Accommodations Facility on the Manaslu Trail
Along the ManasluCircuit, you’ll stay in local teahouses that provide basic but cosy rooms to rest after a long day of trekking. Most rooms have shared bathrooms, wooden beds, and warm blankets, offeringcomfort and warmth rather than luxury. Learn more about what to expect on a Manaslu teahouse.
Meals usually consist oftraditional Nepali dishes like dal bhat, soups, and noodles, served in shared dining areas. Hot showers and hot water are generally available for a small fee, while cold water istypically free. Staying in these teahouses also givesyou a chance to experience the local lifestyle on the Manaslu Circuit.
Permits Required for Manaslu Trekking
According to the Nepal government, you need these three types of permits to trek the Manaslu Circuit.
Note: The good news is that all costs and processes are included in the Ammonite Manaslu circuit trek packages.
Restricted Area Permit (RAP)
Purpose: Required to enter the restricted area from Jagat and Dharapani
Cost:
- USD 100 per person for the first 7 days (September - November)
- USD 75 per person for the first 7 days (December - August)
- USD 15 per person for each additional day after the first 7 days (any season)
Where to Process: A registered trekking agency or Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu
Important Notes:
- Required for all trekkers
- The application must be done in advance
- You cannot apply as a solo trekker - must have at least 2 other trekkers, plus a licensed guide.
Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP)
- Purpose of Permit: Your payment for the MCAP will assist with your financial commitment to the environment, as money goes toward environmental conservation for that area of Manaslu.
- Cost of Permit: NPR 3,000 per person (USD 23 - 25)
- Where to Obtain Permit: The MCAP can be obtained at the Nepal Tourism Board office or through a trekking agency.
- Coverage of Permit: The entire Manaslu area, including Tsum Valley.
Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)
- Purpose of Permit: Required as we will be passing through a small part of the Annapurna Conservation Area.
- Cost of Permit.: NPR 3,000 per person (USD 23 - 25)
- Where to Obtain: The ACAP can be obtained at the Nepal Tourism Board office or a trekking agency.
- Coverage of Permit: Only the Annapurna region is part of the trek after you cross the Larkya La Pass.
Chumnubri Rural Municipality
- Purpose of Permit: They use this money to keep the trails safe, clean up trash, build water supplies and shelters, train locals and improve the services for visitors and locals.
- Cost of Permit: NPR 1000 per person for foreign visitors, and Nepali visitors pay NPR 200
- Where to Obtain: Department of Immigration, Kalikasthan, Kathmandu.
- Coverage of Permit: Covers parts of the Gorkha District, and the municipality office is in Sirdibas.
Meals Facility Manaslu Trail
The Manaslu Circuit Trek offers a well-rounded and healthy dining experience that combines local flavour with the nutritional requirements of trekkers. Although choices may be less extensive than those offered in larger cities, meals provide the sustenance necessary for the demanding trip.
Throughout your trek, you will dine on breakfasts, lunches and dinners tailored to provide fuel and nourishment. And during your short hikes around the Manaslu, you will be provided with the packed meals. Meal plans highlight an abundance of fresh vegetables and proper hydration necessary to keep healthy at high altitudes.
Breakfast Options
- Porridge (apple, banana, plain, honey, oatmeal, millet)
- Pancakes (plain, banana, apple, chocolate, honey, jam, peanut butter)
- Tibetan bread with jam/honey/peanut butter
- Toast with butter/jam/honey
- Muesli with hot or cold milk
- Cornflakes with hot milk
- Chapati with honey or jam
- Boiled eggs
- Scrambled eggs
- Fried eggs
- Omelettes (plain, cheese, vegetable, mushroom)
- Hash browns
- Paratha (plain, potato, mixed veg)
- Tea (black, milk, ginger, lemon, mint, green, masala)
- Coffee (instant, milk coffee, black coffee)
- Hot chocolate
- Lemon honey ginger tea
Lunch Options
- Dal Bhat (rice, lentils, seasonal vegetable curry, spinach, pickles)
- Fried rice (veg, egg, chicken, tuna)
- Chowmein (veg, egg, chicken, buff)
- Thukpa (veg, egg, chicken, buff)
- Tenthuk (hand-pulled noodle soup – veg or meat)
- Spaghetti (tomato, cheese, veg, meat sauce)
- Macaroni (cheese, tomato, veg, meat)
- Sandwiches (egg, cheese, veg, tuna, chicken)
- French fries
- Fried potatoes with cheese
- Boiled potatoes with chili sauce
- Mo:Mo (veg, cheese, chicken, buff)
