How many days does the Manaslu Circuit take?

I walked ten days from Machha Khola to Dharapani, one of them a round trip from Samagaon to Manaslu Base Camp to help with the altitude. Add a day in Kathmandu and a long drive each way, and plan on about two weeks in Nepal.

Do you need a guide for the Manaslu Circuit?

Yes. It's a restricted area, and the permit is issued only through a registered trekking agency, with a licensed guide going with you. Since March 2026 a single trekker can get the permit, but still only through an agency and with a guide.

What permits do you need for the Manaslu Circuit?

The Manaslu restricted area permit, US$100 a person for the first week and US$15 a day after that from September to November in 2026, plus the Manaslu and Annapurna conservation area permits, NPR 3,000 each. Your agency gets the restricted area permit for you.

When is the best time to hike the Manaslu Circuit?

March to May or September to November. June to September is the monsoon, and in winter snow can make Larkya La hard or impossible to cross. I walked November 4 to 13, 2022, and it was pretty dry, with blue skies most days.

How do you get to the start of the Manaslu Circuit?

We drove about nine hours from Kathmandu to Machha Khola, where the trek starts. At the end we drove about five hours from Dharapani to Besisahar and then back to Kathmandu. Ask your agency where the road ends on your dates.

The Manaslu Circuit film: Himalaya, Nepal

Himalaya, Nepal · 10 days · 93 miles

Manaslu Circuit Hiking Guide

10 days around Manaslu and over Larkya La in Nepal.

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Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
Altitude and my nights

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The route

My GPS recording of 10 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Manaslu Circuit route: 10 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Machha Khola, Dharapani, Manaslu, Deng and Lho. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 10 days
Distance: 93 miles
Climbing: About 31,000 ft (9,450 m) up
Season: March to May or September to November
Permit: Manaslu restricted area permit, Manaslu and Annapurna conservation areas
Route: Machha Khola to Dharapani

What's inside

All ten days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings for each day and the full route, with waypoints for the villages where I slept, Manaslu Base Camp and Larkya La, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
Permits and the guide rule. The Manaslu restricted area permit, the Manaslu and Annapurna conservation area fees and TIMS for 2026, and the licensed guide rule, including the 2026 change for solo trekkers.
Altitude, explained. Every night's height from my GPS, the Manaslu Base Camp acclimatization day, the CDC's rules of thumb applied to this route, and the signs of altitude sickness.
Getting there and home. Kathmandu, the long drive to Machha Khola, and the jeep road out from Dharapani to Besisahar, with the 2026 road and trail closures.
Teahouses, food and gear. What the teahouses, food, Wi-Fi, charging and showers were like, what I carried and what I'd take now.
Other ways to do it. Tsum Valley, a night in Namrung, and starting higher up the valley.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the whole trek.

About this trip

In November 2022 I hiked the Manaslu Circuit in Nepal: ten days and about 93 miles on my GPS from Machha Khola up the Budhi Gandaki to Samagaon, with a day walk to Manaslu Base Camp, over Larkya La at about 16,900 feet and down to Dharapani. It was a group trip I hosted with subscribers, organized by the trekking company Vagabond Trails, with a guide and porters. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for every day, the restricted area permit and the other 2026 fees, the rules about guides, the drives in and out, and every night's height for the altitude.

Watch the film on YouTube (692K views).

Gear for this route

Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

On this trek I walked with a day pack and a porter carried my duffel. Here's what I carried in 2022, what I'd take now for the cold days up high and the pass, and what I filmed with.

What I carried in 2022

From my film. My full gear list for this trip isn't in my records.

Day packa day packA porter carried the rest.
Duffela duffelThe limit was 10 kg.
PuffyThe North Face Summit Series Breithorn HoodieThe North Face sponsored the film. It kept me warm.Similar: Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody Arc’teryx
Camp shoesThe North Face ThermoBall Traction BootiesThey kept my feet super warm at camp, and they're so soft they packed small.Similar: Crocs Classic Clog Amazon
Rain shella super lightweight shellIn my pack every day as an emergency.
ElectrolytesWaterdrop Microlyte cubesWaterdrop sponsored the film. I used them on the hot days low down.
Toilet kitwet wipes and a roll of toilet paperAlso for your nose: it gets messed up at high altitude.
Camp gamea mini magnetic chess boardWe used it every single day.

