Himalaya · Seasons & weather

When to come.

October and November are clear and settled. March to May brings rhododendron and warmer nights, with more afternoon cloud. The monsoon and deep winter close the pass.

Autumn: Oct – Nov · clearest
Spring: Mar – May · warmer
Winter: Dec – Feb · pass often closed
Monsoon: Jun – Sep · no departures

There are two trekking seasons in the Manaslu region and two seasons in which almost nobody goes. The pass is what decides it. The Larkya La at 5,106 metres is exposed, holds snow, and closes.

Autumn, from late September to late November, is the main season and the best of the two. The monsoon has washed the air, the skies are reliably clear, and the passes are open. October is the peak of it. Expect daytime temperatures around 15 to 16 °C in the middle valley, dropping to around minus one at night once you are above 4,000 metres, and considerably colder than that at Dharamsala before the pass. Late September can still catch the tail of the monsoon. Late November is colder, quieter and often still perfectly clear.

Spring, from March to mid-May, is the second season. Nights are warmer, the rhododendron forests in the lower gorge are in flower through late March and April, and the trail is quieter than in October. The trade-off is haze and afternoon cloud, which builds through the season, so the mountain views are less dependable than in autumn. Spring is also the Manaslu climbing season on the south side and the Everest season everywhere else, so guides are in demand.

Winter, December through February, is not impossible but it is a different trip. The lower valley is pleasant and the light is extraordinary. The Larkya La, though, is frequently snowed shut, and many of the high lodges at Samdo and Dharamsala close for the season because the families move down. A winter journey to Samagaun and back is genuinely good. A winter attempt on the full circuit is a gamble on a pass that may not open.

The monsoon, June to early September, we do not run. Rain in the lower gorge is heavy, leeches are constant, the views are absent, and the real problem is landslides on both the road and the trail. It is also the season the villages need for their fields. We take the departures off the calendar rather than sell a bad trek.

Two scheduling notes if your dates can move. Lhosar, the Tibetan new year, falls in February and is the largest festival in both valleys. Saka Dawa falls in May or June. Either is worth building a journey around, and both fall outside the peak-season crowds.

The four seasons, briefly

Autumn · late Sep to late Nov · clearest skies, busiest trail, best pass conditions
Spring · Mar to mid-May · warmer nights, rhododendron, hazier views
Winter · Dec to Feb · beautiful low down, pass often closed, high lodges shut
Monsoon · Jun to early Sep · landslides and leeches, no Drokpo departures

Ribung Gompa above the village of Lho, with Manaslu behind it

Dolkar beside the Larke Pass signboard at 5,106 m, prayer flags and deep snow, the mountain face above

Yaks grazing in a clear autumn meadow below the snow-covered Manaslu massif — Late October. The clearest air of the year.

Cloud and mist filling the forested Budhi Gandaki gorge — Spring brings warmer nights and more afternoon cloud.

Deep snow lying on a high pass in the Manaslu range — Snow on the Larkya La is possible from November onwards.

Common questions

What is the single best month for the Manaslu Circuit?

October. The monsoon has cleared the air, the Larkya La is reliably open, and daytime temperatures in the middle valley sit around 15 to 16 °C. It is also the busiest month, so if you would rather trade a little weather certainty for a quieter trail, late November and early April are both excellent.

How cold does it actually get?

In October, expect roughly 15 to 16 °C by day in the middle valley and around minus one at night above 4,000 metres. Dharamsala, the last stop before the pass at about 4,460 metres, is colder than that and has the most basic lodging on the route. A sleeping bag rated to minus 10 °C is sensible in autumn and minus 15 °C in winter or early spring.

Can the Larkya La be crossed in winter?

Sometimes, but it should not be planned on. From December to February the pass is frequently blocked by snow, and several of the high lodges at Samdo and Dharamsala close because the families move to lower ground. A winter trek as far as Samagaun and back is a fine trip. A winter circuit is a gamble.

Why do you not run treks during the monsoon?

Landslides. From June to early September the road up the Budhi Gandaki and the trail above it are both prone to slides, and the risk is not one a good itinerary can plan around. Add continuous rain, leeches below Jagat, and no views. The villages also need those months for their fields.

Also in Himalaya

A high ridge trail with the Manaslu range on the skyline

Manaslu Region

Manaslu, 8,163 m, is the eighth-highest mountain on earth. The region around it, in Gorkha district, is a conservation area and a restricted zone that has kept roads and crowds away.

A trekker walking a forest trail in the lower Manaslu valley

Manaslu Circuit

Roughly 177 kilometres from Machha Khola to Dharapani, crossing the Larkya La at 5,106 m and joining the Annapurna Circuit at its end.

Stone houses and terraced fields of a village above the Budhi Gandaki

Villages & Communities

The lower valley is Gurung and Magar; above Deng the people are Nubri, of Tibetan origin, and in the side valley they are Tsumba. Each has its own dialect, dress and calendar.

Still glacial water at Birendra Lake below the Manaslu glacier

Mountains & Passes

Manaslu, Himalchuli, Ngadi Chuli and the Ganesh range, seen from three passes and a handful of high pastures.

A stone hut in the mist of the Budhi Gandaki gorge

Culture & Monasteries

Nubri and Tsum practise Tibetan Buddhism of the Nyingma and Kagyu schools. The valleys hold monasteries, nunneries, meditation caves and a living tradition of non-violence.

Altitude & Acclimatization

The trail rises from 900 m to 5,106 m. Our itineraries follow the standard guidance: no more than 500 m of sleeping altitude gained per day above 3,000 m, and a rest day every 1,000 m.

Getting There

All journeys begin and end in Kathmandu. The drive to Machha Khola takes eight to ten hours by private jeep; the return from Dharapani or Besisahar is similar.