Who is the Manaslu Trek for?
Who would enjoy the Manaslu Trek? Probably most people would enjoy the trek but especially those who are interested in culture, want to get away from the crowds and commercialisation of other treks, and are happy to compromise on comforts to experience authentic Nepal. For those who realise they missed the Annapurna Circuit Trek in it’s golden age will love this trek.
What permits do I need for the Manaslu Trek?
- Restricted Area Permit: US$ 70 per week (was $50 in 2011) + $10 per day extra. First check is at Jagat and last check Dharapani. You’ll probably need more than 7 days to get from place to place.
- Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP) permit: NRs. 2,000 (approx 20 Euro or US$30)
- Annapurna Conservation Area Project (MCAP) per: US$10mit: NRs. 2,000 (approx 20 Euro or US$30)
1. must be organised through a registered trekking agent. 2 & 3 you can get yourself from the Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu, but much less headache to let your agent arrange. Note, the TIMS card is not required when you purchase a restricted area permit.
You’ll need to provide 4 passport photographs.
Because of the Restricted Area Permit, the Government of Nepal can track how many trekkers a company is sending to these areas, estimate the number of staff sent with them and the approximate income to the trekking company and then tax accordingly. Hence few companies will offer permit only without a guide (which is anyhow obligatory).
How much does the Manaslu Trek cost?
See this post: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2142025
…except for Dharmasala expect 250npr per bed max. and here is a menu from 2010
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8482199@N07/5210447267/in/set-72157625350635341 lower area Machakhola
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8482199@N07/5211309242/in/set-72157625350635341 Samagaon
As mentioned above, the permit costs per person are Rs 4000 for MCAP and ACAP plus US$70 per week for the restricted area (Jagat to Dharapani).
A guide can cost upwards of $15 per day, a porter upwards of $10 per day (very approximate) and they normally manage their own food and accommodation.
Food and accommodation are usually combined in the bill and can cost anywhere from Rs. 1000 at lower altitudes and up to Rs. 2000+ at Larkya Phedi.
See the right column for the current exchange rate.
You don’t need to fly to reach this trek. Buses are not expensive to Gorkha or Dading Besi > Arughat, around the Rs 500 mark. Returning from Besi Sahar is similarly priced. Jeeps running to Besi Sahar can cost around Rs 500 per ‘section’ and it means you can spend Rs. 1000 or so to speed your journey from Dharapani these days (spring 2013).
Can I trek the Manaslu Trek independently / alone?
According to the rules, you must trek as a group of at least two and be accompanied by a registered guide.
People often buy an extra permit for a “ghost trekker” and then go alone with their guide. To do this you need a real passport from a real (foreign) person.
Is the Manaslu Trek difficult?
Below the main picture on this page Jamie McGuinness explains:
Note: The Lonely Planet guide book describes the Manaslu trek as tougher than most, but this is now wrong. There have been new trails put in that significantly reduce the climbing involved and reduce the exposure. The trails are now wide and good unlike in Tilman’s time (1950) where in one part the trail was a few narrow planks resting on branches that had been hammered into cracks in the rock!
While some of the trails are fantastically airy, high above the Budi Gandaki river, the trails are perfect for trekking. You should be fit as there is lots of up and down, but there is nothing too extreme on this trek. Just take it easy on the decent from the pass.
What is this website about? What is it for?
For many years camping groups have passed along this route bringing their funny yellow and orange tents, bringing and cooking their own food, all carried by a crew not from that area, taking pictures and moving on. They had little choice as there was little or no usable accommodation. The locals benefited very little from this tourism. In the last two years, this has changed and their are now enough tea-houses to be able to travel without a tent. The key was the night below the pass at Larkya Phedi (Dharamsala) which was a cold night’s camp, which is now a basic but clean, warm lodge with 64 beds and good food.
On the other hand, there is the hand of progress in the form of bulldozers bringing roads. It is not sure when roads will appear in this area, but given the eating of the Annapurna Circuit, it won’t be many years.
So now the locals of Nubri have a good chance to benefit from tourism and they need to do it quickly as possible (not least because its an extraordinarily tough life up there) and for this to happen everybody needs to know that it is there, that it is a tea-house trek, that it is not so very costly to do, that it is a fabulously beautiful area, that their tea-house trek will make a difference to the locals and that you don’t have to wait until October to do it.
