Manaslu Circuit, Kraig Adams's way

The numbers come from my own GPS recordings, smoothed the same way for every day. My film calls it 100 miles, and I logged it on Strava as 100 miles and 28,000 ft of climbing over 10 days; the GPS files add up to 93.4 miles. On Day 2 my phone lost its height in the gorge below Deng, so that day's climbing is approximate (see Day 2).

How my trip worked

The group. This was a group trip I hosted: Vagabond Trails (vagabond-trails.com) organized the whole thing, and I invited my subscribers to come along. My brother and a friend came too, and I met the rest of the group for the first time in Kathmandu. We had a guide I'd hiked with before on the Tour du Mont Blanc, a Sherpa mountain leader, and porters to help carry the duffels. Everything was taken care of on this trek, and I just had to go and enjoy myself.

Bags. Porters carried a duffel for each of us, and we each carried a day pack. At the briefing in Kathmandu we were told to pack our day packs as if we were going hiking tomorrow and to get our duffels down to 10 kg.

The pace. We walked about 5 to 16 miles a day and usually reached the next village in the afternoon. The last day was different: I trail ran almost 14 miles downhill from Bimthang, through the fall colors, and it was nice to be alone for a little bit and get some exercise. The start of the trek is like a ski lift up, so I can trail run down.

Traditions. We kept up the tradition of sneaking little rocks into people's packs while they were hiking; people found small rocks in their stuff a lot on this trek. I brought a mini magnetic chess board, and we used it every single day. One of the group carried a giant stick up and down the entire trek, and the locals loved it.

What it cost. The trip was booked through the company, so there are no teahouse or permit receipts in my records, and this guide doesn't give the company's prices. The permit fees for 2026 are below.

Kathmandu. I met the group in Kathmandu on November 1. The next day was a sightseeing tour and trek preparation day: we saw Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath, and had a briefing with the map. Get your visa on arrival and your rupees here.

The drive to Machha Khola. On November 3 we drove about nine hours from Kathmandu to Machha Khola, where the trek starts. The road runs west out of Kathmandu, then north through Dhading and Arughat and along the Budhi Gandaki. The last part, above Arughat and Soti Khola, is a rough dirt track above the river.

Roads here are being pushed farther up the valley, and trekking companies in 2026 say jeeps can reach Machha Khola and sometimes beyond, toward Jagat. I couldn't confirm the current road end on an official page: ask your agency where the road ends on your dates, and how long the drive takes after the monsoon.

Getting home

What I did. On November 14 we drove about five hours from Dharapani down the Marsyangdi valley to Besisahar, past the Syange waterfall, and then back to Kathmandu. After the trek I flew directly home to Denver.

What you'll do. From Dharapani, jeeps go down the Besisahar-Chame road to Besisahar in about 3 to 6 hours, and buses and jeeps run from Besisahar to Kathmandu or Pokhara. Your agency usually arranges this.

Check the road. News reports said a landslide at Kharkhare Bhir, near Besisahar, fully blocked the Besisahar-Chame road on September 27, 2026, with about 200 m of road washed away, and the road at Dharapani was closed for paving on some days in September 2026. Late-September 2026 storms also blocked the Prithvi Highway between Malekhu and Mugling for a time. Check road closures on the Department of Roads map at navigate.dor.gov.np and ask your agency how the road is on your dates.

Other ways to do it

Tsum Valley. A side valley that branches off near Philim and Ekle Bhatti, with its own restricted area permit (US$40 a week in autumn). Agencies combine it with the circuit for a trip of about three weeks. I haven't done it.

A night in Namrung. Day 4 from Ghap to Lho is the biggest jump in sleeping height of the trek. Stopping in Namrung, with lodges and a permit check, splits it.

Shorter drive days. If the road goes farther up the valley on your dates, some groups drive past Machha Khola and start walking higher up. That skips part of Day 1 and makes the altitude gain a little faster.

I walked the version in this guide. I haven't walked these other versions.

Teahouses, food and water

Teahouses. Food was available to buy at every stop, every day and night, and there were multiple teahouses along the way. Rooms are simple, often two beds and not much else. Wi-Fi and charging were available at every stop except a day or two either side of the pass, and showers at every stop except near the pass (some hot, some not). Toilets are squat toilets. On my trip the company booked everything, so I can't give you prices; teahouses take cash, and prices go up with the altitude.

Food. Dal bhat, rice with lentil soup and vegetables, is on every menu and comes with refills. Teahouses also serve noodles, soups, potatoes and tea. In my film, someone at the Kathmandu briefing says the safest thing to do is to eat vegetarian.

Water. The Manaslu and Annapurna conservation areas ask trekkers not to buy bottled water: refill at safe drinking water stations or treat it yourself. Carry a filter or tablets.

