Manaslu Circuit Trek

With the amazing view of the mountains and Kathmandu Valley’s aerial views from the plane, you will land at the TIA Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. Meanwhile, Kathmandu is situated at the elevation of 1350 meters inside a cavernous hollow covered by circular greenish hills.

Once you arrive at the airport you just complete the formalities there and head towards the terminal gate after claiming your luggage. At the terminal point, a representative member from Mission Himalaya Treks will be there with your name card banner to welcome you and transfer you to the hotel. With the help of his guidance, you just check in to the hotel and rest for a while.

Afterward in the evening, we will organize tour information and guidelines programs with your trek leader. He will explain the Manaslu Circuit Trekking route, Itinerary, and exclude and Includes every single piece of information required for the trek. After listening to his point you too can question straightaway if you have had any doubts.

After completing the meeting you will check your equipment for the Manaslu circuit trek. If you don’t have all the required gear, depending on your interest, we will take you to either buy or rent those gear. For your information, trekkers can rent or buy new gear straight away from the local shops in Thamel. Markedly, numerous shops here provide the facilities to rent or buy trekking gear near your hotels.

On this day you will explore a few UNESCO properties inside Kathmandu Valley.

Boudhanath stupa and Pashupatinath

The exploration starts from the world’s biggest Boudhnath Stupa. It is primarily a Tibetan Buddhist holy site and the heart of Tibetan refugees. According to legends and evidence,  this stupa dates to the 4th century AD.

The peaceful setting of this Stupa is way more attractive. Further, each part of this Buddhist Structure showcases some meaningful information.

After spending some meaningful time at the Boudhanath Stupa location we will take you to the Pashupatinath Temple. Chiefly, Pashupatinath is a supreme god named Mahadeva and the temple of Pashupatinath is a remarkable holy spot for Hindus Devotees around the world. This Nepali pagoda-style temple was constructed in the 5th to 6th century AD. This Shiva Temple is located alongside the Bagmati holy river.

It is also the spot where you can see the Hindu Cremation ceremony. Many Hindus carry their dead body to the aryaghat just behind this Pashupati temple. Only Hindus are permitted to pray and enter the main temple. However, people of other religions can observe this temple from behind the temple and the opposite of Aryaghat in the east.

Hanumandhoka Durbar Square

The third monument you will visit on this day tour is Hanumandhoka Durbar Square. Meanwhile, it is a 5km driving distance away from Pashupatinath Temple. This medieval castle is one of the three major royal palaces inside the heart of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur.

Numerous Malla and Shah Dynasty kings made those numerous temples and palaces those roofs in pagoda styles. Many of those royal palace erections were destroyed during the 2015 April 25 earthquake.

The Living Goddess Kumari Temple, a single wooden temple Kastamandap, the Kings temple Taleju, the biggest stone statue Kal Bhairav, and Tribhuvan Museum, with the attractive square which is filled with wooden architecture stone arts, and ancient jewels undeniably sprinkle the Kathmandu old royal durbar square.

Swoyambhunath Temple

Thereon, we will head to the main shrine of Swayambhunath which is at 15 minutes of hiking distance from Bhagwan pau. This temple is well-liked by both Buddhist and Hindu devotees. As per the native, the Monkey temple was constructed by the Mahayana Bodhisatta after clearing the Kathmandu lake water.

If the weather and sky are clear, from the Swayambhunath location visitors can enjoy the nearby hill, the Himalayas, and the spectacular view of Kathmandu. As soon as the sightseeing is complete, we will take you back to your respective hotels.

After the morning meal in the Kathmandu hotel, we will commence of Manaslu Circuit Trek driving journey from Kathmandu. Taking a private car or local bus we will head to Nepal's old highway named Prithivi Highway towards Machakhola. Macha Khola leads the sideroads of Dhading or Gorkha and along the right-side trails from Prithivi highway which is apart from Benighat or Gorkha.

On the way, you will get to enjoy the rapid flow of river Gandaki which is also the mix of the Tsum stream of mountain land of Tibetans. In addition, during the drive, you can also observe Lapubesi, a big Gurung brave community.

