Our Manaslu Circuit Trek itinerary takes 13 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu. You drive to Machha Khola on Day 1 and walk for 11 days, including a rest day at Samagaon. You cross Larkya La (5,106m) on Day 10 and drive back from Dharapani on Day 13.
This guide goes day by day: where you sleep, how long you walk, and what each stage asks of you. It also explains how the schedule handles altitude, and what can change the plan.
What’s Inside This Guide
- The itinerary at a glance
- Day by day
- How the itinerary handles altitude
- What can change the plan
- Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Planning Guides
Manaslu Circuit Trek Itinerary at a Glance
| Day | Route | Overnight altitude | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kathmandu → Machha Khola | 930m | 8–9 hrs drive |
| 2 | Machha Khola → Jagat | 1,340m | 6–7 hrs |
| 3 | Jagat → Deng | 1,860m | 6–7 hrs |
| 4 | Deng → Namrung | 2,630m | 6–7 hrs |
| 5 | Namrung → Lho | 3,180m | 5–6 hrs |
| 6 | Lho → Samagaon | 3,530m | 4–5 hrs |
| 7 | Rest day in Samagaon | 3,530m | 4–6 hrs hike, optional |
| 8 | Samagaon → Samdo | 3,860m | 3–4 hrs |
| 9 | Samdo → Dharamsala | 4,460m | 4–5 hrs |
| 10 | Dharamsala → Larkya La (5,106m) → Bimthang | 3,590m | 8–10 hrs |
| 11 | Bimthang → Tilje | 2,300m | 6–7 hrs |
| 12 | Tilje → Dharapani | 1,860m | 4–5 hrs |
| 13 | Dharapani → Besisahar → Kathmandu | 1,400m | 7–8 hrs by jeep and bus |
We don’t publish daily kilometres. Published distances for this route don’t agree with each other. Walking time is a better guide to effort on mountain trails anyway.
Manaslu Circuit Trek Itinerary: Day by Day
Day 1: Kathmandu to Machha Khola (930m)
The trip starts with a long drive west and then north into Gorkha district. After Arughat the road turns rough, and the last hours are slow. Machha Khola is a small cluster of teahouses by the Budhi Gandaki river.
Meals today are lunch and dinner. Use the evening to repack, since everything you need on the trail goes in your daypack from tomorrow.
Day 2: Machha Khola to Jagat (1,340m)
The first walking day follows the river upstream through the gorge, with suspension bridges and the hot springs at Tatopani. It is warm at this height, so start early and drink plenty.
Jagat is the start of the restricted area. Your guide shows the permits at the checkpoint and pays the Chumnubri fee here. Draw any cash you need before leaving Kathmandu, as there are no ATMs on the trail.
Day 3: Jagat to Deng (1,860m)
The valley narrows, and the trail is cut into the cliffs in places. You pass Philim, where the MCAP is checked, and the turn-off to Tsum Valley above it.
Deng is quiet, with only a few lodges. Mule trains share the trail on this stretch, so always step to the uphill side when they pass.
Day 4: Deng to Namrung (2,630m)
This is the biggest climb of the lower trek, at about 770m. The trail crosses the river several times and climbs through pine forest as the air cools.
From Namrung onward the villages are Tibetan Buddhist. Hot showers and Wi-Fi start to become unreliable above here.
Day 5: Namrung to Lho (3,180m)
A steady climb through farmland and old Nubri villages, with long mani walls along the path. You pass 3,000m today for the first time.
Lho sits on a shelf with Manaslu straight ahead. Arrive early enough to see it before the afternoon cloud builds.
Day 6: Lho to Samagaon (3,530m)
A shorter day across open pasture into the wide valley below Manaslu. Samagaon is the biggest village on the upper circuit, with a monastery and the most lodges.
Keep the afternoon easy. You sleep here two nights, and the rest day tomorrow does its work best if you arrive rested.
Day 7: Rest Day in Samagaon (3,530m)
This day exists for acclimatisation, not sightseeing, though it does both. The usual plan is to climb high and come back down to sleep.
The hard option is the moraine toward Manaslu Base Camp, at around 4,800m. Easier choices are Birendra Lake or Pungyen Monastery. Your guide picks one based on how you feel that morning.
Day 8: Samagaon to Samdo (3,860m)
Only three to four hours, on purpose. Samdo is the highest village in the valley, close to the Tibetan border.
A short walk above the village in the afternoon helps your body adjust before the jump to Dharamsala.
