Round Manaslu Trek

Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you will meet our representative who will transfer you into your hotel. You can relax in the hotel premises to unwind after your light flight. Or, you can explore the Kathmandu Valley if your flight is early. Remaining time is free for independent activities.

Today, we will take you on a tour of Kathmandu as our staff prepare your permits for the trek. We will begin with a drive to Swoyambhunath Temple -- a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of the important Buddhist monuments in Nepal. The main attraction is the stupa -- a whitewashed topped by a golden pinnacle. Then we move on to Kathmandu Durbar Square. This amazing complex used to be the palace of the rulers of the ancient Kathmandu country. Here, you will get opportunity to catch sight of Kumari -- the living goddess. After that, we will visit Pashupatinath Temple -- an important Hindu shrine in Nepal -- believed to have been built in 5th century. Then we will return to hotel. In the evening, meet your guide and attend trek briefing

Today, we will drive to the starting point of our trek. We drive west of Kathmandu on the Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway. We leave the highway, cross the Trishuli River near the confluence of Trishuli and Budhi Gandaki River and drive along the banks of Budhi Gandaki River on a jeep track. We will follow this river for most of the days of this trek. Machhi Khola is a small settlement on the trailhead.

Our trek begins today. After breakfast, we cross the Machhi Khola River and walk toward a small settlement of Khorlabesi. From here, we continue northward passing through natural hot springs at Tatopani. After a short walk through thick woods, we reach to a village called Dobhan. We continue our walk for a while. After crossing the river on a suspension bridge we reach the beautiful village of Jagat.

After Jagat, we walk down to the river and follow its course on the trail that pass through beautiful terraced fields. Passing through the village of Sulleri, we see Philim far in the distance. A walk of about two hours from here will take us to Philim. Philim is comparatively a larger settlement on the trail. Leaving Philim, we continue on the main trail. The walk is pleasing and you will be rewarded with the view of waterfalls cascading down in Budhi Gandaki on both sides of the trail. We cross the river many times, and sometimes go high above it. After a walk of around four hours from Jagat, we reach our first Kani -- a stone arch -- of the trek. Deng is the next settlement that we see in the trial.

We continue the walk after having breakfast at our lodge. The walk is more or less similar. Descend to river, crossing it and climbing high above the river. After nearly three hours of trek, we reach a village named Ghap. Take some time to look out for the beautiful Kani as well as the mani wall. From here, the trail is through thick woods of pines, rhododendrons and bamboo. Look out for monkeys. The village of Namrung welcomes you once you are done with the forested trail.

The first settlement that we come across today is Li Gaon. This village has numerous chhortens and intricately women mani walls. Take some time to observe these ancient art works. If weather is good, you can get clear view of Mt Manaslu along with other neighboring peaks today. From here, we stop at a place called Sho which offers stunning views of Manaslu. We continue our walk northward. After crossing another bridge, we reach to the village of Lho. There is a small temple in the village which contains a terracota image of Buddha. After leaving the village, Peak 29 emerges right ahead of us. The settlement of Syala is not so far.

The walk is shorter today. Leaving Syala, we follow the moraine of Pungen Glacier toward Sama Gaon. On the trail, we can enjoy amazing landscapes and excellent sceneries. There is a beautiful monastery in the village. The monastery offers stunning views of Manaslu and other peaks. After lunch, we will explore the village.

Today, we will take the much-needed rest. Our guide will take you on a short hiking trips to help you acclimatize in the higher altitude.

Today, we climb to a terraced hillside on the other side of the Budhi Gandaki River. Continuing further, we reach to Samdo. Samdo is a small settlement of about forty houses. This is one of the highest all-season settlements in Nepal.

We take another rest day here as we prepare to cross a high pass after reaching Dharmashala.

Leaving Samdo, we walk down until Gyala Khola. After crossing the river, we climb to a ridge overlooking the once thriving Larke Bazaar. We cross few streams before we reach Larke Glacier. Continuing further, we reach a place with few houses called Dharmashala which translates into travellers’ inn.

We will start early in the morning today as we will be crossing a high pass today. We make a gradual climb to Cho Danda. Form here, the trail is steep uphill toward till the pass. Fluttering prayer flags indicate that you have reached the pass. View from the pass is magnificent. We get clear view of Himlung Himal (7,126m,) Cheo Himal, Gyaij Kang, Kang Guru (7,010m) and Annapurna II. After taking photographs and spending sometime at the top, we start descending toward Bhimthang. It’s a long and steep downhill from here to Bhimthang.

Leaving Bhimthang, we gradually enter pine and rhododendron forests. The trail offers mountain views from some places. We then walk briefly on a moraine till we reach a riverbed near Karcha village. From here, we walk through terraced fields toward Karcha La Pass. After crossing the pass, we descend on a trail through fields and pine forests to the village of Tilje.

Leaving Tilje, we cross Dudh Khola and walk along its banks to reach Thonje. From here, we will join the main Annapurna Circuit trail. We will see lot of trekkers today. Following the trial, we reach the village of Dharapani. From here, we will board a waiting jeep and drive to Besishahar. The ride is on a jeep track so expect lot of dusts and bumps. Upon arrival in Besishahar, we will check into our hotel.

Today, we will drive to Kathmandu. The road is narrow for about an hour. The drive is easy after we join the main Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway at a place called Dumre. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, check into your hotel. In the evening, we will host a welcome dinner for you in a restaurant serving typical Nepali meal and showcasing Nepali cultural performances.

Departure day! Our representative will drive you to the airport three hours before your flight time so that you do not have to rush through customs and immigration formalities. You will have plenty of time to plan your next trip as you return to your home.