travel guide

Hello everyone! This is a long article that covers almost everything you should know about the Manaslu Circuit Trek by a local trekking guide who has been to this trail more than 30 times. This is the most updated article about Manaslu trekking costs you will ever find online, so enjoy reading.

The article explains the cost of the Manaslu circuit trek and the Tsum Valley trek. This is a must-update article to plan your trek to the Manaslu circuit properly. The cost of the complete package for the Manaslu circuit is USD 920 with Himalayan Masters. The total price for the Manaslu trek includes two nights of basic accommodation in Kathmandu and transportation from Kathmandu to Maccha Khola by bus. Food and accommodation during the Manaslu circuit, trekking permits for Manaslu and a trekking guide

Among Nepal’s dozens of mountains above 8000 meters, Mount Manaslu is fast becoming the trekkers’ favourite. Manaslu, the world’s 8th highest peak, lies about 64 km east of the famous Annapurna range in the Gorkha District. Although the Manaslu climb is considered a dangerous experience, the Manaslu circuit trek has become famous for its wilderness and beauty. The half-month of trekking on this mountain is rejuvenating. And such a great escape is also cheap—the Manaslu Trek cost we offer is very affordable. Nepal is one of the cheapest places to visit in the world, and the cost of this Manaslu trek is not something you should be worried about.

The bottomless Georges, remarkable landscape, hospitable locals, insight into century-old culture and architecture, and incredible biodiversity are not something you can resist. People who have been to Manaslu once have fallen in love with this place, and we assure you that you will also adore it. So, if the Manaslu Circuit trek price is the only thing bothering you, we shall clear out the details for you. Here’s everything you need to know about Manaslu Trek Cost in detail.

Let’s begin.

The most significant travel expense is flying from your home country to Nepal. It depends on the distance and mode of transportation you pick. Add the cost of a two-way flight or ride to the list here.

What Are the Manaslu Permit Costs and Paper Works?

It would be best to have travel insurance covering high-altitude trek rescue before coming to Nepal. Even after we adopt all the necessary measures, trekking in the mountains of Nepal is risky. And you will need insurance before booking the Manaslu trek package. We don’t know the insurance cost in your home country; however, you should add it to the list.

Nepali Travel Visa: As soon as you land in Nepal, you need to issue a tourist visa to Nepal. A Nepalese visa is available on arrival and costs:

15 Days: 30 USD

30 Days: 50 USD

Ninety days: 125 USD. The Manaslu Trek cost for India and SAARC citizens does not contain this visa cost. So, it’s pretty cheap.

Read about other Manaslu Trek Nepal.

Manaslu Permit Cost: Trekking to Manaslu needs three kinds of permits.

Manaslu Restricted Area Permit: This special permit is issued by the Nepal government and is compulsory for trekking in the Tsum Valley. This permit costs USD 100 per person from September to November ($15 per day if you stay longer than a week) and USD 75 per person from December to August ($10 per day if you visit more than a week).

Manaslu Conservation Area Project: This permit costs USD 30 per person for foreigners and about USD 10 for people from SAARC countries. 

Annapurna Conservation Area Permit: This permit is only needed for the Manaslu trek if you enter the Annapurna Conservation Area. The ACAP entry fee is also USD 30 per person for foreigners and about USD 10 for people from SAARC countries.

So, these Manaslu Permit costs add a lot to your travel expenses.

The first thing to note is that Manaslu is among the restricted trekking regions of Nepal. Here, free individual trekkers are strictly forbidden. You must be in the group (minimum of two people) and accompanied by a licensed guide to issue this permit. This doesn’t mean you will necessarily need a travel agency to book your Manaslu trip; however, having one will be very cheap. Learn where and how to get the permit in our other article here.

Know More about permits.

Total Cost For Guide And Porters to Manaslu

Now, this is another significant part of your Manaslu travel price. As mentioned above, you must hire a licensed trekking guide to Manaslu. The cost of the guide ranges from USD 25 to USD 30 per day. These English-speaking guides are very familiar with your trekking route and are helpful during an emergency. Having a good relationship with a travel guide makes your journey even better. They will help you build a better relationship with the locals, find a hotel, and order food.

Our guides at Himalayan Masters are also trained in first aid and emergency conditions. This Manaslu Trek cost for a guide is worth it. Next, you will need a porter. Since Manaslu is an isolated village, you must carry everything you need for the journey. This makes your bag very heavy, and hiring a porter is an easier way to deal with the load.

