High Manaslu Circuit + Larkya La to Annapurnas Trek – Nepal
The high Manaslu Circuit trek, crossing the Larkya La to the Annapurna region, is a classic Himalayan trek through timeless Nepal, and one of our favorite camping treks! The Manaslu trek starts in the high, scenic villages of Gurung villages of Barpak and Laprak, and is one of the Nepal Himalaya’s most spectacular and culturally diverse treks. Forested in the lower Manaslu regions, with traditional villages, terraced fields, rivers, bird life and mixed ethnic groups, we trek higher in the Himalaya to high Tibetan grazing plateaus and Tibetan villages, finally crossing the breathtakingly beautiful Larkye La pass into the Annapurna region. Throughout, we are treated to wonderful panoramas of the Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and Annapurna ranges, and we run this trek in our unique Kamzang Journeys ’boutique’ style of camping!
The Manaslu Circuit trek is a remote trek of cultural and topographical diversity, known for its spectacular Himalayan views, including Manaslu (8156m), the ‘mountain of the spirit’, one of the jewels of the Nepal Himalaya, and much of the Annapurna range. Our goal is the crossing of the breathtakingly beautiful Larkya La pass (5160m), en route trekking through diverse terrain, a mix of traditional Gurung and Tibetan villages, and visiting Tibetan Buddhist monasteries (gompas). The Manaslu Circuit trek is refered to as the next Annapurna Circuit, as Manaslu has Himalayan mountain views that rival any others in the Himalaya, but still boasts few trekkers as the lodges are quite basic. The Manaslu circuit trek is a remote trek of cultural and regional diversity, known for its breathtakingly beautiful Himalayan views, challenging terrain, mix of Gurung and Tibetan villages, Himalayan views, Tibetan Buddhist gompas, and diverse bird and wildlife.
Our High Manaslu Circuit to Annapurnas trek begins in Nepal’s steamy ‘middle hills’ in Nepal’s famed Gorkha in the Lower Manaslu region, where we spend the day exploring Nepal’s first capital at Gorkha Fort. We treknorth along the incredible, mountain-capped high route, through the sprawling, beautiful Gurung villages of Laprak + Barpak, perched on high, terraced hilltops covered in rhododendron, to reach Kutang, or lower Nupri. Here the ethnically Tibetan inhabitants speak their own dialect, partly Tibetan and partly Gurung, and live a lifestyle that spans Nepal and Tibet.
Trekking ever higher to upper Nubri, purely Tibetan, we share the trails with yak caravans. In Nupri, trade with Tibet continues as it has for centuries and Tibetan villages have been forged from the wilderness by Tibetan refugees. Sublime mountain panoramas, dominated by Manaslu itself, are a highlight of the trek as are side-trips to Manaslu Base Camp, the valley above Samdo near the border of Tibet and the epic crossing the snow-covered Larkya La pass which leads to the Manang region of the Annapurna region.
Our High Manaslu Circuit to Annapurnas Trek is primarily a ’boutique’ camping trek, with a few nights in lodges in Lower Manaslu and after the Larkye La pass in the Annapurna region, and 2 nights in historic Gorkha at Gorkha Farm House, an organic coffee plantation, and The Old Inn at Bandipur, a heritage hotel, as well as the wonderful Kathmandu Guest House in Kathmandu.
An epic trek through the Manaslu region!
Trip
High Manaslu Circuit + Larkya La to Annapurnas Trek – Nepal
Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu, Nepal
Day 2 – Kathmandu
Day 3 – Drive Gorkha | Gorkha Farm House
Day 4 – Trek Rangrung Phedi. Trek Barpak
Day 5 – Trek Laprak
Day 6 – Trek Korlebesi
Day 7 – Trek Jagat
Day 8 – Trek Philim
Day 9 – Trek Deng
Day 10 – Trek Namrung
Day 11 – Trek Lho
Day 12 – Trek Pung Gyan Gompa
Day 13 – Trek Sama Gaon
Day 14 – Trek Samdo | Via Manaslu Base Camp Lake View
Day 15 – Samdo
Day 16 – Trek Dharamsala High Camp
Day 17 – Trek Bimtang | Cross Larkya La (5160m)
Day 18 – Trek Tilje
Day 19 – Trek Jagat | Annapurna Region
Day 20 – Drive Bandipur | The Old Inn
Day 21 – Drive Kathmandu
Day 22 – Trip Ends
Add Ons | Per Person
+ Kathmandu World Heritage Sightseeing Tour (Half Day) | Pashupatinath + Boudhanath (+$85)
+ Kathmandu World Heritage Sightseeing Tour (Morning or Evening) | Swayambunath (Monkey Temple) (+$50)
+ Kathmandu Durbar Square Walking Tour (Half Day) | Durbar Square (+$65)
+ Bhaktapur Heritage Sightseeing Tour (+$125)
+ Patan Heritage Sightseeing Tour (+$65)
+ Everest Sightseeing Flight (+$250 or Market Price)
+ Everest Sightseeing Helicopter Tours (+ $Inquire)
+ Cycling Trip in Kathmandu Valley (+$Inquire)
Chitwan National Park | Maruni Sanctuary Lodge
Amazing Nepal Heritage Tour | Kathmandu, Chitwan, Bandipur & Pokhara
Chitwan + Bardia Luxury Wildlife Safaris | Tiger Tops Lodges
Tiger Tops Wildlife Safaris | Chitwan Tharu Lodge + Bardia Karnali Lodge
Nepal Modules
Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip!
Travel Advice
+ Purchase travel insurance with helicopter evacuation!
+ Purchase trip cancellation + travel insurance!
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive Kathmandu 1340m (4395′) | Transfer Kathmandu Guest House
Welcome to Nepal! You will be met at Tribhuvan International Airport by a representative from Kamzang Journeys or Khumbu Adventures (our partners in Kathmandu) Doma, Lhakpa and Nuru Sherpa). Look for a sign with your name on it as you leave the arrival area. We strongly suggest purchasing a NTC (Nepal Telecom) SIM card as you leave the airport if you have an unlocked phone. It’s very useful for data in the remote regions of Nepal. We will transfer you to the Kathmandu Guest House (or see Great Stays tab for luxury, boutique, and other hotel options in the Kathmandu Valley) where your room has been booked for you. Drink plenty of water to hydrate after your flight, and enjoy your first evening in Kathmandu …
We’ll need your travel medical insurance, a copy of your passport and Nepali visa, and one (or more) visa-sized photos (inquire if we need for your trek); please have them ready to give to Lhakpa, Doma or Nuru. And please ask if you need your gear checked, or have shopping or sightseeing questions!
Thamel is a myriad of shops of all imaginable varieties, bakeries, cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels, spas, climbing walls, colorful banners and signs, and eccentrically clad backpackers. Enjoy dinner at Roadhouse Cafe, New Orleans, Yin & Yang, Third Eye, or one of Thamel’s other restaurants … (B)
Day 2 – Kathmandu
Enjoy a free day exploring Kathmandu’s many World Heritage sites or embark on a tour of the beautiful Kathmandu valley, surrounded by Himalayan snow peaks (See Kathmandu Valley Tours for optional tours with a qualified guide, car, and entrance fees included). Or just relax at the hotel, visit the spa, have a massage, wander Kathmandu’s fascinating streets, pop into neighborhood Hindu temples and Newari-styled courtyards, join in on koras of the Buddhist temples. (B)
Cafe Caravan & Dolpo Gallery
Dolpo Artist Tenzin Norbu creates wonderful Dolpo paintings, the prints (and some originals) are available from our Cafe Caravan at Boudhanath Stupa, housed in one of Boudha’s original historic buildings, decorated in a bright, Tibetan style and overlooking the magnificent stupa!
Sightseeing in Kathmandu
Nuru Wangdi Sherpa (Khumbu Adventures & Café Caravan) has his Kathmandu guide license and a large SUV vehicle, and can arrange any sightseeing you might want to do in Kathmandu and the Kathmandu valley. He is often available for guiding your excursions as well. Mobile + WhatsApp: +977 9803633783 (WhatsApp)
Massage in Kathmandu (Ramji of Relieving Hands)
Ramji is a blind masseur trained by Seeing Hands in Kathmandu, who now offers wonderful at home (or hotel) massages, with his own massage table and oil. He is truly a master masseur, a real healer and VERY highly recommended. His prices are extremely reasonable. Let us know if you want help to arrange a massage.
Relieving Hands by Ramji
Kathmandu | World Heritage Sightseeing Tours – Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Durbar Square & Swayambunath
Kathmandu is filled with World Heritage sites and sacred destinations, crowded with traditional neighborhoods and colorful festivals. Spend a few days exploring Nepal’s exotic capital and the history-laden Kathmandu valley. We can arrange sightseeing guides and vehicles as required. See Kathmandu Heritage & Happenings for more details.
We recommend beginning with Pashupatinath in the early morning and moving on to Boudhanath mid-morning. Hindu Pashupatinath on the sacred Bagmati river and its sacred temple complex is one of Nepal’s most important sites, a powerful cremation site, and Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. Here, monkeys run up and down the steps of the burning ghats, and trident-bearing saddhus draped in burnt-orange and saffron sit serenely meditating when they’re not posing for photos-for-rupees. Local guides can explain the significance of the complicated ceremonies. Please be respectful when taking photos.
Boudhanath, in the midst of traditional monasteries (gonpas in Tibetan) and hung with long strings of multi-colored prayer flags, attracts Sherpas, Tibetans, and tourists alike for daily circumambulations (koras) of the iconic stupa. The striking Buddha eyes of Boudhanath Stupa watch over a lively and colorful Tibetan community and attract pilgrims from all over the Himalayan Buddhist realm. There are wonderful spots for lunch at Boudhanath (Roadhouse Cafe has wood-oven pizzas and a breathtaking view of the stupa and colorful Nepals circling it), and it’s a good place to learn the technique of thanka painting and purchase a thanka (Buddhist mural). See also Bhaktapur for more options for shopping for thankas.
Wander through the many temples, pagodas, courtyards, and the museum at Kathmandu Durbar Square, a timeless gathering spot and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kathmandu Durbar Square, including the old royal palace, is Kathmandu’s ‘Palace Square’, a showcase for the world-renowned artisans and craftsmen of Kathmandu and a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist palaces, temples, stupas, and statues. The Malla and Shah kings ruled over the Kathmandu Valley during the centuries of the building of the layers of this Durbar Square. Along with their opulent palaces, the square surrounds numerous courtyards and temples, all works of art with intricate and often erotic carvings. Kathmandu Durbar Square is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace. The social, religious and urban focal point of the city, Durbar Square is often the site of festivals, marriages, and other ceremonies such as Teej. Some important structures are Hanuman Dhoka Palace, Kumari Ghar (Abode of the Living Goddess), Taleju Temple, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages.
In the evening (take the interesting back streets from Durbar Square) climb the many steps to the gilded Swayambhunath stupa (known as the monkey temple) which rises from the Kathmandu valley floor at 1420 meters and is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal. Swayambunath, the ‘self-created’ stupa, was founded over 2000 years ago at a time when the Kathmandu valley was filled by a large lake, with a single lotus in the center. Mythology says that Manjusri, a bodhisattva, drained the lake with one cut of his sword and the lotus flower was transformed into the stupa. From its commanding views of Kathmandu, circumambulate Swayambunath’s white-washed stupa, painted with distinctive Buddha eyes, the complex a unique synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism. Another interesting time to visit Swayambunath is in the mornings when Nepalis visit the temple dedicated to the God of Smallpox with colorful offerings for the goddess.
Stop to photograph reflections in Kathmandu’s many pokharis or ponds, including the beautiful Rani Pokhari (queen’s bath) near New Road, and the Naga Pokhari (pond of the snake gods of the underworld) just beyond the palace gates. The many bathing ghats, square enclosures with steps leading down to water spouts, often decorated with naga heads, are also interesting and colorful gathering spots.
Day 3 – Drive Gorkha 1510m | Gorkha Farm House
We board private vehicles for our scenic drive from Kathmandu to the Gurung village of Gorkha in Nepal’s steamy middle hills, driving along the Prithvi Highway and following the Trisuli River. Gorkha was once the capital of a massive kingdom which included parts of lower Tibet, and is dominated by an impressive ‘durbar’, or fortress palace complex, predominately Hindu with frequent animal sacrifices in the name of Durga or Kali in its several old Hindu temples. The fort is perched high up in the surrounding hillsides and reached by nearly an hour of hiking up worn stone steps, often with other Nepali Hindu pilgrims, an extremely photographic afternoon!
We’ll drive 6 km outside of Gorkha and stay at the rustic Gorkha Farm House, an organic coffee farm and guesthouse in the Gorkha hills, with wonderful mountain views! Take advantage of a chance for a sun-downer while we’re in Nepal’s steamy middle hills, and still low in altitude. (5 hrs drive) (B, L, D)
Day 4 – Drive Rangrung Phedi 875m. Trek Barpak 1915m (Lodge)
Starting in the lovely morning light, we drive to the Manaslu region along a newly built jeep road, heading north past our old campsite at Arkole village, driving past vivid green rice paddies, over small rivers and past many roadside batties to the small hamlet of Rangrung. At Rangrung Phedi we start our trek, switchbacking up to the lovely Gurung village of Barpak.
It’s a long and steep climb but beautiful hike up to the incredibly scenic village of Barpak, situated perfectly on a green ridge overlooking the misty valley below. The new road started in 2009 built to connect Barpak and Laprak with Gorkha traverses our trail for the first half of the climb; we have to traverse this dirt road a few times as we climb through the dense forested hillside filled with rhododendrons, bauhenia and other large, leafy trees. Along the way we’ll stop for a break at the Gurung memorial ‘chautaras’ or rest stops. These are specific to the Gurung and Rai people, both Buddhist with an animist/shamanistic bent. Two hours of climbing later we reach the local school at Mandaray followed by an entrance gate and several small tea shops where we can stop for a cold drink. Continuing to climb gently, contouring around tilled wheat fields, it will take us another hour of more gentle climbing to reach the ancient chortens that mark the lower reaches of Barpak village.
