Trek Summary
Manaslu Circuit Trek (12 Days)
Remote. Authentic. Unforgettable.
Step beyond the ordinary and discover one of Nepal's last great wilderness treks. The Manaslu Circuit Trek is a spectacular journey around Mount Manaslu (8,163m), the world's eighth-highest mountain, where ancient Tibetan culture, pristine alpine landscapes, and dramatic Himalayan scenery come together to create an adventure unlike any other.
Far removed from the crowds of Everest and Annapurna, this Restricted Area Trek follows centuries-old trading routes through secluded mountain villages, dense forests, glacial valleys, and high mountain passes before crossing the breathtaking Larkya La Pass (5,106m)—one of the most rewarding trekking passes in the Himalayas.
Designed for trekkers seeking a more authentic, immersive, and challenging Himalayan experience, our carefully crafted 12-day itinerary begins in Kathmandu and concludes in Pokhara, combining private transportation, comfortable teahouse accommodation, and expert local guidance to maximize your time in the mountains.
With small groups limited to just 5 trekkers, you'll enjoy a more personal experience, flexible pacing, genuine cultural interactions, and the confidence of trekking alongside experienced local guides who call these mountains home.
Whether you're chasing dramatic mountain photography, meaningful cultural encounters, or simply looking for a trek that still feels truly wild, the Manaslu Circuit Trek offers an unforgettable Himalayan journey that will stay with you long after you return home.
Trek Highlights
Trek around Mount Manaslu (8,163m), the eighth-highest mountain in the world.
Cross the spectacular Larkya La Pass (5,106m).
Experience authentic Tibetan Buddhist culture in remote Himalayan villages.
Journey through forests, alpine meadows, glaciers, and rugged mountain landscapes.
Comfortable private jeep transfers to maximize your trekking experience.Small groups (2–5 trekkers) for a more personalized adventure.
Led by experienced licensed local trekking guides.
Starts in Kathmandu and finishes in the lakeside city of Pokhara.
The Manaslu Circuit isn't just another trek—it's an expedition into one of the Himalayas' last truly untouched mountain landscapes, where every step feels like a journey back to the roots of Himalayan exploration.
Manaslu Circuit Trek
Hiking trail, day by day breakdown & Elevation Profile
DETAILED ITINERARY
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Our team would receive you inside the Arrival Halls at the airport as you provide your Flight Arrival Details. You can use the Wi-fi available at the Airport so that it is easier to communicate and coordinate. An Airport Transfer has been arranged and thus, it would drop us to your hotel in Thamel. This would also be the day where we would request you to share the documents required for the Trekking Permits; Copy of Passport and Visa Stamp Copy, a clear photograph from Phone shall suffice.
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We can use this day to further explore the city of Kathmandu. The usual favourites are the beautiful World Heritage Sites. Bouddhanath Stupa, Patan Palace Square, Swayambhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple), Pashupatinath Temple, etc are some of the notable places or you can choose to have a quiet and quaint day with a relaxing atmosphere inside the Garden of Dreams at Thamel.
On the evening, we would meet up to go over our Gears/Equipment and also make time for Rent/Purchase of any missing items should we require. After a short brief about our plans for tomorrow, we will end this day. It should only take 1-2 hrs for the Preparation and thus, you can fully enjoy your day.
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We would start our journey from 6 am in the morning for the long jeep drive ahead of us. The road follows through the alternate Highway that is shorter and connects at Prithvi Highway at Dharke. From there on, we would stop over for a quick breakfast and deviate to Dhading Besi from the place called Malekhu. It would take us about 6 hours to reach Machakhola. Enroute we will have small breaks to stretch our legs. The road passes through Nepal’s hilly landscape, terraced fields, small towns and villages. If the weather is clear, we would also be able to see amazing views of Mt. Ganesh and some peaks of Langtang range.
After Arughat, the paved roads will end and onto Machakhola, we will have a fairly bumpy ride. The jeep would drop off us at the Teahouse that we will be staying at. After freshening up, we will settle down with some hot beverage and dinner, calling it a night for the amazing hike that we have tomorrow.
