Manaslu and Annapurna Circuit Trek

Twenty days of trekking through two of Nepal's greatest mountain regions begins with a long drive west and north from Kathmandu, following the Prithvi Highway before turning up the increasingly rough road along the Budhi Gandaki River. The tarmac ends, the gorge narrows, and by evening you reach Machha Khola — "Fish River" — the riverside village where the walking starts tomorrow.

• All day · Kathmandu to Machha Khola

  Highway, hill roads, and the Budhi Gandaki

  Paved highway giving way to a rough river-valley track

  The first half rolls along the Prithvi Highway with Ganesh Himal views; the second half is a slow, bumpy adventure up the Budhi Gandaki valley through Arughat and Soti Khola. It's a long day, but it delivers you straight to the trailhead with no wasted walking on road sections.

Tips for Day 1

• Keep valuables and a warm layer in your daypack — luggage rides on the roof, and the last hours are dusty and slow.
• Sleep early. This trek rewards rested legs from Day 2 onward — the first trekking day is a solid 23 km.

The first walking day follows the Budhi Gandaki upstream through subtropical gorge country — past the natural hot springs at Tatopani, over a series of suspension bridges, and along trails cut into the canyon walls. Jagat, a flagstone-paved Gurung village and the official entry checkpoint for the Manaslu restricted area, marks the real beginning of the protected region.

• All day · Gorge trail to Jagat

  Hot springs, bridges, and the restricted-area gate

  Your MRAP permit gets its first stamp here

  The trail rises and falls along the gorge, crossing the river repeatedly — waterfalls stream off the cliffs and the first langur monkeys often appear in the forest sections. At Jagat's checkpoint, your guide registers the Manaslu Restricted Area Permit; the neat stone-paved village is one of the prettiest of the lower valley.

A long, varied day through the narrowest section of the Budhi Gandaki gorge. Beyond Philim's terraced fields the trail passes the junction where the Tsum Valley branches east, then threads through bamboo forest and a dramatic squeeze of canyon before reaching Deng — the first village with a distinctly Tibetan Buddhist character, announcing the cultural shift that defines the days ahead.

• All day · Gorge and bamboo forest

  Through the canyon squeeze to Deng

  The Hindu lowlands giving way to the Buddhist highlands

  The gorge narrows to its tightest, most spectacular section today — cliffs rising sheer on both sides, the river a white ribbon far below the high trail. From Deng onward, mani walls and prayer flags begin to appear: the transition into the Tibetan Buddhist upper valley has begun.

One of the longer days of the lower route, climbing steadily through forest of pine, rhododendron, and bamboo, past the intricately carved mani stones of Ghap, and up a final sustained ascent to Namrung. The reward comes at the village gate: the first big views of Manaslu's neighbouring peaks, and a checkpoint marking entry into the upper restricted zone.

• All day · Forest climb to Namrung

  Mani stones, deep forest, and the first big peaks

  Ghap's carvings are some of the finest on any Nepal trek

  The mani walls at Ghap carry some of the most beautiful stone carvings in the Himalaya — worth slowing down for. The final two hours climb steeply through mossy forest to Namrung, where Siring Himal and Ganesh Himal fill the skyline and the air carries its first genuine high-mountain chill.

The day Manaslu reveals itself. Climbing through Lihi and Sho, the trail reaches Lho — where the twin summits of Manaslu (8,163 m), the world's eighth-highest mountain, dominate the head of the valley for the first time. A further climb reaches Shyala, a village set in a natural amphitheatre with peaks on every horizon — many trekkers' pick for the single most beautifully positioned village on the whole circuit.

• Morning · Lho 3,180 m

  Lho — Manaslu fills the sky

  Ribung Gompa and the classic first view of the mountain

  Lho's hilltop Ribung Gompa frames the first full view of Manaslu's distinctive double summit — the classic photograph of this trek. Prayer flags, a large chorten, and monastery schoolchildren give the village a life that matches its setting.

• Afternoon · Shyala 3,500 m

  Shyala — the amphitheatre village

  Himalchuli, Ngadi Chuli, Manaslu, and Ganesh Himal in one panorama

  Shyala sits ringed by giants: Himalchuli and Ngadi Chuli to the south, Manaslu west, Ganesh Himal east. Sunset and sunrise here are extraordinary — arrive with daylight to spare and let the village's position do the rest.

