Manaslu circuit

The Manaslu Circuit trek in Nepal is among the most natural and undeveloped treks in the Himalayas, with few tourists, providing a more authentic trekking experience, as it is not a fully commercialized trek. The trek does require a semi-restricted area permit, at a considerably higher cost than your standard trekking permit in Nepal, and requires travelers to be accompanied by a licensed guide for safety and security while also providing the group with local context to the journey.

The Manaslu Circuit is more than just a trek; it is an expedition into one of the most remote and isolated parts of the Himalayas. You will be traveling into spectacular wilderness areas, where traditional mountain culture exists in its untouched state, certain that there will not be crowds of tourists from different parts of the world or the typical trekking influencers from social media engaged in a modern and very commercial way of trekking in Nepal.

The Manaslu circuit is a journey to a wonderland that you have never imagined before. Exploration of the Himalayan rural life, local culture, sacred cave, ancient and medieval monastery, Mt. Manaslu (8156 m/26751 ft.) base camp visit, Birendera and Phunkar Lake visit, crossing Larkya-La Pass (5160 m), and Samagaun, an amazing village, are the highlights that this journey offers to its visitors. Besides this, you will have a great chance to meet the local people and their hospitality, the magical Himalayan scenery, and observe the flora and fauna. This journey can be started from Kathmandu and Pokhara after sorting out all permits and necessary documents. The first day, we drive to Soti Khola and stay overnight there, and the next day, the journey begins.

The Manaslu circuit journey goes through the bottom of the gorge created by the river Budhi Gandaki (one of the tributary rivers of the Ganges). The trek starts at 710 m, which is a subtropical climatic zone; thus, it feels hot in the beginning, but the beautiful narrow gorge will always offer you the colorful gift of nature, as we can see a lot of beautiful birds, butterflies, lizards, and animals. The journey goes ahead following the river Budhi Gandaki, crossing dozens of suspension bridges, which adds some fun and texture to the journey. You will be welcomed by some of the beautiful villages in the first part, like Jagat, Sirdibas, and Phillim, where we can see uniquely built villages patched with slate-roofed houses. Here we can see the indigenous people, Gurung and Tibetan, discontent with a beautiful smile on their faces.

As we reach the temperate zone at Phillim 1570M, the scenery gets more beautiful, and we can see some villages really high above the valley at the edge of the mountain, and farming in that terrain at the edge of the mountain seems thrilling and amusing. The trail spilled towards the left side before crossing a steel bridge at Nyak Phedi and going towards the Tsum Valley and Manaslu circuit. We pass through the bottom of a narrow gorge, crossing the river at several places. We reach the place called Deng, where we can see Lapuchung, Chachung, and Shringi Mountain just in front. The journey continues following the Budhigandaki River valley, and it gets more colorful and surreal as we climb high into the Shangri-La. We pass through several villages called Ranagaun, Bhi Phedi, and Prok, and we reach the village of Namrung, which is completely eye-catching. We can see that a lot of the alpine vegetation in this region consists of pine, juniper, fir, rhododendron, etc. The major attraction is the uniquely built houses and the field.

The journey continues following the Shangri-La, and we reach the next village called Lihi, from where we can see a close-up view of Mt Shimanang & Peak 29 towards the left side. The journey continues, crossing the suspension bridge before the village of Shogaun. The bridge area is famous for musk deer and wild goats, which are usually sight there. When we step into the village of Shogaun, we get blessed by the magnificent view of Mt. Manaslu (8156 m), Manaslu North, Naike Peak, and Saula & Samdo peaks on the left-hand side. The village looks completely distinct, as the houses are built of stone, having slate or wooden roofs, and a lot of chortens, stupas, and monasteries welcome the visitor. The next wonderland is Lhogaun, which is one of the most picturesque villages of this region. The people walking with a spinning wheel and praying with beads (mala) surprise the visitor, and the moving prayer flag purifies your thoughts and helps to squeeze the negative energy. The night is also magnificent with stars and mountains in this region; basically, it gets super clear.

Manaslu Circuit Trek, Nepal—Entrance Gate of Samagaon

Manaslu circuit trek Nepal continues passing the lush green alpine forest, playing hide-and-seek with the mountain. We reach the village of Shyala, which is one of the most iconic villages that offers the complete view of Mt. Manaslu, probably the best view of Mt Manaslu during the journey. There are several stupas, chortens, and monasteries along the way. This village is also famous for Phungen Monastery, which is the most sacred one in the region. The hike to Phungyé Monastery starts from this village, which takes 5 hours back and forth. Then we go to the next and most unique village of this region, Shamagaun, which is located at an elevation of 3520. Shamagaun is the biggest village in this region, where around 300 houses are settled. The people do farming, Yak keeping, collecting herbs, and trading. The young guys go to Tibet with their caravan of yaks to bring and sell commodities and daily-use things. It takes one day to reach the border.

Manaslu Circuit Trek, Nepal—Nearby Samagaon

We can spend a few days in this village doing side trips and getting used to the hiking altitude. We have a bunch of things to do here: visiting Manaslu base camp, Hike up to Milarepa cave, hiking to Phungen gompa, visiting around the village, and visiting the yak pasture land can be done. We should stay two nights minimum here. The next day, the journey goes to Samdo following the flat valley with minimal ascent and descent, which takes just a few hours. Nature gets totally different here; we can see mountains all around and a barren landscape without trees. We can hike a few hundred meters for acclimatization, or if we arrive early, we can hike towards the Tibet border following the caravan. Then the journey goes to Dharmashala, 4460 m. We can see a very nice view of Manaslu North and Naike Peak, as well as Samdo Peak. We do some ascending after reaching Dharmashala for acclimatization. The next day, early in the morning, we hike towards Larkya-La pass following the moraine route. Normally, it gets cold in the morning, but walking uphill helps to warm the body up. It’s good to start early in the morning because when the sun comes up, it gets windy up there. It takes around 3.5 hours to reach the pass Larkya-La 5160M, which is the biggest challenge and secret until we conquer it.

The views are amazing from the top of Larkya-La, where we can see a bunch of mountains and peaks. We can see the beautiful Himlung, Pheri, and Jharka Mountains towards the northwestern side. The Phunkar Glacier and Phunkar Lake, seen at the foothill, also catch the attention of a visitor. The trail descends through the small ridge over the moraine, which gets pleasant after Dangbochey Kharka, where there is a tea shop where we can have refreshments. The trail continues downward towards Bhimtang (3590 m), where we spend the night. We have a great view from Bhimtang that we can see Mt. Manaslu and Phungi him. The next day, the journey goes downward, following the river Dudh Khola, passing through some very beautiful settlements and breathtaking scenery. The journey rushes down towards Dharapani, where we meet with the trail to Annapurna Circuit and also the road going towards Beshisahar and Chame. From Dharapani, we can take a jeep to go to Beshisahar, or we can continue towards the Annapurna circuit. The Manaslu trek can be combined with the Tsum Valley and Manaslu Annapurna circuit trek.