The eighth-highest mountain on Earth
Manaslu rises to 8,163 m (26,781 ft); some older sources give 8,156 m. Its long ridges and valley glaciers end in a steep double-headed summit visible from far across central Nepal; the view of its twin-topped summit above the barley fields of Lho is one of the high points of the circuit. In Tibetan the mountain is called Kutang. Around it rise Himalchuli (7,893 m), Ngadi Chuli (7,871 m) and Shringi (7,187 m).
Among the eight-thousanders, Manaslu has become the autumn favourite, so much so that Nepal charges a higher royalty for it in autumn than in spring. Nepal's Department of Tourism recorded 4,302 summiteers by December 2025. In autumn 2025 it issued permits to 374 climbers in 31 teams, and by 5 October 2026 to 500 climbers in 43 teams.
The true summit problem
Like Shishapangma, Manaslu has a false summit separated from the true summit by a long, sharp and corniced ridge. For years most climbers stopped at a point that the fixed ropes reached and that they took to be the top. In 2021 an investigation by an international team of researchers, published in the American Alpine Journal, concluded that most people who claimed to have climbed Manaslu had not stood on the true summit. The point usually reached lies roughly 30 m away from the real top, which is about 6–10 m higher depending on the snow; from 2012 until 2021 practically nobody went the extra distance. In autumn 2021 the Nepali guide Mingma Gyalje Sherpa led a team along the ridge to the true summit, and since 2022 commercial teams have aimed for it. The finding sparked a wider debate about what counts as climbing a mountain. Nepal's government has itself revoked summit certificates for rule violations, for example one issued for Manaslu in 2016.
Where it is and how to get there
Manaslu lies in west-central Nepal, within the Manaslu Conservation Area (1,663 km², declared in 1998 and managed by the National Trust for Nature Conservation). It is about 17 km from the Tibetan border. The approach starts from Kathmandu: a jeep or bus to Arughat and on along the Budhi Gandaki valley to Soti Khola and Machha Khola takes a long day. The circuit ends at Dharapani on the Marsyangdi River, from where jeeps run down to Besisahar and buses on to Kathmandu or Pokhara. Gorkha town, at the foot of the hills to the south, lies about 48 km from the summit as the crow flies.
The Manaslu Circuit trek
The circuit is about 177 km long and was opened to foreign trekkers only in 1991. It once required camping, but teahouses now exist in every stage. A typical route, walked anticlockwise:
- Machha Khola to Jagat (1,340 m), the old customs post and the first conservation-area and police checkpoint, through a gorge where the Budhi Gandaki has cut vertical cliffs.
- Jagat to Philim (1,570 m) and Deng (1,860 m), past waterfalls; just after Philim the trail to the Tsum Valley branches off.
- Deng to Namrung (2,630 m), where the houses become squat stone buildings of Tibetan style and mani walls line the path.
- Namrung via Lho (3,180 m), with the first full view of Manaslu, to Sama Gaon (about 3,500 m) at the foot of the mountain. Rest here: walk to the Pung Gyen monastery under the east face or to the glacial lake Birendra Kund.
- Sama Gaon to Samdo (about 3,875 m), a Tibetan refugee settlement of about forty homes, the highest village in the valley.
- Samdo to Dharamsala, also called Larkya Phedi (about 4,460 m), a short day with one lodge.
- Over the Larkya La (5,106 m in most sources, 5,135–5,160 m in others) to Bimthang (about 3,590 m): the longest and hardest day, seven hours or more, leaving before dawn; the steep descent is often snow-covered and icy.
- Bimthang through forest to Tilije and Dharapani (about 1,965 m), where the trail joins the Annapurna Circuit.
Plan 12–14 days from Kathmandu to Kathmandu, more with the Tsum Valley side trip, which was opened to tourists in 2002 and has three nunneries. Walking days are up to seven hours.
Climbing Manaslu
The normal route climbs the northeast face from base camp above Sama Gaon at about 4,800 m. Expeditions place three or four camps, with Camp 2 at about 6,300 m, Camp 3 at about 6,800 m and the top camp at around 7,400–7,500 m, and climb through crevassed glacier, ice walls protected by fixed ropes and long snow slopes to the summit ridge. The south face, first climbed by Reinhold Messner on an Austrian expedition in 1972, is reputed to be the hardest side.
Permits, costs and rules
The upper Budhi Gandaki is a restricted area. As of 2026 the Department of Immigration charges US$100 per person for the first week from September to November and US$15 for each further day; from December to August it is US$75 per week and US$10 per extra day. Trekkers also need the Manaslu Conservation Area permit (NPR 3,000 for foreigners) and, for the section from Dharapani in the Annapurna Conservation Area, the ACAP permit (also NPR 3,000). Permits are issued only through registered agencies; trekkers must walk with a licensed guide and traditionally in a group of at least two.
Manaslu is the one eight-thousander where Nepal charges more in autumn: according to the Department of Tourism's 2026 table, the royalty for a foreign climber is US$3,000 in autumn and US$1,500 in spring, winter or summer, plus a garbage deposit (US$3,000 for eight-thousanders outside the Khumbu and Annapurna ranges) and a liaison officer.