Dharamsala has only a few lodges, with cold rooms and basic food. Bring snacks for the pass day.

Gear for this route

What this trek needs

• Warm layers, a down jacket, hat and gloves for the high days and the pass
• A sleeping bag for cold teahouse rooms up high
• A headlamp for the pass morning
• Microspikes if snow is forecast for the pass
• Water bottles and a way to treat water
• A power bank, for the days with no charging near the pass
• Wet wipes and toilet paper
• Cash in Nepali rupees for the whole trek
• Your permits, passport and insurance details

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On this trek I walked with a day pack and a porter carried my duffel. Here's what I carried in 2022, what I'd take now for the cold days up high and the pass, and what I filmed with.

What I carried in 2022

From my film. My full gear list for this trip isn't in my records.

Hiking

• Day pack: a day pack. A porter carried the rest.
• Puffy: The North Face Summit Series Breithorn Hoodie. The North Face sponsored the film. It kept me warm. Similar: Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody (Arc’teryx).
• Camp shoes: The North Face ThermoBall Traction Booties. They kept my feet super warm at camp, and they're so soft they packed small. Similar: Crocs Classic Clog (Amazon).
• Rain shell: a super lightweight shell. In my pack every day as an emergency.

Other

• Duffel: a duffel. The limit was 10 kg.
• Electrolytes: Waterdrop Microlyte cubes. Waterdrop sponsored the film. I used them on the hot days low down.
• Toilet kit: wet wipes and a roll of toilet paper. Also for your nose: it gets messed up at high altitude.
• Camp game: a mini magnetic chess board. We used it every single day.

What I'd take now

My current kit for what this trek needs.

Hiking

• Day pack: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 (Hyperlite). A porter carries your duffel, so a day pack is all you wear.
• Down jacket: Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody (Arc’teryx). For the high days and the pass morning, which starts in the dark on snow.
• Base layer: PATH Projects Lynx PD Base Liner (PATH Projects)
• Hat: PATH Projects Hoyt Merino Beanie (PATH Projects)
• Gloves: Unigear Touchscreen Liner Gloves (Amazon)
• Rain shell: Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket (Arc’teryx)
• Sleeping bag: Hyperlite Mountain Gear 20° Mummy Bag (Hyperlite). Teahouse rooms are cold up high, and Dharamsala's are the coldest.
• Headlamp: Nitecore NU20 Classic (Amazon). For the pass morning.
• Microspikes: Yatta Life Ice Spikes (Amazon). If snow is forecast for Larkya La.
• Water filter: Katadyn BeFree AC · 1L (Amazon). The conservation areas ask trekkers not to buy bottled water.
• Wet wipes: Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes (Amazon)
• Sunglasses: Goodr OG Sunglasses (Amazon). For the snow and the sun up high.

Filmmaking

• Power bank: Nitecore NB20000 (Amazon). No charging for a day or two either side of the pass.

Other

• Navigation: AllTrails+ (AllTrails, 30% off). Import my GPX files and download them offline in Kathmandu. Offline maps need the paid plan.
• Phone data: Airalo eSIM (Airalo, $3 off). Data in Kathmandu and the valleys. Teahouses had Wi-Fi except near the pass.

Filming kit

I shot the whole film handheld on my phone. Check the drone rules in Weather and safety before you fly: Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the conservation areas each need to approve it.

Hiking

• Phone: Apple iPhone 14 Pro. The whole film, handheld.

Filmmaking

• Drone: DJI Mini 3 Pro (Amazon), now the Mini 5 Pro. It stood up to the wind and the altitude.

What I film with now

Since September 2026 I film with a smaller setup: the Pocket 4 and the Mic 3 on the trail, and the Mini 5 Pro in the air.

• Camera: DJI Osmo Pocket 4 (Amazon)
• Mic: DJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX (Amazon). It pairs with the Pocket 4.
• Drone: DJI Mini 5 Pro (Amazon)

Permits and fees

What you need in 2026

• Manaslu restricted area permit (Department of Immigration): US$100 a person for the first week and US$15 a day after that from September to November; US$75 a week and US$10 a day from December to August. It covers wards 1 to 4 of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, the Manaslu side of the Budhi Gandaki. It's issued only through a registered trekking agency, now online, and the agency uploads your passport, insurance and itinerary.
• The guide rule: a licensed trekking guide must go with you. Since a Department of Immigration notice of about March 22, 2026, a single trekker can get the permit, with a guide assigned and the agency responsible for rescue; a guide can take at most seven trekkers. Before that, the rule was at least two trekkers.
• Manaslu Conservation Area (MCAP): NPR 3,000 a person for foreigners (NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals), single entry. Buy it in advance: it costs double at a checkpost.
• Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP): NPR 3,000 again, because the circuit comes down through the Annapurna area from Bimthang to Dharapani.
• TIMS card: the Nepal Tourism Board still lists the Manaslu Circuit among routes that need a licensed guide and an agency-issued TIMS card (NPR 2,000). Many agencies say the restricted area permit covers it. Your agency decides and arranges it.
• Tsum Valley is a separate restricted area with its own permit (US$40 a week in autumn), only if you add that side trip.
• Visa: tourist visa on arrival in Kathmandu, US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 days, US$125 for 90 days.

