Manaslu Trek
is amongst the great walks of the Himalayas with a bit of adventure. The Manaslu trek offers incredible scenery of rolling green hills and the high snow-capped peaks of Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and Annapurna Range.
Trip Highlight:
Beautiful views of scenic landscapes and peaks of the Manaslu, Ganesh and Annapurna ranges. Adventure-filled cultural trek to far northern areas of the mid-western Himalayas. Enjoy glamorous scenery from the start to the end of these beautiful walks. Traverse from the high Manaslu Valley to scenic Manang Marshyangdi via Larke La. Explore the impressive cultural villages with Buddhists and Hindus. Experience a marvel-filled trek from a low, warm area to hills and an arctic zone of ice and glaciers.
Trek Profile:
Trekking around Manaslu is amongst the great walks of the Himalayas with a bit of adventure. This two to three-week great walk offers incredible scenery of rolling green hills and the high snow-capped peaks of Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and Annapurna Range.
The Around Manaslu circuit trek starts with a drive from Kathmandu to Arughat and Jagat 1350m and then a scenic Manaslu valley to reach Manang district, crossing the Larke Pass 5,106 metres with breathtaking mountain panorama.
Mount Manaslu, tall at 8,163 metres, is known as Kutang Kang in the local dialect. It is the eighth-highest peak in the world, a testament to the human Spirit of conquest. The region , once feared by the Khampa movement, the Tibetan separatists, was a forbidden land. Today, it stands open, inviting you to explore its ancient Trans Himalayan Salt Trade and Caravan Trail of Nepal/Tibet.
The Manaslu region is rimmed by Mount Manaslu, Bouddha Himal, Himal-Chuli, and Ganesh Himal peaks. The main villages of Manaslu, such as Lho, Sama Gaon, and Samdo, lie above the tree lines on the trail to the Manaslu base camp, Larkye La Pass, and the Tibet border.
The Larke La, at 5,106 metres, is the main pass that separates the Manaslu and Manang Marshyangdi Valley. After the Larkye La, a long descent takes you back into the lush forests of rhododendrons, oaks, pines and fir and reaching the road head at Dharapani, where the Manaslu trail and Annapurna circuit trail meet or separate! After spending a night at Dharapani, extending the Annapurna circuit trek, Besisahar, or taking a direct drive to Kathmandu or Pokhara is possible.
If you extend the trek to Besisahar, the scenery of the lower valley, through the gorges of Marshayngdi River Valley, will treat you to a visual feast. Accordingly, the cultural life and different ethnic groups living together in harmony will inspire you to keep going to see what lies beyond the next bend.
Arrive in Kathmandu, customs and immigration formalities and claim your baggage, which takes some time. Upon exiting, the arrivals get a traditional welcome from the Happy Feet Nepal representative and transfer to the hotel. Reach the hotel and the rest of the day is free with the possibility of optional excursions (not included), but you can ask to organize any of the tours or stroll through its vibrant streets.
Kathmandu, the capital and heart of the country, with three medieval cities, symbolizes Nepal’s everything. Having lived through the several ruling dynasties of Buddhists and Hindus, the culture and society of Kathmandu Valley have evolved through time to give it more than a unique feature. Today it is an urban city, and still rapidly increasing, that has its ancient myths and, at the same time, is testimony to the greatness of people who have lived there for time immemorial.
Free day in Kathmandu in preparation for the trek, or one can join in our tour around Kathmandu at places of interest as Kathmandu city and the valley steeped with World Heritage Sites.
An 8-hour drive.
Breakfast at the hotel in Kathmandu and start the early morning overland journey to reach Arughat town, the main trekking starting point. Since the road has climbed into the valley further north, we continue the drive to Jagat, where we stop overnight. It’s a beautiful countryside drive passing through many small towns, villages, jungles, rivers, waterfalls and stunning views of mountains and seeing the daily life of mid-hill Nepalese interwoven with different cultural and cast groups of people.
