Safety First: costs for rescue services are covered.
Manaslu Circuit Trek
Duration: 13 days
Trails: T3 trails
Distance: 15 - 20 km / 9 - 12 mi per day
Ascent per day: 500 - 1000 m / 1640 - 3281 ft ascent per day
> Views of the eight thousand meter peak Mount Manaslu
> Crossing the Larkya La (5,106m)
> Experience Tibetan culture
Join us on this great alternative to the Annapurna circuit and escape the masses on this less touristic trek. The Manaslu Circuit offers stunning views on snow-plastered mountains, high altitude glacier lakes and a fascinating flora and fauna along this route.
The circuit passes many cultural heritages including traditional Tamang and Sherpa settlements, which gives you the chance of experiencing the unique mountain culture. With a height of 8,163m Mount Manaslu is the highest peak in this area and also the eight highest in the world. In other words, a perfect challenge for every adventurer out there.
The Manaslu Circuit is one of the best treks known for its solidarity and preservation. This restricted region sees very few visitors so that the trails are less trodden. This makes your journey a peaceful, natural and beautiful experience perfect for those seeking a getaway from their everyday busy lives. The route is not just the raw natural beauty: the traditional Tamang and Sherpa settlements with their unique cultures are another highlight of the trip. The entire route is adorned with perfect views of the snow-clad mountains, unique combination of rich cultural heritage, endless vistas and the most beautiful flora and fauna. The standard circuit trek begins at Arughat and ends at Besishar and requires a trekking permit to travel all the way through the Manaslu area. We provide this permit.
The duration of our Manaslu Circuit Trek is 13 days. It is considered to be a moderate level trek with cultural, historical and natural highlights and a maximum elevation of 5106m. The best time to visit the region is from March to May, in Spring, and September to November during the autumn.
Itinerary
Day
1
Drive from Kathmandu to Machha Khola
On the first day of your 12-day Manaslu Trek, you depart from Kathmandu after breakfast, heading towards Machha Khola. Along the Prithivi Highway, with the Marysyangdi and Trishuli Rivers on your side, enjoy scenic views of valleys, hills, and distant mountains. After reaching Dhading Besi, the route becomes a bit rough as you follow rocky trails along the northwest side of the Budhi Gandaki River. Continuing, you'll pass Soti Khola, the starting point for Manaslu trekking adventures. After traversing a number of Gurung and Magar settlements, you'll reach Machha Khola where you spend the night.
Machha Khola
Day
2
Trek to Jagat
Duration: 07:45 h
Distance: 17 km / 10.6 mi
Ascent: 730 m / 2395 ft
Descent: 250 m / 820 ft
The next day, from Machhakhola we follow a narrow trail that takes us to Tharo Khola and finally to Khorlabesi. After a few ascents and descents, we reach a popular hot-spring, Tatopani. We will spend some time here and can enjoy the natural sauna in the hot -spring and relieve all our tiredness and stress of the trek. We climb another ridge and cross the Budhi Gandaki via another suspension bridge. After this, we climb a staircase and then cross a landslide and a ridge to reach Doban. After crossing yet another suspension bridge, we again climb stone staircase then go down to the river and climb some steps again to reach Thado Bharyang. Then we cross the west bank of Budhi Gandaki, climb over a ridge, walk along the river to reach the village of Jagat where we spend the night.
Jagat
Day
3
Trek to Deng
Duration: 08:30 h
Distance: 18.4 km / 11.4 mi
Ascent: 910 m / 2986 ft
Descent: 370 m / 1214 ft
Today we will reach Salleri after climbing a rocky ridge and then we continue our way towards Sirdibas. We trek onwards to Ghatta Khola and then walk upstream through a long suspension bridge to reach a Gurung village in Phillim. From the lower points of the village, the trail turns north and through leveled trails amidst maize fields, we reach Ekle Bhatti, where you will have lunch. We then continue our trip from a steep gorge and then descend through grassy slopes to cross the Budhi Gandaki and then cross bridges from west to east bank and back again. As the trail widens, we pass through bamboo forests to reach the Deng Khola. After crossing the river, we reach the tiny Deng village where we shall spend the night.
Deng
Day
4
Trek to Namrung
Duration: 08:45 h
Distance: 16.8 km / 10.4 mi
Ascent: 1210 m / 3970 ft
Descent: 440 m / 1444 ft
We take a short hike from Deng and then we cross the Budhi Gandaki and climb to reach Rana. From here we climb for a while and then head west to Budhi Gandaki valley. The trail passes through forests and painted Mani stones and a corner from where we reach Ghap. Then we take the trail through Prok village which allows us to witness the beautiful view of Siring Himal. We follow the river, crossing it at many places and pass through dense forests and Gompas along the way. After crossing the river at a gorge, the trail becomes leveled and after a last steep climb, we reach Namrung where we stay for the night. Namrung is the best viewpoint for Siring and Ganesh Himal as well as Mt. Himal Chuli.
