Manaslu Circuit Trek – 15 Days

Welcome to Nepal. Upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will be received by one of the company representatives, who will help you transfer from the airport to the hotel booked for you in Kathmandu. After checking into your hotel you will have some time to unwind and relax.

In case of early arrival, a trek-briefing meeting will be conducted at the hotel. In the meeting your trekking equipment will be checked and you will be formally introduced to your trekking guide. However, if your flight is scheduled to arrive in the afternoon, later in the evening, or in the early hours the next day, the meeting will be conducted after the city tour the following day.

After the meeting, you can spend the free time exploring places nearby, trying local food and drinks or simply relaxing at the hotel. Overnight in a hotel in Kathmandu.

The Kathmandu Valley, the capital,  is a living history museum that can provide visitors with an experiential interpretation of rich culture and history.  Therefore, you will spend this day visiting historical sites and landmarks in the valley. The major historical sites and landmarks in the valley are the 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites. You will visit and explore 4 out of these 7 World Heritage sites.

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, your city tour guide will pick you up from the hotel around 9:30-10:00 AM. The tour will be on a private vehicle (car/jeep/minivan/bus-depending on the group size). You will visit Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath, Boudhanath and the Kathmandu Durbar Square. All of these sites are historically, culturally and architecturally rich ancient sites that help you better understand the history, culture, religion and lifestyle of Nepalese people living in Kathmandu Valley. 

Moreover, if you have already visited these sites in your previous trip, you can also choose to visit the remaining 3 sites, the Patan Durbar Square, the Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Changunarayan. 

Nevertheless, if your interest is more towards nature and adventure activities, you can also choose to go on a day hike to one of the nearby hills, or enjoy one day trips like rafting, bungee or Chandragiri cable car ride. 

After the tour, you will be dropped back to the hotel for final trek preparation, packing and overnight stay. 

To start the Manaslu Circuit trek, you will drive from Kathmandu up to the trailhead at Machhakholagaon, a small village located roughly 140 kilometers west of  Kathmandu in the Gorkha district of Nepal. This journey, Kathmandu to Machhakholagaon, generally takes around 8 hours by road, provided that the road condition is good, not affected by highway traffic or any natural disaster. 

The journey begins early in the morning after breakfast at the hotel in Kathmandu. You will drive to Machhakholagaon in a private jeep. Leaving the chaotic streets of Kathmandu valley, you will head towards the lush green hilly terrain of rural Nepal. As you progress west on the winding Prithvi Highway that runs along the Trisuli river, you drive through and past small towns, villages, terrace farms that make the drive very scenic. After crossing several bridges and making a few short stops for refreshments and to stretch, jeep leaving the highway passes through towns like Dhading and Arughat that make key transit points, before reaching Machhakholagaon. As the road climbs into the foothills, with steep inclines and narrow paths that follow the contours of the river valley, the road grows progressively rougher making it a very adventurous ride. The jeep ride concludes at Machhakholagaon, which is a very picturesque village located at the bank of the Budhi Gandaki River and is surrounded by terraced fields, forested hills and  snow-capped peaks peeking from distance. Enjoying the stunning landscape, you will check into the lodge to enjoy a warm meal and accommodation. 

The trailhead of the Manaslu Circuit trek is at Machhakholagaon, therefore, the Manaslu circuit trek starts today. Covering the distance of about 17 kilometers, today you will hike from Machhakholagaon to Jagat. This journey takes roughly 7-8 hours. Despite the distance, the elevation gain today is only around 480 meters and the walk is mainly alongside the Budhi Gandaki  River and through the small settlements and the greenery of the lower Manaslu region. 

