The complete Manaslu Circuit FAQ
These are the questions UK trekkers actually ask us, grouped by topic and answered by the team that walks the route. Where the honest answer is "it depends" or "we do not know", that is what you will get. If your question is not here, message us on WhatsApp. We reply within an hour, seven days a week.
Jump to: The trek & route · Difficulty & fitness · Cost & booking · Best time & weather · Permits & the two-trekker rule · Safety & altitude · Teahouses & food · Kit & packing · Comparisons · Booking with us
Last reviewed: August 2026. How we source and check these answers is set out in our editorial policy.
The trek & the route
What is the Manaslu Circuit trek?
The Manaslu Circuit is a lodge-based trek that loops around Manaslu, 8,163 m, the eighth-highest mountain in the world, in the Gorkha district of central Nepal. You walk north up the Budhi Gandaki gorge through Gurung and then Tibetan villages, cross Larkya La pass at 5,106 m, and descend west through Bimthang into the head of the Marsyangdi valley at Dharapani. It is normally run as a 12 to 19 day trip. See the trek overview →
How long does the Manaslu Circuit take?
Our classic trip is 14 days Kathmandu to Kathmandu, with ten walking days. We also run a 16-day version with Manaslu Base Camp and the Samagaun side trips, and a 19-day version with the Tsum Valley. Fourteen days fits a standard UK three-week holiday with flights and a buffer day.
How many km is the Manaslu Circuit?
About 155 km on foot on our 14-day trip from Machha Khola to Dharapani. Sources quoting 177 km are measuring from Soti Khola, a day further down the valley, and walked all the way from Arughat it is closer to 190 km. The number moves because the jeep road keeps creeping further up the Budhi Gandaki. Daily distances are on the route map.
What is the highest point on the Manaslu Circuit?
Larkya La pass at 5,106 m, also written Larke La or Larke Pass. It is the only point above 5,000 m. The highest place you sleep is Dharamsala, also called Larkya Phedi, at 4,460 m. See the crossing guide.
Do you have to cross Larkya La?
To complete the circuit, yes: it is the only connection between the Budhi Gandaki and the Marsyangdi side. If the pass is closed by snow or a trekker is unwell, the only alternative is to retrace the valley to the roadhead, which takes three or four days. We plan a buffer day into every itinerary so a one-day weather delay does not end the trek.
Can you do the Manaslu Circuit in 10 days?
Not safely, and we do not sell it. Ten days does not leave room for a proper acclimatisation day at Samagaun or a weather buffer before the pass, and both are what keep the trek safe on a route with no road to bail out to. Our shortest is the classic 14-day circuit.
Is there a road on the Manaslu Circuit?
Only at the very bottom. A jeep track runs up the Budhi Gandaki as far as Machha Khola and sometimes a little beyond, and there is a road at Dharapani where you come out. Between Jagat and Bimthang there is nothing, which is the main reason people choose this trek over the Annapurna Circuit. See map vs reality.
Difficulty & fitness
Is the Manaslu Circuit trek easy?
No. It is a challenging trek. There is no technical climbing, no ropes and no glacier travel, but you walk six to eight hours a day for ten days, the teahouses are basic, there is no road in the middle of the route, and the pass day is 8 to 10 hours starting before dawn. See the difficulty and fitness guide.
How hard is the Manaslu Circuit?
The difficulty sits in four places: the sustained daily walking over ten days, the length of the days in the lower gorge, the altitude above Samagaun, and the pass day itself. Larkya La day is typically 8 to 10 hourswith 646 m of ascent and 1,386 m of descent, at altitudes where you are working on roughly half the oxygen you get at sea level.
Am I fit enough for the Manaslu Circuit?
A useful test: can you walk 7 to 8 hours on hilly UK ground carrying a daypack, on consecutive days, and feel ready to do it again the next morning? If yes, you have the base fitness. That is a step up from what the Annapurna Circuit asks. Altitude tolerance is separate from fitness and cannot be trained at sea level, which is why the itinerary builds in the Samagaun acclimatisation day.
Which is harder, the Manaslu Circuit or Kilimanjaro?
