What can i expect from this adventure?

The Manaslu Circuit Trek is a unique 15-day trekking adventure in the restricted region of Manaslu. It leads you via the rough Buri Gandaki Valley to Nupri as well as via Tsum Valley. If the weather is clear, we can have stunning mountain sceneries along the way. We trek through and, eat and sleep in Tibetan villages and cross the high pass of Larkya La (5,100 m).

Manaslu is the 8th highest mountain in the world (8,163 m). Its name means “mountain of the spirit” which comes from the Sanskrit word manasa, meaning “intellect” or “soul”. Manaslu is located in the Gorkha district, east of Annapurna.

Both valleys are unique places where mostly Tibetans live. The Tsum Valley that only opened to trekkers in 2008(!), is among the most holy Buddhist areas. For instance, just behind Samagaon, where we can have a rest day, you will find the beautiful Kargyu Chholing Gompa which houses a large statue of Guru Rinpoche.

If this isn’t enough yet: the Manaslu Circuit Trek also leads us through forests of rhodondendrons, along many mani walls with prayer wheels with gorgeous views over – of course – Manaslu (8,163 m), Manaslu North (7,157 m) and Naike Peak (5,515 m).

People of Manaslu

The inhabitants of the upper Buri Gandaki, a region known as Nupri (‘the Western mountains’), are direct descendants of Tibetan immigrants who settled here in the early 1600s. In upper Nupri, the speech, dress and customs are almost exclusively Tibetan. Nupri actually paid taxes to Tibet until about 1840 and there is still continuous trade between Nupri and Tibet.

Which Places Will I visit?

What does the itinerary look like?

Welcome in Nepal! We will pick you up at the international airport in Kathmandu, and bring you to your hotel in the backpackers area of Thamel.

airport transfer – hotel

After a good night of sleep and hopefully beating the jetlag, we will meet again for a pre-trip meeting. You will be introduced to your mountain guide and we will discuss the itinerary. If you have any questions or requests, please let us know.

Note: please, make sure you bring your passport to the meeting, along with your travel insurance policy. Carry both the original policy and a copy for us. We wil also request you to clear the due balance, if any.

What’s next? You can use this day to adjust to the different timezone, altitude and climate. Also, you can prepare yourself for your trek and do some last shoppings at one of the many outdoor gear shops around your hotel.

breakfast – hotel

Early morning we pick you up from your hotel and drive to the Gorkha region. We drive through small villages and bustling bazaars till we arrive in the settlement of Soti Khola (790 m) in the Budi Gandaki valley.

breakfast – private vehicle – dinner – mountain lodge

Today we start our trek. First, the trail descends slowly until we climb to the mountain ridge to Almara. Then, we pass the forest trail to arrive at Riden Gaon. Via the valley, we cross the river to enter Budhi Gandaki. From Lambesi, the trail follows down to the sandy river bed of Budhi Gandaki.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

After crossing the Machha river and Khola Besi, we reach the hot spring of Tatopani. From here, the trail follows a forest whereafter we reach Dovan with just below the massive river Budi Gandaki. From here the elevation increases clearly and our view change completely.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Our trail begins by climbing a rocky ridge from where views of Sringi Himal (7,187 m) appear. We continue through rich terraced fields of maize, potato and millet before we enter the Nupri, the western mountains, via bamboo forests. Tonight we spend the night in the Buddhist village of Deng (1,855 m).

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

We pass by numerous Tibetan mani walls, intricately hand carved stone walls with Buddhist scriptures. We weave in and out of canyons. An enter into a colourful forest of firs, oaks and rhododendrons until we arrive in the settlement of Namrung (2,660 m).

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today our trek climbs steadily into the alpine where we’ll see the first stunning glimpse of Manaslu North (7,774 m) and Manaslu (8,150 m). We spend the night at the village of Lho Gaon (3,190 m) with locals who wear the traditional Tibetan clothes called ‘chubas’.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today we have a shorter trekking day which allows us to acclimatize and enjoy the spectacular mountain views and villages along the way. We walk through a gully of mosses and rhododendron until we enter the village of Samagaon (3,530 m).