Starting after breakfast, crossing the first suspension bridge of the trek, you will continue to Tatopani on a winding motorable road that runs along the Budhi Gandaki River. Surrounded by huge rocky and green hills, the walk is quite easy and pleasant, but around Khorlabesi, the walk is on an undulating trail with a few steep sections and across the landslides that makes the hike a bit more challenging. You will cross another suspension bridge at Khorlabesi and continue further on a narrow trail that goes through a small village with lots of banana trees. Following the trail along the Budhi Gandaki river and enjoying the greenery, you will further continue to Tatopani. If you are hungry, you will have your lunch here, or continue to Labuchet for lunch. About an hour hike from Tatopani  will take you to Dobhan. On the way, you will encounter a number of small and big mesmerizing waterfalls that rundown to feed the Budhi Gandaki River. The trail is rough and full of rocks and stones. Crossing the third suspension bridge you will reach Dobhan. At Dobhan you will cross another suspension bridge and continue to Shyauli Bhatti, still walking parallel to the Budhi Gandaki river, which takes around 45 minutes. The trail is mostly flat and fairly easy but full of stones and rocks at places. However, from Shyauli Bhatti the walk is again on an undulating trail that sometimes takes you higher up from the river  and sometimes all the way down near the bank of the river. Soon you will reach Yaru Bagar where the trail to Ganesh Himal base camp branches off from the Manaslu trail. A little ahead of Yaru Bagar, you will cross another suspension bridge and continue towards Jagat. However before reaching Jagat, you will cross one more suspension bridge enjoying the turquoise water of the Budhi Gandaki River running through the valley below. After the bridge, Jagat is about a 20 minute walk, sometimes on the stone paved trail and sometimes on the riverbed. 

Jagat is a beautiful picturesque village nestled amidst the massive hills, where you can spot traditional stone houses, terraced farms, domesticated  animals  and a very amiable community. This is the first village that lies within the boundary of  the Manaslu Conservation area. Thus, it’s at this place, where you need to present your special Manaslu trekking permit along with other permits, to legally enter the Manaslu Conservation area. The trail from Machhakholagaon to Jagat is not technical but physically challenging, therefore, by the time you reach Jagat, you will be quite tired. At Jagat, you will check into the lodge for a warm meal, cozy accommodation and a good night sleep. 

Deng is the destination set for the day. After the necessary formalities (fulfilled by the team leader) at the office of MCAP in Jagat, we walk up the river bed and hike over a rocky ridge to Salleri. Following the river, we further hike up to Sirdibas and then continue towards the suspension bridge over the Budhi Gandaki River. We cross the bridge and climb to a Gurung village named Philim. The walk further continues towards Chisopani crossing the forest.

With Budhi Gandaki River on our left, we traverse Ekle Bhatti and then the gorge to reach a large waterfall, before entering the pine forest. The trail then drops down to a trail junction of Ghap and the Tsum Valley. Leaving the Tsum Valley trail, we cross the bridge and head northeast, trekking along the west bank for a while. We then cross to the east bank and back to the west bank again. We pass through the bamboo forest before reaching Deng. The night will be spent at a lodge in Deng.

Meal included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Potato, maize and climbing bean’s fields, various signs of Buddhist culture, Chortens, and the prosperous Philim village of Gurung people surrounded by the fields of maize, potato, and millet. The village also flaunts Chhyoling Sandu Gompa, School made by the Japanese, a police station, and a large campsite offering the view of Shringi Himal. The experience of walking through pine, rhododendron, and bamboo forest, enjoying the pleasant view of the waterfall, Himalchuli, and Shringi Himal, and the settlement, lifestyle, and culture of people in Lokpa, Nayk, and a Gurung village called Deng.)

Namrung is the destination set for today. We cross the suspension bridge, leaving Deng and climbing Rana. The walk continues northwest, following the bank of the Budhi Gandaki River towards Bihi and then west, up the Budhi Gandaki Valley. From Bihi, the trail splits into two trails that again meet at Ghap. One follows the northern bank of the Budhi Gandaki River, while the other (alternate route) follows the southern bank of the river.  The walk continues in and out of unbroken wild canyons and then a steep climb will finally take us to Ghap. If time permits, we also take you for a side-trip up to Prok village and an excursion to Kal Tal. We again return to Ghap, where the night will be spent at a lodge.

(Highlights of the day: An experience of the lifestyle of Gurung people who practice Buddhism in the village of Deng, the experience of the beautiful stone-carving village of Bihi, walk through the wild canyons, the village of Ghap that flaunts intricate quality carvings of various meditating Buddha in the hard local stone, the village of Prok that features the best viewpoint of Shringi Himal, micro-hydro, eco-lodges, and the nearby Kal Chhokang Gompa and a beautiful Kalchhuman Lake (Kal Tal) located at the altitude of 3,574m.)

