Manaslu Circuit Trek - 12 Days

Manaslu Trek takes you to a remote hiking region almost untouched by modern advancements. However, due to remoteness, rough trails, and high elevations, we need to keep an eye on safety. Discovery World Trekking takes the safety and security of our clients very seriously. Therefore, we will be taking the following precautions to ensure safety.

• Our guides are Intensive Wilderness First Aid trained
• We will enhance your determination and encourage you to for a successful trek.
• We use high-quality masks & gloves along with sanitizers for everyday use. 
• Trek leaders and guides have years of trekking experience 
• We recheck food & accommodations in trekking regions for extra hygiene

You need to arrive in Kathmandu two office days before the trip departure date because we need your original passport and visa to acquire a special permit for Manaslu Trek. If, in case, you missed the online trip briefing, it will also provide us time to conduct an in-person trip briefing. On the trip departure day, we will drive to Sotikhola via Arughat - from where the trek starts.

We offer free Kathmandu TIA (Tribhuvan International Airport) airport pick-up and drop-off service. Upon your arrival, our company representative will be there at the airport holding a pamphlet with your name on it. S/he will then take you to your hotel in a private vehicle. During the departure transfer, we will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the airport.

The Manaslu Trek package in Nepal includes 11-night stays at the best lodges in the trek regions. We provide five nights in rooms with a private attached bathroom at Sotikhola, Lho, Samagaun(2N), and Bhimtang. Six nights standard room at Khola Bensi, Philim, Ghap, Samdo, Dharamsala, and Dharapani.

You might require three nights hotel stay in Kathmandu before and after the trek, but it is not included in the package. Kathmandu has a wide range of hotels that caters to your wallet and tastes.

Manaslu Trek takes you to remote high elevations in the Himalayas and therefore requires enough nutritious food. You will get enough hygienic and nutritious food in trek regions. However, as you climb up menu gets shorter. 

We will provide you - 12 breakfasts, 12 lunches, and 11 dinners during the trek.

Some of the popular menu items are -

Twelve breakfasts -Oatmeal, Corn Flakes, French toast with Jam, Butter, Cheese, Honey Tibetan bread or Chapati, Local Tsampa porridge, Eggs, Pancakes, Muesli Breads, Fruits, Vegetables, Hot Drinks (varieties of teas and coffees, hot chocolates, etc.)

Twelve lunches - Dhal, Bhat, Tarkari, Tibetan Bread, Various Soups, Sherpa Stew, Steaks, Sandwiches, Momo (dumplings), Macaroni dishes, Tenduk Spaghetti Noodles, Thukpa, Pasta, Vegetable curry, Potatoes, Vegetables, Salad Pizza (Tomato, Mushroom, Mixed), Snacks (Papad, Prawn), Desserts, (Rice Pudding, Apple pie), etc

Eleven dinners - Dhal, Bhat, Tarkari, Tibetan Bread, Various Soups, Sherpa Stew, Steaks, Sandwiches, Momo (dumplings), Macaroni, Tenduk Spaghetti, Noodles Thukpa, Pasta, Vegetable Curry, Potato items, Vegetable and Salad Pizza (Tomato, Mushroom, Mixed), Snacks (Papad, Prawn), Korean Raman, Desserts (Rice Pudding, Apple pie), Hard Drinks Steaks, etc 

We select lodges that serve fresh, hygienic, tasty, and nutritious food. The menu offers local, Asian, and Western cuisine, but as you climb up, the menu gets shorter. We recommend you take fresh vegetables along with plenty of liquids (green tea, lemon tea, hot lemon, ginger tea, and garlic soup(must), etc.)

Though plenty of non-veg items will be available in trekking regions, we do not recommend them for hygiene concerns. We also highly encourage you to avoid dairy items, alcoholic drinks, caffeinated items, and hot chocolates at high elevations.

Due to weather conditions and keeping safety in mind, Discovery World Trekking conducts Manaslu Trek from February to June and August to December only. Here is a brief weather description in high trek regions during spring and autumn.

It is the best time to trek to Manaslu as you can get stunning views of Mt. Manaslu along with several glaciers in the region. Temperatures start rising from the mid of March, and with clear skies, snow mountains look at their best. 

The path looks welcoming - with rhododendron flowers blooming in several colors. By the end of March, the winter snow melts away and the route to cross Larkya La Pass becomes trekkable. Daytime temperatures in lower lands (Sotikhola, Khorlebesi, Philim, to Ghap) reach up to 24°C, and in upper mountains (Lho, Samagaun, Samdo, Dharmasala, till Bhimtang) daytime temperatures can reach up to 18°C, and it can fall to -4°C at nights.

Autumn is also a perfect season for the 12 Days Manaslu Trek. Favorable weather and temperature bring many trekkers to the Manaslu. Generally, the monsoon retreats at the end of August, and from mid-September, the weather becomes stable with clear skies revealing stunning mountain views. 

Tourists in this season are also attracted by two main festivals of Nepal- Dashain, and Tihar. Daytime temperature in low lands (Sotikhola, Khorlebesi, Philim, to Ghap) may go up to 25°C, and in high mountains (Lho, Samagaun, Samdo, Dharmasala, till Bhimtang) it can rise to 15 °C. The nighttime temperature in high regions can fall to -6 °C. In December, the temperature starts to get cold, and begins to snow. Lodge at Dharmasla closes during this time and, the Larkya La pass crossing is almost impossible due to heavy snowfall.

Altitude sickness in high mountain journeys is common among trekkers and is preventable, but it requires immediate treatment if it is acute. 

