Manaslu Annapurna Circuit Trek

As soon as you land at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, our staff will pick you up and bring you to our hotel in Thamel. If your day/evening is free, you can stroll around the streets of Thamel, or go to one of the many bars/pubs or restaurants for drinks or dinner. If you are interested, you can also visit religious temples inside Kathmandu, specifically Pashupatinath where there is a group worshiping or “Aarti” program every evening around 6.

On your second day in Nepal, after a good filling breakfast at the hotel, we will take you sightseeing inside the Kathmandu valley. Kathmandu is a city of temples, you will find one at every corner. But the most popular one is Pashupatinath which is a great pilgrimage site for Hindus all over the world. Boudhanath and Swayambhunath are two very famous stupas here. You can also visit the marketplaces around Thamel and end your day at any one of the trendy bars/restaurants/clubs available around the Durbarmarg or Thamel area. You can also shop for trekking equipment and gears around these areas.

If you are interested, on this day we can also schedule an early morning 1-hour mountain flight to the scenic mountains, including Mount Everest. Do let us know if you want to add the mountain flight package to this trip.

After having breakfast, we will begin our journey by getting on the bus for a long drive towards Soti Khola, which will be the starting point of our trek. We drive alongside the Trishuli river and pass through dense forests and villages. We pass the beautiful village called Arughat on the way after crossing the Trishuli bridge. And finally, after 7 hours on the bus, we will reach where the Budhi Gandaki river meets the Soti Khola river, which is our destination for the day. We spend the night there at a local tea-house.

This is the first day of trekking. In the early morning, we hike through the suspension bridge of Soti Khola. The trail passes along the Budhi Gandaki through some coffee lands, some villages, and beautiful jungle, and reaches Machha Khola. “Machha” translates to Fish in Nepali and this place is popular for its fresh and tasty fish dishes. We will have dinner there and stay overnight.

5 to 6 hrs
After having breakfast, our hike begins to Jagat. Walking through the bank of Budhi Gandaki river we reach the village of Tatopani. There is a popular natural hot spring bath here, which you can check out if there is enough time. We continue the trek further through and pass through the villages of Dobhan, Yuru Khola, etc. The trail continues north until we reach Jagat.

7-8 hrs
After checking permits by an authorized person of Annapurna Conservation Area, we start the third day of walking. Today you get to see a couple of beautiful little villages and pass through bamboo and pine trees. You will also get to see a couple of amazing waterfalls along the way and there's also a natural eagle habitat here. After 7-8 hours of walking, we reach Deng and we stay overnight there.

7 hrs
Again, today is a long day of walking, so after a filling breakfast in the morning, we begin our trek. The trail is full of ascents and descents and filled with loose stones but you get to immerse in the beauties of nature. After about an hour you will reach the Rana village. And after another 45 minutes of walking, you reach Bihi Phedi where you can take a break and have some lunch. We resume our walk and after passing small towns and villages of Bhijam, Bur, etc, we finally rest at Ghap.

9 hours
After having breakfast at Ghap, we start our trek, again following the Budhi Gandaki riverbank through dense forests of Rhododendron and Fir forest that blooms every autumn and spring. On our trail, we come across the Tibetan-Nepalese people with their woodcraft houses and their farms. We reach the permit checking point called Namrung and after that, we continue our trail by passing some villages. with a little bit of a climb, we reach Lho, which is a famous viewpoint of Ganesh and Sharing Himal. You can interact with local people there and stay overnight at one of the Tea Houses.

3-4 hrs
The trail slightly descends and ascends we pass the small Tibetan Nepali Villages where traditional Tibetan culture can be observed. Some women here have 2 husbands who are brothers! When we reach heightened Sama Gau, we will see a spectacular view of snow-capped Mt. Manaslu, Nadi Chuli Peak, Manaslu glacier, Naike Peak, and many more.

Today is an acclimatization day. One of the two day-hiking options waits for you: Pung Gyan Gumba or Manaslu Base Camp. Our guide will be always available for you, whether you decide to rest or take the day-hike options.

4 hrs
After the stay at Sama Gaun, we resume our walking once more, towards Samdu. On this trail, we get to see a large and magnificent waterfall crashing on the rocky river bed. We climb up to the beautiful village by passing through some agricultural farms, a few stupas, and Buddhist Mani walls along the trail.

5-6 hrs
After having breakfast the trek begins to Dharma Sala/Larkey Fedi. We get to see the panoramic view of snow-capped mountains. You will cross a wooden bridge, and a couple of streams and get to see the Larkya Glacier on the way. Sometimes there is a drastic change in the weather, so there is a chance we have to stay there or follow the guide's advice. When we reach Dharma Sala/Larkey Fedi we have to stay overnight.

