Manaslu Trek

Sightseeing at Kathmandu

• Explore the capital city of Nepal more extensively on the second day of your Manaslu circuit trek.
• Start early in the morning and experience the cool and quiet atmosphere of Kathmandu while sipping on a morning tea.
• Go on a sightseeing tour around the city and enjoy a warm home-cooked meal in the evening.

Kathmandu to Soti Khola drive

Altitude: 2,362 feet

Duration: 8-10 hours

Distance: 142 km

• Start your journey soon after breakfast and drive west along the Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway.
• Turn off to the hilltop village of Dhading and enjoy pleasant views of small communities, green hillsides, and lush terraces along the way.
• See the southern slopes of Annapurna, Manaslu, and Ganesh Himal until you reach Soti Khola village in time for dinner.

Soti Khola to Machha Khola trek

Altitude: 2,920 feet

Duration: 6-7 hours

Distance: 14 km

• Start your trek soon after breakfast and go through a range of landscapes such as forests, paddy fields, rivers, waterfalls, wild rapids, and a cliff-face ridge.
• Before you hike through a forest, you’ll cross a bridge and then ascend onto a ridge above the wild rapids of Budhi Gandaki River.
• Reach the rocky trail of Khursane, descend past some rice fields, and continue to the Gurung village of Labubesi.
• Trek further along a rocky outcrop, along the river and cross a suspension bridge till you reach Machha Khola village.

Altitude: 4,495 feet

Duration: 6-7 hours

Distance: 22 km

• Continue on your Manaslu circuit trek along the gorge and up the river until you cross the Tharo Khola to reach Khorla Besi.
• After further ascents and descents you will reach the hot spring in Tatopani where you can stop for a break.
• Climb another ridge and cross several suspension bridges in this section including Budhi Gandaki and Yaru Khola till you reach Jagat village.

Trek from Jagat to Deng

Altitude: 5,917 feet

Duration: 6-7 hours

Distance: 20 km

• Your Manaslu circuit trek resumes early in the morning and takes you through dense sub-tropical forests, rivers, and quaint villages.
• Climb the rocky Salleri ridge, descend to Sirdibas, continue to the Ghatta Khola river, cross the long suspension bridge in Philim and Gurung village.
• Trek along the bank of Budhi Gandaki river, cross bamboo forests till you reach the small village of Deng.

Trek from Deng to Namrung

Altitude: 8,626 feet

Duration: 6-7 hours

Distance: 19.5 km

• Prepare to enter into one of the important and culturally significant sections of the Manaslu circuit trek soon after breakfast at Deng.
• To join the trail from Bhi, you’ll be required to cross the Budhi Gandaki river and climb up to the bridge.
• Go through lush natural trails until some of the major peaks start to appear in the distance.
• Go through the Prok village for the best views of the snow capped Siringi Himal and continue the steep climb till you reach Namrung village where you will spend the night in a teahouse.

Trek from Namrung to Samagaon

Altitude: 11,578 feet

Duration: 6-7 hours

Distance: 17.7 km

• Next morning explore the village for spectacular views of the mountain peaks before getting back on the trail.
• Start your trek through the forests to reach the village named Lihi, followed by the side valley of Simnang Himal with Ganesh Himal.
• Pass through famous villages like Sho, Lho, and Shyala before reaching Sama gaon where you will be camping at night.

Rest day in Samagaon

This is an acclimatization day, so you can relax and rest at your Samagaon teahouseIf you wish to explore, you can hike up to Sama village where you will find a monastery with great views of the glacier

Trek from Samagaon to Samdo

Altitude: 12,713 feet

Duration: 4 hours

Distance: 16.4 km

• Start after breakfast by first descending to the Budhi Gandaki River and follow a bridge as the valley begins to widen close to the Tibetan border.
• Pass through juniper and birch forests in Kermo Kharka and drop down to cross the Budhi Gandaki on a wooden bridge.
• Continue your way to a stone archway till you reach Samdo village.

Rest Day in Samdo

This is another day in your Manaslu trek set aside for acclimatization.You can rest after breakfast or go hiking either up the valley directly behind Samdo or to the Gya La north of Samdo that is more challenging.

Trek from Samdo to Dharamsala

Altitude: 14,633 feet

Duration: 4-5 hours

Distance: 11.7 km

• Start soon after breakfast in Samdo and trekthrough Larke Bazaar, a local Tibetan market.
• Descend to the Budhi Gandaki River, cross the wooden bridge, and enjoy views of the Larkya Glacier.
• Go around the valley of the Salka Khola and climb up again to Dharamsala passing several monasteries. Stop here for acclimatization and rest.

Trek from Dharamsala to Bimthang via Larkya La Pass

Altitude: 11,778 feet

Duration: 7-9 hours

Distance: 24.7 km

• Start off on this challenging section after a heartful breakfast and come across clear glacier lakes, tiny villages, valleys, and peaks.
• Enjoy views of Cho Danda and Larkya Peak after climbing on the north side of the Larkya Glacier.
• Make a gradual ascent as you cross moraines of the glacier which become steeper with time.
• Climb further along the pass across moraines till you see Mount Manaslu in the distance.

Trek from Bumthang to Tilije

Altitude: 7,546 feet

Duration: 5-6 hours

Distance: 16 km

• Start descending till the bridge over the Dudh Khola River after you pass through nearby ridges.
• Enjoy great views of Manaslu, Lamjung Himal, Himlung Himal, and Cheo Himal and keep moving head through a rhododendron forest and valley till you reach Karche.
• Start a steep climb over a ridge and cross the village of Gho till you reach the Tilije village where you will rest for the night.

Trek from Dharamsala to Bimtang via Larkya La

Altitude: 16,847 feet

Duration: 5-6 hours

Distance: 11.3 km

• Start by climbing over a small ridge from Tilije where you will find a paved trail.
• Cross the bridge over the Dudh Khola River, climb up through an arch which has a stupa-shape and then pass a manitill you reach the village of Thonje.
• Pass through a police checkpoint and continue to Dharapani which is in the Annapurna Conservation Area of the Manaslu trek.
• Continue further till you reach the commercial area of Tal.

Trek from Tal to Syange

Altitude: 3,543 feet

Duration: 6-7 hours

Distance: 12.9 km

• Follow the trail down from Tall, cross the Marsyangdi Khola and go ahead till you reach the village Chyamje.
• Go further down through rhododendron and pine forests to get to the village of Syange known for its magnificent waterfalls.
• Spend the last night on a trail in a teahouse here.

Drive from Syange to Kathmandu

• Have a sumptuous breakfast in Syange, go for a walk around the village, before setting out on your return drive.
• You will be driven to Kathmandu via Besi Sahar along hilly and mountainous landscapes as well as through villages and farming terraces.

Departure from Kathmandu

• Enjoy breakfast at a local café before saying goodbye to the city.
• Backpack and go home with tons of memories and experience that you got in your Manaslu trek.

Make your Manaslu trek a memorable one by ensuring it is hassle free and convenient. Follow some of the best tips by experts so that you can enjoy the best moments of your trek without having to worry about minor issues that can snowball into big problems.

• Pick the best time for your trek to make the most of what it has to offer. The spring and autumn seasons offer the best views and experiences and hence this is when you should book your tour.
• Choose a professional trekking company to accompany you as they are well informed about the area and have deep knowledge about various aspects of it.
• Get trained and start preparing yourself at least a month prior to the trek. This can include walking up and down stairs to increase leg strength, running and cycling to build stamina.
• Pack effectively so that you do not end up carrying things you will not use. Follow a proper checklist before you start packing.