Syalagaon is the destination set for today. The trail first passes through the beautiful forest of fir and rhododendron on the south bank of the river. Then we cross a wooden bridge that will take us to the north bank of the river and after walking for some time, we again cross a bridge to get to the south bank. The trail then makes you climb well-made stairs. However, if you are looking for a shortcut, you can follow the trail along the bank of the river, through the forest of pine.  

Both the trails take us to the village of Namrung. We then pass Mani walls, fields, and houses through Banjam, entering the rhododendron, fir, and oak forest, before reaching Lihi. From Lihi, the trail moves towards Sho, crossing the bridge over Hinang River, and then from Sho, a leisurely walk will finally take us to Lho. The night will be spent at a lodge in Lho.

(Highlights of the day: Experience of fir, rhododendron forest accompanied by chirping birds, Namrung village featuring Gompas, hotels, campsites and the beautiful viewpoint of Ganesh and Shringi Himal and Mt. Himal Chuli in the south, Lihi village flaunting Chortens, barley terraces and Sherpa culture, Sho village offering the best views of Manaslu, Manaslu North & Naike Peak and the Lho Village that features Mani walls, the Ribung Gompa, Kandjur Scripts Monastery and the view of Manaslu massif.)

The destination is set for today in Samagaon. From Lho, we first hike up to Shyala village up a pine and rhododendron forest, passing the big curtain, and enjoying the crystal clear stream. The Shyala village is surrounded by mountains and glaciers. We cross the glacier-fed Numla Khola and hike up to the village of Sama, which is a pure Lama settlement following Tibetan culture. The night will be spent at a lodge in Sama Gaon.

(Highlights of the day: Magnificent view of peaks like Manaslu, Himal Chuli and Nadi Chuli, Ganesh Himal and Punggen Glacier from the village of Shyala, and the introduction of Lama and Tibetan culture practiced in the village of Sama.)

Today is both rest and acclimatization day. It is always good to acclimatize before ascending the height. We spend our day enjoying the Lama settlement of Sama village. We also visit  Sama Gompa and hike up to the ridge to view the mountain and village. Or, we can also hike up to visit the Pung Gyen Gompa, which aids a lot in the acclimatization process.

(Highlights of the day:  An insight into the lifestyle, tradition, and culture of people living in Sama village. Sama Gompa, view of Puggen Glacier from Pung Gyen Gompa, and the view of Nadi Chuli, Manaslu, Larke, and the  Naike peak from the ridge.)

Samdo is the destination set for today. After the previous day’s acclimatization, you are ready to hike further. Following the west bank of the Budhi Gandaki River, we proceed toward the destination of the day. After a short walk, we come across the trail that leads to the Manaslu Base Camp trail; however, passing the trail, we now enter the forest filled with birch, juniper, and rhododendron, moss, and lichen.

Then enjoying the stone huts and long Mani walls of Kyonggma Kharka we cross a bridge over the Budhi Gandaki River and enter the village of Samdo, which is very close to Tibet. The night will be spent at a lodge in Samdo.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

(Highlights of the day: View of Manaslu glacier, walk through the thick forest of birch, juniper, and rhododendron, a number of Mani walls and stone huts, and the village of Samdo featuring Taka Choeling Gompa, Sonam Glacier, big Mani wall, and a Tibetan refugee community. You can also enjoy a splendid view of the Naike and Pangbuche peaks.)

Larkya Rest House is the destination set for the day. From Samdo, the trail descends to the bridge over the Budhi Gandaki River. Crossing the last bridge across the Budhi Gandaki River, we progress towards the Larkya Rest House through juniper and tundra.

The trail passes through the Mani wall and Stone huts before reaching Larke Phedi also known as Dharmasala. It is a seasonal village that provides rooms and tents for trekkers. The evening will be spent exploring the hills for the purpose of acclimatization. The night will be spent at the Larkya Rest House.

