Manaslu Circuit Trek - 16 Days

Our airport team welcomes you at Tribhuvan International Airport on your arrival day. You will have a hassle-free transfer to hotel from airport. The remaining day is free for rest and enjoy your bustling surroundings.

It is a day for Sightseeing in Kathmandu Valley and trek preparation with making permit etc. We will arrange a professional tour guide for you and a private tourist vehicle with a driver to explore between monuments. The tour guide will take you to UNESCO World Heritage Sites such Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath and Boudhanath Stupa, the historical and cultural sites you’ll visit today.

After completion of your day tour, you will be having meeting with your trek guide at our office/hotel. He will brief you about the Trek and all the essentials. The Thamel has many trekking gear shops, where you can buy missing gear in the late evening and get ready for the mountains.

Early morning after breakfast drive from Kathmandu to Machha Khola (870m.) takes about eight/nine hours. You drive along the Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway for the first part of the day; after Malekhu you turn towards the hill bazaar of Dhading Bensi. After Dhading bensi the road is still good up to Salyantar but quite narrow. After Salyantar the road is bumpy and dusty but the beautiful scenery and villages will make your day memerable. You will reach your destination Machha Khola late in the afternoon. There is a small market with a few shops, lodges and donkeys that are kept there. Stay your first night in mountain in Machha Khola.

You cross the Machha Khola [Fish Stream] and head upstream to the tiny village of Khorla Bensi and the hot springs at Tatopani. The valley sides are steep until they are impassable and the route then switches to the left bank by way of a suspension bridge. The trail is quite exposed and challenging in places. After a short section of forest path you reach the single teahouse at Doban. Above Doban, the Budi Gandaki descends on an impressive series of rapids. Beyond this steep section, the river is much more placid, meandering across a broad gravel bed. At Lauri, you cross the river on a suspension bridge, and then climb on a high path to the fields of Jagat, where you stop for another night at mountain.

The early part of trek moves gently uphill and then somewhere through a flat leveled path. You cross a suspension bridge over Budhi Gandaki before you enter Philim where we will have lunch. Philim is a big village mainly inhabited by the Gurungs. Small monasteries, chortens and prayer flags fluttering in the sky, graves and typical houses will be seen around here. From Philim you trek over a flat leveled path mostly through forest of pine, rhododendron and others. While walking, you cross a few bridges and can see villages at a far distance. A few houses are seen at Deng. From here, you can enjoy a pretty waterfall lying at some distance. Deng is famous for its potatoes, buck wheat, barley, wheat, cabbage, spinach as people are mostly involved in agriculture in this area. Stay overnight at Tea House in Deng.

Trek from Deng to Namrung takes about five hours. In the beginning, you trek almost a flat leveled path and then the trail moves uphill all the way to Namrung through forest. From here, you can enjoy the spectacular views of Mt. Manaslu, rock hills, a green valley and ridges. Namrung is a Buddhist village where there are monasteries, a water turbine, hydro electricity power house, mani walls, chortens and prayer flags can be seen fluttering in the sky. The typical houses remind you of Tibetan architecture. Stay overnight in Namrung.

After early breakfast we start our trek from Namrung to Shyala, we pass through beautiful forests and pass the villages of Lihi, Sho, and Lho. Today we well stop at Lho for lunch from where we can see amazing view of Mt. Manaslu and Budhism school of monastry. As we climb higher we get to see beautiful mountain views as we pass Lho, the amazing views of Manaslu and nearby peaks are shown. Shyala is a quiet village surrounded by beautiful peaks, making it a perfect place to rest and acclimatize before heading to Samagaun.

Today, first hour of the day is to hike up to Pung Gyen Gompa from Shyala, where we can see beautiful views of Manaslu and the glacier. After exploring the peaceful monastery and enjoying the panoramic scenery, you hike back down to Shyala and rejoin the main trail to Samagaun. Leaving the village, you follow the right bank of the river, with views of Peak 29 ahead. As you continue on the main trail, you soon reach the fields of Sama Gaun. You stop at Sama Gaun, 20 minutes beyond the village, or Samdo, near the Tibetan border. Stay overnight at Tea House in Samagaun.

This is a day for rest at Samagaun to give you some acclimatization before crossing the Larke Pass. Surrounded by mountains in a peaceful forest, you take a breather to acclimatize and relax. You can even hike to Birendra Lake (Kunda) which is an ice lake nearby the Manaslu Base Camp. Stay anothr night at Samagaun.

You 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. But visitors are not allowed to pass the border. There is a Tibetan refugee village at Samdo. This is an excellent view point for Mt.Manaslu, Samdo (Pang phuchuli), Nagdi chuli, Simnang Himal, Manaslu glacier, Manaslu ice fall and several other majestic peaks. Stay overnight at Tea House in Samdo.

The trail is rocky and zigzags all the way to your destination. Before you reach Larke La Phedi, there is a market called Larkya Bazaar (market) where seasonal fairs are held for the local folks. People bring goods from Tibet to sell it here. You will also find a Dharamsala at Larke La Phedi. Stay overnight at Tea House in Larkya La Phedi (Dharmasala).

Early in the morning you begin to trek a steep ascent path until Larke La through a rocky and windy path. Today you carry packed lunch. From the top, you can enjoy the views of Larke peak, sunrise, Mt.Manaslu, Ratna Chuli, Cheo Himal and many other snow capped mountains and peaks. Crossing this pass, you hike to a steep downhill path through rock and ice. On the way, you will encounter many icy lakes. Bhimtang is a broad and level ablation valley with a number of Mani walls and deserted houses. Stay overnight at Tea House in Bhimtang.

Trek from Bhimtang to Goa (2515m.) takes about four hours. Crossing this high pasture, you descend the valley of the Burdin Khola to the area of the Base Camp for the West side of Manaslu. From a ridge at 4150 meters, you have excellent views of Manaslu to the South East and Annapurna II to the South West. Beyond a bridge over the headwaters of the Dudh Khola, you descend into a rhododendron forest and follow a trail through a narrow valley until you reach the highest cultivated land in this valley at Karche, 2785 meters. Walking down you cross a stream to reach Goa. There is an apple orchard and it is quite famous for local wine.

This is your last trek from Goa to Dharapani, we cross through the downhill passing small villages, forests, and terraced fields along the way to reach Dharapani. Once we reach Dharapani, you end the trekking section of the Manaslu Circuit and take a shared jeep to Besihahar. Besisahar is the main town where trekkers finish the trail and can arrange transport back to Kathmandu or Pokhara.

Bus drive from Besisahar to Kathmandu takes about seven hours. You can also travel to Pokhara or Chitwan National park from there. It is a picturesque drive on the way back to Kathmandu along the banks of the Marshyangdi and Trishuli rivers with splendid views of green hills, mountains, farming terraces and colorful villages on both sides of road. Stay overnight at hotel in Kathmandu. In the evening we will be organizing farewell Dinner with team of Higher Limits Trek at Nepali kitchen with cultural programs.

As we have successfully completed the trip, it is time to return home or embark on your next journey. Even you can join our next adventures trips in the Himalayas if you wish too. If not, our airport team will take care of your airport escort and say you our last goodbye till the next adventure holidays in mountains.