Manaslu Circuit Trek

We drive out to Machha Khola today via Arughat and Soti Khola. It will be a 9-10 hour beautiful drive today, passing through villages, rolling hills, green rice fields, and rivers. This drive follows the Trisuli and Budi Gandakii Rivers through warm, picturesque areas and gives a glimpse of rural life within the Gorkha district of Mid-West Nepal. Stay overnight at a local guest house located amidst the picturesque valleys.

The next morning, trek upstream along the Buri Gandaki River to Machha Khola and overnight at this beautiful farming village. Continue to a scenic winding trail onto Tatopani to soak in its hot spring bath if time permits. Refreshed from this break, continue towards Yaruphant and further down to Jagat village. Cross this rather medium-sized farm village consisting of shops and stores locally available with the help of a brief suspension bridge.

From Jagat, higher up, we follow the path to villages with small farming villages, then on to the pretty Sidibas Bazaar. After some rest, you'll encounter a short climb followed by dropping down across the suspension bridge to Nagjet. Further on, a climb reaches you to Philim, a larger village with spread-out farmhouses. From here, the trail stays in golden wheat and barley terraces before climbing a rocky ridge and then entering a bamboo forest. Put a final leg to your day's journey with an overnight stay at the Dyang Village.

From Deng, follow a pretty forest, decorated with intricate Tibetan mani walls, hand-carved stone walls with Buddhist scriptures. The path stays on a very gentle uphill stroll, often wading through canyons before topping out in a broad open valley. Further along you'll pass through luscious forests of firs, oaks, and rhododendrons, then come to the lovely settlement of Namrung for your overnight stay. Distance about 19.5 km.

After this wonderful time spent in the village of Namrung, we embark on Shyala village. It takes about 6-7 hours. The trail is of gentle ascent and hence breathtaking while approaching the mountains. On the way, you'll pass by Lho village, immerse in local culture, historical Buddhist monasteries, and fantastic landscapes with views of mountains. Lho village, with its traditional houses, the largest Buddhist monastery in the zone, and all-round vistas of Mt. Manaslu and other peaks, is something special. Shyala commands magnificent views; it sees quite closely the rising Manaslu Himalayas and gives unparalleled views of Manaslu.

After breakfast, we shall pay a visit to the calm Pungyen Monastery, so much symbolic of the spiritual and cultural heritage of Manaslu, just giving a light glimpse into the unique traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. From here, we shall start our trek towards Samagaon through the scenic landscapes decorated with pine and juniper trees and spectacular peaks. Overnight stay in the beautiful village of Samagaun.

Take a crucial rest day for proper acclimatization before one continues to higher elevations and Larkya-La Pass. Take the day exploring local villages with a short hike. Our main hike today will be to the Manaslu Base Camp, the 8th highest base camp in the world, located at 4,620 meters above sea level. This 5 to 6 hour treks leads up to the visit of Birendra Lake, making this a worthy and memorable one. You will be surrounded by the natural essence and cultural richness around the Manaslu region. Manaslu Base Camp hike is more difficult when compared to Pungyen Gumpa. Also pack lunch, enough water, and all personal gear, including but not limited to a trekking pole, jacket for warmth, gloves, sunglasses, and a hat for warmth.

Today, it involves a 5-6 hour trek to Samdo, the last village before the Tibet border. This largest and highest village of the Larkya La Pass at 5,106 meters provides an opportunity to study the culture, traditions, and monasteries with the beauty of Manaslu Himalayas available in one framework. You will be very near to the Tibet border, so there are available as many Chinese goods as possible.

Enjoy a short trek to Larkya Phedi, also known as Dharmasala (4,600 meters), after a pleasant visit to Samdo village. The route involves crossing an icy stream and moving into a drier, more barren area. Although the trek is relatively easy, it includes a significant altitude gain. The morning walk involves a few hours of gradual ascent and descent, concluding at Larkya Phedi, the base of the pass. In the afternoon, relax with some leisure time or a short hike. We recommend ascending at least 200 meters upon reaching Dharmasala to aid acclimatization.

Start at early morning to summit the Larkya La Pass at 5,106 meters. It is a long and steep climb, with breathtaking views of hills and surrounding valleys one can view Mt. Manaslu, Larkya Peak, Bouddha Himal, Himalchuli, Peak 29 from the viewpoint. At the top of Larkya La, bedecked with Buddhist prayer flags, stunning panoramic scenery will await you for a viewpoint. Start your descent after this panoramic viewpoint to the Bhimthang village. The descent is slippery and demanding; hence, the use of crampons and a trekking pole is advisable. Overnight at Bhimthang village with a majestic valley view.

After cross the Larkya La Pass the walk past lovely downhill and much easy arrive in Gho village. Continue walking downhill to reach eventually at Tilje village. The walk through the surrounding cool, cool woodlands with rhododendrons, pines and oaks, few farm-houses and after crossing over Phurke Khola. The path from Bhimthang is all downhill and joins the main and popular Annapurna Circuit Trail. After crossing the Phurke Khola, continue past the beautiful home village of Tilje until you arrive at shared jeeps to Besisahar for the night. Overnight in a local guesthouse of your choice.

After breakfast, a locally available shared jeep can be hired to Besisahar. From Besisahar, we drive back to Kathmandu; this will take about 6 to 7 hours. For added comfort, we recommend opting for a private vehicle for the trip from Besisahar to Kathmandu. Our unforgettable adventure concludes in Kathmandu.

On your last day in Nepal, this land of Himalayan wonders, check out from the hotel according to your flight schedule. Transfer to the airport by our staff. Take nice memories of your out-of-the-ordinary adventure and leisurely time spent in Nepal.