Accommodation on the Manaslu Circuit Trek is in tea houses from start to finish. From Machha Khola at the trailhead to Dharapani at the end, you sleep in family-run lodges where the same person who cooked your dinner also made your bed. There are no hotels on the trail, no heated rooms at any elevation, and no luxury options anywhere on the route.
That said, the tea house network on the Manaslu Circuit has grown considerably over the past decade. Some lodges in the lower villages now have concrete buildings, private rooms with attached bathrooms, reliable Wi-Fi, and hot showers. Others, particularly the two guesthouses at Dharmashala before Larkya La, are plywood shelters with outdoor squat toilets and no electricity. Both exist on the same 14-day circuit, separated by a few days of walking.
Knowing what to expect at each stop, what to bring, and how comfort changes with altitude is the most practical preparation you can do before setting foot on the trail.
Tea houses vs. Camping on the Manaslu Circuit Trek
The Manaslu Circuit was once a camping-only route. Today, the tea house network covers every overnight stop on the standard 14-day itinerary, and camping is limited to expedition groups who choose it rather than necessity. For everyone else, whether trekking with others or with us at World Alpine Treks, accommodation means tea houses.
Tea houses are small, family-run lodges where you eat, sleep, and warm up under the same roof. The family that runs the lodge usually lives inside it, handling cooking, rooms, and service simultaneously. This is not a commercial arrangement in the way that hotel stays are — it's personal, village-based, and directly tied to the livelihoods of the communities you walk through. Staying in tea houses also keeps money flowing to mountain families who have few other revenue sources.
What tea houses are:
- Family-run lodges where owners cook, clean, and manage rooms themselves.
- Shared dining hall with a central stove as the only heat source.
- Twin rooms with basic bedding — no room heating anywhere on the circuit.
- Shared bathrooms, increasingly basic with altitude.
- Direct economic support to local mountain communities.
Night-by-Night Accommodation on the Manaslu Circuit
The most useful thing this guide can do is tell you what to expect each night. Altitude, village size, and distance from the road all shape what you actually get. Here's what you'll find at each overnight stop on our 14-day itinerary.
Kathmandu — 3, 4, or 5 Star Hotel
Your first and last nights are in Kathmandu. We accommodate our groups in a comfortable three-star hotel close to Thamel — private rooms, hot showers, real beds, and a full breakfast included. Use the evening before the trek to sort your gear, confirm permits with our team, and get an early night. The drive to Machha Khola departs around 7 AM.
Day 2 — Machha Khola (900m)
After roughly nine hours on the road from Kathmandu, smooth tarmac to Arughat, then a bumpy jeep track for the last section, Machha Khola is your first proper trail stop. Tea houses here are among the most comfortable on the entire route, a good introduction before things get progressively simpler.
Hot showers: available, gas-heated, reliable.
- Bathrooms: some attached, some shared — Western flush toilets at most lodges
- Wi-Fi: available (extra charge)
- Menu: full — dal bhat, noodles, rice dishes, eggs, basic Western options
- Named lodges: Tsum Valley Guest House, Larkey Guest House, Everest Guest House, Hilltop Guest House
Day 3 — Jagat (1,340m)
Jagat is a permit checkpoint and one of the best-serviced stops on the lower circuit. Some lodges here have private rooms with attached bathrooms, in-room charging ports, and satellite phone access alongside Wi-Fi — a level of service that won't appear again until the descent.
- Hot showers: reliable
- Bathrooms: some private attached, Western flush toilets standard
- Wi-Fi: available
- Charging: in-room ports available at select lodges
- Named lodges: Jagat Guest House, Himalayan Tourist Guest House, Manaslu Shanti Guest House, Rubii Nala Guest House
Charge all devices fully here. Power becomes progressively less reliable from Deng onward.
Day 4 — Deng (1,860m)
Deng marks the start of the restricted area and a noticeable step down in lodge quality. Tea houses here are simpler than anything below — basic twin rooms, shared squat toilets, and limited amenities. The Gurung community that runs these lodges is warm, and the food is freshly cooked, but don't expect hot showers or stable Wi-Fi.
- Hot showers: generally not available
- Bathrooms: shared squat toilets
- Wi-Fi: generally not available
- Menu: local food, authentic and freshly prepared
- Named lodges: Windy Valley Guest House, Sangrila Cottage, New Manaslu Guest House
Day 5 — Namrung (2,630m)
Namrung is where altitude begins shaping your experience in a real way. Rooms are colder at night, blankets feel thinner, and your sleeping bag starts earning its place from this night forward. That said, Namrung has some of the better mid-circuit lodges — notably the Nubri Four Season Resort, which runs its own hydropower supply.