Time: 6-7 hours
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After our breakfast, we will begin our hike along the Jeep Roads before we deviate on the Trekking Trails on Khorlabesi.This hike is in lower elevation and thus, we have to prepare forwarmer hiking conditions and suggest to wear light and airy clothes. As we traverse the trekking trail, passing through 1-2 landslide sections, we will reach Jagat after nearly 6-7 hours of hiking and call it a night.
We will pass through villages of the lower elevation and the hike itself might feel demanding particularly due to the long distance that we cover and the warmer temperature.
Total Distance – 21 kms
Time: 6-7 hours -
With a fairly early start to our day, we will have our breakfast and aim to start our hike by 7 am. We have a quite a bit of distance to cover. We will reach Philim in about Nak Phedi in about 3 hours.
After 45 mins to an hour of lunch break, we will hit the trails again. It takes about 4 hours to reach Deng. The last leg of the hike to Deng after we cross a Suspension bridge is uphill and thus, we take it slow and easy. We hope to reach Deng by 3-4 pm and settle in for the night. After freshening up, warm conversation and dinner, we will call it a night.
Total Distance: 14.4 kms
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This is another 17 kms hiking day with significant elevation gain. There are beautiful villages along the way and you can easily spend a night at Ghap, walking around the village, exploring and taking a gradual approach without tiring yourself a lot. This pertains to your own physical endurance and your preference. In the standard itinerary, we could do this in one single day.
Total Distance
Deng to Ghap – 10.1 kms
Ghap to Namrung – 6.6 kms -
The trail to Shyala is picturesque trail where we will have walk along a river stream as we ascend and reach the beautiful village. With small teahouses, panoramic mountain views, monastery, etc., it is a photographer’s paradise. There is a Monastery run boarding school at Shyala where you would find students from all of the Manaslu region. The boarding school is completely free of cost and runs on donations and charity.
Enroute we will pass through the village of Lho, which would be our first spectacle of the majestic Mt. Manaslu. After a brief tea break in Lho, we will continue our journey and ascend to the village of Shyala where we would reach early enough for lunch. This would also be the first day where we would be greeted by the panoramic views of the Manaslu range and hence, spending extra time over here is definitely recommended.
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Today is a liesurely hike of about 2-3 hours to Sama Gaun. We have the leniency to really enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains around us and start late in the morning at about 9 am. Since it is a central village of the trekking, it is recommende to take your time in exploring the villages and the surroundings. This village feels like a time capsule and as Sama Gaun is facilitated with lots of good teahouses, you can have a good rest afterwards.
Alternatively, we can also hike via the side trails to Pungyen Monastery and reach Samagaun later in the afternoon. However, since the monastery is at the height of 4100 meters, this can make the trek really strenuous especially with the elevation.
Total Distance: 4.3 kms
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On this day, we would have a short hike going up to Birendra Lake. It is a beautiful alpine lake about 40 mins away from Sama Gaun and has the beautiful torquies blue colors to it. The lake is the outsource of the glaciers from Manaslu range.
Alternatively, we can also choose to hike up to Manaslu Base Camp which lies at 4800 meters. However, this is a strenuous hike and requires a serious consideration of whether the physical strain of this day hike is worth against the views and the experience. It is only recommended if you have strong hiking experience of high altitude and often with our previous clients, there has been mixed emotions and experiences regarding this day hike.
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After having a well-deserved rest at Samagaun, we make our way up to the village of Samdo. Samdo is one of the highest villages with permanent settlement in Nepal. There is a small monastery in the village, couple with teahouses to facilitate our journey. We pass through a Permit Check post as the high pass that connects to Tibet is only about 4 hours away from Samdo.
As the valley opens up, we will still be greeted with the majestic Mt. Pangpoche, Ngadi Chuli, etc. We will reach Samdo for Lunch and take rest of the day off. There are Wi-fi provision and 4G connectivity till Samdo and might be the perfect place to spend rest of the day reconnecting with your loved ones as the next 2 days, we would be out of connectivity.
Total Distance: 7.7 kms
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We would have a leisurely start to the day as the hike from Samdo to Dharamshala takes about 3-4 hours on an average pace. After a later breakfast, we would begin our hike that ascends up to Dharamshala. Since we gain about 600 meters of elevation in this day, we take our time in reaching Dharamshala. This will be our first night above 4000 meters and hence, sometimes it would entail some mild symptoms of altitude. However, with proper hydration, warm gears and all our time to reach this altitude, most of us should be worry free.