A short day on paper transformed into one of the trek's most memorable by a detour few itineraries include. Instead of taking the direct trail to Sama Gaon, the route branches south into a hidden glacial valley to Pungyen Gompa — a small, centuries-old monastery sitting in profound solitude directly beneath the east face of Manaslu and its glacier. The gompa takes its name from the mountain itself: Pungyen, "the bracelet," is the local Nubri name for Manaslu's twin-peaked crown. After unhurried time in one of the quietest sacred places in the region, the trail rejoins the main route and drops gently into Sama Gaon by late afternoon.

Trail breakdown

• Morning · Shyala to the hidden valley

  Branching off the main trail

  Yak pastures, moraine ridges, and sudden silence

  Leaving Shyala, the route soon splits from the main Sama Gaon trail and climbs south-east across pastures and a moraine ridge into the Pungyen valley. The change is immediate — the trekker traffic disappears, and the only company is grazing yaks and the sound of the glacier. The climb to the gompa is steady but moderate, topping out around 3,870 m.

• Midday · Pungyen Gompa ~3,870 m

  The monastery beneath the mountain

  Manaslu's east face and glacier towering directly overhead

  Pungyen Gompa is small, weathered, and extraordinarily placed — a huddle of stone buildings and chortens in a glacial amphitheatre with the full east wall of Manaslu rising behind. Nuns and monks keep the gompa seasonally, and the site carries deep local significance: after the 1953 Japanese summit attempt, an avalanche here was taken by villagers as the mountain's displeasure, and the region's relationship with climbing expeditions was shaped by this valley for years after. Packed lunch with this view is the day's true summit.

• Afternoon · Descent to Sama Gaon 3,520 m

  Rejoining the valley — arrival in the Nubri capital

  Gentle descent, big acclimatisation dividend banked

  The return trail descends from the valley mouth and rejoins the main route into Sama Gaon, the largest village of the upper valley, arriving with the afternoon to spare. Today quietly doubled as a textbook acclimatisation day — climbing to nearly 3,900 m and sleeping at 3,520 m — which is exactly the preparation the days ahead reward.

Tips for Day 6

• Carry snacks and full water from Shyala — there are no teahouses in the Pungyen valley, and you'll want unhurried time at the gompa rather than a rushed visit.
• Walk quietly and give the gompa its due respect — leave a small donation if the caretaker nuns or monks are in residence, and ask before photographing them or the interior.
• In poor weather, your guide may switch to the direct trail — the Pungyen valley is exposed, and the detour is a fair-weather privilege, not an obligation.

A full day at Sama Gaon with two superb acclimatisation options — climb high, sleep low, and let your body prepare for the 5,000 m country ahead. Both hikes rank among the best half-days anywhere in the Manaslu region; your guide will recommend based on conditions and how the group is feeling.

• Option 1 · The classic

  Birendra Tal — the glacial lake (4–5 hrs round trip)

  Turquoise meltwater lake beneath the Manaslu Glacier

  An easy-to-moderate walk to Birendra Tal, the milky-turquoise lake fed directly by the Manaslu Glacier — icebergs sometimes drift on its surface in the warmer months. Gentle enough to be a genuine rest, high enough to help acclimatisation.

• Option 2 · The stronger hike

  Manaslu Base Camp (4,800 m — 6–7 hrs round trip)

  A serious climb with a serious payoff

  The trail climbs nearly 1,300 m to Manaslu Base Camp on the mountain's north-east flank — a demanding hike rewarded with expedition-camp atmosphere in climbing season and enormous views over the glacier and Birendra Tal below. Only recommended if you're feeling strong and symptom-free.

Tips for Day 7

• Don't skip the hike entirely. Active acclimatisation — climbing a few hundred metres and returning — prepares your body far better than a day in the teahouse.
• Report symptoms honestly. Persistent headache, nausea, or poor sleep at Sama Gaon is exactly what your guide needs to know before the route climbs higher.

A short, steady climb up the thinning valley to Samdo, a Tibetan refugee village just a day's walk from the border. The direct walk takes only a few hours, which leaves the afternoon for the optional side trip toward the Tibet border viewpoint — extra acclimatisation with a genuine frontier-country feel.

