MANASLU CIRCUIT
HIGHLIGHTS
🏔️ Get up close to the mighty Mount Manaslu (8,167m), the 8th highest mountain in the world
🚶♂️ Experience a less crowded and off-the-beaten-path trek in the Himalayas
🛕 Discover authentic Tibetan Buddhist culture in ancient villages like Lho and Samagaun
🏞️ Walk through deep gorges, suspension bridges, and glacier valleys
🧘 Visit sacred spots like Pungyen Monastery and optional hike to Manaslu Base Camp
⛰️ Challenge yourself with the crossing of Larkya La Pass (5,160m) with panoramic mountain views
🌄 Witness epic Himalayan sunrise and sunset views in the remote valleys
🐾 Spot blue sheep, yaks, and Himalayan birds in the Manaslu Conservation Area
Overview
Welcome to the Manaslu Circuit Trek – a raw, remote, and exhilarating journey through one of Nepal’s most breathtaking and least-traveled trekking routes.
Towering at 8,167 meters, Mount Manaslu is the 8th highest mountain in the world, and the circuit that circles it is a spectacular blend of untouched wilderness, Tibetan Buddhist culture, high Himalayan passes, and jaw-dropping alpine scenery. This trek is a hidden gem—less crowded than the Everest or Annapurna regions—yet every bit as epic.
From lush green hills and cascading waterfalls to glacier-carved valleys and rugged highlands, the Manaslu region is a land of contrast and discovery. Starting in the sub-tropical lowlands, you ascend through dense forests and picturesque terraced fields before entering the ancient Tibetan-influenced villages of the high Himalayas. Along the way, you'll trace the Budhi Gandaki River, visit sacred monasteries, and walk alongside yak caravans heading toward the borderlands.
The ultimate highlight? Crossing the Larkya La Pass (5,160m)—a windswept, high-altitude saddle with panoramic views of Himlung, Cheo Himal, Kang Guru, and Annapurna II. It’s one of the most spectacular mountain passes in Nepal.
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2025
6th - 20th October
2026
12th - 26th April
4th - 19th October
Note - You can request your own travel dates. Minimum 2 bookings required. Guaranteed departure.
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USD 2,950 P/P
Please inquire about prices in your local currency. We accept payment in £/€/AUD***
Deposit required: $200 | £150 | €150 p/p
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NMA Certified Sherpa Guest may personally hand in extra tips to our guides and porters.
Namas Branded merchandise (Down Jacket, Cap, Buff - for you to take home 🙂)
1:4 Sherpa ratio
25kgs per person (Extra additional weight, clients will need to hire an additional porter. Estimated $500 USD for 17 Days)
1 night on arrival and 1 day after the expedition. Hotel in Kathmandu. (Should clients return early from their expedition, clients will be responsible for their extra Kathmandu hotel bookings)
All trekking and climbing permits
All internal-local transportation to and from the trekking trailhead
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner on trek and expedition days.
1 Pot of hot water every night
Lodge accommodation during the trek
Porters
Arrival pick up and departure
Internal flights
Basic First aid kit
Welcome or Farewell leave Dinner
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Visas and travel insurance
Summit Bonus tips (USD 200 Per member)
Entertainment and food ( Kathmandu )
Bottled drinks and beverages
Evacuation (will be done in your account)
Tips (Service Charge in Hotel and Restaurants are included)
Single supplement Charges (Applies only to the client with solo bookings and no other members)
Laundry, Phone services, Personal expenditure transactions
Optional trips
Tea breaks, chocolates or other snacks and any meals beside breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Delay and cancellation because of natural phenomenon
International flights to Kathmandu
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USD 400
Only applies if there is only 1 client member.
ITINERARY
Day 1 Arrival, pick up at the airport by Namas staff. Hotel drop off, briefing and gear check
Day 2 Drive to Soti Khola 710M
Day 3 Trek to Machha Khola 900M
Day 4 Jagat 1410M
Day 5 Deng 1804M
Day 6 Namrung 2603M
Day 7 Samagoan 3505M
Day 8 Rest day
Day 9 Smado 3875M
Day 10 Dharamshala 4480M
Day 11 Bhimthang via Larke Pass 5106M
Day 12 Tilke and drive to Dharapani
Day 13 Drive to Besi Sahar
Day 14 Drive to Kathmandu
Day 15 Departure
HOW DOES IT WORK?
