Kathmandu is the historical and cultural heart of Nepal and has been a popular destination for tourists ever since Nepal opened its doors to visitors. The city presents a wonderful mix of Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism and Western influence. There will be a guided tour to UNESCO World Heritage Sites Boudhnath, the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal and after that to Pashupatinath, the most popular Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. We take a tour to Patan also called as Lalitpur (the City of Artisans), which is 5km away from Kathmandu. You walk through Patan Durbar Square, and delight in the architectural wonders of Malla era. Mahaboudha Temple, Kumbeshwor Temple, Krishna Temple and Golden Temple are the major attractions at the square.

After breakfast you start your journey to Arughat Bazaar. Leaving Kathmandu city behind, you drive along Prithivi Highway passing through the beautiful river view and small clusters of highway settlements. After about 7/8hours of drive, you will reach Arughat Bazaar, from where you continue to SotiKhola in a jeep. After another 1:30 -2 hours’ drive through terraces and picturesque hamlets along Budhi Gandaki, you reach SotiKhola, where you accommodate for the night.

Today is the first day of your Manaslu Circuit trek. You walk by the dense forest passing through a number of small villages tucked into the hillside, till you reach a widening of the valley, opposite the point where a large tributary stream enters the Budhi Gandaki River. The terraced cultivated fields belong to the upper village of Lapubesi (880m). Descending down through the wide, sandy riverbed which follows a trail meandering below the steep, craggy valley side, then climb again to a ridge to Almara. Further a few walk will lead us to MachhaKhola, which literally means “Fish River”.

The trail makes some minor ups and downs and eventually crosses the TharoKhola and reaches Khorlabesi. After a few more ascends and descends you come across a small hotspring in Tatopani. The valley sides remain steep until they are impassable and the route then switches to the left bank by way of a suspension bridge. The trail is quite exposed and challenging in places. After a short section of forest path,youreach Dobhan. Above Doban, the Budhi Gandaki descends an impressive series of rapids. Beyond this steep section, the river is much more placid, meandering across a broad gravel bed. At Lauri, you cross the river on a suspension bridge, and then climb on a high path to the fields of Jagat.

You begin today’s trek by climbing over a rocky ridge to Salleri with impressive views of ShrigiHimal (7187m), and then descend to Sirdibas. The valley widens a bit as the trail continues up to GhattaKhola. You further continue walking upstream to a long suspension bridge in Philim, a large Gurung village. The trail turns north just above the lowest houses in the village and stays on a fairly level trail as it crosses millet fields to Ekle Bhatti. The route now enters a steep, uninhabited gorge. At this point, you descend to the grassy land slopes, cross the Budhi Gandaki, then trek along the west bank for a while, then cross to the east bank to cross back once again. As you continue through the trail the valley widens and you pass through bamboo forests to the Deng Khola. Upon crossing the Khola, you reach the tiny village of Deng.

After a brief walk beyond Deng, you cross the Budhi Gandaki and climb to Rana at 1910m. From a bridge, you climb a bit to join a trail from Bhi, then head west up the Budhi Gandaki valley. The trail also passes through forests and mani stones (prayers etched onto wayside rocks), a sure sign that you are entering a high-country Buddhist region. After about 4 hours, you reach Ghap, which straddles the river. You cross the Budi Gandaki several times today and come across several gompas en route. As you move ahead, you can feel a perceptible change in the climate and culture with gain in altitude. The higher altitude takes us into alpine territory and increasing mountain views. The trail follows the river upstream through a dense forest. After crossing the river at an impressive spot where it thunders down a narrow gorge, the forest becomes less dense and the trail is fine again. The pleasant walk continues and after a last steep climb you reach Namrung where our special permit is checked.

After crossing Budhi Gandaki, you trek through the forest, passing through a stone arch and reach to Lhi. Lhi is a village well known for its chortens and barley terraces. Above this village the Simnag valley opens out and there are extensive pastures. Climbing gently now, and crossing a large stream flowing down from the Lidanda Glaciers, you reach the Tibetan village of Sho, 3000m. You get our first incredible views of the Manaslu North and then of Manaslu main ahead of Sho. After you pass through Sho, you continue to Lho, a large village at 3150 metres where there is a lovely little monastery and numerous chortens and manis. You can have an impressive view of Ganesh I from here.

Leaving the village, you will follow the right bank of the river, with views of Peak 29 ahead. You also get an opportunity to enjoy the mesmerizing views of many other mountains. As you continue on the main trail, you pass through Shyala village, and then you go down to the river that originates from the glacier of Pungyen. You will pass through many chortens and monasteries. After crossing the ridge,youreach the fields of Samagaon to stay for a night. Manaslu Base Camp is about 8 hour walk awak from Samagoan. Overnight at teahouse..

