Manaslu Circuit Trek 14 days, Manaslu Trek Departure 2024

Manaslu Circuit Trek is definitely one of the most alluring trails you could choose to go trekking in Nepal. In 14 days Manaslu Trek, you will not find crowds of trekkers like on Annapurna and Everest trails. Manaslu Trek is not that much difficult for regular trekker and climbers. People may be wondering about Manaslu Trek difficulty but for those who have previous trekking experience they may find this route easy. Inexperienced trekkers must be physically and mentally fit trek around Manaslu Circuit in 14 days.So beginners may find this trek a bit difficult since the trek is physically demanding. 

The world’s eighth highest peak may not be as famous as Everest and Annapurna, but it is really challenging due to its fickle weather.Many travelers have not heard about Manaslu trek so it is nice to trek with guide along. Because the trek is not as safe as others, you will not permit to go Manaslu Trek on your own. Manaslu Trek with a guide will give you information about villages and the mountains seen along trail.

Manaslu Trek is dangerous after 2015 earthquake due to landslides and rock fall.Make sure you are safe trek from Khorla Besi to Tatopani and in route to Yaru and after crossing the Larke Pass.The guides tell about more danger zone and keep you safe. There are not many tea house lodges around the places and during peak season finding a good lodge is a big problem. So, it is nice to book a proper night’s sleep beforehand by talking to owner of place you stayed a day earlier.The main problem might come at Dharmashala where there is only limited lodges with around certain rooms. Which is why it is advised to book in advance, otherwise you will have to spend the night in tents. 

For Manaslu Circuit Trek, we take a bus from Kathmandu to Arughat of Gorkha. From there, you can take a jeep or walk 5 hours to Soti Khola from where the trek normally starts. It is completely up to you where you start your trek from. After Soti Khola, it is time to stretch your happy feet along. The official Manaslu trek ends at Besisahar. However, you can short a little by catching a jeep from Dharapani.

Power and Communication on Manaslu Circuit Trek
Networks in the Manaslu trek is pretty poor so we advise to take a CD-MA SIM along with you as NTC and Ncell do not have proper connectivity around Manaslu trek.Besides the telephone network, the power in Manaslu Circuit is supplied through solar panels and local hydro power projects. Some places do not have access to power. The charging is easily facilitated in some places supported by hydro power projects. But you will definitely face difficulties in charging phones where solar power is used.

Manaslu Trek Seasons
The weather is not really favorable one while trekking in Manaslu during winter season. The monsoon season is about to end in starting of September month. The skies are pretty clear in winter with bright sunshine which lets trekkers enjoy the best views of sparkling snow capped peaks. Few rainfalls may occur in the month of September but it does not last long. Then, October temperature is at its best, it is very moderate. In November it is quite cold in higher elevation areas whereas lower elevation it is very cool. But in December the temperature rises in the freezing zone in higher altitude areas. 

Accommodation and Food on Manaslu Round Trek
The new tea house lodges are building up, so you will have twin sharing comfortable tea house lodges/home stay accommodation during Manaslu Trek Package. It is nice to bring a good sleeping bag  rated minus 20 degree with you. You will get three times meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner in a day. The breakfast and dinner need to have at the same tea house lodge you stay at the night, and lunch will take in a tea house or guesthouse on the way to the day destination. The choice of the meals do not vary like other trekking in Annapurna and Everest. You can mainly get Tibetan bread, dalbhat, tsampa porridge, noodle soup, muesli, porridge, omelette and boiled egg with tea and coffee. 

Manaslu Circuit Trek Difficulty
You need to walk 6 to 8 hours every day that covers 10 km to 18 km trek in distance. A previous trekking experience, positive attitude and strong determination will surely helpful  to enjoy the trek around Manaslu. It is also necessary to have lots of willpower, tolerance of harsh condition, good health and reasonable physical fitness. Medical and evacuation/rescue expenses are the responsibility of the trekkers travel insurance

Manaslu Trek Permit
You need three permits-ACAP, MCAP and Manaslu restricted area permit trekking to Manaslu Circuit. We will take care of your trek permit on your behalf once you book Manaslu Trek with us-The Mission Eco Trek & Expedition Pvt. Ltd.The Manaslu Circuit Trek isn’t possible to hike independently. You must hike with guide and there must be at least two people in your group as well as the guide.

Manaslu Round Trek Cost
Manaslu Trek package costs ranges from USD 1500 to USD 1800 and includes all transfers, accommodation, meals, permits, and even the hotel stay before and after the trek.