All in all, the drive will take us to the countryside regions, showcasing tiny villages, greenish cultivation lands, and the river banks of hilly regions. Today's drive ends unusually without the concrete and dusty roads from Arughat to Macha Khola. This last portion of the drive is tiresome for travelers heading to Macha Khola.

However, this adventure drive on bumpy roads with numerous topography covering woodland, cultivated fields, stony scenery, meandering rivers and streams, and a pleasing waterfall cascade, makes the trekkers feel astonished while bringing a cherished smile to their faces.

The stop for today is Macha Khola which is located at the side of the Budi Gandaki river.

Once we complete our first Himalayas morning meal and coffee, we will start our first-day trek. The trail today leads us to the ravine while continuing alongside the river. The starting portion of the trek trail was tapering in the past few days but due to road construction, it is a little wide. Proceeding slightly uphill and downhill walk we will cross the suspension bridge before attaining Khorlabesi village over the Tharo Stream. After a few steps of gently uphill and downhill walk from there, we will reach Tatopani which means small Natural Hot springs. Tatopani is probably the best destination for short rest for very trekkers to the Manaslu region.

After Tatopani, the trails again gently uphill to the next narrow hilltop. During this trek, we will pass the Budhi Gandaki river via a suspension bridge. Thereon, we need to walk over some stony ladder-like structures to reach uphill Dobhan Village. Upon reaching the Dobhan village we will again cross the beautiful bridge over the Yarukhola stream. Our next step from there will take us to the uphill trails of Tharo Pass Trekking over that pass we will eventually reach Jagat, a beautiful Gurung Village. The trek trail near the Jagat sometimes lets us take a glimpse of Black Face Monkey which is also known as Langur by the locals.

An inspiring view of Sringri Mountain(7187m) greets us at the start of today's trek. In this part, we can also observe a fascinating countryside village. On the farmlands, we can see the traditional way of cultivation where farmers plow the field with most of the time bulls and sometimes men.

This scenic trekking route further offers plenty of Himalayan tops and cliffsides, waterfalls, pine and rhododendron trees, Bamboo forests, and a few streams like Deng stream with some suspension bridges. Before hiking to Sirdibas, we can catch the glimpse of some rural settlements while hiking through the huge subtropical forest, with different scenery, and huge sub-tropical forest before hiking Sirdibas. After passing Salleri village we will grab our lunch at Sirdibas.

Our trekking today leads to the gorge along the Ghattekhola stream valley. Before reaching Philim we will cross the long bridge over the river and can observe millet, Corn, and Potato farms where the locals made a popular wine from these grains. Today, we will hike for a long time on the western ridge of the Budigandaki river. Continuing the trek we will find ourselves at the Deng stream. We will cross the stream. After crossing the Deng stream we will reach Deng village. Deng village is a popular Tibetan Buddhist village with numerous, chortens, prayer flags, Mani painting walls, and amazing Himalayan vistas. Overnight at Deng village.

At the beginning of the day, we will take our breakfast in Deng. After breakfast, we will continue our trek of the day. As we will be trekking through the culturally vibrant village on this day, the trekking today is probably the most momentous one. Furthermore, it is the same day on which the Himalayas starts to appear in distance.

If we choose to trek through the trails along the prok village we can witness beautifully snowcovered Singri Mountain. Throughout the trek, we will cross the Gandaki river suspension bridge many times. During the walk, we can also see several Buddhist monasteries on the trail.

A hike today starts in huge forests and ends when the woodlands thin out. Before reaching Namrung Village we will climb for 1 hour on the steep trail.

Waking up early in the morning we will go for a walk in the village of Namrung. The walk lets us have a great view of the Shringi Himalayas and Ganesh Himal to the north and Himal Chuli in the southern part. After the walk, we will proceed with our further trek. At the beginning part of the trek, we need to climb steep trails until Lihi- a rural place housing numerous Buddhist temples and barley farmlands.

