My Experience On Trekking The Manaslu Circuit

Trekking the Manaslu Circuit is every trek enthusiast's dream destination in Nepal. 

Having worked in a trekking company, I always used to dream about going on longer days, high-altitude treks. Every time I see those wonderful photos and videos of our guests with the guides, I always wonder what it is like to have a glance with your own eyes?

And I finally got the opportunity to do the Manaslu Trek. It was a 10-day trek, and we were in a group of 7 people, including the guides and porters.

Hello, it’s me, Panchanga Adhikari, an IT guy working for Hiking Bees, and in this blog, I’m sharing my experience of my 10-day Short Manaslu Circuit Trek so that you can be prepared and know what to expect throughout the journey. Along with sharing my journey, I’ll be giving useful tips and intel, so make sure you read it carefully before planning this hike.

Trek Overview

• Trek Duration: 10 days
• Trek Difficulty: Challenging
• Trek Date: 11th June, 2025 (Monsoon Season)
• Transportation Used: Private Jeep from Kathmandu to Machha Khola, Shared jeep from Tilije to Besi Sahar, Public Bus/Van from Besi Sahar to Kathmandu

Manaslu Circuit Trek Itinerary

Instead of doing a standard 12-day trek, we opted for a 10-day version because of a lack of time. This was the Itinerary we followed:

• Day 1: Drive from Kathmandu to Machha Khola by Private Jeep
• Day 2: Trek from Machha Khola to Philim
• Day 3: Trek from Philim to Ghap
• Day 4: Trek from Ghap to Shyala
• Day 5: Trek from Shyala to Samagaon
• Day 6: Trek from Samagaon to Larkey Bazar via Samdo
• Day 7: Trek from Larkey Bazaar to Dharamshala
• Day 8: Trek to Bhimtang via Larkey La Pass
• Day 9: Trek from Bhimtang to Tilije and drive to Besi Sahar
• Day 10: Drive back to Kathmandu

10 Days Manaslu Circuit Trek Detailed Day by Day Breakdown 

I decided to join the trekking group at the very last minute, as I was unsure if I could make time for this trek. The two boys from Brazil (Rodolpho and Caio) insisted on joining them and I couldn’t say no as i was equally excited to do it. I did some last-minute shopping and bought a few gears for the trek near Thamel and packed my bags for tomorrow.

Here's a detailed day by day itinerary breakdown :

Day 1: Drive from Kathmandu to Machha Khola by Private Jeep

• Drive Route: Kathmandu(Thamel) - Nagdhunga - Malekhu - Taribesi - Salyantar - Arughat - Arkhet Bazaar - Soti Khola - Machha Khola
• Lunch: Tari Besi
• Kathmandu to Machha Khola Distance: 162.5km (101 miles)
• Sleeping Altitude: (900m)
• Overnight: Machha Khola (Hotel Mt. Everest)

We gathered in front of the Hiking Bees Office. Our guide Bishes made sure everyone arrived at the meet-up location. We were a group of 6 pax when we started the trek. We hopped in our jeep to Machha Khola with high energy and left Thamel at around 8 Am. We hit the highway listening to music with some of the best views. Since we had a private vehicle, we stopped at a few locations for small breaks and enjoyed the views along the way.

As we were near our destinations, after Soti Khola, the roads started to get really bumpy, but the views were also getting better with greenery, rivers, waterfalls, and big hills on the route. We reached Machha Khola at 3 PM and checked into our hotel. 

Machha Khola was a small town with proper shops and schools nearby. We shopped few items like towels and socks at the local shops, and since we had a few hours left for dinner, we went to explore the river down the village. 

As per the locals, we heard that there’s a hot spring nearby, so we headed there. The river was huge, and nearby we found the hot spring. To my surprise, the hot spring water was boiling hot. You could literally see the water boiling.

We took a few pictures and spent some time over there, and headed back to our hotel, had our dinner, and went to sleep for the big day tomorrow.

Day 2: Trek from Machha Khola to Philim

• Trek Route: Machha Khola - Khorlabesi - Tatopani - Dovan - Thul Dhunga - Yaru Khola - Jagat - Salleri - Sirdibas - Philim
• Lunch: Yaru Khola
• Machha Khola to Philim Trek  Distance: 26.7km 
• Hike Duration: 7-8 hrs
• Sleeping Altitude: (1560m)
• Overnight: Philim (Hotel Philim Village and Lodge)

The second day of our 10-day Short Manaslu Circuit Trek was one of the longest walks as we were trekking all the way to Philim instead of Jagat. The distance from Machha Khola to Philim was around 26.7km.

