Manaslu Trek Guide

The Manaslu Trek is one of the uprising and unexplored trek insights into the Manaslu conservation area that loved so much by travelers in Nepal. The circuit of the Manaslu trek route opens from 1992 AD for the remote trekkers with the extraordinary management by Nepal government authorities and uncommon license. Presently a day, among the voyagers, Manaslu Base Camp trek got one of the most mainstream tea-house treks in Nepal.

The Manaslu Trekking route

Manaslu trekking route is a complete circle start from a valley and end to another valley through larkya-La pass (the highest elevation cross pass of Manaslu Trek). The trek begins from very low elevation 570 meters above the sea level. Going everyday higher and higher up to 5200 meters again you come back to a quite similar level of beginning.  There are few options to start your trek; some of the trekkers start from Arughat and some go even further by a drive to Sotikhola (side from Budigandaki) and trek from there. Some people choose the trek from opposite direction Bashishar, then drive to Dharapani (Gateway to Annapurna Circuit) and start the trek from there. Trekkers need to enter their special trekking permits to  Manaslu Conservation area check post.

Nepal is a beautiful country. But, numbers of natural waterfalls, amazing granite rocky cliffs, the mystic valleys, snowy and Peaceful Mountains, and some of the red-listed wildlife, the trek is even more beautiful. The trek route is best to capture the reality of villages and remote charms with the wildlife in your camera.

Trekking trails are the old walking highway to Tibet from the low land. It says it’s a salt trading route to Tibet. Lots of colorful Donkeys caravan with the loud bells are crossing on the route with heavy loads. Some of the hiking routes are very narrow, rocky, and quite step-up and straight down. A Trekking Pole is very useful for the trek. Lustige suspension bridges, wooden bridges, and some part of wide gravel dusty roads in the mountain are more impressive.

Best time for Manaslu Trek

The best time for Manaslu Circuit is March-May and September –November falls season. According the geographical forecast of Himalayas, Those months are more clear, sun-shining, less cold and good temperature and visibility more stable for trekking mountaineering activities. The rainy season comes from June to August and although the conditions can be good for trekking and photography. The mountains are apparently under the cloud and rain.

Trek Company for Manaslu Circuit

There are a number of registered trek operators for Manaslu trek if you go online for search. Even, I will suggest you choose the Nepal local trek company. There are many reasons to choose the local operator for a trek in Nepal. Generally, the local tour operators are relatively cheap and they do provide up to date information, local guides’ service, a reliable Sherpa for trip support, and as per your request they will customize the trek. Please go to the internet and review the company by search, read the reviews of them, check they are registered in TAAN and Nepal government and tax, and start to chat with them for the trek plan. Be aware all the reviews are May not written by real travelers as my research.

Trek permit for Manaslu Trekking

Manaslu Trek is still one of the remote areas and restricted trekking routes of Nepal, where the trekkers required special trek permits from Nepal Immigration through locally registered trek company and license guide. The permit you can get for a minimum of a week by paying 100 US$ for high season and 75 US$ for the low season per person. After that, per day 15 US$ high season and 10 US$ for low season. Minimum 2 trekkers are required to get the permit for this trek. Trekkers required additional entry tickets from Manaslu Conservation Area (MCAP) and Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) and TIMS card. Which cost: 25+25+10 US$.

Route map of Manaslu Trekking

 Manaslu Circuit Trek Map

Updated Manaslu Trek itinerary

The updated and most popular trek itinerary for Manaslu is the following:
Day 1: Drive to Sotikhola. Guest- House.
Day 2: Trek to Khorlabashi. Lodge.
Day 3: Trek to Jagat. Lodge.
Day 4: Trek to Dyang. Lodge.
Day 5: Trek to Gaph.
Day 6: Trek to Lho via Namrung, Entering the Nubri Valley.
Day 7: Samagona, Acclitamize, Explore the village.
Day 8: Hiking to Pyungen Gompa – Explore the west face of Manaslu.
Day 9: Hiking to Manaslu Base camp and trek to Samdo. (The last settlement before the larkya-La pass.)
Day 10: Hiking to Larkya Phadi.
Day 11: Trek to Bhimtang, longest day of hiking, cross Larkya La Pass (5200m)
Day 11: Trek to Dharapani
Day 12:Drive to Bashishar by off-road locally transport, Take a bus to Kathmandu

However, some people spend more days on this trek. It very depends on your personal interest. You can view the next ideal planning for Manalsu Base Camp.

