Looking for an adventure-filled journey? Then you have come to the right place. Embark on Manaslu Circuit Trek, an exhilarating journey to the northern Himalayas to explore the ancient villages nestled under the shadows of awe-inspiring Mount Manaslu (8163 m). This beautiful journey allows trekkers to uncover the timeless villages of Samdo and Samagoan. They can also hike through the dense forests of the Manaslu Conservation Area, encounter diverse wild vegetation, and admire the stunning visuals of the giant Manaslu range. Crossing Larkya La pass adds an extra dose of excitement to this already exhilarating experience. So don’t miss out on the chance to explore the wonders of the Himalayas that receive little attention but offer an abundance of unforgettable memories.
The captivating journey to Manaslu begins with a drive to Seti Khola from Kathmandu. The drive is thrilling because you will drive through some of the most rugged paths you have ever seen. The official trek from now on starts as you embark on a journey to Machha Khola, another layover before opting for another quaint town of Jagat. The trail follows a verdant forest, and roaring Budhigandaki river, crossing suspension bridges and several farmlands until you reach the charming village of Deng.
The trek starts to get a bit challenging as we will be ascending and descending through steep and rugged paths. Walking past such trails brings you to the rural town of Namrung, decorated with mani, chortens, and stupas indicating the practice of Buddhism. The town also offers a great view of Hiunchuli, Ganesh Himal along with other giant peaks. As we approach our destination, we notice a changing landscape and enter into the ancient village of Lho, quiet and isolated but full of cultural insights.
After appreciating the beauty of Lho, the journey continues to Samagoan, another enchanting village with a backdrop of beautiful Himalayas and glaciers. The trek offers you a great view of Mt. Manaslu among other iconic peaks. Samagoan is one of the resting sites as well thus trekkers can go for an energizing hike to Birendra Taal, one of the beautiful lakes in the country. The village has several monasteries such as Annie Gompa, Pugyen gompa where trekkers can visit to learn more about the culture and social values of the place.
The trek resumes as we follow the Bhudhigandaki river trail to the traditional Tibetan village of Samdo. Crossing streams do not stop as we head towards another remote yet charming Tibetan town called Dharamshala. Surrounded by the majestic Larkya peak (6249m), this culturally insightful journey also offers a great chance to cross the Larkya La pass (5,106 m) and have the majestic 360-degree view of the gigantic Manaslu range along with Himlung, Kanguru, Cheo Himal and Annapurna Himal.
After that elating experience, we descend to Bhimphedi, following pastoral land, and trek down to Tilije and Chamje which is the last village in this beautiful journey. Your journey of trekking the Manaslu circuit concludes in Kathmandu with a scenic and exciting drive with which you began the journey.
The trek provides insightful encounters for travelers visiting a rural Himalayan village. The scenes are the highlight but the people and their culture are a pleasant bonus you will have in this trek. Nevertheless, if you want more from this trek, the option to extend or choose Tsum Valley Trek, another beautiful journey in this region is available. The team at World Alpine Trek is here to assist you in whichever way suits you the best.
The first day marks your arrival day in Kathmandu. Clear all the visa requirements and customs clearance, if any, at the arrival section of the airport. As you come out, you will find a representative from World Alpine Treks waiting for you holding a board with your name. You will then be transferred to your hotel in Kathmandu. The representative will inform you shortly about the plans ahead.
The second day is a day tour to warm up before your trekking journey. Kathmandu is a city enriched with artistic palaces, beautiful monuments, ancient temples, and other constructions of historical and cultural importance. No wonder the city has seven out of ten UNESCO-listed world heritage sites. Today, you will be guided to the UNESCO-listed heritage sites in Kathmandu. These heritages are perfect examples of the rich history, fine culture, and architectural treasures of Nepal. At first, you will be taken to Kathmandu Durbar Square. The art, crafts, and carvings in the palaces, temples, and other monuments of the durbar square are excellent. After that, you will be escorted to the Swayambhunath stupa (Monkey Temple), Pashupatinath Temple, and Boudhanath stupa, respectively. Tonight at a hotel in Kathmandu (Inclusive of breakfast).
On day 3, we will start early at 8:00 am. We will pick you up at 8 o'clock in the morning and start our drive to Arughat, which will take us approximately 8 hours. The road will be gratifying for the first four hours to Dhading Bensi (the district headquarter of Dhading at 1050m) but will be bumpy for the second section to Arughat. From Arughat, we will drive another one and a half hours to Soti Khola and stay there at a guesthouse. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Day 4 marks the start of our trekking journey. We commence our trek with a gentle walk from Soti Khola. We cross a long suspension bridge over the Soti Khola and continue our walk up through the dense forests of Sal. We climb up to a ridge that lies just above the Budi Gandaki River and continue our walk to Khursane. From here, the trail follows a rocky path adorned by wonderful cliffs and waterfalls. We pass terraced farmlands on the way to Labubesi and cross a sandy path along the river bed. We further climb up a rocky cliff until we open up to a valley. We keep on following the trail until we reach the village of Maccha Khola. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Maccha Khola (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Leaving Maccha Khola, we follow a trail that narrows down to Tharo Khola and moves ahead to Khorlabesi. From here, our trail undulates up and down to the hot water spring of Tatopani. At Tatopani, we can enjoy a hot water bath to soothe our nerves and senses. After enjoying some quality time at Tatopani, we climb up a ridge and cross Budhigandaki Khola. From the river, climb up a stone-paved staircase to Thulo Bharyang via Dohan. Finally, after crossing the west bank of the Budhigandaki River, we climb up to reach the village of Jagat Tonight at a guesthouse in Jagat (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Today, we leave Jagat and climb up a rocky ridge to the village of Salleri and then to Sirdibas. We follow the trail that leads us to Ghatta Khola and climbs up to a charming village of Gurung people known as Phillim. From this village, the trail turns north through the farmlands to Ekle Bhatti and then descends down along a grassy slope to Budhigandaki River. Here, we cross a bridge and walk through the bamboo forests to the Deng Khola. After crossing a bridge over the river, we reach the village of Deng. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Deng (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
From Deng, we take a short walk to the Budhigandaki River and climb up to the village of Rana. We continue our climb and walk west to the Budhigandaki Valley. As we open up to the valley, we can enjoy a pleasant walk along with the forests and path adorned with painted mani stones. We pass the village of Ghap and enter Prok village. From the village, we can witness the alluring beauty of Sringi Himal.
