Manaslu Circuit Culinary Trekking Adventure

Arrive in Kathmandu to be received by your trek leader and transferred to your hotel.

We begin driving west on the main Kathmandu to Pokhara highway towards the village of Macha Khola. We turn off toward the hilltop village at Dhading. The drive passes through rural communities, green terraces, lush hillsides, and small towns. The road eventually becomes a bumpy, dirt track. The southern face of Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and Langtang Himal can be seen when visibility is good.
You will arrive at Macha Khola in the late afternoon or early evening.
Transport: Private jeep

Our day begins by following a gorge and going upstream of the river on a narrow trail. The track is a combination of gentle up and down until the Tharo Khola crossing near Khorlabesi. We arrive at a small hot spring (Tatopani) after more ascends and descends.

We have another ridge to climb before crossing the Budi Gandaki on a bridge. A climb on a staircase follows on a hill to Doban. We reach Yaru Khola after crossing another bridge. We have stone stairs to climb up and down to Tharo Bhanjyang. We will be able to see Gurung villages amidst forests high above. Langgur monkeys also roam in this vicinity.

We cross the Budi Gandaki river, climb yet another ridge while hiking along the river before a final climb to the village of Jagat.

We shortened the day by camping at Dharamshala instead of toiling all the way to Meta. We cross the Marshyangdi river and enter the Nar & Phu valleys as we follow the Nar River. The villages/towns on the nearby Annapurna Circuit are relatively well-developed compared to the villages in these valleys. However, it is only a matter of time before they are constructed more lodges to cater to the increasing trekkers.

We pass through some lovely forests, small cave shelters, and resting places for pilgrims/travellers. The trail passes under a wide waterfall as we emerge from a narrow canyon. The forest becomes sparse from this point, and the vista widens. Dharamshala is a relatively small place with a concrete shelter, which our cooking team will use as the kitchen and the other end of the building as a dining room.

We start the day in a culturally significant section of the trek. We cross the Budi Gandaki river, where another crossing of a bridge is involved with an ascend until it joins Bhi’s trail. We head westward up the valley. We pass through a combination of lush forests, alpine vegetation, and charming villages that belong to the ethnic groups of the Manaslu region. Some notable peaks begin to appear in the distance.
We will take the trail through Prok village. It has a beautiful vantage point for the view of the snowcapped Sringi Himal. We can take a break here before continuing. We cross the Budi Gandaki several times today, hiking past several Monasteries along the way. We take the trail that goes upstream through a dense forest to a narrow gorge. We continue until the forest becomes less dense. This is a terrific way to hike in the Manaslu Conservation Area. We have a final steep climb before reaching the village of Namrung.

We get good views of Mount Sringi, Ganesh Himal and Himal Chuli. We begin by climbing steadily, passing through forests until the lovely Lihi village with its numerous stupas and barley fields. We descend and cross to the side valley of Simnang Himal while Ganesh Himal towers close by.

We trek past the villages of Sho, Lho, and Shyala before we reach Samagaon. Manaslu is visible from the village of Lho. We can also explore Ribung Monastery if time allows. We will be surrounded by the high peaks of Himal Chuli and Ngadi Chuli (Peak 29) to the left while Mount Manaslu and massive glaciers are straight ahead. Several snowcapped mountains stand to our right, while Ganesh Himal can be seen at the east. We spend two nights at Samagaon.

We can sleep in; have a leisurely breakfast as you don’t have to pack your bags. Mount Manaslu towers right above Samagaon. We can take a hike to Birendra Lake for our acclimatization. There are numerous prayer stones with Buddhist inscriptions throughout the village. We can hike up to a little hill near the Sama village. There is an old monastery—Pungyen Gompa—a monastery with great views of the glacier.

We descend to cross the Budi Gandaki river over a side stream. We will pass several prayer walls, and the valley begins to become wider. The view of the mountains. Our hike passes by a seasonal Tibetan market called Larke Bazaar. We descend to the Budi Gandaki River, cross the bridge and begin ascending. We cross two streams opposite the Larkya Glacier. We contour around the Salka Valley and have a final climb to Dharamshala, having passed by many traditional monasteries. Dharamshala is also known as Larke Phedi. The short hike leaves us time for acclimatization and to relax in the afternoon.
The views are spectacular on this route, and we get quite close to the border with Tibet. There is a stone archway close to the village of Samdo.

Our hike passes by a seasonal Tibetan market called Larke Bazaar. We descend to the Budi Gandaki River, cross the bridge and begin ascending. We cross two streams opposite the Larkya Glacier. We contour around the Salka Valley and have a final climb to Dharamshala, having passed by many traditional monasteries. Dharamshala is also known as Larke Phedi. The short hike leaves us time for acclimatization and to relax in the afternoon.

Today is the longest and most challenging day of the entire trek. We start early at predawn, have a heavy breakfast, collet our packed lunch before heading out to cross Larke La pass. Your trek leader will set a comfortable pace, so you can enjoy the magnificent surroundings of the glacier, the changing fauna, and some incredible snowcapped mountains.

We will reach the north side of the Larkya glacier with wonderful views of Mount Cho Danda and Larke peak. We will across glacial moraines ascending gradually—the gradient increases in the last section of the pass. Outstanding views of Mount Himlung, Cheo Himal, and the gigantic Annapurna II awaits us. We finish this rewarding day by walking into low misty pastures in the late afternoon, with Mount Manaslu towering in the distance.

You will wake up to a beautiful little valley with a 360-degree view of Himalayan Peaks. If it is sunny, our team will serve you breakfast on the lodge’s grounds we spent the previous night. You can have your breakfast with great views. We reach a small ridge shortly after we start trekking with the breathtaking views of Manaslu, Lamjung Himal, Himlung Himal, and Cheo Himal. We keep descending on the trail, cross a high pasture, and cross the Dudh Khola (Milk River).

We walk through rhododendron and pine forest, following the trail through a narrow valley until we reach Karche, the valley’s highest cultivated land. The trail takes us through lush fields before doing a steep climb over a ridge. The trail comes off the hill in a huge arc down to the river bank. A short distance away is the village of Gho, where we stay the night.

We continue our descent to the next village of Tilije. We continue hiking along the Dudh Khola River on the stone-paved trail on to the village of Thonje. We will stop at the police check post and continue on to Dharapani where we exit the Manaslu Conservation Area and enter the Annapurna Conservation area. We stop at Dharapani for the night.

We take a local jeep to Besishar in a non-black topped road. We change vehicles at Besisahar, and the rest of the drive is on an asphalt road all the way to Kathmandu.

Our representative will bring to the airport 3 hours before your flight time.