MANASLU CIRCUIT TREK
The Essential Guide
So you’re thinking about tackling the Manaslu Circuit Trek? Great choice! Of the various treks we’ve done around Nepal, including Annapurna Circuit, Everest Three Passes, Langtang Valley and Upper Mustang, we think this is one of the best. The scenery is diverse and impressive, and in an age where development is proceeding at breakneck speed, the Manaslu Trek has the advantage of being quieter and much less impacted by road building. Additionally, Tibetan cultural influences at higher altitude lend a unique flavour to the experience that is notably different from other areas.
In this guide we’ll cover a whole range of essential topics including when to go, what to take, how to organise your trek, budgeting for your trek, accommodation, food, and much more. Want to know more about the Manaslu Circuit itinerary itself? Check out our day by day account of the trek. Want to see what the trek is really like? Watch our complete Instagram Stories from the journey (part one/part two), and check out our video below.
WATCH THE VIDEO
MANASLU CIRCUIT TREKKING GUIDE
Read through our complete Manaslu Circuit trekking guide or jump to a particular section by clicking on the links below.
Read through our complete Manaslu Circuit trekking guide or jump ahead to a particular section by clicking on the links below.
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MANASLU CIRCUIT TREK ITINERARY
Below is an overview of the Manaslu Circuit trek itinerary. This is not set in stone, just a suggested route. Some people stay in alternative villages along the way, or add an extra acclimatisation day at Samdo. Trekking distances and times are approximate.
DAY 1 | Kathmandu → Machakhola | 160 km / 8-10 hours (by jeep/ bus) |
DAY 2 | Machhakhola (869m) → Jagat (1340m) | 16 km / 7 hours |
DAY 3 | Jagat (1340m) → Dyang (1860m) | 19 km / 7 hours |
DAY 4 | Dyang (1860m) → Namrung (2630m) | 17 km / 7 hours |
DAY 5 | Namrung (2630m) → Lho (3180m) | 10 km / 4 hours |
DAY 6 | Lho (3180m) → Samagaun (3520m) | 8 km / 4 hours |
DAY 7 | Acclimatisation hike to Pungen Gompa (4050m) or Manaslu Base Camp (4400m) | Pungen Gompa – 14 km / 5 hours return Manaslu Base Camp – 14 km / 8 hours return |
DAY 8 | Samagaun (3520m) → Samdo (3690m) | 8 km / 3 hours |
DAY 9* | Samdo (3690m) → Dharamsala/Larke Phedi (4460m) | 6 km / 4 hours |
DAY 10 | Dharamsala/Larke Phedi (4460m) → Larke Pass (5106m) → Bimthang (3720m) | 16 km / 10 hours |
DAY 11 | Bimthang (3720m) → Tilche (2260m) | 18 km / 7 hours |
DAY 12** | Tilche (2260m) → Dharapani (1980m) | 5 km / 2 hours |
DAY 13 | Dharapani → Kathmandu (via Besisahar) | 10 hours (by jeep/bus) |
DAY 1 | Kathmandu → Machakhola | 160 km / 8-10 hours (by jeep/ bus) |
---|---|---|
DAY 2 | Machhakhola (869m) → Jagat (1340m) | 16 km / 7 hours |
DAY 3 | Jagat (1340m) → Dyang (1860m) | 19 km / 7 hours |
DAY 4 | Dyang (1860m) → Namrung (2630m) | 17 km / 7 hours |
DAY 5 | Namrung (2630m) → Lho (3180m) | 10 km / 4 hours |
DAY 6 | Lho (3180m) → Samagaun (3520m) | 8 km / 4 hours |
DAY 7 | Acclimatisation hike to Pungen Gompa (4050m) or Manaslu Base Camp (4400m) | Pungen Gompa – 14 km / 5 hrs rtn Manaslu Base Camp – 14 km / 8 hrs rtn |
DAY 8 | Samagaun (3520m) → Samdo (3690m) | 8 km / 3 hours |
DAY 9* | Samdo (3690m) → Dharamsala/Larke Phedi (4460m) | 6 km / 4 hours |
DAY 10 | Dharamsala (4460m) → Larke Pass (5106m) → Bimthang (3720m) | 16 km / 10 hours |
DAY 11 | Bimthang (3720m) → Tilche (2260m) | 18 km / 7 hours |
DAY 12** | Tilche (2260m) → Dharapani (1980m) | 5 km / 2 hours |
DAY 13 | Dharapani → Kathmandu (via Besisahar) | 10 hours (by jeep/bus) |
*If you are concerned about altitude sickness, adding an extra day at Samdo is a good idea. From here you can do an acclimatisation hike to the Tibetan border at Rui La (4998m, 19km/10 hours) or easier hikes up the hills around the village.
