Manaslu Circuit Trek is truly a beautiful, unspoiled, and unique trekking trail in Nepal that takes one to the real paradise on the lap of the Himalayas. Manaslu Circuit Trail lies in the remote region of the northern part of Gorkha district bordering Tibet (China), which is cradled between Budhi Gandaki on the east and the Marshyangdi River to the west.
Manaslu was coined from the Sanskrit word "Manasa", which translates as “intellect or soul”. So, Manaslu means "the mountain of the spirit, " the 8th highest mountain in the world, with an altitude of 8,163 meters to the east of Mount Annapurna (8,091 meters).
Although mountaineers had access for a long time in the Manaslu region, however, for trekkers, it was officially opened only in 1991. Britishers are more attached to Mount Everest and regard it as their sentiment, and so is Mount Manaslu to the Japanese.
Manaslu Circuit is a less-traveled trail than the Annapurna and Everest regions because of its strict provisions by the Government. To fulfill those trekkers, they need to follow some important procedures to obtain Permits. This region is rich in cultural heritage, amazing lakes, breathtaking waterfalls, ancient monasteries, and a great view of Mount Manaslu and other surrounding mountains.
Manaslu Circuit excursion goes through the Manaslu Conservation Area, which was declared a conservation area in 1998. This trek is listed as a restricted area of Nepal, so trekkers need Special Permits as well, along with other regular permits to trek in this region.
Hiking around Manaslu is becoming an alternative to Everest and Annapurna due to its unique landscape, pristine natural beauty, culture, and traditions, which are disappearing from other traditional trekking areas of Nepal.
Manaslu Circuit Trek begins with an epic ride to Arughat Bazaar (620 meters), the traditional gateway to Manaslu Circuit trekking. However, with road construction now trekkers can drive to Maccha Khola (930 meters), which goes along the Budhigandaki River. This has minimized a couple of days for the trek.
After Arughat Bazaar, your drive journey goes along the upstream of the Budhi Gandaki River passing Soti Khola to reach Machha Khola (930 meters) for the first day overnight. The trek gradually goes to Jagat (1,410 meters), Philim (1,519 meters), Deng (1,800 meters), and Namrung (2,660 meters) for other nights.
The trail after Namrung goes to another typical Tibetan village of Lo-Gaun (3,180 meters) and Samagaun (3,530 meters) for the next day. You take another day at Samagaun for acclimatization and exploration, in which you will have choices to explore Birendra Lake, or all day long, round trip onwards to Manaslu Base Camp or Pungyen Gompa.
After the Samagaun, the trail goes onwards to Samdo (3,690 meters) and to Dharamsala (4,470 meters), which is your last night in the Budhi Gandaki valley of the Gurkha District.
The trip starts early in the morning for the highest point of the trip, Larkey Pass (5,106 meters), and reaches Bhimthang (3,720 meters). Larkey Pass is the border landmark between the Gurkha District and the Manang District.
Leaving Bhimthang, then descend to Tilje (2,300 meters) and to Dharapani (1,860 Meters ), where you meet the trail to Annapurna Circuit Trek. The trek continues down to Chamje (1,430 meters) and Jagat (1,300 meters), from where we drive back to Kathmandu.
Our Manaslu Circuit Trekking itinerary is designed as the best itinerary on which trekkers have ample time to acclimatize before crossing the Larkey La Pass (5,106 meters), you can enjoy the Manaslu scenery and places of highlights in their full display.
