15-Day Manaslu Circuit Trek from Kathmandu via Larkya La Pass

• Arrive in Kathmandu, where our representative will pick you up from the airport. He will be displaying a sideboard outside the airport terminal. Transfer to the selected hotel.
• Attend the pre-trip meeting held at our office in the afternoon. During this meeting, we will introduce your trek and/or tour leader/guide, so please ensure you ask all your questions and concerns. For the meeting, please bring a passport, 2 copies of passport-size photos, and a copy of your travel insurance policy (if you haven't sent it by email before). Sign the legally binding trip form as well as the non-liability disclaimer.

Start your sightseeing tour of Kathmandu Valley after breakfast. You will have a professional tour guide with a private vehicle. Today, you will visit the following cultural wonders of Kathmandu Valley:

• Swambhunath Stupa/Monkey Temple: An ancient religious architecture atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, Swayambhunath is among the oldest religious sites in Nepal. The Swayambhunath consists of a stupa and a variety of shrines and temples. A Tibetan monastery, museum, and library are more recent additions. We can also see the 360-degree view of Kathmandu Valley. This will be a good way to start your day.
• Pashupatinath Temple: Pashupatinath Temple is one of the most important and significant Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world, located on the bank of the holy Bagmati River near the airport. The major temple is strictly for Hindus only; even though you are not allowed to go inside the main temple, you can clearly see the temple and the activities from the other banks of the river.
• Boudhanath Stupa: Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Boudhanath is one of the holiest sites of Kathmandu Valley. It was built in the 5th century with pairs of eyes in all 4 directions, keeping an eternal watch over the people and their doings.
• Finish sightseeing in Boudhanath, and on the way to your hotel, our driver will drop you at Kathmandu Durbar Square (only if you are staying at Thamel), from where you can walk back to Thamel through the narrow and oldest open street market of Asan in Kathmandu Durbar Square.

• Begin our journey to one of the best-kept secrets of Nepal.
• Set out for a Himalayan ride to Machha Khola after an early breakfast. We will drive through the countryside of Nepal, passing many small towns, green hills, and riversides.
• We can also enjoy the panoramic views of mountains like Ganesh Himal, Manaslu, Shringi Himal, and many more. Places like Dhading Besi, Aarughat, and Aarkhet will be small breakthroughs in our 7 to 9-hour drive to Soti Khola.

• Follow the Budi Gandaki Gorge, and we will ascend and descend through narrow trails. We will pass through small villages like Tharo Khola, Khlorabesi, and Tatopani, where they have natural hot springs - a perfect place to take a small break and rest your weary muscles in hot water.
• Climb over the ridge to arrive at Dobhan. We continue climbing through the deep forests, keeping an eye out for Langur monkeys, other wildlife, and neat Gurung villages high above the jungle. We will climb over another ridge to arrive at the village of Jagat.

• Make our way through various landscapes and dense sub-tropical forests, rivers, waterfalls, and small farming villages. We will cross small farming villages like Salleri, Sirdibas, Philim, and Nupri/Ekle Bhatti.
• We pass through beautiful terraced landscapes growing maize, millet, potatoes, and vegetables. We again trek through an uninhabited gorge and the trails at the bank of Budi Gandaki.

• Begin our day by ascending to cross the river and drop down to the Sringi Valley. As we climb up from the valley, major peaks of this trek will start to appear in the distance. Along the trail today, we see flat stones carved with intricate figures and stupas, many Mani-lined walls, and gumbas.
• Trek through Pork village, the vantage point of snowcapped mountains, with a beautiful scene of Gurung village. This is an optional way to Namrung. The trail then follows the river upstream through dense forests and leads to the narrow gorge.
• We will cross the Budi Gandaki River several times, and then we take a steep climb at the end to get into Namrung Village.

• Wake up earlier today to encounter the beautiful sunrise view over the Sringi Himal, Ganesh Himal, and Buddha Himal. The village of Namrung marks the beginning of the region of pure Tibetan inhabitants.
• Passing through forests, villages, many stupas, and barley farms, the trail drops and crosses the side of the valley of Simnang Himal, with Ganesh Himal on the other side. The first stunning glimpse of Manaslu becomes visible once we arrive at Lho village, where we stay overnight; here you enjoy the sunrise and sunset view from your guesthouse window.