You don’t walk further today as you stay for acclimatization. However, you don’t just stay idle either. You explore the village, and observe the lifestyles of the locals and experience their culture. You climb the ridge to Pungyen Monastery which is about two and half hours’ hike. You visit Birendra Tal which is a glacial lake at 3,450m. After that, you return to your respective tea house.

The thundering Budhi Gandaki trickles to a stream as you continue to follow its course ever upwards. You are surrounded by spectacular mountains from all sides. Manaslu is particularly impressive. You can also have the views of Samdo (Pang phuchuli), Nagdichuli, SimnangHimal, Manaslu glacier and several other awesome peaks of the region. The trail passes through wide pasturelands, juniper trees and mani walls. After crossing to the east bank of the river, you reach the last permanent settlement in the valley, which is called Samdo, a village of yak-herding community.

You can either hike to the back of Samdo village through a trade pass to Tibet, or (if you want a longer hike), take a trip to Gya-La pass to the north of the village, a more frequented trade route than the earlier one. In both cases, you can savor the breathtaking views of Mt. Manaslu along with other Himalayan ranges including Simrang, Hiunchuli, Ngadi, Larkye Peak, Cheo etc. En route you pass through seasonal herders’ settlements.

Starting your day, you cross a wooden bridge over the Budhi Gandaki River. You come to the ruins of an abandoned village, known as Larkya Bazaar. Presumably this village thrived as a trading point, with Tibet lying over the Gya La. The commerce seems to have dried up leading to the migration of the settlers. On the way, you also notice the Mani walls and prayer flags, which signify the closeness of Larkya La Pass. After crossing a few streams, you will observe the magnificent view of Larkya Glacier. Nearing the Larkya Glacier, you reach a stone guest house known as Dharmasala or Larkya La Phedi., which has been built to serve the travelers crossing the Larkya La. Today’s trek gives us plenty of time to acclimatize and relax.

Today is a longer and more strenuous day than usual as you have to cross the Larkya La which is the highest point on Manaslu trek situated at 5,213m. After walking across moraines of the glacier, you make a gradual ascent which becomes steeper as you near the top of the pass. From there, you can witness the views of great mountains such as HumlungHimal, Cheo Himal Kang Guru and Annapurna II. Then, you further cross the moraine and climb down to another grassy moraine. As you come down, the trail becomes easier to walk. Finally with a feeling of accomplishment, you reach Bhimthang for overnight.

Today’s trek of around 5 hours follows the trail downstream of Marshyangdi River, passing through the scattered villages. As you walk through the pasture of SangureKharka, you have the great views of Mt. Manaslu, LamjungHimal, HimlungHimal and Cheo Himal. After crossing a bridge over DudhKhola, you descend into the rhododendron forests and pass through a narrow valley to reach the high cultivated land at Karche (2785 metres). As you continue, you pass across fields and make a steep climb over a ridge to reach Tiliche.

Leaving Tiliche, you cross the Marshyangdi river and join the main Annapurna Circuit with the hoards of trekkers and soon reach Dharapani. You have a gradual descend all day along the bank of DudhKhola and Marshyangdi River. On the way, an initially narrow gorge briefly opens to Tal, a beautiful village. The area here was formed when the valley was blocked by a landslide and a dam formed behind the lake. The lake has long dried up and now the village of Tal sits on the flat land. Eventually, after crossing Tal, you reach Jagat for the overnight.

After about two weeks’ of trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal, you return back to Kathmandu. A seven hours’ drive to Kathmandu via Besi Sahar offers an opportunity to enjoy both hill and mountain landscapes. The drive is often along the banks of the Marsyangdi and Trishuli. You also drive by some beautiful villages with farming terraces on both sides of the road. Upon recahing Kathmandu, you will be escorted to your respective hotel.

Our office representative will take you to the airport. With all the wonderful memories of Manaslu trekking, you will fly back to your home. Have a nice journey!

INFORMATION, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

TRIP GRADE: Moderate to challenging

Manaslu treks is a long trek that goes right into high mountain country, to some of the famous mountaineering Base Camps over high passes. Physically quite tiring, involves approx 6-8 (in average) hours trekking along rocky ridges of high Himalayan peaks. No previous experience is required, you should be moderately fit, used to some regular exercises and enjoy walking in the high altitude conditions.

