Route Overview- Manaslu Circuit Trek
Your journey starts in the Macchakhola, a village by the Budi Gandhaki River. Then, you cross the entry point at Jagat and continue at an easier pace to Deng and Namrung. Through dense forests, waterfalls, and small settlements.
Then the environment changes more noticeably into the higher region. The mountain views begin to expand, and you can see the glacier along the peaks.
Then, you come across a village named Lho, a pause point where you can see the ancient gompa boldly standing at the top of the hill right before the giant Mount Manaslu.
Climbing further on the journey, the trail reaches Samagaun, where our trekking plan includes a rest day for acclimatisation. Samagaon rests above Birendra Lake with side hikes to Pungen Gompa and toward Manaslu Base Camp.
Leaving the lively village of Samagaon, it continues to Samdo. Samdo (4,460m) is the final village before the pass, which feels like stepping into Tibet itself. This village is surrounded by wide pastures and khadkas.
Looking at the small set of stone houses, rounded by stone walls, prayer flags, and the barren landscape, it gives a remote ambience.
After that, you continue your trek to Dharamsala (Larkya Phedi), a high camp before the ultimate ascent to the Larkya La Pass. It is a place where you prepare yourself physically and mentally for the Pass.
The ascent is challenging, rocky, and steep. But the panoramic Himalayan views that include Mt. Manaslu, Himalchuli, Ngadi Chuli, and Ganesh Himal make it valuable.
After the pass, you will float down to Bimthang, then follow pine and birch to Gho and on to Dharapani, where the trail taps the Annapurna network, where you take a return drive to the city of temples, Kathmandu.
Best Season For Manaslu Circuit Trek
Spring (March, April, and May) and Autumn (September, October, and November) are considered the best seasons for the Manaslu Circuit Trek.
We highly recommend trekking in these peak seasons for the ultimate Manaslu experience. The mountain views remain clear with stable weather and the best temperature during the spring and Autumn seasons.
However, Manaslu comes with different dramatic moods each season. Winter in Manaslu rewards you with solitude and less crowded snow-blanketed trails. Monsoon in Manaslu comes up with dramatic changing high Himalayan landscape every minute.
So, the best time for the Manaslu Circuit Trek? It depends on you, which mood of the Manaslu region holds your destiny.
Manaslu Circuit Trek in Spring (March, April, and May)
- The trail is full of vibrant rhododendron blooms.
- Active Birdlife, rare animal activity, and fresh greenery fill the lower valleys.
- Perfect temperature with clear skies.
- Clear view of snow-capped Himalayan giants.
- A lively trail vibe without the peak-season crush.
Manaslu Circuit Trek in Autumn (September, October, and November)
- The air turns crisp, and visibility is often at its best.
- Trails are drier, which makes long stair sections safer and less tiring.
- Larkya La pass sits in its most beautiful form.
- Reliable trekking rhythm with fewer weather-stalled days.
- Clear views of the high Himalayas of Manaslu.
Manaslu Circuit Trek in Winter (December, January, and February)
- Skies can be very clear, and the mountains look close and hard-edged.
- The Manaslu region is decorated with snow-blanketed trails everywhere.
- Very low crowds and a genuinely remote trail atmosphere.
- A stronger cultural feel in villages when you are one of the few visitors.
Manaslu Circuit Trek in Summer (June, July, and August)
- Less crowded than other seasons.
- Immerse in local culture more deeply, as the trekkers will be less.
- The landscape turns intensely green with waterfalls everywhere.
- Changing landscapes and views every hour.
Note: Larkya La pass can be closed in the winter season, as heavy snowfall can block the high pass, and the trails of MCT can be slippery during the Monsoon season.
Accommodation on Manaslu Circuit Trek
The teahouses on Manaslu are family homes first, mountain guest lodges second. The high Himalayan tribes; Gurung culture dots the lower Manaslu trail, Tamang culture and Tibetan Buddhist tradition dots the mid-upper trail.
The teahouse at Manasu also works as a cultural bridge between the local Himalayan culture and Western culture. The Manaslu region is alive with isolated Himalayan villages, alive with rare and raw culture.
Few teahouses sit along certain stretches. Peak months in Spring and Autumn fill them fast. Advance arrangements reduce the risk of limited choices
The Manaslu region is not yet touched by mass tourism. The facilities here are limited compared to busier routes like Annapurna or Everest.
The rooms are basic, but warm and cozy enough to keep you warm. We highly recommend bringing a good-quality sleeping bag for your comfort.
Staying at the traditional Manaslu tea house means watching real Himalayan life unfold.
Power and charging
Solar panels generate electricity in most villages of the Manaslu region. Sunny days mean power. Cloudy stretches mean limited or no electricity. Lights are low-wattage to save energy.