They are hard in different ways. Kilimanjaro is higher at 5,895 m and gains altitude much faster over 6 to 9 days, so the acute altitude risk is greater. Manaslu is far longer and more sustained, with two weeks of daily walking in a remote valley, but the ascent profile is gentler. Most people find Kilimanjaro harder on the body over a short window and Manaslu harder as an expedition-style trip.
Which is harder, the Manaslu Circuit or Everest Base Camp?
Everest Base Camp sleeps higher for longer, reaching 5,364 m with several nights above 4,000 m, so its cumulative altitude load is greater. Manaslu is longer, remoter, has simpler lodges and no airstrip or helicopter traffic anywhere near it, and its single pass day is longer than anything on the EBC route. EBC is higher for longer; Manaslu is harder to get out of.
Cost & booking
How much does the Manaslu Circuit cost?
Our guided 14-day circuit starts at £1,295 per person based on two trekkers sharing, all-inclusive on the trail. A realistic total from the UK is £2,100–£2,700 per person once you add flights, visa, insurance, city hotels, tips and on-trail extras. Full breakdown on the cost page.
What is included in the package price?
A licensed English-speaking guide for the whole trek, a shared porter for every two trekkers, every teahouse night twin-share, three meals a day while trekking, all three permits, all ground transport from Kathmandu to Machha Khola and from Dharapani back, guide and porter wages and insurance, a first-aid kit with a pulse oximeter, and supplementary oxygen on the pass section.
What is excluded from the package price?
International flights to Kathmandu, the Nepal visa, hotels and meals in Kathmandu, travel and medical insurance covering trekking to 6,000 m and helicopter evacuation, drinks, hot showers, Wi-Fi and device charging on the trail, personal trekking kit, and tips for your guide and porter.
Why is the Manaslu Circuit more expensive than the Annapurna Circuit?
Three structural reasons, none of them a markup. The restricted-area permit is roughly £120–£150 a head against about £30 of permits on Annapurna; a licensed guide is a legal condition of that permit rather than something you could decline; and the jeep in and out is longer and rougher. A Manaslu quote priced like an Annapurna quote has something missing from it.
Is it safe to pay a Nepal-based operator from the UK?
You pay a 10% deposit through our brand hub 6knepaltreks.com and the balance in Nepal before the trek starts, so you are never holding a large sum out of the country. On a restricted-area route you are contracting with a Nepali agency whatever you do, because only a Nepali agency can file the permit. Booking through a UK company means paying twice for the same paperwork. See the terms.
What is the deposit, and can I cancel?
A 10% deposit reserves your dates and the balance is paid in Nepal before the trek starts. Change your dates free up to 14 days before departure and rebook onto any departure in the following 24 months. Cancel outright and the deposit is refunded in full 30 or more days before departure, or half between 14 and 29 days.
Best time & weather
When is the best time to trek the Manaslu Circuit?
Mid-September to late November, and March to May. Autumn gives the most stable pass weather and the clearest air. Spring is warmer at night with rhododendron in flower in the middle of the route, hazier views, more old snow on Larkya La and a cheaper restricted-area permit. Month by month on the best time page.
Is October a good time to trek the Manaslu Circuit?
October is the single best month for weather and the busiest on the trail, though busy on Manaslu still means a fraction of the Annapurna traffic. The constraint is beds: Dharamsala has only a few dozen of them and no alternative within four hours, so October departures need booking four to six months ahead.
Can you trek the Manaslu Circuit in winter?
The lower valley is walkable, but Larkya La is usually impassable from December to February and the Dharamsala huts close, which removes the only shelter on the near side. The upper villages empty out as families move down. We do not run the full circuit in mid-winter.
Is the Manaslu Circuit open during the monsoon?
Technically yes, and we do not run it. The objection is not the pass, it is the Budhi Gandaki gorge: landslides, washed-out bridges, leeches and a jeep road that closes for days at a time. A gorge is a bad place to be in a landslide season.
Permits & the two-trekker rule
What permits do I need for the Manaslu Circuit?
Three: the Manaslu Restricted Area Permit, which is priced per week and costs more in autumn, the Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP), and the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) for the walk out through Bimthang and Dharapani. Adding the Tsum Valley needs a fourth. All are arranged by us and included in the price. See the permits page.
Can I trek the Manaslu Circuit alone or without a guide?