- Hot showers: available, solar-heated — use them in the afternoon for best results
- Bathrooms: shared squat toilets
- Wi-Fi: available at some lodges
- Named lodges: Nubri Four Season Resort, Namrung Thakali Guest House, Namrung Guest House
Day 6 — Lho Gaon (3,180m)
Lho is an isolated, culturally rich village that punches above its size in terms of facilities. The view here is arguably the best on the circuit — Manaslu's south face rises directly above the rooftops. Several lodges have been built recently, including Hotel Blue Sky, which offers hot showers, Wi-Fi, and reportedly a sauna steam bath — unusual at this elevation.
- Hot showers: available at select lodges
- Bathrooms: shared squat toilets
- Wi-Fi: available at some lodges
- Named lodges: Hotel Blue Sky, Namaste Guest House, Lama Guest House, Tashi Dalek Guest House, Majestic Manaslu
Arrive early enough to get a room with a window facing the mountain.
Days 7 & 8 — Samagaon (3,520m) — Two Nights
Samagaon is the largest village in the upper circuit and your acclimatization base. It has the widest selection of tea houses above Namrung — over a dozen lodges catering to different budgets, and most offer hot showers, Wi-Fi through networks like Everest Link, and a proper dining hall stove that stays lit into the evening. You spend two nights here, and it's worth picking a lodge with a warm dining hall and a reliable kitchen.
- Hot showers: available at most lodges
- Bathrooms: shared squat toilets
- Wi-Fi: available via Everest Link (charged per device, NPR 300–600)
- Mobile coverage: NTC holds reasonably well — one of the last reliable spots to make a call
- Named lodges: Mount Manaslu Guest House, Tashi Dalek Guest House, Sama Gaun Guest House, Peace Heaven Guest House, Norling Guest House, Nobri Valley Guest House, Gurung Cottage Guest House
Use the acclimatization day (Day 8) to:
- Charge all devices fully
- Take a proper shower — the next reliable one may be Bhimthang
- Eat a big, proper meal
- Talk through Larkya La logistics with your guide
Sleep in thermals inside your sleeping bag from Samagaon onward without exception.
Day 9 — Samdo (3,875m)
Samdo is a small Tibetan settlement and the last proper village before the pass. Only three tea houses serve the entire stop, rooms are basic, and hot showers are unreliable — a bucket of warm water is often the realistic option. The dining hall stove becomes the entire social world of the lodge after dark. Nights here are cold enough to remind you that Larkya La is close.
- Hot showers: unreliable — expect a warm bucket at NPR 400–600
- Bathrooms: shared squat toilets, outside the main building
- Wi-Fi: available at some lodges, slow and unstable
- Charging: dining hall only, NPR 300–400 per session
- Named lodges: Yak Hotel, Tibetan Twin Hotel, Jambala Guest House
Day 10 — Dharmashala (4,460m)
Dharmashala is the high camp before Larkya La, and it's where comfort essentially ends. Two guesthouses serve the entire stop. No hot showers, no Wi-Fi, no mobile signal, and electricity is minimal to nonexistent. Rooms are basic twins or dormitory-style — plywood walls, thin blankets, outdoor squat toilets. Food is whatever the kitchen brought up — typically noodle soup, Tibetan bread, and hot drinks. In peak season, this place fills fast, and overflow trekkers sleep on dining hall floors.
- Hot showers: none
- Bathrooms: outdoor squat toilets, no running water
- Wi-Fi: none
- Mobile signal: none
- Electricity: minimal to none
- Named lodges: Jambala Guest House, Larkey Guest House (only two)
Eat a full dinner, hydrate well, and be in bed by 8 PM. The Larkya La crossing starts before dawn.
Day 11 — Bhimthang (3,590m)
After crossing Larkya La (5,160m) in the early morning — the hardest and most rewarding day of the circuit — the descent to Bhimthang feels like returning to civilization. Hot showers are back, Wi-Fi is working, the menu opens up, and beds come with proper bedding. Most trekkers arrive tired, eat well, and sleep deeply.
- Hot showers: available and very welcome after the crossing
- Wi-Fi: back online
- Menu: broader again — more food variety returns
- Named lodges: Mountain Ponker Cottage, Apple Garden, Himalayan Guest House, Ganga Manaslu, Sushma Guest House
Day 12 — Dharapani (1,970m)
A long descent day — seven to eight hours through Tilije and Thonje before reaching Dharapani. By this elevation, full services have returned. Flush toilets, reliable hot showers, a full menu with fresh vegetables and meat options, stable electricity, and functional Wi-Fi. Dharapani also sits at the Annapurna Circuit junction, which means more lodges, more competition, and better overall quality than most stops on the route. It's the last night on the trail — eat well, celebrate the crossing, and decompress.