• Morning · The valley to Samdo

  Juniper slopes and the last village before the pass country

  Trees give way to scrub; the landscape turns Tibetan

  The trail climbs gently past the treeline's last stands of birch and juniper. Samdo's stone houses huddle beneath Samdo Peak — a village founded by Tibetan refugees, still trading across the nearby border pass as their families have for generations.

• Afternoon · Optional side trip

  Tibet border viewpoint hike (2–3 hrs round trip)

  Climb toward the Lajyung Bhanjyang trade route

  An optional acclimatisation hike climbs the slopes above Samdo toward the old salt-trade route to Tibet, with views into the border ranges. It's the recommended use of the afternoon — every metre climbed today is repaid at Larkya La.

A deliberately short day to Dharamshala — also called Larkya Phedi, the "foot of the pass." The half-day of walking is by design: arrive by lunch, rest, hydrate, eat early, and sleep as well as 4,460 m allows. Tomorrow is the crossing of Larkya La, the first of this trek's two great passes.

• Morning · To the foot of the pass

  Short climb to Dharamshala

  Basic shelter, big views, early night

  The trail climbs steadily past the site of the old Larke Bazaar trade market. Dharamshala is functional rather than comfortable — simple rooms and dormitories, cold air, enormous scenery. Blue sheep often graze the slopes above, and with them, occasionally, the ghost-grey shape of a snow leopard has been spotted.

Tips for Day 9

• Prepare your pass kit before dark: headlamp, water, snacks, down layers, gloves, and sunglasses packed and reachable for a 3:00–4:00 AM start.
• Eat a proper dinner even without appetite — tomorrow burns more energy than any day so far.

The climax of the Manaslu half of this journey. A pre-dawn start by headlamp climbs steadily along moraine ridges as the sky lightens, reaching the prayer-flag-draped crest of Larke Pass (Larkya La) at 5,106 m by mid-morning — with Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, Kang Guru, and the massive ice wall of Annapurna II arrayed across the western horizon. The descent is long and initially steep, ending in the glorious glacial amphitheatre of Bhimtang.

• 3–4 AM · The climb

  By headlamp toward the pass

  Cold, dark, steady — then the sunrise catches the peaks

  The early start exists for good reason: to cross before the wind rises. The climb is never technical, but it's long and cold, gaining 650 m at altitude. As dawn breaks across the glaciers, the effort starts repaying itself.

• Mid-morning · Larkya La 5,106 m

  The pass — prayer flags at 5,106 m

  One of the great trekking pass panoramas in Nepal

  The crest is marked by cairns and streaming prayer flags, with a panorama west into the Annapurna ranges that ranks among the finest of any trekking pass in the country. Photos, a hot drink, and then down — lingering long at this altitude isn't the plan.

• Afternoon · Bhimtang 3,590 m

  The long descent to Bhimtang's meadows

  Steep at first — poles and patience — then increasingly gentle

  The western descent drops steeply over scree and often snow before easing into moraine and finally the wide green pastures of Bhimtang, ringed by ice peaks. Dinner tastes better tonight than perhaps any other night of the trek.

Tips for Day 10

• Your guide's pace is the right pace. Slow, rhythmic steps get everyone across; racing the climb at 5,000 m defeats stronger trekkers than you.
• Microspikes may be used on the descent in snowy conditions — your guide carries and fits them when needed.

A long descent through one of the loveliest forest walks in Nepal — rhododendron, pine, and moss-draped oak, with Manaslu's west face towering behind you in farewell. At Dharapani in the Marsyangdi valley, this trek performs its defining trick: the Manaslu Circuit ends, the Annapurna Circuit begins, and instead of driving home, you simply keep walking.

• All day · Down the Dudh Khola valley

  Forest, farmland, and the junction of two great circuits

  Where most trekkers finish — and you continue

  The trail descends steadily through forest and the villages of Gho and Tilije, meeting the Marsyangdi River at Dharapani — the Annapurna Circuit's trail and its ACAP checkpoint. Most Manaslu trekkers end their trip here with a jeep out; tomorrow, you turn upstream instead.