TREKKING TYPES

Trekkingin Nepalis categorized in three different types based on their way of organization (Camping Trek, Tea House Trek and GAP Trek). Manaslu Circuit Trek organized in two ways (Tea House Trek and GAP Trek) due to the abundance of accommodation facilities available in the region.

1. Tea House Trek: This trek includes services like guide, food, accommodation in local Tea Houses and porters.
2. GAP Trek: This trek includes services like Guide (G), Accommodation (A) in the Tea Houses, and Porters (P). Food bills are to be paid directly by the client.

ACCOMMODATION

You will find clean and friendly lodges along the trailin Manaslu trekking. You often have to share rooms but you can also stay in single rooms where possible. Rooms are basic, normally just a bed with a pillow and blankets. A few have electric blanket, hot bags (luxury lodges) and all have a spacious dining room-lounge. We will accommodate you and your group in a comfortable local lodge each day. The Guide coordinates with the local lodge owners to book the required rooms for the group (rooms cannot always be booked in advance).

Please remember that some of them are very basic and a sense of adventure is necessary.

In Kathmandu, we have a pool of hotels under 3 Star categories which we provide to clients in connection to this itinerary, unless it is mentioned otherwise or clients have a special choice.

FOOD

LODGE TREK:

Meals are included in our price and are taken in lodges available along the trail. You can find a considerable variety of Nepali (rice, curry & lentil, momo, noodles, chapatis etc.) and Western food (pizza, pasta, sandwich, chips, porridge, toast, pancake, soup etc) as well as drinks (coffee, tea, milk, soft drinks, and beer). The Guide suggests you the best option as per the availability.

GAP Trek:

You will have to make your own eating arrangements in the lodges available along the trail. Expect to spend around $25-$30 a day for food. Guide, accommodation and porters are covered in the price.

WATER

On GAP trek and Lodge trek, you will be provided filtered water about 3-4 liters per person per day. The good thing about such water is it doesn’t smell chlorine. We normally use Sawyer Filters. However, you can also buy bottled water in tea houses. You can also bring water purification pills in case you want to drink water from local taps.

PERSONAL EXPENSES– MONEY TO TAKE ON TREK

Money requirement depends largely on type of trek style, duration and trekking region.
For a two-week Manaslu Circuit trek, you can take about $200-300, more if you intend toget more table drinks (alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages), snacks while walking (a few smaller shops are available along the trail in some areas), souvenirs, battery charge, internet, hot shower (available in some places) etc. If you are on ‘GAP’ trek style you need to pay for all your meals. Approximately $25-30 a day should be enough to cover your meals. We pay for your accommodation at mountain hut (tea house) along the trail and bear all the expenses of staffs assigned by us, plus extra bar bills, snacks, hot shower, battery charge, internet etc.

CHANGING MONEY

You can change money at a bank or the money exchange counter in city like Kathmandu. Many Tourist class Hotels have money exchange facilities. These days, there is availability of ATMs in Kathmandu.

TIPS

Tips are appreciated by your support team after the completion of your Manaslu trek. The amount depends on your budget and appreciation of their work. As a suggestion, we advise that you can allocate 5- 10 % of the total tour cost as tips.It is recommended that you talk to the members and hand it over individually as per the hierarchy on the last day of the trek.

GROUP SIZE ON FIXED DEPARTURE

If you opt to join our ‘fixed departure trip’, you are likely to be joining people from different countries of any age group except minors. The size of group varies, minimum no of persons required to operate a trip is 2 the maximum is 15 people.

For a Private Booking, any number size from 1Pax to 20 is acceptable and can be comfortably organized. We go for special planning for handling group size bigger than 20 Pax.

GROUP LEADER AND CREW

We provide different options concerning leadership in order to match your requirements:

1) Western leader

2) Trained Nepali Trek leader (experienced and knowledgeable)

3) Sherpa Guide (handles the logistics and guides you and your team on the trek)

The Sherpa guide (commonly called Sirdar) will be accompanied by a crew of porters. We provide 1 porter for 2 members.

COMMUNICATION

For using internetduring the Manaslu Circuit trek, Wifi service is available in lower altitudes. You can also use Ncell and NTC network (both for internet and mobile network) but they don’t work properly in some places as you go higher. If it is crucial for you to keep in contact with your family or others, we can provide you a mobile satellite phone (rental charge on request).

FLIGHT / LAND TRANSFERS

The starting point of the Manaslu Circuit trekkingis SotiKhola, which is connected by a 8/9 hours’ drive from Kathmandu. On your return, you will drive back from Jagat via Besisahar to Kathmandu.We will arrange airport pick up and drop transfers as per the itinerary.

