Manaslu Annapurna Circuit Trek

Your Arrival Time (?) Our office representative will meet and greet you in typical Nepali style at Kathmandu airport and transfer you to your hotel in Kathmandu. In the evening, we will meet at the hotel for a coffee talk and brief you on the details of your upcoming program. 

Extra activity that you can participate in Kathmandu during your Cultural Tour, let us know your preference in advance so you can schedule the program accordingly and book as needed.  

• Everest Mountain Flight (It is a 1-hour flight (scheduled at 6:30 AM) with a breathtaking view of the mountain range.) (USD 220 PP)

• Gosaikunda Helicopter Tour from Kathmandu. (USD 300 PP)

• Everest Helicopter Tour from Kathmandu with Kala Patthar Landing. (USD 1100 PP)

At. 08:30 AM: Have your morning meal and get ready for your cultural tour, you will devote your full day to cultural sightseeing inside Kathmandu valley.  Explore the Pashupatinath Temple devoted to Lord Shiva which is famous for its awe-spiring and amazing pagoda architecture. Visit Boudhanath stupa, where you will be welcomed by the divine smell of incense and the cooing and grunting of pigeons. After arriving at the Boudhanath stupa the divine aura will declare peace among people's souls. You can also enjoy the rooftop view of the entire place while sipping aromatic coffee and yummy food.

Pay a visit to the ancient Buddhist complex Swayambhunath stupa also known as the Monkey temple. At last, you will visit Kathmandu Durbar Square, the ancient palace of the Malla kingdom. Kasthamandap, Gaddi Baithak, Kaal Bhairav Statue, Hanuman Dhoka Palace, and several other Pagodas are the things to explore around durbar square. If you need anything for your upcoming trek you can do shopping at Thamel. You will be dropped back at your hotel in a private vehicle. 

At 06:30 AM: Have your breakfast at the hotel and be ready for your drive to Machhakhola. Machhakhola is about 160 KM far from Kathmandu, it takes Approx. 6-7 hours of driving to reach there. First, check in at your hotel. You will get a few hours to buy your required things for the trek if needed. If not, you can explore the surrounding area and take a rest.

At 07:00 AM: This second day of the trek starts with crossing the Machha Khola and Khorla Besi reaching the hot springs. You have to walk in the forest area until you cross the Dovan Khola which is the opening to the Budi Gandaki river valley. The landscape changes drastically as we go upwards and when you reach Jagat you’ll find it drastically changes. The distance from Machhakhola to Jagat is around 22 km and it takes 7-8 hours.

At 07:00 AM: Today’s trek will continue from the Jagat crossing the well-paved village before climbing the Sirdabas village which offers a great view of Shringi mountain. The trail then passes through the amazing landscape with great views of waterfalls, rivers and mountains via Philim and Ekle Bhatti finally reaching Deng. Today’s walk is 20 km and takes around 7-8 hours.

At 07:00 AM: Another 6-hour trek towards Namrung will start after breakfast early in the morning. The trail is full of mani walls and crafted stones where you will get a glimpse of Tibetans' influence on people and culture. You will walk around 19 km before reaching beautiful Namrung village.  

At 07:00 AM: After breakfast the trek starts towards Lho Gau which is situated at the lap of Manaslu himal and peak 29 in front of it. Amazing stone crafting can be seen on the stones of the trails with mani walls. Also for a close view of Manaslu we will take a side trip to the Pungen glacier. Today’s walk is 10 km which will take 5-6 hours.

At 07:00 AM: The trek follows towards the Samagau via the Pungen glacier. Samagau is the most beautiful village on the entire trek. It takes 6-7 hours to walk on 8 km trail before reaching Samagau.

At 07:00 AM: When you are trekking at a high altitude it is recommended that you should take proper acclimatization before going further high. For the acclimatization, you will have the option of trekking to Manaslu Base Camp (4750 m) and back to Samagau which will take approximately 7-8 hours. Or take a half-day hike to the glacier across the valley or Birendra Tal. 

At 07:00 AM: Samdo is the beautiful Tibetan refugee village with the mountain Manaslu in front of it. This village is just one day walk from the Tibet border to Nepal. The distance from Samagau to Samdo is 8 km and it takes 3-4 hours to reach the village from Samagau.

At 07:00 AM: After crossing the few rivers and amazing trails we will reach Larkey Bazar. Larkey Bazar was the hub of trade from Tibet and the upper Manaslu region. After a steady climb from Larkey Bazar, you will reach Dharmashala, the last place to stay before crossing the pass tomorrow. The distance from Samdo to Dharmashala is 7 km and it takes 5 hours.

At 07:00 AM: Today is the pass day, you will start early in the morning climbing the Cho Chanda before heading to the beautiful pass. The trail today offers panoramic views of the mountains all around. You will have spectacular views of the snow-capped Himalayas like the Himlung Himal (7126 m), Cheo Himal (6820 m), Gyagi Kung, Kang Koru (6981 m) and Annapurna II (7937 m).

At 07:00 AM: Today our trekking route descends down to reach Tilje. The upper temperate forest reappears and the day becomes warmer as we leave Bhimthang. Rhododendrons and alpine pine trees dominate other vegetation. The terraced crop fields are seen around Kharche. We steep climb up the ridge and again trek down the Marshyangdi river to reach Tilje.

On this day, you will be exploring the majestic mountains, mind-blowing sceneries and incredible natural beauty. After breakfast at the teahouse, you will trek towards the beautiful Chame village. This village is situated at an elevation of 2650 m. Though the elevation is significantly higher than on previous days, it’s not that difficult to complete. 