We started our morning with a warm breakfast at Machhakhola and left the hotel around 7:30 am. We walked mostly on the roads, but still it was a pleasant experience walking along the river with waterfalls falling on top of us on the trail. The huge mountains start unfolding as you start walking further.

After hiking for 4 hrs, we had our lunch as we were really tired because of the sun, so we took a long break for almost 2 hrs, and then we got back on the trail.

Once we reached Jagat, we checked in our permits, had a cup of tea there at a teahouse, and again started walking until we saw a magical spot.

Three waterfalls are all falling, and water is being collected at one spot. We went there running. A few of the boys dived into the water, and some of us started taking photos and videos. It was such a refreshing break after a full day of a tiring hike. 

After that, we headed towards Philim. 

We crossed a bridge and reached a beautiful village (Philim). As soon as we stepped into the village, we got to interact with small children and villagers. It was nice to see people living their lifestyles.

Today, we hiked for almost 7.5 hours in total and were tired by the end of the day. So, we spent the evening resting and chatting in our teahouse and went to bed after having Dal Bhat for dinner.

Day 3: Trek from Philim to Ghap

• Trek Route: Philim - Chisapani - Nyakphedi - Pewa - Deng - Rana - Bihi Phedi - Bur - Ghap
• Lunch:  Deng
• Philim to Ghap Trek  Distance: 25 km 
• Hike Duration: 8 hrs
• Sleeping Altitude: (2105m)
• Overnight: Ghap (Nubri Ghap Pema Guest House)

The third day of our Manaslu Circuit Trek was equally tough compared to the second day. We walked 25 km in total, which took around 9 hours of walking.

Similar to other days, we had our breakfast in our tea house and started our walk. 

Our hike started very pleasantly with greenery all around and a river flowing on the side, and locals were transporting goods using mules. 

We interacted with small children, and cute fluffy dogs were following us all around the trails.  Upon walking around one and a half hours from Philim, we reach a diversion which leads to Tsum Valley and other destinations continuing the Manaslu Circuit, where we head towards Nyak Phedi by crossing a bridge, leaving our way to Tsum Valley behind. 

We planned to have our lunch at Deng and ordered our food. One of our foreign friends wanted to hire a porter mid-trip as his bag was slowing him down. Our guide arranged a local boy from nearby and hired him as a porter. His name was Amar, a lean build small boy, but super strong and fast.

 After a heavy lunch at Deng, we again continued our hike. We crossed a few suspension bridges and passed the landslide area. After a waterfall where we took a small break, we reached Ghap.

Initially, we planned to stay at the Jungle Hotel today, but since we were all tired and it was late, we decided to stay in Ghap. Ghap was a great place to stay in as we had a great view of the Himalayas from our teahouse. 

Day 4: Trek from Ghap to Shyala (3480 m)

• Trek Route: Ghap - Jungle Hotel - Suksum - Namrung - Lhi - Namsang Khola - Shyo - Lho Gaun - Shyala
• Lunch:  Lhi (2910 m)
• Philim to Ghap Trek  Distance: 25 km 
• Hike Duration: 9 hrs
• Sleeping Altitude: (3480 m)
• Overnight: Shyala

After breakfast in Ghap, we were ready to head towards Shyala. We started hiking at around 8 am from Ghap. After an hour's walk, we reached the Jungle Hotel, where we had planned to stay yesterday. We had a quick break and continued our trek along the side of the river. 

Today's hike was pleasant, full of rivers, waterfalls, greenery, suspension bridges, Mani walls, and mules carrying loads.

We had our Lunch at Lhi (2910m) as the midday heat was draining us, so we decided to have lunch and avoid the sun. After about 2 hours of lunch break and rest, we continued our trek.

We took a quick look at the monastery nearby and kicked off the main route passing through chortens uphill and downhill. We reached Lho at around 5:30 pm, it was an incredible experience to get an opportunity to interact with small monks wearing red dresses living their daily lifestyle at Lho. They were carrying food and rations upto the monastery from below, they were really friendly and innocent, we walked together till their monastery. They even gave us some noodles and biscuits as we were kind of hungry, and we offered money to them as a return, but they didn’t take it, saying we could have it as an offering from god. It didn’t feel right, so we gave them a few rupees as a gift instead so that it won’t be buying. 

