Manaslu Circuit Trek

Also known as Larkya La Trek / Around Manaslu Trek.

Manaslu Circuit Trek is a difficult 12-14-day teahouse trek in the Manaslu region of Nepal, reaching 5,106 m. It starts at Machha Khola and ends at Dharapani.

Key facts

Region
Manaslu (Gorkha (exit through Manang/Lamjung))
Duration
12-14 days, 5-7 hours walking per day
Distance
110 km
Maximum altitude
5,106 m
Difficulty
Difficult — A long, remote teahouse trek circling the Manaslu massif with a single committing 5,106 m pass (Larkya La) that involves a pre-dawn start and an 8-10 hour crossing day, often on snow. Total ascent is large, lodges above Samdo are basic, and evacuation options in the upper valley are limited.
Trek type
Teahouse, point-to-point route
Best season
Autumn (Oct-Nov) and Spring (Mar-Apr)
Guide
Mandatory. Restricted area: RAP is only issued through a registered agency with a licensed guide. The long-standing minimum 2-trekker rule was reportedly lifted on 22 March 2026, allowing solo permits, but a licensed guide via a registered agency remains mandatory (agency sources: The Everest Holiday, Swotah Travel; verify with Dept. of Immigration before booking).
Restricted area
Yes — special permit required
Budget cost
NPR 112,000–140,000
Comfortable cost
NPR 168,000–210,000
Guided cost
NPR 138,000–230,000
Getting there
Kathmandu → Dhading Besi (paved, ~3h) → Arughat → Soti Khola → Machha Khola (rough track, ~4-6h); total 8-10h by bus, 7-9h by jeep. Exit: Dharapani → Besisahar by local jeep (3-4h), then bus/jeep Besisahar → Kathmandu (5-6h).
Altitude sickness
Significant: the route climbs from under 1,000 m to 5,106 m, and the Samdo-Dharamsala-Larkya La profile gains height quickly at the end.

Weather

Lower Budhi Gandaki gorge is subtropical and hot in spring; upper valley is cold year-round with nights well below freezing above Samdo. Larkya La is frequently closed by snow from late December to February and landslide/leech-prone in monsoon (Jun-Sep). Autumn gives the most stable weather.

Permits

Itinerary

  1. Day 1: Kathmandu to Machha Khola, 0 h, 869 m — Drive through Dhading Besi and Arughat along the Budhi Gandaki
  2. Day 2: Machha Khola to Jagat, 6-7 h, 1,340 m — Tatopani hot springs, Yaru Khola suspension bridge
  3. Day 3: Jagat to Deng, 6-7 h, 1,860 m — Philim village, Tsum Valley junction at Lokpa, bamboo forest gorge
  4. Day 4: Deng to Namrung, 6-7 h, 2,630 m — Entry into Buddhist Nubri valley, mani walls, first Manaslu views
  5. Day 5: Namrung to Lho, 4-5 h, 3,180 m — Lihi and Sho villages, Ribung Gompa, sunset on Manaslu twin peaks
  6. Day 6: Lho to Samagaon, 3-4 h, 3,530 m — Shyala village panorama (Himalchuli, Ngadi Chuli, Manaslu)
  7. Day 7: Samagaon to Samagaon (acclimatization), 4-6 h, 3,530 m — Day hike to Pungyen Gompa (~4,000 m) or Manaslu Base Camp (~4,400 m), Birendra Lake
  8. Day 8: Samagaon to Samdo, 3-4 h, 3,875 m — Yak pastures, last permanent village before the pass
  9. Day 9: Samdo to Samdo (acclimatization), 3-5 h, 3,875 m — Hike toward Lajyung Bhanjyang / Tibet border viewpoint (~4,400-4,800 m)
  10. Day 10: Samdo to Dharamsala (Larke Phedi), 3-4 h, 4,460 m — Larkya Bazaar ruins, moraine views
  11. Day 11: Dharamsala to Bimthang via Larkya La, 8-10 h, 3,720 m — Larkya La 5,106 m; views of Himlung, Cheo Himal, Annapurna II; glacial lakes
  12. Day 12: Bimthang to Tilije, 5-6 h, 2,300 m — Rhododendron/pine forest, Dudh Khola valley, Karche pastures
  13. Day 13: Tilije to Dharapani, drive to Besisahar, 2-3 h, 760 m — Join the Annapurna Circuit at Dharapani; jeep down the Marsyangdi valley
  14. Day 14: Besisahar to Kathmandu, 0 h, 1,400 m — Drive along the Marsyangdi and Trishuli rivers

More Manaslu treks