Highlights
Enjoy trekking through the Manaslu Circuit
Discover one of the least visited trekking routes in Nepal
See Mount Manaslu and other peaks in the Himalayas
Itinerary
Unlike the well-trodden Everest Base Camp route, the Manaslu Circuit Trekking tour offers a more secluded experience for young adults and experienced travelers alike. Officially opened to tourists only in 1991, this area remains pristine, rewarding trekkers with unspoiled landscapes and rich biodiversity.
The adventure starts from Kathmandu, with hiking beginning in Arughat. The toughest—and most rewarding—section is the ascent of Larke Pass (5,100m), with the trek’s varied elevation bringing constantly changing scenery. Along the way, you’ll enjoy stunning views of Manaslu (8,156m), the world’s eighth-highest peak, and encounter local cultures rooted in both Nepalese and Tibetan traditions.
While challenging, the trip is suitable for those in good shape prepared for daily hikes of up to six hours. The USP of this tour package is its rare access to a restricted area, offering a sense of discovery for trekkers craving something beyond the usual Himalayan routes.
day 1 - Drive Kathmandu to Machhakhola(870m) by private Jeep.
We will start the day early after breakfast. We take a drive from Kathmandu to Dhading Besi on a nice, paved road enjoying the views of the hilly areas, terraces, fields and rivers. The drive from Dhading Besi to Arughat is a little rough one on rocky trails. Then another 2.5 -3 hours drive to Machhakhola from Arughat in the dirt road. Total drive by private Jeep 7-8 hours drive from Kathmandu to Machhakhola if no traffic early stage of drive. we reach Machcha Khola village and overnight at tea house.
day 2 - Trek to Jagat (1340m)
Start the day early today. Cross a suspension bridge and hike through forests to reach a ridge above the rapids of the Budhi Gandaki River. The trail gets rocky on reaching Khursane. Make your way through terraced rice fields to the Gurung village of Labubesi.
Traverse a sandy riverbed and climb over rocky ridges to reach Machhakhola, where you will spend the night at a tea house.
day 3 - Trek to Deng (1,860m)
Continue via Salleri and Sirdibas to reach the ethnic Gurung village of Phillim. After that, the trail turns north and travels through fields and terraces to reach Ekle Bhatti, where you will have lunch.
Cross the Budhi Gandaki river and continue through bamboo forests to reach Deng Khola. Tonight, you will stay in the small hamlet of Deng.
day 4 - Trek to Namrung (2,630m)
Head west to the Budhi Gandaki Valley. The trail passes through forests and painted mani stones to reach Ghap. Travel through Prok village while enjoying great views of Siring Himal. Continue through dense forests and beautiful monasteries to reach Namrung. From here you can see Siring Himal and Ganesh Himal as well as Mount Himal Chuli.
day 5 - Trek to Lho (3,180m)
A steep climb followed by a journey through forests take you to Lihi, a village known for its chortens and barley terraces. Travel past Sho to reach Lho, where you will stay tonight.
day 6 - Trek to Samagaun (3,500m)
Trek to Samagaun, home to the famous Ribung Monastery and your resting place for the night.
day 7 - Acclimatization day in Samagaun
Stay in Samagaon today. You are free to explore the surrounding areas or visit Birendra Tal and Anie Monastery. The main attraction of the area is Pungyen Monastery. However, the monastery is a bit far away and therefore the journey is only suitable for fit hikers. The monastery was named after the twin peaks of Mount Manaslu.
day 8 - Trek to Samdo (3,860m)
Follow the Budhi Gandaki River and cross a suspension bridge. Then take the trail to the right which leads to Larkya La. It is a fairly easy trail that passes through mani walls and birch forests. Call it a day on reaching Samdo.
day 9 - Trek to Dharamasala (4,480m)
Start your day by crossing a wooden bridge over the Budhi Gandaki. See the Larke Glacier and make your way uphill to reach a guesthouse called Dharmashala. This short walk to Larke Phedi provides enough time to acclimatize for the upcomming portion of the trek.
day 10 - Cross Larke Pass (5,213 m) & trek to Bimtang (3,720 m)
Make a short climb to reach a valley to the north of the Larke Glacier. Ascend the moraines of the glacier before reaching the Larke Pass. Take in the views of the Himalayas from the pass before continuing your journey.
It is a longer walk today than other days and you will reach your guesthouse in Bhimtang at dusk. The exquisite views of Mount Manaslu that you can see from Bhimtang makes every step worth it.
day 11 - Bimtang to Dharapani (1860m).
After enjoying the splendid views of the mountains from a ridge in Bhimtang, we make our way down towards a high pasture and then a bridge over Dudh Khola. We walk through rhododendron forests, narrow valleys and fields before making a climb to the river bank that leads to the village of Gho. A short walk takes us to Tilije for lunch. We move in a stone paved path passing through a beautiful village and then cross a bridge over Dudh Khola, move past an arch and Mani walls to get to the Thonje village. After passing through a police checkpoint we make our way towards Dharapani from where we enter the Annapurna circuit section. This is last night in the mountain next morning private Jeep to Kathmandu.
day 12 - Drive back to Kathmandu from Dharapani by private Jeep.
