Manaslu Base Camp Trek

After having our delicious breakfast, we will visit the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu. Some of these landmarks are considered World Heritage Sites including the historic Kathmandu Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, the famous ‘Monkey Temple’ (Swyambhunath), and Buddhist shrine, Bouddhanath which is one of the largest stupas in the world. The city life is vibrant as the culture and heritage reflect their ethnic identity. Later, there will be a pre-tour meeting where we can meet our trek leader, guide, and other team members. Bold Himalaya will give us brief detail regarding our trek as well as provides us with an opportunity to ask any questions we may have regarding our upcoming adventure. You can also go for last-minute shopping for your trek. You will find each and every branded trekking gear at Thamel. Overnight in Kathmandu.

The Manaslu region’s adventure starts today. We will begin our journey driving along Prithvi Highway which runs alongside the beautiful Trishuli River towards Soti Khola. We will pass through dense forests, green terraces, lush hillsides, and past various old and new settlements. After reaching Arughat, we will drive off-road amongst traditional settlements until we reach Soti Khola which is located in the Bhuri Gandaki Valley.  It is also the starting point of Manaslu Base Camp Trekking and several other treks of this region. It is a beautiful yet thrilling one. We will pass through different landscapes, rushing rivers, and numerous waterfalls. We will have our lunch at Gurung village of Labubesi and then continue our journey towards Machhe Khola. Overnight at Macha Khola.

After having our breakfast in Machha Khola, we will begin our trek, which follows the gorge and continues up the river. The path is constricted at first and gently ascending and descending, eventually crossing the Tharo Khola to reach Khorlabesi. After more ascending and descending, we will reach a small hot spring in Tatopani- the best place to take a break.

From here, we will ascend over another ridge, then cross the Budhi Gandaki on a suspension bridge. We will then climb up a staircase and head over a ridge to Doban. Upon crossing one more suspension bridge over the Yaru Khola, we will ascend a stone staircase and then drop to the river and ascend more stone stairs to Tharo Bharyang. Keep an eye out for neat Gurung villages in the jungle high above, as well as Langur monkeys that walk around in the region.

Crossing the west bank of the Budhi Gandaki, we will ascend over a ridge, trek along the river and then ascend towards the village of Jagat.

After having our breakfast in Jagat, we will make our way through various landscapes and dense sub-tropical forests as well as small rivers and rustic villages to get to our final destination.

We will begin the trek by climbing over a rocky ridge to Salleri and then descend to Sirdibas. The village welcomes us with several Gompas and Buddhist prayer flags. The valley broadens a bit as the path continues to the Ghatta Khola. We will continue walking upstream to a long suspension bridge in Philim, a large Gurung village. From here, the trail turns north just above the lowest house in the village and stays on a fairly level trail as it crosses millet fields to Ekle Bhatti.

Then the route will invade a steep, uninhabited gorge where we will descend to the grassy slopes, and then cross the Budhi Gandaki river. Trek along the west bank for a while, then cross to the east bank before we return to the west side again. The path broadens through the valley and we will pass through bamboo forests to the Deng Khola river. After crossing, we will reach the tiny village of Deng.

After breakfast in Deng, we will begin one of the most important and culturally significant parts of the trek. First, we will cross the Budhi Gandaki river and climb up to the bridge, where we will climb a bit further to join a trail from Bihi. On the trail, we can see white-faced monkeys visiting villages on the lookout for a free feed. Then, head west up the valley passing through dense forests, alpine vegetation, and unusual villages housing ethnic groups of the Manaslu region with major peaks starting to appear in the distance.

Even though there is another route, we will take the trail through Prok. This village has a beautiful blessing point of the snowcapped Siringi Himal. We will take a break here and then continue to cross the Budi Gandaki several times, running into several Gompas along the way. The path then chases the river upstream through a dense forest and leads to a narrow gorge. We will keep on moving until we notice the forest becomes less dense. The rewarding part of the walk is a impressive way to experience the Manaslu Conservation Area. We will eventually reach one last steep climb to get to the village of Namrung.

After having breakfast in Namrung, we will walk around the village for a better viewpoint of Siring, Ganesh Himal, and also Mt. Himal Chuli to the south. Once on the trail, we will first ascend regularly and pass through forests to reach Lihi, a fine village with many stupas and barley terraces. The path then drops and crosses the side valley of Simnang Himal with Ganesh Himal close by.

