Manaslu Circuit Trek

Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu and Hotel check-in

Alighting in Nepal is exactly when our journey together commences. Your flight will land at the Tribhuvan International Airport, where our representative will be standing by to greet and receive you, and then head towards the hotel.

Day 02: Explore the capital and trek preparation

Not just the Himalayas, but the cities in Nepal are also worth exploring. Nepal is famous for its rich culture and unique traditions. This richness is portrayed to some extent by our must-visit places in the capital itself, holding great history within itself.

In light of that fact, we have planned some capital exploration on the second day. On top of that, the places we have planned to visit today are also the ones listed by UNESCO under the World Heritage Sites.

The day starts with a quick tour of the Hindu temple, Pashupatinath. We go around the temple area to the Aryaghat area. Aryaghat area is one of the famous funeral sites in Kathmandu, which lies on the backside of the Pashupatinath Temple. There is a heightened area to sit and witness the rituals done while alive and after death by Hindus in Pashupatinath.

Observing and soaking in the chaos of people around the temple, while some are there to say goodbye to their loved ones’ bodies, others are there to worship God; the view overall makes you realize how short a person’s life is and how beliefs play a huge role in this short life.

Followed by Pashupatinath, we visit the Boudhanath temple. Boudhanath temple is a Buddhist stupa known for its peacefulness and positivity and is a must-visit place while in Kathmandu. After enjoying Boudhanath’s offerings, we head towards another stupa named Swayambhu, which is also famous as the monkey temple.

The word ‘Swayambhu’ means ‘self-occurring.’ There is a belief that the temple was built up from a river by a Bodhisattva, and the abundant number of monkeys were the Bodhisattva’s lice. The temple has quite fascinating mythology and holds a great history within itself.

After exploring the capital after a long day, we get back to Thamel for trek preparation. Thamel is the central tourist area of Kathmandu and provides you with every possible thing you might need for the trek.

Day 03: Drive from Kathmandu to Soti Khola

Road Duration: 6 to 7 hours

After preparing for the Manaslu Circuit Trek, we leave the capital this day. Following the infamous Prithvi Highway, we head towards Dhading. The road from Kathmandu to Dhading is quite good without bumps, and the occasional views of the Trishuli river make the journey more exciting.

But from Dhading, we follow a bumpy road to Arughat. Lying just beside the Budhi Gandaki River, this town gives you a hint of how the life of people in rural areas of Nepal functions. Our final destination for the day, i.e., Soti Khola, is 2 hours’ drive away from Arughat.

Even though the roads are rough, nature’s view throughout the way compensates for the possible inconvenience. The picture we catch on our way there and the excitement one feels throughout the way is just a trailer of the live magical experience that the Himalayas offers us during our entire journey.

As we reach our destination Soti Khola for the night, this marks the end of the driving part of our journey for the time being.

Day 4: Trekking from Soti Khola to Machha Khola

Trek Duration: 6-7 hours
Starting Point Altitude: 730 m
Highest Altitude: 890 m

For us, the fourth day signifies the beginning of our Manaslu Circuit Trek. Waking up to a magnificent view of the Himalayas and the lush greenery, we have a long walking day ahead of us. Following a bridge crossing in Soti Khola, we continue through the Sal woods, ascending onto a hill above the Budhi Gandaki River to reach Liding (750m). We arrive at Khursane after passing through the picturesque village of Liding on a rough trail.

Nature presents us with a surprising teaser of the northeast view of the Ganesh Himal, keeping us motivated. We pass over a few rice terraces before arriving at Lapubesi, a tiny Gurung settlement. The Budhi Gandaki River’s dry banks guide us to the Nauli Khola, the next stop on our tour.
Following by crossing a suspension bridge from Nauli Khola, we arrive at our final destination for the day; Machha Khola.

Day 5: Trekking to Jagat from Machha Khola

Trek Duration: 5-6 hours
Starting Point Altitude: 890 m
Highest Altitude: 1,340 m

As we hike past gorgeous hills, cross bridges, and stroll along winding roads, the Manaslu Trek gets off to a fantastic start on the fifth day.

Our main route includes its ups and downs, which may be somewhat demanding. The route leads us through the woods, Tharo Khola, and Khorlabeshi, a tiny Gurung settlement.

After a nice walk, we proceed to Tatopani, a hot spring. Here, trekkers usually enjoy the hot water and take quick hot showers to calm the sore body. After that, we will climb another ridge, pass across a suspension bridge and make our way through the stone staircases to Jagat. Entering Jagat marks entering the restricted region, for which our permits will be checked.

Day 6: Trek from Jagat to Deng

Trek Duration: 6 hours
Starting Point Altitude: 1,340m
Highest Altitude: 1,860 m

The trail rises a rugged ridge with views of Sringi Himal after leaving from Jagat in the morning. We walk through Salleri, the fields of rice, and down to Sirdibas. The village welcomes us with numerous gompas and vibrant prayer flags. Further, we head towards Phillim, where our permits will be examined, and we will then proceed down the river’s western side.

The journey is fascinating, with remarkably amazing artwork carved into stones beside the river. We’ll go through vivid rhododendron and Himalayan pine woodlands after leaving the riverbed. Every detail along the way makes the journey more enjoyable. The route takes us to Deng, a little settlement that will be our target for the day.

Day 7: Trek from Deng to Namrung

Trek Duration: 6 hours
Starting Point Altitude: 1,860m
Highest Altitude: 2,660 m

Followed by a quick breakfast, we initially leave Deng to get to Rana and Bihi Phedi. We will have to traverse another suspension bridge to get there. The path then passes through multiple landslide regions on its way to Ghap. We must be particularly cautious as we walk through this region. After roughly an hour on the difficult route, we reach Namrung’s charming settlement.

