The Nepal journey into the” Old Tibet” Mt. Manaslu is the 8th highest mountain in the world standing between Everest in the east and the Annapurna ranges in the west. It has fertile valleys where the true Tibetans are living hundreds of years ago influencing the areas with vast Tibetan culture. The people honor the Dalai Lama. They speak their own language, worship in the traditional ways, live and farm as they have for centuries. The journey starts impressive and later turns to exhilarating as you follow along the pure and adventurous trails along the waterfalls, Mani walls, ancient temples and monasteries. At the end, cross Larkya La pass (5,135 m) for a 360° view of the Himalayas with view of Mt. Manaslu, Mt. Annapurna I (10th highest mountain in the world) along with the Tibetan Plateau. The 17 days trek to Manaslu will shower you with myriad of cultures, and different foods to try, as well as wonderful hospitality to cherish.
Number of Days: 17
Group Size: Minimum of Two People
Accommodations: Hotel and Tea House (double occupancy)
Difficulty: Moderate
Maximum Elevation: 5,135 meters (16,847 ft) at Larkya La Pass
Activity: Trekking
Destination: Nepal
DAY 1: Arrival in Kathmandu
Your flight makes a perfect landing at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. You’re arrived at your destination in the heart of the Himalayas. Once you have your luggage, you’re out the door and into the sunshine and crisp Himalayan air. You will be greeted by your personal representative who will take you to your hotel to freshen up from the long flight. After a short rest, you’ll be taken to the world headquarters of HPA to meet your guide and staff as well as go over the last minute details of your Mt. Manaslu trek. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner with your guide as you enjoy true Nepali cuisine along with a cultural performance.
Elevation: (4,592 ft / 1,400 m)
DAY 2: Sightseeing in the Kathmandu Valley
The Kathmandu Valley is a place of mystery and adventure. The Valley is larger than the country of Singapore! It is filled with interesting villages, temples, old palaces, narrow flagstone streets and much more. Today’s journey will take you to three of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of your choice! There are seven of them in the Kathmandu Valley. They range from sacred temples to even entire villages that have been deemed by the United Nations as unique in its heritage. It’s your choice, so plan carefully. You will have your own city guide as well as private vehicle to take you to the sites you have chosen. In the evening, relax as you prepare for your journey into the land of Manaslu.
Distance: (38 km)
Duration: (Max. 7 hrs)
Visiting places: (3 World heritage sites)
DAY 3: Travel to Soti Khola
It’s a full day of travel by private vehicle as you leave the Kathmandu Valley. Once over the pass out of the Kathmandu Valley, we follow the Trisuli River until we reach the bridge to Dhading. Eventually, the roads become gravel as we journey through tiny villages and past farms. We drive through forests until we reach the trading post of Araghat. We cross the Budhi Gandaki River here and turn north until we reach the end of the road. This is Soti Khola. We can cross the river on foot on a narrow suspension bridge to reach our tea house where we will spend the night.
Elevation: (750 m/2,461 ft.)
Distance: (140.7 km)
Duration: (5 – 6 hours)
DAY 4: Trek to Machha Khola Gaun
The low elevation in this part of our trek makes for great coffee farming. Coffee is one of Nepal’s newest crops and is gaining popularity in places like Japan and France. The journey follows along the west bank of the Budhi Gandaki River. Our destination is the village of Machha Khola Gaun, which means “Fish River”. You can get fish here for dinner. Be sure to try the yak cheese, mo-mo which is quite good.
Elevation: (890 m/2,920 ft.)
Distance: (23 km)
Duration: (5 – 6 hours)
DAY 5: Trek to Jagat
The quaint village of Jagat is the same elevation as Kathmandu. We spend much of the day ascending. We pass the village of Tatopani which has several hot springs. As you enter Tatopani, you will see vegetation that’s more in keeping with tropical areas as warm water sprinkles down on the trail. Along the way, we start to see glimpses of the snowcapped peak of Mt. Manaslu to the north. Jagat is a very pretty, ancient village with flagstone streets where you will spend the night at a tea house.
Elevation: (1,350 m/4,429 ft.)
Distance: (22.2 km)
Duration: (5 – 6 hours)
DAY 6: Trek to Deng
You rise and cross the Budhi Gandaki on a long suspension bridge. It's a north side along the east side, with the trail rising to reach Philim, one of the larger villages along this trek. After Philim, you walk along the deep gorge above the Budhi Gandaki where it's not uncommon to look down and see eagles rising in the thermal currents. Our destination is Deng. Today’s journey has taken us through forests which mark the line between the Gurung/Tamang people and the Tibetans. Deng will feature the first of the days of Tibetan hospitality at a pleasant tea house.
Elevation: (1,960 m/6,430 ft.)
Distance: (20.7km)
Duration: (6 – 7 hours)
DAY 7: Trek to Namrung
The trail is now following a westerly path through forests and farms. The Budhi Gandaki has become narrower. We no longer need suspension bridges to cross it, but rather wooden bridges. We see pleasant waterfalls and some wildlife today. It’s quite a journey as we pass through Ghap village to reach Namrung. Watch the changes in architecture along the way as we walk through ancient Tibetan villages. Trekking time is 8 – 9 hours.
Elevation: (2,700 m/7,808 ft.)
