Manaslu Circuit Trek

As you fly into Kathmandu, you’ll have beautiful views over the valley, the Himalaya, and of the terraced fields below. After going through customs, a representative will be waiting to guide you through the initial culture shock of Kathmandu’s narrow, winding streets and get you settled into your hotel. Once you’ve settled in, head out and visit one of Kathmandu’s cultural sites. In the evening, the tourist hub at Thamel is a good place to grab your first meal, with a variety of restaurants to chose from.

Kathmandu has a special atmosphere during the early morning hours when the city is slowly coming to life yet not chaotic. It’s a great time to walk and explore the streets or have a tea overlooking one of the local courtyards or durbar squares. There are a ways to spend a day with incredible sights around the Kathmandu Valley. Later in the evening, head out for dinner at one of the city’s great eateries.

After breakfast, you’ll drive west along the Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway towards the village of SotiKhola, turning off toward the hilltop of Dhading. The drive passes through rural communities, small towns, green terraces, and lush hillsides. The road will eventually become a rutted, dirt path, and you’ll start to see views of the southern slopes of Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and Langtang Himal.

Transport: Private 4*4 Jeep

Driving Time:  8-10 hours (141 KM)

Accommodation: Teahouse

After breakfast in SotiKhola, you’ll begin this epic trek up and down through various landscapes including forests, rice paddies, a cliff-face ridge, a rushing river, and several beautiful waterfalls. The journey begins by crossing a bridge, before you trek through a forest, then climb onto a ridge above the wild rapids of BudhiGandakiRiver that originates from Tibetan Highlands.

You’ll then go past rocky trail, past two tropical waterfalls on a steep, rocky trail clinging to the side of a cliff. You’ll eventually descend past a few rice paddies, then continue up and around to the picturesque Gurung village of Labubesi.

From here, you’ll further climb near a rocky outcrop where the valley opens up next to the river, which flows more peacefully here. Dropping down to the river shore, you’ll walk along rounded stones before climbing over a side ridge. Head down again to the river and cross another suspension bridge to reach the village of MachhaKhola.

Trekking Time: 6-7hours

Trekking distance: 14km

Accommodation: Teahouse

You’ll start the day’s hike after breakfast in Machha Khola, which follows the gorge and continues up the river. The trail begins narrow and gently ascends and descends before crossing the Tharo Khola and leading to Khorlabesi. You’ll reach Tatopani’s little hot spring after further climbing and descending; it’s a great spot for a stop!

After ascending a further slope from here, you will cross the Budhi Gandaki on a suspension bridge. After that, you will ascend a stairway and cross a ridge to reach Dobhan. You must climb a stone staircase, descend to the river, and then climb more stone stairs to reach Tharo Bharyang after crossing a second suspension bridge over the Yaru Khola. Look out for elegant Gurung villages in the bush high above, as well as the roaming Langur monkeys.

You will climb over a ridge, hike down the river, and then descend towards the settlement of Jagat after crossing the west bank of the Budhi Gandaki.

Trekking time: 6-7 hours
Trekking distance: 13.7 miles (22 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

Following breakfast in the village of Jagat, you’ll travel to your destination across a variety of landscapes, deep subtropical woods, little rivers, and quaint villages.

After starting the hike by ascending a rough slope to Salleri, descend to Sirdibas. As the trail proceeds to the Ghatta Khola river, the valley slightly widens. You’ll keep moving upstream until you reach Philim, a sizable Gurung village, with a lengthy suspension bridge. The trail continues on a rather level path as it crosses millet fields to reach Ekle Bhatti from here, turning north immediately before the lowest dwelling in the settlement.

The path now descends into an uninhabited, steep gorge where you will cross the Budhi Gandaki river before descending to the grassy hills. After walking along the west bank for a bit, turn around and walk down the east bank before making your way back to the west side. You will pass through bamboo trees on your way to the Deng Khola river as the trail widens along the valley. You’ll arrive at the tiny settlement of Deng after crossing.

Trekking time: 6-7 hours
Trekking distance: 12.3 miles (19.9 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

You’ll begin one of the most significant and culturally significant portions of the walk after breakfast in Deng. To begin, cross the Budhi Gandaki river and climb the bridge. From there, continue climbing to connect a trail that comes from Bhi. Then turn west and ascend the valley, passing through verdant forests, alpine plants, charming settlements home to Manaslu region ethnic groups, and tall peaks beginning to emerge in the distance.

You will follow the track via Prok even though there is an alternate path. The Siringi Himal, which is covered in snow, can be seen beautifully from this village. Take a break here and go to cross the Budi Gandaki once more and encounter more gompas on your path. The route then ascends the river through a thick forest and arrives at a small gorge. Continue until you see a change in how dense the forest is. This enjoyable section of the trek is a wonderful way to discover the Manaslu Conservation Area. One final hard ascent will eventually get you to Namrung village.

Trekking time: 6-7 hours
Trekking distance: 12.1 miles (19.5 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

You can stroll around Namrung after breakfast to get a good view of Siring, Ganesh Himal, and Mount Himal Chuli to the south. To get to Lihi, a lovely town with numerous stupas and barley terraces, you must first ascend steadily and travel through woodlands. The route then descends and traverses Simnang Himal’s side valley, always keeping Ganesh Himal in sight.