The first full day on the Annapurna Circuit climbs the Marsyangdi valley through pine forest and apple country to Chame, the administrative headquarters of Manang district. The view from Timang mid-morning is a farewell gift — Manaslu, the mountain you circled for ten days, filling the valley behind you one last time.

• All day · Up the Marsyangdi

  Pine forest, apple orchards, and Lamjung Himal ahead

  A gentler valley, busier trail, noticeably better teahouses

  The Annapurna side is immediately different — a wider trail, more villages, and well-established lodges. The climb through Timang is rewarded with Manaslu views to the south, before the trail levels toward Chame, with its shops, bakeries, and small riverside hot spring.

One of the Annapurna Circuit's most dramatic days. The trail passes beneath Paungda Danda — an immense 1,500 m curve of polished rock rising from the riverbed like a frozen wave — before entering the drier, wider upper Marsyangdi. Upper Pisang, a traditional stone village stacked on the hillside above its newer sibling, delivers a sunset view of Annapurna II that stops conversations mid-sentence.

• All day · Beneath the great wall

  Paungda Danda and the climb to Upper Pisang

  Sleeping in the old village is worth the extra 100 m of climbing

  Paungda Danda's vast rock slab dominates the middle hours of the day — local tradition holds it as the path souls climb after death. At the Pisang fork, take the high village: Upper Pisang's old gompa, narrow lanes, and front-row Annapurna II views make it one of the circuit's most atmospheric overnights.

Today follows the celebrated upper route — the high trail through Ghyaru and Ngawal that circuit veterans insist is the finest walking day on the entire Annapurna Circuit. The morning's steep climb to Ghyaru buys a full day of balcony views across the valley to Annapurna II, III, and IV and Gangapurna, before medieval stone lanes at Ngawal and a gradual descent into the broad, arid bowl of Manang.

• Morning · The climb to Ghyaru

  Switchbacks with the best views on the circuit

  Steep, honest climbing — every metre repaid in panorama

  The switchbacks from the valley floor to Ghyaru are the day's hard work, and the payoff is immediate: the entire Annapurna massif across the valley at eye level. Ghyaru and Ngawal's ancient stone villages feel barely changed in centuries.

• Afternoon · Manang 3,540 m

  Arrive Manang — the Annapurna Circuit's high capital

  Bakeries, gear shops, even a mountain cinema

  Manang is the most developed high village in Nepal's trekking world — proper bakeries, coffee, gear shops, and famously, tiny cinemas showing mountain films. After the wilds of Manaslu, it feels almost cosmopolitan. You'll stay two nights.

The second scheduled acclimatisation day of the trek — and though you're already well-adapted from Manaslu, Thorong La at 5,416 m is 310 m higher than anything you've yet crossed, so the day is kept in the schedule deliberately. Manang's classic acclimatisation hikes are excellent, and the afternoon's free-time options are the best on the whole route.

• Option 1

  Gangapurna Lake & viewpoint (3–4 hrs)

  Glacial lake and a ridge viewpoint above 3,900 m

  A short walk to the turquoise Gangapurna Lake below its glacier, then a climb to the viewpoint ridge above — textbook climb-high-sleep-low, with the icefall directly opposite.

• Option 2

  Praken Gompa (4–5 hrs, to ~3,945 m)

  A hermitage with a blessing for the pass

  The steeper option climbs to Praken Gompa, perched high above town, where a resident lama has traditionally offered blessings to trekkers and climbers heading for Thorong La. The valley panorama from the hermitage is superb.

Tips for Day 15

• Visit the Himalayan Rescue Association post if their daily altitude talk is running — it's free, short, and genuinely useful before the highest pass of the trip.
• Stock up on snacks in Manang — it's the last place with real shopping before Muktinath, four days away.

The approach to Thorong La begins — a short, deliberately measured day turning north out of the Marsyangdi valley into the Jarsang Khola drainage. The landscape opens into high pasture country where yak herds graze beneath 6,000 m peaks. Short days from here to the pass are intentional: altitude discipline, even for legs as acclimatised as yours now are.

• Morning to early afternoon

  Into the high pastures

  Blue sheep on the slopes, Annapurna III behind

  The trail climbs gently through juniper scrub and past the small settlements of Tenki and Gunsang. Yak Kharka — "yak pasture" — is exactly that: a huddle of lodges among grazing meadows. Arrive by early afternoon, rest, and hydrate.

