Manaslu Circuit Trek-19 days Manaslu Trek cost & dates 2023/2024

Manaslu Trek is 19 days stunning trek around Mt Manaslu with Kathmandu Tour. This Manaslu Circuit Trek offers an immense opportunity to experience mountain scenery and its culture.Besides, Manaslu Trek is possibly the best trek is getting more and more popular as a new trekking destination in Nepal.You will see few trekkers compared to Annapurna and Everest Trek.In 19 days Manaslu Trek, you will walk through a geographically spectacular and culturally fascinating area, scenery is similar to Annapurna circuit trek.

The Manaslu Circuit Trek via Larkya La Pass is a part of great Himalayan trail.The tea house lodge to lodge trek to Manaslu has everything including Hindu and Buddhist culture, protected wildlife, rhododendron and wild flowers, raging river, precarious bridges and stunning mountain scenery. The trek is much easier than it used to be with greatly improved trails along the Budhi Gandaki river gorge. In terms of difficulty, the Manaslu circuit trek is similar to Annapurna circuit and Everest base camp trek.

More than 5,000 trekkers trek around Manaslu each year with more than half visiting in October/November. It is also good idea to make a side trip to Tsum valley, and Manaslu Base Camp and Tibet border if you have long enough time and also possible to combine Manaslu Trek with the Annapurna circuit from Dharapani, continue to Manang and over the Thorong La Pass at 5416 m. 

Manaslu Trek Difficulty
The paths are mostly in good condition. No technical skills are required so the act of walking is pretty straightforward. The physical effort required, it clearly helps to be as fit as possible. Saying that, you don’t have to be an athlete, far from it. People of all ages and levels of fitness complete the Manaslu Circuit Trek. The key point to remember is to hike at your own pace.Over the course of the trek, you ascend in altitude from 700 m to 5106 m. Much of the route, particularly in the early days, involves plenty of up and down – descending to cross the river, ascending again, then repeating the process further along the trail.

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 Trek Accommodation
Accommodation is in guesthouses often called tea houses along the way.Rooms generally are more basic than on the Annapurna Circuit trek.Rooms have two single beds and usually a small window. Pillows and blankets are always provided but a sleeping bag is a must (don’t expect the blankets to be particularly fresh or clean). Think of the blanket as supplementary to your sleeping bag when it gets cold. You also have access to hot shower for an extra cost.

Toilets-There are most often shared toilet facilities rather than en-suite bathrooms on the Manaslu Circuit Trek. These can be inside the main building or in an outhouse. It can be a western style toilet or a squat. Things tend to become more basic in places at higher altitude. You’ll need to have your own toilet paper, and soap isn’t always provided so make sure you have hand sanitizer too. Generally speaking, used toilet paper goes in a bin (read battered old metal can or such like) next to the toilet. You flush the squat toilet by scooping water out of the nearby bucket with whatever receptacle is provided.

Dining Room-There’s always a dining room where meals are served, and it’s a good place to get to know your fellow trekkers. The higher you go, there will usually be a fire in the dining room around dinner time, although this is by no means guaranteed.

Hot Shower- Showers are available over the first few days, but chances for a hot shower dwindle the higher you go. Gas needs to be transported by mules and it’s more important for cooking and heating. It’s sometimes possible to get one for a fee, but you might be standing in a cold room under a spray with very little pressure. Best to be prepared to keep yourself clean with wet wipes and look forward to a hot shower when you reach Dharapani.

Food on Manaslu Trek
Food and drink on the Manaslu Circuit is similar to what you find on Nepal’s other treks, although options are usually more limited than on busier routes like the Annapurna Circuit. Those options become even more limited throughout the trek as altitude increases, while prices go up as the cost of fuel and transporting goods gets higher.

You have to eat dinner and breakfast at your guesthouse you stay. Lunch will generally be at a different place somewhere along the trail unless it’s a short day and you arrive at your destination earlier.Try to order the same as the people you’re trekking with. Your food will usually arrive more quickly and less fuel will be needed to cook it.Think carefully before ordering meat. Refrigeration, storage and kitchen standards mean that eating veggie is the safest option.

Dal Bhat- Dal Bhat is a combination of dal (lentils), veg curry, pickle, rice and vegetables, this staple of the Nepali diet is a great option. It comes with a guaranteed refill of rice and curry, and usually some extra dal too. The vegetable component varies depending on what or if there’s anything growing in the garden (and it pretty much disappears the last few days before the Larke Pass). Dal Bhat is what all guides and porters eat so it’s constantly being prepared, unlike more western style dishes which always have to be made to order. And as the whole cooking process requires less energy, this means that it’s better for the environment too.

Breakfast-Breakfast include porridge, pancakes, omelettes, boiled eggs, and various breads (Tibetan bread, buckwheat bread, chapatis, and so on).

Main Dishes-Standard dishes on menus are soups, pasta dishes, various fried rice dishes, momos, a kind of dumpling, pizzas, and of course, Dal Bhat. Some dishes have meat options but this is something to be wary of. Lots of dishes have egg and some tuna from a can. 

Drinks-Hot drinks are on the menu at every guesthouse, with an often huge range of options stretching from regular black tea and coffee to Masala tea, lemon ginger honey tea, and hot chocolate.

