Samagaon rest day: Manaslu Base Camp hike or Pungyen Gompa?
Written by our trekking team
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks, 30 Mar 2023.
The short version
Day 8 is a rest day at Samagaon (3,530m), and you choose how active it is. The longer option heads toward Manaslu Base Camp, around 4,800m, past Birendra Tal, the glacial lake at the foot of the Manaslu glacier. The shorter one walks up to Pungyen Gompa. Or you can stay in the village. Whatever you pick, you come back down to sleep a second night at the same altitude, which is what gets you ready for Samdo, Dharamsala and the Larkya La.
Why there is a rest day at Samagaon
Samagaon is the largest village on the route, and it's where the trek turns from walking up a valley into walking at real altitude. You arrive on Day 7 after a short 3 to 4 hour walk from Lho. On Day 8 you don't move.
That second night at 3,530m gives your body time to catch up before anything higher. After it, the gains stay small: 330m to Samdo on Day 9, 600m to Dharamsala on Day 10.
The hike in the middle is optional, but it helps. Walking higher in the day and sleeping lower at night is the oldest acclimatization trick there is, and our post on altitude sickness on Manaslu explains why the pacing around it matters.
The two hikes side by side
| Toward Manaslu Base Camp | Pungyen Gompa | |
|---|---|---|
| Highest point | Around 4,800m | Lower |
| Length | The longer day | The shorter walk |
| On the way | Birendra Tal and the Manaslu glacier | The gompa above the valley |
| Best if | You feel strong and want the big view | You want an easier day |
| Night | Back to Samagaon, 3,530m | Back to Samagaon, 3,530m |
Your guide helps you pick on the morning, based on how you slept and how the first week went. Either one counts. So does a quiet day around the village if that's what your body is asking for.
Toward Manaslu Base Camp, past Birendra Tal
This is the bigger day. The trail climbs out of Samagaon toward the base of the mountain, and the high point is around 4,800m, higher than anywhere you'll sleep on the whole trek.
On the way you pass Birendra Tal, the glacial lake above the village. It's the part of the day we remember best. The Manaslu glacier comes down almost to the water, and there's a prayer-flag cairn on the shore.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks, 30 Mar 2023.
When our team was here on 30 March 2023, the group hiked up to Birendra Tal and came back down to sleep at the same height as the night before. Both photos on this page are from that day. You can see the rest of it, from the monastery at dawn to the yak on the flats outside the village, in our Manaslu Circuit photo journal.
Going further toward base camp is up to you and your guide on the day. You don't need to reach it for the rest day to do its job.
The walk up to Pungyen Gompa
If the first week has left you tired, or you'd just rather keep something in reserve for the pass, Pungyen Gompa is the gentler choice. It's a shorter walk up to the gompa, and you still get the benefit of going a bit higher before you sleep.
We'd never talk anyone out of it. The Larkya La is three days away, and arriving at Dharamsala with fresh legs is worth more than one more viewpoint.
Samagaon itself
Don't forget the village. You get two afternoons here, and the first one, on Day 7, is free.
- The monastery. Worth a walk on the first afternoon, and worth getting up for at dawn, when the light comes over it with Manaslu behind.
- The yak flats. Herds graze on the open ground just outside the village.
- The mani wall. It runs along the trail out of Samagaon, and you'll walk past it on Day 9 toward Samdo.
Samagaon and Samdo are Tibetan-influenced villages, with an old trade trail still running from Samdo toward the Tibet border. A day like this is quiet in a way the Namche or Manang rest days aren't, because the restricted-area permit keeps the numbers down.
What to take on the hike
Use your daypack and keep it light. Water and purification tablets or a filter, sunscreen and sunglasses, a warm layer and your shell, a hat, snacks and your camera. It gets cold quickly near the glacier when the sun goes in. The Manaslu packing list covers the rest of the kit.
For where Samagaon sits in the whole 15 days, see our Manaslu itinerary or the complete Manaslu Circuit guide.
Frequently asked
Is there a rest day on the Manaslu Circuit?
Yes. Day 8 is a full rest day at Samagaon (3,530m). You sleep there two nights in a row before going higher.
Can you hike to Manaslu Base Camp on the circuit?
Yes, as the optional hike on the Samagaon rest day. The trail heads toward Manaslu Base Camp, around 4,800m, past Birendra Tal, and you come back down to sleep in Samagaon.
What is Birendra Tal?
The glacial lake above Samagaon, at the foot of the Manaslu glacier. It's on the way toward Manaslu Base Camp, with a prayer-flag cairn on the shore.
What if I don't want a long hike on the rest day?
Take the shorter walk up to Pungyen Gompa, or stay in Samagaon. Your guide helps you choose on the morning, and either way you sleep a second night at 3,530m.
Do you sleep at Manaslu Base Camp?
No. Every option on Day 8 returns to Samagaon for the night. Climbing higher and sleeping lower is what helps you acclimatize.