Charging devices costs money. NPR 200 to 500 per device. Some villages have micro-hydro, but most rely on solar. We highly recommend that you carry a power bank with a high mAh battery.
Internet Facilities on the MCT Trail
Is there Wi-FI available on the Manaslu Circuit Trek? Yes, the Manaslu Circuit Trek has Wi-FI in 2026. But there is a catch: the Wi-Fi is slow and not reliable.
The Wi-FI slows down as you gain altitude. In 2026, Wi-Fi has reached many villages of the Manaslu region. But, we suggest you not to rely on the Wi-fi at high altitude on your MCT trek.
However, the access to Wi-Fi at high altitudes may cost a few hundred Nepali rupees approx. 200-569 NPR (approx. 2-5 USD).
Networks/Phone service on the Manaslu Circuit Trek
Cell service appears in scattered spots. Ncell and Nepal Telecom (NTC) work in some valleys, vanish in others. NTC SIM works better than Ncell SIM.
We highly recommend using the NTC SIM rather than the Ncell SIM.
Is there a hot shower available in the Manaslu Circuit Trek?
Some tea houses have solar panels. When the sun's out, brilliant, you might get genuinely warm water. When it's cloudy? The water gets freezing cold.
locals of the Manaslu region take hot bucket showers, in Himalayan local style. First, the water gets boiled, then you take a bucket and scoop it over yourself with warm water, and enjoy a hot shower in the Manaslu Circuit Trek.
Note: We recommend not taking hot/cold showers during the MCT trek, as you can get sick, and your health can worsen.
Tips: Understanding Sleeping, Meals, And The Daily Comforts of the Trip
Here are the quick facts on understanding sleeping, meals, and the daily comforts of the Manaslu Circuit Trek:
As Manaslu just touched the commercialised heights in recent years, it still thrives with purity. To maintain tourism, most teahouses are locally owned and family-run. The set-ups are basic to keep the trekkers sheltered in a warm sheet and a lovely warm meal.
The rooms usually have shared bases, with separate beds, and enough pillows and blankets to keep you warm. With the rising altitude, the facilities become minimal.
Heating is generally in the dining room with a metal stove or burning firewood in the mud stove. The meat is restricted in the Manaslu region. Killing animals at Manaslu is not allowed.
With each gain in altitude, the nights get colder, and the waters are freezing. So, it is very necessary to keep your essential gear intact for cold nights.
Common meals like Dal Bhat, Noodles, Soups, Potatoes, chapati, eggs, and local Tibetan food items are available in the Manaslu Circuit Route. You can also get the option of traditional high Himalayan cuisine like Tsampa, Sherpa Stew, Su Cha, etc.
About the drinking water, teahouses provide boiled water to keep you warm. In lower altitudes, you can find water from a spring or the bottled waters available in the teahouses. For safer drinking during trek, purification tablets are widely used.
For charging your electronic devices, there are electricity facilities on the way to the Manaslu Circuit. Some teahouses at higher altitudes might charge extra for charging your personal electronics. Regarding network services, there are reliable internet facilities during your stay.
Most common question: how to keep the hygiene during these long trekking days?
Squat toilets are common, and if lucky, there are some teahouses that provide western-style toilets in the lower zone. For hot showers, it is available at an extra cost added to your own expenses.
Mystical Things on The Manaslu Circuit Trek
Unique Culture of Manaslu That Doesn't Exist Anywhere Else
The upper Manaslu valleys hide something most anthropology textbooks claim disappeared generations back. Not reconstructed folklore or tourist performances, but an actual living tradition that would get filed under extinct cultural practices.
Polyandry Ritual Practice. Sky burials. Bon shamanism predating Buddhism by a thousand years. Spirit possession rituals and many more cultural doses that other treks in Nepal have lost.
Manaslu's northern valleys stayed cut off - politically, geographically, culturally - long enough that ancient social systems kept functioning while the rest of the world moved on.
- Brothers Who Share a Single Wife - Polyandry Lives On
Fraternal polyandry still functions in Nubri villages above Lho. Multiple brothers from the same family marry one woman. She's the wife to all of them at once.
The eldest brother typically initiates the marriage. Younger brothers join as they reach adulthood. All hold equal claim as husbands, though dynamics obviously shift based on age, personality, and who she favors.
Children from the marriage belong to every brother. The eldest often gets acknowledged as the primary father, but all brothers share responsibility for raising, feeding, and educating the kids.
Younger generations increasingly reject it. Education, outside influence, changing economics, and access to wage work in Kathmandu, these shift calculations. Some villages see the last polyandrous households aging out with nobody continuing the practice.
Only 6 of the families practice the Polyandry system now in the Manaslu region.
Besides Polyandry, other pure high Himalayan traditions like Bon Buddhism- The Religion That Refused to Die, Sky Burial - Bodies Fed to Vultures, Animism, soul-calling rituals, and other traditions that nobody knows exist here in the Manaslu region.
