- Length
- 8 days
- Highest point
- 3,600 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Best months
- Oct–Nov, Mar–May
- Starts
- Trishuli (drive from Kathmandu)
- Group size
- 2–10 People
- Sleeping
- Tea House
Named for the semi-precious gems in its hills, Ruby Valley winds through the Ganesh Himal in near-total solitude — an 8-day trek for those who want the Himalayas without the crowds.
- Off-the-beaten-path gem in the Ganesh Himal region — a valley where ruby and tourmaline are mined
- Dramatic suspension bridges over roaring glacial rivers between scattered Tamang villages
- Views of Ganesh Himal (7,422 m), Shringi Himal, and Baudha peak from high ridgelines
- Ancient Tamang Buddhist monasteries and mani walls rarely photographed by outsiders
- Traditional Tamang culture: music, dress, and teahouse hospitality unchanged for generations
- Alpine meadows and yak pastures above 4,000 m with 360-degree Himalayan panoramas
- No permit rush — share the trail with almost no other foreign trekkers
The climb, day by day
Day 1Kathmandu — Drive to Arughat — Khahare1,050 m
Early morning drive from Kathmandu northwest through Trishuli Bazar and Arughat Bazar (600m) to the trailhead at Khahare (1,050m). Begin walking through terraced farmland and subtropical forest.
- Distance
- 5 km
- Walking
- Drive
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 2Khahare to Bunkot1,340 m
Trek through Gurung and Tamang villages, terraced rice fields, and dense subtropical jungle following the Tadi Khola river valley to Bunkot (1,340m).
- Distance
- 12 km
- Walking
- 4–5 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 3Bunkot to Tipling2,330 m
Climb steeply through oak and rhododendron forest to Tipling (2,330m), a remote Tamang village with traditional stone houses and sweeping valley views.
- Distance
- 13 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 4Tipling to Chhap2,155 m
Trek through high-altitude meadows and alpine scrub, past mani walls and prayer flags to Chhap (2,155m). Yaks graze the open hillsides and eagles circle overhead.
- Distance
- 11 km
- Walking
- 4–5 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 5Chhap to Somdang3,253 m
Trek up to Somdang (3,253m), the remote settlement below Nepal's famous ruby gemstone mines. Afternoon walk to see the mining area.
- Distance
- 12 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 6Somdang — Ruby Mine Exploration — Rest Day3,253 m
Full day dedicated to exploring the artisanal ruby and garnet mines above Somdang. Watch local miners work small pits in the schist-rich hillside. Rubies, garnets, and tourmalines are found here — you may purchase rough stones directly from the miners. Acclimatization rest at altitude before the descent.
- Distance
- 5 km
- Walking
- 3–4 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 7Somdang to Gatlang2,238 m
Trek east and downhill past alpine lakes and pastoral meadows to Gatlang (2,238m), a beautiful Tamang village on the Tamang Heritage Trail with a striking red gompa and views of Ganesh Himal.
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 8Gatlang — Syabrubesi — Drive Kathmandu1,400 m
Short morning trek down to Syabrubesi (1,550m). Drive back to Kathmandu through the scenic Trishuli gorge.
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 3–4 hours
- Meals
- B, L
- Night
- –
The price includes
- Government-registered English-speaking guide
- Porter (1 per 2 trekkers)
- Tsum Valley/Ganesh Himal Conservation Area permit
- TIMS card
- Kathmandu–Arughat/Tipling 4WD jeep and return
- All teahouse accommodation on trek
- 3 meals per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- All government taxes and service charges
You pay separately
- International flights
- Nepal visa
- Travel insurance
- Personal gear
- Tips
The Ruby Valley Trek is an 8-day journey into the Ganesh Himal foothills north of Kathmandu — a region where ruby and tourmaline are mined from high-altitude deposits and where Tamang communities live in a landscape of suspension bridges, glacial rivers, and ancient Buddhist monasteries almost entirely undiscovered by mainstream trekking. Ganesh Himal (7,422 m) and Shringi Himal form a constant backdrop; the forest corridors between villages host red pandas, langurs, and Himalayan birds.
The route visits Tipling, Lapa, and the upper Rupche village near the ruby mines before descending via the Tsum valley approach trail. The cultural encounters en route are entirely genuine — no tourist infrastructure, no printed menus in English, no souvenir stalls. Trekking here in the twenty-first century feels much closer to what trekking Nepal felt like in the 1980s.
Best seasons: October–November and March–May. Access: Kathmandu–Tipling jeep (included). Max altitude: ~4,000 m.