Trek to Manaslu - Trekking Package in the Himalayas

It’s a perfect landing in Kathmandu as your aircraft sets down at Tribhuvan International Airport. You are greeted by a representative of Himalayan Planet Adventures and will be taken by private vehicle to your hotel in Kathmandu. In the evening, join Himalayan Planet Adventures for a wonderful cultural welcome dinner and an opportunity to visit the main office of Himalayan Planet Adventures for your orientation meeting.

The Kathmandu Valley has been a place of adventures over many centuries as caravans and travelers came from far and wide to enjoy its hospitality. Today, the Kathmandu Valley is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites and we will explore several of them over the course of the day. At Pashupatinath, you will experience the most sacred Hindu temple in all of Nepal and meet colorfully dressed Sadhu (holy men) Priests, explore its many temples as well as see the famous cremation grounds (ghats) on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. There will be a visit to the amazing city of Bhaktapur with its narrow streets, palace and temples. The city retains a medieval appearance with squares and courtyards. There is also a visit to Boudhanath, the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal (third largest in the world). These three places are just three of the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley.

The journey to the Manaslu Circuit Trek begins today as we depart Kathmandu for an early morning ride to our starting point: the village of Arughat on the banks of the Budhi Gandaki River. The journey tops the Kathmandu Valley Rim before following a number of fast-flowing mountain rivers to reach our destination. The route passes through Dhading as we pass farms, forests and fields. Arughat is the largest village along the Budhi Gandaki and is where you can pick up last minute supplies before journeying into the Manaslu region. We leave our vehicle at Arughat, taking a local transport to the end of the road at the pretty little village of Soti Khola where we will spend the night at a local tea house. Total travel time is 8 hours.

The trek today primarily follows along the west bank of the Budhi Gandaki River. It’s a wild river with plenty of rapids and fast flowing water that bubbles and swirls over rocks. The weather tends to be warmer here as we are at a low elevation. That will change as we make our way higher into the valley. There are plenty of interesting little villages that we will visit along the way before arriving in the pleasant village of Machhakholagaon where we find good lodging at a local tea house with some great food. Trekking time is 5 -6 hours.

The journey continues to climb upwards as we pass donkey trains which move goods throughout the mountains. We share the trail with donkeys and mules as well as local porters who move goods strapped to their backs. We will pass ornate Mani Walls, a tribute to the Buddhist faith of the people in the area. Along the way, we will pass the hot springs at Tatopani where we will see not only taps of hot water, but also hot water dripping from the sides of the hill. This is the largest hot springs in this area. Jagat is a very beautiful village with streets paved in flag stones. Here we find a nice local tea house for the night. Trekking time is 6 hours.

We cross the Budhi Gandaki River as the trail rises high above the river below. Here we will be able to see eagles soaring on thermals. We start to pass through fewer and fewer villages as we make our way into higher elevations. We will be able to see some of the snowcapped peaks of the Manaslu region today (although we have had a few short glimpses over the last couple of days.) Once we pass the village of Philim, we follow a trail cut into the side of the cliff. Our destination is the village of Deng where we will spend the night at a local tea house. Trekking time is 5 – 6 hours.

Today we start to see the influence of the Tibetan culture as we pass through villages. Farms are along the terraced sides of the river valley as we see cabbage, buckwheat and barley along with other crops. There are additional Mani Prayer Walls that we pass by as we make our way to Ghap Village for lunch. From here, it is another two hours until we reach the village of Namrung. Temperatures are cooler now with the higher elevation, and there are great scenes of the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Pang Phuchin (elev. 6,335 m); Mt. Saula Himal (elev. 6,235 m) plus many more ranges of the Manaslu Himal and Simang Himal. We will camp overnight at Namrung.

It is a shorter trek today as we make our way to the little village of Lho. Today is a short trek of only 3 -4 hours. We pass many small Buddhist monasteries. We continue to rise in elevation as we enter beautiful alpine areas with wonderful vistas of Mt. Manaslu.