Ideal Packing list for Larkya Pass Trek

A Manaslu circuit trek map (you purchase in Thamel book shop)
Pairs of Trekking pole (Chinese Leki)
65-liter backpack
-20 c. Sleeping bag (North Fake ) can hire from the agency or local store.
Water bottle and SteriPen (UV light) and Aqua water purify tablets.
Lowe alpine shoes and train shoes.
Nepal made a down jacket and Gore-Tex outer layer.
Woolen long sleeve 2 pears.
2 pieces of walking trousers and a long slip.
2 pieces of underwear long and short ship.
3 pears of Woolen and cotton shock.
A warm hat, buff, warm gloves, and light towel.
Headlamp, few pears of 3A size batteries, 2 pin plugs, Charger and an   phone
Canon Camera, Garmin GPRS with a waterproof cover.
Small box first aid kits with general medicine including Diam ox.
Few rolls of Toilet paper, sunblock cream, and Tissue paper.

Day trip to Manaslu Base Camp and Pungyen Gompa

When you are in Samagoan, it looks like you are very near to the Mt. Manaslu Mountain. From there, within a few hours step-up hiking along the ridge of the glacier, you will reach to Manaslu Base Camp. When you go high get a higher view.  Manaslu base camp is one of the shortest distance base camps of 8000 mountains from the village. You can hike from the largest village of Manaslu Reason (Samagoan) and clear view of Manaslu Mountain from a hotel and hotel room. Pungyen Gompa is a great glacial valley in the Northwest faces of Manaslu.

People can go Within 3 hours hike from Samagoan. This small and hidden gompa is founded by Lama Pungyen. Few monks are staying in there as seasonally. The story says, there is a natural hot spring nearby Pungyen Gompa. The glacial valley, of Marmot animals wholes, very close view of Mt. Manaslu, and the beautiful glacial lakes in the peace and less tourist place one of the unexplored hidden gems of Manaslu circuit trek.

Guide and Porter for Manaslu Trek

Manaslu Trek is still one of the remote areas and restricted trekking routes of Nepal, where the trekkers required special trek permits from the Nepal Immigration through locally registered trek company and license guide. In Nepal, here are numbers of local trek operators who provide you that service as per your request. The guide and porter are experienced, locals, and speak good English and some of them speak other languages as well. Generally a guide cost per day 25 to 20$ per day and a porter cost 20$ per day.  From this cost, the company provides you their insurance, equipment, daily wages, accommodation, and food. The guide will not carry your baggage and the porters’ baggage limits are 20kg.

Where to Stay in Manaslu Trek, food and Water Supply

Every year, the Manaslu trek is going more luxurious than past years. In the route, there is contrition for new infrastructure among the local’s community. Every lodge will be tried to offer you better service and better accommodation. Most of them are a local family-owned house that is well decorated like a mountain huts. Trekkers get always a private room with clean beds. Some of them offer you a private bathroom and a hot shower. The beds are locally made and the mattress thin sometimes. Suggest you carry a warm sleeping bag and an inner liner. Every guest house offer catering service including varieties of local cuisine and hot and cold drinks.

All of the people form the Manaslu region, they use natural spring water for daily purpose including their kitchen and hotel. Even, they do offer mineral water bottles for tourists and open requests; you can order boiled water.  Those who carry their private filter and water purify tablets; they can use that spring water and use their tablets or filter to drink which is fully safe. It is the best way to avoid numbers of plastic bottles and save the natural environment.

Transport access for Manaslu Trek

The trek is near Kathmandu takes about 6 to 7 hours by private jeep and 8+ hours by local bus drive to reach Arughat and Sotikhola. And the Arughat village is the getaway to Manaslu Trek. Although this day the road access reached Sotikhola About 130km). From Kathmandu, there are daily local bus services every morning. But, private jeeps are recommended for the trek because of bad road and weather conditions and traveling time.  After reaching the Dharaiapni, there are back road accesses to reach the Bashishar (Another gateway to go Annapurna Circle and small city) by taking a local jeep or bus. After Bashishar, you can choose the transport to Kathmandu locally or privately, which takes about 6 to 7 hours on a better road.