- Spring rolls (veg, chicken)
- Rice with curry (veg, paneer, chicken, buff)
- Pizza (veg, cheese, mushroom, chicken, tuna)
- Chapati with curry or vegetables
- Sherpa stew
- Noodle soup
- Vegetable cutlets
Dinner Options
- Dal Bhat (refillable, with varied sides)
- Fried noodles (veg, egg, chicken, buff)
- Thukpa and Tenthuk (veg, meat)
- Rice with meat or vegetable curry
- Pasta (spaghetti, macaroni – tomato, cheese, veg, meat)
- Mo:Mo (steamed or fried – veg, chicken, buff)
- Pizza (mixed veg, cheese, mushroom, meat)
- Garlic soup
- Vegetable soup
- Tomato soup
- Mushroom soup
- Chicken soup
- Lentil soup
- Sherpa stew
- Chapati with dhal or curry
- Boiled/fried potatoes
- Egg curry with rice
- Stir-fried greens
- Mixed salad
- Cabbage curry
- Spinach sautéed with garlic
- Hot drinks (same as breakfast)
Vegan Food Options
- Plain rice
- Lentil soup (without ghee)
- Vegetable curry (no dairy)
- Fried or boiled potatoes
- Stir-fried greens (spinach, cabbage, local vegetables)
- Tibetan bread without butter
- Plain chapati
- Apple or banana porridge with water
- Vegetable Mo:Mo (without butter)
- Tomato-based pasta
- Plain Thukpa with vegetables
- Tenthuk with vegetables
- Muesli with water
- Seasonal fruit (where available)
- Black tea, green tea, herbal tea, black coffee
Vegetarian Food Options
- Dal Bhat (with veg curry and pickles)
- Paneer curry (if available)
- Cheese pizza
- Cheese omelette
- Vegetable Mo:Mo
- Vegetable chowmein
- Egg fried rice
- Vegetable Thukpa/Tenthuk
- Cheese sandwich
- Fried rice with vegetables
- Spaghetti or macaroni with cheese/tomato/veg sauce
- Tomato soup
- Mushroom soup
- Boiled eggs
- Toast with butter/jam/honey
- Pancakes (banana, apple, honey, jam)
- French fries
- Vegetable cutlets
- Chapati with vegetable curry
- Mixed salad
Non-Vegetarian Food Options
- Dal Bhat with chicken or buff curry
- Chicken fried rice
- Buff or chicken chowmein
- Chicken or buff Mo:Mo
- Tuna sandwich
- Chicken or buff Thukpa/Tenthuk
- Chicken or meat-based pasta (macaroni, spaghetti)
- Chicken pizza
- Chicken or egg curry with rice
- Boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, omelettes
- Meat stew
- Chicken soup
- Tuna fried rice
- Buff chili (occasionally available)
- Fried eggs with toast
- Mixed meat and veg curry (where available)
Get Additional Information To Be Prepared Before the Trekking
Electricity
Electricity is available along the Manaslu Circuit Trek, though not at all places. Expect varying reliability the higher you trek, with solar energy substituted on some of the higher parts of this trek.
There are no electrical facilities at Dharmasala’s teahouse lodges, and trekkers will have to pay for charging their batteries and other electronic devices, hot showers, and heating systems with stoves (if required).
The going rate for charging electronic devices is from Rs. 300 – Rs. 700 per hour, depending on the location/ altitude of the teahouse lodge. Do not expect consistent electricity or rely solely upon it during your Manaslu trek either.
Money Exchange | USD, Pound to NPR
Dollar and Pound rates fluctuate daily. Kathmandu has a number of money exchange centres, especially in Thamel, providing you with multiple options.
Airport exchanges might have a little higher rate, but travelers can convert easily. But for the Manaslu Circuit Trek, trekkers need to carry Nepali rupees as most of the teahouses and hotels accept only Nepali currency. Keep in mind and prepare enough cash earlier to buy items en route to avoid any problems and ensure good transactions in remote mountains.
Communication on Manaslu Circuit Trek
Communication facilities in the Manaslu Circuit Trek are of a good standard. The teahouse provides telephone service for calling purposes to your near and dears, but you have to pay a few more pennies. Mobile cellular works through a network provided by NTC in most places, with Wi-Fi internet available at several points.
As the elevation increases, the mobile network connection and Wi-Fi reliability decrease, but you can still contact your family and friends on social media.
It is recommended that you buy a Nepali SIM card in Kathmandu itself, for which you require two passport-size photos and a passport copy beforehand, as it might be difficult once you trek to a higher and remote region.
Preparation for Manaslu Circuit Trek
- Physical Fitness Training: You should acclimatize your body for altitude trekking through a period of dedicated cardio (exercise hiking, jogging, or cycling), strength fitness, and endurance fitness for at least 6–8 weeks prior to the trek.