Manaslu 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-4G 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: Arrive in Kathmandu.
On arrival at Kathmandu airport, we will receive there and transfer to Hotel. Free day on your own and trekking briefing in the afternoon.
Day 02: Kathmandu sightseeing Tour
We have a free day in Kathmandu. In the morning we have a guided tour of some of the city's most memorable sights. The afternoon is free for relaxing or further independent sightseeing.
Day 03: Kathmandu to Arughat.
From Kathmandu we drive through the foothills of the Himalaya to the village of Arughat Bazaar (670m) in the Burhi Gandaki Valley where we check into a lodge.
Day 04: Trek to Soti Khola.
Depending on the road condition we will drive or trek through the villages of Arket and Kyropani to reach the confluence of the Burhi Gandaki with its tibutary Soti Khola.
Day 05: Trek to Machha Khola (890m)
We continue our ascent of the Burhi Gandaki on an undulating trail, finally climbing to reach the village of Machha Khola (890m).
Day 06: Trek to Jagat (1410m)
We travel through forests of bamboo and rhododendron and then sections where the trail climbs high above the river to negotiate deep gorges, before arriving at a wide and open part of the valley. Here we check into a lodge in the village of Jagat (1410m).
Day 07: Trek to Deng (1860m)
We trek through terraced hillside on an undulating trail. We cross the river on a suspension bridge at Nagjet and recross to climb to Nyak. From here the trek continues to the Gurung village of Deng (1860m), a superb viewpoint for the peaks of the Shringi Himal to the north east. We ovenight in a lodge at Deng.
Day 08: Trek to Namrung (2630m)
Descending to the river we cross to the east bank before continuing north. We traverse a very dramatic section of the gorge as the river turns towards the west and we reach the Bhuddist village of Ghap (2040m). Crossing now to the south bank, we continue to Namrung (2630m) where there is a check post. Overnight in a lodge.
Day 09: Trek to Lho (3150m)
Climbing steadily we enter the alpine zone and get our first views of Manaslu North. Our lodge tonight is in the village of Lho (3150m).
Day 10: Trek to Sama Gaun.
We are surrounded by the snowy peaks of Kutang Himal to the north east and Manaslu to the south west. We pass the village of Shala before reaching Sama Gaon (3520m) which has a Gompa with impressive views of Manaslu. We check into one of the several lodges of this village.
Day 11: Acclimatize day in Sama Gaun.
We have a shorter day today, climbing up to the last permanent settlement in the valley at Somdu (3860m.). This is as high as we can go for today until we are better acclimatised to the new altitude.
Day 12: Trek to Samdo.
An important day for acclimatisation and also a welcome rest day at Somdu. It is also possible to climb above Samdu to a viewpoint peak Overnight at the lodge.
Day 13: Trek to Dharamsala (4450m)
Passing the trail to the Gya La, a centuries old trading route into Tibet, we ascend to Duwang (4450m) also known as Dharamsala. There is a basic lodge here or we may opt to stay in tents.
Day 14: Trek to Bimthang (3855m)
A big day but with the reward of sensational views of the Himalaya as we climb to the Larkya La (5135m) and descend to Bimthang (3855m. We will want to celebrate tonight! Overnight in a lodge.
Day 15: Trek to Dharapani (1963m)
We have excellent views of Manaslu and Annapurna II as we descend through the villages of Kharche, Gho and Tilje to reach Dharapani (1963m), where we meet the Annapurna Circuit trail. Overnight in a lodge in Dharapani.
Day 16: Trek to Jagat.
We are now in the Marsyangdi valley on a suddenly busy trail and we are likely to pass many trekkers just starting out on their Annapurna Circuit. At Jagat (1300m) we are back in the humid sub tropics and we check into our last lodge of the trek here.
Day 17: Jagat to Besisahar.
From Jagat we drive on a rough road by 4X4 vehicles as far as the large town of Beshisahar.
Day 18: Besisahar to Kathmandu.
After breakfast here we transfer to a bus for the final journey back through the foothills to Kathmandu where we check into hotel.
Day 19: Kathmandu airport
Final transfer to Kathmandu airport to get flight back to home.

Cost Included:

• Bus transfer- Kathmandu/Soti Khola/Besishahar/Kathmandu.
• Twin sharing tea house accommodation during trek.
• Jagat to Besishahar by local jeep transfer sharing with other people
• Trekking permit-TIMS cards,ACAP, MCAP and Manaslu and Tsum Valley Restricted Area Permit.
• English Speaking guide and all his expenses like salary, meals, accommodation and transfer
• 3 times meals- breakfast, lunch and dinner during trekking
• All the goverment taxes and company service charge.

Cost Not Included:

• Airport pick up and departure transfer
• Hotel accommodation and meals- lunch and dinner in Kathmandu.
• Any kind of drinks – coke, mineral water, hot water, tea, coffee, beer, whisky.
• Travel insurance in case of emergency for rescue helicopter and other medication.
• Upgrade accommodation like room with private toilet.
• Porter for carrying backpack.
• Expenses of personal natures like internet, telephone, WiFi, Laundry,hot shower etc
• Tips for guide and porter
• All the cost not mention on above cost includes.

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-60L to 70L
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)