Carry your permits and passport in your day pack: they're checked on the trail, and the permit has to be shown to police or immigration on request. (Checked September 29, 2026; sources in the guide's research notes.)

What you need to arrange

1. A registered agency and a licensed guide. This is not optional here. The agency gets the restricted area permit for you.
2. The conservation area permits, MCAP and ACAP, from the agency, online or at the Tourist Service Center in Kathmandu.
3. Transport to Machha Khola and back from Dharapani. See Getting there and Getting home.
4. Porters or a light pack. On my trip porters carried a 10 kg duffel for each of us.
5. Cash in rupees for the whole trek. There are no ATMs on the trail, and teahouses take cash.
6. Insurance that covers trekking to about 17,000 ft (5,200 m) and helicopter evacuation.

The Nepal Tourism Board gives the best seasons for the Manaslu area as March to May and September to November. June to September is the monsoon, with heavy rain, landslides and trail damage low down; in winter, snow can make Larkya La hard or impossible to cross. Early snow can close it in autumn too: news reports on September 30, 2026 said heavy snow had blocked the pass since late September, with trekkers waiting in Samagaon and Samdo.

I walked from November 4 to 13, 2022. It was pretty dry, with perfect weather, blue skies most days, and fall colors low down on the last day. Clouds came in over Samdo on the afternoon of Day 7, snow fell that night, and Day 8 and the pass on Day 9 were on fresh snow. It was cold and dark when we started the pass day, and clear and sunny by the time we reached the top.

Altitude

The Manaslu Circuit starts low, at about 2,700 ft (826 m on my GPS) in Machha Khola, and climbs slowly for five days before the high part. The last four nights before Bimthang are at 11,500 ft and above, and the pass is at about 16,900 ft.

How we did it. Two nights in Samagaon, with a day walk up to Manaslu Base Camp in between, then short days to Samdo and Dharamsala before the pass. We gained height slowly for the first three days; Day 4 was a big jump (see below).

My nights (heights from my GPS):

The rules of thumb. The US CDC's current guidance (Yellow Book 2026): once above 3,000 m (9,850 ft), don't raise your sleeping height by more than 500 m (1,650 ft) a night, and add an extra night for every 1,000 m (3,300 ft) you gain. On this route the big jump is Day 4, Ghap to Lho, about 3,400 ft (1,030 m) of sleeping height; a night in Namrung splits it. The Samagaon rest day and the short day to Samdo keep within it; Samdo to Dharamsala, about 590 m (1,940 ft), is a little over.

The signs. Headache is the main symptom of acute mountain sickness, usually with loss of appetite, dizziness, tiredness or nausea. Confusion, stumbling or drowsiness, like being drunk, can mean HACE (swelling of the brain). Breathlessness at rest, a cough and chest congestion can mean HAPE (fluid in the lungs). Both are emergencies. Going down 300 m (1,000 ft) or more usually helps quickly. Ask your doctor about acetazolamide before you go.

Help on the trail. There's no Himalayan Rescue Association aid post on the Manaslu Circuit (its nearest post, Manang, is off this route). Help above Samagaon means going down or a helicopter, so your guide, your insurance and turning back early matter more here than on the busier treks.

Weather and safety

Weather. In early November: mostly clear, dry and sunny, warm low down and cold up high, with afternoon cloud up high and snow overnight before the pass on my trip.

The trail. It runs along the river, and the monsoon changes it every year: landslides take out stretches of trail and bridges. Watch for falling rocks and loose ground, cross landslide slopes quickly and one at a time, and follow your guide's choice of path.

Altitude is the main risk up high. Read Altitude. Tell your guide early if you feel unwell, and don't cross the pass with worsening symptoms.

Getting help. Above Samagaon, help is far away: there's no aid post on the circuit, and rescue is by helicopter. Have insurance that covers helicopter evacuation at this height, and carry the policy details. The agency is responsible for rescue under the permit rules.

Emergency numbers in Nepal (checked September 2026): 100 police, 1144 tourist police (toll free). There's a tourist police post in Dharapani. On the Manaslu side, Gorkha's emergency operations center is 1234 (Nepal Tourism Board, 2026).

