Manaslu Round Trek
Despite being better known for several world famous circuit treks like Annapurna Circuit Trek or the Everest Base Camp Trek, the Manaslu Round Trek located in Lamjung district of Nepal has its own significance and is often considered as one of the most difficult treks in Nepal. Manaslu Round Trek rewards the adventure seekers with some unparalleled experience of mountain climbing. It offers a perfect combination of the rich cultural heritage in the region with the unsurpassed natural beauty of the Himalayan Range. The trekkers can also bear witness of the fascinating Tibetan culture that is still prevalent in the Manaslu region. Mount Manaslu is the 8th tallest peak in the world with an altitude of 8156 meters, situated along the Nepal-Tibet border. It is considered that the word Manaslu was derived from the sanskrit word Manasa which means ‘soul’ or ‘intellect’. Hence, Mount Manaslu is also referred to as the ‘Mountain of the Spirit’.
Hiking along the exotic realms of Manaslu region is one of the most delightful adventures trekkers can imagine. Manaslu Round Trek brings along with it the wonderful opportunity to surpass the traditional villages, past the rivers and tress, past the local people and finally see the amazing views of the Himalayan Mountain Ranges from a very close distance. The trek might be quite demanding at times as it is physically strenuous. However, as real excitement lies in challenging situations and conditions, foreign trekkers will surely want to explore the Manaslu region. One of the major highlights of the trek is the Larkya La Pass. It is a challenging trek that requires good physical fitness, stamina and also mental fortitude.
Manaslu Round Trek usually begins from Arughat, a small town in Gorkha district, and ends at Besisahar in Lamjung before providing a unique opportunity to explore the pure and untouched beauty of Nepal.
Itinerary Outline
Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu (1.360m)
Day 2: Sightseeing in Kathmandu
Day 3: Drive to Arughat (640m)
Day 4: Trek to Seti Khola (775m)
Day 5: Trek to Maccha Khola (900m)
Day 6: Trek to Jagat (1.340m)
Day 7: Trek to Ekkle Bhatti (1.610m)
Day 8: Trek to Bihi (1.990m)
Day 9: Trek to Lihi (2.920m)
Day 10: Trek to Sama Gompa (3.500m)
Day 11: Acclimatization day
Day 12: Trek to Samdo (4.500m)
Day 13: Rest day/ Hiking
Day 14: Trek to Larkey Bazaar – Dharmashala (4.460m)
Day 15: Trek to Larkey La (5.215m) – Bhimphedi (3.590m)
Day 16: Trek to Tilje (3.900m)
Day 17: Trek to Tal (1.725m)
Day 18: Trek to Jagat (1.300m)
Day 19: Trek to Bahundanda (1.275m)
Day 20: Trek to Besisahar
Day 21: Drive to Kathmandu
Day 22: Half day sightseeing and shopping day in Kathmandu
Day 23: Departure
Detail Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Kathmandu
You will be welcomed by our team representatives at the Tribhuvan International Airport and will then be taken to the Hotel. Our travel representatives and team members will explain briefly about the travel itinerary upon your arrival. Overnight stay at hotel
Day 02: Trek preparation and sightseeing in Kathmandu
Upon arrival at the Kathmandu, you will be preparing for the trek while enjoying sightseeing around Kathmandu Valley. Several world heritage sites including the Basantapur Durbar, Swayambhunath Temple, Bouddhanath Stupa and Pasupatinath Temple are the places you will visit on the second day. Overnight stay at a hotel
Day 03: Drive to Arughat (640m) 8 hrs
On the third morning, you will be driving to Arughat which nearly takes about 8 hours. The drive is divided to two parts. First you will be driving until Dhading Besi, the district headquarter of Dhading district, for 4 hours. From there, you will be travelling until Arughat for another 4 hours of drive. Overnight stay at a guesthouse in Arughat
Day 04: Trek to Seti Khola (775m) 4 hrs
A couple of hours drive further from Arughat and a few hours trek leads us to Seti Khola, a small town located on the banks of Budhi Gandaki River. Overnight stay at a guesthouse in Seti Khola
Day 05: Trek to Machhakhola (900 meters) 5 hrs
On the fourth day, we will be doing mild climbing from Seti Khola. The trail is comfortable and a five hours trek along the sandy banks of Budhi Gandaki River and across several forests takes us to Machha Khola where we will be staying for the night at a guesthouse.
