Manaslu Circuit Trek - 17 Days

Without exploring the historic city of Kathmandu, you cannot boast anything of Nepal. This city is the city of temples, whose underlying mythical stories overwhelm anyone who listens to it. Every architecture is designed to reflect a Nepalese culture and lifestyle of the early people, including the luxury of Royalties.

One of them is Patan Durbar Square (ancient palace of Malla Kingdom), built by Newari architects, in around 12th century. This mansion is decorated by intricately carved window designs and antique souvenirs, representing Hindu deities. It is one of the magnificent creation of humans.

Another noteworthy edifice is the temple of Pashupatinath, which is one of the most revered shrines of Lord Shiva (one of the 3 super gods of Hindus) in the world. A large bull-like Nandi (Conveyance of Lord Shiva) highlights the beauty of Pashupatinath, while over dozens of little shrines of numerous deities fill this temple.

However, Swayambhunath is famous for its viewpoint, overlooking the Kathmandu valley. This temple is just a perfect spot to witness the eagle glimpse of the valley. Boudhanath, on the other hand, features a massive mandala. Its story of mythical origin enhances the beauty of this stupa.

[In this itinerary, you will be taken to 4 sites, out of the 7 UNESCO listed world heritage sites in Kathmandu. If you wish, we are flexible enough to customize your itinerary and set up a plan for your visit to other places as well.]

To embark on the journey to Manaslu, you need to enter into Arughat – a getaway to Manaslu – first. You can reach there by bus or a private vehicle, following either of alternatives via Dhading, via Benighat, or via Gorkha. Among them, the most popular route is via Dhading.

The road until Dhading is black-topped; so, it is easy to carry on. However, after Dhading, the path turns slightly intimidating because of the rough and curvy lane. Despite all these discomforts, the milieu is enlivened by picturesque farmhouses all along the way. The road passes through the jungles of sal and pine before reaching Ghola Bhanjyang, which offers an incredible glimpse of Northern Himalayas when the weather is clear. This part of the view is just a hint on what is about to come next. After a while, you will meander along the Budhi Gandaki river and within a couple of hours arrive at Arighat.

After Arighat, you will catch a Jeep to Soti Bazaar, which takes about 2 hours. En route, you will come across many terraced paddy fields and tiny hut-like settlements at Mangaltar. The houses over there are peculiar to what is found in other remote areas, or cities. Later, you will reach Soti Bazaar, where you will spend your night.

Soon after you leave Soti Bazaar, the trail follows a dirt road and then, climbs through the woods until Khursanibari, which is known by the name ‘Liding’ today. It takes almost an hour to reach there. In the Liding, there is a beautiful waterfall, which appears more appealing when captured in a photograph.

Suddenly, the trail descends for about 30 mins through the Sal forest to a Landslide Area and then, climbs towards the Hawa Danda (Windy Hill). Once you reach there, you could see an outcrop of overhanging rock, overlooking the far-reaching panorama of hills. The path, then, intrudes through the dripping cloud forests, following a series of switchbacks, all the way until Lapubesi. From somewhere in the middle of the trek, you can catch a glimpse of Shringe Himal if the weather becomes clear.

Around the Lapubesi, taste the milk of water buffaloes. Then, continue along the switchbacks until you arrive at a point, where there is a steep ascent along the bluff. Soon, the trail falls and then arrives at the sandy bank of Budhi Gandaki, where the roar of the flowing water dominates other feeble sounds. Pass through the three isolated chortens to make an appearance at Maccha Khola, literally means Fish River.

From Maccha Khola, there are two routes to choose from: one goes from the upper area, while the other from lower area. Following one of these routes for about an hour, you will arrive at Khorlabesi, where the coffee trees line up on the right side of the trail. There are few lodges in this region, and the board is hung on the pole, which says Tatopani 1hr.

The trail, then, intrudes through a narrow ravine of Budhi Gandaki, where the placid water turns furious, all of a sudden. En route, you will see few overhanging cliffs, which were used by the porters, mule caravans, and local people for the overnight stay. Subsequently follows a scary looking path that meanders around to arrive at Tatopani (Natural Hot Spring). Tatopani is a beautiful place to see.

Then, after walking for about 1 hour through marijuana dominated fields, you will arrive at Dovan. As you leave Dovan, you could see tremendous damage caused by a landslide. The new route is being used now. While you walk north, Budhi Gandaki shows its presence by cascading steeply down as of a thundering cataract. The trail continues through a series of switchbacks. From high up the hill, you could see the raging water of Budhi Gandaki, whose roar couldn’t penetrate the silence of upper Himalayas. Via some of the suspension bridges, you will make your way until Jagat, which is an entry checkpoint of Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP). Few Chortens and Mani walls indicate the first sign of Tibetan Buddhism. The houses and streets are clean and appear completely natural here.