If there any symptoms of altitude sickness, we will assess the symptoms and manage the situation based on the best course of actions. Given our gradual approach to the trek so far, we should be fine for the traverse of high pass tomorrow. It might also be a bit difficult to fall asleep at that elevation. However, we make use of our time to take rest for the tough hike to Larkey Pass next day.
Tonight, we will have an early dinner likely 6:30 pm and discuss our plan of actions for tomorrow. It is the right time to convey any forms of ailments that you might have and also, be mentally prepared for our journey to 5106 meters.
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This is going to be a rather long day in comparison to the other days that we have. Depending upon the average pace, it is going to take about 3.5 hours to reach Larkye la (top of the Larkye Pass) from Dharamshala. The teahouse shall serve us breakfast by 3:30 am in the morning. After a rather unappetizing breakfast, we would begin our slow and steady hike towards Larkye La. The reason that we will have an early start to the trek is to reach the pass by 7-8 am when the weather would be the calmest. The hike towards the pass is with gradual ascent but a long distance of 7.7 kms from Dharamshala. It might take us 3-4 hours to reach the top of the pass. Since, we will be hiking above 5000 meters, it might impact our pace. Never the less, we would take our time to reach the pass safely and have our moments after reaching one of the highest trekking passes in Nepal.
Followed by the pass, it is a steep descent all the way to Larkye Phedi in about 2 hours. The trail is steep, filled with loose rocks. In winter or monsoon conditions, depending upon the weather, we might find some snow or ice on the trail. Thus, having Micro-spikes are super helpful to traverse down the steep section of the trail. As we reach Larkye Phedi, we are greeted by teashops where we will take a well-deserved break to revitalize our body with some food/drinks before we continue on to the village of Bhimtang.
After hiking for another 2 hours, we will reach the village of Bhimtang where we would be greeted by warm showers and telephone connectivity. The Wi-fi connectivity at this village is a hit or miss. However, we can still have cell phone network in order to make calls or send text messages to our loved ones back home that we have traversed the pass safely and successfully.
Total Distance: 15.6 kms
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After a well-rested night at Bhimtang, today we will have a rather early start back to Tilche. Depending upon our itinerary, we will either hike up to the village of Tilche or Goa to call it a day. The trail is mostly downhill and considering the total distance of 18.6 kms, it can be labelled as a rather demanding day for the final day of our hike. We hope to start by 7 am in the morning after 6:30 am breakfast.
It will take us about 4 hours before we reach the village of Goa, where we will spend the night. Passing through the forested trails, we will have significant descent but we do have the flexibility of continuing the trek to Tilche. From Goa, we can hike for another hour to reach the village of Tilche.
Total Hiking Distance: 13 kms
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After reaching Tilche, we will embark on a short 2.5 hours Jeep Ride to the town of Besisahar where we will settle for the night. If required, we can also opt for Jeep Transfer to Kathmandu instead of Pokhara.
It is going to take us around 3 hours to reach Pokhara from Besisahar or 6 hours to reach Kathmandu. Leaving the trekking trail with fond memories of the trail, based on the current plan, we will reach Pokhara by late afternoon and thus can have rest of the evening off. We will catch up in the evening for our final dinner of the trek and relive all the beautiful memories of the trek.
Fixed Departures for Manaslu Circuit Trek
Want to plan it better?
Talk with our Trip Expert and Leader
What’s Included?
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A designated tourist service vehicle would pick you up and drop-off upon Arrival and Departure. Please let us know your scheduled arrival and departure date and time to facilitate this.
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Restricted Area Permits, Manaslu & Annapurna Conservation Area Permit and Rural Municipality Permits
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With the safety and comfortability in mind, we have arranged for Private Jeep Transfer from Kathmandu to Mackhola and Tilche to Pokhara
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As per the itinerary, we have arranged for 3 Nights of accommodation in Kathmandu and 2 Nights in Pokhara, both with Breakfast included in Twin Sharing Basis.
