White Magic Adventure Travel

MANASLU CIRCUIT TREK

Nepal

14 DAYS
12 MAX GROUP SIZE
5106
MAX ALTITUDE
5 Challenging Trek

TBA
Trip leader default

13 Oct - 27 Oct 2024

98900

Trip cost

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Manaslu circuit trek is a classic Himalayan trek which circumvents Mt. Manaslu, the world’s 8th highest mountain at 8163m. This is a challenging trek in a remote region in Nepal which was opened up for trekking only in 1990s. The trek attracts fewer trekkers than the popular trails leading to Everest Base Camp or in the Annapurna region and offers a variety of landscape and different cultures. It starts quite low at an altitude of about 700m in the narrow Budhi Gandaki valley and goes all the way up to Larkya La Pass at 5125m before descending into the Margsyandi valley to join the main Annapurna Circuit route. The green landscape, dense forests and Gurung villages slowly transform to an alpine setting with towering Himalayan peaks & spectacular glaciers. Higher up the trek runs parallel to the Nepal Tibet border and the landscape is now dotted with Tibetan village, prayer flags and age old monasteries.

The climb up to the pass is a challenging one but is rewarded with some incredibe views of Mt Manasalu, Himal Chuli and Himlung Himal. On the descent we have beautiful meadows and dense forests.

Please Note: Starting 2024, on all Nepal treks such the Manaslu Circuit, you can buy your own food at tea-houses and hence it is not a part of our package. The pricing too reflects this change in offering.

Itinerary

Show Detailed Itinerary

Day 01: Arrive Kathmandu

Arrive and transfer to hotel. We are introduced to our trek leader and other members of the tour. Overnight at hotel.

Day 02: Drive from Kathmandu to\ to Maccha Khola [710m/2328 ft] 8 – 9 hours

Long drive from Kathmandu to reach the starting point of the trek in Maccha Khola. For the first few hours the drive is on a comfortable paved road but once you get off-road it gets challenging and very dusty. It could get very tricky if it rains. But the road gets better after Jemeri. We are following the Budhi Gandaki upstream on this trek and cross a small village of Lapubesi. From Lapubesi, we drive to Mache Khola where we stop for the night. Overnight Tea-House

Day 03: Maccha Khola -Jagat [1410m/ 4625 ft]: 6 – 7 hrs

From here, we continue the short walk to KhorlaBesi. Today is the first of the many long and intense walking days we will encounter on the trek. That is one of the highlight of the Manaslu trek and something that sets it apart from treks in the Everest and Annapurna region. After a dense forest along the BudhiGandaki and we make it to Tatopani where we make a quick stop to enjoy the natural hot springs. After Tatopani, we cross the BudhiGandaki and continue walking in the forest before it clears out for the beautiful settlement of Dobhan. After Dobhan, we continue uphill climb to Syalabhatti where we stop for lunch and then carry onto Yaruphant. After Yaruphant, the valley opens up again and it’s a long but enjoyable walk along the BudhiGandaki to Jagat village. Jagat will impress you with its slate-paved streets giving it quite a tidy touch.There’s a campsite in the lower part of the village while at least two lodges are located in its upper part where we stay the night. Overnight Tea-hosue.

Day 04: Jagat – Deng [1,804m/5917 ft]: 6 – 7 hrs

We start the day by crossing the BudhiGandaki and the views from the bridge are stunning as we walk past 3 stunning waterfalls. The first half of the walk today is really scenic and we cross many suspension bridges, including the longest suspension bridge in Gorkha district to arrive at Phillim, which is one of the biggest villages on the Manaslu circuit. After Phillim, it’s a winding trail and after taking lunch at Eklabhatti/Chisopani, we gradually start the long uphill climb to Deng walking past the fork where the trail splits into two – one trail going to the Tsum valley and the other continuing towards Deng. For the final 2 hours, we walk through dense forest to arrive at Deng. Overnight Tea-house

Day 05: Deng – Namrung [2630m/8626ft]: 6 – 7 hrs

From Deng, we start getting nice views of the big mountains – SingriHimal is the most prominent one on the horizon here. It’s a challenging start to the day with 2 hours of uphill climb through scenic dense forest. We walk across few landslides, wrecked houses and desserted village caused by the earthquake that hit the region in April 2015. But once the forest clears out, we can see the Buddhist settlement of Ghapsya with great views. After having lunch at Ghapsya, we continue towards Namrung. It’s a nice pleasant walk through bamboo forest and gradual climb towards Namrung. Overnight Tea house

Day 06: Namrung – Lho [3150m]: 3-4 hrs

Since we are at reasonably high altitude now, from today our walking hours start getting shorter as we allow our bodies to acclimatise to the altitude. From Namrung it’s an easy and gradual climb to Lihi and then onto Lho. We are now deeply entrenched in Buddhist settlements as is visible through the increased number of monasteries. Lho is dominated by a large Gompa - the Gompa and its dormitories are located on the slopes of a hill above the village. The top of the hill is the best viewpoint to first (and some would say best) view of Mount Manaslu. With its “fishtail” twin peaks, you witness Manaslu in all it’s glory as it fades during sunset. It is even better during sunrise, when the morning glow shines on it’s very summit. We have lunch at Lho and then go for an acclimatisation walk to view the Manaslu peak. Overnight at Tea-house.

Day 07: Lho -Samagaon [3530m/11,578 ft]: 3-4 hours / Afternoon optional hike to Pungyen gompa & back

Another short day today as we walk towards Samagaon, the biggest settlement we come across on our trek and the only place we spend more than a night in. After a long but gradual climb towards Shyala, it’s a flat walk towards Samagaon. Samagaon is a picturesque village, where houses are aligned in rows along a small rivulet, facing pretty looking courtyards. The fields are located on both sides of the village. It is also the closest village to Manaslu Base Camp – the first station of the expeditions and it gets busy during the climbing season. We spend two nights in Samagaon to allow our bodies to acclimatise. Overnight at Tea-house

Day 08: Rest Day in Samagaon

We rest and relax at Samagaon, enjoying the views of Manaslu towering above us.