LUGGAGE WHILE TREKKING

During the Manaslu trekking, your main luggage will be carried by porter. Please keep your luggage as light as possible around 12 to 15 kgsfor flight safety and porter welfare as per IPPG standard. You simply carry a day pack with water bottle, camera, sun-screen, spare jacket etc. You can leave your valuable items at your hotel in Kathmandu while trekking. Many hotels have a locker system and provide a deposit slip for the valuables kept under the hotel’s safekeeping.

TYPICAL DAY ON TREK

Lodge/ Tea House Trek, GAP Trek

A typical day while trekking in Nepal consists of about 7-8 hours of activity. Each morning after packing our bags and having a good breakfast, we set off on the day’s walk. After walking for 3-4 hours we stop for lunch at around midday. The afternoon’s walk is generally shorter and we usually arrive at our destination in time for afternoon tea. The remainder of the afternoon can be spent exploring the village, doing a bit of washing or simply relaxing with a good book. On some days, we will arrive at our destination by lunchtime and the entire afternoon will be free. After dinner, the evening will often be spent playing cards and reliving the day’s adventures, before heading off to bed for a well-earned sleep.

TREKKING GEARS & EQUIPMENT

You will need walking boots, sleeping bag (4 seasons/ -20C rated), waterproof jacket and trousers, fleece jacket, warm hat and gloves, sunglasses, water bottle, sun-screen and day pack. Comprehensive list of equipment will be provided once you book your Manaslu Circuit trek. It’s not necessary to spend a lot of money buying extra equipment and clothing before your trip. Majority of these gears can be bought or hired at reasonable rates in Kathmandu.

GEARS AVAILABLE IN KATHMANDU

There are numerous suppliers of trekking gears in Kathmandu supplying genuine branded items or imitations depending on your choice and price. You can get anything from down jackets and sleeping bags to socks or thermal wears that you need for your trek. They might not be the best but good enough for the trek considering the price.

TREK SECURITY

Security of our clients is our foremost priority. All our guides are licensed by Nepal Government. Our guides and support crew are carefully chosen for your trips. They will ensure your safety and security throughout your trip.

During your trek, you will be sleeping in local teahouses. You have to take precautions yourself at all times. Never leave your baggage unattended and keep your lodge room locked when you go out.

MEETING AND GREETING AT AIRPORT

You need to pass on your International flight details to us for a “meeting and greeting” service at airport. You just pass the customs desk and come out of the terminal building where you will see someone standing with a placard with either ‘Explore Himalaya’ or your name written on it. Our airport representative or tour officer will greet you and welcome you with a garland.

TREK DURATION

We ensure liability as indicated in itinerary and list of services. If the holiday is cut short or completed earlier than the projected period upon client’s wish, we shall not be responsible or make refund against unutilized days or services. Clients need to pay for hotels/services incurred in Kathmandu or elsewhere in such cases.

CLIMATE AND BEST TIME TO GO

The best seasons fortrekking in Nepal areAutumn (from mid-September till November end), and Spring (from the beginning of March until mid-May). Temperatures will drop considerably as you trek higher every day. The nights are cold (between -10 C to 5C) but the days are sunny and hot (between 10C to 20C). The mornings are usually clear, with clouds building up during the afternoon, disappearing at night. Trekking during the monsoon and winter is not recommended, as the visibility during monsoon is limited, upper parts and high passes could be covered with snow in winter.

March, April, October and November are the most favored months. Please choose the date that is convenient for you.

ITINERARY CHANGES

The itinerary for this Manaslu trek is a standard itinerary. Depending on the prevailing situationwhile on trek, you can modify it to some extent after consulting with your guide. However, the date of trek completion should always coincide with the original itinerary. You should keep in mind that this is an adventure trip into the remotest region, where many unforeseen events may contribute to the need for a change in itinerary. In such cases, we or your guide will suggest the best alternative similar to your original.

HEALTH ISSUES AND VACCINATIONS

As vaccination requirements change frequently, we suggest you to consult your doctor at least 2 months prior to the beginning of your trip. We recommend protection against malaria, tetanus, typhoid, hepatitis and polio.

The main health consideration in this Makalu Circuit trek is Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). You may experience some mild symptoms initially, such as headache, lethargy, nausea and difficulty sleeping, but these should lessen within a few days. To avoid Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), people take pills called ‘Diamox’. You can also use these pills after consulting with your doctor and purchase them in Kathmandu. Our itinerary will allow your body to acclimatize properly and handle the low oxygen rate.