We stay for the night at a local lodge in order to support the Gurung villagers of Barpak, who’s village was destroyed in the 2015 Nepal earthquakes. Barpak and Laprak was the epicenter of this massive earthquake, and we continue to support the villagers by staying in their lodges and purchasing their products. Our camping will begin once back down on the mail trail along the Manaslu Circuit, in Korlebesi. At the shop, you can find a cold beer or drink, and wander over to the local school ground to watch a game of volleyball …
Barpak is a large, Ghale (royalty) Gurung village, extremely clean, with a weekly market, wide alleys between the houses, grain and vegetables drying outside on the patios, several shops, a new school, a soccer field, viewpoints and flowers planted along the decks of these Gurung houses. Many of its men joined the Ghurkha Army, returned to Barpak with new wealth, and have built lovely houses. We arrive in time for lunch, and have the afternoon to wander the narrow streets of the village, a photographers paradise. Note the locally woven ‘bakus’, a sort of felted wool poncho which most men wear to keep the rain and cold away, and the men carrying hemp rope bags. The village is full of women weaving on wooden looms, spinning and carding. The villagers often organize ‘cultural shows’, the proceeds of which go to improving the village, so we might be treated to one in the early evening. Across the steep valley the hillsides are peppered with other terraced villages. We are towered over by Bauddhi Himal, a high, snow-capped peak which makes for wonderful sunrise and sunset photos.
If the campsite hasn’t been made again after the earthquake (it wasn’t in 2018), we’ll stay at the nicest guest house in the village, Hotel Bauddha, owned by Tak + Nem Ghale, a series of basic but scenic chalet-type buildings near the top of town. (3 hrs drive + 4 hrs trek) (B, L, D)
Day 5 – Trek Laprak 2200m (Lodge)
After breakfast we’ll start on a picturesque climb right out of town towards a lovely pass, with Bauddhi Himal providing a spectacular back-drop to the sprawling, scenic Barpak as we ascend the narrow ridge. Starting on old stone steps and passing several chautaras, we reach grassy grazing kharkas and look out at the tilled hillsides and impossibly perched Gurung villages across the many deep valleys. Our trail is often stone steps, alternating with hard-packed dirt and stony trail, which meets the new road to Laprak near the ridge-pass, the Laprak La (2820m), which separates Laprak and Barpak. From the viewpoint half an hour before the pass, with flocks of sheep grazing on the grassy hillsides, we are rewarded with panoramic mountain views which are better than at the actual pass itself. Bauddhi Himal, Shringi Himal, Ganesh Himal and the Langtang range all span the horizon. The rhododendrons are blooming brilliantly in many hues of white, pink and red, lovely foreground for photos with the snow-peaks in back. Bring a wind jacket as the clouds often move quickly up to this ridge, and it gets cold at the pass.
Another steep hour or two of trekking between tilled fields, past local kharkas and through the new ‘kane’ chorten brings us down to Laprak, a large, closely packed Gurung village of five hundred houses, perhaps not quite as scenic as Barpak but just as interesting. The Maoists used to stay in this village, and the villagers often offer some friendly indoctrination. We stay at a lodge in the upper reaches of the village, near the school, with the afternoon free to explore the village below.
Take a walk down the hill on the stone steps leading to the lower village and a look into some of the houses, several connected by wooden decks, all with symbolic murals on the mud-brick walls and family photographs over the doors. Medicinal roots are often drying on the decks, and millet and barley are spread in low baskets. Again, many women will be on their standing or back-strap looms weaving the long strips of wool for their bakus or blankets. The villagers are friendly, and there is lots to explore in Laprak’s winding maze of small lanes, perhaps visiting some of the local houses. (5 hrs) (B, L, D)
Day 6 – Trek Korlebesi 875m (Camping)
A long, classic Himalayan trekking day, the steep hillsides peppered with traditional Nepali villages and their extensive fields, all of it spectacular, but hard on the knees! We’ll have an early start to have plenty of time for all of us, including the porters, to reach Korlebesi. Descending steeply on muddy stone steps through the maze of Laprak village, we pass old and young villagers out early on their decks, taking advantage of the morning sun, with wheat, barley and buckwheat laid out on straw mats. We continue to descend steeply, switchbacking through corn, wheat and barley fields to the river. After crossing the river on a new suspension bridge (next to the old, very rickety one), we climb equally steeply back up, past terraced fields of pink sorghum and rice, all the time far above the Macha Khola which we follow for most of the day. We contour around several hillsides on a narrow trail, barely visible at times, up to a small chorten just below the village of Singla from where we’re treated to views of Manaslu Himal, and Ganesh Himal l to the back.
We’ve still got a way to go as we trek through more terraced fields, climb and descend several dusty hillsides, climb on more stone steps and reach a plateau that seems to extend into an expanse of nothingness. We descend finally from here, and after about twenty minutes of steep stone steps reach the Gurung village of Korla. (Our Korla Camp is just above here, at 1935m). Still more downhill from here during which the landscape becomes more tropical, through more tilled fields, past a small hamlet with lovely rocks and finally we reach an extremely steep set of stone steps which leads to a long suspension bridge across the Nimrung Khola and to our campsite at Korlebesi on the Budhi Gandaki river. Look out for the local women weaving straw mats in the village. Our campsite is just below the village, next to the Nimrung Khola, again providing great swimming holes. We will probably get a visit in the evening from this village’s cultural ambassadors, and perhaps be treated to a cultural dance by the Korlebesi women’s group.
Once at our grassy campsite we will introduce you to our ‘Kamzang Style’ dining tent, your personal Marmot or North Face tents and have a cup of fragrant masala chai! (8 hrs) (B, L, D)
Day 7 – Trek Jagat 1370m
A six plus hour trekking day today, starting with a walk through the village of Korlebesi and followed by an hour of walking along the river, by tobacco and buckwheat fields, past rocks washed smooth by the river, often climbing up stone steps, to reach the hot springs in the center of the small, terraced village of Tatopani. We have plenty of time to soak our grungy bodies in the gushing hot water streaming out of sculpted spouts. A gentle climb through the woods past some spectacular waterfalls and sculpted rocks brings us to a new suspension bridge across the Budhi Gandaki which we cross. We continue along a forested path and soon reach the large teahouse at Dobhan where the staff is having dal baht. After a short break we cross the Dhoban Khola on another suspension bridge Above Dobhan, the Budhi Gandaki descends in an impressive series of steep cataracts. We’ll share the trail with local sheep and goat herders, the youngest of the flock in rope baskets slung over their backs. More steep steps along cliff walls to climb as the river descends even more steeply and stratified river rocks decorate our route. It’s hot and there will be chances to stop at fly-blown Nepali bhattis, shared with local farm animals, for a drink, snack and rest en route. The valley flattens a bit and after a short climb we reach a newer bhatti and campsite. From here our trail climbs high above the river, nearly 200 meters, only to descend to an ‘eye’ of the Budhi Gandaki River. The valley widens, the river makes a large S turn and then calms.
We’ll stop for lunch at another camping spot and group of bamboo teahouses called Lauri just at the bottom of this climb, with another swimming spot on the Lauri River. An easy hour along the right banks of the river brings us to a long, new suspension bridge again crossing the Bhuri Gandaki after which we climb high, descend past the campsite at lower Jagat and then climb again on neat stone steps to enter our campsite in Jagat, the entrance to the Manaslu park. It is worth wandering around this beautiful, paved village, where proud villagers have recorded how much they contributed to these paving schemes. Our campsite is impressively clean and grassy, with cold beers and a shower available at the attached shop and lodge. (B, L, D)
Day 8 – Trek Philim 1570m
Enjoy our short day of less than three hours, with the rest of the afternoon to explore the upper village of fascinating Philim. After descending a long series of stone steps back down to the river from Jagat village, we climb on slab steps along a terraced hill-side to the small hamlet of Saguleri, just past where we’ll have our first view of the impressive Shringi Himal, 7187 meters high. Beautiful flame-leaf trees adorn the trail as we continue to climb and descend far above the river. We pass through the fly-blown paved village of Sirdibas, where the local children sell oranges in the Autumn and soon afterwards pass the local water-mill. Crossing the river again on a long, high suspension bridge at Gata Khola, we have a steep climb past green fields of wheat to reach Philim, the MCAP headquarters with a health post, a Japanese-sponsored school and a micro-hydro plant. We arrive at our grassy campsite in time for lunch, and have the afternoon free to wash at the dharapani (tap) across the path from camp, to explore the interesting upper village and gompa, or sit and enjoy the afternoon at camp.
The upper village’s Gurung inhabitants are very poor, and we often spend the afternoon tending to wounds and sick villagers who have commented that our western medicine is ‘magic’. Notice the chorten with the Maoist hammer and sickle in the center of the upper village, the kane chortens with murals inside and the intricately woven baskets which both the men and the women craft. The exquisite gold heirloom necklaces that adorn some of the women come from Barpak. Be careful of village dogs as they do sometimes bite! (B, L, D)
Day 9 – Trek Deng 1865m
Leaving Philim, we trek north on a beautiful, high and grass-sided trail following the Budhi Gandaki past Eklai Batti, soon passing the valley leading to Tsum valley on our right, a wild, deep gorge below. We soon descend a bit to reach a river junction, cross the Budhi Gandaki on a steel Bailey bridge, and continue further north into more Tibetan border regions. After the bridge and passing the trail to Nyak on the left we ascend gradually along a wide, hillside trail through an open pine forest, and then cross the river two more times on newly built steel suspension bridges (thanks to a benevolent Gurkha society), trekking through dense woods of rhododendrons, bamboo and wild flowers. As we climb, look back for views of Ganesh Himal IV. A few hours later we pass the riverside campsite and teahouses of Pewa where the staff will eat lunch.
After another 45 minutes of relatively easy climbing we leave the narrow gorge, cross the Dyang Khola on a metal suspension bridge, and climb briefly to the hamlet of Deng. Deng is the start of the lower Nubri region called Kutang, where the people are ethnically Tibetan but speak a different dialect than the people of upper Nubri where the people are purely Tibetan. The Kutang dialect, called ‘kukay’, is a mix of Tibeto-Burman and Gurung. We have views of the Ganesh Himal to the rear, as well as Lapuchen and Dwijen Himals to the north. We camp right in the middle of the small village, which now has a few new lodges, and get fresh greens from the family that owns the land. It’s worth a visit to the upper floor of their house above us, perhaps for a glass of local ‘chang’, or Tibetan beer (which the husband has undoubtably already started into). It starts to feel like a piece of old Tibet again. (B, L, D)
Day 10 – Trek Namrung 2540m
The valley is still steep-sided and impressive as we leave camp in the morning, descending briefly to a metal suspenion bridge which we cross as we head along the undulating trail to Nupri. We switchback steeply, once climbing a notched wooden ladder, up to the small, poor village of Rana where the women usually have their looms out. After more climbing through lovely woods of pine and crossing another bridge, we reach Bihi Phedi, where there is a new lodge and views of Kutang Himal. From here we start to see very artistic mani stones (prayers etched onto wayside rocks, particularly mani stones with pictures of gods and goddesses in this region), a sure sign that we are entering another of the tiny Tibetan footholds that mark the high Himalayan places. These particular mani stones were carved by stone carvers from Bihi, above Bihi Phedi, famous in the region for this craft.
We have several more hours of ascents and descents ahead of us, twice crossing tributary streams on metal suspension bridges, staying high above the Budhi Gandaki. The walk through the gorge is breathtaking but hot, with spectacular views. Five hours past Deng, just past a beautifully painted kane chorten and after crossing a bridge over the Budhi Gandaki, we reach the outskirs of Ghap. Again, note the elaborate mani walls with Buddhas in several asanas which were carved by the famous Bihi stone-carvers, and the egg-shells strung above the local ‘tea-house’ doors in Ghap prevent the evil spirits from entering the house. Past the bridge, it’s a good half hour to reach lunch at Hotel Kyimolung campsite.
+ We don’t camp at Ghap but across the Bhuri Gandaki and up steeply up for 45 minutes is the village of Chaak, where the son of the tea-house and campsite owner in Ghap lives with his family. There is a small, deserted gompa, carved mani stones (the style here is distinctly different that most other Tibetan Buddhist regions), and some Tibetans from Samdo who graze their yaks here. In the village, they will be drying their maize to grind into flour, and then trade with the people of upper Nubri. Across the river are great views of the village of Prok perched on the plateau jutting over the river below us. From Chaak, you can trek further to Kwak, and there is a trail up to Shringi Himal base camp. A fire recently destroyed the gompa at Kwak.
Soon after leaving Ghap, we ascend for two hours through a dense, cool forest of fir, rhododendron, bamboo and oaks, crossing the now narrow Budhi Gandaki twice on newly built suspension bridges, and continue to climb, often on smooth, stone steps. We might spot danphe, the national bird of Nepal, or grey langur monkeys with white faces along the trail. As we gain altitude, we reach alpine territory and are treated to increasingly broad mountain views. We eventually reach Namrung, the first village in Nubri, a region of purely Tibetan inhabitants speaking a dialect of western Tibet. Our campsite at Namrung is small and grassy; it’s a spectacular spot when the weather is good but can be chilly if in the clouds so bring something warm in your daypack. It’s a long day for the porters so expect your bags a bit later than usual.