Internet, Wifi, Sim cards and staying Charged 
If you’re looking to stay connected while trekking the Manaslu Circuit, the options are fairly limited.

Wifi: Wifi is available at some guesthouses in places such as Samagaun, Samdo and Lho. There is however normally a charge for using the internet, and with slow speeds, you may end up wishing you hadn’t bothered. If there’s nothing urgent, our advice would be to wait until you get back from the mountains.Costs anywhere from $4 to $6 to use WiFi at the guesthouses. 

Sim Cards
4 G sim cards and packages can be bought at the airport, or from numerous vendors in the Thamel area of Kathmandu. They’re great in the city but as soon as you leave the coverage is patchy. We recommend Nepal Telecom and Ncell for 3G/4G coverage. It’s safe to say that in the mountains, neither are really any good.

Electricity: You will have to pay anywhere from $3 at low elevation to $5 to charge your power banks, cameras, and phones. The key is to get a fat power bank. Pay to charge that then charge everything from your power bank.Your power bank lets you charge your phone and camera batteries. Most of the places you stay let you charge your gear for an extra cost.

Day 01: Drive Kathmandu to Sotikhola (710m).
Take an early morning bus drive from Kathmandu to Soti khola via Dhading Besi on a nice, paved road enjoying the views of the hilly areas, terraces, fields and rivers. The drive from Dhading Besi to Arughat is a little rough one on rocky trails. From Arughat 2 more hour driver to reach Soti Khola and rest the night.
Day 02: Trek to Machhakhola (870m).
Breakast and trek for 6-7 hours through Sal forests, waterfalls and cliffs along the Budigandaki river past the terrace rice fields and up to a Gurung village of Labubesi. we climb behind a rocky cliff where the valley opens up. Walking through a sandy river bed, climbing over stone ridges and then again moving down to the river and crossing the suspension bridges, we climb behind a rocky cliff where the valley opens up. Walking through a sandy river bed, climbing over stone ridges and then again moving down to the river and crossing the suspension bridges, we reach Machcha Khola village and overnight at tea house.
Day 03: Trek to Jagat (1340m)
Breakfast and trek following a narrow trail to Khorlabesi. After a few ascends and descends, we reach a popular hot-spring, Tatopani. We will spend sometime here and can enjoy the natural sauna in the hot-spring and relieve all our tiredness and stress of the trek. we climb another ridge and cross the Budhi Gandaki on another suspension bridge. After this, we climb a staircase and then cross a landslide and a ridge to reach Doban. After crossing a suspension bridge, we again climb stone staircase then go down to the river and climb some stairs again to reach Thado Bharyang. Then we cross the west bank of Budhi Gandaki, climb over a ridge, walk along the river to reach the village of Jagat where we spend the night.
Day 04: Trek to Deng(1860m)
Breakfast and first trek to Salleri after climbing a rocky ridge and then go towards Sirdibas. We continue to Ghatta Khola and then walk upstream through a long suspension bridge to reach a Gurung village in Phillim. From the lower points of the village, the trail turns north and through leveled trails amidst maize fields, we reach Ekle Bhatti, where you will have lunch and continue our trip from a steep gorge and then descend through grassy slopes to cross the Budhi Gandaki and then cross bridges from west to east bank and back again. As the trail widens, we pass through bamboo forests to reach the Deng Khola. After crossing the river, we reach the tiny Deng village where we spend the night.
Day 05: Trek to Namrung (2630m).
Breakfast and a short trek from Deng and then we cross the Budhi Gandaki and climb to reach Rana. From here we climb for a while and then head west to Budhi Gandaki valley. The trail passes through forests and painted Mani stones and a corner from where we reach Ghap. Then we take the trail through Prok village which allows us to witness the beautiful view of Siring Himal. We follow the river, crossing it at many places and pass through dense forests and Gompas along the way. After crossing the river at a gorge, the trail becomes leveled and after a last steep climb, we reach Namrung where we stay the night. Namrung is the best view point for Sringy and Ganesh Himal as well as Mt. Himal Chuli.
Day 06: Trek to Lho (3180m).
From Namrung a steep climb and passage through forests take us to Lihi, a village well known for its chortens and barley terraces. After crossing the side valley of Simnang, we pass through Sho and then reach Lho where we spend the night. Late afternoon visit the local monastery after you reached there.
Day 07: Trek to Samagaun (3500m).
Breakfast and trek to Samagaun via Shyala village offers the amazing views of Mount Manaslu and explore the famous Ribung Gompa. The breathtaking view of the high mountains along with glaciers is the highlight of the trip. We stay in Samagaon for the night.
Day 08: Acclimatizing day at Samagaun.
This day is set aside to rest and acclimatize to the increasing altitudes. We stay in Samagaon and explore the surrounding areas or visit Birendra Tal and Anie Gompa. The main attraction of the day is the Pungyen Gompa with a spectacular view of the glaciers but it rather log day only recommended for the fit hikers. It is situated on a hill near Samagaon. We hike up to the Gompa named after the two peaks of Manaslu which means bracelet. It was destroyed when the Japanese first tried to summit the peaks. It was believed that the expedition to reach the summit might have angered the Gods. After the detour, we come back to Samagaon and spend the night there.
Day 09: Trek to Samdo (3860m).
Breakfast and trek following the Budhi Gandaki River up to a stream which we cross on a suspension bridge. From here we take the trail on the right to Larkya la. It is a fairly easy trail, passing through Mani walls and juniper and birch forests. We again cross a bridge over Budhi Gandaki and continue forward. From a stone arch, we can see a kani and after crossing it, we reach Samdo where we spend the night.
Day 10: Trek to Dharamasala (4480m).
Breakfast and trek crossing a wooden bridge over Budhi Gandaki River and begin a hike upwards. After crossing a few streams and seeing a glimpse of the Larkya glacier, we go around a valley and make our way upwards again to reach a guesthouse called Dharmashala. This short walk to Larke Phedi provides enough time and rest to acclimatize for the further trek.
Day 11: Cross the Larke pass (5213m) trek down to Bimtang (3720 m).
Early  morning breakfast and the hardest day of whole 14 days Manaslu circuit trek. We trek a short climb and reach a valley on the north side of Larkya glacier with exquisite views of Larkya peak. We ascend the moraines of a glacier which becomes quite steep at the end before reaching the pass. From the top of the Larya La Pass, you can enjoy the breathtaking views of Himlung, Cheo, Kanggru and the Annapurna. It is a longer walk than other days and you reach the guesthouse among the low pastures at the dim lights of dusk. When we finally reach Bhimtang, the exquisite view of Mount Manaslu makes every step worth it.
Day 12: Bimtang to Tilije (2300m).
Breakfast and enjoying the splendid views of the mountains from a ridge in Bhimtang, we trek down towards a high pasture and then a bridge over Dudh Khola. We walk through rhododendron forests, narrow valleys and fields before making a climb to the river bank that leads to the village of Gho. A short walk takes us to Tilije with better accommodation options where we spend the night.
Day 13: Trek to Dharapani and drive to Besishar (760m).
Breakfast and trek in a stone paved path passing through a beautiful village and then cross a bridge over Dudh Khola, move past an arch and Mani walls to get to the Thonje village. After passing through a police check point we make our way towards Dharapani from where we enter the Annapurna circuit section. From Dharapani we take sharing Jeep drive from Dharapani to Besishahar which takes 4-5 hours. We spend a our last night of the trek at Besishahar.
Day 14: Besishahar to Kathmandu.
Breakfast and We drive along the banks of Marsyangdi and Trishuli River, witnessing the beautiful scenery of rice fields, terrace farms, rivers and valleys and refreshing views of the hilly areas and mountains. After a few hours’ journey we reach Kathmandu where we will spend the last night in Nepal.