Single Supplement is available upon request with further additional cost of 30 USD per night. Alternatively, if you have arranged your own accommodation, please let us know so that your final cost can be adjusted accordingly.
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Open Menu - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner - 1 Main Meal w. Tea or Coffee during the trek.
Accommodation based in Twin Sharing in best available rooms of the designated Teahouses
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Insurance, Food & Accommodation and Transportation for Field Staff is included in the cost
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For the intra-city transfer on the final leg of this trip, a tourist bus transfer is included. This bus journey takes 6-7 hours to reach Kathmandu and departs from Tourist Bus Park in Pokhara at 8am.
Why Trek with us?
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All of our journey is designed and led by a licensed Guide, not by a sales office. When you contact us, you're speaking directly with the person who knows the trails, understands the mountains, and will help shape your experience from the very beginning.
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We intentionally keep our groups small to create a safer, more flexible, and meaningful experience. Smaller groups allow us to move at the right pace, adapt to individual needs, and foster genuine connections along the journey.
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With years of experience leading treks across Nepal, from iconic routes to some of the country's most remote wilderness, we bring practical mountain knowledge that only comes from spending countless days in the Himalayas. Every decision is made with your safety, comfort, and overall experience in mind.
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Our passion lies beyond the popular trekking routes. We specialise in remote destinations like Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Dolpo, and other wilderness regions where authentic Himalayan culture and untouched landscapes still thrive.
All of our itineraries are created by the Guides who have hiked these trails countless times. We continuously refine routes, accommodation choices, transportation, and acclimatisation schedules to create journeys that feel balanced, rewarding, and enjoyable.
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No two trekkers are the same and no two journeys are the same. Whether you're travelling solo, with family, or planning a private expedition, we'll customise your itinerary, pace, accommodation, and objectives to match your goals and experience.
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For us reaching the destination is never more important than returning home safely. Careful acclimatisation, conservative decision-making, emergency plan-of-action and trail safety are at the heart of every trek we lead. Using our local contacts and experience, we plan across the weather events, alternate trails or evacuation/backtracking if the situation requires.
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We believe exceptional trips begin with exceptional people. Our guides, porters, and support staff are paid fairly, properly equipped, and treated with respect. This is reflected on our pricing structure for our journeys and part of how we operate.
No hidden costs or unrealistic promises would surprise you. We clearly explain what's included, what isn't, and why. Our focus is on delivering genuine value through quality guiding, reliable logistics, and exceptional service.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Most of the teahouses have got fairly descent Wi-fi. While some teahouses charges around NRs. 200, some provide it for free. Alternatively, you can also use 4G connectivity all the way up to Samdo with Nepal Telecom (NTC) as your cell service provider.
It cost NRs. 800 for 20 GBs of Data in NTC Sim Card. The physical sim can be bought at any sim card/mobile phone shops at Thamel. Please ensure to get NTC for remote connectivity. Most of the foreign e-sim providers tie up with Ncell. Hence, please look for NTC if you want maximum connectivity.
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The teahouses at this trek are minimal and basic. While some newly constructed ones have basic ensuite washrooms, it is not always available. The teahouses are fairly comfortable and only requires Sleeping Bags of 0C-5C unless you are trekking at mid-end November (late Autumn) or early Spring (March). Most of the teahouses have got decent food choices and prepare not the most tastiest but definitly fulfilling meals. I would however refrain from ordering anything related to meat and meat dishes.
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Manaslu Circuit Trek requires 4 different permits -
1. Restricted Area Permits
2. Manaslu Conservation Area Permit
3. Annapurna Conservation Area Permit
4. Manaslu Tsum Numbri Rural Municipality Permit
Manaslu Circuit Trekking requires all the above permits along with the Licensed Trekking Guide for the region. Along with the aforementioned permits, the Guide’s trekking license is checked and recorded at all the Check points. During the trek, your permits would be carried by your Trekking Guide and given to you after crossing the final check post at Khudi near Besisahar.
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A gradual approach and pro-active management for Altitude gain and possible symptoms is the key to managing this trek for everyone.
As long as you have a decently active lifestyle, have participated in day hikes or limited multi-day hikes, know and understand the nuances of being outdoors in rugged environment and don't mind the basic amenities and facilities, Manaslu Circuit is very much accessible and doable trek. Given we take our time to have a gradual ascent, take extra days of rest or acclimatization if required and careful with your hydration cleanliness, the trek can be completed in a safe and enjoyable manner.