Agree or disagree? – please add your comments below!
When it is most busy?
This data could be suspect as the data for Mustang given in the MoTCA source document is identical month by month. It is likely it is correct, as Mustang has Teeji Festival which falls in the spring when a lot of people go. But you can see October is very busy, which seems a little bit crazy when you think that November and December can be fine too.
Which month is the Manaslu trek most busy?
According to the data, the trek is becoming more popular by the year.
Number of visitors to Manaslu per year
How busy is the Manaslu Circuit trek compared to the Annapurna Circuit trek?
It’s anecdotal evidence, but the Annapurna circuit sees around 10,000+ trekkers per year (it was 65,000 in 1995!) compared to Manaslu’s 2,000. This information only really affects you if you trek in October, as most other months are quiet.
Why is tea-house trekking better than camping?
It’s totally up to you which you prefer doing!
- Better for the local economy & better for you – in a lodge there is more local interaction, warmer, snugger and you are bringing money and jobs into the area. A small amount it may be, but it can have a big effect. Camping however brings very little work for locals other than bog standard portering.
- Tea-house trekking uses just a quarter of the porters (2 trekkers:1 porter for tea house trekking, 1 trekker:2 porters for camping). Your team is smaller and you feel less like a Royal Family on expedition. You employ fewer porters, but more money is spent locally on food and stay.
- In the long run it’s cleaner. Camping invariably leads to littering but with a tea house, the landlord has the responsibility to keep the area clean. Hopefully.
Don’t have high expectations of luxury lodges quite just yet, but expect simple accommodation. Things are improving quickly. Some groups bring a cook with them to work in the kitchens and train the local cook on the job, thus cooking is improving. In Manang on the Annapurna circuit, most of the cooks are from this Manaslu region, and some of them are starting to return to work at home. Again, this will bring improvements.
Can I do the Manaslu Circuit trek in reverse?
Yes. But be wary of proper acclimatisation. The locals in Samdo and the lodge owners in Larkya Phedi come this way from Pokhara and Kathmandu as it is the fastest way.
If you are not acclimatised, it will be better to come via the Budi Gandaki valley, otherwise you have several days acclimatising in Bimtang followed by a leap to 5100m which is considered risky. Read more about the Manaslu Trek in reverse here.
What gear / clothes / equipment to take on a trek?
As little as possible while being prepared for most likely eventualities, is a short and not-so-helpful answer. Given that the locals get by on very little indeed, it makes no sense to be carrying five changes of clothes with you when you go to visit their region.
Experience counts for a lot, so for the best answer, read what Mr Smith has to say about it:
Packing for a Tea House Trek in the Himalaya
Plus another trekking kit list from Howard Dengate at the bottom of the page here on fedup.com.au.
What is the food like? What can I eat on the Manaslu Trek?
Dal bhat! And for a longer answer, see here: http://manaslucircuittrek.com/#comment-878
We are planning on doing the Manalsu/Tsum valley circuit in April but have heard haze is a big problem this time of year and often obscures the great views. Has anyone any information on this as we could postpone to Oct/Nov if necessary.
Oct/Nov is best for sure…as are early mornings. End of April to May when it warms up certainly become more hazy. Still very beautiful and you have the benefit of blooming spring and rhododendrons.
can we give restricted area permit fees in Dharapani or if go through main trail, can we get it from Arughat or other places above? We do not have much time to go to Kathmandu. Coming from Birgunj.
I think not as they are arranged through the Home Ministry in Kathmandu. Send an email to a trekking company to ask as normally you cannot anyway get your permit, and a trekking company has to do it for you.
Hi,
1. Has the restricted area permit gone back up to USD 70 / week plus USD / day for 2012?
2. Where are the exact boundaries that require the permit? Where are the check points?
3. What fate befalls those who take a bit longer than the permit allows? Can I pay the extra USD 10 / day on exit?
I don’t mind paying a bit for the privilege of enjoying the area, but with MCAP fees, ACAP fees, permit fees, guide wages and possibly TIMS fees for the ACAP stretch this is all rather mounting up more than a little.
1. Yes, back up to USD 70 and then USD 7 per day from September to November. Outside this window USD 50 / 7.
2. Jagat to Bhimtang
3. Don’t know. My agency in KTM said if due to illness or bad weather no problem.
You don’t need TIMS to exit through Besisahar.