Day 09: Samagaon – Samdo [3860m/12,660 ft]: 4 – 5 hours

Today is a relatively short walk but we take it easy as we are at a considerable altitude and we allow our bodies to acclimatise properly. Samdo is a tiny village under the shadow of the majestic Samdo peak (6335m) and the Samdo glacier. Just before the final climb to the village of Samdo, the trail passes the point where the BudhiGandaki actually starts – at the confluence of LarkeKhola and the river coming from Samdo Glacier. Overnight at Tea-house

Day 10: Samdo – Dharamsala/Larkya B. C. [4460m/14, 628 ft]: 4 – 5 hours

Today is another short but challenging day as we climb towards Dharamshala. We cross few streams on our way and depending on the season we may even have to wade our way through some snow. Overnight Fixed camp / Teahouse

Day 11: Dharamsala – Larkya la [5160m/16, 924 ft] – Bimthang [3720m/12, 201 ft]: 8 – 9 hours

Big day! We start the day early. We get early breakfast at 4am so that we can be at the pass early in the am, while the weather is stable and the winds are not too strong. It’s beautiful to start walking among the big mountains in the dark and we can watch the sunrise from behind the Samdo peak. For the first 2 hours the trail goes along a moraine and eventually we climb from one gentle snow ridge to another before arriving at Larkya La pass. The descent from Larkya La is extremely steep, challenging and tiring. It’s even more dangerous if there is snow, in which case it’sadvisable to descend wearing crampons. Bhimthang is a small grassy meadow located between the Bhimthang glacier and the Larke Himal range and is perhaps the most picturesque place where we will stay during our entire trek. Overnight Tea-house

Day 12: Bimthang – Tilche [2253m]: 8–9 hours (1700)

The descent from Bhimthang is beautiful as we return to tree line and lush green vegetation. The forest is as rich in diversity as anything we’ve seen so far as we walk first through fir and then rhododendron forest. It’s an easy walk down from Gowa to Tilche on a dirt road.Overnight Tea-house

Day 13: Tilche to Pokhara drive (8-9 hrs)

We take the road back to Pokhara, the pretty town from where one gets to witness the magnificent peaks of Annapurna Range and the famed Macchapuchare (Fish tail). Overnight Hotel.

Day 14: Fly to KTM and transit for international aiport,Departure.

Early morning transfer to the Airport from wehre we fly to Kathmandu. Trip Ends!

Trip Cost

98900

KATHMANDU TO KATHMANDU , TWIN SHARING

TRIP COST INCLUDES

- All transport in a non AC car as per the itinerary above
- 3-star Hotel in Kathmandu/Pokhara (Bed & Breakfast) on twin sharing basis
- Internal Flights and all Land transport in the itinerary
- A White Magic Trip Leader, assisted by a Nepalese Trek guide
- All climbing equipment
- One porter between two trekkers
- All permits, Sherpa allowances
- Twin sharing room in the tea-houses

TRIP COST EXCLUDES

- Any meals on the trek (can be bought in the tea-houses where we stay)
- International Airfare
- International airport taxes
- Visas
- All optional additional tours or activities during free time
- Transportation outside of the tour program
- Travel insurance
- Tips
- Items of a personal nature like phone calls, alcohol, cigarettes, bottled beverages, laundry, souvenir etc.
- Costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, landslides, road conditions and any other circumstances beyond our control.
- One should budget for at least Rs. 250 per day for the bottled water on the trip. Average cost of bottled water on the trail is Rs. 70 per bottle.

Cancellation terms

If it becomes necessary to cancel your trip, you must notify the office immediately in writing. The below terms would be applicable.

Please note: Cancellation terms differ based on the trip type. Cancellation charges mentioned below are for this particular trip only.

- More than 45 days before departure: 10% of trip cost + cancellation charge on services booked for you (air/ train/ bus tickets, hotels etc).
- 45 - 30 days before departure: 50% of the trip cost + cancellation charge on services booked for you (air/ train/ bus tickets, hotels etc).
- Less than 30 days before departure: 100% of the trip cost.

What to expect

A Challenging trek would typically last for about two weeks and will take you to altitudes above 5000m / 16,500ft. A routine day will have over 6 hours of hiking and will involve a great deal of ascending and descending on sparsely tread trails. The terrain will be varied on these treks and you can expect walking on moraines / boulder fields and cross small glaciers. Acclimatisation is a concern, the itineraries are carefully planned and allow everyone to acclimatise to the increasing altitude. Exposure to cold temperatures is quite high on these treks, all participants are expected to have good quality equipment & clothing to enjoy these treks. A mix of wilderness, altitude, terrain and duration makes these treks challenging. The trek is Suited for people with high fitness levels looking for a challenge and capable of enduring two weeks in the outdoors.

Internal Flights: Please note that poor weather can cause delays on the flights on Kathmandu-Lukla sector. At the end of the trip you should book the afternoon flights out from Kathmandu which gives you a day against delay on the flight back from Lukla. Helicopters can sometimes fly when the scheduled fixed wing aircraft cannot. If your group is offered the opportunity to use a chartered helicopter, either flying up to Lukla or back to Kathmandu, the cost will be shared between those choosing to take this option. In the extremely unlikely event that flight cancellations cause you to miss your homeward international flight, we will render all assistance, but cannot be held liable for any extra costs incurred. You could explore having an insurance for your flight cancellations.