1. Initial Inquiry and Planning
At NAMAS Adventure, we start by understanding your aspirations and goals. From your first conversation with our expert team, we provide personalized recommendation tailored to your interests. Once the perfect expedition is identified, a deposit secures your spot. We then work closely with you to plan and prepare every detail—from gear selection and training advice to arranging insurance, permits, and logistics.
2. Preparing for the Journey
As your expedition date approaches, we’ll help you finalize all preparations. This includes collecting the final balance payment (typically due 60-90 days before your trip), ensuring all necessary documents are in order, and addressing any remaining questions. Our team is available via email or phone calls to make sure you’re fully prepared and confident for the adventure ahead.
3. On-Expedition Support
Arrive at your destination ready to begin! From pre-expedition briefings and gear checks to the full support of our experienced guides and ground team during your climb, we’re here to ensure everything runs smoothly. With flexibility to adapt to any changes or needs, we’re committed to making your adventure seamless, enjoyable, and unforgettable
FAQ’s
When is the best time climb trek Manaslu circuit? . . .
(Spring) March-May. October -November
How long is a typical day on the trail?? . . .
On normal climbing day can expect an average of 6 hours climb.
Can I see Mt. Manaslu from Island Peak summit? . . .
Manaslu is visible during this trek
Guides /Sherpas for this trek? Ratio : clients. Qualification and level of English? . . .
On this expedition we aim to have max 8 climbers, we have 1 Main guide who will be NMA certified. He will be the main leader of the team. Western guide with IFMGA certified can be arranged upon request. Additional* charges apply. But we believe that Nepalese IMFGA certified guides are more than capable in this day and age and have an excellent level of English. We are committed to responsible tourism and want to enhance and prioritise local Nepalese leaders first, but if the clients request a western guide personally then we can have that arranged.
Guide ratio 1:4. Our Sherpas are NMA (Khumbu climbing centre trained/certified). Personal Sherpa for 1:1 can be arranged who will be solely responsible for the clients but extra additional charges apply. Our Sherpas have an intermediate level of English. Can understand, reply and instruct very well.
How much tips do you suggest for guides and porter teams? Summit tips? . . .
Most of our guest give tips during the end of the trek/climb. Your booking payment already consist a tip pool of $300. We will fairly distribute the tips among your drivers, assistant guides and porters.
Guest also donates trekking equipments like jackets, trek poles, gloves or hats to porters which is greatly appreciated. Guest can also buy our porters dinner, during the final day of the trek for all their hard work and for making their trek possible
Suggested Additional Summit tips $200.
Is this trip suitable for beginner climbers and what level of fitness do I need? . . .
Yes, Manaslu circuit trek is suitable for all novice or beginner trekkers. The peak itself is a semi-technical, high altitude climbing mountain. Physically it is demanding but very doable trek.
Physically for beginners, Island Peak can be demanding. That is why we highly suggest you train well over 3 to 4 months before your trip. You will need good endurance and body strength. Aerobic exercises mixing with overall body strength building routines should help you prepare physically for your trip. Another aspect is your mental strength. We would say any mountaineering experience is more about testing your mental strength, to push forward and take on the challenge of completing a great adventure and being exposed to new uncomfortable environments.
How many guides/ Sherpas will be assigned to our group? . . .
1:4 Sherpa guides are assigned to our group.
How many in a group? . . .
Min 2 - Max 10
Who is this trip for? . . .
All interested climbers, 18+ who is looking for a beginners/intermediate experience level climb. 15-17 years old must be accompanied by adults
Who goes on this Peak climbing adventure? . . .
Climbers from all over the globe with different backgrounds, interest and mountaineering skill level join our expeditoin.
Can my friends and family join me on the trek?
Yes, it is possible. Please email us about this and give you relevant informations.
Can I contact other climbers to join this trek? . . .
Yes, we highly encourage that. Maybe its your friend with whom you have been on amazing/challenging adventure trips before, a you met during your other expeditions, a challenge you seek together or any other ideas where you think the other person might enjoy this amazing climb.
Baggage allowance by Namas adventure team for Island Peak? . . .
We allow 25kgs of personal weight.
Is it possible to organise a private Island Peak climb? . . .
We will be more than happy to organise private Island peak climb for you and your group. As long as it is with in the suitable season. Extra cost will apply as we will have to organise a seperate logistical and planning for private climb request. Please contact our team for any private trips or expeditions.
What fitness/conditioning level is needed for this climb? . . .
You need to be in good to decenbt shape for this climb. If you can hike long distance with 3-5kgs or are generally training 3-5 days a week, run 10ks regularly then these are the bench mark of your fitness level required for this trip
How heavy will my bagpack be? . . .