From Dharapani we take private Jeep to Kathmandu. which takes 8-10 hours. We drive along the banks of Marsyangdi and Trishuli River, witnessing the beautiful scenery of rice fields, terraced farms, rivers and valleys and refreshing views of the hilly areas and mountains. After 8-10 hours journey we reach Kathmandu.
Altitude Map
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Customer Reviews
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Review of Manaslu Circuit trek
Spectacular scenery and much more variety than the Everest Base Camp trek I did back in 2005. Also much more challenging since you start at 800 m and climb to 5,100m.
Great trek with Guide, Raj on Manaslu circuit
I booked the manaslu circuit trek for 14 days from the 20th of December to the 3rd of January, for my friend Jessica and I. I looked at many different options before booking the trek and hiring guides directly but decided on this tour operator because they seemed to have a reliable reputation, with experienced guides. Chattra, the boss seemed very knowledgeable and offered me a good deal on the cost of arranging permits compared with other agencies and didn't try and sell us any extras. He was also understood that we were going to be potentially trekking in cold conditions with snow or ice and so he offered us a choice of two very experienced guides. When we met Chhatra in person he was very efficient and friendly and flexible with our plans. We chose Raj Karki as our guide and we arrange meet him at our hostel. Right from the get go he seemed excited to go on the trek but was honest and told us that it could be difficult and that we might not be able to cross Larkya pass, we had opted to get a local bus over the jeep taxi and although we were his first clients to choose the bus he was very happy to do so and had researched the bus station, times and prices and personally took us there the next morning. From this it was obvious that he was well prepared and did his research as we discovered later in the trek he kept in contact with all the guesthouses along the way and knew which were good and which would be open at this time of year when most places close for the winter. It was immediately clear on meeting Raj that he was sociable and genuinely enjoyed our company he was always fun to chat with and while trekking and in the evenings and would even join us for a regular card game after dinner. Unlike many guides who I have heard just play on there phone or go drinking whenever they get the chance. Once we started trekking it was obvious that he very fit and would adjust his speed to test us to get an idea of our itinerary in the beginning and then would walk slower or faster as we prefered along the route. He said we were much fitter than average and seemed to enjoy pushing more than usual. He also had a lot of knowledge about the route, technical skills and first aid and even when we got food poisoning during the route he could recommend which foods to eat or to avoid. So although we never had any injuries we knew we were in good hands if we did. Raj never pushed us to make decisions alnong the route and instead gave us all the information on difficulty, practicality etc and left the decision you to us. Indeed as once we reached the village of lgo we had snowfall all night and later said he had thought we probably wouldn't be able to cross the pass but he was happy take us as far as we liked to try. In the end we made it all the way to dharmasala before we decide to turn back at this point we had to open the trail through the snow ourselves which was really tough work but he never complained and always saw to our needs. He seemed to really enjoy the trekking and the adventure of pushing through the conditions and him having this attitude really lifted our spirits during the trek even when we're returning back the way we came, it never felt like were inconveniencing him and in fact, right from the beginning it felt like we were trekking with a good friend. I would absolutely recommend Raj to anyone who wants an experienced guide who is good fun but also fit enough and experienced enough to go with whatever kind of trek you want to do however challenging.
Manaslu Circuit Trekking
The Manaslu Circuit is a very unique trek with beautiful views on the mountains and authentic villages. Every day the scene changed, from hills with rice fields to green jungle, Tibetan villages, and the snow covered pass itself. The trek was challenging and sometimes heavy due to recent rain and snow, but definitely worth it!Our guide Raj was awesome, he speaks really good English and very experienced. He knows a lot about the area and was able to answer even our most difficult questions. He always informed with locals about the conditions of the trek, which was very helpful since the rain caused lots of landslides recently. We always felt safe due to his judgements and experience. Furthermore he was very nice to spend time with, and making us feel comfortable.We would definitely recommend this trek, Eco Adventure and especially our guide Raj!
What a great trek!
I booked my trip to Manaslu cuircut through this operator. Due to Covid I really wanted to do some hiking in Nepal I found this company. The director Chhatr made really quick response, he is a very nice guy. When landing in Nepal he met me at the airport in time, he drove me to the hotell then brought me to the office where I met the guide Keshab Then next day we went for the hike. Nature was so beautiful very different from anything I have seen before. I was really satisfied with my guide witch spoke really good English. We also had a porter with us Santa that we got to know during our trek, he was also speaking English and was always happy and positive!I have previously gone for several treks in Nepal but this is one of my absolute favourites.Thank you Chhatr for an amazing trip, I will very much recomend this company and guide Keshab. I will be back for sure!
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