However, suppose you are a real adventurer, physically fit, and have good experience in high-altitude trekking. In that case, you can customize the Manaslu Circuit trek itinerary as per your desire to finish it earlier or extend it further. For more details, please inquire with us. [email protected] or WhatsApp: +977-9851149890
Highlights of the Manaslu Circuit Trek
- Experience the best Off-the-beaten trail in Nepal
- Enjoy the first-hand Hospitality of the local tribe and explore their unique culture and tradition
- Explore the majestic landscape, hills, the himalayas, snow-melted rivers, and waterfalls throughout
- Explore the enchanting Manaslu Base Camp, Birendra Lake
- Visit the border of the Tiber
- Visit the Majestic Monastery of the Manaslu Region
- Stunning Larkey La Pass, the highest of the Manaslu region
What one can expect in the Manaslu Circuit Trek Program
Manaslu Circuit Trek 14 Days is a unique and easy-going trek to the Manaslu region. This program is specially designed with the highlightes of exploring the Manaslu Region in one of the best ways possible.
The entire itinerary is designed to make sure you are hiking at a nominal pace and enjoying the beauty of the himalayas comfortably. With a customized program, one will be able to acclamatize to the mountain and explore a couple of popular destinations. Those include: Birendra Lake, Manaslu Bese Camp, Pungyen Gompa, and the Tibet Border.
Following the short version of the Manaslu Circuit Trek doesn't allow one to explore the off-trail hidden gems of the Manaslu Circuit Trek. Thus, to make sure one is beyond every possible lookout of the Manaslu region, this 14-day Manaslu Circuit Trek will take one to explore the must-visit places.
The 14-Day Manaslu Circuit Trek further allows one to acclamatize to the mountain. Here, 2 days are used as an acclimatization day, and on this day, one will hike to a popular destination to explore, which is at a higher altitude. This reduces the risk of altitude sickness throughout the trek.
Further, the 14-Day Manaslu Circuit Trek is a full board package that includes all the meals during the trek, accommodation in the city and on the mountains, and also transportation. This is a fully guided trek by a professional English-speaking local guide who will explain to you the diverse heritage, culture, and tradition of the people living in the Manaslu Region.
Manaslu Circuit Trek Day-to-Day Altitude Profile Guide with Altitude
Manaslu Circuit Trek is an easygoing trail through the hills into the valley and lakes, finally reaching the highest point at Larkey La Pass (5106M), and then the trail descends along with the altitude.
The overall success of the Manaslu Circuit Trek is mainly determined by the altitude gain while trekking. So, the right ascent of the altitude will always benefit first-time trekkers to make a successful ascent of the entire Circuit of the Manaslu Trek.
Day 1: Kathmandu - Maccha Khola 930 meters (3,051 feet)
Day 2: Machhakhola - Jagat 1,340meters(4,396 feet)
Day 3: Jagat - Deng 1,804 meters ( 5,918 feet)
Day 4: Deng - Namrung 2,630 meters (8,628 feet)
Day 5: Namrung - Lho Gaun 2,957meters (9,701 feet)
Day 6: Lho Gaon - Sama Gaun 3,530 meters (11,581 feet )
Day 7: Explore Pung Gyen Gompa and Birendra Lake, or an alternative hike to Manaslu Base Camp 4,400 meters (14,435 feet)
Day 8: Trek to Samdo 3,865 meters (12,680 feet)
Day 9: Acclimatization and Explore Tibet Border 5,000 meters (16,404 feet)
Day 10: Samdo - Dharmasala 4,460 meters (14,632 feet)
Day 11: Samdo - Bimthang 3,590 meters (11,778 feet) via Larkya La Pass 5,106 meters (16,752 feet)
Day 12: Bhimtang - Dharapani and drive to Besisahar 1,970 meters (6.463 feet)
Day 13: Besisahar - Kathmandu 1,350 meters (4,429 feet)
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Detailed Itinerary of Manaslu Circuit Trek
Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu, Nepal (1,350 meters / 4,429 feet) - 30-minute drive to the hotel
A representative from Discover Altitude will escort you to your hotel, and after refreshments, a short briefing and introduction session with your guide will be organized, and we will recheck all the gear and necessary equipment for the trek.