By the time we reached Lho, we were already really tired, but we kicked up our final stretch. The Trek from Lho to Shyala was really beautiful, with bridges and greenery all around. Since we were already tired, our pace was a little slow; it was a little uphill before we made it up to Shyala (3,480m), so we needed frequent rests as well. Finally, we reached Shyala at around 7:30 pm. This was probably the toughest day for all of us. Since we were all tired and it was cold outside, we stayed in the dining room with a heater, had our dinner, and went to sleep.

Day 5: Trek from Shyala to Samagaon

• Trek Route: Shyala - Pungyen Monastery - Samagaon
• Lunch:  Shyala
• Trek  Distance: 13 km
• Hike Duration: 6 hrs
• Sleeping Altitude: (2105m)
• Overnight: Samagaon

Since Day 5 of our Manaslu Trek was comparatively easier, we decided to start a little late and had our breakfast later than usual. Since it was already dark when we reached Shayala, we couldn’t see anything. But our morning in Shayala was nothing but magical. We were greeted by the wide range of the Himalayas, including Mt.Manaslu (8,163 m). It almost felt like we were in a bowl between the Himalayas.

We could see from there were Mt. Manaslu, Manaslu North (6,994 m), Himalchuli, Nikey Peak, Naike Col (5,600 m), North Col (7,100 m), Chamar (7,100 m), Saula Himal (6235 m), Nadi Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and other peaks on the range.

After breakfast, we left our heavy backpack at our hotel and carried our daypack and headed to a beautiful new monastery near Shyala. It was located at a beautiful location with a backdrop of the Himalayas behind. After clicking some pictures, we started heading towards Pungyen Monastery(3,980m).

Pungyan monastery, also known as Pungyen Gompa, is one of the major highlights of the Manaslu trek.

We followed a flat path through yak pastures and forests. The ascent began gradually with an expansive view of the Manaslu Massif, Himalchuli, and Ngadi Chuli. Our final stretch to the monastery involved a bit more climbing, but not very steep.

Upon reaching the Gompa, we had a magnificent view along with a quiet and spiritual environment. With only a few monks around, it felt very isolated and serene.

We also had a sight of Pungyen Glacier nearby. 

It was a great side trip and helped us acclimate before heading towards Samagaon. The total side trip was about 6-7km and took us around 4 hours. After returning to Shyala, we had our lunch and headed towards Samagaon. 

The journey from Shyala to Samagaon was nothing but a very pleasant hike. We enjoyed and took our time on the way. We lay on the grass, gazing at the mountains and listening to music. We walked passed some amazing Mani walls and green fields. The hike was mostly straight, and we enjoyed the day very much. Upon reaching Samagaon, we checked in at our teahouse and chilled around the rest of the evening. The accommodations and teahouse were nicer here, and one thing that amazed me was the pool house near our teahouse. We played a few rounds of snooker and had our dinner before we went to bed.

Day 6: Trek from Samagaon to Larkey Bazar (3,820 m) via Samdo

• Trek Route: Samagaon - Birendra Lake - Samdo - Larkey Bazaar
• Lunch:  Larkey Bazaar
• Trek  Distance: 15 km
• Hike Duration: 3-4 hrs
• Sleeping Altitude: (3,820 m)
• Overnight: Larkey Bazar 

Since we were already on a high altitude and we were not having any acclimatization days throughout the trip, we planned to walk less on these days. Our sixth day of the Manaslu Circuit Trek was an easy day involving just 3-4 hrs of walking, including the side trip to Birendra Lake. After our breakfast at 7 Am, we went for a visit to Birendra Lake and the nearby monastery, leaving our backpacks at the teahouse. The side tip was equally beautiful. All of us really enjoyed the walk to Birendra Lake. The green pasture land with mules and yaks grazing in the backdrop of tall mountains felt like a scene from a dreamy movie. Since there was no backpack, we glided throughout the side hike. Once we reached the Birendra Lake, all of us ran down to the lake. Few of the brave group mates even took a dip in that ice-cold water. I just dipped my feet in it and nearly froze to death by the coldness of water. Nevertheless, the scenario of water falling from the mountain and forming a lake was something that i can’t explain with words, and you need to be there to see it by yourself. No amount of pictures can justify the place so if you are planning a trek in Nepal, make sure you add Manaslu Circuit to it. 

After some time in the lake, we visited the nearby monastery and learnt a few insights about Buddhism. Once we reached our tea house, we geared up, packed our bags, and were ready to head towards Larkey Bazaar, our destination for today via Samdo Village.

