Manaslu Circuit route: every stop from Machha Khola to Dharapani
Written by our trekking team
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks, 28 Mar 2023.
The short version
The Manaslu Circuit runs up the Budhi Gandaki from Machha Khola (869m), over the Larkya La (5,106m) and down to Dharapani in the Marsyangdi valley. You sleep at ten places along the way, from Jagat up to Dharamsala and down to Tilije. Your permits get checked three times: at Jagat, Namrung and Dharapani. This page goes through each stop in order, with its altitude and what you'll find there.
The checkpoint log
People often ask us for a Manaslu Circuit map. We think a list of stops is more useful on this route, because the trail itself is simple: one river valley up, one pass, one river valley down. What changes is the places you pass through. Here they are in order, with the day you reach each one on our 15-day itinerary.
| Day | Stop | Altitude | What happens here |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Machha Khola | 869m | Trailhead, overnight |
| 3 | Khorlabesi, Tatopani | — | Pass through, hot springs |
| 3 | Jagat | 1,340m | RAP and MCAP check, overnight |
| 4 | Philim | — | Pass through, Tsum turn-off |
| 4 | Deng | 1,860m | Overnight |
| 5 | Namrung | 2,630m | MCAP check, overnight |
| 6 | Lihi, Sho | — | Pass through |
| 6 | Lho | 3,180m | Gompa viewpoint, overnight |
| 7–8 | Samagaon | 3,530m | Two nights, rest day |
| 9 | Samdo | 3,860m | Last village, overnight |
| 10 | Dharamsala | 4,460m | Basic lodges below the pass |
| 11 | Larkya La | 5,106m | High point |
| 11 | Bimtang | 3,720m | Overnight |
| 12 | Tilije | 2,300m | End of the walk, overnight |
| 13 | Dharapani | — | ACAP check, by jeep |
| 13 | Besisahar | 760m | Hotel night |
Dashes mark places you walk through without stopping for the night. For the kilometers and hours between stops, see how far each day is.
The gorge: Machha Khola to Deng
Machha Khola (869m) is where the road ends and the walking starts. You arrive after a long drive from Kathmandu, and the Budhi Gandaki is right there. You'll follow it for the next week.
Khorlabesi and Tatopani come on the first walking day. Tatopani means “hot water,” and the natural hot springs there are a good excuse for a break before the climb to Jagat.
Jagat (1,340m) is your first checkpoint. Officials log your Restricted Area Permit and MCAP here, and from this point on you're properly inside the restricted area. Your guide carries the paperwork, so all you do is wait a few minutes.
Philim is where the Tsum Valley trail branches off. If you have three weeks, you can walk both: our 21-day Manaslu and Tsum Valley trek goes up Tsum first and rejoins the circuit at Deng.
Deng (1,860m) comes after a stretch of bamboo forest where the gorge narrows and steepens. You'll notice the plants changing fast around here.
Nubri: Namrung to Samagaon
Above Deng the trail climbs into the Nubri valley, and the villages change character. Stone houses, prayer wheels along the path, kani gates over the trail. It feels like a different country from the gorge you walked up two days earlier.
Namrung (2,630m) is the second checkpoint, where your MCAP gets checked again. On a clear afternoon it's also where you get your first real mountain views, of Siring and Simnang Himal.
The next day passes through Lihi and Sho on the way to Lho (3,180m). Lho has a gompa terrace that many trekkers call the best single viewpoint on the circuit. Manaslu's summit ridge fills the sky from there. If the morning is clear, get up for it.
Samagaon (3,530m) is the largest village on the route and you stay two nights. The rest day has two options. You can hike toward Manaslu Base Camp, around 4,800m, past Birendra Tal, the lake at the foot of the Manaslu glacier. Or you can take the shorter walk to Pungyen Gompa. Either way you sleep in Samagaon again. Our post on how the rest days are placed explains why that second night matters.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks, 30 Mar 2023.
The high stops: Samdo to the pass
From Samagaon the days get short and the stops get small.
Samdo (3,860m) is the last real village before the pass, reached over a high bridge across the Budhi Gandaki. There's still an active trade trail running from here toward the Tibet border.
Dharamsala (4,460m), also called Larke Phedi, isn't a village at all. It's a handful of basic lodges right below the pass, and it's your highest night. Dinner is early and so is bed, because the crossing starts by headlamp.
The Larkya La (5,106m) is the high point of the whole route. Nothing about it is technical. It's a steady climb in thin air, and from the top you can see Himlung, Cheo and Annapurna II. The descent on the far side is the long part of the day.
Down to Dharapani
Bimtang (3,720m) sits in a wide glacial meadow with Manaslu's west face rising behind it. After the pass, it feels like a reward, and on a clear morning it's one of the best views of the trek.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks, 3 Apr 2023.
Tilije (2,300m) is the end of the walking. The trail drops through pine and rhododendron forest to get there, and the views open west toward the Annapurna range.
Dharapani comes the next morning, by jeep. It's the last checkpoint, where your Annapurna Conservation Area Permit closes out the paperwork. That's why the ACAP is part of a Manaslu permit stack. From there the road follows the Marsyangdi valley down to Besisahar (760m), a hot shower and a night off the trail.
For what the whole trip involves, from permits to price, start with our Manaslu Circuit Trek guide.
Frequently asked
Where does the Manaslu Circuit start and finish?
It starts at Machha Khola (869m) on the Budhi Gandaki, after a drive from Kathmandu. The walking ends at Tilije (2,300m), and a jeep takes you through Dharapani, where the last permit check is, to Besisahar.
Where are the permit checkpoints on the Manaslu Circuit?
There are three. Jagat checks your RAP and MCAP on Day 3, Namrung checks the MCAP again on Day 5, and Dharapani checks the ACAP on the way out on Day 13.
What is the highest place you sleep on the Manaslu Circuit?
Dharamsala, also called Larke Phedi, at 4,460m. It is a group of basic lodges right below the Larkya La, and you cross the 5,106m pass the next morning.
What is the last village before the Larkya La?
Samdo, at 3,860m. After Samdo the only stop is Dharamsala, which is lodges rather than a village.
Where does the Tsum Valley turn off from the Manaslu Circuit?
Near Philim, between Jagat and Deng. You can walk both in one trip on our 21-day combined trek, which goes up Tsum first and rejoins the circuit at Deng.