Manaslu Circuit

The Manaslu Circuit is the quieter, wilder alternative to the Annapurna Circuit — a 177 km loop around the world's eighth-highest peak (Manaslu, 8,163 m), trekked clockwise over 14 days through restricted-area villages of Tibetan-Buddhist Tsum and Nubri culture. It opened to foreign trekkers in 1991 and remains a fraction as busy as Annapurna, partly because the restricted-area permit requires a licensed guide and a minimum group of two.

The route begins at Soti Khola at 700 m and follows the Budhi Gandaki river north through subtropical valleys (Machha Khola, Jagat, Deng) to the highland villages of the Nubri region — Namrung, Lho, and the dramatic stone-and-yak-dung village of Samagaon at 3,500 m, with Manaslu's south face filling the eastern sky. Most groups take a rest day in Samagaon for acclimatisation and the side-trip to Manaslu Base Camp or Birendra Tal. From Samdo at 3,860 m the trail climbs to the high camp at Dharamsala (Larkya Phedi, 4,460 m), and the day-11 pass crossing of Larkya La at 5,106 m is the trek's defining day — a pre-dawn start, six hours up to the saddle, then a knee-shattering descent of 1,500 m to the village of Bimthang. From there the trail descends through forest to Dharapani, where the Manaslu Circuit joins the lower Annapurna Circuit and most trekkers jeep out.

The trekking seasons are September–November and March–May, with autumn the most reliable for the pass. Two permits are required: the Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (around $100/week in autumn, $75/week in spring) and the MCAP/ACAP combined conservation permit. The restricted-area rules require a licensed guide and a minimum group of two foreigners; solo trekking is not allowed. Teahouses along the route are simple but available every village; food and warmth get more basic above Namrung. Altitude is the main risk — the rapid climb from Samagaon to Dharamsala and over Larkya La catches some trekkers; the rest day at Samagaon is mandatory in practice if not in itinerary.