We will take our lunch break in Lho village after Sho. While passing Lho village we will relish the enchanting Manaslu north view. It is especially from Ribung/Ribum Monastery in Lho we will witness the captivating Manaslu North View. Proceeding the trek from there we can enjoy the scene of Himal Chuli mountain, Ngadi Chuli Himalaya aka peak 29 on the left-hand side, Manaslu north, and its huge glaciers on the fronts and in the righthand side direction Ganesh Himalayan Ranges. Upon reaching Samagaun, we will terminate our trek for the day.

Besides mountains, the journey of this day also grants us to observe the village people in their traditional Buddhist attire named Chubas. Locals trust that the name of Tsum Valley of this region came from these costumes.

The views of  Manaslu North (7157m), Naike Peak (5515m), and Manaslu (8163m) are the highlights of the day.

Today we can observe some ancient Buddhist gates named “Kani”. Surrounded by the Ngadi Chuli Himalayas and Manaslu Himalayan ranges, the village of Samagaun showcase the best Manaslu and other mountain vistas. However, what we have to do care most is the proper acclimatization rest to cope with the increasing altitude.

On this day, we will have the option to do long acclimatization hiking along the Manaslu Base Camp. It takes around 8 hours for a round trip. Alternatively, we can also go for Punggen Monastery hiking which is of 4 hours round trip. We will do this hiking only if the snow level is normal. Trekking along the Manaslu Base Camp offers the beautiful scene of Tumbling icefall, glaciers, a Himalayan Birendra Tal or Lake, and Nubri gorge itself. During the climbing season, we can also sometimes see the tented camps at Manaslu Base Camp.

Trekkers who like just a short acclimatization hike can certainly go to the greenish-blue color lake Birendra which comes from the Manaslu glaciers. Thousands of mani walls and stones, local dress and ornaments in Samagaun village, and the enchanting views of glaciers from monastery hikes or Birendra lake hikes are the attraction of the day.

After the morning breakfast, we will descend to the Budhi Gandaki River and continue the walk along the riverside till we encounter a bridge over the stream nearby. The walk today is not an easier one. Trekking along the Juniper and Birch forest we will reach Kermo Kharka from where there is a steep climb to the alpine region. Walking at a slow pace we will reach Samdo village, Also known as the village of Yak, Samdo is the trade route for Tibet due to the close border in Tibet.

Samdo village is the last village before crossing Larkya la pass. Though you will pass Dharmashala before Larkya La there are no settlements of people in Dharmasala. In Dharmashala, there are just hotels. In June, July, and August some business can occur near this village.

Today's attractions are prayers/the Tibetan flag, mani painted walls. These all make Samdo look like a tiny part of Tibet.

Few trekkers who acclimatize in Samdo have 2 options for hiking.

Challenging hiking named Gya La pass situated on the northern side of Samdo. It is also a business trail in Tibet and is very difficult and takes a full day of trekking. This trail is not suitable for beginner trekkers.

Another acclimatization trek is just at the back side of Samdo village which is also a traditional route to Tibet. This route offers the picturesque scene of Mt. Manaslu, Kang Guru, Himalchuli, and Ngadi Chuli range with Larkya Peak. Some lucky trekkers can observe snow Himalayas leopard, Himalayan Lhopophorus Impagenous birds, and mountain griffins during the trekking.

Today we will start trekking along the trade market route in this region namely Larkya Bazaar and downhill to the river valley Budi Gandaki. After the downhill trek, we will walk over the wooden bridge and then continue the further uphill trek observing the huge Larkya Glaciers on the left side of the trek trail. Following the trail to Salka stream Valley, we will join the uphill trek to Dharmashala or Larkya Pass Phedi or Larkya La Base Camp. We will spend the remaining time doing some easy acclimatization hiking.

Close-up view of mountains and the glimpse of some Blue sheep will add flavor to our journey. The alpine topography of this elevated region is no less than any heavenly paradise. As we will be crossing the Larkya La Higher pass the next day we will go to the bed early for an early wake-up.