You will just need to carry your personal items and most of your heavy gears are carried by our porter team.
How do you I train for a trip like this? . . .
We have written blog post on training for mountaineering which can give yo a guidance and tips on how long to what type of training you should undertake to train yourself well for challenging peak climbing adventures.
Which Mountain can I aim for after I finish this trek thats above 6500M? . . .
You can look into getting in the world of mountaineerg. Our introduction to mountaineering or non technical peaks like Mera Peak or Chulu Far east are a great choice. For semi technical peaks Chulu West, Island Peak & Lobuche east are perffect. If you really want to make it challenging, then Khumbu 3 peak or Annapurmna 3 peak challenges are amazing adventures.
What sort of hotels do we stay at in the city? . . .
All Namas expedition team stays at 4 star hotel in Kathmandu. Arrivals hotels are only 15 minutes walk from the tourist centre of Thamel. Our chosen hotel provides swimming pool, restaurants, spa and massage near by and plenty of local shops near by to buy souviners.
What are the lodges like? Can I have my own room or tent? . . .
Lodges or tea houses we use during trekking days are local Sherpa tea houses. You will love the cultural ambience of the tea houses. Places we book are kept tidy, clean, modern lodges—the best that are available in each village. They are well-known locations to us and we have a good relationship with the lodge owners. Private rooms can be booked at additional cost. Our standard trips are based on shared rooms, usually twin-share and sometimes triple-share. On the mountain you will share a tent with one, or sometimes two other climbers.
If you would like a personal tent during Expedition days, Base camp personal tent can be arranged. Please do let us know in advance so that our team can make the necessary arrangements.
How many nights will we sleep in our own tents during Island Peak climb? How many nights in small houses on the way, are those heated? . . .
We will be spending two nights in our alpine camping tents; Island Peak BC. Rest once we land in Lukla all the way to Chukung we will be sleeping in Tea houses. Almost all the houses in every trekking routes of Nepal are built the same way. The Dining hall is warm and heated but all the rooms aren't so once we are in our rooms we will have to depend on our clothes, blankets and sleeping bags to keep our self warm.
Will Showers and laundry be available? . . .
On our trekking days tea houses we stay will offer hot showers and laundry services for a small fee.
Is foods included in our booking fees? . . .
All our expeditions are all-inclusive. Breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as ample hot and cold drinks during trek and expedition days are included. We can cater for vegetarians as well as many other special diets as long as we are informed of this prior to the trip.
What are the food like? . . .
During the trekking days in tea houses mostly foods are prepared according to your choice in the menu. Rice and Lentils (Dal bhat being the famous diet) to pasta, soups, pizza, mash potato, dumplings etc. But during the camping days we provide both cooked and packed/canned food supplies packed from Kathmandu.
Options are limited during camping days. Mostly Rice/lentils/veg/ pasta for cooked foods and freezed dried foods, chocolate/energy bars, biscuits, hydration tablets. We will have varieties of freezed dried foods (chicken, veg, spaghetti etc ) which are specially made for expeditions.
Will you provide all the equipment to produce drinking water? . . .
Bottled waters can be bought everywhere. Boiled waters are also available on the lodges. Or we would recommend bringing your own water treatment kit or filtered water bottle. (Lifestraw filtered bottles). Water Treatment: Iodine tablets (Potable Aqua or similar) or iodine crystals (Polar Pure)
What is the best way to get to Nepal? . . .
You will need to search for flights to Kathmandu Tribhuvan Intn'l airport. Regular flights operate into Kathmandu via Bangkok, Doha, Dubai, Trukey, Hong Kong, Singapore and Delhi.
Do I need to get a visa for Nepal? . . .
Yes. For most nationalities, a visa can be obtained on-arrival into Kathmandu airport or border entry points or can be issued prior through an Nepalese embassies or consulated abroad. Upon arrival, be sure to have the correct USD amount in cash for your visa application and photos can be take through the kiosk machine available at the airport. Currently, a 40-day visa costs $40 and 90-day visa costs US$100. Please dp make sure that your passport has at least six months validity.
Do I need to arrive the day before the trip starts? And when should I book my flight to leave? . . .
We have got you all covered. All our trip programme itinerary already have an arrival day and a departure day built into them. Please plan to arrive at early hours on Day 1 of the itinerary. If you plan to come early and explore Kathmandu then you are welcome as Kathmandy offers tons of culutral experiences. If you would like a 1-2 days tours please do let us know and we can provide suggestions. Namas Nepal representative will meet and pick you up at the airport and the first of many team briefings will take place on the evening of Day One. Please do not book to depart before the scheduled final trip itinerary day. All the details will also be sent on the final email.
