11-Day Manaslu Circuit Trek in Nepal via Larkya-La Pass

• The drive heads along the Prithvi Highway, and in the later stages the roads are rough and dusty, but the landscapes of rice fields, waterfalls, and greenery through the villages are amazing to watch. The drive reaches Arughat Bazaar, where shared jeeps are also available to go to Soti Khola.
• Then continue driving to Machha Khola. At Machha Khola, you can rest and prepare for the trek. Overnight stay at Machha Khola.

• We will walk to Tatopani on narrow trails between the Budhi Gandaki and a cliff. There are basic accommodation facilities and a natural hot water stream.
• After an hour, the walk leads to Dobhan, then to Syaule Bhatti, and then to Yaru, where the scenes of the Budhi Gandaki will leave you in awe as it descends rapidly in beautiful cascades. The valley leads onward, and after 2-3 hours, you will reach Jagat.

Overnight stay at Jagat.

• Walk up the riverbed and climb over a rocky point to Salleri, which gives you views of Shringi Himal (7161m), then descend to Sirdibas.
• Continue upriver on the left bank, going up and down before crossing a suspension bridge and ascending to Philim.
• After an hour, reach Ekle Bhatti and cross high above a spectacular gorge with pine trees.
• Finally, drop to the Budhi Gandaki River and continue ahead to Deng. Overnight stay at Deng.

• Move to the east bank, ascend to Rana, and pass the trail up to Bihi. Continue in and out of gorges, cross the Serang Khola, and climb sharply before circling into Ghap.
• Arrive in the neat village of Namrung after about 1.5 hours from Ghap, with shops, a restaurant, and Thakali lodges across the flagstone square. Overnight stay at Namrung.

• The trail from Lho climbs through a quite compressed forest towards Shyala. Passing Sho on the way, the trail goes through many villages greatly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, and a large number of monasteries, chortens, and prayer flags reflect its prevalence. The trail from Shyala marks the slope that drains the Pungen Glacier and reaches Samagaon.

Overnight stay at Samagaon.

• Today will be a rest day to get physically acclimatized and relax the aching body. We can spend the day exploring the surroundings and places such as Birendra Lake and Pung Gyen Gumba. This trip will cover almost a full day.
• We will see wonderful views of the Manaslu range, including the majestic Mt. Manaslu (8163m). Overnight stay at Samagaon.

• The trail from Samagaon leaves from the northern end of the village. With views of Birendra Lake, we slowly begin walking along the Budhi Gandaki River, although it is smaller here than it was earlier in the trek.
• Trekking through pasture lands, the journey heads towards Samdo with views of the Manaslu, Samdo, and Pangboche Himal ranges. Overnight stay at Samdo.

• Descending past Samdo on a wide trail, we drop down to cross the Budhi Gandaki. Pass the trail to Tibet on the right and climb left after a Mani wall, navigating through juniper with many marmots.
• We will cross two gorges on thin tracks. Dharamsala is a stone hut with three rooms and an almost integral roof, but the lack of doors means it can fill with snow and remain full of ice for months.

Overnight stay at Dharamsala.

• We will climb gradually over the edge behind Dharamsala and beside the large adjacent moraine of the Larke Glacier. Moving down past four frozen lakes, we make a final climb to the left up to Larkya-La (5160m), marked by prayer flags. The peaks that can be relished from the pass are Himlung (7126m), Annapurna II (7937m), Kang Guru (6981m), and numerous others in the Annapurna Range.
• Descend on loose gravel to a beautiful valley and continue to the very scenic Bimthang. Overnight stay at Bimthang.

• Descend to the Bimthang Plain to cross the stony glacier and reach superb pristine rhododendron and pine forest.
• Enjoy the views back towards the Larke, Manaslu, Ngadi, and Chuli Himal ranges. The trail goes downhill along the west bank of the Dudh Khola past beautiful Sangure Kharka (3,020m/9,909ft) before going down to the highest cultivated land at Karche.
• We will trek through the woodlands to the old cemented village of Dharapani.

• After breakfast, we will catch a local jeep to Besisahar and connect with a local van to drive to Kathmandu. This will be a long day of driving. Extending your stay by a night in Besisahar allows you to travel more relaxingly to Kathmandu.
• In Kathmandu, we can explore the city or rest at the hotel. Overnight stay at a hotel in Kathmandu.