Before arriving at Sama Village, you must first pass via the villages of Sho, Lho, and Shyala. From Lho, you can tour the renowned Ribung Gompa in addition to taking in the breathtaking Manaslu vistas. High mountains like Himal Chuli and Peak 29 (Ngadi Chuli), to the left, Manaslu, and sizable glaciers, to the right, surround Shyala hamlet. To the right, there are further snow-capped mountains, and Ganesh Himal is located at the extreme end. Your journey today comes to a conclusion in Samagaon, where you will spend the night.

Trekking time: 6-7 hours
Trekking distance: 10.9 miles (17.7 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

Sleep in and unwind today—it’s an acclimatization day. After a revitalizing breakfast, spend the day relaxing at Samagaon.

There is an extra day hike that exposes some fascinating Sherpa culture for those who wish to go exploring. Thousands of mani stones bearing Buddhist teachings are on display, along with images of Sherpa women wearing traditional attire and decorations. Pungyen Gompa, an ancient gompa with stunning views of the glacier, is located on a small hill not far from the Sama Village.

You will descend to the Budhi Gandaki River after breakfast in Samagaon and follow it to a bridge over a side stream. As the valley widens, you will pass by a number of mani walls. This route brings you near to the Tibetan border and offers stunning mountain vistas.

This is a short hike through juniper and birch woodlands in Kermo Kharka, on a ledge above the river. Ascend steeply onto a point between two forks of the Budhi Gandaki after descending and using a wooden bridge to cross the river. When you reach a stone archway, keep going until you reach Samdo village.

Trekking time: 4 hours
Trekking distance: 10.1 miles (16.4 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

Another day has been set aside to ensure proper acclimatization: today. After breakfast, you have a choice between relaxing in Samdo or going on one of two hikes:

Option 1
To reach one of the trade crossings leading to Tibet, follow a simple track that ascends the valley right behind Samdo. Along with other Himalayan ranges including Simrang, Hiunchuli, Ngadi, Larkye Peak, Cheo, and maybe Kang Guru behind the pass, this path offers spectacular views of Manaslu. On the way to these sites, you’ll pass a lot of temporary herding communities called doksas and witness some stunning mountain birds flying above, like the Lophophorus (Nepal’s national bird), Lammergeyer, and Himalayan Griffin.

Option 2
The walk north of Samdo to the Gya La (big pass), a more popular trade route to Tibet, is more difficult. It is not advisable for individuals looking for a short break to take this longer full-day trip.

After eating breakfast in Samdo, you will pass the Larke Bazaar, a temporary Tibetan bazaar, and then you will descend to the Budi Gandaki River. As you ascend uphill while spanning two streams and seeing the Larkya Glacier, cross the wooden bridge. You will travel around the Salka Khola Valley and then dascend once more to reach Dharamsala, also known as Larke Phedi. You’ll pass by a lot of traditional monasteries along the way.

Due to today’s shorter hike, there will be time for midday relaxation and acclimatization.

Trekking time: 4-5 hours
Trekking distance: 7.2 miles (11.7 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

Eat a filling breakfast in Dharamsala since you’ll be embarking on a longer hike today. Despite the trail’s greater difficulty, you’ll pass through a number of rural settlements, crystal-clear glacial lakes, stunning valleys, a vast variety of flora and animals, as well as several remarkable snow-capped summits.

You can get fantastic views of Cho Danda and Larkya Peak from a valley on the north side of the Larkya Glacier after a short climb there. You’ll traverse the glacier’s moraines as you make a gentle rise that gets steeper in the final stretch of the pass. Outstanding views of Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, and the enormous Annapurna II can be had from this location. The journey will come to an end with a delightful trek across low fields in the early evening while Mount Manaslu looms in the background.

Trekking time: 7-9 hours
Trekking distance: 15.3 miles (24.7 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

Visit a nearby ridge for fantastic views of Manaslu, Lamjung Himal, Himlung Himal, and Cheo Himal after breakfast in Bimthang. As you continue to descend the trail, you will pass a high grassland and a bridge across the Dudh Khola River.

From here, proceed through a rhododendron forest and along a narrow valley trail until you arrive at Karche, the highest point of cultivation in the valley. Follow a path through verdant fields before ascending a ridge at a severe angle. A wide, sweeping arc leads from the ridge to the river bank where the trail departs. The village of Gho lies nearby, where some hikers decide to spend the night, but you must keep going until you reach Tilije.

Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Trekking distance: 10 miles (16 km)
Accommodation: Teahouse

Today is the journey’s last day. We will go from Tilije to Dharapani, passing through picturesque towns and climbing to the Mani walls. Dharapani also serves as the starting point for the popular Annapurna Circuit Trek. We’ll travel a shared jeep from Dharapani to Beshisahar, where we’ll change to another vehicle to take us to Kathmandu. After your return journey, transfer to your lodging in Kathmandu.

It’s time to leave Nepal. Enjoy one more breakfast in a café, a stroll through the city, and/or some souvenir shopping to cap off your time in Kathmandu. When you arrive at your hotel, a representative will pick you up and take you to the airport in time for your flight home. It is advisable to arrive at the airport two hours before departure.