Yep, have to agree that all the bits are adding up to a fair chunk of change. I’m off in a couple of weeks….
Hi
Me and a friend are thinking of mountaining biking the manaslu circuit next march/april (we did a similar thing and cycled around the annapurna circuit a few years ago). We were wondering if being accompanied by a registered guide is still enforced by the authorities?
We don’t mind paying the restricted permit fee etc, but getting someone running along behind us while we cycle is a bit crazy.
Take a guide on a bike? There is a mountain biking boom here in Nepal. I know a few guys here who ride at a high level. http://www.himalayansingletrack.com/
Hi,
Thanks for the answer, but we’re very experienced riders ourselves and don’t need a guide, so was just wondering if the authorities enforce taking a guide with you?
Cheers
David
That is hard to say. Essentially it is the law currently that foreigners must be accompanied by a registered guide. With bikes you’re certainly going to draw attention to yourselves so I guess more likely to have the rule book read out to you – or less likely. You know how it is – you’ll only know when you try.
I don’t doubt you are experienced riders, but can be fun and useful to have a local guy ride with you (you know standards from say yak attack) who speaks the language, who you can answer questions about the area etc. It could be a positive.
Just to state my opinion. And I know you won’t like it.
I think that mountain bikes should be banned from the trekking trails. They are a real pain in the arse, I can accept the donkeys, yaks, horses, and large groups with sticks, but MTB’s? No thank you.
Why?
Because
1. Most of the way up they are carried and block the way.
2. Along the flat they reckon to have priority and think they can barge through.
3. On the way down they generally go very slowly, or get carried on the steep parts.
IMO the trekking trails are just not suitable for mountain bikes.
If anybody says they did the Annapurna Circuit on a mountain bike, I wonder just how much was ridden, how much was carried and how far the porters were expected to carry the 10 kgs or more of extra “baggage”?
I appreciate that you seem to have experienced problems with mountain bikers in the past, however, I question whether this is the right place to raise these issues which were not sought. I repeat my original question; is being accompanied by a registered guide still enforced by the authorities?
Yes, you need a restricted area permit, a registered guide, an MCAP pass and and ACAP pass.
And I think this is a perfectly good place to raise my concerns, as it addresses a point made in your original post. You are here with clearly the opposite opinion, so that might be the start of a discussion. Although it is doubtful that there will be many participants, as this website is not particularly well frequented.
Yes Bob – it is a website providing information, not a forum. If you want to start a discussion about mountain biking etiquette, then a mountain biking forum website might be a better option to reach more people. The website is pretty well frequented, just not as a forum. I think it has been visited by almost as many people as have ever walked the trek.
Additionally, rather than trying to open the discussion as a series of generalizations about behaviour, might it not be better to make a plea for some empathy and consideration from bikers rather than a ban? Think about the signs you see in Manang requesting horse riders to dismount before charging through the village. Surely there is space for everybody, if everybody respects everybody else’s right to be there, their space and safety? Maybe they just need to require nice bell’s and put a 10km/hour speed limit?
Hi There,
I am planning to make the Manaslu Trek starting in early September 2012. Most people seem to trek this route in Oct/Nov. Has anyone else run the route in September? I am keen to know how the weather might be.
I am also looking for companions for the trek and to share the cost of the mandatory guide, so would welcome hearing from interested parties. I’ll be in Kathmandu from 30th August and would like to get under way after 3-5 days.
Thanks,
Owain
Weather could be cloudy / rainy with chance of some good days. Air is still wet from monsoon.
Try http://trekkingpartners.com/forums/partners/asia/nepal/manaslu-ganesh-himal/
Hi There!
I was curious to know if there is any change in the compulsory guide policy. I’ve read on three torn that there were some official plan to waive the guide requirement but it wasn’t clear how far this has gone. (we are planning to do the trek in a group of two, and we would like to avoid having a guide…sometimes are really nice people, but sometime it is just a additional weight on your shoulders…).
thanks!
Nasser
The requirement has not changed so far! Not likely to change in the foreseeable future.
Anybody info on guest houses in Gorkha and Kanchok?
Hello there,
Great website by the way.