No. Manaslu is a restricted area. The permit is issued only through a Nepal-registered trekking agency, only to a group of two or more trekkers travelling together, and only with a licensed guide. There is no permit counter on the trail and no way to buy your way past the checkpost at Jagat.
I am travelling on my own. Can I still do this trek?
Yes, but not as a solo permit holder. Tell us at enquiry stage and we will put you on a date where another trekker is already booked, so the two-person minimum is met properly. What we will not do is file a permit for a person who is not walking, whatever you may read on a forum.
Do I need a TIMS card?
No. The Restricted Area Permit replaces it for the restricted section. Your details are already registered with the Department of Immigration through the agency that files the permit.
Do I need travel insurance for the Manaslu Circuit?
Yes, and it is a condition of booking with us. Your policy must cover trekking to at least 6,000 m and helicopter evacuation, and it must not exclude remote or restricted areas. Most standard UK travel policies cap altitude cover at 2,000 to 4,000 m. We ask for your policy number and 24-hour assistance number before you start walking.
Do I need a Nepal visa?
Yes, on arrival at Kathmandu airport for UK passport holders. Take the 30-day band: the 15-day visa is too short for every Manaslu itinerary once you add arrival, departure and the day in Kathmandu while the restricted permit is filed against your passport. Bring US dollars in cash for the fee.
Safety & altitude
Is altitude sickness a risk on the Manaslu Circuit?
Yes, above about 3,000 m, which on this route means from Lho onwards. Mild acute mountain sickness is common and manageable. The serious forms, HAPE and HACE, are rare but real above 4,500 m. Our itinerary is built around the Samagaun acclimatisation day and daily pulse oximetry precisely to reduce that risk. See the altitude guide.
How dangerous is Larkya La?
The walking is not technical. The risks are altitude, whiteout on a broad pass with no shelter, wind chill, and the 1,386 m descent to Bimthang on moraine that holds snow and ice. The Manaslu-specific factor is remoteness: the last night before the pass is at Dharamsala, which has no village, no clinic and no road. Full detail on the Larkya La page.
Has anyone died on Larkya La?
There is no official public register of trekking fatalities in Nepal broken down by pass, so we do not quote a figure. The recurring reported causes are altitude illness after too fast an ascent, exposure in bad weather, and injuries on the long descent. Two widely searched Manaslu incidents are not pass events: the 2012 avalanche was a mountaineering accident high on the mountain itself, and the 2015 Gorkha earthquake was a regional disaster. Both are covered honestly here.
What happens if I get sick on the trail?
Your guide assesses you, and if it is altitude related the answer is to descend. Descent is the definitive treatment and everything else buys time to do it. Samagaun has a seasonal health post and the most usable landing ground on the route, so it is where an evacuation would normally stage from. Above Samagaun there is no medical facility at all.
Do you carry oxygen on the Manaslu Circuit?
Yes. Supplementary oxygen is carried from Samagaun onwards on every departure, alongside a pulse oximeter and a first-aid kit. Oxygen buys time to descend. It is never a reason to keep climbing.
How would a helicopter evacuation work from this route?
It is arranged through our Pokhara office, 24 hours a day, against the insurance details we hold before you start walking. In practice a lift stages from Samagaun or Samdo and only flies in good weather and good light. That is the honest constraint here: a helicopter is the only way out faster than walking, and it is not always available. It is billed to you or your insurer, not to us.
Teahouses, food & the trail
Where do you sleep on the Manaslu Circuit?
Teahouses, twin-share, every night. They are simpler than the Annapurna and Everest lodges: plywood or stone rooms, a stove in the dining room and nowhere else, a shared bathroom. Dharamsala before the pass is the most basic, a few huts on open ground with limited beds. Everything is booked ahead on our trips.
What is the food like on the Manaslu Circuit?
Dal bhat, noodles, fried rice, potatoes, soups, porridge and eggs, with Tibetan bread and butter tea once you are above Namrung. Menus are shorter and prices higher than on the Annapurna trails because everything above Jagat arrives by mule or on somebody's back. Dal bhat comes with refills and is the best value on the menu everywhere.
Are there hot showers on the Manaslu Circuit?
In the lower and middle sections usually, for a few hundred rupees, often gas or solar heated. Above Samagaun they become unreliable and at Dharamsala there is nothing. Plan on washing properly for the last three or four days being off the table.