Further along, we will pass through the villages of Sho, Lho, and Shyala before reaching Sama Gaun (Village). We can relish extraordinary views of Manaslu from Lho and also explore the famous Ribung Gompa. In Shyala village, we will be enclosed by high mountains like Himal Chuli and Peak 29 (Ngadi Chuli) to the left, Manaslu and large glaciers straight ahead. Other snowcapped peaks can be seen to the right, and at the far end stands Ganesh Himal. Today’s journey ends in Samagaon where we will spend the night.

Today is the most important day of our trek towards Manaslu Base Camp. We will explore Manaslu Base Camp and return to Samagaon. We will start our trek after having a delicious breakfast. We will follow the trail through forest before steep ascent to a slope and to a moraine. There is a magnificent view of the glacier, a turquoise lake and wonderful mountains from all the angles. Samagaon trails are generally travelled by pilgrims singing their traditional songs. Samagaon crosses elevation 3000m. We can explore the Gompa blessed with captivating views of Mt. Manaslu (8,163m) and Ngadi Chuli (7,871m). Gompas belong to the older generation of Buddhist artefacts. Since we will be moving upward for our exploration, we may not find any tea houses further. It’s essential to carry lunch. Manaslu means the “mountain of the soul”, is one of the imminent geographical charisma dominating the historical kingdom of Gorkha. A conical shaped snowcapped mountain of height 8,163m above the sea level is the main charm of this trek. Locally, Manaslu is also known as Pungen RI whose embodiment is worshipped in a Gompa couple of hundred meters above the village of Sama Gaon. After exploring Manaslu Base Camp, we will descend to Samagaon again. As we descend down, we will pass through Birendra Lake. It is formed by melting of glaciers of Manaslu Mountains.

After having our breakfast in Samagaon, we will trek back to Namrung. We can see many snowcapped peaks including Ganesh Himal. We will pass through the villages of Sho, Lho, and Shyala before reaching Namrung. In Shyala village, we will be enclosed by high mountains like Himal Chuli and peak 29 (Ngadi Chuli), Manaslu, and large glaciers. We can relish extraordinary views of Manaslu from Lho and also explore the famous Ribung Gompa.

Then, we will reach Lihi, a fine village with many stupas and barley terraces and then the path leads to the Namrung village. We will walk around the village for a better viewpoint of Siring, Ganesh Himal, and also Mt. Himal Chuli. Overnight in Namrung.

After having breakfast in Deng, we will move towards Jagat. We will cross the Deng Khola and pass through the bamboo forest. Then, we will cross the Budhi Gandaki River. We will make our way through various landscapes and dense sub-tropical forests as well as small rivers and rustic villages to reach our destination, Jagat. We will pass through different villages like Philim, Sirdibas, Salleri and several Gompas and Buddhist prayer flags too. Then, finally, we will reach Jagat.

We will start our trek from Jagat to Machha Khola. Crossing the Budhi Gandaki River, we will reach Gurung Villages where Langur monkeys walk around the jungle in the region. After reaching Tharo Bharyang, we will cross the suspension bridge over the Yaru Khola and reach Doban. Then, again we will cross the Budhi Gandaki on a suspension bridge.

After more ascending and descending, we will reach a small hot spring in Tatopani- the best place to take a break. Then, from here we will reach Khorlabesi and after crossing the Tharo Khola with more ascending and descending, we will reach Machha Khola.

After having our breakfast in Machha Khola, we will head towards Kathmandu. We will pass through Gurung village of Labubesi and different landscapes, rushing rivers and numerous waterfalls. Then, we will reach Soti Khola which is located in the Budi Gandaki Valley. After reaching Arughat, we will pass through dense forests, green terraces, lush hillsides, and past various old and new settlements. We will pass through beautiful Trishuli River driving along the Prithvi Highway, finally reaching Kathmandu and then you will be escorted to your respective hotel. You can either rest or explore the city. Overnight at the hotel.

After wishing you a goodbye, our representative from Bold Himalaya will assist you to Tribhuwan International Airport for your next destination. If you have any intention of extending your stay in Nepal for an adventurous experience like Safari, Rafting, Biking Tours, Peak climbing, and more trekking in other regions, then we would be more than happy to be of help. We also welcome you to visit our country again for more experiences.  It would be our bliss to help you plan your next trip to Nepal. Take care and goodbye from Bold Himalaya.