Manaslu Circuit Trek: Complete Guide for 2025

If you are searching for a Himalayan trek that has the raw, jaw-dropping grandeur of the Annapurna Circuit from thirty years ago — before the road, before the crowds, before the Wi-Fi — the Manaslu Circuit Trek is exactly what you are looking for. Opened to foreign trekkers in 1991 and still tightly regulated by a restricted-area permit system, Manaslu remains the great unspoiled loop trek of Nepal, wrapping itself around the eighth-highest mountain on Earth.

I trekked Manaslu in late autumn 2024 with one of my oldest trekking mates, and I want to give you the honest, no-fluff 2025 guide: what it costs, how hard it actually is, what to pack, where the tea houses are good (and where they are grim), and how to avoid the mistakes I watched other groups make.

Where Is Manaslu and Why Is It Special?

Manaslu (8,163 m) sits in the Gorkha district of west-central Nepal, roughly 130 km northwest of Kathmandu. The circuit begins at Soti Khola after a brutal 7-hour jeep ride from Kathmandu through Gorkha Bazaar and Arughat, and finishes at Dharapani on the Annapurna Circuit trail — meaning you can either head back to Kathmandu or seamlessly roll straight into Annapurna.

The mountain is sacred to Buddhists and Hindus alike, and the lower valley is a fascinating transition zone: Hindu Gurung villages at the bottom, Tibetan Buddhist villages with chortens, mani walls and gompas from about Lho upwards. The cultural shift happens within a single day of walking, which is something you simply do not get on the EBC route.

If you want a deeper reference for the region's geography, the ICIMOD Manaslu Conservation Area profile is the best scientific summary, and the UK FCDO's Nepal travel advice remains the most up-to-date source on safety and permit rules.

Manaslu Circuit Trek Day-by-Day Itinerary

The classic circuit is 14 to 17 days depending on whether you do the side trip to Manaslu Base Camp and whether the Larkya La pass is open. Here is the honest 15-day version, which gives you proper acclimatization without padding days just to inflate the package price.

Day	From → To	Walk Hrs	Altitude (m)
1	Kathmandu → Soti Khola (jeep)	—	730
2	Soti Khola → Machha Khola	6	870
3	Machha Khola → Jagat	6	1,340
4	Jagat → Deng	6	1,860
5	Deng → Namrung	6	2,630
6	Namrung → Lho	5	3,180
7	Lho → Samagaon	4	3,520
8	Acclimatization in Samagaon	—	3,520
9	Samagaon → Samdo	3	3,860
10	Acclimatization in Samdo	—	3,860
11	Samdo → Dharmasala	4	4,460
12	Dharmasala → Bimthang via Larkya La (5,106 m)	8	3,720
13	Bimthang → Tilije	6	2,300
14	Tilije → Dharapani → Besi Sahar (jeep)	—	760
15	Besi Sahar → Kathmandu (jeep)	—	1,400

Manaslu Circuit Cost for 2025 — Honest Breakdown

Because Manaslu is a restricted area, you cannot trek it independently. You must be in a group of at least two (on paper) and have a licensed guide. This is the single biggest cost driver, but it also keeps the trail uncrowded — which is exactly why you are paying the premium.

Item	Cost (USD)
MCAP permit (Manaslu Conservation Area)	$15
Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (first 7 days)	$70
Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (per extra day)	$10
Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)	$30
Licensed guide (per day)	$25–$35
Guide's permits, food, lodging	Included in agency quote
Tea house lodging & food (per day)	$25–$35
Kathmandu–Soti Khola jeep (shared)	$30–$45
Dharapani–Besi Sahar jeep	$20
Total 15-day trek (mid-range)	$1,150–$1,500

If a Kathmandu agency quotes you $2,500+ for a basic package, walk away. A realistic mid-range price for two trekkers sharing a guide is around $1,200 each. If you want the same quality at a fairer price, our guide to booking a trekking guide in Nepal without getting scammed walks through exactly what is and isn't included.

Best Time to Trek Manaslu

The two windows are late September to early December (autumn) and March to mid-May (spring). Autumn is drier, the views are sharper, and the trails are busier — but Manaslu 'busy' still means you will often be the only group at a tea house. Spring has more rhododendrons in the lower valleys but cloudier afternoons.

Avoid monsoon (June to early September) unless you love leeches, landslides and zero mountain views. The Larkya La pass can be snowed shut from late November to early March, so check with your agency before booking a winter trek.

How Hard Is Manaslu Circuit?

Manaslu is harder than Annapurna Circuit and significantly harder than Everest Base Camp. The reason is the sustained altitude: you spend four nights above 3,500 m, two above 3,800 m, and you cross the 5,106 m Larkya La on day 12. There is no helicopter rescue from the upper valley in bad weather — the nearest pad is at Samagaon, and only if cloud permits.

If you have not done a multi-day trek above 4,000 m before, I would strongly suggest doing Annapurna Base Camp or the Langtang Valley trek first. For acclimatization, follow the basic rule — once above 3,000 m, sleep no more than 500 m higher than the previous night — and read our altitude sickness in Nepal guide before you go.

What to Pack for Manaslu

• 4-season sleeping bag rated to −15 °C — tea houses above Lho are not heated after 8 pm.
• Down jacket — non-negotiable for the Larkya La crossing.
• Microspikes — if trekking in late autumn or spring, the pass can be icy.
• Water filter or purification tablets — bottled water is not sold above Namrung.
• Power bank (20,000 mAh minimum) — solar is unreliable, charging costs $3–$5 per device above Samagaon.
• Cash — there is NO ATM after Arughat. Bring 30,000–40,000 NPR per person.

For a fuller checklist, see our ultimate Nepal trekking packing list and our layering guide for cold mountain weather.

Manaslu vs Annapurna Circuit vs EBC — Which Should You Choose?

If it is your first Himalayan trek: Annapurna Circuit. If you want the famous Everest views and are happy with crowds: EBC. If you have done both and want raw, uncrowded, culturally rich wilderness: Manaslu. The Lonely Planet Nepal guide describes Manaslu as 'Annapurna before the road' — and that is exactly right.

How to Book Manaslu Without Getting Ripped Off

Manaslu has to be booked through a licensed Nepali agency — there is no legal DIY option. But that does not mean you should pay Western agency prices. Book direct with a Kathmandu operator, pay your permit fees yourself into the agency's account (so you get the receipt), and insist the guide is from Gorkha or Manaslu — local guides know the valley and the people far better than guides brought in from Pokhara.

Manaslu is the trek I tell every returning Nepal trekker to do next. It is harder, lonelier, more beautiful and more culturally rich than any of the famous circuits. Go now — because every year the road creeps a little closer and the trailhead pushes a little deeper into the mountains.