• Get ready for a day out. It's not a big day, but a busy day! The extraordinary views of Manaslu, visiting the famous Ribung monastery, Shyala Village, Himal Chuli, Peak 29, Ganesh Himal, and the beautiful hanging glacier will keep you busy as you take many photos.
• Once we arrive at Samagaun, we can see women weaving wool into gowns or Chinese brandy on sale. More than 500 years of settlement in this village of Samagaun will give you an idea of how these people have survived on the lap of the giant mountains for a long time.
• We can take a short walk above the village where they have a monastery; on the way back, we can see the lifestyle of the locals.

• Enjoy a day of acclimatization. After a few days of a significant gain in altitude, you'll take today off to relax and acclimatize.
• There is an optional walk up to the ridge below to Manaslu Base Camp (4500m) or Pungyen Gumpa and Birendra Tal on the lap of the Manaslu Massive, offering great views of the hanging glacier and the 8000-meter peak towering above you.

• Ready for trekking. After the acclimatization day in Sama Gaun, you'll be ready to hit the road to Larke La Pass again. As you leave Sama Gaun, you'll catch an outstanding glimpse of the Himalayas.
• Descend to Budi Gandaki again, and then we climb up to the small village of Kane.
• We will pass several Mani walls as the valley begins to widen. It's an easy trek to Samdo, the village of 200 permanent residents, also known for traditional yak herding, and it represents the traditional Tibetan Buddhist lifestyle, breeding sheep and goats, training horses, and planting barley.

• Begin our day after breakfast at Samdo. Crossing the wooden bridge over the Budi Gandaki, we come across the Larkya Glacier; along the way, we will see many Mani walls and a monastery with a stunning view of the mountains.
• Head around the valley of Sala Khola and climb up again to Dharmasala. The base of Larke La Pass is where we take shelter for the night.

• Begin trekking. Finally, it's the day to cross Larke La Pass, which is widely believed to be one of the most dramatic passes crossing the Himalayas.
• A short climb will lead us to the north side of Larkya Glacier. The trail upwards is gradual, but we will trek slowly and steadily to avoid altitude issues. It takes about 5 hours to reach the pass. The spectacular mountain scenery on the west is something you will never forget - Himlung Himal (7126m), Chap Himal, Gyaji Kang, Kang Guru (6981m), and Annapurna II (7937m).
• As we follow the glacier, the strenuous descent from the pass is very steep across ice and scree. Progress is slow and careful, but eventually, we enter the Burdin Khola Valley, an easy trail that continues to Bimtang.

• Enjoy another scenic day of our trek. Views of Manaslu, Lamjung Himal, Himlung Himal, and Cheo Himal, with the inspiring forest and valley below, are again spectacular.
• From Bhimtang, walk through a rhododendron forest and follow a trail through a narrow valley until you reach the highest cultivated land of the valley at Karcher.
• Pass through lush fields before making a steep climb over a ridge. The trail comes off the ridge in a big, sweeping arc to the river bank. A short distance beyond is the village of Gho and Tilje, where some trekkers choose to stay the night, but we will continue walking until we get to Dharapani for the night.

• Appreciate the morning breakfast; we will take the best available public jeep to get back to Beshisahar, and by the time we arrive, our private tourist vehicle will be waiting for you.
• Take a small break here, and then we will drive to Kathmandu. Transfer to the selected hotel.
• Celebrate the successful completion of our journey in the evening with a farewell dinner served in a traditional Nepali restaurant with a cultural program.

• Enjoy your last moments in Kathmandu with a city stroll and souvenir shopping. Your adventure in Nepal comes to an end today. It's time to say goodbye to Nepal until next time.
• Meet our representative at your hotel and drive to the airport for your return flight home. On the way home, you will have plenty of time to plan your next adventure in the wonderful land of the mystic Himalayas.