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today we stay around Samagaon and hike up to Pungyen gompa and the glacial lake Birendra Tal. This hike takes us through a forested area before we reach a ridge and a grassy plateau. Here you’ll discover the gompa that was destroyed by an avalanche in the winter of 1953. When we continue our hike, we reach the icy waters of Birendra Tal that is situated at the base of a glacier.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today we have another shorter day that allows us to adjust to the altitude. Along the way we pass a land of yaks, plentiful marmots and pastures where only barley and potatoes can grow due the high elevation. Today we finally trek above the tree line.

A pleasant walk takes us to the picturesque village of Samdo (3,850 m) a town that is known for its yak herding. Samdo is also at the convergence of three valleys and is only a one day walk from Tibet. We’ll be quite likely to see traders coming from the valley carrying Chinese and Tibetan goods.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

When we continue our trek from Samdo, we follow a wide, broad path, cross the Budi Gandaki river and traverse along a mani wall. Then we climb over the Larkya glacier until we reach a ridge from where we can have grand views over a huge gorge. We spend the night in Larkya Phedi, also known as Dharmashala, before we cross the high Larkya La pass tomorrow.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today is a longer day with a challenging, though not technically difficult trek over Larkya La pass (5,100 m). From Larkya Phedi we pass a glacial moraine and four frozen lakes as we make our way to the pass. It takes about 5 hours to reach this point. From the pass we can see incredible views of Himlung Himal (7,126 m), Cheo Himal (6,820 m), Gyaji Kung (7,030 m), Kang Guru (6,981 m) and Annapurna II (7,937 m). After a short break we start our descent down a trail along a steep gully. Eventually the trail peters out into a more grassy level and we continue our descent to Bimthang (3,720 m).

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today we cross a glacial stream and climb over the side of the moraine descending into a spectacular forest of rhododendrons and impressive pines. Also we are likely getting a view of Manaslu providing an equal amount of splendour. We descend down towards the Dudh (milk) Khola and continue through a more agricultural landscape until we reach the village of Tilje (2,300 m).

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today we have a more rapid descent into the Marsygandi Valley. We trek through a forest, cross a suspension bridge and make our way to the well-trodden trail of the Annapurna Circuit. We make our way to Chamche where we stay for the night and celebrate our success of completing the Manaslu Circuit!

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

From Chamje we can either continue trekking or take a jeep to Besi Sahar.

breakfast, lunch & dinner – mountain lodge

Today we take the bus to Kathmandu.

Would you like to extend your holiday and visit the peaceful city of Pokhara? Please let us know and we will change your itinerary.

breakfast – bus – hotel

If it’s the final day of your holiday in Nepal, we will bring you back to the international airport. Goodbye friends! We hope that we will meet each other again in the future.

breakfast – airport transfer

What is Included?

Airport transfer
All required trekking permits
Experienced mountain guide
Bus (Kathmandu > Soti Khola)
Bus (Besi Sahar > Kathmandu)
Hotel in Kathmandu (w/ breakfast) – 3 nights
Mountain lodge during your trek - 14 nights
Breakfast, lunch and dinner during your trek
Salary, accommodations, meals, gear and insurance for all trekking staff
VAT and tourist service charges

What is not Included?

International airfare to and from Nepal
Nepal tourist visa
Alcohol, hot and cold drinks
Travel health insurance (that covers rescue & evacuation above 5,000 m)
All other expenses that are not mentioned below 'what's included'

Tell me more about this region

Manaslu Circuit Trek [Larkya La Pass]

2,021 euro

Destination: Manaslu
Duration: 18 days
Altitude: 5.000m >
Difficulty: 4/5

Or ask a quick question first.

Why travel with BMP?

Great adventures

Together, we set a goal and we'll do everything we can to make it happen!

100% customized

Govinda & Lilly tailor these sample trips to your preferences and budget.

Return safely

With memories that last a lifetime!

this adventure on the map

Safe travels

Travellers reviews

Our guests give us 5-star ratings on Tripadvisor.