Cost Includes

• Kathmandu/Sotikhola by bus transfer
• Dharapani to Besishahar by sharing jeep  transfer
• Besishahar to Kathmandu by bus transfer
• 3 time meals-breakfast, lunch and dinner during the trek.
• Basic twin sharing tea houses accommodations during the trek.
• Manaslu Special Restricted Area Permit Which required minimum 2 people in the group
• Manaslu Conversation Area Project ( MCAP Permit)
• Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP Permit)
• TIMS (Trekkers' Information Management Systems)
• English speaking guide with all his salary, food, drinks, accommodation, transport and insurance.
• Government taxes and company service charge

• Meals and hotel in Kathmandu.
• Nepal entry visa fee.
• International airfare.
• Personal expenses like telephone, hot shower, wifi, laundry, battery charge fee.
• Any kind of drinks like tea, coffee, water, hot water and of bar bills like coke, fanta, beer, whisky.
• Porter to carry your luggage.
• Travel Insurance in case of emergency for helicopter rescue and other medication.
• Tips for the guide, porter and driver
• Private car or jeep transfer- Kathmandu to Soti Khola and Dharapani to Kathmandu.
• Extra night accommodation or meals in Kathmandu because of early arrival, late departure and early return from trekking due to any reason than the scheduled itinerary.
• All the cost  not mention on above cost.