It was a 2-hour hike from Samagaon to Samdo and about 20 20-minute hike from Samdo to Larkey Bazaar. We left the teahouse at Samagaon and continued our journey. As we started moving further, we could notice the change in vegetation, landscapes, and greenery. Even the animals available there we different. We saw a few marmots, chinchillas, and other unique animals.  We crossed yak pastures, mani walls, and chortens along the hike. We hiked alongside the river in the opposite direction for almost the entire trek. Once we reached Samdo, we took a few moments to enjoy the serene nature. Since it was the monsoon season, the weather was not sunny and was misty all the time. Luckily, there was little to no rain; however, it felt like it was about to rain throughout the day. It was a perfect day to hike, although the views were disturbed by the clouds.

We took our final stretch from Samdo to Larkey Bazaar and finally made it up to our tea house. There was only one tea house over there. But it exceeded my expectations as we had wifi and proper electricity, and the rooms were also insulated and cozy.

We could see a lot of Marmots fighting and playing from our teahouse balcony, so we enjoyed watching them till our lunch was ready. After lunch, everybody was busy doing their own things. Chatting, playing cards, watching movies. In sum up, it was a chill day. We fired the heater and had our dinner, and went to sleep.

Day 7: Trek from Larkey Bazaar to Dharamshala

• Trek Route: Larkey Bazaar - Dharamshala
• Lunch:  Dharamshala
• Trek  Distance: 5 km
• Hike Duration: 2-3 hrs
• Sleeping Altitude: 
• Overnight: Dharamshala

I woke up pretty early today and I did my favourite thing whenever I'm in the Himalayas, ie, go out and watch out for the mountains. Larkey Bazaar didn’t fail to amaze me with the mesmerizing view of the Himalayas. We had our breakfast and clicked some photos before we headed forward.

Day 7 of our trek was a little bit complicated, not because the trail was hard, but because we were doing this trek in the off-season. We were informed that the teahouse in Dharamshala will remain closed as no trekkers were on the trail. 

However, thanks to our guide, he called the owner of the hotel and asked him to open it just for us. Luckily, there were two other trekkers with a guide whom we caught up with at Samagaon, and we all were at Bhimtang at the same day. Since there was enough number of people, a cook and a staff came from Samagaon and we were able to accommodate ourselves. If the teahouse hadn’t opened, we would have stayed one more day at Larkey bazaar, and the next day we had to walk two more hours, making day 8 very tough. These are the small perks of having a local guide who is updated about the trail. I felt very lucky to be able to stay at Dharamshala.

I’ve had a very slight headache when we reached Dharamshala, probably because of the altitude, but it was gone after we had our lunch. We spent our day playing cards as there was no electricity, no wifi, or network coverage.

The accommodation and food options were not very great, but we couldn’t complain as managing all that in such a high-altitude place is very tough. We had warm and good food and went to bed.

Day 8: Trek to Bhimtang via Larkey La Pass

• Trek Route: Dharamshala - Larkey La Pass - Larkey Phedi - Bhimtang
• Lunch:  Larkey Phedi
• Trek  Distance: 19 km
• Hike Duration: 8-9 hrs
• Sleeping Altitude: 
• Overnight: Bhimtang

Day 8 of our 10-day Manaslu Trek was the big day for all of us as we would be passing through the highest point of this trek, ie. Larkya La Pass (5,106m). We woke up very early at 4 am, had our breakfast, and instantly started heading towards the pass. 

The hike is about 4 hours to reach the Larkya La Pass from Dharmashala. When we started the hike, we didn’t see many views of the landscape. However, once it started to get brighter, the landscapes started to unfold. The landscape over there was totally different than what we had on the first few days of the trek. Big mountains on the side with a lot of rocks. No trees and only small animals and birds. Since it was in the monsoon season, there was no snow, so it wasn’t tough for us to walk. However,

We tend to get tired quickly may be because of a lack of oxygen concentration. However, we all made it up to the top on time.

We spent some time on the pass, clicking photos and celebrating the success. Since it started to get cold over there, we started our hike towards Bhimtang. We walked alongside the mountains, completed the pass, and started a downhill hike. The downhill section can be a little tricky, so I recommend that trekkers be a little careful, as it may involve some level of risk. As we started declining. The landscapes again started to change. The scenario became even more pleasing and easier. 

As we were near Larke Phedi, it started raining and we took our raincoats for the first time on this trek. Once we reached Larke Phedi, we had our lunch and rested until the rain stopped. From there, it was an easy walk for an hour and a half till we reached Bhimtang. 

Bhimtang was a beautiful village, and small yellow flowers were blooming all around the area. The teahouse looked warm, cute, and cozy. We checked in at our tea house at around 2 pm and rested for the rest of our day. 

