The Manaslu Circuit: A Restricted-Area Trek Around the Eighth-Highest Peak

When trekkers ask what the Annapurna Circuit was like before the roads, the usual answer is "do Manaslu". The route around Mount Manaslu, at 8,163 metres the world's eighth-highest summit, follows one river to its headwaters, crosses a high pass and descends another valley. It has lodges throughout, a strong Tibetan cultural flavour in its upper reaches, and far fewer people than the better-known circuits.

The route in three acts

Act one: the Budhi Gandaki gorge (days 1–5). The trek starts at Machha Khola or Soti Khola, reached in a long day's drive from Kathmandu. For several days the trail follows the Budhi Gandaki upstream through a hot, steep-sided gorge, crossing and recrossing on suspension bridges, climbing over rocky spurs and passing waterfalls and Gurung villages. At Jagat you enter the restricted area and permits are checked.

This section is physically demanding, with constant small ascents and descents, and it is prone to landslides in and after the monsoon.

Act two: the Nubri valley (days 5–9). Above Deng the valley bends west and the culture shifts. Villages such as Namrung, Lho and Samagaun are inhabited by people of Tibetan descent. Entrance gates, mani walls, prayer flags and monasteries line the trail, and Manaslu appears, a great double-pronged summit of snow.

Lho has a large hilltop monastery with the mountain directly behind it. Samagaun, at about 3,530 metres, is the main village and the place for an acclimatisation day. Options include a walk to the glacial lake of Birendra Tal, a climb to the secluded monastery of Pungyen Gompa beneath the peak's east face, or a longer ascent towards Manaslu Base Camp.

Beyond lies Samdo, at about 3,875 metres, the last village, a short day's walk from the Tibetan border. An extra night here is sensible.

Act three: the Larkya La (days 10–12). From Samdo the trail climbs to Dharamsala, a spartan seasonal lodge at about 4,460 metres. Pass day starts in the dark. The route follows moraine beside a glacier to the Larkya La at 5,106 metres, a long, gradual ascent that feels endless in the cold. The descent on the far side is steep and often icy, with views of Himlung, Cheo Himal and Annapurna II.

The trail drops to the meadows of Bimthang, then through beautiful forest to Dharapani, where it meets the Annapurna Circuit road. Jeeps run out to the highway from there.

Permits

Manaslu is a restricted area, and the rules differ from standard treks.

• A restricted area permit is required, priced per week with an additional daily rate beyond that. The fee is higher from September to November than in other months.

• You also need entry permits for the Manaslu Conservation Area and, because the trek exits through it, the Annapurna Conservation Area. A local municipality fee has also been introduced.

• Permits are issued only through a registered trekking agency, and a licensed guide is compulsory.

• For many years at least two trekkers were required on a permit. Regulations announced in 2026 eased this so that a single traveller with a guide can apply; confirm the current position with your agency.

Your agency needs your original passport for a few working days to process the paperwork in Kathmandu.

How long and how hard

Twelve to fourteen days on the trail is typical, plus a day's travel at each end. The trek is rated strenuous: long days, rough paths in the gorge, and a high, cold pass. Previous multi-day trekking experience is recommended, though not essential for fit people.

The pass can be closed by snow, most often from mid-December to early March. Crossing requires stable weather, and microspikes are often useful.

Lodges

Teahouses have improved greatly and are now available at every stage. They remain simpler than those on Everest or Annapurna routes, particularly at Dharamsala, where dormitory-style rooms and tents are the norm. In October the upper lodges fill, and agencies book ahead.

When to go

October and November offer the best conditions and the biggest numbers. March to May is quieter, warmer in the gorge and good for rhododendrons on the western side. The monsoon brings landslides and leeches low down.

Adding Tsum Valley

A side valley branching north-east from the gorge, Tsum is a secluded Buddhist region of monasteries and nunneries with its own permit. Adding it takes five to seven more days and makes for one of the richest cultural treks in Nepal.

Why choose Manaslu

It combines the variety of a circuit with a sense of remoteness that the busier routes have partly lost. You walk from banana trees to glaciers along a single river, and for much of the way the trail is shared only with mule trains and villagers.