- Include: Private Car for Airport Pick Up | 3 Star Category Accommodation on BB Basis
- Exclude: Lunch | Dinner
Day 2: Drive to Maccha Khola (930 meters / 3,051 feet), 8 hrs
- Distance: 160 km/99 miles
- Altitude: 870 m/2,854 ft
- Duration: 8-9 hours
- Accommodation: Teahouse
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
The Manaslu Circuit trek starts from Machha Khola, a Gurung village with around 150 households. You will have access to Wi-Fi and attached washrooms in this village.
From Kathmandu, you will drive, enjoying beautiful landscapes and mountain vistas. The highway follows lush rolling hills and rivers.
You can see terraces along the way and pass by small towns. The road is bumpy from Arughat. It takes around two hours to drive from Arughat to Machha Khola.
- Bathroom attached: No
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Charger in the room: No
Day 3: Trek to Jagat (1,340 meters / 4,396 feet) 6 hrs
- Distance: 22.2 km/13.7 miles
- Altitude: 1,410 m/4,625 ft
- Duration: 6 hours
- Accommodation: Teahouse
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Start the day with a warm breakfast, and get ready to start the trek. The first leg of the day is around 45 minutes of hiking to Khorla Besi. The trail is flat but climbs to Khorla Besi.
From here, you will hike to Tatopani. It will be a 30-minute walk. You can enjoy natural hot springs in Tatopani. It will cost you a few extra bucks. After that, the trail ascends to Dovan.
You will have a lunch break in Dovan or Thulo Dhunga. The next destination is Jagat. Note that you will cross landslide areas on the way and mostly walk through lush tropical forests.
- Bathroom attached: No
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Charger in the room: No
Day 4: Trek to Deng (1,804 meters / 5,918 feet) 5 hrs
- Distance: 19.9 km/12.3 miles
- Elevation: 1,804 m/5,917 ft
- Duration: 7 hours
- Accommodation: Teahouse
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
While trekking from Jagat to Deng, you will enter deep into the Manaslu region. The scenery will be much prettier. In one hour of trekking from Jagat, you will reach Salleri.
The trail follows the Budhi Gandaki riverbank. From Salleri, you will keep hiking for an hour along the river bank of Budhi Gandaki to reach Philim.
Just before reaching, you will cross a suspension bridge. At Philim, you will register the permits at the checkpoint and continue hiking to Chisapani. You may have lunch here.
After lunch in Chisapani, you will hike for around four hours to reach Deng. On the way, you can stop for tea breaks at Nyak Phedi and Pewa.
- Bathroom attached: No
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Charger in the room: No
Day 5: Trek to Namrung (2,630 meters / 8,628 feet) 6 hrs
- Distance: 19.5 km/12.1 miles
- Elevation: 2,630 m/8,626 ft
- Duration: 6 hours
- Accommodation: Teahouse
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
On this day, you will enter the Nubri Valley. Nubri is one of the indigenous communities in Nepal. They boast an ancient mountain heritage. After breakfast, you will start walking uphill through forested hills.
Bihi is the first village in the Nubri Valley. Here, you will see stupas, mani walls, and lovely houses. From Bihi, the trail ascends for an hour to Ghap.
On the way, you will trek past the earthquake route and dense forests where you may see monkeys. At Ghap, you will have lunch.
Then, trek for another two hours along the bank of the Budhi Gandaki River to reach Namrung.
- Bathroom attached: No
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Charger in the room: No
Day 6: Trek to Lho Gaun (2,957 meters / 9,701 feet) 4.5 hrs
- Distance: 10 km/6.2 miles
- Elevation: 3,180 m/10,433 ft
- Duration: 4-5 hours
- Accommodation: Teahouse
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
The hike from Namrung to Lho Gaon (village) is comparatively short, so you will have a lot of time to rest and enjoy village life later in the day.
Leaving Namrung village, you will walk on a flat path for two hours. Cross multiple suspension bridges on the way and enjoy stunning views of Lamjung Himal and Nike Peak.
You will reach the Sho settlement and trek another two hours from here to reach Lho Gaon. The trail offers breathtaking views of the Himchuli Himal and Mt. Manaslu.