Namrung
Day
5
Trek to Lho
Duration: 04:45 h
Distance: 9.63 km / 6 mi
Ascent: 640 m / 2100 ft
Descent: 100 m / 328 ft
From Namrung we make a steep climb and passing through forests we reach Lihi, a village well known for its chortens and barley terraces. After crossing the side valley of Simnang, we pass through Sho and then reach Lho where we spend the night. In the late afternoon, after arrival, we can visit the monastery.
Lho
Day
6
Trek to Sama Gaon
Duration: 04:00 h
Distance: 7.8 km / 4.8 mi
Ascent: 480 m / 1575 ft
Descent: 120 m / 394 ft
After crossing the Shyala village, we reach Sama village where one gets to witness the amazing views of Mount Manaslu and explore the famous Ribung Gompa. The breathtaking view of the high mountains along with glaciers is the highlight of today. We stay in Sama Gaon for the night.
Sama Gaon
Day
7
Acclimatization at Sama Gaon
We will rest at Sama Gaon for acclimatization reasons and give our weary limbs some respite from the intense days on the trails. This also allows us to rest our lungs so that our respiratory systems will adapt to the constant change in elevation. Surrounded by mountains in a peaceful forest, we take a breather to acclimatize and relax. We can hike to Manaslu Base Camp for excellent views of Samdo, Nagdi chuli, Simnang Himal, Manaslu glacier and Manaslu ice fall.
Sama Gaon
Day
8
Trek to Samdo
Duration: 03:20 h
Distance: 7.63 km / 4.7 mi
Ascent: 330 m / 1083 ft
After having enjoyed breakfast in our lovely surroundings, we trek gently uphill all the way to Samdo through a desert path and windy valley. The Tibetan border is just four kilometers away from Samdo. Visitors are not allowed to cross it. There is a Tibetan refugee village at Samdo. This is an excellent viewpoint for Mount Manaslu, Samdo (Pang phuchuli), Nagdi chuli, Simnang Himal, Manaslu glacier, Manaslu ice fall and several other awesome peaks.
Samdo
Day
9
Trek to Dharamasala
Duration: 03:20 h
Distance: 6.15 km / 3.8 mi
Ascent: 590 m / 1936 ft
We start our day trip crossing a wooden bridge over Budhi Gandaki River and begin ascending. After crossing a few streams and seeing a glimpse of the Larkya glacier, we go round a valley and make our way upwards again to reach a guesthouse called Dharmashala. Today’s trek provides enough time and rest to acclimatize for the rest of our journey.
Dharamasala
Day
10
Cross Larkya Pass (5106m) and trek to Bhimtang
Duration: 09:00 h
Distance: 15.6 km / 9.7 mi
Ascent: 680 m / 2231 ft
Descent: 1440 m / 4724 ft
Today we make a short climb and reach a valley on the north side of Larkya glacier from where we can enjoy exquisite views of Larkya peak. We ascend the moraines of a glacier which becomes quite steep at the end before reaching the pass. From here we have breathtaking views of Himlung, Cheo, Kanggru and the Annapurna. It is a longer walk than other days and you reach the guesthouse among the low pastures at the dim lights of dusk. When we finally reach Bhimtang, the exquisite view of Mount Manaslu makes every step worth it.
Bimthang
Day
11
Trek Bhimtang to Tilche
Duration: 08:00 h
Distance: 18 km / 11.2 mi
Ascent: 60 m / 197 ft
Descent: 1820 m / 5971 ft
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 hike takes us to Tilche with better accommodation options. Here we will spend the night.
Tilije
Day
12
Trek to Dharapani and drive to Besishar
Duration: 02:00 h
Distance: 5 km / 3.1 mi
Ascent: 40 m / 131 ft
Descent: 410 m / 1345 ft
We make our way over a stone paved path passing through a beautiful village. We then cross a bridge over Dudh Khola, move past an arch and Mani walls to get to the Thonje village. After going through a police checkpoint we make our way towards Dharapani from where we enter the Annapurna Circuit section. From Dharapani we take a 4×4 or bus from to Besishar. This drive will take about 5 hours. We spend the last night of the trek at Besishar.
Besishar
Day
13
Drive Besishar – Kathmandu
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 hills and mountains. After a few hours we will be back in the beautiful capital.
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Jan Bakker
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