- Altitude Acclimatization Planning: If possible, undertake both shorter and higher altitude hiking prior to your trek, to get your breathing and body acclimatized, and help reduce your chances of altitude sickness.
- Obtain Required Permits: You will need to apply for a Restricted Area Permit (RAP), a Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP), and an Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP). You absolutely must have a registered guide accompanying you.
- Pack Appropriate Trekking Equipment: A layer system of clothing, a warm sleeping bag, a down jacket, trekking boots, trekking poles, a headlamp, gloves, sunglasses, and a good backpack should suffice in preparation for your upcoming trip.
- Hire a Registered Porter: A porter will help lessen the burden of your heavier pack, but also ease the process of your trek.
- Trip Insurance with High-Altitude Coverage: Travel insurance should cover trekking over 5,000 meters and cover emergency evacuation (i.e., helicopter rescue).
- Mentally Prepare: The trek is remote and physically challenging; get your head around the fact that you are about to experience basic amenities, long days of walking, and variable weather conditions.
- Practice Packing Light: Aim for your bag to weigh less than 9-10 kg. Just the essentials: the more you carry, the more you will fatigue yourself and your energy systems.
Trekking group or solo
Whether you are traveling alone or in a group, the Short Manaslu Circuit Trek is available as a private and group adventure. If you are able to go with your group, there are great group discounts with greater discounts with larger groups. These group discounts don't apply when Ammonite Adventure organizes the group.
We can accommodate groups of any size, and we will assign an assistant guide to any group with 12 or more trekkers. We will provide each pair of trekkers with a porter, and trekkers will be limited to 9 kg of luggage.
Extra personal expenses on trekking
Most of the costs related to everything during the Short Manaslu Circuit trek package are covered. While we cover most of the costs, there are certain costs that we don’t. For example, meals and accommodation in Kathmandu are entirely up to our clients. You can find any kind of hotel/lodge, luxury and budget, in Kathmandu, and clients can book online.
All of our clients should bring some personal spending money for accommodation and food costs in Kathmandu, visa process, purchase of travel insurance policy, snacks and hot (tea/coffee) and cold drinks, tips for the crew members, souvenirs, etc. We recommend bringing cash (major currencies), as the currency can only be exchanged in Kathmandu or in Nepal for Nepali Rupees. The trekking regions will only accept Nepali currency.
Ammonite Adventure Crew
On your 12-day Short Manaslu Circuit trip, we have our experienced guides and locally hired Sherpas help assist you and help make your trip smooth and memorable. All of our guides are licensed and trained to perform their duties. Generally, we hire porters to carry your bags, and two trekkers will share a porter who will not carry more than 18 kg of gear for the two trekkers. If you should require more assistance, we can provide one porter per person if requested in advance.
Our crew will be indigenous people in the high Himalayas, so they are used to being at high altitudes. We believe in paying fair wages to all of our crew, and we also arrange to have insurance, food, clothing, lodging, and medical assistance if needed. We want to assist in our staff's health and well-being so that they can provide the best service to you.
Our trek leaders have:
- Completed a training course to be a wilderness first aid provider.
- Obtained Trekking Certification with the Government of Nepal
- Fluent in English and many other relevant languages
- Training in the area of conservation and biodiversity
- A great storyteller to do justice to the local culture and history
- Excellent communicator and facilitator to people from a variety of backgrounds
- A problem solver who can be productive under pressure with unexpected events.
- Organisational abilities and the ability to plan and coordinate logistics
- Strong sense of humor - makes for a good customer experience on trek.
- Sensitive to client needs
- Built on sustainable and responsible tourism and trekking experiences.
Booking and Payment Process
Ammonite Adventure is a registered trekking agency bonded by the Nepal Government, members of the Trekking Agency Association of Nepal (TAAN), and the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), so you are in good hands in booking with us. To secure the trek, you will put down a 10% advance by bank transfer, Western Union, or even online.
You can pay the balance payment in Nepal with cash, credit card, or transfer. Once you have made the booking, you will need to email them a copy of your passport, which can include dependent children, photos, travel insurance, and flight details in a week.
Last-minute booking
We do accept last-minute bookings for the Short Manaslu Circuit. You must pay for the trip in full 24 hours before the start of the trek. Although we try to run treks at any time, last-minute bookings will face challenges in confirmed flights and weather.
Trip extension
If you would like to stay on for a few more days after the trek, we have the chance to organize trips. You can opt for many activities like Kathmandu or jungle safaris, or other activities like paragliding, rafting, or canoeing.
Feedback
After the Short Manaslu Circuit trek, there will be a farewell dinner in Kathmandu organized by Ammonite Adventure. A printed certificate will be given to you, and you will have the chance to give feedback on the trek.
