Manaslu Circuit & Upper Mustang★★€€€
★★★ Manaslu Circuit — The Annapurna Circuit without the Crowds
The Manaslu Circuit is the best alternative for those who would have loved the Annapurna Circuit but shy away from the crowds and jeep roads. The circuit of the world's eighth-highest mountain (Manaslu, 8,163 m) leads through remote Tibetan villages, over the Larkya La Pass (5,106 m), and through a landscape that has hardly changed for centuries.
- Duration: 14–18 days
- Max. Elevation: 5,106 m (Larkya La)
- Difficulty: Hard — the Larkya La is challenging, isolation means less help in an emergency
- Permit: Restricted Area Permit — 100 USD/week (minimum 2-person rule and guide required!), plus MCAP (Manaslu Conservation Area Permit, ~22€) and TIMS
- Highlights: Birendra Lake (turquoise glacial lake at 3,450 m), the Tibetan village of Samagaon with views of the Manaslu north face, the Larkya-La panorama, the hot spring in Tatopani
- Special Feature: Guide is mandatory! At least 2 trekkers per group. Not solo hikeable
- Cost: 1,500–3,000€ (higher permit costs, but tea houses cheaper than EBC)
★★ Upper Mustang — The Forbidden Kingdom
Upper Mustang is a time capsule: A former Tibetan kingdom (the Kingdom of Lo), completely closed to foreigners until 1992 and still demanding Nepal's highest permit price today. The landscape is reminiscent of Tibet or Ladakh: desert-like high plateaus, eroding sandstone cliffs in red, orange, and gray, ancient cave monasteries, and the medieval capital Lo Manthang with its white walls and the palace of the former king.
- Duration: 10–14 days
- Max. Elevation: 3,800 m (Lo Manthang)
- Difficulty: Medium — the altitude is moderate, but the daily stages are long and the wind in the Kali Gandaki Valley can be brutal
- Permit: 500 USD for the first 10 days, then 50 USD/day extra. Guide required!
- Highlights: Lo Manthang (the walled capital with the palace and four monasteries), Choser (cave city), Luri Gompa (cave monastery with 800-year-old wall paintings), the Kali Gandaki Gorge (deepest gorge in the world)
- Special Feature: Located in the rain shadow of the Himalayas — perfect for the monsoon season (June–September), when the rest of Nepal is drowning in rain!
- Cost: 2,000–4,000€ (the most expensive trekking permit in Nepal, but an absolutely unique experience)
