Manaslu Circuit Trek - 16Days

Once you land at the Tribhuwan International Airport and complete the arrival formalities, you will be greeted by a representative from Himalayan Trekkers at the terminal. Then, you will be transferred to the respective hotel/resort in the city. Once you are check-in at the accommodation, you can take a brief rest. We will sit in your hotel lobby or at our office to discuss the trekking journey and take a short stroll around the Thamel streets.

Note: If your arrival is made on the (before afternoon/in the afternoon), you will be guided for the sightseeing of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Kathmandu. You will be directed to Boudhanath Stupa. It is Nepal's largest Buddhist pilgrimage site, containing the remains and relics of the Lord Buddha; it is one of Tibet's most important Buddhist sites, and the entire area exudes tranquility; it is designed in the classic Buddhist stupa form.

15 minutes drive from the stupa is one of the 4 most important Hindu sites in the world named Pashupatinath Temple. As you will be guided there during the evening, you will be able to witness the evening aarti ceremony. Every evening, an Aarati ceremony is held on the banks of the holy Bagmati River, followed by a cremation ceremony on the opposite bank.
We then return to Thamel, go to a good site to eat dinner, with a selection of eateries serving both Western and indigenous Nepali cuisine.

Start the day with a warm breakfast offered by the hotel. Today, we will explore the other important landmarks of the valley which are also the world heritage sites such as Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, and Swayambhunath Stupa. 

Kathmandu Durbar Square is also known as the Hanuman Dhoka Palace and Basantapur Durbar Square. This was the historic royal residence and courtyard of the Malla and Shah Kings of Kathmandu, with a plethora of temples, shrines, statues, sculptures, and pathways. The prominent tourist attractions here include Kasthamandap, Kumari Ghar, Shiva-Parvati Temple, Big Bell, and Taleju Temple.

Patan Durbar Square is 8 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu city in Patan/Lalitpur (city of beauty). Richly carved shrines, old royal residences, Buddhist monasteries, statues, and temples abound, all of which are excellent specimens of Newari culture and architecture.

Bhaktapur, commonly known as the 'City of Devotees,' is an ancient city located around 12 kilometers east of Kathmandu. Each monument in Bhaktapur Durbar Square represents Nepal's medieval culture, religion, and customs. The 55-window palace, Golden Gate, Taleju Chowk, Naga Pokhari, Nyatapola, Dattatreya Square, Taumadhi Square, and the famous Pottery Square are all popular tourist destinations here. 

Swayambhunath, (self-sprung in Nepali translation) is also famous as Monkey Temple lies at a hilltop overlooking the Kathmandu valley surrounded by high hills from all sides.  It's an intriguing mix of Hindu shrines and Buddhist stupas, two different religions, and architectural forms coexisting. It is a historic and sacred location in Kathmandu and all over Nepal. 

We rise early in the morning today as we will be embarking on the Himalayan journey. After breakfast, we drive west on the Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway to the town of Dhading Besi from where we will further ride up to Soti Khola. The route throughout the day takes us through rural areas, little towns, grassy terraces, and lush hilltops. 

The road will ultimately turn into a rutted dirt trail, and we will begin to enjoy the vistas of Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and Langtang Himal from the southern slopes.
After the long and scenic drive, we will reach today’s destination, Soti Khola in the Budhi Gandaki Valley.  O/N at a local teahouse. 

The trekking journey starts today after enjoying breakfast and looking at the wonderful landscape. We continue upstream along the Budhi Gandaki following an undulating track through the shady sal forests before ascending sharply uphill along a rocky cliff face. 

The river's white and furious rapids may be seen down from here. The trail eventually descends to Labubesi, a Gurung settlement, and continues along the riverbank until we reach Machha Khola, where we will spend the night.

On the way, there are waterfalls, a fascinating Buddha cliff painting, and hot springs! You can also enter the Manaslu Conservation Area from here.
The trail today includes multiple uphill and downhill. We will proceed up the river, following the gorge and come across Tharo Khola and arrive in Khorla Besi, another Gurung settlement. 

We continue our trek where we will pass by many villages such as Tatopani, Dovan, and Thulo Dhunga before we make it to the day’s destination, Jagat, the first Tibetan Buddhist culture influenced settlement on this route. It is the entry point of the Manaslu Conservation Area (MCA). 

The day begins with a difficult ascent to Salleri along a rocky ridge, followed by a moderate descent to Sirdibas. Then climb towards Ghatta Khola and cross a long suspension bridge to reach Philim, a big Gurung settlement.

The trail now proceeds north to Ekle Bhatti, passing through millet fields. We go across muddy pastures before crossing the Budhi Gandaki River. The tight trail down the valley opens up once we travel along the riverbank. After there, we will travel through bamboo forests to Deng Khola. We arrive at Deng, after crossing the river. O/N at a local teahouse.

Leaving Deng behind, we start today’s trek by crossing the Budhi Gandaki River. We then climb through the impressive valley and pass through some tiny settlements, and countless Tibetan mani walls (intricately hand-carved stone walls with Buddhist teachings) on the way to Ghap village.

From Ghap, we head towards the little settlement of Prok while taking in some spectacular views of Singri Himal along the route. We then walk alongside the river, crossing it several times as we pass through a forest of firs, oaks, and rhododendrons. Finally, we ascend a difficult incline to reach Namrung. Namrung village offers spectacular views of the peaks like Ganesh Himal, and Mount Himchuli along with Singri Himal. 