We walked almost 19km today, and we were all really happy that we all successfully made it.

Day 9: Trek from Bhimtang to Tilije and drive to Besi Sahar

• Trek Route: Bhimtang - Yak Kharka - Surki Khola- Goa - Tilije - Dharapani - Besi Sahar
• Lunch:  Tilije
• Trek  Distance: 5 km
• Hike Duration: 2-3 hrs
• Sleeping Altitude: 
• Overnight: Besi Sahar

I woke up at 4 am today, because i wasn’t feeling like sleeping anymore. I took a peek from the window of my tea house, and oh boy!!, I just saw some of the best views of the Himalayas from my room. The mountains were looking absolutely magical. I enjoyed my tea while enjoying the view. This was probably the last time I would see the Himalayas that close, so I took my time to appreciate it. After everyone had their breakfast, we continued our ascent. The trek was equally beautiful, even on the last days of the trek. The Annapurna side of the Manaslu Circuit lived up to its name. After a few hours, we dived into the lush forests and continued hiking.

Since almost all of today's hike was downhill, we were not tired, but it was painful for our legs.

We completed a 19 km hike within 5 hours. Although the usual time is 6 hours, we finished it early because we planned to have lunch at Gowa, but since all the hotels were closed, we rushed directly to Tilije. Walking on the road in the sun was not very pleasant, but it wasn’t for long, so we didn’t mind it. 

We had one great lunch (Dal Bhat) and got on a jeep to get back to Besi Sahar. We had a celebration at our guest house at Besi Sahar and summed up the day.

Day 10: Drive back to Kathmandu

• Trek Route: Besi sahar - Dumre - Abu Khaireni -Muglin - Malekhu - Baireni - Kathmandu
• Lunch:  Malekhu
• Drive Duration: 8 hrs
• Overnight: Kathmandu

The last day of our Manaslu Circuit Trek was not really exciting as all of our group were about to be dismissed. After walking together for 10 days filled with laughter and adventure, saying goodbye suddenly didn’t feel good. Two boys from our group left for Chitwan, our porter left towards his home in Gorkha, and the remaining of us headed towards Kathmandu.

After breakfast in our teahouse at Besisahar, we took a shared electric microbus. We had 2-3 stops for lunch and tea breaks, and after around 8 hours, we reached Kathmandu and concluded our journey.

What to Pack for the Manaslu Circuit?

Packing right and light is very essential for the Manaslu Circuit, as you will be carrying your backpack for 10-12 days along with you, at high elevations, when you are running out of breath, a light backpack is such a boon.

Here’s what I packed, and you can follow this packing list for the Manaslu Circuit Trek. Feel free to make any modifications to this list if required.

Equipment/Gear List for the Manaslu Trekking

Clothing

• Trekking backpack (55 L) 
• One down jacket (rated -5 degrees)
• One Sleeping Bag
• 4 pairs of light t-shirts
• 2 light trekking pants (convertible to shorts)
• 2 Shorts
• 1 thick trekking pant
• 1 windproof jacket
• 3 pairs of light socks
• 1 pair of thick trekking socks
• Three sets of innerwear
• 1 set Inner Thermals
• 1 pair of slippers ( for the rest days and evenings)
• One small Towel (Quick dry)
• Good quality trekking boots
• Rain jacket
• Sun hat
• Warm woolen hat (only recommended for colder seasons)

Other Essentials

• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Charger and power bank
• Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, wet wipes)
• Trekking poles (1 Pair)
• Wallet and documents

How difficult is the Manaslu Circuit Trek?

Manaslu Circuit Trek is a pretty challenging trek, especially if you are doing the 10-day version; however, it’s not impossible and is doable if you are an experienced hiker and in good shape. 

Having said that, the 12-day trek could be a better option for beginners and more enjoyable, as you have an adequate time to acclimatize and see around nearby destinations.

You don’t require a high level of physical fitness. If you are a normal build and have a mindset of doing it, then you are good to go. There are many trekkers who easily completed the Manaslu Circuit as their first trek.

With simple preparation like jogging, running, and proper acclimatization, you can complete this trek.

How busy is the Manaslu Circuit?

Manaslu Circuit is a less crowded off-beaten trek, so you can expect a peaceful trek and not many crowds of trekkers like Everest and Annapurna.

Since we went at the end of the season (Early monsoon), we hardly saw two groups of trekkers throughout the trek. 

So if you love the less crowded trekking experience, Manaslu Circuit is the trek for you.