Day 13 — Kathmandu — 3-Star Hotel
Eight hours back by jeep. We return you to the same three-star hotel near Thamel from Day 1. Hot shower, clean bed, and a proper meal from a real kitchen. The circuit is done.
Tea house facilities by altitude on the Manaslu Circuit Trek
The pattern across the Manaslu Circuit is consistent and predictable. The higher you go, the simpler it gets, and understanding this in advance saves you from unpleasant surprises.
| Elevation | Villages | Bathrooms | How Shower | Wi-Fi | Electricity |
| 900–1,340m | Machha Khola, Jagat | Some attached, Western flush | Reliable | Available | Stable |
| 1,860–2,630m | Deng, Namrung | Shared squat | Available, charged | Some lodges | Mostly reliable |
| 3,180–3,875m | Lho, Samagaon, Samdo | Shared squat, outside | Unreliable above Namrung | Minimal | Solar, limited |
| 4,460m | Dharmashala | Outdoor squat | None | None | None |
| 3,590–1,970m | Bhimthang, Dharapani | Shared, then flush | Returns at Bhimthang | Returns | Returns |
What to bring for the Manaslu Circuit Trek
Every tea house room on the Manaslu Circuit follows the same basic setup regardless of village or elevation. Twin beds with foam mattresses, one pillow each, a sheet, and one or two blankets. Walls are plywood or stone. There is no heating in any room on the circuit — the dining hall stove is the only heat source at every stop.
In lower villages, some lodges have thicker mattresses, more blankets, and attached bathrooms. Above Namrung, expect plywood walls, thin windows, and outdoor toilet access in the cold and dark.
Room essentials to bring:
- Sleeping bag rated to -20°C comfort (we provide one as part of our package)
- Thermal base layers — wear them from Samagaon onward
- A small padlock if you carry valuables
- Earplugs — dining halls and thin walls carry sound
- A sleeping bag is not optional. Tea house blankets alone are not sufficient above Namrung, and rooms are unheated everywhere on the circuit.
Also Read: Required Permits for Manaslu Trek
Hot showers and toilets on the Manaslu Circuit Trek
Bathroom conditions follow the altitude pattern closely. Western flush toilets with running water appear at some lodges in Machha Khola and Jagat. Squat toilets became standard from Deng onward, and from Samagaon onward, the toilet structure is typically a separate outdoor building.
Toilet paper is never provided anywhere on the circuit — carry your own for the full duration. Water pipes above Namrung can freeze overnight from late October onward, leaving lodges without running water until midmorning.
Hot shower costs by elevation:
- Machha Khola to Namrung: NPR 300–500 per shower
- Lho to Samdo: NPR 400–600 per shower, solar-dependent
- Dharmashala: no showers of any kind.
Electricity, Charging, and Connectivity
Lower villages run on micro-hydro power — stable and reliable in most conditions. Higher villages shift to solar, which means overcast days can cut power without warning. Outlets in rooms are uncommon above Jagat. Most charging happens at a shared point in the dining hall, charged per device.
Charging costs:
- NPR 200–400 per session in mid-altitude villages
- NPR 300–500 per session in high villages
- Dharmashala: Electricity may not be available at all
Bring at least one 20,000 mAh power bank. Charge it every time power is available from Samagaon onward. If you shoot video or depend on your phone for navigation, carry two.
Connectivity summary:
- Wi-Fi below Namrung: available at select lodges via Everest Link or Airlink, NPR 300–600 per device
- Wi-Fi above Namrung: largely unavailable
- NTC mobile: reasonable to Samagaon, drops above, returns near Dharapani
- Dharmashala to Bhimthang: treat as fully offline
Food and meals on the Manaslu Circuit Trek
You eat where you sleep. The dining hall menu is part of the accommodation experience on any tea house trek, and the Manaslu Circuit is no different.
Menu by elevation:
- Machha Khola to Namrung: Dal bhat, noodles, fried rice, momos, pasta, eggs, Tibetan bread, oats, pancakes, basic Western dishes
- Lho to Samdo: Dal bhat, Tibetan bread, noodle soup, eggs, tsampa porridge — menu narrows significantly
- Dharmashala: Dal bhat, Tibetan bread, noodle soup, eggs, tsampa porridge — menu narrows significantly
Dal bhat is the best value at every elevation — unlimited refills at no extra charge, the most energy-efficient meal on the trail, and the safest option in terms of freshness. Above Samagaon, do not order meat. No reliable refrigeration, inconsistent supply chains, and the consequences of food poisoning at altitude are serious enough to make it not worth the risk.