If you want to experience and immerse deeply in these cultures, we can help you customize the itinerary and manage the trek according to it.
Permits & Documents for the Manaslu Circuit Trek
Did You Know? The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) has finally approved and removed the mandatory group or minimum 2 trekkers requirement rules, as a part of the Pre-Arrival Visa Trekking Update 2026/ RAP update 2026?
Nepal finally opened solo trekking and removed the mandatory minimum two people requirements or group requirements to be eligible to trek in restricted areas for foreign nationals in 2026.
You can now actually get your permit approved before arrival just by using your visa details!
But, you still need a legal trekking agency, who is also a member of TAAN and a certified trekking guide for the MCT trek.
How to get Restricted Area permits? Don’t worry, we are here to handle all of your permits and documents.
You literally can't get RAP any other way; the Nepal government won't issue it to individuals. It needs a licensed and legal trekking agency, who is a member of TAAN to obtain RAP.
The necessary permits and documents that you need for the Manaslu Circuit Trek are-
- Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (RAP)
According to the pre-arrival trekking visa and RAP update 2026, the solo trek to the restricted area is now open for the foreign nationals. You don’t need any second trekker or group to obtain Restricted Area permits.
The cost of the special permit (RAP) for the legendary MCT trek depends on the season.
September to November (Peak Season): The cost of the RAP for the Manaslu Circuit Trek costs approx. $100 USD per person for the first 7 days. Each additional day costs $15 USD per day during September to November (Peak Season).
December to August: The cost of the RAP for the Manaslu Circuit Trek costs approx. $75 per person for the first 7 days. Each additional day costs approx. 10 USD per person.
- Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP)
The cost of MCAP costs approx. 3,000 Nepali Rs. The price is the same, whether you go in the monsoon season or in the peak autumn season. The price is the same whether you're there for 10 days or 20.
- Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)
Why do you need an Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) for the MCT trek?
On your MCT trek, you start your trek in the Manaslu region and end in the Annapurna region.
The tail end of the Manaslu Circuit trek cuts through the Annapurna Conservation Area after you cross the Larkya La pass. You need an ACAP in order to enter the protected area of the Annapurna region.
Documents for the Manaslu Circuit Trek
- Passport copy
- Two passport photos
- High altitude Trekking Insurance which covers about 5,160m + altitude.
- Emergency contact number.
Carrying The Stuff While Trekking:
Your high Himalayan porters carry a dufflebag, given by our company. They carry up to 12 kgs of weight for each trekker, which is included in the price of the trek. We provide 1 porter for 2 trekkers in accordance with the guidelines set out by the International Porter Protection Group.
If you would like more weight to be carried, please let us know. If you have unnecessary stuff that you won't need during the trekking days in the mountains, you can leave the luggage at the hotel till you come back.
Normally, each porter will carry 2 people's rucksacks. It is helpful if you do not put things that you may need during the day in your large duffel bag as you will not be walking with your porter all the time.
Necessary Trekking Equipment- What to pack?
To fully enjoy your trek, having the right trekking equipment is essential for both safety and comfort. It is important for you not to forget the essential equipment for your safety and comfort on your trek.
If you plan to hire a porter, you will be provided with the company's duffel bag, where you can load up your trekking gear.
Footwear
- Trekking Boot: one Pair
- Socks: 4, Light socks : 3, Sandle: 1
Clothing
- Down or Fiber-filled water and windproof jacket and trouser: 1
- Fleece Jacket / Pullover: 1
- Warm cotton trousers: 2
- Shirt and T-shirts: 4
- Lightweight cotton long trousers :3
- Long underwear: 2, Short underwear: 4
- Sun hat / Scarft/ Woolen hat :1
- Lightweight gloves: 1, Raincoat:1
- Heavyweight glove or mitten wif a waterproof: 1
Medicinal
- Basic first-aid box
- Diamox tablets to reduce altitude sickness
- Insect/anti-itch Ointment
- Non-prescription medicine such as pain reliever, fever reducer, antibiotics, and ointments
- Prescription medicine traveler's diarrhea, Avmoine
- Female Sanitary pads
- Hand Sanitizer and wet wipes
- Medicine for Cough and Heartburn (It mainly happens when you go to higher altitudes)
- Band-aid
- Ibuprofen and also paracetamol in case of fever
Other Equipment
- Day Pack at Least 25 kg
- Water Bottle 1
- Sun Cream 1
- Sun Glass 1
- Towel
- Flashlight wif spare bulbs, batteries, lip salve, gaiters.
- Laundry soap
- Swiss Knife
- Sewing Kit, Camera, Film, Cards, and Personal Medical Kit.
