Manaslu Circuit Tsum Valley

Autumn (late September to November) and spring (March to May) are the two seasons for the Manaslu Circuit with Tsum Valley, because the Larkya La needs stable, snow-free weather to cross safely. Autumn brings the clearest skies after the monsoon and is the most popular and reliable time. Spring is warmer lower down with rhododendron in bloom, though high snow can linger early in the season.

Winter (December to February) brings heavy snow that can close the Larkya La for days, so it suits only experienced, well-equipped trekkers. The summer monsoon (June to August) brings rain, leeches and landslide risk on the lower Budhi Gandaki, although the upper Nupri and Tsum valleys are drier. The season cards above show the month-by-month picture.

The Manaslu Circuit with Tsum Valley runs through two restricted areas, so it needs special permits and, by law, a guided group of at least two trekkers booked through a registered agency. The Manaslu Restricted Area Permit costs about USD 100 per person for the first seven days in the September to November high season (then around USD 15 per extra day), and about USD 75 for the first week the rest of the year.

The Tsum Valley Restricted Area Permit adds about USD 40 per week in high season and USD 30 the rest of the year. You also need the Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP) and, because the circuit exits into the Annapurna area at Dharapani, the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP), each NPR 3,000 for non-SAARC nationals. Swotah arranges all of these once you provide a passport copy and photos, and confirms current rates before departure.

Accommodation on the Manaslu Circuit is the teahouse, simpler than on the busy Annapurna and Everest routes because the region is restricted and remote. Lower villages like Jagat, Namrung and Sama Gaon have comfortable lodges with hot showers and a decent menu, while the high stops at Samdo and especially Dharmasala (Larke Phedi) are very basic, with shared bathrooms and limited heating.

In Tsum Valley, lodges at Chhokang Paro, Nile and the Mu Gompa area are simple but welcoming. Kathmandu offers comfortable hotels at the start and end. A four-season sleeping bag is important for the cold nights before the Larkya La, where temperatures drop well below freezing.

Food on the Manaslu Circuit is teahouse cooking, and dal bhat (lentil soup, rice and vegetable curry) is the staple because lodges refill it for free and it carries you through long days. The menu narrows the higher and more remote you go, with Tibetan bread, noodles, potatoes and momos alongside the dal bhat, and Tsum Valley keeps a tradition of vegetarian, animal-friendly food.

Swotah includes three meals a day on the trek. For water, aim for 3 to 4 litres a day to help prevent altitude sickness, and treat it rather than drinking untreated stream water: boiled water is sold at lodges, and purification tablets, a filter or a UV pen all work. Carry a reusable bottle, and expect fewer resupply points than on a standard circuit.

The Manaslu Circuit with Tsum Valley starts with a long drive from Kathmandu to Macha Khola (around 870 m) on the Budhi Gandaki, the road head where the walking begins. The drive is rough and can take most of a day, especially in the monsoon.

The trek does not retrace its steps: it crosses the Larkya La and descends the far side through Bimthang and Tilje to Dharapani on the Annapurna Circuit road, then drives out via Besisahar to Kathmandu. Swotah runs the road legs by private jeep, which handles the rough sections better than a bus. Mountain roads here are slow and exposed to monsoon landslides, so the schedule allows realistic drive times.

Tsum Valley is a sacred Buddhist enclave in the Nupri region near the Tibet border, opened to trekkers only in 2008, and for centuries it was a beyul, a hidden valley, and it keeps a strong tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and a local vow of non-violence toward animals, so hunting and meat are largely absent.

The side trip climbs the Shiar Khola past mani walls and chortens to villages like Chhokang Paro and the monasteries of Rachen and Mu Gompa (around 3,700 m), set against Ganesh Himal and the Tibetan frontier. Few trekkers add Tsum to the circuit, so the valley feels untouched, and visiting respectfully, walking clockwise around the mani walls and following your guide at the gompas, is part of the experience.

The Larkya La at 5,106 m is the high point and crux of the Manaslu Circuit, one of the longer pass crossings in Nepal. The day starts from Dharmasala (Larke Phedi) before dawn, climbs over glacial moraine to the prayer-flag-strewn top, then drops a long way to Bimthang, with views back to Manaslu and across to the Annapurnas.

Mount Manaslu, at 8,163 m, is the world's eighth-highest mountain, first climbed by a Japanese expedition in 1956, and its name comes from the Sanskrit for mountain of the spirit. The circuit keeps it in view for days from Lho, Sama Gaon and Samdo. Crossing the Larkya La demands good acclimatisation, an early start and a careful watch for altitude symptoms.

A licensed guide is mandatory on the Manaslu Circuit with Tsum Valley, both because Nepal requires one and because the restricted-area permits are issued only to guided groups of at least two trekkers. Swotah's guides hold Ministry of Tourism licences, have Nepal Mountaineering Association training, and know the Larkya La crossing and the Tsum gompas.

A porter is strongly recommended on this long, high trek: one porter carries 20 to 25 kg, and we cap loads at that weight because porters face the same altitude as trekkers. Swotah provides a free duffel for the porter, so you walk with a light daypack and a warm layer for the pass.

Mobile coverage is patchy on the Manaslu Circuit, more so than on the Annapurna and Everest routes, because the region is remote and restricted. Nepal Telecom (NTC) gives the best chance of a signal in the larger villages, with long dead spots in Tsum and around the Larkya La, and Swotah provides a tourist SIM.

Wi-Fi exists at some lower lodges for a fee but is rare high up, and charging is limited and costs a few rupees per device, rising with altitude. A power bank or small solar charger is important for the cold high camps, where batteries drain fast overnight, so treat the upper trek as largely off-grid.

Responsible trekking matters in the Manaslu region, where the restricted valleys are fragile, the communities are small and Tsum keeps its own traditions. Carry a reusable bottle and treat your own water, pack out all waste, respect the vegetarian, animal-friendly culture of Tsum, ask before photographing people or gompa interiors, and walk clockwise around mani walls and chortens.

Tipping is customary though not mandatory: a common guideline is 10 to 15% of the trip cost, shared among the guide, porter and driver. Tips go directly to the seasonal workforce in a region with little other income. Booking with a registered operator like Swotah also means the restricted-area permits, staff insurance and fair porter loads are handled properly.