If you have ever suffered from altitude sickness, or have a heart or breathing complaint, we highly recommend you to consult your doctor about your suitability for trekking in high altitude areas before booking. We suggest that you take some pain-killing pills with you and enough medicine for cold, diarrhea, nausea and fever. Some nasal ointment and throat-moistening pills will greatly help for those who are sensitive to chilly or freezing weather conditions.

FIRST AID KIT

We supply a medical bag with standard medicines prescribed by trekking doctors and a user’s manual. Since our staffs/guides are not qualified for suggesting medications to western clients, we would request you to use the medicines upon your own risk. It is safer and more reliable if you have your own medicine kit and not depend on what we have.

VISA

All visitors except the Indian nationals must hold passport and valid visa. Visa can be obtained at the Nepalese diplomatic missions and consulates abroad. You can also get “On Arrival Visa” at entry points. For doing Makalu Circuit Trek, you can come with a 30 day visa which costs US $ 50. You should have a passport size photo to get it at airport upon arrival. Some countries’ nationals need to get visa prior their arrival. Please check http://www.nepalimmigration.gov.np/page/tourist-visafor detailed information.

JOIN A GROUP OR PRIVATE TRIP

Our trips are available on both fixed departure and private basis. If you are looking for a group to join thisMakalu Circuit trek , please check our ‘2022/23 departures’ link for availability, dates and price. If you would like to travel independently, or with your friends, families & colleagues, you are invited to choose any of the trips at your convenient timeframe for any number of people (minimum 1 & maximum 20 at a time).

If you want to do something that is not included in our trip list, we are ready to tailor your trip to suit your exact requirements. In short, we will make every effort to meet your needs.

RESCUE / EVACUATIONS

We take your safety and security very seriously, and make sure that nothing untoward happen to you. However, if anything serious like sickness or a casualty occurs, we will do everything to transfer you to the nearest hospital. As you are responsible for all the expenses incurred in evacuation, please make sure that it is covered by your insurance before assigning for it.

INSURANCE

Before joining this Makalu trek, we recommend you to take a travel insurance which should cover cancellation, medical expenses, helicopter evacuation and emergency repatriation.Our staff will collect your insurance details before you leave for the trek.

RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

We are among the few companies in Nepal to receive Travelife Certificate Award https://www.travelife.infofor our long-term efforts in sustainable practices.

1. Care for porters and staffs

We ensure that all the porters and other staffs going into high altitude conditions during Manaslu trek are provided with adequate clothing and equipment. All our porters carry less than 30 kg and underage porters are strictly prohibited in our operations. We run the trek according to the guidelines of the International Porter Protection group (IPPG – www.ippg.net)

1. Environmental Responsibility

Wonderful environment of the Himalayas is also an extremely fragile one. Increasing population density and numbers of trekkers threaten the very beauty of Nepal. At Explore Himalaya, we are extremely conscious about the environment and aim to minimize our impact as much as possible.

As deforestation is one of the greatest environmental threats, we do not have camp fires and use LPG gas or kerosene for cooking as an alternative fuel to wood. We don’t use plastic bottles. We also discourage trekkers from using wood-fuelled hot showers in lodges along the way. Many lodges, however, now provide solar hot showers, a far more eco-friendly alternative.

Garbage disposal is another major problem and some of the busier trails can, at times, appear strewn with litter. Our staff members are well motivated towards eco-friendly practices. Our staff carry garbage bag with them all the time and collect our garbage and other litters they find on trail, and dispose them on the designated area. We also volunteer to bring garbage down to Lukla while returning back. Our aim is to help protect and preserve this beautiful environment for future generations of trekkers to enjoy.

1. Social Responsibility

Explore Himalaya works with the motto ‘Development through Tourism’. Keeping in line with this motto, Explore Himalaya Community Service Project (EHCSP) has been conceived to empower underprivileged, marginalized, poor and minority segments of Nepal.

Since its inception, EHCSP has been incessantly facilitating and advocating for school education, health, community development, forest conservation, agro practices and culture preservation. A certain amount of your trip money goes to these projects. For more details on our CSR initiatives, please visit https://www.explorehimalaya.com/csr/

BOOKING PROCEDURE

Your booking of thisManaslu Circuit trektwill be confirmed by email once we receive your deposit of $300 and the signed copy of booking form and contract.The balance is due no later than two months prior to departure. If you book a tour less than 2 months prior to departure, you must send the full payment within 7 days of confirmation by us.