Manaslu Circuit Trek
Trip Overview
Welcome to the trail with a thousand waterfalls! Well, too many to count, at least. Quietly nestled away in central Nepal along the Tibetan border, between two of Nepal’s more popular national parks is the protected Manaslu Conservation Area, home to the world’s 8th highest peak, Mt Manaslu (8,163m). Despite being situated above Nepal’s most historic city, Gorkha (origins of Nepal’s first king) and being home to its namesake Himalayan giant, Manaslu, few know the secret beauty of this region therefore it is only beginning to gain popularity for trekkers.
Unlike other more popular trails in Nepal, this trail begins close to sea level in a subtropical climate at 530m! We follow the Budhi Gandaki river upstream into Upper Manaslu via a deep and narrow gorge trail with countless cascading waterfalls that feed into the river in summer and autumn. The trail meanders through traditional Gurung farming villages and dense forests on both sides of the river, so we will cross suspension bridges on the way. As you trek on a warm day, you will be tempted to cool off under an invigorating waterfall, and then just keep on trekking – a magical experience.We steadily climb into low and high alpine climates, to lands inhabited by Bhotia people (Tibetan descendants). In Sama gaon we take an extra day to acclimatise and explore Pung Gyen monastery or, for those feeling energetic, a day trek to the base camp of Mt Manaslu and a beautiful glacier lake.
We will then make a long traverse of Larkya La pass (5,106m) from which you will enjoy a panoramic vista including Manaslu, Cheo and Himlung. Over the pass, we walk out through the Marshandgi valley, following the Dudh river, now in the Annapurna Conservation Area in Manang, and through Magar villages.
The significant altitude range involved in this trek requires a good level of fitness. Some days include long steep ascents and descents. Prior trekking experience is recommended to join this trip. You won’t be disappointed. This trip is truly magical. Get your friends together and let us know your preferred dates, or join our scheduled departure, and we can make it happen.
Why join with Expedition Base?
Our goal is to ensure you have the best trip possible with our highly skilled and knowledgeable trekking guides, with a personable team, and with quality services. We do our best to ensure that your experience is in accordance with or better than your expectations. We want you to go home remembering an adventure of a lifetime with memories you will treasure for life. We have a strong reputation for high quality services and we seek to maintain our reputation with every trip that we do. To help keep our mission strong, we value your feedback at any time. It helps us to be better. When some companies keep you to a strict schedule, when needed and where you have time we work with you to adjust your timing to make your experience better. We are not selling ‘trips’ – we are offering great experiences, cherished memories, and personal challenges for you to value into the future. We provide services that many other companies do not offer – to us, they are a natural part of our service. To others, they can be add-ons at an additional fee, or not available at all. Our food offerings can be adjusted to suit your needs, season and area permitting. We have quality resources and a fun, experienced team. Our gear and equipment is fit for purpose. Our trekking guides are well-trained, experienced in leading trips and look after our clients well. We are pleased to have clients who come with us for their adventures time and again. Let us know what you are looking to experience and we will help to make it happen.
Trip Highlights
- Stunning views of Mt Manaslu
- Beautiful gorge trek through subtropical forests
- Buddhist culture of Bhotia tribes
- Traditional farming villages of Gurung and Magar hill tribes
- Manaslu base camp and Pung Gyen monastery
- Crossing Larkya La pass
