Trip Highlights
- Walk around the world’s eighth-highest mountain range, the Manaslu Himal massif.
- Explore the lovely mountain villages steeped with age-old heritage cultures.
- Adventure from warm paddy fields to cooler hills and towards the Arctic cold zone.
- Enjoy the trek through a nice forest lined with tall rhododendrons and pine trees.
- Traverse over Larke-La Pass the boundary of Manaslu Valley and Manang areas.
Manaslu Circuit Trek is the 8th-highest mountain in the world. Manaslu and its massif range of peaks. Mt. Manaslu towers above 8,163 m high, around the Mid-West Himalayas of Mansiri Himal.
The first ascent of Mt. Manaslu in 1956 by the Japanese Expedition, from then on, was closed to outside visitors. It opened in 1992 but remains a Restricted Area of Nepal, where Trekkers need a special permit. Include the MCA entrance fee (Manaslu Conservation Area).
Manaslu Circuit Trek Route Guide
Our 15 Days, The walk follows higher up to Philim, Deng, Namrung, and Lo-Gaon, as the air gets cool, on reaching close amidst mountain wilderness.
Enjoy close views of Mt. Manaslu as the walk leads on the scenic trail to Sama-Gaon, the main village of the Upper Manaslu. View of the mountains remains constant in the harmony of impressive Buddhist culture on walks. Reaching Sama Gaon, the main settlement of Upper Manaslu and a perfect place and height to spend extra days for acclimatization.
After Sama-Gaon, the adventure continues towards the end of the Manaslu Valley at the base of Larke-La Pass in Dharmasala. The next early morning, enjoy the great thrills of climbing to the top of Larke-La Pass.
Stand at the highest points of the trek at Larke-La Pass, encircled by an array of Peaks. From Larke-La Pass is a long descent towards Manang areas, walk through Bhim-Phedi, Gho, and then end the trek at Dharapani. A nice village situated, on the midways of famous Annapurna and Manaslu Circuit trekking routes.
An exciting drive from Dharapani reaches you to Kathmandu via Bhesishar Town. On reaching Kathmandu, our adventure concludes after a wonderful experience on Manaslu Circuit Trekking.
Manaslu Circuit Trek Alternative Routes
Interested trekkers and adventurers can enjoy Manaslu Circuit Trek, with other close alternative destinations. Likewise, one can extend the trek for a week more with a visit to the Tsum Valley. After Philim, walk on the Manaslu Circuit route to Tsum Valley of Happiness. Reach you as far as Mu Gompa at 3,700 m high, and then join the Manaslu circuit at Lokpa onwards.
Another interesting alternative extension is to combine the Manaslu Circuit with Nar and Phu, another forbidden area. Located above scenic Manang Valley, after crossing over Larke-La Pass to reach Dharapani. Then, the walk continues northwest to Nar-Phu village and the valley, the trail diverts from Kodo village near Chame Town. Nar Phu treks involve crossing the Kang-La pass at 5,320 m high and then walking to Manang village.
From Manang village, an options trek to Tilicho, the world’s highest Lake takes 5-6 days both ways. The other options are heading straight towards Thorang-La Pass, crossing over a 5,416 m high pass to reach Muktinath and Jomsom. If one needs to skip Thorang-La Pass, one can cross over Mesokanto-La Pass 5,050 m from Tilicho Lake to Jomsom. At Jomsom, options for a short flight to scenic Pokhara city or enjoy a drive of more than 6 hours.
What To Expect on Manaslu Circuit
Manaslu Circuit and Larke-La Pass Trekking is an exciting and worth the adventure of a lifetime experience. There are various wonderful things to expect on this adventurous walk around Manaslu, the world’s 8th-highest peak.
The first impression of Manaslu Circuit is the beautiful scenery of landscapes with rolling green hills and Valleys. Walk from the lower warm country of paddy fields to high green hills covered in a lovely forest.
The path is lined with tall rhododendrons, oaks, pines, and fir trees as the walk progresses toward a higher country. The tree lines fade for short alpine bushes of juniper and azalea (dwarf rhododendrons). It is an amazing journey where the trails follow the Budi-Gandaki River upstream to its glacial source around scenic high Manaslu Valley.
Close en route to Mt. Manaslu base camp on walk offers majestic views of the Mid-West Himalayas. Includes Manaslu, Ganesh, and Sringi Himal and walking through lovely traditional farm villages. Encountering Buddhist prayer monuments and monasteries, the villagers greet you with a cheerful smile.
The route around Manaslu is all uphill climbs with short downhill and gradual winding paths to enjoy. The exciting part of the adventure, apart from the views and the impressive cultures, is crossing a unique bridge attached to a high rocky wall above the Buddhi-Gandaki River.
This type of bridge, called a Cantilever, is new in Nepal and around the Himalayas. Interesting to know about Manaslu Circuit High Valley, in the early days it was one of the major Trans Himalayan Caravan and Salt Trade Route of Nepal and Tibet.
The trade still exists but in smaller ways than in the past before the 1960’s. The walking trails are a straightforward route through lovely woods and farm areas. After Jagat enters Upper Manaslu till Manang, on crossing high Larke-La, the whole villagers interwoven to Buddhism religion.
Best Time for Manaslu Circuit Trek
The best times for this marvelous adventure Manaslu Circuit Trekking are late spring of April and May. As well as autumn season from September to mid-November, is the most favorable season around the Himalayas. Especially for Adventures that involve high passes like Manaslu Circuit and Larke-La pass to cross. In spring most days are clear for views and walks, and get a cloudy afternoon with cold morning and nighttime. Chances of snowfall are sometimes above 2,500 m and around high Manaslu Valley and at Larke-La Pass.
Similarly, autumn is another high season, with fine days with crystal clear blue skies most of the time. But cold morning, late afternoon, and night times with bright starry nights. Can expect snowfall above 2,500 m higher on route to Larke-La pass sometimes. In autumn time days are shorter due to limited sunshine hours.