We are now entering the Tibetan region of upper Nupri; Nupri means ‘western ridge’ or ‘western mountains’. (B, L, D)
Day 11 – Trek Lho 3180m
Another wonderful and diverse trekking day awaits. Above Namrung, the valley opens out and there are extensive barley fields and bear watches to guard them. Note the bamboo structures in the fields at the nearby village of Banzam, the winter settlement and crops of the Lihi villagers. An hour and half of undulating trails later we reach the village of Lihi at 2840 meters, a substantial altitude gain. Lihi houses two old gompas, and is spread along the trail with billowing fields of barley, guarded by more bear watches. Lihi is known for its unusual architecture which we’ll see further north in Nupri as well – apartment-like units with a common roof. From Lihi, you can head east to the newly opened village of Hinang, which also has an important gompa.
We climb gently through the village past the lodge campsite, descend to the Hinang Khola which flows from the Hinang and Lanjam Glaciers, and climb again, with views of Ngadi Himal and Manaslu north opening up aheadof us. Soon we reach the kane chorten and the picturesque Tibetan village of Shyo at 3000m. Shyo has a small lha-khang and two newly rebuilt gompas (with help from the Taiwanese?), one across the river. Look for the bear claw on the upper deck of one of the slate-terraced house at the far end of the village. Across the river are said to be the ruins of an old Tibetan fort as well as the resplendent new gompa. From Shyo, the views of Ngadi Chuli are spectacular, and further on, towards Lho, we are finally treated to breath-taking views of Manaslu itself, an impressive afternoon!
One more small descent out of Shyo, past a fly-blown teahouse and a small stream, and we start to climb up to Lho. We’ll stop for lunch at one of the new lodge decks in the lower reached of Lho. From here it’s a short but steep switchback up to Lho.
We set up camp at the top of Lho, a lively, green and sprawling village adorned with many prayer flags, in the yard of a small lodge just above the new chorten that was built with the help of the Taiwanese in 2009. The local household deities in Lho are called ‘pholhas’ and are revered at small altars in all of the houses. The small gompa just below our old campsite and new lodge is worth a visit as is the new Nyingma Rimjung Gompa, adorned with multi-colored prayer flags just up the hill from our campsite. The large gompa houses 150 monks (both novice monks and lamas) from such far away Tibetan regions as Manang, Dolpo and Bhutan. The gompa was a join venture of these same Taiwanese and Kempo Tashi Tsering.
From camp, sunset and sunrise are wonderful, with breathtaking views of Manaslu and Manaslu North just ahead of us. (B, L, D)
Day 12 – Trek Pung Gyan Gompa 3870m
We wake to a misty, golden sunrise and spectacular views of Manaslu and Manaslu North from the campsite. Walking through the upper reaches of Lho, with the snowy peaks of Manaslu rising behind the gompa, we pass billowing green barley fields, a long mani wall and large, old chortens followed by the kane chorten where we’ll get the best views of Manaslu. We descend, cross a small stream on wooden bridges and then ascend through light forests next to a small river until we reach a small hydro-electric hut. From here we’ll hike up through a once dense forest of pine, now nearly deforested. Locals from Lho and Sama Gaon have cut almost all of the large pines to transport by yak to Tibet where it will be sold and other Chinese goods purchased. Soon we reach Hong Sangbu Gompa, once a small village gompa and now dwarfed by the larger, newer gompa which will apparently be used for meditation. The gompa is near Musithang kharka, a seasonal herding spot, and has fantastic views of the surrounding peaks.
Leaving the gompa and barking dogs, we descend just a bit to an old mill where local women who stay in Shayla are often roasting barley and grinding it to make tsampa. Soon we reach the high, idyllic summer settlement of Shayla, where we’ve found pelts of blue sheep tucked away in the rafters of the now-deserted settlement. There are extensive mountain panoramas from here as well, and new lodges. Once past Shayla we have two hours of trekking through classic alpine scenery, crossing two small bridges over glacial streams. Our trail leads us past Tibet grazing settlements, the trail to Pung Gyan Gompa to the left, several doksas (kharkas), a large school and eventually past checkered fields of barley and potato to Sama Gaon, or Ro, as the locals call it. We’ll take a sharp left turn just before the school and doksas and hike up to Pung Gyan Gompa for the night.
Pung Gyan Gompa sits at 3870 meters and is a stunning walk up an often icy and slippery trail along the Numla Khola and the Pung Gyan glacier past Tibetan ‘kharkas’ or seasonal herding settlements. There are unbeatable views of Manaslu near the gompa. The gompa was mostly destroyed by an avalanche in 1953, and recently rebuilt. The complex includes a cave gompa as well, which affords even better views of the valley. (B, L, D)
Day 13 – Trek Sama Gaon (Ro) 3525m
Back down the valley to the school, it’s just a half an hour’s walk to Ro. Sama Gaon sits in a bowl at the foot of the pastures leading to the high peaks. It’s a lovely village of mani walls, household monks, gompas and tightly packed rows of houses. Just above the village is the extensive Pema Choling Gompa which acts as a retirement home for many of the elders of Sama. The people settled here from Tibet over 500 years ago, and the two gompas (one in the lower village) date from this time, both having unique architecture, colorful doors and windows and built of wood. The Tibetan villages in this region of Manaslu have distinctive entrance gates (kanes), and they maintain an active trade with their co-religionists in Tibet over several high passes nearby (notice the Chinese brandy and beer for sale in the small shops). Taxes were actually paid to the Dzongka Dzong (fortress) at the border of Tibet, a few days walk from Sama Gaon, as late as the 1940’s until it was taken over by the Gorkhas in the late 19th century. Later, after 1959, the region was home to Tibetan guerrillas, and thus closed to trekking until 1992. The economy is based on farming, herding and trading.
Take the afternoon to hike up to the old Kagyu Pema Choling Gompa settlement just north of the village. This is locally called Labrang, or Lama’s place, and houses several lamas and their families as well as many nuns. The lamas and monks in Sama are all married, and there are about sixty of them. There are frequent pujas at the gompa and many prayer rooms with old murals and statues, worth at least an hour to explore. It’s also endlessly fascinating to wander the dirty alleyways of Sama, it’s stone houses with wooden decks and shingles a similar style to the ones in Lho and Lihi. Yaks and dzobkios share the narrow alleys, which have small waterways running in the middle of them and planks to bridge the two sides. If the weather is good, you will see the village women weaving wool (phal) from Tibet as well as local sheep and goat wool into lengths of fabric which eventually become chubas.We often shop for hook rugs (den) and other Tibetan artifacts in the village, a good way to interact with the villagers.
Geoff Child’s ‘Tibetan Diary’ is a must-read before (or after) spending time in Sama Gaon. We have it in our library. (B, L, D)
Day 14 – Trek Samdo 3850m
Another day of mountain views as we trek past craggy woods of Himalayan birch during the walk up to Samdo, an easy 3 or 3 1/2 hours away. For those who want an extra excursion we’ll hike above the lake up Manaslu Base Camp valley. Half an hour after leaving Sama Gaon, cross the small bridge, hike through the gate of the grazing wall and head west towards Manaslu Base Camp along the grassy lateral morraine. En route, we’ll pass two seasonal kharkas, looking like they’ve not been used recenty. As we hike up through the woods on a dirt trail, past birch, juiper and rhododendron, the lake opens up below us and we get closer to the impressive icefall of the Manaslu Glacier. We’ll hike up to a cave at just over 4000 meters before calling it a day and returning back to the valley, crossing the small stream and heading north again.
We pass by the left side of the long mani walls at Kermo Kharka and 1/1/2 hours afterwards spot the entrance chorten of Samdo high on a bluff. We descend back to the Budhi Gandaki and cross a small bridge leading to a short climb to the ‘kane’ entrance of Samdo. The villagers of Samdo came across the border from the village of Riu in Tibet after 1959 and built their new village here, at their old herding settlement. Like the people of Ro, Samdo inhabitants are Tibetan, and were ceded the land by the king of Jumla over 500 years ago. Unlike the Ro people, they only claimed their land after the Chinese takeover in the early 1950s. Since then they have established a trade with China and India, marketing among other things, the aphrodisiac root that grows in the region. We have lots of friends in the village so will probably be invited to visit and share some chang (Tibetan barley beer), salt-butter tea and perhaps do a bit of carpet or textile shopping. Take a walk around the village where the inhabitants live an essentially Tibetan lifestyle, herding their yaks, sheep and goats, training their horses and planting barley. There is a small gompa in a house mid-village which we visited in a previous year where a puja was held by several of the reincarnated lamas of Samdo.
We have a connection with a family in Samdo that Clint Rogers, who wrote the book about Samdo ‘Where Rivers Meet’ (also in our library), lived with years ago. We helped the wife, Nima Dikki, get over her four-year postpartum depression, and knew her husband Tsewang Gyurme and their kids well. Sadly Tsewang Gyurme died fighting a forest fire in January 2011 (see memorial in Kamzang Fundsection) and Nyima Dikki is now trying to make ends meet by running a small local tea-house. We’ll visit them later in the afternoon and anyone is welcome to come sit by the warm fire. The oldest daughter, Menden Samo, now in her late teens, is now home helping her mother run the household. (4 – 5 hrs) (B, L, D)
Day 15 – Samdo | Day Hike for Manaslu Views
Today is a rest and acclimatization day in this wonderful Tibetan village, tucked away below Manaslu which towers above us to the west. The sun hits camp early and warms the campsite so get up with the sun, soak in the mountain environment and notice the early morning sunbeams illuminating the village wood-smoke. In back of camp rise the magestic peaks of Ngadi Chuli, Himal Chuli and Simnang Himal.
We recommend a hike up valley directly to the east of Samdo, heading towards one a trading pass to Tibet, for amazing mountain panoramas including an in-your-face view of Manaslu itself. Passing through the one street of the village, we climb to the northeast of the village gaining wonderful views down to Samdo and it’s tilled or green fields below. As we ascend, the peaks to the west open up behind us and in a hour we’ve crested ‘Samdo Spur’ at 4250 meters. From left to right, the peaks are: Simrang Himal, Himal Chuli, Ngadi Himal, Manaslu, Manaslu North and Larkya Peak. To the right of the Larkye La which is just in front of us as we look northwest, we can see Cheo Himal and Kang Guru behind the pass. Two more contours to northern ridges brings us to a small, clear glacial stream and the original summer kharkas of the Lho people, now deserted and used by the Samdo-pa in the winter sometimes. The kharka huts are beautiful, with glimmering slate tiles on the roofs and slate patios. Climb one more hill to the old cairn and head directly north up the grassy hillside to reach the idyllic ‘Samdo hill’ at 4590 meters. From here we’ll get views east to the pass to Tibet as well as over the Larkye La and the Manaslu massif. Purple and yellow primulas color the hillsides, marmots stand on their hind legs and whistle, choughs soar and play above us, cuckoos and chukkars dart past us, and blue sheep roam the hillsides above. We might also see more danphe as they crash through the underbrush, and often spot lammergeyer and Himalayan griffin soaring high above us. It’s a knee-wrenching hour-long descent back down to Samdo, where a hot lunch awaits.
The Gya La (‘large pass’) to the north of Samdo is a more frequently used trading route to Tibet but makes for an exteremely long daytrip. The border markers at the top says ‘China, 1962.’ The trail up to the pass is used frequently by groups of Samdo residents with their yaks carrying timbers over the border to Tibet. True High Asia. These days the main trade is in yersa gumpa, and Tibetan Khampas come for the month of June to bring this commodity back to Tibet and sell to the Chinese for a hefty profit. (B, L, D)
Day 16 – Trek Dharamsala High Camp (Larkya Phedi) 4480m
It’s a short trekking day as we head to our high camp for Larkya La. We leave Samdo on the old trade route towards Tibet (Sherpas from the Khumbu region used to bring their yaks into Tibet and then across the Larkya La down into Nubri on their extensive trade-circuit in years past), cross a small bridge, and climb westwards above the ruins of Larkya Bazaar. The bazaar was one of the trade markets, a seasonal tented camp, that flourished years ago, before the closing of the Tibetan border. Ascending through grazing lands, open, grassy plateaus filled with dwarf rhododendron, juniper bushes and lichen-covered granite, the panoramas become increasingly awe-inspiring. We soon reach the view up to Syancha Glacier on the other side of the valley which tumbles down from Manaslu & Manaslu North. The route up Manaslu is visible from one of the many spurs that we crest this morning. Finally we come to the developping campsite at Dharamsala, the high camp for the Larkya La pass. We’ll have lunch here while the staff sets up camp and gaze out at the views. You’ll feel the altitude and the cold here, so perhaps enjoy a leisurely afternoon and keep warm. We’re in blue sheep territory, so keep an eye out for herds of them grazing nearby on the barren hillsides.
If you’ve still got energy to spare hike up either of the ridges that form the boundery of our valley, or hike up alongside the small spring-fed stream in back of camp and enjoy the birds, marmots and blue sheep. Either way you’ll have good views of Naike Peak to the south and the tip of Manaslu in front. We’ll have an early dinner in preparation for our pass crossing tomorrow. This will be our last day of camping in the Manaslu region. The mules will head back down the valley with our camping gear, and we will have porters or mules to carry our personal duffel bags for the next few days as we stay at the lovely lodges in the Annapurna region. (3-4 hrs) (B, L, D)
Day 17 – Trek Bimtang 3590m | Cross Larkya La (5140m + 5160m) (Lodge)
Thank God for fresh-brewed coffee! It’s dark and cold as we pack up our gear and tents in the morning and head off on our eight to nine hour trek over the Larkya La to Bimtang. Bring your trekking poles, and ‘yak tracks’ if you have them. After a short climb directly above the campsite, we hike along the right side of the lateral morraine, soon following the narrow bottom of this valley. Look for blue sheep, pika, marmot and Tibetan snow-cock tracks in the snow – and we’d be lucky to see snow leopard prints. We’ll soon reach the ablation valley on the north side of the Larkya Glacier where we’ll have views of Cho Danda and Ganesh Himal l to the east and then of Larkya Peak (6250m) to the west. We continue across the often snowy, undulating moraine of the glacier, past the many snow markers, and in about two hours reach a small hut, mostly unused, at 4920 meters. From here we’ve got another two hour push to reach the pass. We continue to ascend on small ridges and past a lovely frozen lake, often through the snow, making a gradual ascent which becomes steeper only in the last section to the pass.