When to go and weather
Trekkers have two seasons: spring (March to May), with stable weather before the monsoon, and autumn (September to November), with the clearest views. The trail itself is walkable from October to mid-February and again from mid-March until the monsoon begins in June, but snow can block the Larkya La at any time and may require a rope; build spare days into the itinerary. The monsoon from June to September brings most of the region's roughly 1,900 mm of annual rain, along with landslides in the gorge. Climbers come mainly in September and October; the snow line lies above about 5,000 m.
Water on the trek
Teahouses in every village sell boiled water and tea, and many villages have taps fed by springs. Treat all tap and stream water with a filter, UV pen or tablets, and carry reusable bottles: plastic waste has to be carried out of the valley. Fill up at Dharamsala before the Larkya La crossing, because there is no lodge between the pass and Bimthang and water at the top may be frozen; a thermos of hot water helps. Carry at least two litres on the pass day.
Mobile coverage and internet
Mobile signal in the lower and middle valley is patchy at best, and above Samdo and on the Larkya La you should expect none. Charging costs extra where it is available. Download maps and leave your itinerary with your agency. In an emergency dial 1144 (Tourist Police) or 100 (Police); your guide will arrange helicopter evacuation, which requires insurance that covers it.
Altitude, dangers and safety
On the trek, the danger is the rapid gain from Sama Gaon to the Larkya La: take the rest day at Sama, sleep no more than 300–500 m higher each night above 2,500 m and turn back from Dharamsala if symptoms of altitude sickness appear. Landslides, rockfall in the gorge and passing yaks on narrow trails add risk, and hypothermia on the pass is a real concern in bad weather.
For climbers, avalanches are the main threat. In April 1972 an avalanche on the northeast face killed fifteen members of a Korean expedition, including ten Sherpas. Before dawn on 23 September 2012 an avalanche hit Camps 2 and 3 and killed eleven climbers. In September 2022 an avalanche below Camp 4 killed a Nepali guide, and on the same day the American ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson fell to her death while skiing from the summit. By 2008 there had been 53 deaths for 297 ascents.
History and name
The British explorer H. W. Tilman saw Manaslu from the Larkya La in 1950. Four Japanese reconnaissance and climbing expeditions followed; in 1953 three climbers reached 7,750 m on the northeast face. In 1954 villagers in Sama Gaon turned a Japanese team back: they believed the earlier climbers had angered the gods and caused an avalanche that destroyed the Pung Gyen monastery and killed 18 people. A large donation helped rebuild it, but mistrust remained. In spring 1956 an expedition led by Yūkō Maki set up base camp at about 4,800 m and placed its sixth camp at 7,800 m, and on 9 May Imanishi and the Sherpa Gyalzen Norbu reached the summit. Later milestones: the first women to climb any eight-thousander, members of a Japanese women's expedition, on 4 May 1974; the first winter ascent by the Poles Maciej Berbeka and Ryszard Gajewski on 12 January 1984; and in 2024 an ascent from base camp to summit in 9 hours 52 minutes by the American runner Tyler Andrews, without bottled oxygen.
Interesting facts
- Monks of the local monasteries banned hunting, and the valley is now a refuge for snow leopards, red pandas, blue sheep and Himalayan tahr.
- The Budhi Gandaki valley is home to the Nubri and Tsum peoples, whose flat-roofed houses and gompas resemble those of Tibet.
- Before the Nepali festival of Dashain, Tibetan herders sell large flocks of goats at the open trading ground of Larkya Bazaar near Samdo.
FAQ
How high is Manaslu? 8,163 m (26,781 ft), the eighth-highest mountain on Earth.
How long does the Manaslu Circuit take? Usually 12–14 days from Kathmandu and back, with about nine or ten days on foot from Machha Khola to Dharapani including a rest day at Sama Gaon; the Tsum Valley adds several more.
How difficult is it? The circuit is a strenuous but non-technical trek; the Larkya La day is long and can be icy. Climbing Manaslu is a serious high-altitude expedition, technically easier than most eight-thousanders but exposed to avalanches.
What is the Manaslu "true summit" issue? Most climbers used to stop at a fore-summit about 30 m from the true top. A 2021 study proved it, and since then teams have crossed the corniced ridge to the real summit.
What permits do I need for the trek? A Restricted Area Permit (as of 2026, US$100 for the first week in September–November or US$75 in other months), the Manaslu Conservation Area permit and the ACAP permit, arranged through a registered agency with a licensed guide.
Is there water on the trek? Yes: boiled water in teahouses and taps in villages. Treat what you drink and fill up before the Larkya La, where there is no lodge on the crossing.
Is there mobile coverage? Patchy in the lower and middle valley and none on the pass; carry a power bank and leave your itinerary with your agency. Emergency numbers are 1144 and 100.
When is the best time to go? March–May and September–November for trekking; September–October for climbing.