Manaslu Circuit

The Manaslu circuit follows the Budhi Gandaki north from the middle hills into high Himalaya, rounds Manaslu at 8,163 metres, crosses the Larke La at about 5,100 metres and drops into the Marsyangdi to join the Annapurna circuit near Dharapani. It takes two weeks or a little more and passes through a full sequence of country: subtropical gorge, terraced Gurung villages, then Tibetan Buddhist settlements at Samagaon and Samdo where the culture is entirely of the plateau. Manaslu itself appears from Samagaon as a wall of ice at the head of the valley. It is a restricted area, so a permit, a licensed guide and a group of at least two trekkers are required, which keeps numbers far below Annapurna's.

What you actually see

• Manaslu from Samagaon - the eighth-highest mountain closing the valley.
• The Larke La - the 5,100-metre pass crossing between valleys.
• Tibetan villages - Samagaon and Samdo with plateau culture and gompas.
• The Budhi Gandaki gorge - the deep approach through the middle hills.

When to go

March to May and October to November. The pass can close with snow outside those windows and is serious in bad weather. Autumn gives the most settled conditions; spring brings rhododendrons lower down.

Honest expectations

A restricted-area permit, a licensed guide and a minimum of two trekkers are legally required, which raises the cost. The pass day is long and at altitude. Teahouses are simpler than on Annapurna. Road construction is reaching further up the valley each year and has changed the lower sections.

Nearby

Tsum valley branches off the route; the Annapurna circuit joins at Dharapani.