The views from the top of the Larkye La are wonderful, mountain panoramas equally amazing from both sides of the double pass. From the east, the direction we just hiked up, we’ll look down on Samdo Peak and the peaks bordering Tibet, and Larkye Peak to the southeast. To the west towards the Annapurna region rise Kang Guru (ridge only), Himlung Himal, Cheo Himal and a bit further down the pass the views open up to included Gyagi Kung and Annapurna II. After hanging our Tibetan prayer flags and yelling ‘Ki ki so so lha gyalo’ (may the Gods be victorious), get ready for a steep climb down a razor-edge ridge and then a descent, often slippery and icy and slightly precipitous, to a trail following the left side of the Salpudanda glacier moraine. We’ll lunch after reaching a flat area with smooth rocks if there’s no snow, once we’ve crossed the rock-fall area. From here we continue to traverse downhill with another steep section ahead, soon reaching a flatter valley full of primulas and azalea bushes. We still have a good 2-3 hours to go to reach our campsite, a long haul. A boulder-strewn, circular descent lead us, finally, to Bimtang, which means ‘plain of sand’, the region where the Samdo people keep their yaks and horses in the summer and winter months.
We’ll stay in one of the nice, new lodges in Bimtang, and enjoy a chilled beer as the evening clouds gather, turning pink behind the surrounding peaks. (B, L, D)
Day 18 – Trek Tilje 2300m (Lodge)
A chilly but beautiful morning, as the sun behind the ridge hits the peaks around us long before the campsite. After leaving the grazing fields of Bimtang, we climb to a ridge over the moraine, soon afterwards crossing a boulder-strewn river, which recently flooded, on a wooden bridge. We ascend and then head down through open forests of brilliantly blooming rhododendron, juniper, birches and spruce past the doksas below Bimtang. En route we might pass Samdo-pa returning from their shopping in the Manang region with their loaded horses. Butterflies flutter peacefully around us, hummingbirds dart from tree to tree, and white strawberry flowers and azalea bushes are underfoot as we descend through forests of rhododendron, with the back side of Manaslu openning up impressively in front of us. We follow the intersecting glacial rivers, increasingly large as we drop, and eventually cross a steel Bailey’s bridge and reach the small hamlet of Karche where there is a tea-house and lodge, and where the porters are having their dal baht. We might eat here, or perhaps we’ll lunch just below along the riverside, now the Dudh Khola.
We continue along the rocky river-bed, often on trails which traverse sliding hillsides, to several small, green villages, a sign that we’ve reached lower altitudes. After a somewhat long (6-7 hours) but very scenic day we reach the large village of Tilje and our lodge in the lower section of the village in the yard of a small teahouse. The inhabitants of Tilje are a mix of Manangis, Ghale Gurung and Chettris (Hindus) so have developped a unique architecture and culture, and eat a mix foods ranging from dal bhat and buckwheat dhiro to tsampa to Tibetan salt-butter tea. The deep gorge ahead marks the land of apple pie, cold beers and hot showers, otherwise known as the Annapurna Circuit. (B, L, D)
Day 19 – Trek Jagat | Annapurna Region 1315m (Lodge)
It’s an easy trekking day following the Dudh Khola through bamboo forests down to Dharapani, an atmospheric Tibetan village with prayer flags fluttering in the wind, stopping en route at the gompa in Thongje on the old Annapurna trail. Trekking south on the main Annapurna Circuit trail, we soon arrive at a long suspension bridge over which we cross the Marsyangdi River to reach the small village of Karte, re-crossing it soon afterwards. We continue along a high, winding, stunning cliff-side trail past several small teahouses at Khorte, and then switch backing down the steep trail before crossing the Marsyangdi River yet again. Before us to the left we drop to river level and spot the wide plain and waterfall at scenic Tal, the last village of the Lower Manang region.
Tal means lake, and the area here was formed when the valley was blocked by a landslide and a dam formed behind. The lake has long gone and now the village of Tal sits on the river flats. Continuing along the left bank of the riverside, we have a quick ascent to the entrance ‘kane’ of Tal, and after cresting the small hump, we descend steeply past the small teahouses at Sattale, loosing even more altitude as we continue down on an undulating trail through the lush forest to the river and cross another suspension bridge leading to Chamje. a short hike uphill. Chamje is an atmospheric, ‘wild west’ village of traditional-style teahouses, often packed with saddled local horses. From here the road-building is full-on, so we’ll continue as far as we can get, and hop in our jeeps. But before then we have one more hour-long descent along the new dirt road, looking across the river to large waterfalls, to reach the (once) lovely cobbled village of Jagat, situated on a shelf which juts into the precipitous Marsyangdi valley. Jagat isn’t what it used to be as the road now passes through it, but it’s still got charm and we’ll appreciate staying in the lodge in Jagat for our last night on the trail. (B, L, D)
Day 20 – Drive Bandipur 1030m | The Old Inn
We board our private vehicles for the bumpy jeep ride past Syange, Bahundanda and Bhulbhule to Besi Sahar at the start of the Annapurna Circuit trail, followed by a good, paved road down to the Kathmandu – Pokhara highway and on another hour or so to the scenic, Newari village of Bandipur, where we stay at the wonderful Old Inn at Bandipur, a rural heritage site, for the night. Bandipur is a charming, traditional village off the main roads, with much to explore, and a relaxing atmosphere, a warm climate and the perfect way to break the drive to Kathmandu.
About The Old Inn at Bandipur:
“You’ll love its eagle’s nest location, its lazy walks through orange groves, its simple architecture, and you’ll never forget the utterly stunning pink-tinged Himalayan skyline of dawn – and another before twilight. Its sense of history is unique too for it was a centre of exotic trade between lowland and highland and between British India and independent Tibet and it is this fact of history that explains its prosperity and faded grandeur. This house has stories of ancient trans-Himalaya trade routes and of store-rooms crammed with merchandise en route between the opulence of India and the grandeur of Tibet. Restoration and conservation of this traditional Newari Town House required keeping the low ceilings and the overall sense of proportion and scale. The practical inclusion of comfortable and clean showers and toilet facilities are achieved.” (B, L)
Day 21 – Drive Kathmandu
Back on the road driving through the lush, semi-tropical middle hills of Nepal heading back to Kathmandu. It is a different world in the Nepali hills, and the gentle light sends us on our way back to the bustle of Nepal’s capital. Back at the Kathmandu Guest House, enjoy a hot shower and a cold beer in the lovely garden before dinner out in Thamel. (B)
Day 22 – Trip Ends
Transfer to the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for your flight home. Namaste! (B)
Date & Price
2020 Dates
TBA
22 Days
+ Private Treks Available
Trek Price
$$
Lodge Upgrades
+ Single Upgrade Lodges – $375 (Subject to Availability)
Kathmandu Guest House Single & Double Upgrades
+ Deluxe Upgrade Kathmandu Guest House (3 Nights) – $135
+ Suite Upgrade Kathmandu Guest House (3 Nights) – $225
Kathmandu Guest House | Extra Nights Room Price
Includes Breakfast & Taxes
Standard Single – $55
Standard Double – $65
Deluxe Single – $100
Deluxe Double – $110
Suite Single – $130
Suite Double – $140
Includes
- Kathmandu Guest House
- Airport pick-ups & drops
- Group transportation by private vehicle
- Manaslu Concervation Area Permit, Manaslu National Park Permit & Annapurna Conservation Area Permit
- Lodge/Teahouse accomodation & meals
- Nepali guide & porter(s)
Excludes
- Insurance (travel & medical)
- Nepal Visa
- Rescue Service (cost)
- Meals in Kathmandu
- International flights to/from Nepal
- Equipment rental
- Alcohol & soft drinks
- Laundry
- Tipping and other items of a personal nature.
Tips & Extra Cash
Allow approx $250 for meals (while not on trek), drinks (on trek) and tips. We recommend $200 per trekker thrown into the tips pool for the crew.
Highlights & Reviews
Trip Advisor Reviews
Client Highlights + Reviews
Trekkers’ Comments
Trek Highlights
- Spectacular Manaslu Circuit Trek
- Manaslu, Ganesh Himal + Annapurna Himal Views
- Lower Manaslu Gurung Villages (Laprak + Barpak)
- Historic Gorkha + Bandipur (Hotels)
- The Larkya La Pass (5105m)
- Tibetan Region of Nubri
- Tibetan + Gurung Region of Kutang
- Tibetans of Samdo + Sama Gaon Villages
- Tibetan Buddhist Gompas of Lho + Sama Gaon (Monasteries)
- Manaslu Base Camp Day Hike (to Lake View)
- Pung Gyan Gompa Camping
- Manaslu + More Glacier Views
- Incredibly Diverse Scenery, Topography + Cultures
- Lots of Exploration
- Awesome Himalayan Trekking
- Our Kamzang Boutique Style Trekking!
- Single Tents with NO Single Supplement!
Client’s Comments
Thank you so much for all of the effort, help and patience that you put in to make the trek special for us. We had such an amazing experience, and we will always have such incredible memories that we will remember for the rest of lives. It was truly an experience of a lifetime! I was so impressed with your whole operation; I don’t know how you juggle it all. You are not only an amazing operator, pulling all the levers, but you are a gifted guide which makes the trip truly special for everyone. Also, your attention to detail is impressive, you can tell you put a lot of thought into how to make the whole experience as comfortable and pleasurable as possible.
– Rob B (USA), High Manaslu Trek
‘Kim’s support team are uniformly excellent, and all pitch in to ensure a smooth operation and to make sure that you are OK at all times. The equipment is all top-notch and the food is very, very good. In addition, the smaller, more “informal” style really promotes interaction between members of the group and the guys helping out, which is a rare thing. They are all really friendly, down-to-earth people and have a great deal of knowledge about the trekking regions, local history and customs, and are very happy to answer any questions you have. A good measure of the success of these trips is the number of returning trekkers and climbers that choose them again and again for their holidays. I’d have to say that every trip I’ve made with them has been a really special experience. Suffice to say, not once have I been tempted to join any other trekking group.
– Beau M, High Manaslu Trek
Simply the best! I cannot recommend Kim and her Kamzang Journeys team highly enough if you are looking for trekking experts in Nepal, India and Tibet. The High Himalaya are Kim’s playground and she is expert at sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge with her groups. I have been trekking with them since 2007, and each year I return enthused and excited because I just know it is going to be so much fun. Kim is completely professional setting her itineraries to make sure her clients acclimatize properly, she never skimps on staff so you can go at a pace that suits, and the food is the best I have ever had while hiking. Unlike many companies, Kim has a core group of excellent guides and kitchen crew, there is no single supplement, her gear is always the best, and Kim and Lhakpa’s personal leadership ensures local interaction along the way, almost as if we were visiting old friends. And for sure you will make new friends with your fellow trekkers in Kim’s famous Tibetan dining tent, the social hub of the group. This trek with Kim and Lhakpa was the best of the ten or so we have done in the Indian subcontinent. No detail was overlooked, making for a camp that was the envy of other groups! Kim’s ability to engage with local villagers added another dimension to our experience as the locals invited us to join them in their schools, homes and daily tasks. The food was imaginative, well-presented and plentiful, and served with a smile. Kamzang crew were unfailingly helpful and generous with their time, responding to individual needs as far as possible. An experience not to be missed!
– Marian D (New Zealand), GHT | High Manaslu, Annapurnas & Upper Mustang Trek + more
I have been with Kim and her crew on four separate treks into the Nepal Himalayas. Each one has been unique, exciting, challenging, and totally amazing. Kim has the best crew around and they provide a comfortable camp and great food. I would highly recommend Kim, Kamzang Journeys and her group.
– Allan B (USA), High Manaslu Trek + more
Kim Bannister Photo Gallery | Trip + Trek Photos
Kim Bannister Photography
Travel Reading | Enhance Your Trip!
Travel Books
Online Articles + Films on Manaslu + Tsum
Soul Mountain – Nepali Times
Spirit Mountain – Nepali Times
Ramble to Manaslu – The Himalayan Times
Home Away form Home in Tsum– Nepali Times
In the Mountain of the Soul – Nepali Times
Academic Article on Manaslu – Nepali Mountaineering Association
Manaslu Avalanche – BBC
Unmistaken Child – Film on Tsum Valley
Nupri Women’s Health Training – Video by Nepal SEEDS (Geoff Childs)
Lower Tsum Clinic – Video by Nepal SEEDS (Geoff Childs)
Kami Kids in Sama Gaon School – Video by Nepal SEEDS (Geoff Childs)
Contact & Details
Kamzang Journeys Contact
Kim Bannister
kim@kamzang.com
kamzangkim@gmail.com
Mobile: +(977) 9803414745 (WhatsApp), 9863196743
On-Trek Satellite Phone: +88216 21277980 (Nepal)
Kathmandu Contact
Khumbu Adventures
hiking.guide@gmail.com
Lhakpa Dorji Sherpa Mobile: +(977) 9841235461, 9705235461
Doma Sherpa Mobile: +(977) 9841510833, 9705510833
Nuru Wangdi Sherpa Mobile: +977 9803633783 (WhatsApp)
Follow Us on Facebook
Kamzang Journeys Facebook
Kathmandu Arrival Hotel
Kathmandu Guest House
Nepal Tourist Visas
You can get your Nepal visa at TIA International Airport (or any land border) when you arrive in Nepal, or before you leave home at a Nepali Embassy or Consulate. When you arrive at immigration in Kathmandu, scan your passport at the visa machines (no photo needed) or produce your online, printed visa-on-arrival form, pay the visa fee, and go to the appropriate immigration line.
