The Manaslu Circuit Trek is a 14-day loop around Manaslu (8,163m), the world's eighth-highest mountain, following the Budhi Gandaki river north from Soti Khola and crossing the Larkya La pass at 5,106m before dropping into the Annapurna region near Dharapani. It sits inside a government-controlled restricted area, so a licensed guide is mandatory, a rule that has applied here since 1991. Since 22 March 2026, a solo trekker can get the restricted-area permit alone: the old requirement to travel in a group of at least two was dropped nationwide that month, so the wait for a second trekker to join is no longer part of the planning.
This guide covers the route stage by stage, the three permits required (MRAP, MCAP, and ACAP) with 2026 fees, real trip costs, how hard the trail actually is, and a day-by-day itinerary drawn from current departures.
Where does the Manaslu Circuit actually go?
Soti Khola (700m) is the trailhead, reached by a 7 to 8 hour jeep drive from Kathmandu through Arughat on paved road that turns to rough mountain track for the final stretch. From there the trail follows the Budhi Gandaki gorge north, climbing through subtropical forest to Machha Khola (900m) on day 3 and Jagat (1,410m) on day 4, where the restricted zone begins and permits are checked for the first time.
Ghap (2,160m) is where the culture shifts from Gurung and Hindu farming villages to Tibetan Buddhist communities; mani walls and prayer flags start lining the trail from here. Lho (3,180m) is the first village with a direct view of Manaslu's southwest face, and Samagaon (3,530m) beyond it is the largest settlement in the Nubri valley and the trek's main acclimatisation stop.
Samagaon holds the trek's built-in rest day, used for a 4 to 5 hour acclimatisation hike to Birendra Lake (4,450m), a glacial lake with a close reflection of Manaslu's northeast face, or toward the Manaslu Base Camp viewpoint on the same ridge. Samdo (3,875m) and Dharamsala (4,460m), also called Larkya Phedi, are the last two stops before the pass, and the landscape turns to high desert that resembles the Tibetan plateau by this point.
Larkya La (5,106m) is the high point of the circuit and the reason the route works as a loop rather than an out-and-back trail. From Dharamsala the trail climbs roughly 650 metres over glaciated moraine to the pass, then drops 1,386 metres to Bimthang (3,720m) on the Annapurna side, a crossing that runs 7 to 9 hours in total. Two more days of descent through Tilije bring you to Dharapani (1,960m), where the Manaslu Circuit meets the Annapurna Circuit trail, and then to Besi Sahar (760m) for the drive back to Kathmandu.
Permits for the Manaslu Circuit: MRAP, MCAP and ACAP
Three permits are mandatory on this route, and because the Manaslu Restricted Area is a controlled zone, all three are processed through a registered trekking agency rather than bought individually at a counter. The table below lists the 2026 fees.
| Permit | What it covers | 2026 cost (foreigners) |
|---|---|---|
| Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (MRAP) | Jagat to Dharapani restricted zone | USD 100/week (Sep-Nov); USD 75/week (Dec-Aug); +USD 15/day beyond the first 7 days |
| Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP) | Conservation area, Jagat to Dharamsala | NPR 3,000 (~USD 23) |
| Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) | Exit side of the loop through Dharapani | NPR 3,000 (~USD 23) |
| TIMS Card | Standard trekker registration | NPR 2,000 (~USD 15) |
Nepal's Department of Immigration overhauled restricted-area fees on 22 December 2025, converting Upper Mustang's and Upper Dolpo's flat USD 500-for-ten-days charge into a USD 50 per person per day rate. Manaslu was left out of that reform. The MRAP still runs on its original weekly tier: USD 100 for the first week during the September to November high season, USD 75 for the first week the rest of the year, plus USD 15 for every day beyond seven. For a standard 14-day itinerary, budget roughly USD 215 per person for the MRAP alone in October, a figure that hasn't moved despite the Mustang change.
A licensed guide has been mandatory on this route since 1991, when Nepal first opened the Manaslu Circuit to trekkers and tied guide use directly to the restricted-area permit itself. That predates, and is separate from, the nationwide rule introduced in April 2023 requiring all trekkers in conservation areas to travel with a registered guide; Manaslu's guide mandate would apply regardless of that later regulation. What changed more recently is the group-size rule: the two-trekker minimum that used to force solo travellers to wait for a partner was dropped from all 15 of Nepal's restricted districts, Manaslu included, on 22 March 2026. A solo trekker can now register with an agency, hire a guide, and have the MRAP issued alone, something that hasn't been possible since the area first opened. See our full Nepal trekking permits guide for how MRAP, MCAP, and ACAP compare with what other restricted regions require.
How much does the Manaslu Circuit cost?
A fully organised Manaslu Circuit Trek with Annapurna Trekking starts at USD 1,490 per person for a group of 8 to 10, rises to USD 1,540 for a group of 4 to 7, and runs USD 1,690 for a small private group of 2 to 3. The price covers all three permits, a TAAN-registered Manaslu specialist guide, a porter shared between two trekkers, teahouse accommodation, trail meals, and ground transport between Kathmandu and the trailhead.
Trekkers going solo under the March 2026 rule change pay a solo supplement of USD 800 on top of the base package, since the guide and permit costs that would normally be split between two people fall on one person instead. Personal spending beyond the package runs USD 14 to 30 a day, covering hot showers, wifi, device charging, and bottled or treated water, all of which get more expensive above Samagaon where supplies arrive by porter. Tipping is pooled separately at the end of the trek: budget USD 8 to 12 a day for the guide and USD 5 to 8 a day for each porter, settled in cash on the last night.
Difficulty: how hard is the Manaslu Circuit?