- Bathroom attached: No
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Charger in the room: No
*Note: Many trekkers ascend to Sama Gaon directly from Namrung. But we’ll spend a night at Lho village on the way. It will be a great help in acclimatization, and we will not get extremely tired.
Day 7: Trek from Lho Gaon to Sama Gaon (3,530 meters / 11,581 feet) via Pun Gyen Gompa (4,700 m/15,420 ft) 4 hrs
- Distance: 17 km/10.5 miles
- Elevation: 3,520 m/11,548 ft
- Duration: 6 hours
- Accommodation: Teahouse
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
From Lho, you will trek through lush forests of rhododendron, pine, and juniper to reach Shyala village. In Shyala, you will explore a beautiful monastery, mani walls, a local school, and a health post.
The views of mountains like Nadi Chuli and Himchuli are excellent from Shyala. Leaving Shyala, you will hike to Sama Gaon.
On the way, you will take a detour to Pun Gyen Gompa. It will be a 1.5-hour hike from Shyala village.
Pun Gyen Gompa is a 600/700-year-old monastery and a must-visit landmark on the Manaslu Circuit route. You will hike via Yak Kharka and glacial routes to reach this gompa.
After exploring the Pun Gyen Gompa, hike to Sama Gaon to spend the night. Sama Gaon is much more bustling than the last few villages. It is a market hub in the region.
- Bathroom attached: No
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Charger in the room: No
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Day 8:Acclimatization day- hike to Manaslu Base Camp (4,400 meters / 14,435 feet) via Birendra Lake, 6.5 hrs
- Duration: 6.5 hours
- Accommodation: Teahouse
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
We have two acclimatization days in our Manaslu Circuit trek itinerary. You will spend the first acclimatization day in Sama Gaon.
Early in the morning, you will hike to Birendra Lake. It is a beautiful lake with blue water. From Sama Gaon, you can reach Birendra Lake in one hour of hiking.
After exploring the lake, you will continue the hike to Manaslu Base Camp. It is the base camp of the eighth-tallest mountain, Mt. Manaslu.
The hike will be exciting but not easy. You have to climb around 1200 meters (4 to 5 hours) to reach the base camp of Mt. Manaslu. After the hike, return to Sama Gaon to spend the night.
*Note: We will only hike to Manaslu Base Camp if there is no ice on the route.
Day 9: Trek to Samdo (3,865 meters / 12,680 feet) 4 hrs
- Distance: 8.2 km/5 miles
- Elevation: 3,875 m/12,713 ft
- Duration: 3 hours
- Accommodation: Teahouse
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
As you ascend from Sama Gaon to Samdo, you are in a high mountain zone. The landscapes are much more rugged and barren. The mountains and glaciers are much more obvious.
There is no settlement on the way from Sama Gaon to Samdo. You will enjoy peaceful alpine meadows and a few huts here and there.
Likewise, you will also cross a suspension bridge just before the final uphill walk to Samdo. The hike will be short, so you will almost have a full day in Samdo to rest and recover.
The view of the Manaslu range from this village is incredible. Watch the daily lives of the locals and get to know them closely. Many villagers are Tibetan refugees in this village.
- Bathroom attached: No
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Charger in the room: No
Day 10:Acclimatization day- hike to the Tibetan border or Samdo Peak (5,000 meters / 16,404 feet) 7 hrs
- Accommodation: Teahouse
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
You will spend the second acclimatization day in Samdo village. There are two hiking options available. The first one is a hike near the Tibetan border.
It will be around 5 to 6 hours of hiking via the untouched corners of the Manaslu region. You can see heavenly mountain views on the way.
Crossing the border is not allowed, and doing so will lead to severe punishment from the Tibetan government.
The second option is hiking for around two hours to Samdo Peak. It is a good option for trekkers who do not want to go on a long hike.
After the hike, you have the rest of the day free in Samdo to rest.
