Manaslu Region
Gorkha District, restricted area
Manaslu is the eighth-highest mountain on Earth at 8,163 m, and the circuit around it crosses Larkya La at 5,106 m. It is a restricted area, so you need a permit, a licensed guide and at least two trekkers in the party.
Trips Starting from Manaslu Region
Hand-crafted itineraries that start in Manaslu Region, from a single sunrise day-trip to multi-week Himalayan expeditions.
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The Mountain of the Spirit
Manaslu is an 8,163 m peak in the Gorkha district of Nepal and the eighth-highest mountain in the world. Its name comes from the Sanskrit manasa, meaning intellect or spirit. Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu made the first ascent on 9 May 1956 for a Japanese expedition, and the mountain has been treated as a Japanese climbing preserve ever since, much as Britain once regarded Everest.
The Manaslu Conservation Area covers 1,663 km² and was declared in 1998. Only about 9,000 people live inside it, mostly Nubri and Tsum communities whose language, dress and Buddhism come from Tibet rather than the Nepali midhills. The upper valleys sit within a day's walk of the border. Tsum Valley in particular was closed to outsiders until 2008, and it keeps a declared non-violence covenant, shagya, under which hunting and animal slaughter are forbidden.
The Manaslu Circuit Trek runs 14 to 18 days from Soti Khola around the massif and over Larkya La (5,106 m) into the Annapurna region at Dharapani. Trekkers often describe it as the Annapurna Circuit of thirty years ago, and the comparison holds: no road on the high sections, teahouses rather than hotels, and a fraction of the traffic. Adding Tsum Valley pushes the trip to 21 or 22 days and takes you up a side valley most trekkers never see.
Things to do in Manaslu Region
Standout experiences hand-picked by our local guides.
- 01Larkya LaThe 5,106 m pass that closes the circuit. A long dawn crossing with Himlung, Cheo and Annapurna II ahead of you.
- 02Manaslu Base CampA day trip from Samagaon to 4,800 m, under the face Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu climbed in 1956.
- 03Tsum ValleyClosed to outsiders until 2008. A Tibetan Buddhist valley under a declared non-violence covenant.
- 04Pungyen GompaA monastery above Samagaon facing the Manaslu glacier, named for the deity local people hold responsible for the mountain.
- 05Birendra TalA glacial lake at 3,450 m below Samagaon, meltwater turquoise and an easy acclimatisation walk.
- 06Nubri and Tsum CultureTibetan-descended communities, roughly 9,000 people, living within a day of the border.
- 07No RoadUnlike the Annapurna Circuit, the high sections carry no jeep track. The walking is still the trek.
- 08Restricted PermitTwo trekkers minimum, a licensed guide, and a special permit priced by season. Part of why it stays quiet.
Best time to visit Manaslu Region
Larkya La governs the calendar. October and November, then April and May, are when the pass is reliably crossable; heavy snow closes it outside those windows.
- ★ BEST SEASONSpringMarch – MayLarkya La opens as the snow consolidates, usually from late March. Rhododendron in the lower Budhi Gandaki and long days on the pass. Temperatures shown are Samagaon (3,530 m).-1°C – 16°C
- MONSOONSummerJune – AugustMonsoon. The Budhi Gandaki gorge is landslide-prone and the pass is cloud-bound. Tsum Valley sits partly in rain shadow but access to it does not.8°C – 20°C
- ★ BEST SEASONAutumnSeptember – NovemberThe prime window. Stable weather, an open pass and clear views of Manaslu from Samagaon. Numbers are rising each year but stay far below Annapurna.-4°C – 14°C
- MONSOONWinterDecember – FebruaryLarkya La is usually snowbound and the upper lodges close. The lower valley and Tsum can be walked as an out-and-back, but the full circuit is off.-14°C – 6°C