15 Days – $30
30 Days – $50
90 Days – $125
Tourist Visa Extension (15 days) – $45 (+$3 Additional Day))
Nepal Visa
Nepal Visa Information
Kathmandu Guest House
Ward: 16, Street name: Saatghumti, Area: Thamel, District: Bagmati, City: Kathmandu, Zone: Bagmati, Phone: +977 14700004
Health Information
Nepal Health Information
CDC
We also recommend bringing probiotics with you to help prevent infections while on trek. Doctor’s recommendation!
Travel Medical Insurance
Required for your own safety. We carry a copy of your insurance with all contact, personal and policy information with us on the trek and our office in Kathmandu keeps a copy. Note that we almost always trek over 4000 meters (13,000′) and that we don’t do any technical climbing with ropes, ice axes or crampons.
Global Rescue Rescue Services
We recommend (but don’t require) that our trekkers sign up for Global Rescue services as a supplement to your travel medical insurance. You can book this directly through our Kamzang Journeys site.
Global Rescue
Medical On-Trek
Please do have a full check-up before leaving home, and inform us of any medical issues. This is for YOUR OWN safety. Your guides bring a small medical kit, but you’ll want your own medications with you.
DO bring all prescription medications and rehydration powders-electrolytes. We advise bringing your own Diamox, Ciprofloxin, Azithromycin + Augmentin. We do have all of these with us, but the Western versions are generally more reliable than the Indian equivalents. See Gear List for a full list of recommended medications for the trek.
Travel Reading | Enhance Your Trip!
Travel Books
Not Enough of Nepal?
We highly suggest taking advantage of your trip to Nepal, adding on excursions into the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Bandipur, Gorkha, the Annapurna Foothills, and Chitwan and Bardia National Park. Enjoy heritage tours, mountain biking, Kathmandu valley hiking, Himalayan panoramas (and a hike down) from the Chandragiri Cable Car, whitewater rafting, yoga and meditation courses, Nepali cooking classes, Buddhist or Hindu retreats, and much more. There are many wonderful, boutique, luxury, and heritage lodges in the Kathmandu Valley, and many options for world heritage sightseeing tours, bicycle trips, hikes, and craft-cuisine tours. Nepal boasts world-class restaurants, chic cafes, timeless alleyways to wander through, countless Hindu and Buddhist festivals, and lots of great shopping.
Don’t miss an Everest sightseeing flight or epic helicopter tour, sightseeing trips to Bhaktapur, Patan, and Panauti (Kathmandu Valley’s other historic and/or capital cities), a weekend at Shivapuri Heights Resort or Dwarikas in Kathmandu, a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for sunrise and sunset Himalayan panoramas, a spa and wellness getaway at the ultra-luxurious Dwarikas Dhulikhel Resort and visits to ancient temple and monastery complexes such as Namo Buddha, Changu Narayan, and Dakshinkali. Spend a night at The Old Inn in Bandipur or Three Mountain Lodge en route to Pokhara, or The Famous Farm in Nuwakot, and get to know Nepal’s Newar heritage.
Enjoy a luxury 3-6 day trek in the Annapurna Foothills, staying in the wonderful Ker & Downey luxury lodges. Relax in heritage style at Temple Tree Resort in Pokhara for some pampering at the spa and infinity pool, try out paragliding, zip-lining, and enjoy a morning of boating on the lake and the hike to Shanti Stupa. Once refreshed, drive to Chitwan National Park, spending 2 or 3 nights at Maruni Sanctuary Resort or Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge for wildlife and bird spotting, river trips, and safaris in style. Tiger Tops also owns Karnali Lodge at Bardia National Park, reached by flight from Kathmandu, and there are nearby archeological sights to visit nearby.
Nepal Modules
Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip!
Notes on Itinerary
Although we try to follow our trek itinerary, it is ONLY a guideline based on years of experience trekking in many Himalayan regions. At times local trail, river or weather conditions may make a deviation necessary; rivers may be impassible, snow blocks passes, and landslides wipe out trails. The trekking itinerary and campsites may also vary slightly depending on the group’s acclimatization rate or sickness, or improved campsites and lodges.
The Himalaya are our passion, and we take our trekking and cycling trips seriously. Although everyone is here on vacation, please come with a dollop of patience and compassion added to your sense of adventure …
Arrival Kathmandu
Arrival in Kathmandu
You will be met at the airport by a representative from Khumbu Adventures (see Contact & Details tab). Look for a sign with your name on it as you leave the airport. You will be transferred to the Kathmandu Guest House where your rooms have been pre-booked … Please hydrate!
Nepal Tourist Visas
You can get your Nepal visa at TIA International Airport (or any land border) when you arrive in Nepal, or before you leave home at a Nepali Embassy or Consulate. When you arrive at immigration in Kathmandu, scan your passport at the visa machines (no photo needed) or produce your online, printed visa-on-arrival form, pay the visa fee, and go to the appropriate immigration line.
15 Days – $30
30 Days – $50
90 Days – $125
Tourist Visa Extension (15 days) – $45 (+$3 Additional Day))
Nepal Visa
Nepal Visa Information
Kathmandu Guest House
Ward: 16, Street name: Saatghumti, Area: Thamel, District: Bagmati, City: Kathmandu, Zone: Bagmati, Phone: +977 14700004
Arrival Hotel
Kathmandu Guest House
International Medical Center Kathmandu
CIWEC
Nepal Temperatures + Clothing
See Gear Tab for trekking and cycling clothing, as well as medical supplies recommendations.
Kathmandu during the spring and autumn trekking seasons is usually quite warm (t-shirt, sandals, light pants or skirts) during the day, and gets chilly (light fleece or jacket) in the late afternoon and evenings. Nights can be cold enough for a sweater and/or jacket, or warm enough for t-shirts. Summer is hotter and wetter, and you’ll need a rain jacket and umbrella. The winter months (late Nov – March) are chilly in the mornings and evenings, cold enough that you might start the day in a down jacket, but often warming up enough to wear a t-shirt by mid-day. Nights get cold enough for a down jacket if you’re sitting outside, although many restaurants have heaters or fire pits. It never snows in Kathmandu. Keens, Chacos or other hiking sandals are great for wandering around Kathmandu, and for trekking in lower altitudes. Crocs are good to have for rooms, showers and at camp when trekking or cycling.
Trekking is a mixed bag of temperatures. LAYERS are the key as hot can change quickly to freezing crossing the passes and snowfalls are common. We often have some rain below 3000 meters in the spring and early autumn, and it can rain hard in the summer. Have a wide range of layer-able trekking clothes for summer to winter temperatures. Keep a lightweight down jacket or synthetic jacket with you at all times, available inexpensively in Kathmandu. A lightweight rain poncho and umbrella for trekking are recommended in the spring and summer seasons. Be prepared! See our ‘Gear’ tab for full details on gear, shoes, clothing, electronics, and meds for the trek.
There are lots of real gear shops (North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, Sherpa Gear, OR) and many ‘fake’ and Nepali-made shops in Kathmandu, so if you don’t think you have the right gear starting the trip, it is easy to pick up gear once in Kathmandu. We have sleeping bags to rent, duffel bags, camp towels and buffs to purchase, and you’ll get a FREE Kamzang Journeys t-shirt for the trip!
Dress conservatively in Kathmandu and on the trail as a rule. Shorts are okay if they aren’t too short, short mini skirts aren’t recommended. Sleeveless t-shirts are absolutely fine, but perhaps avoid skimpy tank tops on the trail. Super tight lycra and very skimpy doesn’t go over so well with village elders or remote villagers, and will generally limit your ability to have meaningful interactions with Nepali villagers. Many of the younger generation in Nepal wear modern Indian or Western-influenced clothes but remember that you haven’t signed up for a beach or surf vacation. Use your good judgment, and be an ambassador for western travelers! Please ask Kim or your guide if unsure about appropriate clothing, we’re always happy to advise.
Nepal Cultural Issues
Nepalis are very open and welcoming, but there are a few issues you should be aware of to make your stay in Nepal more fulfilling. Use your right hand to pass things, shake hands or do most anything. Left hands are somewhat taboo. Nepalis often place their left hand on the right forearm when passing things to others, a sign of respect. Best not to pat kids on heads, or point feet ahead of you at monasteries. Don’t walk over someone’s legs or feet, but put your hand down in front of you to signal them to pull their legs to the side. Take off shoes and hats when going into Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples, don’t use flashes inside monasteries or temples if possible and be respectful when attending pujas (prayer ceremonies). You can talk and move around, all religious are very tolerant, but be aware of your level of voice and where you are walking. Don’t sit on Buddhist monastery benches, they are used as tables. You will often be shown to low, carpeted sitting areas in the back of a monastery. If you’re served tea, it’s fine to accept (in fact, the servers will be happy to give you tea), but also fine to say ‘no thank you’, putting your hand up. If you don’t want more tea, often the salt-butter variety, simply cover your cup with your hand.
Nepalis don’t anger quickly in general, so try not to raise your voice if exasperated or angry as it only will make the situation worse. Do bargain at shops, with taxis and rickshaws, but don’t fleece people as many people are quite poor and need to make a living. Give small donations on the streets if you choose to, but try not to encourage begging and be aware of who you are giving your money to. If you do want to donate to a good cause, ask about our Kamzang Fund or other responsible organizations.
Tips for Staff
We recommend $250-300 per person to go into the tip pool for the staff, which can be given to Kim in Kathmandu in $US. We also pitch in to buy our incredible staff drinks on the last night, or any other night that you feel like treating them to a bottle of Kukure Rum or a few beers!
Tips in General
Tips are always appreciated but they don’t need to be extravagant. 100-300 NRP to carry bags to/from your room is fine, the women who clean your room will be happy with 200-300 NRP when you leave, and 300-500 NRP is great for your airport transfers. Round-up taxi fares, in general. A larger tip would be expected for a day trip in a private car, perhaps 500 NRP, and a tour guide might get 500-100 NRP. 10% is included in most restaurant and hotel bills in Nepal, and if it’s not included it’s still expected. You can round-up the restaurant bills as well.
Cash, Credit Cards & ATMs
ATMs are available all over Kathmandu, and give up to 25,000 NRP per transaction, in general. You can also change money at the hotel counter (a good rate usually) or just outside the hotel at any of the money changers. They’re quite competitive. You’ll want cash in NRP with you on the trek for local shopping, drinks, beers, snacks, beer, laundry and charging electronics. There are usually local crafts and textiles to buy along the way as well! Credit cards are accepted at hotels, most larger restaurants and cafes, and most of the larger gear, craft and pashmina shops in Kathmandu.
Pampering Yourself & Shopping in Kathmandu
We’re happy to book your rooms before or after the trek at boutique and luxury hotels, resorts and spas in Kathmandu and the Kathmandu Valley. We’re happy to help with advice on where to purchase the most authentic crafts, pashmina or other hand-made Nepali products in Kathmandu. We sell local handicrafts at our Cafe Caravan at Boudha, as well as delicious cakes, coffees, meals and snacks.
Cafe Caravan & Dolpo Prints & Paintings
Dolpo Artist Tenzin Norbu creates wonderful Dolpo paintings, the prints (and some originals) available from our Cafe Caravan at Boudhanath Stupa, and more recently the artist Tenzing Samdup also sells his Dolpo prints at the cafe. We also have an extensive selection of ‘caravan’ handicrafts, coffees, teas, t-shirts, ceramic mugs and Himalayan books for sale …
Kamzang Journeys Products
Kamzang Journeys duffel bags, Kamzang Journeys t-shirts, Kamzang Journeys camp towels, Kamzang Journeys buffs, handcrafted leather passport wallets, totes and bags, handcrafted Himalayan textile pillow covers and more unique, handcrafted tribal silver and Himalayan textiles available from Kim here in Kathmandu.
Kamzang Journeys Products
Kamzang Design Etsy Shop (On-Line)
Many of these handcrafted products designed by Kim and local craftspeople are available in Kathmandu, including much of the tribal silver collection …
Kamzang Design Etsy Shop
Great Stays
See our ‘Great Stays’ tab for our picks of some of the best heritage, boutique or interesting hotels, guest houses, and lodges in the Kathmandu Valley and elsewhere in Nepal.
Not Enough of Nepal?
We highly suggest taking advantage of your trip to Nepal, adding on excursions into the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Bandipur, Gorkha, the Annapurna Foothills, and Chitwan and Bardia National Park. Enjoy heritage tours, mountain biking, Kathmandu valley hiking, Himalayan panoramas (and a hike down) from the Chandragiri Cable Car, whitewater rafting, yoga and meditation courses, Nepali cooking classes, Buddhist or Hindu retreats, and much more. There are many wonderful, boutique, luxury, and heritage lodges in the Kathmandu Valley, and many options for world heritage sightseeing tours, bicycle trips, hikes, and craft-cuisine tours. Nepal boasts world-class restaurants, chic cafes, timeless alleyways to wander through, countless Hindu and Buddhist festivals, and lots of great shopping.
Don’t miss an Everest sightseeing flight or epic helicopter tour, sightseeing trips to Bhaktapur, Patan, and Panauti (Kathmandu Valley’s other historic and/or capital cities), a weekend at Shivapuri Heights Resort or Dwarikas in Kathmandu, a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for sunrise and sunset Himalayan panoramas, a spa and wellness getaway at the ultra-luxurious Dwarikas Dhulikhel Resort and visits to ancient temple and monastery complexes such as Namo Buddha, Changu Narayan, and Dakshinkali. Spend a night at The Old Inn in Bandipur or Three Mountain Lodge en route to Pokhara, or The Famous Farm in Nuwakot, and get to know Nepal’s Newar heritage.