Day 11: Trek from Samdo to Larke Phedi /Dharamsala (4,460 meters / 14,632 feet) 4 hrs
- Distance: 11.7 km/7.2 miles
- Elevation: 4,460 m/14,632 ft
- Duration: 4/5 hours
- Accommodation: Teahouse
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
On this day, you will hike to the base of Larkya La Pass. It is also a short hiking day. Larke Phedi is the last settlement before Larkya La Pass.
Technically, it is not even a settlement but rather just a resting point for trekkers before crossing Larkya La Pass. There are only three tea houses here, and trekkers have to spend the night in dormitory-style rooms.
On the way to Larke Phedi, you will cross a thrilling wooden bridge on the Budhi Gandaki River and hike for around 500 meters.
The view of Larkya Glacier is superb along the trail. Some trekkers like to go on a side hike to Khaki Danda.
- Bathroom attached: No
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Charger in the room: No
Day 12: Big day, Larkya La Pass (5,106 meters / 16,752 feet) and descend to Bimthang (3,590 meters / 11,778 feet) 10 hrs
- Distance: 24.7 km/15.3 miles
- Elevation: 5,106 m/16,752 ft
- Duration: 8/9 hours
- Accommodation: Teahouse
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Today is the most challenging day of the Manaslu Circuit trek. You will cross the Larkya La Pass on this day. After a few days of short hiking, you will have quite a long walking day today.
You will leave Larke Phedi at around 4:30 and start hiking to the top of the Larkya La Pass with a torchlight. Crossing a moraine, you will descend to a small lake.
From here, you will follow a steep, rocky, unclear trail that will cross the south, steep grassy slope. You will walk to the edge of the moraine and descend from here to four frozen lakes.
The views are heavenly. From here, the trail steeply ascends to the top of the Larkya La Pass.
The top of the pass offers stunning sunrises and outstanding views of mountains like Annapurna II, Himlung Himal, Kang Guru, Manaslu, etc. Enjoy the views and descend from the pass and cross a moraine.
You will then follow a downhill route via a grassy moraine to a small meadow. As you hike further down, the valley starts to widen and leads you to Bimthang.
- Bathroom attached: No
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Charger in the room: No
Day 13: Trek from Bimthang to Dharapani (1,910 m/6,266 ft) and drive to Besisahar
- Trek distance: 16 km/10 miles
- Drive distance: 35 km/22 miles
- Elevation: 760 m/2,493 ft
- Duration: 7-8 hours
- Accommodation: Hotel
- Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Today is the last day of the trek. Leaving Bimthang, you will walk downhill through lush forests of rhododendrons. In a couple of hours of descending, you will reach Karche.
You may have lunch here and continue descending to Dharapanu. The trail goes through small villages such as Goa and Tilje and lush forests, crossing a few bridges and terraced fields on the way.
At Dharapani, you will take a local jeep and drive to Besisahar. The ride will be bumpy but scenic. You will drive through small villages and uneven hillsides.
- Bathroom attached: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Charger in the room: Yes
Day 14: Drive to Kathmandu by bus (1,350 meters / 4,429 feet), 10 hrs
- Distance: 175 km/109 miles
- Elevation: 1,324 m/4,344 ft
- Duration: 7-8 hours
- Accommodation: 3 Star Hotel
- Meals: Breakfast only
On this day, you will return to Kathmandu. Leave Besisahar early in the morning. The first, around two hours of driving, will be a little bit bumpy.
After Dumre, you will enjoy a comfortable ride to Kathmandu. The highway follows lush rolling hills alongside a river and terraced fields. Upon reaching Kathmandu, the guide will drop you at the hotel.
The rest of the day is free in the city. Unpack, explore, and buy souvenirs. We may meet you later in the evening to give you the trek certificate.
Day 15: Departure from Nepal
On this final day, one of our representatives will escort you to the International Airport in a private car/jeep as per your scheduled time.
- Include: Breakfast | Private car for airport drop off
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