The villages are primarily small and the snowcapped mountains loom huge on our horizons. We pass by the village of Samagaun with its hardy farmers who eke out a living in this high elevation. Only a few crops can grow in this soil at such an elevation. The people here are strongly tied to Tibet, and they still travel to Tibet to buy and sell goods. They follow the ancient salt route that has been used for centuries. One of the largest monasteries in this area will be explored today. Trekking time is 4 – 5 hours.

We have reached high elevation in the Manaslu Himal and we need to spend a day allowing our body to adjust to the thin Himalayan mountain air. There is a monastery you can explore as well as a lake. The highlight of the day is the outstanding view of Mt. Manaslu in all of its glory. We continue to camp at Sama Gompa.

We make our way upwards to the last village before Larkya-La. It takes about 3 – 4 hours as we slowly make our way to Samdo. We camp on a high plateau overlooking the snowcapped mountains and deep, green valleys below. We can still see the Budhi Gandaki River, which has become a small mountain stream by this point. At Samdo, we stay at a basic tea house with wonderful hospitality by these Tibetan people who welcome us into their village. We have made our way upwards today, crossing a high plateau and around a high ridge. It is an awesome day for great mountain views.

It’s wild country as we leave Samdo village as well as almost all civilization behind. We pass the ruins of a village known as Larkya Bazar, which ceased to exist when trade ceased along this particular route to Tibet. We will come close to Larkya Glacier and will enjoy the finest view of Larkya Peak. It’s a day of crossing moraines of Larkya Glacier as we make our way to a tiny little tea house for the night near Larkya La Pass. We will spend the night at the Larkya Guest House before we ascend to the top of Larkya La Pass tomorrow.

We reach the top of our trek today as we make our way to Larkya La Pass with its awesome views of Mt. Manaslu as well as the other snowcapped peaks of the Himalayas. From here, we see into Tibet as we view the Tibetan Plateau from its lofty heights. From here, we can appreciate the view of the amazing Larkya Glacier. We will today begin to see the peaks of the Annapurna Mountain Range to the west. After 12 days of climbing, our journey will start to descend today once we cross Larkya La Pass. Our journey will take us to Bimthang. We will camp at this kharka. There is a deserted house here along with mani walls. It is a tiring day without a doubt, but certainly one that brings a sense of accomplishment, having cross Larkya La Pass. Trekking time is 8 hours.

It is a pleasant walk as we re-enter forests with rhododendrons, wildflowers and warmer temperatures. We enter the valley of the Burdin Khola and make our way to the western base camp for Mt. Manaslu. We cross a bridge over the Dudh Khola and enter a narrow, fertile valley with its serene forests that have such an awesome smell as we enjoy its tranquility. It is about six hours of walking today as we make our way to our destination of the village of Dharapani to spend the night.

Our trekking days are now over, and we happily board a jeep to take us into the Annapurna region. Our destination is the village of Beshishahar which will take about 7 – 8 hours of travel time. (We should note that the jeep may not be available during the summer months of the monsoon season.)

Today we return to Kathmandu. The journey follows along the major rivers of Nepal, climbing our way back to Kathmandu. Check into your hotel, take a hot shower and then go for a special celebration dinner with your guide, porter and management of Himalayan Planet Adventures.

It’s the final day, and you can do a little shopping in Thamel near your hotel before your representative of Himalayan Planet Adventures takes you back to your hotel Today is your day to leave the magical land of Nepal, but you don’t have to. There are many more places to explore in this incredible country nestled in the very heart of the Himalayas. Before you consider leaving, be sure to discuss with your representative at Himalayan Planet Adventures about additional trips in not only Nepal, but also in Tibet, Bhutan, India, Bangladesh and Thailand. Your representative can help you to enjoy incredible adventure into the wild Himalayas as well as south Asia.