Enjoy a luxury 3-6 day trek in the Annapurna Foothills, staying in the wonderful Ker & Downey luxury lodges. Relax in heritage style at Temple Tree Resort in Pokhara for some pampering at the spa and infinity pool, try out paragliding, zip-lining, and enjoy a morning of boating on the lake and the hike to Shanti Stupa. Once refreshed, drive to Chitwan National Park, spending 2 or 3 nights at Maruni Sanctuary Resort or Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge for wildlife and bird spotting, river trips, and safaris in style. Tiger Tops also owns Karnali Lodge at Bardia National Park, reached by flight from Kathmandu, and there are nearby archeological sights to visit nearby.
Nepal Modules
Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip!
Kathmandu Valley Sightseeing & Tours
See our Kathmandu Tours tab for lots of idea of how to experience the real Nepal.
Kathmandu & Kathmandu Valley Information
Our ‘Insider’ list of things to do, places to go, what to visit, the most happening restaurants and the best hotels in Kathmandu and the beautiful Kathmandu Valley.
Happenings in Kathmandu
Gear
Kamzang Journeys Products
Kamzang Journeys duffel bags, t-shirts, camp towels and buffs. Handcrafted leather passport wallets, totes and bags, unique Himalayan textile pillow covers, cashmere stoles and more!
Kamzang Journeys Products
Gear List
A guideline, not a bible, for the gear you will (probably) need on the trek. Do ask (or send gear links) if you have questions! Everyone has their own method of gearing-ups for the mountain, so although these suggestions are based on 20+ years in the Himalayan regions, they may not be exactly what you bring on a trek. Layers are essential for trekking, and quality is more important than quantity. It’s worth investing in some new, warm, lightweight trekking gear! Kim will check your gear before the trek, if needed.
One duffel bag per person. The airline regulations allow 15 kg per person for mountain flights (including your daypack). We find ways to adjust, but be aware of this limitation and please try to limit your duffel bag and daypack combined to no more than 20 kg (50 lbs) total.
- Duffel Bag
- Day Pack (30-40 L)
- Sleeping Bag (-20 to 0F/-15 to -25C Recommended. NOTE the lodges in the Everest region have quilts or duvets in the rooms, so your sleeping bag doesn’t need to be quite as warm. Other trekking regions do not necessarily provide quilts or duvets)
- Trekking Boots, Trekking Shoes &/or Running Shoes
- Crocs (Evenings & Washing)
- Down Jacket(s) &/or Vests (Can be Lightweight Down Jackets. Layering Recommended)
- Wind/Rain Jacket & Pants (Inquire for Your Trek)
- Trekking Pants (2)
- T-Shirts (2)
- Long-Sleeve Shirts (2)
- Technical Jacket (Depending on Other Jackets)
- Thermal (Lightweight) Top & Bottom
- Evening Thermal Top & Bottom (Synthetic &/or Down Pants Optional)
- Socks (3-5)
- Down Booties (Optional)
- Gloves (Lighter Pair & Heavier Pair for Passes)
- Thermal Hat
- Baseball Cap &/or Wide-Brimmed Hat
- Camp Towel
- Trekking Poles (Recommended)
- Micro Spikes (REQUIRED for Passes. INQUIRE)
- Sunglasses (Extra Pair Recommended)
- Reading Glasses (Extra Pair Recommended)
- Head Lamp (Extra Recommended)
- Water Bottles | Nalgenes (2-3)
- Water Bladder (Optional, Recommended)
- Watch (with Alarm)
- Battery Chargers & Extra Batteries
- Camera or Smart Phone (Optional)
- USB Adapter with Multiple Ports (Recommended)
- SteriPen &/or Squeeze Filter Bottle (Optional)
- Travel Umbrella (Optional)
- Laundry Detergent or Bio-degradable Clothes Soap (Purchase in Mountains)
- Book(s) or Kindle &/or Audiobooks
- Zip-Lock | Plastic Bags
- Toilet Paper
- Toiletries
- SPF Sunscreen & Lip Balm
- Personal Medical Supplies
- Hand Sanitizers (Small)
- Reusable Wipes (Recommended, Not Single Use)
- Rehydration | Electrolytes (Required)
- Snacks (Required, Namche)
Available in Namche Bazaar
- Snacks, Chocolate, Snack Bars, Dried Fruit & Nuts
- Laundry Detergent
- Most Trekking Gear (Real + Knock-offs)
- Lemon Tang (Make Lemonade!)
- Batteries
- Trekking Poles
- Micro Spikes
Shopping & Snacks in Nepal
Almost all gear is now available in Kathmandu, from real (North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Sherpa Gear, Marmot or at some shops in Thamel) to inexpensive knock-offs or good Nepali brands. The real gear shops take credit cards. There are many camera and mobile shops, and you can pick up good quality chocolate, snack bars (including gluten free, organic and vegan) and lots of other varieties dried fruits, nuts and snacks in Kathmandu. And, of course, you can shop for pashminas (or cashmere, or fakes, please ask if unsure), good quality silver, handicrafts and locally produced specialty products. We also have a large variety of good quality, unique handicrafts at Café Caravan in Boudhanath.
Lodge Note
Inside the lodge dining rooms, the wood or yak-dung stoves heat the room very well and you’ll often strip down to a t-shirt! Mornings and evenings in your rooms are chilly to cold though, and before the fires are lit you’ll want to put on your thermals! In the Everest region, there are always duvets or quilts available, but not always in other trekking regions, so bring an appropriate sleeping bag for your trek.
Suggested Medical Supplies
Your guide will have a have a small medical kit, including Diamox (for acclimatizing), antibiotics, bandages, re-hydration, antihistimines, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. Please bring a supply of all prescription and personal medications. Please have a check-up before leaving home, and inform us of any medical issues. This is for YOUR OWN safety!
SUGGESTED MEDS | Dexamethasone, Nifedipine & Diamox (altitude), Azithromycin, Ciprofloxacin & Augmentin (antibiotics), blister bandages, Tegaderm &/or bandages, knee & ankle supports/braces (if required), ACE bandage for sprains & strains, cough drops.
Bring whatever pain meds you generally use (Ibuprofen, Paracetamol/Tylenol, Diclofenac), meds for diarrhea (Loperamide/Imodium) and nausea (Ondansetron), antihistamines (non-drowsy & Benadryl is good for a drowsy antihistamine that might help with sleep), as well as any medications that you take regularly or that your doctor prescribes. We recommend picking up a combination Salmeterol & Fluticasone inhaler locally, good for (from a doctor trekking friend) “high altitude cough due to reactive airways, which is kind of like temporary asthma. The ingredients in the inhaler relax the bronchial passages and calm inflammation in the airways.”Stay away from sleeping medications, drugs in the codeine-opiate-narcotic family and other drugs that suppress your breathing (not a good at altitude). And don’t forget electrolytes! Have some with you in your pack (as well as snacks) daily …
We’re happy to take excess medical supplies off your hands when you leave if you won’t need them. We use lots of the large amount we have with us to treat locals, our staff and our trekkers…
Kim’s Gear Suggestions
I generally wear a trekking t-shirt, trekking pants, a mid-weight long-sleeve shirt, a lightweight synthetic jacket (sometimes paired with a vest), often starting the morning in a lightweight pair of long underwear. I carry a lightweight wind-rain jacket and pants, an extra pair of socks, gloves, a baseball cap and hat in my daypack, and on colder days also have a lightweight down jacket with me.
I use a 35 L Osprey daypack with a bladder, and an extra Nalgene to refill water on the trail, and often use trekking poles. I generally trek in running shoes, although I use boots on very cold days and over passes, and sometimes on hot days I also trek in Keen or Chaco sandalas. I often carry Crocs with me in case of river crossings and to give my feet a break at lunch (Tevas, Chacos and Keen sandals take a long time to dry and are relatively heavy), and I carry micro-spikes on pass days. I always have snacks, electrolytes, my camera or iPhone, sunscreen, hand sanitizer and some toilet paper, a small medical kit and a SteriPen.
Good trekking boots or running shoes that you’ve hiked in before the trek are essential. You don’t ever need climbing or plastic boots (for mini-crampons or micro-spikes). Trekking poles are not required but strongly recommended, especially for going down passes which are often steep and icy, and for treks with river crossings and rocky trails. Bring gators if you tend to use them but they’re not required if you don’t own a pair. Micro-spikes (mini-crampons) or YakTrax are useful (or essential) for pass crossings (inquire before the trek). We have an ice ax and rope with us during some treks for pass crossing days, for extra safety.
Good (polarized) sunglasses are essential. Do bring an extra pair in case you lose or break them. Don’t forget a sun hat and/or a baseball cap, perhaps an extra headlamp, and have plenty of sunscreen and lip balm with SPF! Don’t get caught with blistered lips that don’t heal at altitude!
Nights are chilly to very cold, so a down jacket(s) and a WARM sleeping bag are essentials. We recommend a down sleeping bag of -10 to -20 F (-18 to -28 C). Mine is -20 F. At lower altitudes I open it and sleep under it like a quilt, and up higher am toasty warm during cold nights. NOTE sleeping bag ratings don’t correspond to how warm they need to be at altitude. Campsites at higher altitudes can be freezing at night and in the morning. The dining tent is a Tibetan style ‘yurt’ with cotton rugs (dhurries), tables and camp chairs on the ground. It warms up in the evenings when everyone is inside having soup, but it is still important to have warm clothes for the evenings. I change into thermals for the evening at camp and to sleep in when we get to camp; stretchy yoga pants over thermal underwear, light down vest and/or jacket over thermal layers. I love my down (or synthetic) booties at night in the tent! We have blankets for everyone if needed, and we even have a small propane heater on some treks …
Bring XL plastic bags or stuff sacks in your daypack in case of rain. The weather is changeable in the Himalaya, so we recommend that everyone has a strong, waterproof duffel bag for the trek. We supply covers that go over the duffel bags to protect them from rain, dirt + rips.
Day Pack
We recommend a 30-45 liter day pack. Better to have it too large than too small as on pass days you’ll need to carry more warm gear, and you can always cinch daypacks down. Many packs come with internal water bladders, or you can purchase them separately; very good for ensuring that you stay hydrated. Make sure your pack fits comfortably when loaded before bringing it trekking!!
In your day pack, you’ll carry your camera or phone, approx 2 liters of water, a jacket, lightweight wind and/or rain pants (often), a thermal hat, a baseball cap or sun hat, a buff (optional, but great to have on dusty trails), gloves, sunscreen, snacks, electrolytes, maybe something to purify water, hand sanitizer, a small bit of medical supplies, a pack-cover and often a lightweight down jacket. I slip my Crocs in for lunchtime stops or unexpected river crossings, and almost always carry a lightweight down jacket!
Drinking Water
We bring KATADYN (or equivalent) expedition-sized water filters along on the trek for fresh drinking water, ecologically the best way to get water in the Himalaya’s fragile trekking regions. Bring your own SteriPen or Sawyer squeeze filter for a back-up filtered water system during the day if you already have one. We bring ours as well, so this is optional. Please bring at least 2 Nalgene or other water bottles in addition to your water bladder.
WATER NOTE | We do not provide boiled water for filling water bottles on our camping treks although there is endless hot water for herbal, black or green teas, hot chocolate, hot lemon as well as delicious Indian chai and Kashmiri tea.
Snacks
You will NEED snacks hiking at altitude, even if you’re not a big snacker. Bring your favorite energy bars, gels, chocolate bars, dried fruit and nuts, jerky or whatever else gives you quick energy. Emergen-C and/or other electrolyte mixes are important in water bottles or before or after the trekking day; it is ESSENTIAL to bring electrolytes with you in your day packs in case you cramp up, get diarrhea or otherwise need them.
Rentals
We have (approximately) 0F super-down sleeping bags to rent for $2.50 per day on our Nepal & Tibet treks. You might want a warmer sleeping bag (I use a -20F); if so, please do bring your own, as we want you to be warm while sleeping at night!
Packing & Extra Gear Storage
It’s easy to pack and unpack from a duffel bag, especially when the temperature drops. It’s a good idea to invest in a strong, waterproof duffel such as a North Face or one of our Kamzang Journeys duffels. You can store extra gear and computers at the hotel while we’re trekking.
Shopping & Snacks in Nepal
Almost all gear is now available in Kathmandu, from real (North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Sherpa Gear, Marmot or at some shops in Thamel) to inexpensive knock-offs or good Nepali brands. The real gear shops take credit cards. There are many camera and mobile shops, and you can pick up good quality chocolate, snack bars (including gluten free, organic and vegan) and lots of other varieties dried fruits, nuts and snacks in Kathmandu. And, of course, you can shop for pashminas (or cashmere, or fakes, please ask if unsure), good quality silver, handicrafts and locally produced specialty products. We also have a large variety of good quality, unique handicrafts at Café Caravan in Boudhanath.
Manaslu
Manaslu Region
Manaslu, the 8th highest peak on the planet, locally known as the ‘mountain of the spirit’, is one of the most spectacular snow-peaks in Nepal, and the Manaslu Circuit, officially open for trekking in the early 90s, a cultural trek par excellence, without a doubt one of the best treks in Nepal. Oddly, it’s also one of the Nepal Himalaya’s least known treks, and happily doesn’t boast of apple-pie lodges, sprawling trekking villages, internet cafes or Western coffee shops. A trek around the ‘high’ Manaslu Circuit in Nepal is a step back in time, a glimpse of pristine Nepali and Tibetan villages, a walk through a remote Himalayan paradise. The diversity of the trek, from the Hindu middle hills to the Tibetan high-country dwellers, and the awesome mountain scenery of the Manaslu Himal and surrounding peaks combine to make this circuit one of the most interesting, as well as one of the most challenging, treks in Nepal.