From Samagaun (3530m/11581 ft), we spend four to five nights over 3500m. Altitude sickness is the most likely to occur over 3500m. We have designed the Manaslu Trek itinerary to prevent mountain sickness, starting the trek from Sotikhola, 730 m above sea level, and continuing hiking for seven days in reaching Samagaun, which provides plenty of time for our body to adjust to high elevation. 

Moreover, we ascend slowly but gradually, taking a day's rest in Samagaun. We also advise you to drink plenty of water every day. With precautions, we are sure that you can cross Larkya La Pass without any problem. Your health and safety are very important to us, and we will not compromise when it comes to your well-being. If a trekking member falls sick, your trek leader has the authority to decide whether to continue forward or descend, taking into account the interest of the team as a whole. 

The 12-day Manaslu package in Nepal is an alternative short trek to 16 days Manaslu trek. You need to hike 6 to 7 hours each day in the lower trek regions starting from Soti Khola to Lho. However, the trek in the upper trek regions from Samagaun to Bhimtang follows the same itinerary as the 16 Days Manaslu package.

This trek is for those who have previous high-altitude trekking experience, a good level of physical fitness, and the ability to hike 6 to 7 hrs a day. Manaslu trek difficulty is above average and is a remote mountain journey that involves long climbs, steep descents, and a steep forward trail in the rocky paths and forests. 

This trek requires a minimum of 2 trekkers to acquire special permits. If you are a solo traveler, we can arrange a group for you. Discovery World Trekking can handle all group sizes, and if you have a group, the bigger your group is, the more discounts you will get. We add an assistant guide for a group of 12 or more trekkers. 

Every day you will be rewarded with a unique experience of trekking, climbing, taking photos, and exploring the local villages. During the trek, our experienced and friendly Sherpas will accompany you, and they can also provide you with information about the places you will be traveling. We assign porters to carry your luggage, but you need to carry a small backpack for your essentials. 

The day starts with an early morning hot cup of tea/coffee. After breakfast, we set off on the day’s walk around 7 AM to 8 AM, depending on the duration and nature of the day’s walk. After trekking for three to four hours, we will stop for lunch followed by an hour of rest. 

The afternoon walk is generally shorter -about two to three hours. Once we reach our overnight lodge/tea house/tent, we snack on the extra dietary food and explore nearby places before it gets dark.

During the Manaslu Trek in Nepal, internet service will be available at the lodges with some extra service charge. You can contact your family and friends from the lodges. At high altitudes, we will communicate through mobiles.

Discovery World Trekking remains in contact with all valuable clients through our trek leader at least once a day. You can buy a local sim card in Kathmandu, but the signals in high altitudes may not be strong enough. 

Meals and accommodations in Kathmandu are up to our clients themselves, as all kinds of hotels/lodges are available in Kathmandu to suit your budget and tastes. In addition, all our valuable clients will have to bring personal spending money to cover costs of meals and accommodations in Kathmandu, visa processing, travel insurance policy purchase, beverages, snacks, hot (tea \ coffee) and cold drinks, tips to the trekking crew members, souvenirs, etc. We recommend bringing cash (major currencies), which you can easily exchange for Rupees in Kathmandu. Trek regions accept Nepali Rupees only.

Throughout the lodges at Manaslu Trek region, electricity for the camera and mobile battery recharge is available at an extra cost. Similarly, you can buy either packed mineral water from local lodges and en route shops or fill boiled water into your water bottle at an extra cost. If required, we can provide you water purification pill. 

Manaslu is a challenging trek with the possibility of high altitude sickness and other unforeseen events such as landslides. So travel insurance is compulsory. 

All trekkers must provide a copy of their comprehensive travel insurance policy certificate to Discovery World Trekking before the trek. The policy must cover medical and emergency repatriation - including helicopter rescue and evacuation expenses at high altitudes (up to 6000m).

We can recommend insurance companies, but we do not sell insurance policies. 

Trekking members are kindly requested to send their detailed insurance information after trek booking. In emergencies, we will use your insurance policy and informational documents to arrange a quick and effective rescue operation, etc. 

All foreigners except Indians require a visa to enter Nepal. You can get an on-arrival Visa is available at Tribhuvan International Airport. For a visa application, you will need a passport valid for at least six months, a passport-size photo, and a visa application fee. The current visa cost for 30 days is USD 50 you can pay in cash. Visa rules can change without notice. For the latest information, please visit www.immigration.gov.np.

Citizens of China and the SAARC countries will receive a free visa. Citizens from certain countries - including Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, and Afghanistan - may not receive on-arrival visas. So citizens from these countries need to contact their local Nepalese embassy.

Nepali Rupees (NPR/Rs) is the local currency.

(1 USD = ~130 NPR).

You can exchange most foreign currencies through local banks and legitimate money exchanges in Kathmandu and all over Thamel. Legal money exchanges display their rates visibly. Please note that only Indian Rupee Notes of 100 and 2000 are legal in Nepal. 

Despite having the security advantage of a traveler's cheque, we recommend cash exchange for you to avoid hassles like lengthy processes and high bank commissions. 

You can withdraw cash (in Rupees only) from one of the many ATMs in Kathmandu and Thamel itself. Several ATMs are open around the clock. The maximum withdrawal amount is 35,000 Rupees for a 500 Rupees processing fee using a foreign card. If you use the money exchange facilities at banks and financial institutions, the service fee charge imposed is about four percent or more depending upon the bank.

The luggage weight limit is 9 kg per trekker. Porters will be assigned to carry your luggage. For every two trekkers, we assign one porter, and their combined luggage should not exceed more than 18 kg. You may need to carry your backpack for your valuables and important documents. 

Please carry what is essential. You can leave any excess baggage either at your hotel or at the Discovery World Trekking store for free.