Further, we pass the dense rhododendron forests, gompas, rivers, and gorges on the way to Namrung. Namrung is also famous as a vantage point for the best views of Hiunchuli and Ganesh Himal. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Namrung (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
The trail climbs up steeply and passes through a dense forest on the way to the village of Lihi. The village looks amazingly beautiful with the chortens and barley terraces. As we move ahead, we cross the valley of Simnang and pass the village of Sho to reach Lho. Lho is a beautiful, isolated village in the Manaslu region enriched with its preserved culture. Upon arrival, we can visit an ancient monastery in the village of Lho. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Lho village (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Today, we leave Lho gaon and continue our walk towards Samagaon. We pass Shyala village on the way to Samagaon. Upon arrival, we will be rewarded with some amazing views of Mt. Manaslu. There is an ancient monastery in the village popular as Ribung Gompa. We visit the Gompa and enjoy our time exploring the village in the backdrop of beautiful Himalayas and glaciers. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Samagaon (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
We enjoy an extra day in Samagaon to acclimatize ourselves to the rising elevation. We spend our day exploring the village and visiting some important places in the surrounding. We visit a lake called Birendra Tal nearby and then head towards Anie Gompa. Further, we head towards Pungyen Gompa, which is a beautiful place that offers some scenic views of mountains and glaciers. After a hike up to the gompa, we return back to Samagaon for the evening. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Samagaon (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Leaving Sanagaon, we follow the trail along the Budhi Gandaki River and hike up to a stream. We cross a suspension bridge over the river and ascend to the right of Larkya La. The trail is easy, with beautiful mani walls and alpine forests that decorate the way. We again cross a bridge over the Budhi Gandaki River and follow a trail leading us to Samdo. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Samdo (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Early in the morning, after breakfast, we cross a wooden bridge over the Budhi Gandaki River and climb up towards Dharamshala. We cross a few streams and walk around the valley with wonderful views of the Larkya glacier on sight. We continue our walk through the trail until we reach Dharamshala. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Dharamshala (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Today, early in the morning, we climb up and open up to a valley on the northern side of Larkya Glacier. We ascend steeply, enjoying some exquisite views of the Larkya Peak. As we go steep, we come across the pass and cross the pass with some stunning views of Himlung, Kanguru, Cheo Himal, and Annapurna Himal on sight. From the pass, we descend down to Bhimphedi, enjoying the close views of Mt. Manaslu. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Bhimphedi (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
From Bhimphedi, we descend down to the high pastures and then to Dudh Khola. We further walk through the dense forests of rhododendron, narrow valleys, and fields to make a final ascent up to the village of Gho. A short walk from the village brings us to Tilije. We stop at Tilije for the night. (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
We drop down through the trail and walk along the stone-paved path through a village to Dudh Khola. We pass the village of Thonje and walk towards Dharapani. From here, we continue walking until we reach Chamje. Tonight, at a guesthouse in Bhimphedi (Inclusive of breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
We are in the final days of our trekking journey. We wrap our trekking journey with a drive back to Kathmandu. On the way back, we can witness the beautiful scenery of villages, terraced farmlands, lush hills, and valleys. Upon our arrival in Kathmandu, you will be escorted to your hotel room in Kathmandu. Tonight at a hotel in Kathmandu (Inclusive of breakfast and lunch).
Before a few hours of your scheduled flight, you will be transferred to the international terminal of Tribhuwan International Airport. (Inclusive of Breakfast).
The challenging Manaslu Circuit Trek is only recommended for experienced hikers. Trekking through a rural area with little resources is a strenuous journey. Numerous climbs and descents can be found on the steep, rocky, and forested pathways of the trail. In a same vein, trekkers must endure extreme altitudes and subsistence levels of services.
We offer 17 days of adventurous Manaslu Trek. Our Manaslu Circuit Trek itinerary also has arrival and departure dates.
Yes, permits are required for trekking to Manaslu. The Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP) and Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) are mandatory. Additionally, a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) is needed for the Manaslu region. Ensure you obtain these permits in Kathmandu or Pokhara before commencing the trek.
During the Manaslu Circuit Trek, accommodation typically involves basic teahouses or lodges. These provide simple rooms with shared facilities like bathrooms and communal dining areas. While the amenities are basic, they offer a cozy and authentic experience, immersing trekkers in the local culture and providing essential services along the route.
For the Manaslu Trek, pack essentials like sturdy trekking boots, layered clothing for varying temperatures, a sleeping bag, and a backpack. Carry a water purification system, trekking poles, and a first aid kit. Bring a good-quality map or GPS, along with necessary permits. Snacks, a headlamp, and a camera are useful. Be prepared for the rugged terrain and diverse weather conditions encountered during the trek.
