones. The trail will take us to Manthali village. From here, we will cross a suspension bridge and trek along the side of a river bank to reach Jagat.

          We will descend to a river bank and further, trek through a forested trail. We will then cross a river at Gonggar village and ascend on the stone staircase. On the way, we will get to see gorgeous waterfalls. We will reach Chhet Chhet, which is a Sherpa village. From here, we will cross a suspension bridge and ascend into a forest. The trail from here will take us to Simi Gaun where we will stop for the night.

            We will trek on the trail that heads up to the Rolwaling River Valley. Most part of the trail today will go through the forests. After an hour of ascends & descends, we will see small sheds. From here onwards, we will ascend through beautiful rhododendron forest. We will then cross two small bridges and again ascend through juniper and rhododendron forest and reach Donga, which is located on the bank of a river. 

              Today is going to be a long and the toughest day as most of the trail includes ascend. Leaving behind Donga, we will trek on the north side along the main trail and pass by NMA sign ("no one profits from illegal mountaineering. So stop doing it right now"). Further, we will cross a bridge over Rolwaling Khola and trek with the amazing view of Chekigo (6,257 m). We will then cross Themlung Khola and pass through a few house and yak grazing sites. From here, we will ascend through Jobalu, Nyiamare, Ramding and Chimu Golche villages and finally reach Beding. 

                It is our rest day at Beding to get acclimatized with the increased altitude. We will explore the village and its nearby areas. We will hike up to big boulder marked with prayer flags, which is a nice viewpoint to see north face of Mt. Gaurishankar and other surrounding mountains. We will also visit an ancient small gompa built on a cliff above the village. 

                  We will ascend on the right bank of Rolwaling River and trek to reach kharka in Dhogre. On the way, we will get to witness amazing views of Mt. Gaurishankar. Further, the valley opens up and we will enter in the U-shaped valley. We will go through huge mani stone decorated with colorful prayer flags and reach Nagaon where we will spend the night in a lodge.

                    Today is our acclimatization day in the Nagaon, which is located at the base of a huge chain of mountains. We will explore the village and go on the side trip to Dudh Pokhari and small monastery located before Nagaon. We will get to see the lifestyle and culture of the locals. Overnight in a lodge.

                      We will ascend to a dam that holds the Tsho-Rolpa Lake and also prevent the splitting of a thin moraine. Further, we will continue trekking along the south bank and ascend around 300 meters. We will then cross disordered moraine and reach our campsite in a sandy area between the Tsho Rolpa and Trakarding glaciers.

                        We will begin trekking towards the Trakarding glacier. This is a huge rocky section that presents gorgeous views of large blue ice along the way. Further, we will ascend through difficult rocky spur just below the Drolumbau Glacier. From here, we ascend up to a rock face from where we will get to see a fantastic panoramic view of the region along with countless streams running off the glacier, collapsing ice, falling rocks, the Drolumbau glacier to the north, and Trakarding glacier below us.

                          Today, we will begin ascending on a steep trail towards Teshi Lapcha La Pass. The trail will not be easy but offer you the most impressive views of the entire trek. Upon reaching the top of the pass, we will get to see stunning views of Bigphero-Go Shar (6729m), Dragkar-Go (6793m), Tengi Ragi Tau (6943m) with the background of Tibetan mountains. After spending some time on the pass, we will descend back to our campsite to spend the night.

                            We will begin our day with a pleasant descend and reach a small Sherpa village, Thame. Here in Thame, we will visit ancient monastery built on the hillside. As a matter of fact, Thame lies on an important route for Tibetan traders. We will spend today's night at Thame in a lodge.

                              After having breakfast, we will trek to Khumjung located at the foot of the sacred Mt. Kumbila. Khumjung is home of the first Edmund Hilary school project. We can also find a hospital in the nearby village managed by Canadian doctors. Moreover, we will also visit the oldest monastery in this region. Overnight in a lodge.

                                After having breakfast, we will descend down to Monjo via Namche Bazar. The trail will included several small villages, beautiful rhododendron, and pine forests. From Namche Bazar, we will see the last closest view of Mt. Everest (8,848 m). Further, we will cross a suspension bridge and descend to Monjo our last stop for the day.

                                  We will begin trekking along the Dudh Koshi River and further pass through several small Sherpa villages. We will go through forested trail and ascend to Lukla where we will be staying for the night. After having lunch, we will explore the village and traverse around Lukla. Overnight in a lodge.

                                    We will wake up early and have tea & biscuits. After that, we will take a short 35 minutes flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. The flight will present superb views of snow-capped Himalayan mountains and hills. Upon reaching Kathmandu, we will head to our hotel. In the evening, we will have a farewell dinner along with the crew members.