The name Jagat ‘tax’ village at 1410m is a village of Gurung people. We have to show our MCAP permits. In this zone, beans, potatoes, and maize are planted simultaneously – potatoes for food and suppressing weeds, and maize for food, providing a trellis for the beans, an essential protein and cash crop source.
A 5-hour walk.
From Jagat village, the morning walk heads up, climbing over a rocky ridge to Salley and descending to Sirdibas and Ghatte Khola. Then, the trail leads upstream, crosses a long suspension bridge at Nagjet and arrives at Philim, a big village of the Gurung community. Then, the trail turns to the north, and a level trail leads around farm terraces of golden agriculture fields of wheat, barley, and millet and arrives at Ekle Bhatti.
The trail enters a steep gorge and descends over a grassy slope leading to cross the Budi Gandaki River. Then trek following the west and east bank of the river and pass through a bamboo forest to reach Deng Khola. Cross the river and get to Deng for an overnight stop.
A 4 to 5-hour walk.
The morning walk from Deng leads to crossing the Budi Gandaki again and continues going up to join a trail from Bihi. Then the trail turns west and passes through a luxuriant forest; you will notice the cultural significance while seeing the houses of Nubripas, Tsumbas (the original inhabitants of Manaslu and Tsum region), and their costumes. The geographical climate from here changes from subtropical to alpine, and grand peaks appear far in the distance.
There is another route to Namrung, but take the one via Prok, a beautiful village with a view of snow-capped Mount Siringi. The mountain view and village make us take a rest here. After Prok, the trail requires crossing Budi Gandaki several times and visiting several Gompas (monasteries). We continue upstream through a dense forest, experiencing the conservation work of the Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP). Finally, the woods become thinner, and a steep climb brings us to Namrung village. Namrung is a significant cultural bridge; the lower valley after Namrung is a mixed tribe of Buddhist and Hindu faith, and above Namrung is a strong Tibetan culture, entirely Buddhist.
A 4-hour walk.
The trek starts passing fields and houses and enters rhododendron, spruce, and oak forest before climbing to Lihi 2900m in 45 minutes, with stupas and farm fields within Yak herder huts and shelters and a close-up view of Ganesh Himal and Himal Chuli. Next, the trail descends to a side valley of Simnang Himal with a close-up view of Ganesh Himal. We then cross the Sho with an extraordinary view of the Manaslu, Manaslu North, Naike and Lho villages. Lho is a big village with about 80 households, two monasteries, stupas, mani-walls and a school. At Lho Gaon, enjoy close views of the towering north face of Manaslu and visit the Ribung Monastery, a famous monastery in the region with numerous Chorten, Mani and with about 100 monks. Exit the Lho village following the river on the right bank with a view of Peak-29. After about two hours of climbing through the forest, the trail takes us to the village of Shyala. Shyala is beautiful with views of Peak 29 or Ngadi Chuli, Himal Chuli, Phungi, Manaslu and its massive glacier straight ahead, and now Ganesh Himal is far at the end as we are heading northwest. Shyala is a village with about 60 households and several good lodges. The village is prosperous with a monastery, several ancient mani-wall and Chortens.
A 5-hour trek.
Today, take an excursion to Pungyen Gonpa, situated at 4,050m at the end of the Pungyen Valley. This side excursion offers some of the most stunning views of Mount Manaslu, weather permitting. During the excursion, you can see the majestic sight of grazing yaks and giant vultures soaring overhead.
Pungyen Gonpa is located at the end of the valley on the mountainside with carved stone huts. It is one of the oldest Tibetan monasteries in the Manaslu region. It was built by some early Tibetan settlers, known as the Nubripa (Nubri people). The monastery’s name is “Pungyen,” the old name given to Manaslu by the Nubri people. The other local name for Manaslu is Kutang.
After his beautiful excursion, we make the 45-minute return journey. Enjoy lunch at Syala and a 2 hours walk takes us to Sama Gaon town with magnificent views of Mount Manaslu. Sama Gaon is one of the largest villages in this region. The inhabitants are mostly farmers who grow what they can in this rough terrain and cold climate, but the main ones are buckwheat, wheat, barley, potatoes, and some vegetables. The locals reach the border with Tibet in one day. It is one of the ancient salt trade routes between Nepal and Tibet. People around the upper Manaslu valley are descendants of the southwest of Tibet, way back more than 2000 years. The custom and culture are no less similar to Tibetan predecessors.
