Short Manaslu Circuit Trek

Your Manaslu short trek starts early in the morning with a drive from Kathmandu through Nepal's pretty middle hills. You'll see terraced fields, local villages, and fast-flowing rivers as you leave the busy Kathmandu valley behind. It takes about 4 to 5 hours to reach Arughat, which is an important market town and the main entry point to the Manaslu area.

From Arughat, you keep going to Philim village by jeep and some walking, depending on how good the roads are that day. Philim sits at 900 meters high and is where you'll spend your first night in the mountains. This traditional Gurung village is a great introduction to mountain life with its stone houses, terraced fields, and friendly local people.

In the evening, you can rest and get ready for the hiking days coming up. The village has comfortable places to stay that are basic but clean and cozy. You'll eat at local tea houses where they serve fresh food that gives you energy for tomorrow's trek.

Your second day follows the Budhi Gandaki River valley, giving you your first real taste of what Himalayan trekking feels like. The trail goes back and forth between flat walking along the river and some short climbs over small hills and side valleys. You'll be walking on old mule tracks that connect villages, and these are the same paths people have used for hundreds of years to trade between Tibet and Nepal.

You'll cross some swinging bridges over rushing streams and walk through thick forests full of rhododendron, oak, and pine trees. If you're there in spring, these forests are amazing with bright colorful flowers and lots of different birds flying around. Keep your eyes open because you might see langur monkeys swinging in the trees or spot some interesting birds.

Ghap village is where you first really see Tibetan culture in the Manaslu area. The houses look different here with their flat roofs made of stone, colorful prayer flags hanging everywhere, and beautiful wood carvings on the buildings. In the evening you can walk around the village and watch how people make traditional crafts by hand.

Day three is your longest walking day as you climb up quite a bit and really get into the higher parts of the Manaslu region. You'll follow the Budhi Gandaki valley going north, slowly climbing up through different types of plants and trees while the mountain views get more and more incredible. This day is really important for helping your body get used to being at higher places.

The morning starts with steady uphill walking through mixed forests where you see more rhododendron trees. You'll cross several small streams on wooden bridges, and each time you cross one it's a good chance to take photos and catch your breath. By the middle of the day, you're high enough that the forest starts to thin out and you get much better views of the mountains.

Shyala village sits in an absolutely beautiful spot with huge peaks towering all around and deep valleys below. The village still looks very traditional with stone houses, flat roofs, and really detailed wood carvings. The families here grow barley and keep yaks, so you'll see fields and animals grazing around the village.

Today you get to enjoy cultural value with more climbing as you visit the historic Pungyen Gompa monastery before heading to Samagaon. Your morning starts with a side trip to this really old monastery that sits at 4,000 meters high, where you get incredible views of Manaslu's huge north face. This extra walk up is great for helping your body adjust to the altitude while giving you an amazing cultural experience.

Pungyen Gompa is one of the most important spiritual places in this area, where monks still practice Buddhism and come for meditation retreats. From the monastery, you can see Manaslu, Himalchuli, and other massive peaks all around you. Inside there are ancient paintings on the walls, prayer wheels, and old religious items that make the whole place feel very spiritual and peaceful.

After you come back down from the monastery, the trail keeps going north toward Samagaon through even more dramatic mountain scenery. Samagaon village is like the cultural center of the upper Manaslu area, where people still live the authentic Tibetan way of life. The village sits in this amazing bowl shape surrounded by some of the world's highest mountains.

Day five is a shorter walking day that helps with several things: getting your body more used to the altitude, experiencing local culture, and getting in the right position for the final push toward Larkya La Pass. You'll walk on the same traditional paths that Tibetan traders and local herders have used for hundreds of years, which gives you a real sense of the area's trading and cultural history.

When you leave in the morning, you get spectacular mountain views as the trail heads north through the upper Budhi Gandaki valley. Manaslu dominates the view to the east while Himalchuli and other huge peaks create an incredible backdrop behind you. The landscape gets more rocky and stark as you go higher, but it's really beautiful in its own way as the green plants give way to stone and rock.