                                      Cost Details

                                      • Airport pickup/drop by a private vehicle
                                      • Standard accommodation in a three-star hotel in Kathmandu including breakfast as per itinerary
                                      • Teahouse accommodation during the trek
                                      • All meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) during the trek as per teahouse menu
                                      • All ground transportation on a private vehicle as per the itinerary
                                      • Welcome and farewell dinners
                                      • Entrance fees for sightseeing/monument visits
                                      • An experienced, English-speaking government-licensed guide and assistant guide
                                      • Porter service
                                      • Staff expenses including their salary, insurance, equipment, food, and accommodation
                                      • Down jacket and sleeping bag provided by Royal Himalayan Safari Tours (to be returned after trip completion)
                                      • Free trekking bag/duffel bag, t-shirt, and trekking map to take back with yourself
                                      • All necessary paperwork and trekking permits (ACAP, TIMS)
                                      • Medical kit
                                      • All government and local taxes
                                      • Other official expenses
                                      • Nepalese visa fee
                                      • International airfare to and from Kathmandu
                                      • Excess baggage charges
                                      • Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu
                                      • Extra night accommodation in Kathmandu  in case of early arrival, late departure, and early return from the mountain due to any reason than the scheduled itinerary
                                      • Travel and rescue insurance
                                      • Personal trekking gears
                                      • Personal expenses (alcoholic drinks, hot & cold drinks, phone calls, laundry, bar bills, battery recharge, extra porters, bottle or boiled water, shower, etc.)
                                      • Tips for guide(s), porter(s), and driver(s)
                                      • Any other expenses that are not mentioned in the Price Include part

                                      Useful Info

                                      Tradition & Culture in Rolwaling Valley

                                      People residing in the Rolwaling valley generally follows Buddhism. The region is also highly influenced by Tibetan Buddhist culture and tradition. We will get to witness ancient Tibetan Buddhist shrines, centuries-old monasteries, chortens, prayer walls, and kaanis. Moreover, the isolation of this region has contributed immensely to conserve the cultural heritage and tradition for centuries.

                                      Accommodations

                                      We will be staying in 2 or 3-star hotels in Kathmandu. During the Rolwaling Trek, we will stay in lodge and camp. The room will be small with little furniture, bed & blanket. All the accommodations are on a twin-sharing basis. On special request, single rooms can be arranged in the cities. However, single rooms might not be available all the time due to the limited service on higher elevations. Please understand that the services in the lodge will be very basic and also all the lodges do not come with attached washrooms.

                                      Meals & Drinking Water on Rolwaling Trek

                                      In Rolwaling Trek, we will enjoy authentic Nepalese food with few other cuisines like Tibetan. Meals will be served as per the menu of the lodge. If we will stay in the camp than, all the meals will be prepared and served by the crew members.  Beside that you can find cookies, butter tea, bars, bread, extra on the trail but, remember as the elevation get higher, the cost also gets high. In Kathmandu, you will only get breakfast. There will also be welcome and farewell dinner for you.

                                      Drinking water can be easily found everywhere. You can get hot water from the lodge and fill in your bottle every time it gets empty. So, do carry a reusable water bottle with yourself. We request you to not buy mineral water bottle on the way as it will help in preserving the region. Moreover, you can also carry water purifier tablets or SteriPen with yourself to purify the water.

                                      Rolwaling Trek Difficulty & Physical Fitness

                                      Rolwaling Trek is a strenuous trek. The trail includes numerous steep ascends and descends on a rocky, icy, and glacial path that does require a good strength and strong physical fitness. Additionally, a positive attitude and a strong determination will help you immensely during the trek.

                                      Other than that, if you have any kind of health related issues then do consult with your doctors before booking the trip. In case of any medical history, we highly recommend you to inform us so that any future event can be tackled without having any issue.

                                      Best Season to go on Rolwaling Trek

                                      February – June, and September – November is the best time to go on the Rolwaling Trekking. You can also trek in July and August, however, the views will not be clear due to rain. Likewise, winter brings harsh cold and extreme snowfalls, which block the trail not suitable for trekking.

                                      Rolwaling Trek Permit

                                      Trekking in Rolwaling requires to have Gaurishankar Conservation Area entry permit. Besides that to go on trekking in Nepal you need to get special permission from the Government of Nepal, and also required to get TIMS card (TIMS cards is not needed if you have immigration permit).

                                      Following is the list of permits for the Rolwaling Trek:

                                      Gaurishankar Conservation Area entry permit for foreigners: 3,000 NPR (Around USD 30)

                                      Gaurishankar Conservation Area entry permit for SAARC nationals: 1,000 NPR (Around USD 10)

                                      TIMS permit: 1,000 NPR (Around USD 10)

                                      TIMS entry permit fee for SAARC nationals: 600 NPR (Around USD 6)

                                      *If you are traveling with a trekking agency they will arrange these permits for you.

                                      *These prices exclude 13% VAT (Value Added Tax) compliance.

                                      Why go with Royal Himalayan Safari Tours on Rolwaling Trek?

                                      Royal Himalayan Safari Tours offer one of the most extensive Rolwaling Trek itinerary in the market. We take our clients as a family member, and for us, this is not only a business but, also a way to connect and know people from different part of the world. We have designed this package to give you all of the Rolwaling Trekking experience. We assure you that, with us, you will complete this trek without having any issues, and get back to your home with lifelong memories.