Note: Throughout this Manaslu Circuit Trek journey, Namrung features some of the best teashops, restaurants, and rest homes. You can find a modern restaurant, hotel and a bakery with Wi-Fi facilities.  O/N at a local lodge.

After enjoying breakfast and the morning views of the Himalayas in Namrung, the trek begins with the continual uphill through the beautiful green forest to Lihi village. With our continuous walks, we will see that the majority of the residents are dressed in traditional Tibetan garb. We will pass through various isolated settlements such as Sho, Lho, and Shyala. 

When we arrive in Lho, we will be treated to a breathtaking vista of Mt. Manaslu, the world's eighth highest peak. Again, we can take in the stunning views of Himal Chuli and Peak 29 (Ngadi Chuli) to the left, Mt. Manaslu and its glacier ahead, and Ganesh Himal on the far right, all surrounding Shyala village.

From Shyala, it is over an hour's walk to Samagaon where we conclude our today’s trek. Mountain vistas decrease as you near the village, but the yak pastures and traditional communities will entice you.

Samagaon is perhaps the most beautiful village on the Manaslu Circuit Trek trip. Once here, enjoy the best view of Mount Manaslu and explore the famous Ribung monastery if time permits.  O/N at a local lodge.

This day is set aside for acclimatization to avoid altitude sickness. We have two acclimatization hike options for today; one is to make it up to Manaslu Base Camp, located north of Sama village and the other is to hike to Pungyen Gompa, a historic monastery from where the view of the glacier is spectacular.

You will be rewarded with breathtaking views of Manaslu once you reach any of these two places. Many Himalayan Thars and Yaks can be seen grazing nearby or en route.
O/N at a local lodge.

We start our journey up the valley towards Samdo quite early in the morning. We will cross streams on slick stones and frosty planks, the valley rising slowly but steadily.
The landscape continues to change. The only vegetation with a crown of snowy peaks is tough prickly bushes and dry yellow/green grass. We arrive at Samdo after a few hours and check into our accommodation. We then have our lunch and begin exploring the local houses' winding roads. The stone cottages are brightly colored by billowing prayer flags.
O/N at a local teahouse.

This 11th day has been left aside to allow for proper acclimatization. For an acclimatization hike, we will climb up the valley just behind Samdo village.
This hike will take us to one of Tibet's trade passes, where we will be able to see Mt. Manaslu as well as other Himalayan ranges such as Simrang, Hiunchuli, Ngadi, Larkye Peak, Cheo, and probably Kang Guru. 

We pass through many seasonal herding towns known as doksas on our way to these vistas and see some lovely mountain birds such as the Lophophorus/Himalayan Monal (Nepal's national bird), Lammergeyer, and Himalayan Griffin soaring high above us. O/N at a local teahouse.

We leave Samdo behind and travel down the Samdo edge, passing through meadows and old Mani walls before reaching the Budhi Gandaki River on a wooden bridge. We keep continuing ascending and come past the valley of Salka Khola ascend to the Dharmasala after crossing two streams and seeing the Larkya Glacier. O/N at a guesthouse.

The most anticipated day has arrived today. It is the day to cross the 5106 meters Larkya La Pass which is one of the most gorgeous and incredible passes in the world. 
We start the journey before the morning light following the path up through the rocky ground. The route to the pass is marked by prayer flags, which give us a sense of where we are on our trip. 

We carefully descend to four frozen lakes before climbing a hard trail to the Larkya La Pass. Himlung Himal (7126m), Chap Himal, Gyaji Kang, Kang Guru (6981m), and Annapurna II are a few of those Himalayan peaks we get to enjoy from the Larkya La Pass. 

Continuing from the Larkya La Pass, the trail continues for a few hundred meters along the flat, rocky pass before abruptly descending. As we get closer to a little meadow, the trail becomes easier to walk in. As we approach the huge meadow, Mani walls, and little buildings, it is the signal that we have arrived at Bhimtang for an overnight stay. 
O/N at a local teahouse.

Start the day with the sunrise over the magnificent landscape of snowy peaks in misty Bimthang. The trail wound down past beautiful pine and rhododendron forests as we start our adventure, following the ice-blue river. The track follows Dudh Khola, which is milky blue and swiftly flowing. We continue and reach Soti Khola where we will halt for a lunch break. ‘

We carried on through the jungle where we might see langur monkeys and trek past the village of Homuk and Gho. From there, we will trek through many fields and pastures and reach the settlement of Tilije, which is famous for Brandy. We further move, passing Mani walls, passing Thonje Village, and reaching the destination, Dharapani. O/N at a local teahouse.

The trekking journey concludes in Dharapani and after breakfast today, we will take a jeep to Besi Sahar. After a short break at Besi Sahar, we will hop on the vehicle and further drive to Kathmandu concluding our Manaslu Circuit Trekking journey. 

As we head east on the Prithivi Highway after getting a bus back to Kathmandu, we will pass by the Marsyagdi River meeting the Trishuli River. The drive allows you to take in the natural beauty of the area, which includes terraced lands and towering hills.

Once in the bustling capital, you can freshen up and take a rest. In the evening, you can stroll around the streets of Thamel market and rejuvenate your tongue with the spices, foods, and drinks of your choice.  O/N at a hotel/resort.

With the end of the journey, the departure day has come. You will be transferred to the airport from the hotel by a representative from Himalayan Trekkers, a few hours before your scheduled flight.