For the night, you will stay in one of the lodges.

Early in the morning, as you leave Jagat, the trail descends to the Dudh Pokhari Khola and crosses a rocky cliff to arrive at a beautiful village of Salleri. This village is clean and filled by colorful Chortens. People, here, could be seen weaving baskets and doing laundry during the day. This village is a perfect stop-over to gaze upon the rural, yet happy life.

Once you step out of the Salleri, Himalayas begin to peek at you. Shringi Himal and Langju Himal begin to appear mesmerizing. As you reach Sirdibas, you could witness a few unique two-story houses with a shingle roof. A sign shows that Ghatte Khola is 10 mins ahead. Just before reaching Philim, you have to cross a long suspension bridge hanging across the Budhi Gandaki. Philim is clean, beautiful and relatively developed than other villages in this area. The hotels and lodges, here, guarantee the quality services.

Now onwards, the trail is going to be super hard to cross through because of deep canyons and jagged path. After Chisopani, there is another place named Eklo Bhatti, whose name translates to one house, but there are several houses now. About 2 hours away from Philim, you will arrive at a junction, which separates Tsum Valley from Manaslu. There is a steady climb until Pewa, and a steep uphill takes you to the village of Deng.

As usual, you will leave your room early in the morning from the Deng and meander around the zigzag trail with numerous switchbacks. For the first few hours, it is pretty monotonous to walk. But then, everything gets enlivened by isolated but blissful natural setting at Bihi Phedi. Few minutes ahead is a small mani wall, where the images of Guru Rinpoche, Chenresig and Buddha are carved. Continue the path until Bihi, which features a beautiful Kani Gate. There is a serene Gompa named Serang Gompa, which is a compact shrine of great reverence.

The path, then, crosses the Serang Khola and passes through a series of switchbacks through Prok to arrive at another beautiful place named Ghap. There is a pleasant monastery named Kwak, which is virtually abandoned. You will also witness few prayer wheels, but without any inscriptions of the Om Mane Padme Hum at the wheel. After Ghap, ascend through the leafy forest of pine along a fairly easy track to arrive at Namrung. Namrung has few lodges to spend your night.

The way to Shyala is full of sceneries, and you will enjoy it more than ever. The trail enters into a silent woodland of blue pine, and oak where few rhododendron bushes perfume the milieu. About walking for about an hour from Ghap, you will arrive at a natural stone bridge formed by the flow of the Budhi Gandaki. There are mani walls, overhanging rocks, and waterfalls to gaze upon during the slog.

As you reach Banjam, you will see the Ganesh Himal popping out of the ridge to the east. Continue your trek for the next 1 hour to arrive at Lihi. There are some unique chortens with few old paintings. Hinang Monastery could be visited by walking for about 2 hours; this is one of the most revered Buddhist Shrines in the Manaslu Region.

Walking further, you will arrive at Sho, which is the best place to witness a few glacier walls, the charm of the Himalayas. You can see a lot of paintings painted around the local Gompas. Sho is a vibrant village. The trail, then, ascends to the Lho, which peeks upon the stunning Sauli peak of Kutang Himal. With a couple of impressive mani walls and colorful Gompas, Lho refreshes the trekkers with peace and beauty.

Soon after leaving Lho, the trail drops steeply down and then climbs up. There are several log bridges to cross through. You may as well encounter few yak caravans transporting the timbers. As you walk, you could capture a few glimpses of the Manaslu. Much of the walk is through the forest until Shyala. To reach there, it takes almost 2 hours from Lho. Shyala offers a spectacular view of Ngadi Chuli to the southwest. For the night, you will stay in one of the lodges at Shyala.

Today’s walk is going to be much more interesting than ever. It takes almost 3 hours 30 minutes to reach Sama Gaon (also known as Ryo) from Shyala.

On the way, you will go through wooden bridges to cross the raging icy rivers coming down from the glacier of Pungyen (Punggen). The route meanders several times, following a series of switchbacks, until arriving at the Pungyen Monastery. From then on, it is mostly downhill to Sama Gaon.

By the time you arrive at Sama Gaon, you will have enough time to explore this beautiful hamlet. The first thing that you will notice in this village is the stone walls, all around. The Kani Gate at the entrance is lovely to look at, while the most attractive part of the Sama Gaon is the Courtyard with the big prayer wheels. The walls of this courtyard are beautifully painted by the paintings of godheads. Also, there are several statues of Guru Rinpoche and other unusual looking red idols.

There are a number of guesthouses and lodges. For the night, you will stay in one of the lodges of the Sama Gaon. Remember, the prices are same for a particular food, regardless of the quality, wherever you go, because of the community policies and syndicates in every village.

Today is going to be an exciting day of your trip because the day has come to feel the moment under the shadow of the Manaslu.