Sycha glacier Manaslu view and Larkya Himal is the main attraction today.

The trekking of this day is the most difficult and longest trekking of this adventure. We will wake up quite earlier and take a heavy breakfast as there will be no place for lunch in between the trek. Due to the challenging adventure routes, we will pack some lunch for the trails. We can observe the close scene of glacial lakes, attractive hollows/valleys, and numerous snow-covered Himalayan ranges.

After a few hours of hiking from Larke Phedi, we will walk over the northern part of Larkya la Glaciers. We can witness the closeup views of Larkya Peak and Cho Danda Close in the routes. Long ascends over the glaciers make the trek a bit difficult. From the top of the pass, 5160m we can observe huge Annapurna II and Himlung Himal, and Cheo Mountain. Furthermore, the views of the Kangaru and Gyaji Himalayan ranges make our trekking more fascinating.

Some trekkers find the 1500 meters of steep down trails more challenging. From the trail, one can observe the Manaslu summit. Most of part of this trail is covered with ice and snow so,  while trekking at this part we will carry crampons. Once we reach Bhimtang we will take proper rest to drive away the tiredness of the whole stressful day.

Glacier Moraine, a frozen glacier lake, the scenery of huge Himalayan peaks like Kang Guru (6980m), Gyaji Kung (&030m) Cheo Mountain (6820m), and Himlung Himal (7126m), Larkya pass are the chief attraction of this day.

After two days of trekking in alpine land with no grassland, we will today trek through the huge pine woodlands and greenery pasturelands. Proceeding the trek from Bhimtang, we will eventually follow the Dudh streams river and meet the Marshyangdi River at Dharapani.

The trail in between will therefore allow us to explore the small settlements in Surki and Gho. After a few steps of trekking from these settlements, we will therefore move down to the beautiful Gurung Village namely Tilije. It is here we will take our lunch. As this village is popular for apple slider and brandy production, if you are interested you can have a taste of it.

From Tilije we will continue our further trek to Dharapani. On the opposite of Dharapani, the small Gurung settlement with beautiful Buddhist gates and other related relics drag our attention for a while. We will stay for this day at Dharapani. Dharapani is the junction point where the trekker of Annapurna Circuit and Manaslu Circuit trekkers met.

This day greets us well with the giant Himalayan ranges like Lamjung Himalayas, Annapurna 2, Manaslu, and Cheo Himal. On this trekking day, the huge farmlands in Karche and other villages show up all the way around. During the spring trekkers can observe the national flower jungle named Rhododendrons.
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Mt. Manaslu (8163m) enchanting scene, with diverse agricultural topography, cultivated farmland, Dudh Khola, and a village-like Goa namely Tilije are the main attraction of the day.

We will grab our breakfast in the Himalayas in front of the Marshyangdi riverside before a jeep drive from Dharapani. Passing through several villages of Tal, Chamche, Jagat, Syange, and numerous villages we will continue our driving journey. Throughout the way, we can observe the trekking trails, stony ridges of Annapurna, many suspension bridges over rivers, and hydroelectricity project buildings on the Marshyangdi riversides. Further, terrace farmlands, flower forest, influent waterfall and likewise appears in our sight all day.

After a long drive from Dharapani, we will reach Kathmandu. In the evening, we will greet you with a farewell dinner on the occasion of the Manaslu trek success.

Due to the paved trails luxury car cannot pick you up from Dharapani so according to your booking we can send a private luxury car to Besishahar. You can share your trek Manaslu experience with our representative. It is the day we will provide the certificate of trek completion from our company.

It is the final day of your Manaslu Adventure journey. If it’s your flight day depending on your flight schedule we will transfer you to the TIA. In Kathmandu's 3-star hotel, if time allows, we will serve you a delectable breakfast. If your flight is in the evening, you can happily go shopping to buy gifts for your family and friend from the Himalayas country Nepal. When not shopping, you can have a massage or just wander the narrow road surrounding the neighborhood market.

We will expect you to see the next Himalayas journey with Mission Himalaya Treks.