Jess M
Jess M
07/03/2024
Keep your head in the clouds but your feet on the trail. The hard miles brought big smiles on this trip with By Mountain People. They were flexible, positive, and really just a joy to be with. Made for a fun and easy trip. I continue to recommend By Mountain People to both friends and family if they have a thought of doing a trek in Nepal. Many Thank You Guys!
Sean G
Sean G
18/02/2024
Great people for a great adventure! I can’t say enough about how well everything was orchestrated. Our guide and porter were wonderful and very friendly. Nepal is a beautiful country with very friendly people. It’s been a few months now and I still think of the trekking almost daily. If I ever have another opportunity to hike in Nepal, I would be blessed! Thank you Govinda!
Anouk K
Anouk K
10/12/2023
Jiri – Everest Base Camp My friend and I booked a 20+ day trek with Lily & Govinda from mid-nov to begin-dec. We loved their personal approach in arranging the trip, from preparations and choosing which trek to go for, to regular check-ins during and a great feedback/debrief session afterwards! We started from Jiri instead of the popular way of flying to Lukla. That was a great experience and an absolute recommend to start lower if you have time!
eliza b
eliza b
19/11/2023
Magnificent slow trek and bird watching to Khopra Danda! Magnificent trek!! In October 2023 the two of us did this beautiful trek organized by BMP. It all started 6 months earlier, when I was looking for a company that would put people first in organizing treks in Nepal. What a nice coincidence when I learned that Govinda, a former language student of mine, happened to be the owner of By Mountain People, an organization that had customized and small scale treks as its core business! We had very nice and informative preparative talks about our wishes. Being almost 70 years of age, we wanted to have sufficient possibilities to adapt our journey on the way, in case the altitude would cause problems. Also we wanted to visit places off the beaten track and see something of village life on the way. Govinda suggested the Khopra Danda trek with some extra days so we could shorten the daily walking distance. This was a very good advice and he organized it very well! We met Govinda again in Kathmandu before we started out. He introduced us to our guide Pratap Gurung. Pratap was really a very excellent guide!! His knowledge of the natural surroundings and especially of the birds were truly amazing!! He was very attentive to our wellbeing and patiently answered our many questions. He taught us so much about the different species and habitats of all the birds he would point out to us. His experience made that we always felt safe and well looked after. Also we learnt that Govinda stayed regularly in contact to ensure that everything went well. Following our 2 weeks of trekking, BMP also organized an extra 4 days visit to Chitwan National Park. Here we stayed in the nice Safari Club hotel. Her also we were very happy with our guide Yadav Duwadi He is a nice and calm guide with a lot of knowledge and very attentive. We absolutely recommend this “slow trekking” by BMP! Specially for senior travellers such as us, but also for everybody who wants to fully enjoy the beauty of the Himalayas. A guide such as Pratap Gurung was perfectly suited for this type of trekking. Thank you BMP!! Thijl and Linda
Gira_sv
Gira_sv
12/09/2023
Tilicho Lake and Annapurna Circuit I went on a 19-day trek on the Annapurna Circuit. I had great communication with Lily and Govinda before arriving in Nepal and throughout my trip. They shared with me all the information that I needed. Ganesh, and a porter, Nima. Both of them were incredibly kind. They literally held my hand through the toughest parts of the trek and we also had lots of fun playing cards, sharing anecdotes and trying to learn each other’s languages. The Annapurna circuit itself is incredibly beautiful and diverse. Since I arrived at the end if the monsoon season there were still some rains and landslides which made the days at lower altitudes a little tricky but once we started to ascend the weather changed and we had wonderful views of the mountains on this range and visited several Tibetan towns and Gompas. Overall, I had a great experience with them I would take a trip again with them in a heartbeat. Thanks, Ganesh, Nima, Lily, and Govinda!
Explore58284020073
Explore58284020073
30/07/2023