Is there Wi-Fi and phone signal on the Manaslu Circuit?
Patchy, and worse than on the Annapurna Circuit. Some lodges sell Wi-Fi in the lower and middle valley, and an Ncell or NTC SIM picks up signal intermittently as far as Samagaun. Above Samagaun assume nothing. Download your maps, insurance certificate and anything else you need before you leave Kathmandu.
Is there a cash machine on the route?
No, none at all, anywhere. Cards are decorative from Machha Khola onwards. Draw all your on-trail spending money as rupees in Kathmandu, in small notes, and allow £6–£12 a day plus tips. See the cost per day breakdown.
Kit & packing
What should I pack for the Manaslu Circuit?
Layers for everything from sub-tropical gorge heat to minus fifteen on the pass: broken-in boots, a four-season sleeping bag, a down jacket, waterproof shell and trousers, insulated gloves, a warm hat, sun protection, trekking poles, a head torch, a water filter or purification tablets, and a power bank. The full list is on the packing list.
Can I hire trekking gear in Nepal?
Yes, in Kathmandu, for about £1.50–£3 a day for a down jacket or a four-season sleeping bag. Hire those two rather than buying them if you will not use them again. Do not hire boots: they need breaking in on your own feet, and a blister on day two of a ten-day walk with no road out is a genuine problem.
Do I need a sleeping bag on the Manaslu Circuit?
Yes, and a warmer one than the Annapurna Circuit needs. Teahouses provide blankets, but the Dharamsala huts are unheated at 4,460 m and the blankets there are thin. A comfort rating around −10 °C is right for autumn and spring. Hire one in Kathmandu if you do not own one.
Do I need crampons or microspikes for Larkya La?
Not in a normal autumn. In March and early April, and after any significant snowfall, a pair of microspikes is genuinely useful on the first steep section of the descent, which is the icy part. Your guide will tell you before you leave Samagaun whether to hire a pair in Kathmandu. Do not buy them in the UK on spec.
Comparisons
Manaslu Circuit or Annapurna Circuit, which should I choose?
Annapurna if you want more comfortable lodges, more variety of scenery, an easier permit process and the option to shorten or bail out by jeep. Manaslu if you want a quieter trail, a route with no road through the middle of it and stronger Tibetan culture, and you will accept simpler teahouses and a longer pass day for it. The full side-by-side is on the comparison page.
Manaslu Circuit or Everest Base Camp?
Everest Base Camp if the mountain itself is the point and you want the famous one. Manaslu if you would rather walk a full circuit than an out-and-back, and would rather share the trail with a handful of groups than several hundred people. EBC sleeps higher; Manaslu is longer, remoter and quieter.
Should I add the Tsum Valley?
If you have the days, yes. It adds five to six days, a separate restricted permit and roughly £40–£60 of permit cost, and it takes you into a valley closed to foreigners until 2008, with working monasteries at Mu and Rachen. Culturally it is the richest part of the whole region and almost nobody is there. See the Tsum Valley itinerary.
Booking with us
Why book the Manaslu Circuit direct with 6K Nepal Treks?
You pay the local price rather than a UK reseller's margin, and you talk to the guides who will walk with you. On a restricted-area route the permit has to be filed by a Nepali agency anyway, so booking through a UK company means paying twice for the same paperwork. Our guiding team is rated 4.9 from 90+ Google reviews and our lead guide holds Government of Nepal licence #1497. More on about us.
Can you customise the Manaslu Circuit itinerary?
Yes. We run 14, 16 and 19-day versions, can add the Tsum Valley or a day up to Manaslu Base Campat 4,800 m, can route you out via Pokhara instead of Kathmandu, and can start any date in the spring and autumn windows for two trekkers or more. What we will not do is cut the Samagaun acclimatisation day.
How big are your Manaslu Circuit groups?
Two minimum, which is a legal requirement of the restricted-area permit rather than a preference, and twelve maximum. Above seven trekkers we add a second guide so the group can split on pass day if somebody needs to turn round.
Do you look after your porters?
Yes. Porter wages, insurance, food, lodging and clothing are inside the package price rather than pushed onto trekkers as a tip, and loads are capped at 22 kg between two trekkers. This matters more on Manaslu than on busier routes, because there is no road to walk out to if somebody gets hurt.
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