Manaslu Circuit Trek - 16 Days

The trek starts from a drive from Kathmandu on Prithvi Highway that follows the Trishuli River. The views on the road are unlike anything you have ever seen -traditional villages, terraced fields, white water rivers, lush forests, giant mountains - including Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang, and Ganesh Himal. We will continue our bus ride until we reach Soti Khola. Soti Khola is the gateway to the Manaslu trek.  We will be spending our first night in the trek region at Soti Khola.

This will be the first day on the trails. We wake up at Soti Khola, prepare for a long day trek, and head to Maccha Khola. The path itself is stunning, with waterfalls crossing our way. You need to be careful as the path has sharp ascents and descents. We will also be passing through Sal forests, walking by the side of towering cliffs, and at times you might encounter mules on the path. Our path will take us through Khursani village and to Lububesi Gurung settlement and finally to Machha Khola. 

We have not gained much height, which you can tell from the sub-tropical vegetations lying around the trek. However, be prepared to traverse some ups and downs. You will be crossing two major rivers- Tharo Khola and Machha Khola. After crossing Machha Khola on a suspension bridge, we will be entering Tatopani, but we continue on our path that passes through forests and finally to Doban. Doban means the confluence of two rivers in Nepal, and sure enough, Doban lies at the confluence of Shari Khola and Sarpu Khola.

After breakfast at Doban, we continue through our journey to reach Philim by the end of the day. The trek starts with a sharp climb to Louri and continues until Thado Bharyang below Jagat. Then we cross a river to reach Jagat - a Tibetan-style settlement, and we cross another river to reach Philim - another Gurung village.

We continue our trek northwards through terraced millet fields eventually reaching Ekle Bhatti. Our path becomes steeper, passing through sharp gorges and crossing Budhi Gandaki River. We continue on the banks of Budhi Gandaki and then through bamboo forests that lead to the Deng Khola river. Then, we cross this river to reach Deng - our destination. 

Our journey continues after a hearty breakfast intending to reach Ghap. The route takes us through Bihi Phedi and Bihi, but it starts as a short descend followed by a sharp ascend that leads to Rana Bridge. We continue further through the pine forest and cross a bridge to reach Bihi Phedi. As soon as you cross the bridge, you will realize that you have entered a Buddhist region by seeing Mani walls and other portraits of different gods and goddesses. You will cross another suspension bridge before you finally make it to Ghap. 

From Ghap, our next destination will be Namrung. The route takes us through dense fir, rhododendron, oaks, and bamboo forest, past steep ascends, suspension bridges, and stone stairs to Namrung. Around Namrung, you will get to see large barley fields. 

We continue on our journey after having breakfast, intending to reach Lho. Our path takes us through the beautiful Lihi village, and then we will cross a stream that originates from Lindanda Glacier to reach Sho while enjoying the views of Simnang Himal (6251m). However, we will be pressing ourselves ahead to reach Lho - a culturally rich village adorned in prayer flags, Mani Walls, Chortens, and other stupas.

From Lho, we start the trek early morning and head to Samagaun. Our path passes through a forest and reaches Shyala village. The Shyala village sits surrounded by agricultural fields and has several wooden resting places. As we move ahead, we will be crossing a small stream that drains the Punggen glacier and reach a flat village called Samagaun. Samaguan is the closest village to Manaslu Base Camp.  

During this trek, we acclimatize at Samagaon to adjust to the thin air as we would have reached a higher elevation. We will not stay idle but will explore Samagaun. Sure enough, you will be noticing the lifestyles of the locals and experiencing their culture. Moreover, there are other options such as a hike to Manaslu Base Camp or Birendra Lake or visiting Pungyen Monastery. 

Pungen Monastery lies in the south of Samagaon and is about two and a half hours hike away. It is hidden behind the ridge in front of Manaslu and provides tremendous views of the glaciers. Birendra Tal is a glacial lake at 3,450m where ice blocks tumble into the lake with thunderous displays. Samagaon is indeed an interesting place for acclimatization.

The trek today is comparatively more interesting and pleasant. We will be crossing the pasture areas and ascending to the valley. The trail leads us to forests with juniper and birch. As we reach down the Budhi Gandaki river, we will cross the wooden bridge over Budhi Gandaki and climb up steeply across the river. We will be getting amazing views of mountains, especially Manaslu, as we reach Samdo - a Tibetan refugee village. Upon reaching Samdo, we will also explore this village and the surrounding hills.

We walk down the Samdo edge through fields and old Mani walls, crossing the wooden bridge over the Budhi Gandaki River. We will walk past Athahra Saya River and then along the Larke River. You will be noticing the Mani walls, and the prayer flags hung on the route, signifying the closeness of the Larkya La Pass.

Then comes Larkya Glacier, which is unquestionably magnificent. As we enjoy the view, we further trek around the valley of Salkha Khola and climb up again to reach the stone guest house (4,450m). The stone guest house is not a lodge, but it is a kind of community dormitory better known as Dharamsala or Larkya La Phedi. This day would be a great day as we will get amazing views of the Larkya Glacier and Mt. Manaslu. 

The exciting part of the journey awaits us, as we will be trekking around the Manaslu circuit, crossing the Larkya La Pass (5,100m). After early morning breakfast, we will leave Dharamsala as it will be a long trek. The weather is the most important factor as the weather decides if the trek becomes more challenging due to strong winds or storms.

We begin by crossing the moraine, and descending to a small lake. The trail begins to be rough and unclear as we cross the south of a steep grassy slope. Our route stays on the moraine to an edge, marked by two landmarks. The prayer flags mark the route giving us a sense of trek direction. We descend carefully to four frozen lakes, then finally climb a steep trail to the Larkya La Pass. 

From the pass, you can enjoy the panoramic views of Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, Kang Guru, and the great Annapurna II. The marvelous trail takes us to the top of the moraine, heads west, and makes steep, rough bends. We further cross the moraine then descend gently to another grassy moraine at 4,450m. As we descend, the trail becomes easier to walk in, as we arrive at a small meadow. The valley begins to widen as we near the large meadow, Mani walls, and small houses that indicate we have reached Bhimtang.

Last day's trek must have been tough, but you can wake up assured that today's trek will not be very taxing. You start by descending to Budhi Gandaki River and cross it to enter the rhododendron forest that opens to Karche - a cultivated area near the top of Budhi Gandaki valley. You continue along the river bank to reach Gho.

This will be the last day on the trails. After waking up at Gho, we head to Dharapani. The route descends so the trek should be easy. You will be trekking through many fields and pastures and arrive at Tilje - a large Gurung settlement. This village is famous for brandy. However, we continue forward passing several Mani walls to reach Thonje village and then enter Dharapani village. 

Today will be your last day on the road. After early morning breakfast, we leave Dharapani to Besishar on a local bus, which will take about six to seven hours. The drive will be scenic as we will pass many villages, Marsyangdi River, Bhulbhule town, and Khudi. We will reach Besisahar before 3 pm to catch the last bus to Kathmandu. If we are late, we will have to extend a day in the itinerary. 

After catching a bus to Kathmandu, on our way, you will see the Marsyagdi River meeting the Trishuli River, as we head east on the Prithivi Highway. The drive allows you to appreciate beautiful and natural scenery - including the terraced lands and high peaks.