HW Tillman and his team were the first mountaineering expedition to explore the region in 1950, and the Japanese the first team to climb it in 1956; since then, Manaslu has been known as a Japanese mountain, and because of its sensitive location right at the border of Tibet, few western trekkers ventured into the region. Up to the 1840s, Kutang and Nupri were part of western Tibet and paid taxes to Dzongka Dzong in Tibet. Nupri only incorporated into Nepal in the mid to late 19th century when Gorkha power finally extended into the region. Manaslu was closed after 1959 due to Khampa guerillas encamped in Nupri.
Kathmandu Tours
Not Enough of Nepal?
We highly suggest taking advantage of your trip to Nepal, adding on excursions into the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Bandipur, Gorkha, the Annapurna Foothills, and Chitwan and Bardia National Park. Enjoy heritage tours, mountain biking, Kathmandu valley hiking, Himalayan panoramas with a hike down from the Chandragiri Cable Car, whitewater rafting, yoga and meditation courses, Nepali cooking classes, Buddhist or Hindu retreats, and much more. There are many wonderful, boutique, luxury, and heritage lodges in the Kathmandu Valley, and many options for world heritage sightseeing tours, bicycle trips, hikes, and craft-cuisine tours. Nepal boasts world-class restaurants, chic cafes, timeless alleyways to wander through, countless Hindu and Buddhist festivals, and lots of great shopping.
Don’t miss an Everest sightseeing flight or epic helicopter tour, sightseeing trips to Bhaktapur, Patan, and Panauti (Kathmandu Valley’s other historic and/or capital cities), a weekend at Shivapuri Heights Resort or Dwarikas in Kathmandu, a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for sunrise and sunset Himalayan panoramas, a spa and wellness getaway at the ultra-luxurious Dwarikas Dhulikhel Resort and visits to ancient temple and monastery complexes such as Namo Buddha, Changu Narayan, and Dakshinkali. Spend a night at The Old Inn in Bandipur or Three Mountain Lodge en route to Pokhara, or The Famous Farm in Nuwakot, and get to know Nepal’s Newar heritage.
Enjoy a luxury 3-6 day trek in the Annapurna Foothills, staying in the wonderful Ker & Downey luxury lodges. Relax in heritage style at Temple Tree Resort in Pokhara for some pampering at the spa and infinity pool, try out paragliding, zip-lining, and enjoy a morning of boating on the lake and the hike to Shanti Stupa. Once refreshed, drive to Chitwan National Park, spending a few nights at Maruni Sanctuary Resort or Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge for wildlife and bird spotting, river trips, and safaris in style. Tiger Tops also owns Karnali Lodge at Bardia National Park, reached by flight from Kathmandu, and there are nearby archeological sites to visit nearby.
Namaste!
Nepal Modules
Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip!
Kathmandu Valley Guided Sightseeing Day Tours
+ Kathmandu World Heritage Guided Sightseeing Tour (Full Day) | Pashupatinath, Boudhanath & Swayambunath ($125)
+ Kathmandu World Heritage Guided Sightseeing Tour (Half Day) | Pashupatinath & Boudhanath ($75)
+ Kathmandu World Heritage Sightseeing Car – No Guide (Morning or Evening) | Swayambunath ($35)
+ Kathmandu World Heritage Guided Walking Tour (Half Day) | Kathmandu Durbar Square ($50)
+ Kathmandu World Heritage Guided Tour (Half Day) | Patan Durbar Square ($65)
+ Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Sightseeing Tour (Full Day) | Bhaktapur & Changu Narayan ($135)
+ Kathmandu Valley Heritage + Craft Tour (Custom Tours)
+ Cycling Trip in Kathmandu Valley (Custom Trips)
+ Everest Express Sightseeing Flight ($225)
+ Everest Sightseeing Helicopter Tour (Custom Tours)
TOUR NOTE | Additional tour member + $30. Entrance fees not included.
Kathmandu Heritage Multi Day Tours & Hikes
Kathmandu Valley | Heritage Treks & Tours – Nepal
Kathmandu | Full Day World Heritage Sightseeing Tour | Boudhanath, Pashupatinath & Swayambunath
Kathmandu is filled with World Heritage sites and sacred destinations, crowded with traditional neighborhoods and colorful festivals. Spend a few days exploring Nepal’s exotic capital and the history-laden Kathmandu valley. We can arrange sightseeing guide, vehicles and guides as required. See Kathmandu Heritage + Happenings for more details.
We recommend beginning with Pashupatinath in the early morning, and moving on to Boudhanath mid-morning. Hindu Pashupatinath on the sacred Bagmati river and its sacred temple complex is one of Nepal’s most important sites, a powerful cremation site and Nepal’s most important Hindu temple. Here, monkeys run up and down the steps of the burning ghats, and trident-bearing saddhus draped in burnt-orange and saffron sit serenely meditating, when they’re not posing for photos-for-rupees. Local guides can explain the significance of the complicated ceremonies. Please be respectful when taking photos.
Boudhanath, in the midst of traditional monasteries (gompas) and hung with long strings of multi-colored prayer flags, attracts Sherpas, Tibetans and tourists alike for daily circumambulations (koras) of the iconic stupa. The striking Buddha eyes of Boudhanath Stupa watch over a lively and colorful Tibetan community and attract pilgrims from all over the Himalayan Buddhist realm. There are wonderful spots for lunch at Boudhanath (Roadhouse Cafe has wood-oven pizzas and a breathtaking view of the stupa and colorful Nepals circling it), and it’s a good place to learn the technique of thanka painting and purchase a thanka (Buddhist mural). See also Bhaktapur for more options for shopping for thankas.
Wander through the many temples, pagodas, courtyards and the museum at Kathmandu Durbar Square, a timeless gathering spot and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kathmandu Durbar Square, including the old royal palace, is Kathmandu’s ‘Palace Square’, a showcase for the world renown artisans and craftsmen of Kathmandu and a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist palaces, temples, stupas and statues. The Malla and Shah kings ruled over the Kathmandu Valley during the centuries of the building of the layers of this Durbar Square. Along with their opulent palaces, the square surrounds numerous courtyards and temples, all works of art with intricate and often erotic carvings. Kathmandu Durbar Square is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace. The social, religious and urban focal point of the city, Durbar Square is often the site of festivals, marriages and other ceremonies such as Teej. Some important structures are Hanuman Dhoka Palace, Kumari Ghar (Abode of the Living Goddess), Taleju Temple, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, the 17th century stone inscription set into the wall of the palace with writings in 15 languages.
In the evening (take the interesting back streets from Durbar Square) climb the many steps to the gilded Swayambhunath stupa (known as the monkey temple) which rises from the Kathmandu valley floor at 1420 meters and is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal. Swayambunath, the ‘self created’ stupa, was founded over 2000 years ago at a time when the Kathmandu valley was filled by a large lake, with a single lotus in the center. Mythology says that Manjusri, a bodhisvatti, drained the lake with one cut of his sword and the lotus flower was transformed into the stupa. From its commanding views of Kathmandu, circumambulate Swayambunath’s white-washed stupa, painted with distinctive Buddha eyes, the complex a unique synthesis of Buddhism and Hinduism. Another interesting time to visit Swayambunath is in the mornings, when Nepalis visit the temple dedicated to the God of Smallpox to with colorful offerings for the goddess.
Stop to photograph reflections in Kathmandu’s many pokhari’s, or ponds, including the beautiful Rani Pokhari (queen’s bath) near New Road, and the Naga Pokhari (pond of the snake gods of the underworld) just beyond the palace gates. The many bathing ghats, square enclosures with steps leading down to water spouts, often decorated with naga heads, are also interesting and colorful gathering spots.
+Entrance Fees not Included for Single Person
Kathmandu | Half Day World Heritage Patan Durbar Square Sightseeing Tour
Visit the third of Kathmandu’s ancient capitals, known as ‘The City of Fine Arts’, best if you have an extra day in hand as Patan is also rich in cultural heritage, has many lovely roof-top cafes for lunch and world-class museums. Some of the highlights of Patan are its Durbar Square, the Krishna Temple within the palace complex of Patan (entirely made of stone, with 21 distinctive spires), and Hiranya Varna Mahavir, or the Golden Buddha Temple.
+ Entrance Fees not Included for Single Person
Kathmandu Valley | Full Day World Heritage Bhaktapur & Changu Narayan Sightseeing Tour
One more day in Kathmandu, with a sightseeing excursion by private vehicle to Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur which translates as ‘Place of Devotees’ and is also known as Bhadgaon, is an ancient Newar city approximately 15 kilometers east of the Kathmandu Valley. Bhaktapur is one of three ancient capitals of the Kathmandu valley, the capital of the Newar Kingdom and a city of artisans and craftspeople famous for its art and architecture: intricate carvings, sculptures, paintings, thankas, pottery, statues and temples, or pagodas. Bhaktapur has a well-preserved ‘durbar square’, or palace square, and has been named a World Heritage site by UNESCO because of its incredible temples, pagodas, wood carvings, stone carvings and metalwork. Bhaktapur is also famous for its yogurt, called curd in Asia, a taste which hasn’t been duplicated anywhere.
Spend the day exploring Bhaktapur and its rich cultural heritage, where a majority of enthnic Newaris live in traditional ways, and life seems to stand still. There are many great restaurants and cafes to rejuvenate, and it’s possibly the best spot in Kathmandu for purchasing a thanka after watching the technique, as well as shopping for endless other locally produced crafts. Bhaktapur is home to countless local festivals, so if you are lucky and arrive on a festival day, enjoy the timeless and colorful events unfold.
You’ll also visit at Changu Narayan, a few km from Bhaktapur and one of Kathmandu’s oldest Newari temple villages. Legend has it that Changu Narayan was given to the daughter, Champak, of a Kashmiri king of Nepal when she wedded the prince of Bhaktapur. The important Vishnu temple is one of the oldest temples in all of Nepal, and was damaged during the 2015 earthquakes.
+ Entrance Fees not Included for Single Person
Everest Sightseeing Mountain Flight
An hour long extravaganza of the world’s 8000 meter peaks. Airport Transfers not Included. (+$250 or Market Price)
Everest Sightseeing Helicopter Tour
Inquire for prices and options for a once in a lifetime helicopter trip flying right over Everest Base Camp, Kala Pattar, the Khumbu Glacier, plus incredible views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Ama Dablam, Pumori and more! Cost per helicopter, option to stop at Everest View Hotel for an ‘Everest breakfast’. (+$Inquire for Options)
Cycling Trip Kathmandu Valley
Many options for day trips, or extended trips, in the Kathmandu Valley. We can customize a cycling trip for you in partnership with one of our knowledgeable partners in Kathmandu. (+$Inquire for Options)
Shivapuri Heights Cottages
A wonderful get away 20 km north of Kathmandu, Shivapuri Heights Cottages are stylishly designed and personal cottages built around a ‘common house’, where you can breakfast overlooking the stunningly beautiful Kathmandu valley. Massages available on request. (+$Inquire for Options)
Extra Days in Kathmandu | Customize your Journey!
We have plenty of great suggestions for extra days, or weeks, in Nepal! See our Nepal & Kathmandu Modules | Customize Your Trip! for ideas to put together the perfect journey.
We recommend Kathmandu Valley heritage tours to Bhaktapur or Patan (the Kathmandu Valley’s other historic capital cities), mountain biking, river rafting, yoga retreats, get-aways to Gorkha, Bandipur, Panauti or Namo Buddha to visit traditional hill villages, temples, monasteries and fortresses or a tour of the Newari temple of Changu Narayan and a night at the Fort Hotel in Nagarkot for sublime Himalayan panoramas!
Everest sightseeing flight or an epic helicopter tour over Everest Base Camp, a luxurious stay at Temple Tree Resort & Spa in Pokhara or Himalayan Front in Sarangkot, paragliding, hiking or zip-lining over Phewa Lake, a spa + wellness getaway at Dwarikas Resort in Dhulikhel, a relaxing, luxury wildlife excursion to Chitwan National Park staying at Tharu Lodge or Maruni Sanctuary Lodge, a chic wildlife safari in Bardia National Park at Tiger Tops, a weekend of adventure, sauna and pampering at The Last Resort or 5-star treatment in historic Dwarika’s Heritage Hotel in Kathmandu.
Kamzang Journeys can customize any of these wonderful excursions for you!
Everest Heli Tours
Everest Helicopter Tour Kwondge | Dinner Sunset & Sunrise over Everest – Yeti Mountain Home
An epic private helicopter tour for an extra day in the spectacular Khumbu region. Sunset dinner and sunrise breakfast overlooking some of the best Himalayan views on the planet! Board your private helicopter from Namche for the quick flight to Kwongde YMH Lodge, and enjoy lunch overlooking this vast panorama of peaks. Views include some of the highest peaks on the planet, including Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Gyajung Khang (the highest peak under 8000m), and the majestic Ama Dambam. From the YMH Lodge, you can look down on Kwonde Lake, generally hidden, and up the awe-inspiring Khumbu valley. The Kwongde YMH (Yeti Mountain Home) is a luxury lodge, one of the world’s highest hotels in one of the Himalaya’s most dramatic locations. Your epic helicopter tour finishes back in Namche Bazaar, but you have the option to charter the helicopter back to Lukla or Kathmandu.
+ Price Per Helicopter – Namche to Namche ($1800)
+ Max 4 Passengers
+ Price Per Person Yeti Mountain Home – Breakfast + Dinner ($175)
+ Single Supplement ($75)
Everest Mountain Helicopter Sightseeing Tour | Namche to Namche | Lukla, Everest Base Camp, Cho La Pass (Gokyo Valley), Renjo La Pass (Thame Valley) & Namche
A once in a lifetime helicopter tour of the Everest region’s spectacular peaks, glaciers, and Himalayan passes! Your private helicopter picks you up in Namche Bazaar, from where you will fly over the Khumbu Glacier and to Everest Base Camp, as well as the incredible Everest icefall. You will have a chance to stop on Kala Pattar for photos of this spectacular setting. Back in your helicopter, your flight path takes you over Dzongla Lake, the glaciated Cho La pass, and into the stunningly beautiful Gokyo valley, flying low over the turquoise Gokyo Lake, with another touch down to splash some sacred lake on yourself before crossing the Renjo La pass to the traditional Thame valley, the old trade route to Tibet. Your epic helicopter tour finishes back in Namche Bazaar, but you have the option to charter the helicopter back to Lukla or Kathmandu.