Manaslu Trek Guide 
A guide is required on this trek and the guide manages all of the logistics, distances, directions, and tea houses. The directions are not always very clear like on the Everest Base Camp trek and having the guide manage all of the logistics is great.The Manaslu Circuit Trek does require a guide. Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Circuit can be done independently but the rules on the Manaslu Circuit are stricter about having a guide.

Money-Everything is payable in the local currency, Nepalese Rupees (NPR).Take plenty of small denomination notes as change is not readily available on the trail, particularly at higher altitudes. Also beware that ATM have max withdrawal amounts, and your bank may have a max daily withdrawal limit, so you may not be able to withdraw the total amount that you need all in one day. The amount of money you need to take on the Manaslu Circuit Trek will depend on whether you’re on an inclusive tour or not. If you are on an inclusive tour then you’ll only need money for any snacks or drinks over and above what’s included in your package. If you are paying as you go, then you’ll need to have enough cash to cover all costs: accommodation, food, drink, etc.

Manaslu Trek Packing List
We would suggest to take what you need and make your bag as light as possible.You can expect to need more warm clothes in the colder months. Also, crampons may be needed if there’s ice and snow on the pass. On the other hand, if you plan to trek with a porter then this will make choosing what to take a bit easier – just don’t overload your porter of course. Also, bear in mind that it’s very common to leave excess baggage at hotels and guesthouses in Kathmandu.

1 Rucksack-60 L to 70 L
1 Sleeping Bag
1 pair of pants that maybe convert to shorts
1 pair of shorts
1 Warm or thicker pair of hiking pants
1 Long sleeve quick-dry shirt
1 Long-sleeve thermal shirt
2 Short-sleeve t-shirts
1 Thermal long underwear
4 pairs of quick-dry underwear
1 Lightweight down jacket
1 Heavy-duty summit down jacket
1 Beanie
1 Cap
Sunglasses
1 Neck Buff
Gloves
Hiking boots
Microspikes
Head torch
Gaiters
1 pair of warm summit socks
2 pairs of regular socks
Sunscreen
Trekking poles
Water filter
Power bank

Insurance for the Manaslu Circuit Trek
Travel insurance is compulsory trekking in Manaslu because the high altitude can lead to many illnesses, weakness in trekkers, and misjudgments. There is also a risk on trails for falls, avalanches, or other mishaps. 

Best Seasons Trekking Manaslu Circuit
Autumn-The best time to go trekking in Manaslu is from September to November. The weather is generally dry and clear, with warm sunny days and excellent visibility. There’s a lower likelihood of weather related natural disasters at this time of year, making for a much safer trekking environment. Furthermore, given that it’s the best season, it’s also the busiest.

Spring-The spring season from March to May is considered to be the next best option. The weather is generally clear although a little colder, particularly at higher altitudes. Mornings are sunny and flowers are in bloom. There is however a higher chance of rain, or even snow, and melting ice increases the chances of landslides or avalanches.

Summer-June to August is to be avoided. The monsoon is responsible for warm and wet weather, with cloud and mist making visibility extremely poor. You can hardly see a mountain. Leeches are a big problem at this time of year, as is the risk of landslides. As the Manaslu Region was one of the worst affected by the 2015 earthquake, there are many landslide areas – these can be more dangerous in wet weather.

Winter-In the winter, from December to February, temperatures in higher altitudes plunge. Snow and ice make this time of year unsuitable for the Manaslu Circuit Trek.

Drinking Water
The Manaslu Circuit is physically demanding and drinking plenty of water is a must.Drinking lots of water helps you acclimatize. Please drink at least three liters of water while trekking each day.Use an effective sterilization method to make sure your water is safe to drink.Purification tablets (we always have a few strips of these as a backup) and the Steripen is a perfect means sterilization the drinking water.Bottled water and hot water is available to buy throughout the trek, the cost ranges from USD 3 to USD 5 per liters.

Nepal Visa
Tourist visas are available on arrival at Kathmandu-Tribhuvan International Airport and at all land border crossings that are open to foreign travellers. While this is available for most foreigners, citizens of some countries are required to get a visa prior to arrival, while those from SAARC countries can get their visa free of charge.There are three different visa options and prices: Multiple Entry 15 Days – 30 USD, 30 Days – 50 USD and 90 Days – 125 USD. In order to get a visa on arrival you’ll need four things:

One passport size photo
A passport valid for at least six months
At least one blank page in your passport
The visa fee in cash (US Dollars is best)