Trip Highlights
- Explore the Buddhist monuments, visit the beautiful rural villages, get closer to the tradition, culture, and art of local people
- Trek to Manaslu Conservation area that extends in an area of 1,663 square kilometers
- Witness the views of more than 10 peaks of over 6,500 meters and a few of over 7,000 meters
- Natural scenery, high glacier lakes, fascinating flora, and fauna and majestic Himalayan ranges make the trail most do an event of life
Manaslu Base Camp Trek offers incredible natural and cultural wonders. Manaslu Base Camp trek is at the base of Manaslu mountain in the region of the Gorkha district inside the Manaslu Conservation Project. This has an area of 1,663 square kilometers in the Mansiri hills ranging in elevation from 1,400m to Mt. Manaslu at 8,156m. Furthermore, this trek to Manaslu base camp offers stunning views of other mountains surrounding it. Some are Manaslu Himal (8156m), Ganesh Himal 7,422m, Shringi 7,161m and Lamjung Himal 6,983. Due to its variation in altitude this region has bountiful flora and fauna which includes the elusive snow leopard, the blue sheep and many other rare or endangered animals.
Tradition and culture
Since, there are Tibetan villages, Gompas, stones with delicate Tibetan script carved into them, prayer wheels, and Chorten. All of them show the richness in culture and traditions. One of the best discoveries while on this trek is that one can experience both Hindus and Buddhists that reside in this area. Therefore, the harmony between these cultures is memorable. The typical Tibetan style houses and the villages have a peaceful appeal to it; far away from city lights and the stars suddenly seem to have multiplied many times. The area is less popular, so those who are looking for serene wilderness and minimally disturbed culture will welcome this trek. The trek requires long stretches of hiking and can be strenuous at times. Thus, It is good for those with good physical fitness levels.
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Itinerary
Welcome to Kathmandu, we will receive you from the airport and transfer you to the hotel.
Today is the day we will make preparations for the trek and also enjoy sightseeing destinations in Kathmandu. The rich history of Kathmandu can be seen in the multiple temples and the structures of immense beauty that were carved out of wood hundreds of years ago. We will visit places such as the Pashupatinath which is one of the biggest temples for the Hindus, the Boudhanath Stupa which is important for Tibetan Buddhists, Swayambhunath which you will find both Hindu and Buddhists worshipping side by side, and Kathmandu and Patan Durbar square. With such an ancient past, Kathmandu is filled with architecture, art, and culture that is hundreds of years old.
To avoid the notorious traffic, we will leave Kathmandu as soon as possible in the morning. As we make our way out of the valley we will be greeted with magnificent views and you’ll finally be able to understand and feel the hilly terrain of Nepal. We will reach Dhading Besi (580m) initially from where we will take a bumpy ride to Soti Khola.
Through thick dense forests of Sal, we will meet the Budhi Gandaki which literally translates to old Gandaki. There are two waterfalls we will cross on a steep and rocky trail. The Gurung villages of Lapubesi also falls on this path with its beautiful terraced farming and quaint little houses. We will cross a suspension bridge before reaching the village of Machha Khola. From Machha Khola, we can get outstanding views of the North East side of Ganesh Himal (7422m).
Through narrow small ascends and descends, we will continue ahead and reach a hot water spring which is called Tatopani. The Budhi Gandaki River and its winding path will meet us many times during this trek and we will cross some more suspension bridges and climb up to the village of Jagat.
Climbing over ridges and crossing suspension bridges we will enter big valleys and the fields of various crops in the villages. We will make our way through deep gorges and through grassy slopes and cross the Budhi Gandaki many times. After passing a dense bamboo forest we will reach the village of Deng. From Deng, we can see the beautiful view of Siringi Himal (7161m) and Tibetan script carved into many rock walls lines the way.
As we exit the village of Deng, we will be greeted by the Budhi Gandaki once again and head up a trail to enter the Budhi Gandaki valley. It crosses through forests and many of these are carved with the same Tibetan script as before. As we continue to hike we will realize we have left the forests behind and climb ahead after which we enter Namrung. From Namrung, the views of spectacular mountains like Ganesh Himal (7422m), Shringi Himal (7161m) and Himalchuli (7893m) are incredible.
As we walk ahead towards Samagaon, we will pass many Chortens and terraced fields along with the view of Mt. Manaslu (8163) in the background. Then we will arrive at Ribung Gompa from here we will have a close view of Manaslu Himal (8163m). Passing the big Chorten, we will finally arrive at Samagaon. From here, amazing view of Mt. Naike (6211m), Mt. Larke (6249m) and Mt. Manaslu (8163m) are seen.
Today, we have to walk steeply up towards the base camp through the stark landscape of the alpine region. As we gain altitude we can see the beautiful Birendra Tal, in its turquoise glory down in the valley below. We will be walking on slippery and steep moraines on the last part of the climb and reach the base camp. If the weather is clear we will be able to see the glistening peak of Manaslu (8163m) towering over us, this is also a great space to make some great pictures. We will move back to Samagaon after this.
Following the views of Ganesh (7422m) and Shringi (7161m) mountains and the same path we took a day earlier, we will return back to Namrung. This time the feeling will be different as we have accomplished what we came for and it is a time to feel pride. Walking for so many days is not a small deal. We will cross through beautiful villages as we walk down.
We will exist through the Budhi Gandaki valley today. Retracing our steps we will pass many Tibetan scripted walls similar to before, and forests. Initially, the forests are very scattered but as we get further ahead of the vegetation increases.
Crossing bamboo forest, ridges, fields of millets, deep gorges and multiple suspension bridges we will move down to the village of Jagat, the feeling now is completely different from what it was earlier as we crossed this place. A local delicacy of fermented bamboo shoots is a popular meal across the hilly regions of Nepal.
We will retrace our steps along narrow paths and the winding Budhi Gandaki River and many suspension bridges as we move down to Machha Khola. We cross little Gurung settlements which are known for their rich culture and traditions. The Gurung is a different sub-culture to that of the Tibetans found in higher elevations. So one of the distinct characteristics of this trek is the opportunity to experience multiple cultures and traditions. If we are lucky we can view some the local celebrations or rituals.
Last day of our walk, we will make our way to Arughat through the forests of Sal, many small waterfalls and rice terraces of the Gurung villages can be seen along the way. The suspension bridges we cross are the lifeline of the people here. Arughat is a beautiful village that is a mixture of both Gurung and Newari cultures. Many of these differences can be seen in the style of dress, and accessories worn by both men and women. From here, west face of Ganesh Himal (7422m) is seen in front of us.
We will make our way back to Kathmandu through Arughat the same way we came before through scenes of rivers and winding roads. Prepare for an interesting ride because the road is rarely paved and very often uneven. It is an exciting way to return to Kathmandu and makes you feel like you are on a real adventure.
Our representatives will drop you to the airport today ending your journey with us.