Manaslu is the trek people choose when they want a great Himalayan circuit without the road and the crowds that now come with Annapurna's. It follows the Budhi Gandaki from subtropical gorge to the Tibetan-influenced villages of Nubri, turns under the north face of the eighth-highest mountain in the world, and crosses the Larke La at 5,106 metres to come down into the Marsyangdi valley.
Its best month is October. Its second best is the first three weeks of November, which have something October does not: space. By then most groups have gone through, the lodges at Samagaun and Samdo have empty tables, and the light on Manaslu's twin summit is as clean as it gets. The trade is cold, and a pass that will not wait indefinitely.
November Weather on the Circuit
| Stage | Altitude | Day | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machha Khola / Jagat | 900 – 1,340 m | 18 – 24°C | 9 – 13°C |
| Namrung / Lho | 2,630 – 3,180 m | 9 – 14°C | −2 to 3°C |
| Samagaun | 3,530 m | 6 – 10°C | −8 to −3°C |
| Samdo | 3,875 m | 3 – 8°C | −11 to −5°C |
| Dharamsala (Larke Phedi) | 4,460 m | 0 – 5°C | −15 to −9°C |
| Larke La | 5,106 m | −10 to −3°C at dawn | — |
| Bimthang | 3,590 m | 5 – 10°C | −8 to −3°C |
The contrast between the first four days and the rest is large. You walk in shorts through the gorge and need every warm layer you have from Samagaun onwards. Rain is very unlikely. Snow above 4,000 metres becomes possible from the third week.
The Larke La in November
The Larke La is lower than Thorong La but a longer and wilder day. From the single lodge at Dharamsala it is four to five hours to the top across a long moraine, with the summit prayer flags appearing well before you reach them, then a steep, loose descent of nearly 1,500 metres to Bimthang. Eight to ten hours in all, starting between three and four in the morning.
- First three weeks: the trail is normally dry or lightly frozen, with snow patches near the top. The crossing is strenuous, not technical.
- Last week onwards: the first winter storms can lay snow deep enough to hide the trail on the moraine. The pass may be shut for several days, and the descent on the Bimthang side becomes icy.
- The lodge at Dharamsala is basic — stone rooms and dormitory tents — and closes for winter after the first heavy snowfall, usually some time in December. Once it shuts, the crossing means a very long day from Samdo.
Carry microspikes after mid-month, start early enough to be over the top before the wind rises at around ten, and build one spare day into the plan. The crossing is described in detail in our Larke La guide.
Permits and the Festival Holidays
Manaslu is a restricted area. You cannot trek it alone or without paperwork: the rules require a group of at least two trekkers, a licensed guide, and a restricted-area permit that only the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu can issue, through a registered agency, using your original passport. Conservation-area permits for Manaslu and Annapurna are needed as well.
That matters in the 2026 calendar, because the immigration office closes for the main Dashain and Tihar holidays.
| Holiday (2026) | Office closed roughly | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Dashain | 17 – 25 October | Have the permit issued before the 16th, or start after the 26th |
| Tihar | 8 – 11 November | Be in Kathmandu with your passport by the 5th, or start from the 12th |
The permit fee is higher from September to November than in the rest of the year. Current figures and the full process are in our guide to restricted-area permits, and the festival timing in permits during Dashain. If you book with us, send a passport copy early and we prepare everything so that the visit to the office takes one working day.
How Late Can You Start?
| Leave Kathmandu | Cross the pass around | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Late October – 5 November | 6 – 16 November | Ideal: settled, quieter than October |
| 6 – 14 November | 17 – 25 November | Good: cold, almost empty; mind the Tihar office closure |
| 15 – 20 November | 26 November – 1 December | Possible: winter conditions likely on the pass; two spare days |
| After 20 November | December | Only with a flexible plan and willingness to turn back |
Unlike Annapurna, there is no road to retreat along from the upper valley. If the pass is closed when you reach Samdo, the alternative is to walk back down the way you came — five days. That is the reason for the spare days, and for not leaving it too late.
What Is Different About Manaslu in Late Autumn
- The villages are busy with their own work. The barley is in, the yaks are coming down from the high pastures, and the monasteries at Lho and Samagaun are lively. You see Nubri as a place people live in.
- Side trips are at their best. The acclimatisation day at Samagaun can be spent at Birendra Lake, Pungyen Gompa or — for the fit — Manaslu Base Camp at about 4,800 metres. All are clear of snow early in the month.
- Lodges are simpler than on Annapurna. Fewer rooms, plainer food, little heating. In November there is at least no difficulty getting a bed.
- Days are short. Several stages in the gorge are long. Start at first light to avoid finishing by torch.
- Mule trains thin out. The supply caravans that crowd the lower trail in October are fewer.
Routes and Extensions
| Trip | Days | In November |
|---|---|---|
| Manaslu Circuit trek | 15 | The standard circuit; best started by mid-month |
| Larke Pass trek | 14 | A slightly tighter version of the same route |
| Tsum Valley and Manaslu Circuit | 20 | Adds a week in the Tsum valley; start by the first days of the month |
| Tsum Valley trek | 13 | No high pass, so it works well into late November |
| Lower Manaslu trek | 10 | Stays below 2,700 m — a good choice when it is too late for the pass |
If your dates fall at the very end of the month, the Tsum valley is the answer: the same region and culture, a separate restricted permit, and no pass to gamble on. See our Tsum Valley guide, and for the circuit itself, the complete Manaslu guide.