When should I book my ticket? . . .
We recommeend you to book 90-60 days prior to your trip start date to ensure your trip has met the minimum numbers and will operate. If you see a good deal and want to book your flights, then ensure that you can make changes to your ticket or you run the risk of losing it if we do have to cancel the trip. In such situations, we are usually able to help you book on to an alternate departure, either with us or another operator.
Can I get a cheap ticket online? . . .
Yes, please make sure you have a flexible departure date on your ticket. With the nature of our expedition and the places we do are not straight forward as we due to unforseen cisrumstances we might have to add 1-2 days extras to complete our expedition which will lead to extension of our itinerary. In those circumstances you do not want to end up paying extra for your departures.
Where do we meet? Will I be picked up? . . .
As you arrive in Kathmandu, Namas guide or representative will receive you at the airport with our shuttle car/van. If you are arriving before the scheduled trip start date and want to be receiced at airport then please do let us know in advance and we can make the arrangements to pick you up. Or there are airport taxies to help you.
What if I am arriving early or departing late? . . .
Namas team can make necessary arrangements or recommendations should you want to explore more of Nepal. Please do let us know in advance or even to our team in Nepal to help you with these matter.
What insurance do we need to get? . . .
Insurances are mandatory in all our trips, there is a requirement for each expedition member to have insurance to cover any personal or medical mishaps that may occur before or during the expedition. [Click here for more information on expedition insurance.][2]
Do I need evacuation insurance? . . .
Yes, it is very important and a must. Many of our expeditions are in remote places with no roads and third world medical services. In an unlikely event scenario, we would want you to be evacuated asap and get you the right medical attention.
Who do you recommend for insurance? . . .
Insurances varies on your nationality but there are a handful of insurances that cover most of the countries especially for mountaineering expeditions. [Please click the link here][2], we have a list of recommended insurance providers that we tust and which our clients have previously used.
What is Trip Cancellation Insurance? . . .
For very unknown and unforeseen circumstances you may be forced to cancel their trips for reasons such as family illness, injury to one’s self, business issues, etc. In times like this you want to have a peace of mind protecting your investments on trips, flight tickets. So trip cancellation insurnace should gurantee protection of your money that you have paid for.
Will you provide clothing and expedition equipment list? . . .
Upon inquiry and confirmation email we will email you all the necessary documentation needed, including detailed equipment lists. If you have questions you have after reading through our equipment list you can always reach out to us and we can assist you in preparing for the trip as well as recommending and sourcing a range of clothing and equipment suitable for the climb. Our list are prepared with recommendation from our Sherpa climbing team.
Do I really need all the equipment on the equipment list? . . .
Yes, these lists have been carefully prepared and please bring everything on the list!
How heavy will my bagpack be? . . .
You will need to carry your personal items with you which we estimate will be around 3-5 kgs. All your other climbing gears will be carried by our porter team.
What type of sleeping bag is recommended for this trek? Will extra blankets available if required? . . .
4 season goose downfilled sleeping bag that can handle upto -20C is recommended. We suggest buying a sleeping bag big enough to allow you to wear extra clothes in if it is especially cold .
What high altitude medication will be available during the climb? Do we need to take tablets before/ during the trek? . . .
All our guides carry extensive medical kits including various medications for altitude illness. If you have a previous history of altitude illness then please discuss this with us and your physician, otherwise there is no need to take preventative medication before or during your expedition.
You need to bring any medications you regularly use (don’t forget to tell us about them), plus extras. Also bring a small first aid kit including a blister kit and mild headache medication for the normal altitude headaches.
Is there internet throughout the expedition? . . .
Cell coverages are available in most of the trail
Will there be any power source for charging batteries, etc. available throughout the trip? . . .
While on trek, tea houses will also have power available with with Asian plugs (needed) and offer recharging for a fee.
What is the best equipment for photography in alpine environments? . . .
As camera technology is changing and getting smaller and better, we recommed light and durable cameras for photography. If you are a serious photographer then you will have your preferences on camera gears but just for enthusiast to record and document your memory mirrorless cameras from SONY, Cannon and small action camera like gopro or insta 360 are recommended. Drone is gaining its popularity but please ask us information for drone use rules and regulation. For safety reason Nepal is very stict with drone use and we do not want it to be a hassle during our expedition days.