Travel advice. The US State Department had Nepal at Level 2, exercise increased caution, in September 2026, with a separate Do Not Travel area on the Langtang side, not on this route.

2026 closures. The Namrung bridges (September 6 to 11), a Manaslu Conservation Area permit stop in heavy rain (September 24 to 27), the Besisahar-Chame road (from September 27) and Larkya La (snow, late September): see Before you go, check these.

Drones. I flew a drone on this trip. Flying one in Nepal needs permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and a security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the conservation areas don't allow drones without their approval. This is a border area. Arrange it before you go, or leave it at home.

Is it really 100 miles? Close. My GPS recordings add up to 93.4 miles (150.3 km) from Machha Khola to Dharapani, including the day walk up to Manaslu Base Camp. The film and my Strava say 100 miles.

How many days do I need? I walked ten days, with one of them a round trip to Manaslu Base Camp from Samagaon to help with the altitude. Add a day in Kathmandu to get ready, a long day's drive to the start and a long day's drive out, and plan on about two weeks in Nepal. My whole trip ran from November 1 to November 15.

Do I need a guide? Yes. The Manaslu area is a restricted area, and its permit is issued only through a registered trekking agency, with a licensed guide going with you. I didn't do any research on this because everything was taken care of by the company, but I believed you needed a guide, and the rules say so. See Permits and fees.

Can I do it alone? Not without a guide. Since March 2026, Nepal's Department of Immigration lets a single trekker get the permit, but still only through an agency and with a licensed guide assigned to go with you.

How hard is it? The trail is pretty rugged compared to others I've done in Nepal. It runs along the river on a dynamic trail: in the monsoon the water rises and destroys parts of it, so rocks can fall and dirt can be loose. The hard days are the long ones low down, where it climbs and drops a lot, and Day 9, the pass: I started at 4:39 a.m. and walked for ten hours, up to about 16,900 ft and down more than 5,000 ft.

Is Manaslu Base Camp worth it? Totally worth it. It's an optional day from Samagaon, with great views, and you get up to about 16,000 ft (my GPS: 15,868 ft), which helps you prepare for the pass a few days later.

Is it busy? The trail was pretty quiet, in my opinion.

What about food and beds? Food was available to buy at every stop, every day and night, with multiple teahouses along the way. See Teahouses, food and water.

Phone, Wi-Fi and charging? Wi-Fi was available the whole trek at every stop except for a day or two either side of the pass, and I could charge at every place except, again, a day or two either side of the pass.

Showers and toilets? There were places to take showers at every stop except near the pass. Some were hot, some were not. I chose to be a dirt ball and not shower until the very end. The toilets are basic squat toilets, and you just have to get used to it. Bring wet wipes and a roll of toilet paper, also for blowing your nose: it gets messed up at high altitude.

Dogs? There were so many dogs on this trek, and especially tiny puppies. Adorable. My brother stopped to pet every single dog he met.

Before you go, check these

These change from year to year; everything else in this guide stays the same. Checked September 29, 2026. Check them again when you book and the week you fly.

Permits and rules

• Manaslu restricted area permit: US$100 a week plus US$15 a day (September to November), US$75 plus US$10 (December to August), through a registered agency. immigration.gov.np
• The guide rule: a licensed guide is required; a single trekker can get the permit since March 2026. immigration.gov.np
• Manaslu and Annapurna conservation area permits: NPR 3,000 each. epermit.ntnc.org.np
• Whether your agency needs a TIMS card for you (NTB still lists Manaslu). ntb.gov.np

The route and roads

• The Nepal Tourism Board's Manaslu route updates (the Namrung bridges after the September 2026 flood). trade.ntb.gov.np
• Whether Manaslu Conservation Area permits are being issued (they were suspended for heavy rain from September 24, 2026 and issued again from September 27)
• Where the road ends on the way in, and whether the Besisahar-Chame road is open on the way out (blocked at Kharkhare Bhir from September 27, 2026, in news reports)
• Whether Larkya La is open: heavy snow blocked it from late September 2026, with trekkers stranded in Samagaon and Samdo (news reports, September 30, 2026). Ask your agency about snow on the pass for your dates

Travel

• Nepal's visa on arrival: US$30, 50 or 125 for 15, 30 or 90 days. ntb.gov.np
• The US State Department's advice (Level 2, exercise increased caution, in September 2026). travel.state.gov
• Insurance covering trekking to about 17,000 ft (5,200 m) and helicopter evacuation
• A doctor's visit about altitude and acetazolamide; the CDC's guidance is in Altitude

Money and gear

• Nepali rupees for the whole trek, warm layers and a sleeping bag for the pass, and offline maps and the GPX files on your phone