Day 9: Samdo to Dharamsala (4,460m)
The trail climbs into bare, rocky ground with almost no vegetation. Dharamsala, also called Larkya Phedi, is the last stop before the pass.
Lodges here are basic and cold. Eat a full dinner, lay out your warm layers and headtorch, and sleep early.
Day 10: Larkya La (5,106m) to Bimthang (3,590m)
The big day. Most groups leave between 3am and 4am and climb the moraine by headtorch. The climb is long but not technical.
After the pass, the descent to Bimthang drops over 1,500m and is steep and loose at first. This is usually the hardest day of the trek, for the legs as much as the lungs.
Day 11: Bimthang to Tilje (2,300m)
A long descent from moraine into rhododendron and pine forest. Breathing gets easier with every hour.
Use trekking poles today. A big drop on tired legs is where knee pain usually starts.
Day 12: Tilje to Dharapani (1,860m)
An easy last walking day to Dharapani, where the Manaslu trail meets the Annapurna Circuit. The ACAP is checked here.
Your guide confirms the jeep for the morning.
Day 13: Dharapani to Kathmandu (1,400m)
A jeep takes you down the Marsyangdi valley to Besisahar, then a bus continues to Kathmandu. The trek ends when you arrive in Kathmandu that evening.
Hotel nights in Kathmandu are not part of the package, so book that night in advance.
How the Itinerary Handles Altitude
Above 3,000m, the schedule keeps each night’s sleeping height close to the last one. That slow gain is what makes the pass manageable.
| Night | Sleeping altitude | Gain on the night before |
|---|---|---|
| Lho (Day 5) | 3,180m | +550m |
| Samagaon (Days 6–7) | 3,530m | +350m, then a rest day |
| Samdo (Day 8) | 3,860m | +330m |
| Dharamsala (Day 9) | 4,460m | +600m |
The one big jump is Samdo to Dharamsala, which is why the Samagaon rest day comes before it. If anyone shows worsening symptoms, they go down, and the guide makes that call. Our altitude sickness guide covers the warning signs.
What Can Change the Plan
- Snow on Larkya La. Fresh snow can close the pass for a day or more. The group then waits at Samdo or Dharamsala, or turns back if it doesn’t clear.
- Road conditions. Landslides can slow the drives on Day 1 and Day 13, especially just after the monsoon.
- Someone unwell. Altitude sickness can mean an extra night at the same height, or going down.
- No spare day on the trail. The 13 days have no built-in buffer, so keep at least one free day in Kathmandu before your flight home.
Extra nights caused by weather or road problems are not part of the package price.
Manaslu Circuit Trek Itinerary Variations
Add Tsum Valley
Tsum Valley branches off above Philim on Day 3. Adding it takes several more days and needs a separate restricted area permit. Our Manaslu Tsum Valley Trek combines both in one itinerary.
Add a rest day
If you want more margin for altitude, an extra night in Samdo is the most useful addition. Ask us to build it into a custom trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some operators sell shorter versions, but they usually cut the Samagaon rest day or combine stages, which means gaining height faster. We keep the rest day because it makes the Larkya La crossing safer, and we don’t recommend shortening the trek above 3,000m.
Eleven days are on foot, from Day 2 to Day 12. One of those, Day 7 at Samagaon, is a rest day with an optional acclimatisation hike. Day 1 and Day 13 are drives.
The group waits at Samdo or Dharamsala until the guide judges the pass safe, or turns back if it doesn’t clear. Nobody crosses in unsafe conditions. Extra nights from weather delays are not included in the package price.
Yes. The trek ends at Dharapani, which sits on the Annapurna Circuit trail. Some trekkers continue toward Manang and Thorong La instead of driving back, which needs extra days and its own planning.
Related Planning Guides
- Manaslu Circuit Trek Cost — what the 13 days cost, and what you pay on top
- Manaslu Circuit Trek Permits — the permits checked at Jagat, Philim and Dharapani
- How Hard Is the Manaslu Circuit? — the toughest days in detail
- Altitude Sickness on the Manaslu Circuit — symptoms and when to turn back
- Manaslu Circuit Teahouses — what each overnight stop is like
- Best Time for the Manaslu Circuit — when Larkya La is most reliable
Walk This Itinerary With Us
This is the exact 13-day route of our Manaslu Circuit package, priced at $1,099 to $1,699 per person. Permits, guide, porters and the jeep both ways are included. See the full Manaslu Circuit Trek package → You can also message us on WhatsApp about dates or an extra rest day.
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