Day 06: Trek to Jagat (1.340m) 5hrs
Early morning the next day, we will cross the Machha Khola or the fish stream and head towards the tiny village of Khorlabeshi. One the way we come across a hot spring popularly called in Nepali as ‘Tatopani’. Many trekkers stop for a while and take a dip inside the hot spring for they believe that doing such cures many skin ailments. Local tea shops are present all the way along the trail until we reach Jagat, where we will be staying for the overnight
Day 7: Trek to Ekkle Bhatti (1.610m) 4hrs
The next day, we will resume our trekking from Jagat and head towards Ekkle Bhatti. Ekkle Bhatti is a popular village that falls in the Mansalu trail. You will enjoy the natural scenery and the local villages as you make your way to Ekkle Bhatti. Overnight stay in a guesthouse
Day 8: Trek to Bihi (1.990m) 4hrs
On the eighth morning, you will wake up and have tea before preparing for the short day’s trek that follows on the day. You will resume from Ekkle Bhatti and climb along the trail, going uphill. You will need to walk for around 4 hours to reach Bihi. Overnight stay at a guesthouse
Day 9: Trek to Lihi (2.920m) 5hrs
Continuing along the trail on the ninth day, we reach Lihi, a nice village in the Manaslu region, after five hours of trek. You will hike more than 1000 meters today, while enjoying the beautiful landscapes and natural entities. Overnight stay at a guesthouse
Day 10: Trek to Sama Gompa (3.500 meters) 6 hrs
On day ten, you will be trekking almost 600 meters and by the end of the day’s trek, you will reach Sama Gompa, located at 3.500 meters of altitude. Sama Gompa is a wonderful little village which has a popular monastery which attracts a lot of attention of the trekkers. It also provides a great view of Mount Manaslu. Overnight stay at a guesthouse.
Day 11: Acclimatization day
The next day, you will be spending at Sama Gompa itself for acclimatization of the increasing altitude and the conditions. However, there are several options on that day as well as we can stroll around the local villages and enjoy the scenery there. Also a half-day’s walk until Birendra Lake is also possible from Samagaon. Overnight stay at a guesthouse
Day 12: Trek to Samdo (4.500m) 6 hrs
The trail to Samdo crosses several grazing and pasture areas and then gradually climbs up the valley. We can have fantastic view of the Himalayan Mountains especially Mount Manaslu and others once we reach Samdo. Samdo is also the last permanent settlement area in the valley and this remote village is just a day's walk away from the neighboring Tibet border. Overnight stay at a guesthouse
Day 13: Rest day/ Hiking
The next day, you will again be resting and acclimatizing to the conditions and the altitude. As the altitude now is over 4.500 meters, you are strictly advised to rest for enough time as there are dangers of getting high altitude sickness. Towards the evening, you can hike for a while and get yourself prepared for the trek that follows next day onwards
Day 14: Trek to Larkey Bazaar – Dharmashala (4.460m) 3hrs
After leaving the village of Samdo, we cross a stream and reach now deserted Larkya Bazaar. Years ago, this village used to be a major trade point with Tibet. But, the village looks sorry these days as the traders have chosen some other places for trade along the Tibetan border. Overnight stay at a guesthouse
Day 15: Trek to Larkey La (5.215m) – Bhimphedi (3.590m) 5hrs
On day fifteen, we trek to Larkya-La Pass which happens to be one of the most beautiful Himalayan Passes in Nepal. It is situated at a challenging altitude of 5.215 meters and several mountain peaks are clearly visible from this Pass. Himlung Himal (7.126 meter), Mount Cheo (6.820 meters), Mount Annapurna II (7.937 meters) and Mount Manaslu are all visible from the Pass. From Larkya-La Pass, we descend to Bhimphedi where we will be staying in a guesthouse
Day 16: Trek to Tilje (3.900m) 5hrs
Few hours of gentle downhill climbing through several fields and settlement areas takes to a small village called Tilje. While on the way, we come across a massive rhododendron forest. Overnight stay at a guesthouse.
Day 17: Trek to Tal (1.725m) 6hrs
Now, we begin our return trip as we trek to Tal on the seventeenth day. Almost six hours of trekking will be enough to take us to Tal. Overnight stay at a guesthouse
Day 18: Trek to Jagat (1.300m) 3hrs
Few hours of trekking from Tal will take us to another village named Jagat. It will take around three hours to make it to Jagat. Overnight stay at a guesthouse
Day 19: Trek to Bahundanda (1.275m)
We reach Bahundanda, a village in Manag, on the 19th day of the trek. Bahundanda became popular after a man at Microsoft who came to the village wrote his travel memoir titled as ‘From Microsoft to Bahundanda’. Overnight stay at a guesthouse
Day 20: Trek to Besisahar
Besisahar, the head quarters of Lamjung, is quite near from Bahundanda and we reach there in around three hours from Bahundanda. Besisahar is a wonderful little town in Lamjung that lies along the banks of Marshyangdi River. We will stay in a guesthouse for the night
Day 21: Drive to Kathmandu
The next day, we drive back to Kathmandu along the Prithvi Highway from Besisahar. It will take around six hours before we reach the capital. Overnight stay at a hotel in Kathmandu
Day 22: Half day sightseeing and shopping day in Kathmandu
The second last day of the itinerary, you will be sightseeing around more places in Kathmandu like Thamel, Durbar Marg or Basantapur Durbar Sqaure. You can also shop and buy gifts to your loved ones from Thamel or the adjoining areas
Day 23: Departure
On the 23rd day of the tour package, you will return to your country via the international Airport in Kathmandu ending the 23-day-long Manaslu Round Trek.