Early in the morning, move on towards Samdo along the main trail. Within an hour, you will arrive at a point, where the main trail dissociates into a branch that leads to the Birendra Tal (lake). It is a beautiful glacier lake, staying calm under the shadow of the mighty Manaslu Peak. Around the premises of the lake, himalayan Tahrs, frequently, move around. This animal makes its way towards the base camp of the Manaslu.

After spending quality time there, you will move on towards the Manaslu Base Camp, which is your ultimate destination. However, to be there, snow and ice, steadily, resist you. It is a very challenging walk, indeed. As you reach there, you will be blessed by the sceneries and snowscapes all around.

Finally, you will return to the Sama Gaon for the overnight stay. If you have time, then it is better to catch a brief side trip to Samagaon Monastery. It is worth visiting.

The way to Samdo is relatively flat; however, at such a high altitude, even a short climb requires a lot of effort. For a while, you will be walking under the shadows of alpine birch and rhododendron. Then, there is a wooden bridge, crossing which you will see mani walls, running parallel to the trail. The more you climb, the better the scenes become; especially, views of the eastern flank of the Samdo Peak (Pang Phuchi) is commendable. Down the valley, the sceneries get more impressive with the glittering outlook of Himalchuli.

Samdo is dotted with traditional houses made up of dry-stone walls, whose roof is the stone slabs. To prevent the icy wind from entering the house, Juniper mesh is spread around the Verandas. While the ground floor is used for cattle such as yak, the upper part is for the living.

There are four lodges – Yak Lodge, Tibet Lodge, Tashi Delek, Chez Karsang – at Samdo. Telephone and Internet services are also available. Enjoy your stay at Samdo.

Today’s walk is going to be super-tough. So, it is better to not hassle in the race, but rather, walk calmly with periodic breathing.

Firstly, the trail skirts around the fields and then drops to cross the Budhi Gandaki. By the time you would arrive at the ancient settlements of Larkya Bazaar, you will notice the landscapes turning into the thorny bushes and juniper. The scenery is hallucinating here.

The views of Samdo Peak grow better as you walk high above. Syacha glacier, another fabulous blessing of the Himalayas, could be witnessed on the way to Larkya Phedi. Also, you can see a great variety of ranges including the Manaslu from this point. These scenic glimpses are just captivating.

When you feel like the views are over now, you would have arrived at Larkya Phedi (also known as Dharamshala, which means a pilgrimage site). The lodges are adequate here but don’t expect anything fancy during your accommodation. Everything becomes expensive up here; but, make sure you drink enough fluid before heading further because it helps you better adjust the high-altitude pressure. For the night, stay at one of the lodges at Larkya Phedi.

The trail after Larkya Phedi is full of sceneries but quite challenging to make through. Walk along the side of the moraine and pass through a small meadow, which is not as scenic as was seen before. However, by the time you cross the moraine, you will be able to witness the beautiful Larkya Peak and other tiny ranges. By the side of the trail, numerous frozen lakes pass through. Also, glaciers accompany you all along the way. Locals say that the blue sheep (bharal) are often sighted, and you may encounter one, possibly. But, forget about witnessing a snow leopard. The slopes are steep and icy, making it slippery and tricky to pass through.

After walking for about 8 hours, you will arrive at Bimthang (which literally means plain of sand). The lodges are excellent at Bimthang and if you feel like camping, there is a perfect setting to set up camp. For the night, you will stay in one of the lodges of Bimthang.

The trail heads south for about 30 minutes and then scales climbs over the small moraine. From the top of the moraine, there is an outstanding view of the Larkya Himal, Manaslu, and other dozens of unnamed ranges, which are as attractive as you could possibly imagine.

Also, behind the steep cliffs, there is a dense jungle of cedar, oak, blue pine, birch, and rhododendron. This woodland is believed to be over 1000 years old. This forest is more diverse with other wide variety of floras. Hummingbirds hum around the trees, while butterfly color the atmosphere with joy and happiness. The whole setting is thrilling.

As you cross Kharche/Surki, a new milieu opens up. On the way, you will see well-designed houses and waterfalls. Dharapani is around 7 hours away from Bimthang.

Dharapani to Syange is a calm drive. The arduous trek over.

Today, you will drive back to Kathmandu from Syange. This is the end of the trip; so, we will have a farewell party, together, at Kathmandu.

[Remember: if you are planning to visit Pokhara, or to try out any other adventures such as Kayaking, Canoeing, Paragliding, Zip Flying, or Zipline, after the trip, then make sure you let us know. We are ready to customize your itinerary as per your choice. If you wish, our experienced travel planners will assist you in finding the appropriate itinerary for you.]

Finally, the day has come to return to your homeland with bunches of memories and herds of new experiences. We wish to see you again in the days to come. Have a safe flight!

[Service: We will drop you to the airport to say a nice and warm GOODBYE.]