Day1
Arrive in Kathmandu
Arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport. Transfer to your hotel in the Thamel district. Evening briefing with your guide and final equipment check. Overnight: Kathmandu.
Overview
The Eighth Highest Mountain. A Trail Without Crowds.
The Manaslu Circuit is Nepal at its most uncompromising. You walk for days without encountering another trekker, through Tibetan-influenced villages where stone houses, mani walls, and prayer flags define the landscape. The mountain itself, 8,163 metres of snow and ice, dominates every horizon from Shyala to Samagaon, growing larger and more overwhelming with each day of approach.
This is not a sightseeing itinerary. It is a physical and cultural immersion into one of the last genuinely remote major treks in the Himalaya.
Highlights
What Defines This Trek
Mt. Manaslu (8,163 m)
The world's 8th highest peak dominates the skyline throughout, especially dramatic from Shyala and Samagaon where the summit appears close enough to touch.
Larkya La Pass (5,167 m)
The trek's crowning moment: a pre-dawn ascent across icy terrain to a pass with panoramic views of Manaslu, Annapurna II, Himlung Himal, and Kang Guru.
Tibetan-Influenced Villages
Samagaon and Samdo are home to the Nubri people, with Tibetan Buddhist culture expressed in stone houses, chortens, mani walls, and genuine hospitality.
Birendra Tal
A turquoise glacial lake at the foot of the Manaslu Glacier, its surface reflecting surrounding ice formations in crystalline stillness.
Remote & Less Crowded
Far less traffic than Everest or Annapurna. The trail feels like pioneering-era trekking: raw, untamed, and profoundly quiet.
Diverse Landscapes
From steamy subtropical gorges of the Budi Gandaki River to rhododendron forests, high alpine meadows, and glaciers near the pass.
Itinerary
Day by Day
The full 16-day Himalayan Action route through the Nubri and Tsum valleys, with full acclimatisation and cultural immersion.
Day2
Sightseeing in Kathmandu
A morning of cultural orientation. Visit Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple), Pashupatinath, and Boudhanath Stupa. Final permit arrangements and gear preparation. Overnight: Kathmandu.
Day4
Kathmandu to Machha Khola · 930 m
Long but scenic drive through Nepal's countryside via Prithvi Highway to the riverside settlement of Machha Khola on the Budi Gandaki River. Overnight at a teahouse.
Day4
Machha Khola to Jagat · 1,340 m
Trek ~8 hrs · 21.8 km. The trail winds along the Budi Gandaki through Gurung villages and subtropical forest past langurs, hot springs at Tatopani, waterfalls, and suspension bridges. Jagat is the first permit checkpoint and gateway into the restricted area.
Day5
Jagat to Deng · 1,804 m
Trek ~8 hrs · 23.5 km. Through rhododendron and pine forest past gompas, prayer flags, and Buddhist villages. Cross the Siyar Khola bridge at the Tsum Valley junction and continue to the remote village of Deng, nestled in a gorge surrounded by Tibetan-origin communities.
Day6
Deng to Namrung · 2,630 m
Trek 7–8 hrs · 20 km. Climb through bamboo and rhododendron forest past Rana and Bihi Phedi. The trail grows wilder, crossing landslide zones before zigzagging up to Namrung, a cultural hub at the threshold of the high-altitude Manaslu zone.
Day7
Namrung to Shyala · 3,575 m
Trek ~6 hrs · 10 km. As the trail climbs, the landscape opens into a Himalayan amphitheatre. First full views of Manaslu (8,163 m), Himal Chuli, Ngadi Chuli, Ganesh Himal, Baudha Himal, and Shiringi Himal.
Day8
Shyala to Samagaon · 3,530 m
Trek 3–4 hrs · 9 km. Gentle walk through pine and rhododendron forest with Manaslu constantly overhead. Samagaon is the largest village in the Nubri region, home to a large gompa, helipad, health post, and Wi-Fi. Time to explore yak pastures and the village.
Day9
Acclimatisation Day at Samagaon
Hike to ~4,400 m · 7 hrs · 11 km round trip. Three options: Manaslu Base Camp (4,800 m) past the glacier for close-up views; the turquoise Birendra Tal glacial lake; or Pungyen Gompa monastery on the hillside above the valley. Return to Samagaon.
Day10
Samagaon to Samdo · 3,865 m
Trek 2–3 hrs · 5.7 km. Short but high-altitude day through yak pastures and mani walls. Samdo is a remote Tibetan-style village near the Tibetan border, the last major settlement before Larkya La.
Day11
Acclimatisation Day at Samdo
Day trip to ~5,000 m · 8 hrs · 12 km round trip. Hike toward the Tibetan border for altitude acclimatization. Views stretch into Tibet and Nepal. Spot yak caravans, Blue Sheep, Marmots, and Pika near the glacier.
Day12
Samdo to Dharmasala · 4,460 m
Trek ~3 hrs · 3 km. Short demanding uphill walk to the high-camp rest stop. Facilities are very basic: just a handful of simple lodges. Early to bed for the pass crossing tomorrow.
Day13
Dharmasala to Bimthang via Larkya La · 5,167 m
Trek ~10 hrs · 18 km. The biggest day. Pre-dawn 3 am start over steep, icy, snow-covered terrain to Larkya La Pass. At the top: panoramic views of Manaslu, Himlung Himal (7,126 m), Kang Guru (6,981 m), and Annapurna II (7,937 m). After the pass, a breathtaking glacial cirque reveals itself: a wall of peaks casting streams of glaciers. Long descent to Bimthang.
Day14
Bimthang to Dharapani · 1,860 m
Trek ~7 hrs · 21 km. Final full trekking day. Long descent through lush rhododendron and oak forests, past historic glacial flood effects, through Gurung villages and terraced farmland, rejoining the lower Annapurna Circuit valley.
Day15
Dharapani to Kathmandu
Drive ~7–12 hrs · 243 km. Jeep from Dharapani to Besisahar, then bus or jeep onward to Kathmandu. A long day of transition from the mountains back to the city.
Day16
Final Departure
Transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport for your onward flight. The trail stays with you long after the mountains fade from the aircraft window.
Gallery
The Trail in Images
