Around the world’s eighth-highest mountain on a trail that still feels like a secret.
The Manaslu Circuit circles Manaslu (8,163 m) in fourteen days, crossing the Larkya La at 5,106 m and passing through a landscape that shifts from terraced Hindu farmland at Arughat to Tibetan Buddhist villages — Sama Gaun, Lho, Samdo — beneath the mountain’s north face. It has the drama of the Annapurna Circuit with a fraction of the traffic, because the restricted-area permit keeps numbers down.
The route joins the old salt-trading paths along the Budhi Gandaki river, passes the Manaslu Conservation Area’s monasteries and mani walls, and finishes with a long descent to Dharapani on the Annapurna Circuit. Trekkers usually combine the two permits and continue south, or exit to Kathmandu by jeep. The 2026 earthquake and flood damage in Gorkha and the Tsum valley still affects some side trails — check current conditions before booking.
Trekking & Expeditions
Trekking & Expeditions
Nepal NEWS
Nepal NEWS
Trekking & Expeditions
Trekking & Expeditions
March–May and September–November. The Manaslu permit is cheapest in low season (December–February, June–August) but the pass and high villages are cold or wet then. October gives the most stable weather and the clearest views of the north face.
Drive Kathmandu to Machha Khola or Soti Khola (7–9 hours), walk north along the Budhi Gandaki to Deng, Namrung, Lho, Sama Gaun, Samdo, Larkya La, Bimthang, and out at Dharapani — from where you take a jeep to Besisahar or Pokhara.
Three are needed: Manaslu restricted-area permit (USD 100 per person per week in September–November, USD 75 in other months, plus USD 15 per extra day), Manaslu Conservation Area entry (NPR 3,000) and a TIMS card. Restricted permits require a licensed agency and a minimum of two trekkers.
A 14-day guided Circuit with permits, guide, porter and lodges runs USD 1,300–1,900 per person. Permits alone are USD 100–150. Carry Nepali rupees — there are no ATMs past Arughat.
Basic to good teahouses, with the best lodges in Sama Gaun and Lho. Expect shared bathrooms above Samdo, wood stoves in the dining rooms, and a limited menu that thins out as you climb.
Nepal NEWS
Trekking & Expeditions
Trekking & Expeditions
Trekking & Expeditions
Trekking & Expeditions
Trekking & Expeditions
Yes. It is a restricted area: permits are issued only through a licensed Nepali agency for a minimum of two trekkers, and a guide must accompany the group.
Manaslu is quieter, wilder and slightly harder, with a higher pass and fewer lodges. The Annapurna Circuit has more infrastructure and more company. If you have 14 days and want solitude, choose Manaslu.
Sections around Namrung and the Tsum valley were damaged in the September 2026 flooding and some side trails closed. The main Circuit has been reopening in stages — check our trail updates and confirm with your agency before booking.
Long, cold and high rather than technical: a 8–10 hour day from Samdo or Dharmasala, starting before dawn, with snow possible at the top. Acclimatisation in Sama Gaun and Samdo is essential.
Yes — most itineraries exit at Dharapani and continue onto the Annapurna Circuit, or take a jeep to Pokhara. Budget 20–24 days for both.
Start with the permits, pick your season, then choose the trek that fits your days. Our guides are updated for 2026 and written from the trail, not from a brochure.