Manaslu Base Camp Trek via Circuit

We depart Kathmandu early in the morning by private vehicle, heading west along the Prithvi Highway before turning north toward Dhading and following the winding dirt roads alongside the Trishuli and Budhi Gandaki rivers. Our drive takes us through rural hill settlements and terraced farmlands until we reach the roadside village of Machhakhola at around 700 m elevation, where we settle into a local lodge for our first night.

Today we begin our trek proper, following the trail as it undulates alongside the rushing waters of the Budhi Gandaki River. We cross several suspension bridges and pass through small hamlets like Khorlabeshi and Tatopani, where natural hot springs emerge by the riverbank, before climbing a steep stone staircase to reach the restricted area checkpoint at Jagat.

We leave Jagat and pass through Sirdibas, noticing the increasing prevalence of Tibetan Buddhist mani stones and prayer flags along the track. The valley narrows as we cross a long suspension bridge at Gampushe and continue through bamboo forests to reach the small settlement of Deng for our evening lodge stop.

After breakfast, our trail climbs steadily through dense pine and rhododendron forests, crossing the Budhi Gandaki over wooden bridges. We ascend past cascading waterfalls and enter the upper Nubri region, where the local architecture shifts to heavy timber and stone houses, culminating in our arrival at Namrung.

The mountains begin to loom larger today as we trek through alpine meadows and past ancient mani walls carved with Tibetan mantras. We pass through Lho village, offering our first clear views of Peak 29 and the massive glaciers of Manaslu, before descending slightly to reach the large and culturally rich village of Samagaon.

We spend today resting and assisting our bodies to adapt to the thin air by taking a side hike toward Pungyen Gompa or exploring the winding alleys of Samagaon. This crucial rest period prepares us for the higher elevations ahead while allowing us to observe local barley farming and interact with the villagers.

An early start sees us climbing out of Samagaon toward the vast moraines leading to Manaslu Base Camp at 5106 m. We spend time taking in the immense scale of the surrounding icefalls and peaks before retracing our steps back down to Samagaon for our overnight stay.

We leave the tree line behind today as our trail ascends gradually up the wide valley floor toward the Tibetan border. The landscape opens into stark, windswept plateaus where dwarf scrub is the primary vegetation, bringing us to the remote yak-herding settlement of Samdo by early afternoon.

A short but cautious walk today takes us across the wooden bridge over the Budhi Gandaki and up along the edge of the Larke Glacier. We reach Dharmasala, also known as Larkya Phedi, by midday, giving us ample time to rest, hydrate, and prepare for tomorrow's high mountain pass crossing in cold conditions.

We depart before dawn in sub-zero temperatures, climbing steadily over moraine ridges to reach the summit of the Larkya La Pass at 5106 m. After pausing to mark the pass with prayer flags and take in the panoramic views of Himlung Himal and Annapurna II, we make a long, steep descent down loose scree to the grassy ablation valley of Bimthang.

Our final day of trekking leads us down through pine and rhododendron forests along the Dudh Khola, passing through small clearings like Goa and Tilije. We rejoin the main Annapurna Circuit trail at Dharapani, marking the official end of our walking journey through the Manaslu region.

We board our jeep or local transport in Dharapani for the rugged drive along unpaved mountain tracks down to Besisahar, where we transfer to a larger vehicle for the highway journey back to Kathmandu, concluding our trek.