Manaslu Circuit Trek, 12 Days Itinerary, Cost, Trip Map

Trip Duration

12 Days

Group Sizes

2 - 16 People

Difficulty

Moderate

Max. Altitude

5,110m

Activities

Trekking
City Sightseeing

Meals

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Accommodation

Hotel in City
Lodge During The Trek

Trip Highlights

                                    Journey around the 8th highest peak in the world Mt. Manaslu ( 8163m ) and other fellow peaks.
One of the toughest high altitude passes of Larkya La Pass ( 5106m) with one of the most beautiful scenery and the view from the height.
Journey covering two most beautiful and diverse preserved and most chosen tourist attractions of the Manaslu and Annapurna regions.
Several crystal-clear rivers, stunning waterfalls, glaciers, lakes, and other natural bodies are all along the trail.
Diverse vegetation of different Himalayan plants and ecosystems of other wildlife.
Difficult terraces and challenging geography make the wonderful journey more adventurous.
Several Monasteries, Mane walls, and other shrines make it a more amazing journey.
Multi-ethnic Cultures and villages with various traditional living cultures and styles.
Various people with traditional farming methods cross the farming terrace through the journey.

                                

Overview of Manaslu Circuit Trek – 12 Days

Trekking in Nepal is taken as the best thing to do with nature, its beauty, and the traditional culture living inside It. Trekking is already a most done and loved outdoor activity in Nepal. Trekking itself is a course of travel that covers traveling fractures such as adventure, witnessing, culture, ecosystem, nature, geography, and many more factors along with the features that give a specific exercise to physical and mental health too. So, it is not just a traveling spirit but also a good thing to have for you and yourself. And Nepal is filled with such diverse trekking trails drawn over its geography.

Manaslu Circuit Trek is amongst the most adventurous and features the most trekking trails in Nepal. It lies inside the preserved area of Manalsu Preservation Area. It also covers some parts of the Annapurna Region at some points which makes it even more diverse in the factors and the features a trekking journey should cover or should have. The trekking journey in the Manaslu Circuit Trek unfolds the ecosystem and the unique geography of the Himalayas as well the unique culture of ethnic communities residing in the region of such high altitude.

Manaslu Circuit Trek is a recently opened trekking trail with well-marked routes that circulate the Manaslu sanctuary and go through some parts of the Annapurna Region or the Annapurna Conservation Area bringing you astonishing beauty, wonderful journeys, breathtaking nature walks, and close insight into cultural living style of ethnic communities. Such diversity itself makes it one of the great choices among travelers from all around the world. The consistency in amazing factors and the features all along the route make it an outstanding architecture of natural trekking. Therefore, it is becoming one of the most chosen spots for all travel enthusiasts and adventurers with the spirit to do great trekking beneath the mountain peaks of the great Himalayan trail.

To make it more comfortable and wonderful as well as the scheduled one, we designed an itinerary journey of 12 days over the trail of Manaslu Circuit which covers all the factors and the features, that could be covered during the great trip on the surrounding of Manaslu Circuit. It is already a very diverse place to go through which needs a proper plan and a scheduled journey to make it safer and the efficient in terms of your lifetime experience. These 12-day Manaslu circuit trek can make you a good adventurer and appreciate your life journey. So, here we provide you with the best way of having this journey with an itinerary of 12 days to make your footsteps in Manalsu a great one. It can be your lifetime experience to have It as a wonderful traveling day.

Itinerary of Manaslu Circuit Trek – 12 Days

Day 01: Drive Kathmandu to Machha Khola

Day 02: Macche Khola to Jagat

Day 03: Jagat to Deng

Day 04: Dang to Namrung

Day 05: Namrung to Lho

Day 06: Lho to Samagaun

Day 07: Rest Day and Acclimatization at Samagaun

Day 08: Samagaun to Samdo

Day 10: Samdo to Dharamsala

Day 10: Dharamsala to Bhimtang( Larkya La Pass )

Day 11: Bhimtang to Dharapani

Day 12: Dharapani to Kathmandu

Manaslu Circuit Trek – 12 Days Altitude Chart

Trip Information - Good to Know

Best Time

The Manaslu Circuit Trek covers the diverse ecosystem, culture, and the geography of Himalayas. So, there is no specific answer for the best time to do the circuit trek during any season of the year. It depends on the factors and the features that the trekker wants to have during their journey through the trekking trail.