(Highlights of the day: Mani walls with inscriptions of good wishes for progress over the pass, small stone huts, a view of Syacha Glacier, and the pleasant view of Larkya Peak and Naike Peak from Larkya Phedi.)

Today conquering the ultimate altitude of this trek - Larkya La (5,160m) - we trek to Bimthang. You can expect the day to be long and extended as the day requires 8-9 hours of walking. Therefore, we start early in the morning in order to skip the afternoon gale. The trail passes through the north side of the Larkya Glacier.

We walk across the moraine of the glacier, cross four frozen lakes, and then a steep way up will take us to Larkya La greets trekkers with prayer flags and the magnificent views of the snow-capped peaks. After a steep descent from the pass, we now trek west on a high moraine ridge of Salpudanda Glacier on our right. The trail now descends on long scree, towards the grassy moraine of Dangboche Kharka. The track now following the east bank of the large lateral moraine, descends to the beautiful village of Bimthang. The night will be spent at a lodge in Bimthang.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

(Highlights of the day: 4 frozen lakes, Larkya La Pass that greets trekkers with flapping prayer flags, and the heavenly view of Himlung Himal, Kangguru, Annapurna II, Cheo Himal, Gyaji Kang, Larke peak, Namjung Himal, Ratan Chuli, thrilling trail accompanied by Larkya Glacier, Bimthang and Salpudanda Glacier, rocky and grassy moraine and scree, icefall and mountains, glacial lake –Pongkar Taal in between the Pongkar and Salpudanda Glacier, and the magnificent view of Lamjung, Manaslu (NE), Phungi (S-Face) Himlung (NW) and Cheo Himal from Bimthang.)

Dharapani is the destination set for today. Initially, the trail follows the Bimthang glacier and heads south. Then, leaving the Bimthang Glacier and Bimthang village behind, the trail enters the forest of rhododendron and pine, passes Sangure Kharka, and continues to the cultivated land of Kharche. The trail, now following the west bank of the Dudh Khola, heads towards Tilije crossing the viewpoint of Manaslu, Gho – a Gurung village, and Kilpu fall. On reaching Tilije, we cross the bridge over the Dudh Khola and walk south for about an hour to reach Dharapani. The evening can be utilized strolling around the village. The night will be spent at a lodge in Dharapani.

(Highlights of the day: Unforgettable view of Mt. Manaslu, Lamjung Himal, Himlung Himal, and Cheo Himal, trail accompanied by a beautiful forest of rhododendron and pine, cave, high pasture, and cultivated land, Goa or Gho – a beautiful settlement of Gurung people flaunting Gurung lifestyle, the viewpoint of Manaslu and monastery, lodges and Kilpu waterfall, Tilije – another Gurung village on the trail that allows trekkers to enjoy monasteries like Tilije, mobile network, lodges and teahouses, and the village of Dharapani, where trekkers can enjoy time visiting Sangey Cholign Gompa  and one of the best viewpoint of Manaslu.) 

After completing the trek, we now come back to Kathmandu.  Early in the morning, we catch a bus to Kathmandu. The bus heads south till Dumre, which then follows the Prithvi Highway until it reaches Kathmandu. We stop twice, once for breakfast and once for lunch. After about a 7-8 hour ride, you will reach Kathmandu. Once you reach Kathmandu, you will be escorted to your hotel, where you can freshen up and rest for some time. Around the evening, the company representatives conduct a short meeting to discuss the trip, your experience, and your feedback. The night will be spent at a 3-star standard hotel in Kathmandu.

Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner

(Highlights of the day: Comfortable bus, the windy highway along the Trisuli River, breathtaking view of a waterfall, river, jungle, hamlets higher up on the hills, terraced fields with seasonal crops, different vegetations, and the curious faces of people running motels, restaurants and lodges.)

This day is the last day of your trip to Nepal with Amigo Treks and Expedition. If your flight is scheduled for early morning, then one of our company representatives will escort you to the airport as per your flight departure time. But, if the flight is scheduled for later in the evening, you can go shopping and collect a few mementos or simply hang around shopping areas in Kathmandu. However, if you are planning to spend some extra days in Nepal, Amigo Treks and Expedition can also make the arrangements for some other top adventurous activities that you can attend while you are in Nepal.