Optional
- Notebook and Pen
- Toilet articles
- Toilet Roll
For additional information, you can check our article Trekking Gears Checklist.
Can I Drink The Tap Water?
The locals of the Manasu region are used to drink the tap waters. The quality of the tap water dosen't effect the locals, as their body is used to it & they have been drinking it since childhood.
We don’t recommend you to drink tap water in the mountains since the quality of tap water may not be good enough for your health.
To help prevent contamination of the environment, we discourage our guests to drink from plastic bottles, especially when in the mountains. Non-plastic bottle options include:
- Drinking boiled water from teahouses.
- Drinking ginger and lemon tea reduce the need for water consumption.
- Purifying tap/river water using a chloride pump, iodine, or chloride tablets. The taste of the tablets is not appetizing, so it is recommendable to use a dissolvable vitamin tablet to add flavor.
Altitude sickness on the Manaslu Circuit Trek.
The more you ascend to a higher altitude, the amount of the oxygen there will be less. Normally, a very small number of trekkers suffer from altitude sickness below 2690m altitude.
Your body needs time to acclimatize to high altitudes. Altitude sickness is totally manageable, and we can avoid it if we follow the proper rules of the mountains.
If your itinerary has enough acclimatization days, if you walk at a slow pace, hydrate constantly, get proper rest, proper diet, and respect the altitude, altitude sickness is totally avoidable.
Mild and common altitude sickness symptoms include headaches (also a symptom of dehydration), low appetite, and restless sleep.
More moderate symptoms include vomiting, fatigue, and diarrhea. Many compare altitude sickness to the sensations of having a hangover. Severe symptoms include blue lips and fingernails, severe difficulty breathing, poor coordination, fatigue, and drowsiness.
To avoid altitude sickness, we recommend that you descend to a lower altitude, hydrate sufficiently, and maintain nutrition.
Your guide and team is 24 hour available for your safety. We ensure your safety, comfort, and security as our first priority. Your experienced guide has many years of experience and is fully trained to deal with any kind of emergency at high altitudes.
Your only hours available for your job are to listen to your guide. Your guide and team is 24 hours for your safety, comfort, and security.
We, Magic Expeditions Trekking and Tours, are proud to announce that we have 100% of success rate in the Manaslu Circuit Trek, with experienced and local certified trekking guides, team, and local porters.
How will I get rescued if I am critically ill during the trek?
Manaslu Circuit Trek is a trek where the elevation starts from 1350m to 5106m. Altitude sickness mainly occurs after you head above 2500m. Very few get altitude sickness symptoms below 2500m.
Some of the altitude sickness symptoms are Nausea, Headache, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, and dizziness. Acclimatization is the main thing that helps to prevent altitude sickness.
But you can still prevent altitude sickness by drinking more water, avoiding strenuous exercise for 24 hours, and having a rest day every 600m-900m you go up.
The best hack for avoiding altitude sickness is walking high and sleeping low.
With many years of on-field experience, your guide can recognize the early symptoms. We recommend that you listen to your guide. The altitude sickness is totally avoidable if you recognize the symptoms early and deal with it.
However, one out of 10 people may catch altitude sickness even with all the precautions. We recommend that you take DIAMOX, with proper consultation with your doctor, to help your body acclimatize.
If the symptoms start to worsen, you will be slowly taken to a lower elevation with proper care. The emergency helicopter rescue is available 24 hours for your safety and security.
In case of any emergency, the helicopter will take you to Kathmandu, to the best hospital with top-notch service and facilities. We ensure your safety, comfort, and security as our first priority.
Your guide and team are available 24 hours for your safety.
Insurance For the Manaslu Circuit Trek
You can't do the legendary Manaslu Circuit Trek if you do not have travel insurance. The right travel insurance will protect you from all of the emergency situations while traveling to the high Himalayas of Nepal or while climbing the trekking peak.
Find the best policies that cover all the necessary events associated with the Manaslu Circuit Trek. It is very necessary to be careful while choosing policies because some insurance companies do not include adventure trekking.
Many of the travel insurance covers only up to the elevation of 3000m, but the Manaslu Base Camp trek will go beyond 3000m. The highest altitude you will gain is 5,163m at Larkya La pass.
We suggest you choose your travel insurance that covers up to 6000m, which will be covered for the entire trek, so that you dont have to worry about evacuations or medical assistance costs.
Before buying your insurance, your insurer should be aware of the Itinerary of the Magic Expedition and Tours.
If you are planning for trekking in the Himalayas, your insurance should cover emergency air service, a helicopter, and should include all the medical expenses.
The emergency helicopter service can be very costly. Your travel insurance should cover the cancellation policy too, because if you have to cancel a paid trek due to weather conditions, the insurance will cover the expense.
You should double-check if it is included on the top of the standard hospitalization cover. Some of the Travel insurance companies that we recommend are-