But two seasons Spring and Autumn are considered the best times to trekking. It is according to the features and the affecting factors of the seasons of the year. So, it is also upon the traveler to get the best time for them.

The season of Spring brings the fresh odour of the Himalayas with the fresh and new blossoming flowers and leaves all over the hills. It makes the landscapes more beautiful and admirable for the natural spirit. During this season the weather also gets a stable one which helps you to do your trekking journey more easily. The visibility gets clear after it washes all the dust by the monsoon before it. You will get the views of very distinct scenery and make your journey more scenic. So, it is considered a refreshing season to have Manaslu Circuit Trek.

The season of Autumn, brings colorful landscapes which makes it a very mesmerizing journey throughout the trek. It is the season that brings the changing phase of plant leaves, which makes a colorful change all across the trail. The weather also gets more Stable than any other month of the year. It also brings the most clear and more visibility than any other season of the year. So, with the mesmerizing and scenic journey in stable weather and clear visibility, it can be considered one of the best times to have trekking in Manaslu Circuit Trek.

Accommodation, Food and Drinks

The accommodation, food, and drinks during this trek are all managed by us for you. All the basic logistics will be covered. The basic breakfast, meal, and dinner will be provided by us.

You will get an overnight stay at the Teahouse and homestays during the journey over the main trails and in the Hotel during the starting point and in Kathmandu. Also, you need to understand that the teahouse and guesthouses in the Manaslu region run with very limited resources and with the modern transportation infrastructure nearly non-existent. So, do not expect to get luxury or standard services. You need to survive with the basic services of food, drinks, and stays which is also a great way to experience the lifestyle with limited resources in the Himalayas.

The foods are all the Nepali typical foods as the trail is recently opened and there are not enough guesthouses or restaurants to provide you with better dishes. But still, the menu is filled with diverse and unique foods like Dal Bhat Tarkari, eggs, meats, milk items, green vegetables, and other local foods which you can try in different villages seen throughout the journey of Manaslu Circuit Trek.

This package will not cover the external or extra food and drinks you are willing to have during your journey. It includes the extra bars and beverages, ice creams, sweets or desserts, and any other items that are not mentioned or excluded in our cost section above.

You can have some Western dishes at the starting point and ending point or some parts of the trekking journey like pasta, pizza, and fries. Still do not expect it as good as what you find in a restaurant in Kathmandu.

Preparation and Fitness

This trek properly covers the 12 days of itinerary nearly two weeks of the journey. The journey lies over the proper geography of the Himalayas filled with high altitude, cliffs, rivers, lakes, glaciers, difficult paths, remote routes and vertical ascends. So, to go through such a diverse changing geography you need to have good physical fitness which is very necessary. Otherwise, you may or cannot do this Trekking itinerary. Good fitness is recommended and needed.

For preparation, you need to carry or prepare for the dozens of clothings and some pairs of shoes. Prepare with the basic essentials for yourself like a trekking pole, medical kit, water bottle, trekking shoes, caps, or whatever you think you need during your 12 days of the journey. Whatever doesn’t mean you can carry many things. Always avoid unnecessary things or you very barely use them while trekking as this journey is a somehow long journey in such a difficult trial. So, it could be difficult to move with such a weight of essentials even with the help of potters.

Carry extra clothes as 12 days of the journey is a pretty long itinerary. We also recommend you carry a personal camera with you as you may not regret it later in such scenic and picturesque moments of your trekking journey.

Minimum and Maximum Walk Per Day and Altitude

This 12-day Manaslu Circuit Trek consists of a minimal walk of 5 hours per and a maximum of up to 9 to 10 hours per day of continuous walk through various paths.

It lies between the altitude of 1400m to 5106m of altitude from the sea level.

Permits

This 12-day Manaslu Circuit Trek of Trek covers the area of Manaslu Region and the Annapurna Region too. And both of them are perseveration areas. The next thing is it is a restricted area.

So, you need several permits from the official representative Boards. One from the MCAP( Manaslu Conversation Area Permit ) another from ACAP( Annapurna Conversation Area Permit), and one from MRAP (Manaslu Restricted Area Permit ) along TIMS ( Trekking Information Management System).

So these are the permits you need to get for your journey through Manaslu Circuit Trek.

What To Expect?

