After Manaslu: Tilije to Besisahar and back to Kathmandu
Written by our trekking team
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks, 4 Apr 2023.
The short version
Once you're over the Larkya La, getting home takes four days and only one of them is on foot. Day 12 is a long walk down from Bimtang (3,720m) to Tilije (2,300m), about 22km in 6 to 7 hours. On Day 13 a jeep takes you through the last permit check at Dharapani and down the Marsyangdi valley to Besisahar in 4 to 5 hours, where a hotel night is waiting. Day 14 is the road back to Kathmandu, about 175km in 7 to 8 hours. Day 15 is a spare day, so a slow road doesn't cost you your flight. All the transport is arranged by us and included in the price.
The last four days at a glance
When people plan the Manaslu Circuit they think hard about the drive in and the pass. The way out gets less attention, but it decides when you can fly home.
| Day | What happens | Ends at | Time | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Walk down from Bimtang | Tilije, 2,300m | 6 to 7 hrs, ~22km | Teahouse |
| 13 | Jeep via the Dharapani ACAP check | Besisahar, 760m | 4 to 5 hrs | Hotel |
| 14 | Prithvi Highway, ~175km | Kathmandu, 1,400m | 7 to 8 hrs | Hotel |
| 15 | Buffer day, then departure | Kathmandu | — | — |
From Bimtang to Besisahar you lose 2,960m in two days. Your knees will feel it, but the air gets thicker with every hour. The rest of the route sits in our 15-day Manaslu itinerary.
Day 12: the walk down to Tilije
The morning after the 5,106m pass, you wake up in Bimtang with Manaslu's west face right above the lodges. Give it a few minutes before you set off, because it's the last big view of the mountain you've just walked around.
Then it's downhill, and plenty of it. The trail drops 1,420m over about 22km, past the glacial outwash below Bimtang and into pine and rhododendron forest. It gets steeper as you go lower, and the views open up west toward the Annapurna range.
Photo: Remote Nepal Treks, 3 Apr 2023.
Six or seven hours of descent is hard on the legs, even with the breathing easy again. Poles help a lot, and so does slowing down on the steep bits. Your guide sets a steady pace. There's no reason to rush, since Tilije is the last trekking night.
After Samdo and Dharamsala, Tilije's 2,300m feels warm. We think it's the best night of the trip to relax: the pass is behind you and nothing tomorrow needs your legs.
Day 13: the jeep to Besisahar
A jeep picks you up in Tilije in the morning and heads down the valley.
The first stop is Dharapani, the last of three permit checkpoints on the circuit. Jagat logs your RAP and MCAP on Day 3 and Namrung checks the MCAP on Day 5. Dharapani checks your Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, because the standard route finishes inside the Annapurna Conservation Area. That's why the ACAP is in the Manaslu permit stack at all. Your guide carries the paperwork and deals with the check while you stretch your legs.
From Dharapani the road follows the Marsyangdi down through its gorge to Besisahar at 760m, another 1,540m lower, in 4 to 5 hours. Keep your camera handy. The gorge in the photo at the top of this page is from this drive.
A night in Besisahar
Besisahar is a proper town, and after eleven teahouse nights it feels like one. You stay in a hotel, and that night is included in the price along with the jeep.
Take a long hot shower. You've earned it.
Repack for the city. The down jacket and warm layers can go to the bottom of the bag now.
Charge everything. Tomorrow is a long day in a vehicle, and a full phone makes it go faster.
Get an early night. The drive to Kathmandu starts in the morning.
Day 14: the Prithvi Highway to Kathmandu
This is the longest day in a seat on the whole trip. You leave the Marsyangdi, join the Prithvi Highway and follow the Trishuli river to Kathmandu, about 175km in 7 to 8 hours.
Traffic sets the pace, mostly around Mugling, where the highways meet, and again on the climb over the rim of the Kathmandu valley. Plan on reaching the city in the late afternoon.
It's still easier than the Day 2 drive in, because you've broken the trip with a night in Besisahar. It's also a good day for going back through ten days of photos.
Your Kathmandu hotel for Days 14 and 15 isn't in the trek price, the same as Day 1, so budget for those nights.
Booking your flight home
If we could give every trekker one piece of advice, it would be to book the international flight for Day 15, not Day 14.
Day 15 is a buffer. Mountain roads in Nepal don't always run on schedule, and road conditions can push the drive back. With a spare day in hand, a slow Day 14 doesn't cost you anything. If everything runs on time, you get a free day in Kathmandu to rest or see the city before you fly.
Want more time in Nepal after the trek? Add it after Day 15. Permits, costs and everything else that goes into the 15 days are in our complete Manaslu Circuit guide.
Frequently asked
Where does the Manaslu Circuit end?
The walking ends at Tilije (2,300m) on Day 12. On Day 13 a jeep takes you through Dharapani, where your ACAP is checked, to Besisahar (760m) for the night.
How long is the drive from Tilije to Besisahar?
4 to 5 hours by jeep, through Dharapani and down the Marsyangdi valley. It's Day 13 of our 15-day itinerary.
How long is the drive from Besisahar to Kathmandu?
About 175km and 7 to 8 hours on the Prithvi Highway. Traffic around Mugling and the Kathmandu valley rim sets the pace, so plan on arriving in the late afternoon.
Is the transport back to Kathmandu included?
Yes. The jeep from Tilije, the hotel night in Besisahar and the drive to Kathmandu are all in our Manaslu Circuit price. Kathmandu hotel nights on Days 14 and 15 aren't.
When should I book my flight home?
For Day 15. It's a buffer day in case the roads slow down Day 14. If everything runs on time, it's a free day in Kathmandu before you fly.