Trekking from Tilje to Chame requires uphill and flat walks in the forested area. The dense forest and flora and fauna can be explored while passing through the trail. The beauty of passing through different villages is that you get to explore the diversity and cultural variations in the different places. One of the major attractions of the Trek is the diversity of culture that has a significant contrast in the higher elevations with the slow pace. This day is a little difficult as you have to climb uphill in some places however, this is a very rewarding day in terms of the experiences you get. 

You will begin the trek by crossing the Marsyangdi bridge. The beautiful forests of pine and tsuga alongside the incredible mountain vistas are the major attraction of the day. After continuous walking from Pisang, you will reach Bhartang. From Bhartang, there’s a significant uphill walk at the end of which lies the Dhukur Pokhari. From here you can witness the beautiful Paungda Danda rock face. 

Annapurna II is spectacular in this area. Trekking ahead,  you will reach lower and upper Pisang. Pisang is a popular stopover in Annapurna Circuit and the Tilicho lake trek. This place is popular for the mind-blowing sceneries, cultural artifacts and wonderful Himalayan panorama stretched in the mountain valleys. It takes about 3-4 hours of trekking from Chame to reach Pisang. The total trek distance this day is about 14 Km. 

As the first ray of sun hits the mountains, you can see the spectacular beauty of the Himalayas from Pisang. After breakfast at the teahouse, you will be heading towards the incredible Manang valley. Manang is popular for its amazing cultural values, mountain vistas and astounding geographical variations that are particularly observed in this area. 

Trekking from the Pisang village, it will take about 4 hours to reach Barga village where lies a 900 years old monastery. This is a spiritual hub in the Manang valley. An hour's walk ahead of Barga, lies the beautiful village of Manang where you can explore the authentic culture and traditions of local people, arid landscapes accompanied by majestic mountain panorama. 

Manang is the stopover of the day. There are many things to explore in this area. And it is also a stopover for acclimatization that lets you prepare for the higher elevations you will be getting into. 

This is the acclimatization day in Manang. You will do some acclimatization hikes in the nearby areas and explore the authenticity of the place. There are various things you can explore here. For acclimatization hikes, you can visit the vantage points or just trek to the near Lake. Ice lake is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Manang. 

Basically, you will be exploring the beautiful Manang village today. You can spend time with the locals and try the local dish or visit the viewpoints in the hills. You will stay in Manang this day too for acclimatization. 

From Manang, you will trek to Yak Kharka. You will follow the trail to Gumsang passing through some beautiful scenery. You will reach Yak Kharka after crossing the old log bridge between Gumsang and Yak Kharka before reaching this place. 

The distance to Yak Kharka from Manang is only 10 kilometers. Passing through the Tan village, you will cross the suspension bridge and leave Marshyangdi valley behind. The trail to Yak Kharka will be a steadily uphill climb into the dry and alpine region of the Annapurna Mountain range.

After Yak Phedi, you will be trekking to the Thorong Phedi which will lead you towards the legendary Thorong La Pass. On this day you will be trekking uphill for about 4-5 hours to reach Phedi at an elevation of 4525 m.

Along the way, you can witness the spectacular views of some mountains such as Mt. Gudang, Mt. Syagang, Thorung Peak, and Mt. Khatungkan. The beautiful landscapes and sceneries are also the major attractions of the day. The total trek distance this day is about 7 Km. 

This is the day you will be crossing the major pass in the Annapurna region of Nepal. The Thorong La Pass is famous for its wonderful arid atmosphere, high elevation attributes and beautiful mountains seen from the top. To complete the challenging Thorong La Pass, you will wake up early in the morning at about 3:00 Am and prepare for the trek. The majestic mountain panorama stretched on the northern side of Tibet and the very religious and spiritual surrounding of Muktinath while descending down will make it totally worth it. 

The stopover of the day is Muktinath. It is one of the most popular Hindu and Buddhist temples in Nepal. The spiritual epitome of this incredible is also the major place to explore this day. On this day, you will need to trek a little longer than others as you will be crossing the Thorong La Pass and descending down is also a little difficult while reaching the Muktinath area. The total trek distance this day is about 14 Km, mostly downhill. 

Trekking to the Jomsom provides a mind-blowing view of the arid valley, beautiful apple trees and unique Thakali culture in some places. It takes about 4-5 hours of trekking to reach Jomsom from Muktinath. 

Though there are transportation facilities available to reach Jomsom from Muktinath, exploring local villages while trekking in this area provides an amazing part of this place to explore. Jomsom is one of the popular stopovers in the Mustang of Nepal.

Finally,  this day formally ends the trekking adventure. Early in the morning, looking after the flight time, you will be escorted to the Airport in Jomsom. From Jomsom, a short quick flight will take you back to the Pokhara valley. 

If the flight option this day is not accessible due to inclement weather, you will be returned via a drive to the Pokhara valley. It takes about 5-6 hours to drive to reach Pokhara via Jeep from Jomsom. 

At. 09:00 AM: Have your breakfast and pack your bags for your flight back to Kathmandu. (flight duration is 25 mins) After baggage collection, your transportation will be waiting outside the airport. After check-in at your hotel, you can explore the vibrant streets of Kathmandu. You can visit Thamel and spend some time at cozy cafes and restaurants. 

You can also collect souvenirs like handmade jewelry, clothing items, and many more eye-catching things. (If you feel the need for a guide you will be allowed) Lastly, we will meet for a cultural (traditional local dance live performance in folk songs) Nepali dinner in Kathmandu on your farewell.

Looking after your departing time, we’ll transfer you to the Airport for boarding. This day, after collecting a lot of incredible memories in the mountains of Nepal, you will be returning to your next destination.