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In case of serious medical ailments or accidents or injuries, our best course of actions would be to get evacuated to the nearest city with better medical care and facilities. It is highly imperative and mandatory to have Trekking Insurance that covers the maximum elevation of at least 5500 meters with Helicopter evacuation.
There is a health post at Samagaun where we can present ourselves for general ailments. However, if the severity of the situation is high, we would call for a Heli Evacuation.
If you display symptoms of HACE or HAPE or Acute Mountain Sickness, then we would plan for immediate descent to lower elevation of at least 500 meters. Assisted with high altitude medication, we will further assess the symptoms, recovery situations and we will cancel the trek awaiting evacuation if the case presented has legitimate risks to your safety.
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Since Manaslu is a restricted area, helicopter flights are closely monitored and scrutinized. It is important to have valid Restricted Area Permits and Trekking Insurance. Having said that, a Heli evacuation can take up to 24-48 hours given the bureaucratic procedures in order to allow Helicopter flights into the region. Thus, any forms of altitude sickness should be proactively managed to allow for best possible outcomes.
Your insurance company depending on their policies might require pre-payment of all the incurred expenses which will later be reimbursed upon the submission of valid documents. You would be provided with all the receipts, medical reports, hospital documentation and local area reports, etc. that are required for the reimbursement of your expenses.
In light of many helicopter scams in the Trekking Industry, we would ensure that we only avail the service if it proves to be legitimate requirement of the situation.
We would contact your Insurance Company who then contacts their Agents in Nepal to start the medical evacuation process. We will also communicate with Helicopter company and forward them your Insurance Details, Permit Details, etc. in order for them to apply for Restricted Area Flight Permits. Meanwhile, we will also have medical report from local Health post and authorities at Samagaun or Samdo.
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For certain items such as Sleeping Bags, Trekking poles, Micro Spikes, it is possible to get these items from Thamel prior to the start of the trek. Sleeping Bags would generally cost NRs. 150 – NRs. 250 per day, Trekking Poles – NRs. 50 a pair, Micro Spikes – NRs. 50 a day, Down Jackets – NRs. 150 – NRs. 200 per day, etc. We would assist you in selecting these items for rent if you require on the Trek Preparation Day.
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We pride ourselves on the fair and above industry remunerations for our Trekking Guides and Trek Assists. Our treks are priced to reflect the compensation rates and we would not leave that burden with our clients. We genuinely believe that tips and remunerations should be the reflection of the service and the experience that our clients received.
While there are not a fixed guideline or mandate for tipping and remunerations, it is recommended at 10-20% of the total trek costs. For a trekking of 12-15 days, it can be viewed as about `120-150 USD to our Trek Assist and 150-180 USD for our Trekking Guides.
Please feel free to communicate with the Trek Leader/Trek Guide if you have any confusion or if you are worried about misinterpretation of this kind gesture.
Packing Guide and Downloadable List
Since we start at this trek from a very low elevation with sub-tropical temperatures to high alpine environment, it is imperative that we plan for the variation in the environment. Apart from the Trekking List that we sent to you, please make the following considerations:
Be prepared for warm, sub-tropical weather for the first 1-3 days of the trek depending upon the time of the year. It is important to pack Sun Hat, Full-sleeved Hiking Tshirt with SPF rating and Shorts/Breathable Summer Hiking Trousers.
We recommend preferably a loose-fitting Merino hiking t-shirt that you is super airy and lets your body to dissipate moisture and sweat. Second, you can have a light weight medium layer that you put on if the weather is on the cooler side. On your third layer, you can use your Gore-Tex shell to protect against Wind or Rain. We do not recommend putting on your Down Jackets whilst hiking to prevent overheating and over perspiration of your body.
You can purchase most of your Hiking Gears in Kathmandu at Thamel. You can get genuine items from western brands such as RAB, The North face, Black Diamond, La Sportiva, etc. Alternatively, you can also choose to look at budget friendly Nepalese brands such as Raeko, Everest Outfit, Kaemp 8848.