Day 8: Trek from Namrung to Samagaun

Trek Duration: 6-7 hours
Starting Point Altitude: 2,660 m
Highest Altitude: 3,530 m

The eighth day holds quite an exploration of flora fauna and even the lifestyle of people living there. We witness a transition of culture and lifestyle of people in higher altitudes to Tibetan-influenced way of life. The day begins with an exploration of people’s lifestyles there. We will travel through multiple mani stones, beautiful fields, and cottages, into the pine, rhododendron, and oak forests, before ascending to Lihi and then to Sho.

Lho is reached after a good trek from Sho through rocky paths. Lho’s height allows us to see Mount Manaslu and Manaslu north from a much closer and more precise angle. The view accompanies us on our way to Sama Gaun.

Day 9: Trek from Samagaun to Samdo

Trek Duration: 3-4 hours
Starting Point Altitude: 3,530 m
Highest Altitude: 3,875 m

This fresh new day takes us to Samdo, a newer settlement. Due to the rise in elevation, we have scheduled a somewhat walk for this day to prevent any potential altitude sickness issues.

The untouched nature’s offerings make the Manaslu Circuit Trek a lot more fascinating, compensating for the efforts to get up to that point. We’ll wind our way past fields and up into the valley. We’ll be walking through pine and oak forests, admiring nature’s glories.

We will go through the forest area and ascend to a ridge crossing the Budhi Gandaki’s wooden bridge, leading up to White Kani. White Kani is a nearby Samdo village where yak-herding is practiced. We will arrive in Samdo and will stay the night there.

Day 10: Acclimatization Day in Samdo

For the acclimatization day in Samdo, we have two options.

The first alternative is to hike our way up the valley. This hike takes us to one of Tibet’s trade networks. This hike offers us magical views of Mt. Manaslu as well as other Himalayan ranges, including Simrang, Hiunchuli, Ngadi, Larkye Peak, Cheo, and likewise. This hike can be expected to explore rich flora and fauna in that region.

The second alternative to spend the day would be trekking to the Gya La pass. Since the pass lies at an elevation of 5,300m, we do not recommend this alternative on an acclimatization day.

Day 11: Trek from Samdo to Dharamsala

Trek Duration: 3-4 hours
Starting Point Altitude: 3,875 m
Highest Altitude: 4,480 m

Another exciting day at a high altitude awaits us. We have a quite walk planned for us today to comfort our bodies to the higher altitudes we reach each day. We will trek gently over the difficult terrains of the Manaslu area, taking in the spectacular vistas of the Himalayan range.

Our ending for the day will be the Dharamsala. Dharamsala is a stone guest house, not a lodge.

Day 12: Trek from Dharamsala to Bhimtang via Larkya La pass

Trek Duration: 7-8 hours
Starting Point Altitude: 4,480 m
Highest Altitude: 5,160 m

Since we have the trek’s highest point as a stop destination for the 12th day, this is the most memorable day of the Manasu Circuit trek. We will walk to Larkya La Pass on this day (5160m). We depart early to prevent severe weather and to return to Bhimtang before the end of the day, so we’ll be crossing the pass before midday. This day’s trip may be the most difficult, but cautious walking and persistence will get you there.

The breathtaking vistas we will see from the pass will make this entire process much more worthwhile. Views of Himlung (7126m) in Tibet, Kang Guru (6981m), and Annapurna II (7937m) in the Annapurna Range await us.
After soaking the magical aura of the Himalayas, we descend for around 3 hours to reach Bhimtang for the night.

Day 13: Trek from Bhimtang to Tilje

Trek Duration: 5-6 hours
Starting Point Altitude: 3,720m
Highest Altitude: 3,720m

The morning at Bhimtang provides us with spectacular views of Mount Manaslu, Mount Lamjung, and the Himalayan range. We arrive at the Dudh Khola river after riding past farms and bridging the river on a wooden walkway. We then proceed through vivid rhododendron and pine trees before arriving at a ridge covered with colorful prayer flags. We descend to the riverbed at Gho, where the route winds past rice fields, rhododendron, and oak woods, before arriving at our day’s goal. We reach Tilje by dawn for the night.

Day 14: Trek from Tilje to Tal

Trek Duration: 3-4 hours
Starting Point Altitude: 2,300 m
Highest Altitude: 2,300 m

From Tilje, the trail crosses the Dudh Khola River and follows its banks until it reaches Dharapani, where it descends through woodlands. The trail now follows the Annapurna Circuit backward, passing via the Marsyangdi River and the village of Karte. The destination for the day, i.e., Tal, is reached after a short rocky stairway.

Day 15: Trek from Tal to Syange

Trek Duration: 3-4 hours
Starting Point Altitude: 1,700 m
Highest Altitude: 1,700 m

On day 15, the path descends gradually throughout the valley, passing the Marsyangdi River once again before arriving in Chamje. After that, we follow a rough trail through the jungle to reach Jagat. Then we cross through a stone pillar and drop about 150 meters to Syange (1080 meters), where the hiking portion of our expedition comes to an end.

Day 16: Drive from Syange to Kathmandu

On this day, we bid our goodbyes to the Himalayas and commence our way back to the capital. After 6-7 hours of drive, we reach Kathmandu. We get ourselves some time to freshen up and walk around Thamel.
Our team will organize a farewell dinner for you on your last night in Nepal, celebrating a successful journey together.

Day 17: Final Departure

Our agent will drive you to the Tribhuvan International Airport in readiness for your return trip.