Manaslu Circuit Trek - 14 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.

Early morning, after breakfast, pick up from your hotel and 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, 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 memorable.

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 the mountains 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 enough to be impassable, and the route then switches to the left bank via a suspension bridge.

The trail is quite exposed and challenging in places. After a short stretch of forest path, you reach the only 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 the trek moves gently uphill and then through a flat, level path. You cross a suspension bridge over the 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 a 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, and spinach, as people are mostly involved in agriculture in this area. Stay overnight at the 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 an early breakfast, we start our trek from Namrung to Shyala, passing through beautiful forests and the villages of Lihi, Sho, and Lho. Today we will stop at Lho for lunch, from where we can see an amazing view of Mt. Manaslu and the Buddhist school of the monastery.

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, the 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 the 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 near the Manaslu Base Camp. Stay another night at Samagaun.

You trek gently uphill all the way to Samdo through a desert path and a 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 viewpoint for Mt. Manaslu, Samdo (Pang phuchuli), Nagdi chuli, Simnang Himal, Manaslu glacier, Manaslu ice fall, and several other majestic peaks. Stay overnight at the 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 them here. You will also find a Dharamsala at Larke La Phedi. Stay overnight at the Tea House in Larkya La Phedi (Dharmasala).

Early in the morning, you begin to trek a steep ascent path to Larke La through a rocky and windy path. Today you carry a 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 the Tea House in Bhimtang.

Today is a long day of walking, so start early after breakfast at Bhimtang. The beginning of your day will take you straight downhill through the rhododendron and pine forests until you arrive at the Dudh Khola River, which you will follow back to its source.

You will cross over a wooden bridge and then pass through several small villages, such as Kachre and Goa, where you will be able to see many apple orchards. The walk downhill will take you along the path from a cold mountain view to an area of green forest and farmland.

After 5 hours of trekking, you will arrive at Tilje, a beautiful Gurung village featuring stone-paved streets and traditional Gurung homes. You can stop for lunch at either Goa or Tilje; wherever you decide is your choice. Tilje is famous for its locally produced apple brandy.

After lunch, you will share a jeep back to Besisahar. The drive will take approximately 3 hours and will take place along the bank of the Marsyangdi River. You will see many waterfalls, hills, and small villages along the way. You will arrive at Besisahar in the late afternoon or evening and spend the night in Besisahar. 
 

The 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 the road.

Stay overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu. In the evening, we will be organizing a farewell Dinner with the team of Higher Limits Trek at Nepali Kitchen with cultural programs.

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