Manaslu Circuit Trek — 15 Days | Cost & Itinerary 2026

The Manaslu Circuit Trek is for trekkers who have heard the stories — about a route that feels like the Annapurna Circuit did twenty years ago, before the road came. It circles Mount Manaslu, the world's eighth highest peak at 8,163 m, through a restricted area of Nepal that sees a fraction of the crowds of Everest or Annapurna. In 15 days, you walk from subtropical river valleys to the snowbound 5,160 m Larkya La Pass — and you do it on trails that still feel wild.

The trek begins at Macha Khola, deep in the Budhi Gandaki gorge, where rice terraces and waterfalls give way to the river's turquoise rapids. Each day the valley climbs higher, the air grows thinner, and the architecture changes — wooden Gurung houses in the lowlands shift to flat-roofed Tibetan stone houses as you approach the border. By the time you reach Sama Gaon and Samdo, you are walking through villages that feel more Tibetan than Nepali, with prayer flags strung between every house and monasteries on every ridge.

The crescendo is the Larkya La Pass at 5,160 m — one of the highest and most spectacular trekking passes in Nepal. The pre-dawn climb from Dharamshala is cold and demanding, but the reward is a 360-degree panorama of Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, Kang Guru and Annapurna II — peaks that few trekkers ever see from this angle. The descent down the other side into Bimthang is long, but the views of the Manaslu massif from the western side are among the most beautiful in all of Nepal.

This is a serious trek. Graded 4/5, it demands good fitness, prior trekking experience and respect for altitude. Daily walking is 6–8 hours on rough trails, with two acclimatisation days built in at Sama Gaon and Samdo. There is no technical climbing — but there is real altitude, real remoteness and real reward.

The Manaslu Circuit Trek from Kathmandu begins with a long but scenic drive to the trailhead at Macha Khola — there are no flights into the Manaslu region. Both ends of the trek connect by road back to Kathmandu, making this one of the few Himalayan circuits that requires no internal flights at all.

Best seasons: March–May offers rhododendrons in bloom and warming days. September–November brings the clearest mountain views and most stable weather of the year. The Manaslu region is also one of the few treks in Nepal that can be done in winter (December–February) by experienced trekkers prepared for cold and snow on the pass.

Permits required: Three permits are mandatory — the Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (RAP), the Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP) and the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP, the trek exits through the Annapurna region). The RAP requires a minimum group size of two and must be obtained through a licensed agency. HSJ arranges all three permits — you do not need to queue at permit offices.

The Tsum Valley Extension

The Tsum Valley is one of Nepal's last great hidden corners — a high-altitude Buddhist sanctuary tucked between the Manaslu massif and the Tibetan border. The valley was officially opened to foreign trekkers only in 2008, and even now sees a fraction of the visitors who walk the main Manaslu circuit. It is the closest thing in the Himalayas to walking back in time.

Branching off the Manaslu Circuit at Lokpa, the Tsum trail climbs through pine forests and across high pastures into a wide glacial valley ringed by Ganesh Himal, Sringi Himal and Boudha Himal. Villages here — Chumling, Chhokangparo, Nile and Mu — are built of stone and timber and feel more Tibetan than anywhere else in Nepal. Prayer walls run for miles. Mani stones are stacked on every ridge. The light at altitude here has a quality that travellers struggle to describe.

The valley is home to two of the most extraordinary monasteries in Nepal — Mu Gompa at 3,700 m, the northernmost monastery on the route, and Rachen Gompa, a working nunnery housing around eighty Buddhist nuns. The Tsum are an ethnic group with their own distinct dialect, and the valley still practises polyandry — a tradition where one woman marries multiple brothers, kept alive here long after it disappeared elsewhere. Hunting has been banned for generations as a community-wide commitment to non-violence, which is why blue sheep and Himalayan tahr are unusually approachable.

Adding Tsum Valley extends the trek by 5–7 days and is best combined with the full Manaslu Circuit. Best seasons are the same as the main route — March–May and September–November.

Want to add Tsum Valley? Contact us and we will tailor a Manaslu + Tsum itinerary to your dates and pace.

Prefer a shorter trek? The Manaslu Circuit can also be completed in 13 days by skipping the Kathmandu sightseeing day and one acclimatisation day — best for experienced high-altitude trekkers. Contact us to arrange the 13-day version.

A Typical Day on the Manaslu Circuit

Breakfast is served at the teahouse by 7:00 am — dal bhat, eggs, porridge, pancakes or Tibetan bread, with tea or coffee. Most days start walking by 7:30–8:00 am to make the most of clear morning skies before clouds build by midday.

The trail averages 12–16 km with 500–900 m of ascent on the way up — longer and harder than treks in Annapurna or Everest. Your guide sets a comfortable pace; there is no racing at this altitude. Lunch is taken at a teahouse mid-route, usually between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm. Expect to arrive at the next village by 3:00–4:00 pm, leaving time to wash, rest, recharge devices and explore before dinner at 6:00–7:00 pm.

Evenings are quieter on Manaslu than on busier routes — the dining room fills with a handful of fellow trekkers and your guide, the wood stove keeps things warm, and the conversation moves easily across borders. Lights-out is usually by 9:00 pm. The pass day starts as early as 3:00 am — proper sleep on the days leading up to Larkya La is essential.