Distance: (19.2 km)
Duration: (8 – 9 hours)
DAY 8: Trek to Lho Village
Every day we are ascending in this high country. The Tibetan people love high elevations. They have found ways to create farms that produce life-sustaining foods in this hostile land. The forests become thinner with the higher elevation with trees giving way to junipers and others types of low vegetation. Lho Village is a pretty village with great mountain views where we will spend the night. Trekking time is 8 – 9 hours.
Elevation: (3,180 m/10,433 ft.)
Distance: (10.5 km)
Duration: (3 hours)
DAY 9 – Trek to Sama Gompa
We rise higher in elevation as we pass through the valleys with their fertile farms. Our goal today is Sama Gompa. We are going to see some of the most incredible views of Mt. Manaslu today. We will also find an interesting mixture of Tibetan Buddhism and the ancient Bön religion. Bön predated Buddhism in Tibet and can still be found in some places. It also influenced Buddhism in its worship and deities. We finally reach Sama Gompa, the largest of the Tibetan communities in this area where we will spend two nights at a pleasant guest house. Trekking time is 6 – 7 hours.
Elevation: (3,360 m/11,024 ft.)
Distance: (8.15 km)
Duration: (6 - 7 hours)
DAY 10: Acclimatization Day in Sama Gompa
Sama Gompa is at a high elevation, requiring us to spend an extra day here acclimatizing. This is the best way to prevent Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). You will explore the village, do some hiking, and visit the local monastery as well as relaxing. All of today you will enjoy pristine views of Mt. Manaslu and the surrounding mountains.
DAY 11: Trek to Samdo
We’ve enjoyed two wonderful days at Sama Gompa, but it's time to move on. The Budhi Gandaki has become much narrower. It still shows off its power as it cascades over rocks. Vegetation is low to the ground with Mani Walls on the rocks along the trail. Mani Walls are Buddhist inscriptions created by faithful over the centuries. They often commemorate special events in the life of a person. We trek 3 – 4 hours today to reach Samdo.
Elevation: (3,780 m/12,402 ft.)
Distance: (16.5 km)
Duration: (3 - 4 hours)
DAY 12 –Trek to Larkya La Guest House
Sambo is the end of the Tibetan villages. This is wilderness with mostly junipers, some grasses and wildflowers. Those who venture here are usually the farmers going to summer pastures. Today’s adventure takes us to the Larkya La Guest House below the journey to Larkya La Pass. The guest house is nothing impressive. It does provide a good shelter from the winds and a hot meal. You’ll spend the night here after trekking 4 – 5 hours.
Elevation: (4,200 m/13,780 ft)
Distance: (16.5 km)
Duration: (4 - 5 hours)
DAY 13 –Cross Larkya La Pass and trek to Bimthang
Today we leave the lands of the Tibetans behind once we cross Larkya La Pass. It’s the highest in elevation on this trip. Today will be your most challenging day to reach the top of the pass. The effort is rewarded with the most magnificent views of the Himalayas. Look toward the snowcapped peaks of Mt. Manaslu. To the north is the Tibetan Plateau with its snowcapped peaks. To the east is the famed Annapurna Range. In the far distance you can see Mt. Dhaulagiri, the 7th highest mountain in the world. You will get some great pictures from up here. Once you’ve conquered the pass, its downhill to reach the village of Bimthang. Cross back below the tree line and into dense forests along the way. The name Bimthang means plains of sand in the Tibetan language. It’s a large, well watered valley. We find a nice tea house to spend the night. Trekkign time is 8 – 10 hours. We start early and finish in time for dinner.
Elevation: (Larkya pass 5,135 m/16,847 ft) (Bimthang: 2,200 m/7,218 ft.)
Distance: (25 km)
Duration: (8 - 10 hours)
DAY 14 –Trek to Dharapani
Below you today you can see the beautiful Marsyangyi Valley. We are in lovely forests of pine, bamboo and rhododendron with plenty of wildflowers around us. There are waterfalls along the way. This is a very different place than where we were yesterday morning. The diversity of the Himalayas is incredible. We make our way to the village of Dharapani to spend the night. Trekking time is 7 – 8 hours.
Elevation: (1,850 m/6,068 ft.)
Distance: (27.2 km)
Duration: (7 - 8 hours)
DAY 15: Trek to Besisahar
It’s our final day of trekking as you continue to the village of Besisahar. This village is the end of the road where all public transportation comes to an end. We continue to descend into the valleys of the Annapurna’s are low elevation. Watch for the changes in vegetation; we are entering into a sub-tropical region.
Elevation: (760 m/2,493 ft.)
Distance: (34.8 km)
Duration: (Drive: 5 - 6 hours)
DAY 16: Drive to Kathmandu
Today you will ride to Kathmandu. The return journey will take us along a number of rivers to Mugling to cross the Trisuli River and journey north to your hotel in Kathmandu. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with your guide and porters from Himalayan Planet Adventures
Distance: (175.6 km)
Duration: (Drive: 5 - 6 hours)
DAY 17: Departure
The incredible trek to Mt. Manaslu circuit adventure has come to an end. These 17 days have been fabulous! No doubt you’re feeling kind of sad having to leave today. But you really don’t have to. You can extend your trip to explore other amazing places in Nepal. You can even plan your return trip. Be sure to talk to your friends at HPA team to make further plans for Himalayan adventures.