+ Price Per Helicopter ($2750) – Namche to Namche
+ Max 4 Passengers
Everest Mountain Epic Sightseeing Tour | Kathmandu to Kathmandu | Lukla, Everest Base Camp, Cho La Pass (Gokyo Valley) & Namche
The full helicopter deal, all the way from Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp, and much more! A once in a lifetime helicopter tour of the Everest region’s spectacular peaks, glaciers, and Himalayan passes! Your private helicopter picks you up at Tribhuvan Airport in Kathmandu, from where you will fly up to the fabled Tenzin Norgay airport in Lukla. After a cup of tea in Lukla, you will reboard your helicopter and fly over the Khumbu Glacier and to Everest Base Camp and the sublime Everest icefall. You will have the unique chance to stop at Everest Base camp for photos of this spectacular setting.
Back in the helicopters, your flight path takes you over beautiful Dzongla Lake, the glaciated Cho La pass, and into the stunningly beautiful Gokyo valley, flying low over the turquoise Gokyo Lake and down the Gokyo Valley. Your epic helicopter continues by flying back over Namche Bazaar, and back through Nepal’s lush middle hills to Kathmandu.
+ Price Per Helicopter ($5000) – Kathmandu to Kathmandu
+ Max 4 Passengers
Great Stays
BOUTIQUE & LUXURY HOTELS | KATHMANDU VALLEY
Kathmandu Guest House
Kathmandu Guest House
The Kathmandu Guest House is one of Kathmandu’s first hotels, originally a Rana Palace. Located in the heart of Thamel, the Kathmandu Guest House is a beautiful, lively hotel with a large garden and lovely outdoor cafes, centrally located in Thamel with a wide range of restaurants, cafes, yoga and shopping surrounding it. KGH offers a wide selection of rooms, including their wonderful deluxe rooms.
“Travelers know that the frenetic pace of a crowded city like Kathmandu needs an escape. The Kathmandu Guest House, a converted Rana dynasty mansion with fragrant gardens and airy corridors, has provided the peaceful refuge of choice since 1967. Since the days of being the first and only hotel in Thamel, the packed tourist district of Kathmandu, it’s become something of an institution. It’s close to everywhere and its gate is the meeting point that nobody can mistake. As a guidebook put it, “Kathmandu Guest House acts as a magnet for mountaineers, pop stars, actors and eccentric characters.” Even the Beatles stayed here in 1968. Whether you’re returning from the mountains or arriving from the airport, come and relax at the courtyard restaurant, order a cup of fine Italian coffee or a chilled Gorkha Beer, and escape for a moment in the historic surroundings of Kathmandu’s most loved guesthouse.”
Kathmandu Guest House Timeline
KGH History
Dwarika’s
Dwarika’s Hotel
Dwarika’s, Kathmandu’s premier hotel built and decorated with traditional Kathmandu valley architecture, is an oasis of calm located near the airport, where you can relax by the pool, visit the award-winning spa, enjoy the serene, historic surroundings and dine at one of their world-class restaurants.
“Dwarika’s Hotel was registered in 1977, with the idea of reviving the architectural splendour of the valley. All the terracotta work was made in the valley, using local clay and skills. The couple also incorporated elements of Nepal’s diverse cultural heritage, including those from beyond the valley, when designing the rooms. The furniture was crafted by families of traditional carpenters, and the linen, textiles and embroideries were hand woven and used Nepali patterns. In all purposes, Dwarika Das Shrestha took some of the finest elements of Nepali crafts, and presented them in a way that had not been done before. In explaining his vision, he once stated: “My project is to recreate a 15th-17th century environment where tourist and Nepali alike would have a sensation of the original. The hotel as a commercial enterprise is merely a vehicle to finance and carry my dream forward.”
History of Newari Culture in Kathmandu. Inspiration for the Heritage Architecture of Dwarika’s
Newari History in Kathmandu
History of Dwarika’s
Dwarika’s History
Dwarika’s Resort Dhulikhel
Dwarika’s Resort
A top-notch resort, with a wonderful spa, and wellness, and yoga retreats, on the Kathmandu Valley rim. “With the belief in the need for maintaining harmony between the body, mind, spirit and the planet for a peaceful, healthy and balanced life; the Dwarika’s Resort is built on the philosophy of respecting nature and self. The resort takes its inspiration from ancient Hindu Vedic scriptures (Vedas), Buddhist medicine and traditional Himalayan knowledge. The Himalayan belt has been home to holistic healing and wellbeing for more than three thousand years. The region’s approach to wellbeing, its serene natural beauty and rare medicinal herbs has attracted great sages through time. The Hindu Vedic scriptures describe Ayurveda, the science of life, as a comprehensive approach to wellbeing that encompasses the study of biology, spirituality, psychology, astronomy, nutrition and beauty. Originating from the same roots the Buddhist approaches to wellbeing also follows similar path and views health as harmony between the mind, body, spirit and one’s environment.
The resort has been designed based on the knowledge of these ancient understanding about holistic wellbeing with all the spaces being consecrated and brought to life. The lifestyle spaces within the resort are designed to attract positive energy and keep negative energy at bay. When you go around the resort you can find details we have placed in various spaces to ensure the energy within the resort is as positive as possible. For example, the resort is surrounded by Cactus (Ketuki), which is believed to cleanse the space around it of all the negative energy and attract positive energy instead. Hence, adding to the calm and nurturing environment offered within the resort. The resort also offers various activities within these spaces to enhance and add value to our guests’ experience.”
Yak & Yeti
Yak & Yeti
Yak & Yeti is one of Kathmandu’s historic 5-star hotels, steeped in history, with a lovely pool and garden, located just off Durbar Marg, a tree-lined, upscale road of shops and hotels. ” Yak & Yeti opened in 1977 as a 120 room, 5-star hotel – the first of its kind in Nepal. A new wing of an additional 150 rooms was built in harmony with the architectural features of the old palace, Lal Durbar, bringing the room total to 270. The whole hotel is a sumptuous array of beautiful artifacts, art, and traditionally crafted fixtures. Attention to detail has been meticulously considered throughout, giving the feeling you aren’t just in a hotel as much as an art gallery or museum. Over the years the hotel has been upgraded and extended and now boasts a shopping arcade, a swimming pool, two tennis courts and a state-of-the-art fitness center and luxury spa.”
Hyatt Regency
Hyatt Regency
The Hyatt is a stylish, 5-star hotel located near Boudhanath, with a large pool, a great buffet breakfast, a gym and a mix of Buddhist and Hindu decor in the lobby and rooms. “Hyatt Regency Kathmandu is a five-star luxury hotel and resort in Kathmandu, set on 37 acres of landscaped grounds and created in the traditional Newari style of Nepalese architecture. This beautiful hotel and resort is located on the road to the Boudhanath Stupa: the most holy of all Tibetan Buddhist shrines outside of Tibet and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located within a five-minute walk from the hotel. The hotel is just 4km (2.4m) from the Tribhuvan International Airport and 6 km (3.7m) from the city center of Kathmandu.”
Hotel Tibet
Hotel Tibet
“Since 1998, Hotel Tibet has set the standard for showcasing the warmth of Tibetan hospitality. Newly renovated post-COVID, we have worked towards merging modern elements with traditional Tibetan aesthetic to provide you with the utmost convenience and comfort and to make your stay with us a memorable experience. We have newly-renovated rooms, divided into deluxe, club, and suite categories that combine contemporary and traditional Tibetan designs. Our rooms are especially designed with your comfort in mind, featuring plush bedding, modern furnishings, and elegant decor.”
Dusit Princess
Dusit Princess
Kathmandu’s BEST rooftop bar, restaurant and pool. Brother of the owner of Hotel Tibet, which shares the property. “Make Dusit Princess Kathmandu your base for exploring Nepal’s vibrant capital. Comfort, value and convenience will define your stay, with warm Thai and Nepalese hospitality woven into every moment. Conveniently located in upmarket Lazimpat, the hotel has international restaurants and Narayanhiti Palace Museum on its doorstep.”
Marriott
Marriott
The Marriot was completed in 2020, located just near Nag Pokhari, with Kathmandu’s best buffet! “Retreat to Kathmandu Marriott Hotel, a 214-room contemporary hotel in the capital city of Kathmandu. Settle into spacious, well-appointed rooms and suites, many with views of the Himalayan range. Dine in our hotel restaurants, featuring International cuisine at Thamel Kitchen and Asian cuisine at Edamame. Relax at Raksi Music Bar with delicious food and beverages overlooking our waterfall terrace. Get pampered in our full-service hotel spa and salon, take a dip in our outdoor pool or work out in our 24-hour fitness center.”
Sheraton Hotel
Sheraton Hotel
One of Kathmandu’s great rooftop bars and pools! “Surrounded by the Himalayas, The Sheraton Kathmandu Hotel is conveniently located along the city’s main road, Kantipath. Once the Royal Palace for the kings of Nepal, The Narayanhiti Palace Museum is nearby as are embassies, banks and corporate offices. Tribhuvan International Airport is forty minutes away.
Kathmandu’s most popular tourist area, Thamel is located adjacent to the hotel and is filled with restaurants, bars, cafés and shops. In addition to traditional woolen items, pashmina shawls and scarves, as well as mountaineering equipment, you can savor some delightful Nepalese cuisine, including dumplings called momos, dal, and kwati, a delicious Newari curry soup made with a variety of beans.
This 20,000 SM GFA, 218-key Sheraton Hotel is located on a 6,647 SM site in the center of Kathmandu. The hotel includes food and beverage, a 900 SM banquet hall, meeting rooms, spa and gymnasium facilities and back-of-house areas.”
The Terraces
The Terraces
“The Terraces Resort and Spa is a luxury resort in Nepal, offering stunning views of the Kathmandu Valley and majestic Himalayas located near the border of Bhaktapur with easy access from Lalitpur. We provide the perfect environment to unwind, reconnect with nature and celebrate life’s special moments. Our friendly and professional staff is dedicated to catering to your every need, guiding you to discover the best of Nepal’s culture and nature through bespoke activities and tours. Immerse yourself in the historical sites of Bhaktapur or venture into the scenic landscapes of Lakuri Bhanjyang, creating unforgettable experiences that embrace the essence of Nepal. The Terraces is not just a luxury resort in Kathmandu – it is a destination where you can savor life to the fullest.
The resort, located just 16km from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, fuses international sensibilities with the best of what Nepal has to offer: Stunning mountain views, fresh air, wide open spaces and organic food. Each spacious room or suite comes with a terrace balcony. The only barrier between you and the beautiful world outside is floor-to-ceiling windows.”
BOUTIQUE HOTELS
There are many other boutique and character-filled hotels and guesthouses around the Kathmandu Valley. Just a few that we like listed, but this is not AT ALL an extensive list.
KATHMANDU | THREE CAPITALS
Potala Guesthouse – Thamel
Hotel Roadhouse – Thamel
Kantipur Temple House – Thamel
Nepali Ghar – Thamel
Aloft by Marriot – Thamel
Hotel Mulberry – Thamel (Pool)
1905 Suites – Nag Pokhari
Hotel Manaslu – Lazimpat
Hotel Shambala – Bainsbari – Maharajganj (Pool)
Babar Mahal Vilas – Babar Mahal
Hotel Padma – Boudhanath
Rokpa Guest House – Boudhanath
Hotel Shambaling – Boudhanath
Hotel Tibet International – Boudhanath
Hotel Lotus Gems – Boudhanath (Pool)
Cozy Nepal – Patan
Pahan Chhen – Patan
Traditional Stay Patan – Patan
The Inn Patan – Patan
Traditional Homes | Swota – Patan
Peacock Guest House – Bhaktapur
Hotel Heritage – Bhaktapur
KATHMANDU VALLEY & AROUND
The Fort Resort – Nagarkot
Hotel Mystic Mountain – Nagarkot
Gaia Holiday Home – Dhulikhel
Gokarna Forest Resort – Gokarna
Shivapuri Heights Cottages – Budhanilkanta, Shivapuri
The Old Inn – Bandipur
The Famous Farm – Nuwakot
Gorkha Gaun Resort – Gorkha
Terraces Resort – Lhakuri Bhanjyang Lamatar
Balthali Village Resort – Panauti
Park Village Resort – Budhanilkhanta (Pool)
POKHARA & AROUND
Begnas Lake Resort – Begnas Lake (Pool)
Hotel Karuna – Pokhara
Temple Tree Hotel & Spa – Pokhara (Pool)
Lakeview Resort – Pokhara
Hotel Barahi – Pokhara (Pool)
Summit River Lodge – Kurintar (Kathmandu – Pokhara Highway)
Ghale Gaun Homestay – Ghale Gaun (Near Besi Sahar)
FARMHOUSES & HOMESTAYS
Namo Buddha Resort – Namo Buddha
Herb Nepal – Bhaktapur
Nagarkot Farmhouse – Nagarkot
Srijana Farms – Tansen, Palpa
The Bosan Farmhouse – Bosan Danda
Almost Heaven Farm – Ilam
Barpeepal Bisauni Homestay – Ilam
KATHMANDU POOLS
Hyatt Regency – Boudhanath
Dwarika’s Hotel – Near Airport
Park Village Resort – Budhanilkhanta
Hotel Shanker – Lazimpat
Hotel Shambala – Bainsbari – Maharajganj
Marriott – Nag Pokhari
Yak & Yeti – Durbar Marg
Hotel Mulberry – Thamel
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