From here, it is only half an hour to reach our camp at Sama Gompa (only if we are taking a camping trek), just above the village of Samagaon. Set up our camp next to the monastery and visit the Sama Gompa, one of the region’s main Nyingma (red hat sect) Monasteries.
Rest day for acclimatization and local excursion. Sleep and relax and take a late breakfast or as you wish; an early wake-up benefits sunrise colours on the summit of Manaslu and around. Or consult with your guide and take an optional excursion to Manaslu Base Camp (4,800m.) with a packed lunch, about 6 hours. Or a side excursion to Birendra Lake
A 4-hour trek.
From Sama Gaon, the trail again descends to meet Budi Gandaki and follows it to a bridge to cross the site stream. Passing several mani-walls with thousands of Buddhist mantra carved stones, come over through Himalayan Juniper and birch forest to Kermo Kharka (Nay/Yak shed), where the trail descends to Budi Gandaki and crosses a wooden bridge with a steep climb to Samdo. The day’s trek is a pleasant walk of four hours to reach Samdo, the last village of Manaslu Valley. The elevation, mountain atmosphere, and dry air make the walk slower than earlier in the lower valleys. Though the surrounding is beautiful, every direction is filled with mountains and valleys, making every rest time a
We can see the main road to Tibet through the Lajyang La 5098m slope to the valley on the right. The road to Larke La is ahead on the left. The road from Tibet is closed, but timber stocks are being carried to Samdo by pending yak resumption of trade. The nearest Tibetan town is only a day away, and you can have Chinese and Tibetan beer and food at Samdo.
A 4-hour walk.
Today, we leave the last village of upper Manaslu Valley, descend to meet the Budi Gandaki River, cross the wooden bridge, and gradually climb to the Larke Phedi. The walk leads to the end of the valley facing incredible views of the snow-capped peaks of Manaslu; for locals, Manaslu is Kutang Kang.
The walk continues crossing two icy streams and reaching Larke Phedi, also known as Dharmasala (travellers’ rest house/shade). Larke Bazaar with a ruined town still known as Larke Bazar or an old fairground. In the past, the Tibetans, Nepalese and Sherpas from Namche Bazar (Everest Zone) came here for trade, giving this place a famous name. At Larke Phedi, the afternoon is free for short walks and rest. However, the next day requires an early morning start with a long climb to cross Larke La Pass and reach Bhimthang in the Manang areas.
An 8-hour trek.
From Larke Phedi, an early morning walk leads through a steeper climb over the moraine of rocks and boulders, following north of Larke glacier, with grand views from Cho Danda with Larke Peak, clear glacier, beautiful valleys, glacial lakes and a range of Himalayan fauna and flora. Finally, a long but gradual ascent brings us to the top of Larke La, adorned with thousands of colourful Buddhist prayer flags! From the top of Larke La, there is an excellent panorama of Himlung, Cheo Himal, Kang Guru, Larke Peak, and other peaks.
After Larke Pass, there is also views of Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal. We descend over the moraine to the west, on the right-hand side of a deep ravine, then drop steeply down a scree road. Some sections of snow or ice make the walk treacherous. Then, finally, make a long descent over loose gravel to a more welcome level area with grassy moraine, where we feel more relieved.
The track now heads to the left of the large and sometimes rocky lateral moraine into a widening and beautiful valley to picturesque Bhimthang (original name is Bemathang) 3520m, a 1400m descent in about 3hrs. The views during the descent are enormous – icefalls and mountains in every direction, a glacial lake (Pongkar Tal) between the Pongkar and Salpudanda glaciers, and the joining of these two glaciers with a third glacier to form the Salpudanda Glacier, whose lateral moraine towers over Bhimthang (Bemathang). Bhimthang (Bemathang), the meadow of sand, is a lovely place on a vast green valley with several good lodges adorned with prayer flags and a view of the looming Manaslu. The area surrounded by Himalayan Juniper, tall green rhododendron, pines, and oaks is one of the famous rhododendron sanctuaries in Nepal.