Food prices climb with altitude because everything is porter-carried above the road. A meal costing NPR 500–600 in Machha Khola runs NPR 900–1,200 in Samdo.
Manaslu Circuit Trek accommodation cost and daily budget
The room itself is inexpensive, and often free when you eat dinner and breakfast at the same lodge, which is the standard practice across the entire circuit. The cost builds through extras.
Room rate: NPR 300–800 per night
- Hot shower: NPR 300–600
- Device charging: NPR 200–400 per session
- Wi-Fi: NPR 300–600 per device
- Boiled or filtered water: NPR 100–300 per liter
- Snacks and packaged drinks: 2–3x Kathmandu prices at altitude
Realistic daily budget (food + room + extras): NPR 3,500–5,500 per person.
Card payment is not accepted anywhere on the circuit. The last reliable ATM is in Arughat near the start of the route. Carry enough Nepali rupees for the full trek plus a buffer for the unexpected.
Plan Your Budget: Manaslu Circuit Trek Cost Breakdown
Best time for Manaslu Circuit Trek accommodation
The best time to trek the Manaslu Circuit is from March to May & September to November, when you'll get clear sky, stable weather, and good temperature.
Peak season (Oct–early Dec, Mar–May):
- Maximum trekker traffic on the trail.
- Samagaon, Samdo, and Dharmashala fill fastest.
- Late arrivals at Dharmashala may find no bed available — overflow trekkers sleep on dining hall floors.
- Aim to reach each village by 2–3 PM for the best room selection.
- We coordinate key high-altitude nights through our trail network for all our groups.
Off-season (late Dec–Feb, Jun–Sep):
- More room choice, negotiable pricing, quieter trail.
- Winter: heavy snowpack on Larkya La, some lodges closed above Namrung.
- Monsoon (Jun–Aug): mud, landslide risk, reduced lodge services above mid-altitude.
Tips for choosing a tea house on the Manaslu Circuit Trek
Quality varies between tea houses even within the same village, and a few quick checks before committing to a room save you a poor night at altitude.
- Arrive early — first trekkers into the village get first pick of rooms and the warmest spots in the dining hall
- Check the room first — look at blanket thickness, whether the window closes properly, and if the door locks
- Ask before you use — confirm whether hot water and charging are actually working that day, not just in theory
- Confirm extra costs upfront — especially above Namrung, where prices are not always posted
- Look at the dining hall stove — a lodge that keeps it burning all evening understands what trekkers need
- Check the kitchen — a clean, organized kitchen in a remote village is a reliable indicator of overall lodge standards
- Follow your guide's recommendation — it's based on firsthand knowledge of which lodges are clean, consistent, and worth your night
FAQs on Manaslu Circuit Trek
Are there tea houses at every stop on the Manaslu Circuit?
Yes. The network covers every overnight stop from Machha Khola to Dharapani on the standard 14-day Manaslu Circuit itinerary. Camping is not required.
Do I need my own sleeping bag?
We provide a -20°C rated sleeping bag as part of our package. Rooms are unheated throughout the circuit, and blankets alone are not enough above Namrung.
Is there Wi-Fi on the Manaslu Circuit Trek?
Available at select lodges below Namrung (NPR 300–600 per device). Above Namrung, it largely disappears. Plan for the upper section to be fully offline.
How much does accommodation cost?
NPR 300–800 per room per night, often included free with meals at the same lodge. Realistic daily budget including food and extras: NPR 3,500–5,500 per person.
Can you pre-book tea houses?
Most tea houses don't accept direct advance bookings from individuals. We coordinate key nights — especially Dharmashala in peak season — through our guide network.
Are hot showers available throughout the trek?
Available from Machha Khola to approximately Samdo, charged separately at NPR 300–600. At Dharmashala, there are no shower facilities.
Is it safe to eat meat in high villages?
No. Avoid meat above Samagaon. No reliable refrigeration and inconsistent supply chains make it a real risk at altitude. Stick to dal bhat, eggs, and noodle dishes.
What if Dharmashala is fully booked?
Overflow trekkers sleep on dining hall floors in peak season. Trekking with an agency that coordinates ahead is the most reliable safeguard. We treat the Dharmashala night as a priority booking for all October and November groups.
