Manaslu Circuit Trek: 13 Days

The Manaslu Circuit trek start from Kathmandu. Take a bus at 6 am or 8 am from Gangabu Bus Station and travel to Arughat. Or travel on a private jeep (pick an add-on option on the tour). Don't miss to grab a window seat. The roads are bumpy but reward you with remarkable views of the landscape, including early glimpses of the Himalayas.

The actual trek begins today. The trail leads to Machhakhola along the side of Budhi Gandaki. The narrow trail offers stunning countryside views as you cross suspension bridges and pass several waterfalls with the constant sounds and smells of the forest. Along the way, don’t miss out on tasting local dairy products.

Local pilgrims pray to the local deities to keep them safe during their journeys, so will our guide at Nyali Khola, a small village after Soti Khola. Then continue to hike through several ascends and descends along a river trail.

Today’s trail also moves through the forests. As you enter the forest trail, you will find many monkeys and langurs welcoming you! You will also pass Gurung villages along the way, crossing suspension and wooden bridge along the way.

You can stop at Tatopani to take a relaxing bath in its natural hot springs. Then stone steps and head over a ridge to Dobhan. After a few more ascends, descends and river crossing reach Tharo Bharyang. Before entering the Gurung village, you will have to verify your special trekking permits to continue across the restricted area.

The trail continues through bamboo and pine forests, sometimes passing lush rhododendron thickets. Rocky hills will tower you throughout the day. After Siyar Khola, you will reach a junction where the trail separates to Tsum Valley on your right before reaching Deng, your final destination for the day. Several gompas and Buddhist prayer flags will function as your welcome signs.

Today’s trail follows the river upstream through a dense forest leading to a narrow gorge. Continue until the forests start clearing and you take a zigzag route to your pit stop for the day. This rewarding part of the walk is a spectacular way to experience the Manaslu Conservation Area. The local tea here is a must-try.

From this point on, you start seeing increasing influence of Tibetan culture. You will spot locals wearing traditional Tibetan dresses, walk past several ‘mani’ walls and Tibetan-style houses.

From Lho, you will get your first glimpse of Mt. Manaslu (8,163 m) and Manaslu North (7,157 m). Here you can also visit Ribum Monastery. From this point on, you will need to be wary of your bodily signs. We’ll rapidly start gaining altitude, so stay vigilant for signs of altitude sickness.

Keeping Mt. Manaslu by your side, walk past pine and rhododendron gullies. From Shyapla, it will take almost an hour to reach Sama Gaon, the principal village of this area.

This is one of the most exciting days on the trek. Take the day to explore Samagaun and its surrounding as you acclimatize to the altitude.

Visit the Pungyen Gompa with the stunning M-shaped Manaslu mesmerizing you in the background. You can visit the gorgeous moraine lake, Birendra. Or you can choose to walk across the roaring river and hike up a hilltop watch many Himalayan thars and yaks grazing.

Along this trail, enjoy magnificent views of Manaslu 2, Naike Peak, Manaslu and Himachuli Peak as you cross Budi Gandaki. If you keep an eye out, you will also spot various bird species fluttering about.

This is a short trek day, so you can take your time walking and exploring the nearby villages. Just make sure to control your pace and drink enough water acclimatization. From here you can explore the nearby villages.

Samdo is a lovely village with picturesque landscape. Today, you can hike to Samdo Peak, or explore the villages nearby.

You can also choose to visit the Tibetan border (5,100 m). This route has excellent views of Manaslu as well as Simrang, Hiunchuli, Ngadi, Larkye Peak, Cheo and Kang Guru. You might also spot Nepal's national bird, the Lophophorus. However, this will be a long walk, at least 10 hours long there and back, so decide carefully.

Larke Phedi is a tiny village at Dharmashala. The day offers panoramic views of the Manaslu range across the rugged terrains. The beauty of this route recharge your batteries for the rest of the trip.

When you reach Dharmasala, you may choose to take a side trip to a nearby village that offers dynamic views of Mt. Manaslu and other ranges.

Today, you will be crossing Larkya La Pass (5,125 m), one of the highest mountain passes in Nepal and the highest point of the trek. The pass offers a majestic view of Annapurna II (7,937 m), Kang Guru (6,981 m) and Himlung (7,126 m).

You are required to wake up early and summit before sunrise. The stunning views of sunrise from above cloud are beyond imagination. So be ready to live a lifetime experience.

This pass is steeper when approached from Bimthang. During the descent, you will get glimpses of many icefalls, glaciers, mountains and Pongkar Tal.

This is certainly one of the harder days of the trek, if not the hardest, but will also definitely be the most memorable. Make sure you carry enough water and snacks for this gruelling day as the lunch is not served till Bhimtang.

The trail today takes you downhill through a low alpine forest area. However, the day might be stressful to your knees.

At this point, we are already in the Annapurna Conservation area and very close to the Annapurna circuit route where our trek comes to an end. You will get phone reception from this point, so you might want to catch up with friends and family.

This is your final day on the trails of Manaslu region. You will walk back across Dudh Khola and take a local jeep to Besishar and then drive to Kathmandu.