A 5-hour walk.
An essential rest day complemented by a beautiful place. In the morning, after breakfast, take a short hike to Pongkar Tso and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Return to Lodge for Lunch and rest.
A 5-hour walk.
Breakfast and stroll around to find views of your preference. A nearby ridge provides a grand view of Manaslu, Lamjung, Himlung and Cheo. From Bemathang, enjoy a much-relaxed downhill walk, cross the Yak pasture meadow, cross a bridge over the Dudh Khola, and enter a rhododendron forest to reach Karcher, a high altitude cultivated land. Cross the lush cultivated field and a steep climb over a ridge at a big sweeping arc at a riverbank. A short walk reaches a small clearing, amid wood, at Gho, a small cattle and yak herders’ summer pasture, where we make our overnight stop. Gho is a temporary settlement with four good lodge accommodations to serve trekkers.
A 3-hour walk and a 4-hour drive.
The last day of the trek! A pleasant walking downhill through a beautiful forest reaches Tilje village beside the raging Marysangdi River. From Tilje, the last climb brings us to cross a suspension bridge over the Marshyangdi River and reach Dharapani. This village is located at the junction of the classic Annapurna Circuit Trail and Around the Manaslu Trekking route and is linked with Kathmandu by a motorable road.
The walking ends here, and we stop for lunch. After a marvellous adventure around Manaslu, we take about 4 hours of driving to shorten the distance to Kathmandu and complete our holidays in the Himalayas with much pleasure. The road mostly follows the Marshyangdi River and passes through Taal Besi, Chamje, Jagat, Ngadi, Bulbule, and Besisahar with terraced paddy fields. Besisahar is a large town and the headquarters of the Lamjung district.
A 5-hour drive.
Breakfast and drive to Kathmandu. From Beshisahar, the drive leads past many farm villages and towns and joins the main highway of Kathmandu and Pokhara at Dumre. Then continue a busy road back to Kathmandu.
A reserve day to make sure of a trouble-free itinerary. If all goes well, use the extra day to visit some of the medieval towns of Kathmandu, such as Bhaktapur, Patan, Boudhanath Stupa and Swayambunath Stupa, some of not to miss sites in the Kathmandu valley when you are already here.
Breakfast and the rest of the day are leisure on your own. The Representative of Happy Feet Nepal will arrive at your hotel with transport three hours before your departure flight time. Get escorted from the hotel to the International Departure Terminal, see off formalities, and go through the immigration and departure.
The Spring and the fall are always the best time to trek to the Manaslu region. However, the fall/autumn season, from October to November, is undoubtedly the best time to visit Nepal. The weather remains crystal clear, with breathtaking views of the Himalayas and the landscapes. However, it is colder at high altitudes during both seasons.
Theoretically, spring is the second-best, but spring is the first-best season for many. Spring is more interesting as the rhododendron and wildflowers blossom in the mid-hill region of Nepal, and the Bhimthang area is one of the rhododendron sanctuaries.
The summer, monsoon time for Nepal, is also a beautiful time to visit the high dry land such as Manaslu. The build-up of monsoons and clouds with rain feed the highland and turn the meadows into lush green valleys and hills. In summer, the high plateau gets carpeted with yellow and multi-coloured flowers and beautiful streams, and medicinal plants feed the Yak and Sheep grazing in the region. Summer is also the time when the villagers who migrated temporarily to lower land or travelled to other destinations for work and business return home for agriculture and animal husbandry.
The winter temperature in the Upper Manaslu region may drop to -17 degrees from sunset to sunrise. The daytime temperature remains 0 to 18 degrees. The local people of all villages live there year-round. December to February is the business time for the people of the upper valley. They come with their hand-knitted sheep wool sweaters, bag, cap and belts and travel to Kathmandu and even India for business.