Larkya La at 5,106m is the single hardest day and the reason the trek carries a Strenuous difficulty rating. The crossing leaves Dharamsala between 4am and 5am, climbs roughly 650 metres of glaciated moraine and rock to the pass in 4 to 5 hours, then descends 1,386 metres to Bimthang in a further 3 to 4 hours, a 7 to 9 hour day with no water sources above Dharamsala.
Altitude is the real obstacle on the Manaslu Circuit, not technical terrain, because the trail gains height for a full week before Larkya La. The itinerary builds in a rest day at Samagaon (3,530m) on day 7, plus a second natural acclimatisation stop at Samdo (3,875m) two days later. Guides check oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter every evening above 4,000m, and two or more AMS symptoms trigger an immediate descent rather than a wait-and-see approach. Read our altitude sickness prevention guide before you go, and use the Nepal trekking packing list to sort a sleeping bag rated to -15°C and proper insulation for the Dharamsala night, since the pass is exposed and windy even in peak season.
General fitness with prior trekking to at least 4,000m is the baseline worth aiming for, since the walking days before the pass run 5 to 7 hours over 8 to 17km of gorge trail with steady but manageable elevation gain. The full loop covers 177km with roughly 6,500m of cumulative ascent across 11 trekking days and 2 acclimatisation days.
Best time to trek the Manaslu Circuit
October and November are the most reliable months, with post-monsoon skies clearing by early October and night temperatures at Dharamsala running -5°C to -10°C, dropping toward -15°C by mid-November. March and April form the second window: spring snow can require microspikes on the final approach to the pass, and temperatures warm noticeably once April arrives.
Larkya La closes for the season from December through February under heavy snow and avalanche risk, and the monsoon months of June through September bring landslides to the Budhi Gandaki gorge and unstable snow to the pass itself. Neither window works for a standard crossing, whatever the lower permit rate might suggest.
Manaslu Circuit itinerary, day by day
The standard itinerary runs 14 days from Kathmandu to Kathmandu, with day 8 reserved for acclimatisation at Samagaon. The table below follows the route as currently operated.
| Day | Route | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive Kathmandu, trek briefing | 1,400m |
| 2 | Drive Kathmandu to Soti Khola | 700m |
| 3 | Soti Khola to Machha Khola | 900m |
| 4 | Machha Khola to Jagat | 1,410m |
| 5 | Jagat to Ghap | 2,160m |
| 6 | Ghap to Lho | 3,180m |
| 7 | Lho to Samagaon | 3,530m |
| 8 | Acclimatisation: Birendra Lake or Manaslu Base Camp | 4,450m |
| 9 | Samagaon to Samdo | 3,875m |
| 10 | Samdo to Dharamsala (Larkya Phedi) | 4,460m |
| 11 | Cross Larkya La to Bimthang | 5,106m |
| 12 | Bimthang to Dharapani via Tilije | 1,960m |
| 13 | Dharapani to Besi Sahar, drive to Kathmandu | 760m |
| 14 | Kathmandu, departure | 1,400m |
Side trips: Tsum Valley and the Samagaon acclimatisation hikes
Tsum Valley is a separate restricted sub-valley branching east near Lokpa, addable to the main circuit as a 7-day extension carrying its own permit and its own tradition of Buddhist non-violence around the gompas of Mu and Rachen. Combining Tsum with the main loop stretches a typical 14-day trip to around 21 days, and trekkers with the extra time often add it before continuing over Larkya La.
Within the standard itinerary, the Samagaon rest day offers two shorter options: a 4 to 5 hour round trip to Birendra Lake (4,450m) for a close view of Manaslu's northeast face, or the steeper climb toward the Manaslu Base Camp viewpoint on the same ridge. Guides generally recommend the Base Camp option for trekkers feeling strong, since the extra elevation gain doubles as training for Larkya La two days later.
Manaslu or the Annapurna Circuit?
Manaslu suits trekkers who want the quieter, more Tibetan version of a classic Himalayan circuit: roughly 5,000 to 7,000 trekkers a year cross Larkya La, against the tens of thousands who cross Thorong La on the Annapurna Circuit in the same season. The trade-off is a higher permit cost, more basic teahouses above Samagaon, and a pass that sits 310 metres higher with less foot traffic to pack down early-season snow. If remoteness and cultural depth matter more to you than trail infrastructure and a lower price, Manaslu is the better fit.
Plan your Manaslu Circuit Trek
Annapurna Trekking runs the Manaslu Circuit with TAAN-registered Manaslu specialist guides, the Samagaon acclimatisation day built into every departure, and all three permits (MRAP, MCAP, ACAP) arranged before you land. As the trekking brand of Swotah Travel and Adventure, founded in 2016 and based in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu, we now also book solo departures under the March 2026 rule change. See the full Manaslu Circuit Trek itinerary and dates, then contact our team to lock in a departure that crosses Larkya La in good conditions.
Frequently asked questions
How many days is the Manaslu Circuit?
The Manaslu Circuit runs about 14 days, crossing the Larkya La pass at 5,106 metres. It follows the Budhi Gandaki gorge before descending into the Annapurna region.
Do you need a permit for the Manaslu Circuit?
Yes. Manaslu is a restricted area needing a special permit, plus the Manaslu Conservation Area Permit and the ACAP for the exit. A licensed guide and a group of at least two are required.
How hard is the Manaslu Circuit?
It is rated strenuous, comparable to the Annapurna Circuit but more remote, with the Larkya La at 5,106 metres as the crux. Teahouses are more basic, which adds to the challenge.
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Founder & Lead Guide, Annapurna Trekking
AJ founded Annapurna Trekking in 2016 and has personally guided treks across Nepal ever since. More about our team →