Small but super professional trekking company! Wish we could go back already! Govinda and Lilly just went above and beyond for my friend and I!! Shortly before arriving in Nepal, I started experiencing knee pain. I got so worried about the trek, but they changed our itinerary without any fuss whatsoever. They got us the most caring and knowledgeable trekking guide Ganesh. And they checked in with me frequently during the trek, to check if I was doing ok and enjoying. After the trek they even organized a very nice jungle safari to Chitwan NP for us. Their great tips and flexible attitude before and during our trip made it a HUGE succes!! Govinda and Lily thank you so much for your patience and helpful advice. I will be back for sure!
Jonatan D
Jonatan D
27/02/2020
Otrolig resa i Nepal Vi hade en jättebra resa i Nepal! Govinda på By Mountain People var superhjälpsam med att tillgodese våra önskemål och att skräddarsy en resplan som passade oss perfekt. Han såg till att vi fick med alla våra önskemål. Vi hann med vandring i de fantastiska bergen samt en otrolig dag med fågelsådning strax utanför Kathmandu. Jag kan verkligen rekommendera By Mountain People om du vill ha en unik upplevelse!
Gabriel G
Gabriel G
22/02/2020
Father and son Nepal trek By mountain people organised an incredible trip through Gokyo Lake and EBC. Everything ran smoothly, they took care of all the little details and genuinely care about you and your experience throughout. Handled everything with a smile and extreme professionalism – can not recommend them enough! Our amazing guide Ganesh is the reason we can look back on the trek successfully, he helped us at every step and is an all round great guy – be sure to ask for Ganesh he will make your trip unforgettable I cannot wait to book again:)
Luca S
Luca S
06/01/2020
Annapurna Circuit Wir waren im März 2019 in Nepal mit dem Ziel den Annapurna Circuit Trek zu durchlaufen. Zum Glück erhielten wir den Kontakt zu der Organisation bymountainpeople mit Gopal und Govinda. Mit der Hilfe von Gopal und später unserem Guide Raj wurden wir super vorbereitet, ausgestattet und hatten schließlich sehr schöne 14 Tage rund um Annapurna und co. Der Trek, mit dem Thorong la Pass auf 5400m als Highlight, ist ein Abenteuer das man so schnell nicht mehr vergisst. Jeder Schritt lohnt sich ! Wir würden jederzeit wieder bei bymountainpeople buchen! Schon in der Vorbereitung gingen beide auf alle unserer (1000…) Fragen und Wünsche ein und so wurden wir super vorbereitet. Mit den richtigen Tipps , toller Ausstattung und unglaublich freundlicher Betreuung konnten wir unsere Tour starten. Unser Guide Raj verstand es perfekt auf uns einzugehen und uns die Menschen und die Natur näherzubringen. Mit seiner Hilfe schafften wir es überglücklich den 5400m hohen Thorong la Pass zu überwinden. Es waren 16 grandiose Tage, Ein Abenteuer das man so schnell nicht mehr vergisst. Jeder Schritt lohnt sich ! Wir würden jederzeit wieder bei bymountainpeople buchen!
Lars D
Lars D
19/12/2019
By Mountain People made hour 16 day Himalaya trekking (Gokyo-EBC) feel comfortable! After booking a flight to Nepal my girlfriend and I decided that we wanted to book our own domestic flight aswell and search for a porterguide after arriving at Lukla airport. Then when we started looking on the internet and we found out that is was not so simple to do this online. Thru Instagram we met Govinda and met him in a couple of times in the Netherlands. We talked about all this and he than took care of this. When we arrived at Lukla airport in the Himalaya, Ganesh was waiting for us with a sign, he was our porterguide for the 16 day trekking (Gokyo and EBC). Ganesh would always made shure we had a place to sleep and with toilets inside the building. He is an amazing guy, always happy and knows so much to tell about the trekking (hours, hight, peaks etc.) He even teached us a couple of Nepali games! Ganesh felt like a brother and a good friend to us and that will never change. All of this effort by the team, made us feel so comfortable and relaxed doing this very exiting trekking. We will back in Nepal for some more trekking with By Mountain People. Because of the personal touch by Govinda we will remain friends and keep seeing each other in the Netherlands.

By Mountain People on Tripadvisor

show me more adventures in nepal

Eagle Annapurna - By Mountain People
2,725 euro
16 days
3.000m >
Annapurna
Bird watching | Mountain trek | Jungle safari
Gosainkund Lake Langtang Trek - By Mountain People.
895 euro
11 days
4.000m >
Langtang & Helambu
Pilgrimage | Mountain lodge | Frozen lake
Classic Everest Base Camp Himalaya - By Mountain People
1,899 euro
25 days
5.500m >
Everest
High pass | Mountain lodge | Scenic

Request A Travel Proposal

How can we reach you?
Full Name *
Email *
Whatsapp
×

 

Hi!

Click on our photo below to chat on WhatsApp

× How can I help you?