Rubi Valley Travel Guide: How to Reach, Trek and Stay

By Hanok Khati · Published November 1, 2026 · Updated November 10, 2026

Rubi Valley — often spelled Rubi Valley — is the place I have filmed more than anywhere else. It is quiet, it is beautiful and it still feels like the Nepal of stone villages and slow mornings. This guide brings together what people ask me most about getting there, when to go and where to stay. Roads and rules change often in the hills, so always check locally before you set off.

Where is Rubi Valley?

Rubi Valley — the official government name; many travellers and trekking companies write Rubi Valley — is a rural municipality in northern Dhading District, north-west of Kathmandu. It was formed in 2017 by joining the old Lapa, Sertung and Tipling village areas, and it sits between Langtang National Park and the Manaslu Conservation Area, right below the Ganesh Himal range. The name comes from the rubies and other minerals once found in its hills.

How to reach Rubi Valley from Kathmandu

• Via Syabrubesi (most common): jeep or bus from Kathmandu through Trishuli to Syabrubesi — about 132 km and around 6 hours. From there a rough jeep road continues to Gatlang and Somdang (about 4 hours to Somdang), where most treks into the valley begin.
• Via Dhading Besi: drive to Dhading Besi (3–4 hours) and continue north by jeep towards Borang and the southern villages when the road is open. Many treks finish this way, coming out by vehicle from Jharlang.
• Road conditions: the upper roads are seasonal. After rain, landslides can close them for days, so keep spare days in your plan.

The Rubi Valley trek and its highlights

A classic route runs from Syabrubesi through Gatlang and Somdang, over Pangsang Pass (around 3,850 m) and down into Tipling, Chalish and Borang, then out towards Dhading Besi. Most people take 7 to 11 days. Along the way:

• Pangsang Pass — on a clear morning you can see Ganesh Himal, Langtang, Manaslu and even Annapurna.
• Tipling — a Tamang and Ghale village with the 500-year-old Tashi Chhyejong Gumba.
• Sertung — the centre of the valley, with its own Newar community and history. See my Sertung village vlog.
• Borang — a hidden hillside village in the south of the valley.
• Tatopani — the natural hot spring below Neber village, where people from across the valley come to bathe.
• Lapa — farms where buddha chitta, the seed used for prayer malas, is grown.

For longer trips, Paldor Peak Base Camp and Ganesh Himal Base Camp can be reached from the valley, but there are no hotels there — you need a guide and camping gear.

Best time to visit Rubi Valley

Permits

If your route passes through Langtang National Park — for example via Gatlang and Somdang — you need the national park entry permit. Permit rules for trekkers in Nepal change from time to time, so confirm the current requirements with the Nepal Tourism Board or a registered trekking agency before you go.

Homestays and what to pack

Rubi Valley is homestay country. You sleep in family homes and simple teahouses, eat dal bhat with the family and wake up to the sound of the village. Rooms are basic, bathrooms are usually shared and electricity and hot water can be limited. Read what a homestay in the hills is really like.

• Cash in small notes — don’t count on finding an ATM in the valley.
• A warm sleeping bag and layers, even in autumn.
• A power bank and spare batteries.
• Water purification instead of plastic bottles.
• A local guide — the trails are quiet and not always signed. See my trek packing list.

Watch Rubi Valley before you go

Start with the full Rubi Valley documentary, then the vlog I Found the Real Nepal in Rubi Valley. Every film from the valley is collected on the Rubi Valley page, and the story of making the documentary is in Behind the Scenes: Filming Rubi Valley.

Sources: Nepal Government film and destination portal (film.gov.np) and my own trips. Distances and travel times are approximate.