MANASLU CIRCUIT TREK MAP
We’ve marked the Manaslu Circuit trekking route on the map below, along with key villages and sights along the way. Tap the menu button at the top left for more details, to toggle layers on and off, and switch between satellite and terrain view.
HOW TO SAVE THIS MAP (ONLINE VERSION)
To save this map to use online on desktop or mobile just tap the star symbol at the top. When you open Google Maps on your phone, navigate to ‘Saved’ at the bottom, then swipe along to ‘Maps’ at the top. You’ll find this map in your list of maps.
On desktop, click ‘Saved’ on the left side, then ‘Maps’. Click the map, then select ‘Open in My Maps’ to access the interactive version.
Alternatively, just tap the rectangle symbol at the top right of the map in this blog post to view the My Maps version larger on desktop.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to view this version of the map offline, but we’ve created a similar version for offline use as per below.
HOW TO SAVE THIS MAP (OFFLINE VERSION)
ORGANIC MAPS
Organic Maps is our go-to offline mapping app. We find it straightforward to use for planning routes in advance, as well as navigating on the trail. It doesn’t drain our phone battery, and it’s quick and easy to save and organise ‘bookmarks’. There are many trails already marked on Organic Maps, plus you can download and import a KML track of your route to the app.
To use Organic Maps, first download the app (iOS/Android). Hover over the region or country that you want to visit and the app will prompt you to download this map. Once downloaded, it can be viewed offline.
You can tap anywhere and save it as a ‘bookmark’ by tapping the star symbol at the bottom. Hit ‘Edit Bookmark’ to personalise the bookmark colour, organise your bookmarks into different folders, and rename them.
You can navigate easily or plan routes in advance by tapping your start point and selecting ‘route from’, then tapping your end point and selecting ‘route to’. Tap the car, walking, or cycling symbol at the top of the screen to indicate your mode of travel. If you want to plot a different route to the one suggested by Organic Maps, just tap a third (or fourth, fifth, etc.) bookmark between the start and end points and select ‘add stop’.
Organic Maps shows the distance and travel time, plus elevation profiles for hiking trails. Note that the estimated time isn’t always reliable, but we’ve always found the distance and elevation gain/loss to be largely accurate. It only shows very basic contour lines.
You can track your progress on the trail using GPS. The arrow shows your direction of travel. Tap the compass at the top right of the screen to keep the map in a fixed position (the arrow will rotate). Alternatively, tap the arrow at the bottom right of the screen to rotate the map in the direction of travel (the arrow will stay in a fixed position).
Note that Maps.Me works in almost the exact same way, but it has in-app ads making it less user friendly in our opinion.
GAIA
Gaia (iOS/Android) is another offline mapping app that is very useful. It shows the contours in much more detail than Organic Maps, and you can download both the topographical and satellite view of your route in advance for offline use. The app has existing OpenStreetMap trails marked and you can import GPX tracks and view them offline. You can also create new routes online yourself and export them as GPX or KML files. You can navigate easily on the trail using the arrow that shows your GPS location. You can also check distances between places offline, however you will only get elevation profiles while online. There are a lot of useful features in the free version and even more benefits if you have a paid annual membership, so if you spend a lot of time outdoors it is worthwhile learning how to use the app to its full advantage.
In our experience, Gaia drains your phone battery much quicker than Maps.me, even in flight mode, so it’s best to shut down the app completely each time you finish using it.
WHEN TO TREK THE MANASLU CIRCUIT
Autumn/Fall
The best time to go trekking in Nepal 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. The downside as far as the Manaslu Trek goes? The Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (RAP) is $100 per week during this period as opposed to $75 per week at all other times. Furthermore, given that it’s the best season, it’s also the busiest. Saying that, we hiked the Manaslu Circuit in October, had a great time, and still found it to be much less busy than other treks in Nepal.
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 – something we experienced trekking to Annapurna Base Camp in April.
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. We can testify to this. Our very first trek in Nepal was in June and we hardly saw 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.