I will visiting Nepal in December and wondered what it would be like to do this trek from Mid December. From what I understand is that the the pass at Larkya La could be an issue (heavy snow/ice) and that the tea house at Dharmasala could be shut? Would you please be able to confirm this for me, is this still the case or have provisions been made for it to remain open?
Thank you
Hadi
- It will be very cold. And at night very very cold.
- As you are required by the government to take a guide, he, or the trekking agency, should be able to tell you whether Dharamasala will be open.
The Pizza is good!
hey there,
is a guide still required? or has it changed?
thank you very much.
martina
You still need a guide, yes.
Hello,
Does anyone know if there are bathrooms/ ‘holes’/etc along the way or should we bring a garden shovel for our solid toileting needs? I understand we should bring our own toilet paper, is this correct? Are there places to deposit trash along the way or do we pack out our toilet paper?
Thank you.
Plenty of toilets on the way, no shovel’s needed.
There are villages to deposit trash, though no guarantee that it will be disposed of perfectly. It is usually burned. There is no obligation to pack out your trash, but nice if you do.
Hello,
Thank you for your helpful response! At this time of year, late April/early May, is there a lot of ice on the ground at the higher elevations? Would you recommend bringing some sort of traction for our boots? If so, it is best to pick up something in Kathmandu? Is there likely to be snow also? What are the coldest temperatures around 5100 meters?
Hello,
Unlikely to be too much ice and snow if any. Passing humid air can bring snow, but it generally melts away quickly to reveal the path again.
Most people manage to cross the pass with walking shoes alone. Can be slippy but generally no dangerous cliffs to fall from. Trail quickly becomes worn. In late April, if weather is clear then it is warm enough for a thin layer top and bottom.
Hello,
We did the Manaslu circuit in April last year so were at the Larkya La pass approx 20th April and there was LOTS of snow and ice. It was very tricky on the descent and we wished we had packed crampons, so be warned. It was pretty scary at times, our walking poles helped. However by early May it might be ok, but you can never be sure. There are lightweight type of crampons I would recommend, with rubber base that fits onto your boot and metal spikes provide grip, much easier to pack/carry than traditional crampons. You will need warm clothing for the higher altitudes in April (definately!) we had layers of thermals and fleeces and good down sleeping bags we rented in Kathmandu (approx $2/day) and were still very cold at higher huts/houses.
Good luck and enjoy it, its a wonderful experience!
Crossed the Larka La in late April 2012. We were very happy to have packed crampons as there was 1-2m of snow that had turned icy. We were able to help the porters and also another trekker who had problems.
Hi,
Me and a mate are going to be cycling around the circuit this Oct/Nov. We’re going to be staying at teahouses. I was wondering if anyone knew if all the teahouses provide blankets, as we are going to be packing ultra-light backpacks so weren’t going to take sleeping bags.
Thanks
Hello, is trekking Manaslu in August highly not recommended because of the monsoon season? How often does it rain in August? Following up on David`s question above, when staying in tea houses during the Manaslu trek, MUST trekkers take sleeping bags? Or do the tea houseds provide adequate blankets/covers? Finally, are there any weaving villages (textiles/weaving) during/near the Manaslu circuit? Thank you!
Hi Alexis,
Can rain pretty much every day in August and views are almost nonexistent.
Due to the few trekkers passing through, apparently it is difficult to find food and open tea-houses. Others may confirm this.
Check this: http://manaslucircuittrek.com/7/manaslu-trekking-in-the-monsoon-season/ and http://manaslucircuittrek.com/1331/woven-textiles-from-the-nupri-valley-nepal/
Thank you very much for the fine info. I appreciate your help. Seems I will not be taking a trek in Aug. However, would still like to come to Nepal in Aug. as that is my only vacation time. No serious trekking, just sightseeing: animal spotting, textiles/markets, and culture.
You could also research Naar & Phu or Mustang which both take you to rain shadow areas (though flight can be tricky with the latter). Even Annapurna basecamp will give you some views once in a while.
Unless you are interested in being cold and studying nocturnal parisitology, pack a light sleeping bag with a silk liner. Only about 1kg…. have a look at Golite bags!
Thanks much Rob. I am an amateur hiker, but healthy and willing. Want to learn/experience more, thanks for the advice.
You could also research Naar & Phu or Mustang which both take you to rain shadow areas (though flight can be tricky with the latter). Even Annapurna basecamp will give you some views once in a while.