Manaslu Circuit Trek is itself a diverse course of traveling option. It consists of a diverse range of natural beauty and features of the Himalayan region. These 12 days Manaslu Circuit Trek is designed to provide you with the proper traveling experience and the features you could get to make it a great trekking experience.

Manaslu Region is a preserved and restricted area with an unspoiled beauty and the uninfluenced culture of the ethnic community. The region consists of several rivers, lakes, glaciers, and streams with scenic beauty.

So, from this trek, you can expect to have a mesmerizing journey and a very refreshing odour of the Himalayan air. This trek goes through various natural bodies which is also a great chance to explore the formation of natural bodies. The trekking trail of Manaslu Circuit also consists of lush greenery, alpine forests, diverse vegetation, and green lush grasses all through the journey.

The flora and fauna of the high altitude can be seen all over your journey. The mountain wildlife is also a good one to witness during your 12-day Manaslu Circuit Trek. It offers a spectacular ecosystem of plants and animals throughout the itinerary.

It also allows you to challenge yourself with the difficult geography and the Himalayan terrains which can make you sweat with the difficulty. You can have the taste of your own physical and mental ability during this 12-day Manaslu Circuit Trek. It also covers higher cliffs, difficult paths, narrow routes, and very remote trails, very far from modern society.

The stunning views are uncountable all through the trail. The spectacular scenery of landscapes. The massive majestic view of mountain peaks. The crystal clear rivers, frozen glaciers, beautiful eye-catching lakes, and Himalayan forest are all the natural refreshing features you could have during your Manaslu Circuit Trek.

The route and the trail of this trekking journey also pass through several villages which are the traditional ones. All of them provide you with a better and closer insight into living culture with the traditional lifestyle and farming with traditional methods too. This village surrounded by the farming terrace can be an unforgettable witnessing beauty for you. They are just unexplainable.

From all the above, you just can expect your journey to be a lifetime experience for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it suitable for beginners in trekking?

This trek is considered one of the moderately hard trekking in Nepal. But it can be done by beginners too. But if you are an absolute beginner in the course of a trekking journey and you want to try this on your first try then It could be your trouble. It is already a hard one to travel through such the challenging geography of the Himalayan.

Why is the difficulty level of this Manaslu Circuit Trek?

The difficulty level of this Manaslu Circuit Trek is considered to be moderately hard. It consists of some difficult terrains to pass through and narrow routes to cross and the trail is drawn over the proper Himalayan geography. And there is no easy day walk all throughout the journey. So it is considered as a moderately hard trek.

Why is it a restricted area?

It is restricted and recently opened for the outsider. It is done by the government to protect the living culture of the ethnic communities and the natural ecosystem of the high altitude. It is also preserved to restrict unauthorized trekking and the entry of visitors which can spoil the beauty of the Manaslu Region which is still an unspoiled Himalayan beauty and it also protects the culture of people living their from direct negative influence from the outer modern cultures.

It is also important from the view of economic gain in the tourism industry. This is the reason to make it a restricted area.

Does this 12 day itinerary properly cover all the features of this trek?

This trek of 12 days Manaslu Circuit Trek is designed to give you the most features that can be covered in 12 days of the journey. So, it can be said you will cover most of the features and the factors a 12-day journey should have in this geography of Manaslu Region.

Why it is called one of the most challenging journeys?

It is considered a challenging trekking journey because it covers some of the factor which challenges your physical ability and your mental patience. It also consists of a continuous long walk with a vertical climb and ascends through the rough routes and the tough stairs to go across. It also covers the high cliffs and the narrow paths which are difficult to tackle because of their challenging geography. So, it is called one of the most challenging trekking trails in Nepal.

Is it necessary to carry tents and other camping equipment?

No your 12 days of itinerary is all covered with the stays in a teahouse and the homestay. So, you do not need to carry camping essentials. It is to reduce more burden on your journey with the weight of such equipments and the essentials with you.

What are the facilities of transportation?

The transportation facilities are only needed two times during this whole itinerary as inside the trekking trail the modern infrastructure is non-existent and does not consist of any kind of transportation journey. So, you will be taken to Macche Khola from Kathmandu and to Kathmandu from Dharapani in a private vehicle or Jeep or tourist bus considering the size of your trekking group.

Is this journey suitable with children?

As we mentioned above, this trekking journey covers the difficult and proper Himalayan geography over difficult routes and at an altitude more than 5000m from sea level. Considering these factors this trek is not recommended with children.