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Manaslu Circuit, a group trip: a still from my film

Himalaya, Nepal · November 2022

Manaslu Circuit, a group trip

150.3 KM · 10 DAYS · 9,450 M

10 days around Manaslu and over Larkya La in Nepal.

Watch the film 1:00:30 · 692K views

At a glance

Where
Himalaya, Nepal
Distance
150.3 km (93.4 miles)
Days
10 days on foot
Climbing
About 31,000 ft (9,450 m) up and 27,800 ft (8,470 m) down
Season
March to May or September to November. I walked in early November
Difficulty
Not technical, but long and high, with one big pass day
Route
Machha Khola to Dharapani
When I went
November 2022
Relief map of the Manaslu Circuit route: 10 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Machha Khola, Dharapani, Manaslu, Deng and Lho.
12345678910Highest 16,940 ft (5,163 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 16,940 ft (5,163 m), lowest 2,640 ft (805 m).

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The film

Photos

  • The Budhi Gandaki gorge near Dobhan on Day 1.
    The Budhi Gandaki gorge near Dobhan on Day 1.
  • The valley between Namrung and Lhi on Day 4.
    The valley between Namrung and Lhi on Day 4.
  • The Budhi Gandaki valley below Samdo on Day 7.
    The Budhi Gandaki valley below Samdo on Day 7.
  • Leaving Bimthang on the morning of Day 10.
    Leaving Bimthang on the morning of Day 10.
Birendra Lake below the Manaslu glacier, above Samagaon on Day 6.
Birendra Lake below the Manaslu glacier, above Samagaon on Day 6.

The guide · 61-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

10 days around Manaslu and over Larkya La in Nepal.

  • All ten days
  • My GPX files
  • Permits and the guide rule
  • Altitude, explained
  • Getting there and home

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Look inside the guide

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The whole Day 9, Dharamsala over Larkya La to Bimthang page from the guide as a PDF, plus my hut-to-hut packing list: the 35 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

Gear on this trip

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What I carried in 2022

  • Day packa day packA porter carried the rest.
  • Duffela duffelThe limit was 10 kg.
  • PuffyThe North Face Summit Series Breithorn HoodieSimilar now: Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody
  • Camp shoesThe North Face ThermoBall Traction BootiesSimilar now: Crocs Classic Clog
  • 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.

Filming kit

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

Music in this film

All music

What I'd take now

My current kit

Everything I use, in Tools

Asia bundle

This guide is in Asia Hiking Guide Pack: 8 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.

Short answers

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.

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