Samdo village is very close to the Tibet border and the people here still have strong connections with Tibet through trading, marriages, and religious practices. Since it's a shorter walking day, you have time to explore the village, talk with local people, and let your body keep adjusting to the altitude. In the evening you can enjoy the tea house hospitality and learn more about how the local families live.

The second to last trekking day takes you to Dharmashala, which people also call Larke Phedi. This place serves as your base camp before crossing Larkya La Pass. This important day involves climbing up quite a lot and getting ready for the toughest part of the whole trek. You'll follow valleys carved by glaciers and walk on rocky ground as you get closer to the really high altitude zone.

Your morning starts with gradual climbing through landscape that gets more and more bare, where only the toughest mountain plants can survive. You'll cross several streams that come from glaciers and walk over rocky piles left behind by glaciers that have moved back over time. The rocky ground means you need to watch your footing carefully, and you'll start to feel the effects of being up so high.

Dharmashala sits in a harsh but beautiful location with towering peaks and glacier features all around. The settlement is mostly stone shelters that give you basic but necessary places to sleep before trying to cross the pass. You'll spend the afternoon and evening resting, getting your gear ready, and going to bed early because you need to start really early tomorrow morning.

The toughest and most rewarding day starts really early before the sun comes up so you can cross Larkya La Pass. This amazing day tests your body and mind but gives you incredible mountain views as you tackle one of Nepal's most challenging high passes. You start climbing in the dark using headlamps, following stone markers across rocky ground and maybe some snowy sections.

The climb takes about 2 to 3 hours of steady uphill walking across ground that gets harder and harder to walk on. Loose rocks, possible snow patches, and the thin air combine to make this the most demanding part of the whole trek. When you finally reach Larkya La Pass at 5,106 meters, it's the emotional and physical high point of your entire adventure.

The 360 degree mountain views include Manaslu, Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal, Annapurna II, and countless other peaks stretching out as far as you can see. Going down the other side involves steep, rocky slopes that lead down toward Bimthang. Bimthang is such a welcome relief after the demanding pass crossing, with great mountain views and comfortable tea houses where you can finally relax.

Day eight feels so much easier as you walk down through beautiful valleys toward the end of your trek. You'll go through all kinds of different landscapes including alpine meadows, rhododendron forests, and traditional farming villages. This downhill day lets you recover from yesterday's tough climb while enjoying new scenery and meeting more local people.

When you start walking in the morning, you'll follow well-kept trails through areas where the plants and trees gradually change as you get lower. You'll cross more and more streams as you enter valleys that have more water flowing through them. The gentle downhill walking feels comfortable and gives your joints and muscles a chance to recover from all that high altitude walking.

Tilche village has comfortable places to stay and really good food as you get ready for your final day tomorrow. The village looks traditional but has also adapted to having more trekkers passing through. In the evening, you can talk with local people, organize your gear, and think back on all the amazing things you've experienced on this trek.

Your final day combines a short morning walk with a long but scenic drive back to the city. The morning walk takes you to Dharapani, where you can catch transport to either Kathmandu or Pokhara. This last day lets you think about everything you've accomplished on the trek while starting your journey back to normal city life.

The morning walk follows well-maintained trails through mixed forests and traditional farming villages. This final walking part gives you chances to take some last photos, talk with local people one more time, and think about all the incredible experiences you've had. Dharapani is an important transportation hub that connects the Manaslu region with the Annapurna Circuit route.

The drive back gives you spectacular mountain views and changing landscapes as you return to lower places. When you arrive in Kathmandu or Pokhara, you've successfully completed your short Himalayan adventure trek. You'll be carrying memories of beautiful trails, authentic culture, and the personal achievement of finishing one of Nepal's most beautiful trekking regions.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Our classic Short Manaslu Circuit Trek Itinerary does not include an acclimatization day before crossing Larke La Pass (between Day 4 and Day 5). If you prefer to add this option, an additional day will be included in the itinerary with a supplementary cost of USD 60.

If you choose this option, you can explore Birendra Tal and Manaslu Base Camp on that day. The additional cost for this add-on is USD 60.