What I'd take now

My current kit for what this trek needs.

Day packHyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 HyperliteA porter carries your duffel, so a day pack is all you wear.
Down jacketArc’teryx Cerium Hoody Arc’teryxFor the high days and the pass morning, which starts in the dark on snow.
Base layerPATH Projects Lynx PD Base Liner PATH Projects
HatPATH Projects Hoyt Merino Beanie PATH Projects
GlovesUnigear Touchscreen Liner Gloves Amazon
Rain shellArc’teryx Beta AR Jacket Arc’teryx
Sleeping bagHyperlite Mountain Gear 20° Mummy Bag HyperliteTeahouse rooms are cold up high, and Dharamsala's are the coldest.
HeadlampNitecore NU20 Classic AmazonFor the pass morning.
MicrospikesYatta Life Ice Spikes AmazonIf snow is forecast for Larkya La.
Water filterKatadyn BeFree AC · 1L AmazonThe conservation areas ask trekkers not to buy bottled water.
Power bankNitecore NB20000 AmazonNo charging for a day or two either side of the pass.
Wet wipesSea to Summit Wilderness Wipes Amazon
SunglassesGoodr OG Sunglasses AmazonFor the snow and the sun up high.
NavigationAllTrails+ AllTrails · 30% offImport my GPX files and download them offline in Kathmandu. Offline maps need the paid plan.
Phone dataAiralo eSIM Airalo · $3 offData in Kathmandu and the valleys. Teahouses had Wi-Fi except near the pass.

Filming kit

I shot the whole film handheld on my phone. Check the drone rules in Weather and safety before you fly: Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the conservation areas each need to approve it.

PhoneApple iPhone 14 ProThe whole film, handheld.
DroneDJI Mini 3 Pro Amazon now the Mini 5 ProIt stood up to the wind and the altitude.

What I film with now

Since September 2026 I film with a smaller setup: the Pocket 4 and the Mic 3 on the trail, and the Mini 5 Pro in the air.

CameraDJI Osmo Pocket 4 Amazon
MicDJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX AmazonIt pairs with the Pocket 4.
DroneDJI Mini 5 Pro Amazon

Everything I carry now: my gear page.

The Day 9, Dharamsala over Larkya La to Bimthang page from the Manaslu Circuit Hiking Guide

Free sample + packing list

Try Day 9 free, plus my packing list

Dharamsala over Larkya La to Bimthang

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my hut-to-hut packing list: the 35 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 61-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated September 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

How many days does the Manaslu Circuit take?: I walked ten days from Machha Khola to Dharapani, one of them a round trip from Samagaon to Manaslu Base Camp to help with the altitude. Add a day in Kathmandu and a long drive each way, and plan on about two weeks in Nepal.
Do you need a guide for the Manaslu Circuit?: Yes. It's a restricted area, and the permit is issued only through a registered trekking agency, with a licensed guide going with you. Since March 2026 a single trekker can get the permit, but still only through an agency and with a guide.
What permits do you need for the Manaslu Circuit?: The Manaslu restricted area permit, US$100 a person for the first week and US$15 a day after that from September to November in 2026, plus the Manaslu and Annapurna conservation area permits, NPR 3,000 each. Your agency gets the restricted area permit for you.
When is the best time to hike the Manaslu Circuit?: March to May or September to November. June to September is the monsoon, and in winter snow can make Larkya La hard or impossible to cross. I walked November 4 to 13, 2022, and it was pretty dry, with blue skies most days.
How do you get to the start of the Manaslu Circuit?: We drove about nine hours from Kathmandu to Machha Khola, where the trek starts. At the end we drove about five hours from Dharapani to Besisahar and then back to Kathmandu. Ask your agency where the road ends on your dates.