Manaslu - Annapurna Circuit Trek

Detail Itinerary

• Day 01:Drive to Jagat - 10 hours - (1,340 m) Leave early in the morning in a SUV / 4WD and head toward the northwest of Kathmandu on the Kathmandu Arughat road. It takes about 5 hours / 125 km to get to Arughat Bazar, situated on the bank of the Budi Gandaki River. Arughat Bazar is a bustling town developed as a trade and business hub for the region. The road from Arughat Bazaar winds along the Budi Gandaki river upstream towards the north. A bumpy ride on a dirt road takes about another 4 - 5 hours to traverse 55 km to Jagat village.
• Day 02:Trek to Deng - 6 - 7 hours (1,860 m) / 19.5 km From Jagat we enter into the Manaslu Conservation Area. After registering the permits, follow the riverbank on a leveled path to the village of Ghatte Khola and cross to the eastern bank of Budi Gandaki to climb up to Philim village. This is a relatively bigger and prosperous village developed as a center for villages in the higher valleys. There is a regional office of the Manaslu Conservation Area Project. The trail follows the contour through the forest of pine and Rhododendron till the confluence of Kali Gandaki with Shyar Khola, and then crosses on a suspension bridge to the western bank, then heads towards the northwest.
  At this altitude, we enter into Himalayan villages with pure Tibetan Buddhist influence, alpine lifestyle, and farming culture. The valley gets deeper and sparsely populated.
• Day 03:Trek to Namrung - 6 hours (2,630 m) / 13.5 km The day's walk is mostly along the forested bank of Budi Gandaki. We will climb high above the river basin to Rana village, which offers a view of snow peaks. Descend to Ghap and then again cross to the southern bank to climb to Namrung village. The day feels harder as the air gets thinner, and the day has relatively longer climbing so far.
  At around Namrung, the valley starts to widen up again with a view of snow peaks. The village is relatively prosperous and has a strong Himalayan Buddhist influence.
• Day 04:Trek to Samagaun - 7 hours (3,525 m) / 17 km As we enter the trans-Himalayan valley of Nupri, the walk gets more scenic with the view of snow peaks. We stride through Khani (Buddhist entrance gates), Mani walls, and rustic monasteries bedecked with Buddhist paintings and symbolisms. The vegetation gets sparse with the rocky buttresses of the snow peaks. Along the way, we will get the view of Mt Manaslu, Gorkha Himal, Dwijen Himal, Saula Himal, Lajing Peak, and Peak 29.
• Day 05:Rest day in Samagaun - A buffer day Surrounded by snow peaks, the Samagaun is a picturesque traditional Tibetan Buddhist village. A rest day in Samagaun could be used to explore Pungen Gompa or Manaslu base camp, which helps with acclimatization as well. We can also use our days before crossing the Larke pass as a buffer in case of bad weather or delay.
  If you are fit and want some more challenge, plan a day trip to Birendra Lake and Manaslu base camp (4,800 m / 13.5 km / 6 hours) .
• Day 06:Trek to Samdo - 4 hours (3,875 m) / 5.1 km The trail gradually climbs along the Kaligandaki river to Samdo, where the Budi Gandaki river valley braids. Cross the suspension bridge and then climb for about 100 m to Samdo village. The trail is more arid with just a bunch of juniper and sea buckthorn on the mountainside. From Samdo, Tibet is just about 4 km. The village used to be the center of the salt trade. One can see Mt Manaslu, Samdo peak, Nagdi Chuli, and Simnang Himal on a clear day.
• Day 07:Trek to Dharamshala - 4.5 hours (4,460 m) / 6.1 km The scenic walk continues across the Budi Gandaki. We leave the Gandaki River and gradually climb towards Larkya Pass. Walk along the grazing marked as Larkya Bazaar, which still signifies the importance of trans-Himalayan trade. Climbing gently, we come to scant ground at 4,460 m, which used to have the Dharamshala ( rest house). There is a simple guest house nowadays that facilitates teahouse trekkers.
• Day 08:Cross Larke Pass ( 5,106 m ) and trek down to Bhimtang (3,590 m) / 16 km / 10 hours We start early in the morning to arrive at the Larke pass before it gets windy and clouds swarm in. The long stretch of walk through the glacial moraine to an altitude of over 5,000 m and the descent on the snow slope make the day toughest. The view is, however, rewarding to make you forget the difficulty. At Larkya La, the view of the western mountains appears surreal daunting peaks of Himlung Himal, Kangurru and Annapurna II, and Manaslu. Descending is not easier on the snowed slope and loose scree. The slippery descents are leveled off by yak pastures finally end at Bimtang (3,590 m).
• Day 09:Trek down to Tilje or Dharapani - 7 hours (2,300 m) / 20 km Leaving a challenging and memorable trek behind, we again start to descend to the lush southern valley west of Mt Manaslu. The trail follows the Dudh Khola valley through the pine and Rhododendron forest, coming to clearings of meadows with Himalayan views. Tilije is the major Gurung village we come across in the valley. The village has apple orchards and brews brandy. 1 hour down the valley, we join the popular trail of the Annapurna Circuit at Dharapani.
• Day 10:Drive to Manang (3,519 m) - 3 hours drive / 55 km Drive along the Marshyangdi Valley on a mountainous dirt road to Manang. The journey is scenic as the peaks of Annapurna unfold as we go upstream into the Manang valley.
• Day 11:Rest day in Manang We will have a rest day to take a break between challenging passes. Manang is a tourist hub with better rooms with a proper hot shower, a bakery, and a café to get real coffee. You can also repair boots or buy trekking equipment just in case.
  There are also day trips to enjoy the landscape and culture of the region. Hike to Ice Lake (Kicho Tal), explore the traditional Khangsar village, or visit Braka village with its ancient monasteries.
• Day 15:Drive back to Pokhara (174 km / 8 hours) The Muktinath to Pokhara road has improved a lot, and driving is more comfortable. 150 km of the 174 km highway is blacktopped. The road from Muktinath descends to the Kali Gandaki River and then follows it downstream through the world's deepest gorge, wedged between Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri I.