Another short, careful day to Thorong Phedi — "foot of Thorong" — the lodge cluster tucked into the rocky bowl beneath the pass. The trail crosses a known landslide-prone section past Ledar, taken steadily and one at a time. The pattern repeats from Dharamshala eight days ago: arrive early, eat well, sleep as best you can, and set the alarm for the small hours.

• Morning to early afternoon

  The careful approach to Phedi

  Landslide traverse past Ledar — follow your guide's spacing

  Beyond Ledar the trail crosses scree slopes where rockfall is possible — your guide manages timing and spacing across the exposed section. Thorong Phedi's lodges are busy, functional basecamps; some trekkers push an hour higher to High Camp, but Phedi's lower sleeping altitude is the friendlier choice for sleep quality.

Tips for Day 17

• Same drill as Larkya La: pass kit packed tonight — headlamp, layers, gloves, water, snacks — for a 3:00–4:00 AM breakfast.
• You've done this before. Eight days ago the pre-pass night felt daunting; tonight it's routine. That's what twenty days in the mountains does.

The highest moment of the entire twenty days. The pre-dawn climb from Phedi is steep for the first hour to High Camp, then settles into a long, cold, rhythmic ascent over rolling false summits to Thorong La — at 5,416 m, one of the highest trekking passes on earth. Prayer flags, a battered sign, tea from the world's highest teashop (season permitting), and a horizon that includes Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh-highest mountain. The descent drops a knee-testing 1,600 m into another world entirely: the arid, sacred amphitheatre of Muktinath, on the edge of the Mustang desert.

• 3–4 AM · The climb

  Phedi to High Camp to the long ridge

  The steepest hour first, then rhythm and patience

  The first hour to High Camp is the day's steepest work, climbed fresh in the dark. Beyond, the trail rolls over a sequence of false summits — cold, high, and mentally demanding, but never technical. Your Manaslu acclimatisation shows its worth here; many trekkers around you will be struggling harder than you are.

• Morning · Thorong La 5,416 m

  The pass — the highest point of the journey

  Two great circuits, two great passes — completed

  The crest arrives with cairns, a famous sign, and a thousand prayer flags snapping in the wind. Crossing Thorong La eight days after Larkya La puts you in rare company — most trekkers manage one of these passes in a lifetime trip; you've walked between them. Photos, celebration, and then down before the wind builds.

• Afternoon · Muktinath 3,800 m

  Descent to the temple of liberation

  1,600 m down into the sacred Kali Gandaki rain shadow

  The long western descent trades glaciers for the ochre desert hills of Mustang. Muktinath — sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists, its temple complex fed by 108 water spouts and an eternal natural flame — is among the holiest pilgrimage sites in the Himalaya, and an extraordinary place to end the walking chapter of this journey.

Tips for Day 18

• Layer for a 30-degree swing — the pre-dawn climb can sit at −15°C; the Muktinath afternoon can reach +15°C. Shed layers as you descend.
• Visit the temple complex this evening or early tomorrow — the 108 spouts, the eternal flame, and the pilgrimage atmosphere are worth unhurried time.

The road out is a spectacle in its own right — down the Kali Gandaki gorge, the deepest valley on earth, squeezed between the 8,000 m summits of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. By evening you're in lakeside Pokhara: hot showers, real coffee, and the pleasant disorientation of traffic and menus after twenty days of trail rhythm.

• All day · Down the great gorge

  Muktinath to Pokhara by road

  Between two 8,000 m giants, then down to the lake

  The road descends through Jomsom, Marpha's apple orchards, and the gorge villages to Beni before climbing over to Pokhara. It's long and rough in stretches — but watching the landscape run backwards from desert to rhododendron to rice paddies in a single day is a fitting epilogue.

Tips for Day 19

• Celebrate in Pokhara tonight — Lakeside's restaurants exist for exactly this evening. You've earned all of it.

After breakfast, enjoy a scenic bus drive from Pokhara back to Kathmandu. The journey follows the winding Prithvi Highway, passing rivers, terraced hillsides, and charming rural villages. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you'll be transferred to your hotel, where you can relax or spend the rest of the day exploring the city's vibrant streets and cafés.