7-8 hrs
After having breakfast, we rush toward our destination. On this trail, we climb up to reach Larkey La Pass. This is quite a challenging day as we will have picked up quite a bit of altitude and this is also one of the two highest points of the Manaslu Circuit. Trekkers are expected to be physically fit for this trek and follow the guide's instructions carefully. On reaching the top of Larkey La Pass we get to see the magical and panoramic view of Mt. Annapurna II, Cheo Himal, Larkey Peak, Ratnachuli, Gyaji Kang Himlung, and so on. When we start descending to Bimthang, the trail scenery is very alluring but if there is snow it will be quite difficult to trek. We stay overnight at Bimthang.

3-4 hrs
Following Dudh Khola, the trek descends towards Karche. We cross the trail with a dense forest of Rhododendron and its flowers in full bloom making the trail wonderful during the autumn season. We are also blessed with views of snow-capped peaks and Mt. Manaslu. After 4- hours of walking, we reach Karche where we stay overnight.

5-6 hrs
After having breakfast we head towards Dharapani by following the edge of the Dudh Khola. On the trail, we pass by several villages and Rhododendron forests. We get to see the Marsyandi river below from this trail. This trial is also the meeting point of the Annapurna circuit. Once we reach Dharapani we check into a teahouse and stay there for the night.

5-6 hrs
In the early morning walk, we reach an apple village called Dhanaqui. The trail goes through apricot orchards, apples, farm areas, and wonderful pine forests with views of Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal. We follow the Marsyandi river upstream through several villages and stay there for the night before reaching Chame. Chame is the headquarter of the Manang region.

5-6 hrs
Chame is a great stop and you can stock up on your supplies here. You would want to get an early start from Chame towards the village of Bhartang, which boasts a big apple farm worth exploring. From there the road again is steep uphill until Dhukur Pokhari and then a bit downhill till Lower Pisang. You can stop for a break here and then take an acclimatization walk upto Upper Pisang later in the day.

3-4 or 6-7 hrs
There are two routes you can choose between here: the road which takes 3-4 hours, or the trekking route which takes 6-7 hours. Although the road is significantly easier and quicker, the trekking route gives you the most majestic views on the entire trek. But make sure to get enough rest to your body the night before if you decide to take the trekking route and watch out for signs of altitude sickness as well.

Over the next few days, you will need to gain a height of 2000m to reach the Thorong-La Pass (5416m) so an acclimatization day is very important. You can spend your day just hanging out around cafes in Manag, talking to the locals, and enjoying the landscape, or there is also an option to hike to Ice Lake which is a 7-hour walk that can help you acclimatize. There is also a clinic that gives sessions on altitude sickness so you can check that out as well. Just 15 minutes walk from Manang you can find Gangapurna lake. The water originates from the Gangapurna Glacier.

Around 5 hours
Today, we walk from Manang to Gunsang and Gunsang to yak Kharka. The walk is not very difficult but it come with a bit of altitude gain. The surrounding view is absolutely great as you get to see Mount Tilicho, Annapurna II, Gangapurna, etc. The only surviving vegetation here is the juniper bushes and the rest is all windswept landscapes. We stay overnight at Yak-Kharka which is a small settlement.

about 2.5hrs
From Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi the trail is not really difficult but even with just 2.5 hours of walking, you might feel more exhausted than usual because of the altitude. Even though you might choose to have a longer walk and stay at High Camp at an altitude of 4900 meters, it is not recommended to gain an elevation of more than 500 meters per day.

Around 8 hrs
This is the toughest walk in the entire trek. You will need to wake up super early, around 3 am, and get walking. The first stop is the High camp that you will reach in about 1 to 1.5 hours. From there it will take more than 2 hours to reach another most awaited destination of this trek: The Thorong La Pass. This is the highest point of our trek. After you are done admiring the view and clicking enough pictures you can begin descending towards Muktinath, which houses the famous Hindu temple of Nepal that attracts thousands of pilgrims each year.

Around 4h
In the early morning, you can visit the famous temple and after a good breakfast at one the many places available you can begin walking towards Kagbeni. The landscape change might be astonishing for some people as now you can view almost desert-like dunes on the side of the road. Kagbeni is an interesting traditional village with Tibetan-like architecture all around and narrow alleyways and you can get a stunning view of the Upper Mustang region from here. After a lunch break at Kagbeni, you can resume your walk toward Jomsom.

The flight is just a 20 minutes flight. You will have an afternoon free for personal activities or for boating at Fewa Lake. Pokhara has really fancy Spas and resorts if you want to chill. But if you are still hungry for adventure, you can utilize one or two days to explore the many adventure options available, ranging from paragliding, and rafting to bungee jumping, canoeing, and more. If not, you can just hang out boating on the lakeside with a couple of beers. and catch a micro-bus to Kathmandu around mid-day. You can also book a flight which is about 25 minutes.

You can choose to stay in the beautiful valley of Pokhara for a couple of days to relax after the trek, or you can take a bus or catch a flight from here to Kathmandu.

Finally, on the last day of your trip, we will drive you from our hotel in Kathmandu to Tribhuvan International Airport for departure.