You can hire one or two porters (one porter often carries the bag of two people if it’s not that heavy) as per your will. A porter costs about USD 20 to USD 25 per day. Now, multiply the price by the number of days, and there you have the price for the guide and porter.

Transportation Cost for Manaslu Circuit Trek

Before the trek commences, we drive from Kathmandu to Soti Khola. The Manaslu Circuit Trek and Manaslu Base Camp trek usually end at Dharapani/Besisahar. If it’s the TSUM valley trek, you will probably finish it in Arughat. Neither of these places has an airport nearby. So, your only option is to ride for 6 to 8 hours from Kathmandu. However, there are many options for the vehicle. Add the best choice you find to the total Manaslu Trek cost.

Local Vehicle during Manaslu Trek

A bus to Soti Khola leaves from Gangabu Bus Park each morning. But you should know that the public bus in Nepal is not exactly a comfortable and clean option. The bus is primarily overcrowded, and the noise makes travelling hard. There’s never enough space for your legs and bags. However, it’s hella cheap. You can travel to these places for USD 5 to USD 8 per person. If you are up for some adventure, this might be a great chance to witness the Nepalese lifestyle nearby.

Private Jeep during Manaslu Circuit Trek

A jeep is well suited to running on the rough highways of Nepal. The Jeep accommodates about eight people and takes you to Soti Khola in about six hours. This is a very comfortable option for tourists. It’s also spacious, with a lot of room for bags. If you can book a Jeep by yourself, it will cost about USD 150 to USD 190; they will pick you up at the hotel. Or, you can share the Jeep with others, which costs about $40 to $50 per person. However, finding another group to share a Jeep with you is not always easy. Your guide will help make the bookings.

Taxi (Cabs)

While this is a very luxurious option, it’s not exactly suitable for the rough terrain in Nepal. You can have an entire car by yourself and travel at your convenience. A taxi accommodates four people and costs between USD 100 and USD 120 (slightly lower than the Jeep). Ask your guide to negotiate with the driver for the best deal.

Manaslu Trek accommodation costs

The hotels in Manaslu are called tea houses. Tea houses are tiny wooden homes owned by the locals of Manaslu. Since many of these tea houses have been newly built, you can expect them to be clean and comfortable. There will be a centrally heated dining room for a warm dinner. They have to develop cozy rooms with two to three single beds only. In the tea house, you will have a mattress, a blanket, and a pillow.

The rooms with private bathrooms are unimaginable; you will use the bathroom on a shared basis. Some bathrooms might have Western seats, but most bathrooms in Manaslu will have Indian seats. And that’s almost it. The cost of this room is $5 to $6 only. This adds only a tiny amount to your Manaslu Trek cost. You will have a good choice of 3- to 5-star hotels in Kathmandu. The cheapest bunk beds are available at $5 per bed, and a clean room can cost about $20.

Additional charges in a tea house during the Manaslu trek

• Most tea houses in the lower region have a connection to Wi-Fi (even if the speed is not that good). Connecting to Wi-Fi costs about $3 per night.
• You can ask for a hot water shower or a bucket of hot water in the tea house. A hot water shower costs about $4 to $5.
• You should know that even electricity doesn’t come cheap. The room has no plug, and you must charge your phone in the reception or dining hall. Charging your phone, camera, or power bank costs about $2 to $3. The charge also depends on how long you will be demanding and your device.

Learn more about accommodations.

Food cost during the Manaslu circuit trek

Food is the most significant part of your Manaslu Trek cost. While trekking in Nepal, the thumb rule is that you will eat where you sleep. So, you will be served the food listed on the menu available at the tea houses. A warm meal with fresh ingredients in a remote land is a blessing. The menu is almost the same throughout the route, and the cost is similar (a little more costly at the higher altitude).

For breakfast, there are options like bread, omelettes, pancakes, oats, muesli, and fruits. The cost of breakfast is about $5 to $7. Then, you have pasta, momo, noodles, soup, rolls, and other dishes for lunch. However, the best combination is Nepalese dal and bhat. The unlimited buffet of Nepalese khana has steamed rice, lentil soup, vegetable curry, spinach, and some pickles.

There are also some desserts, like pudding and chocolates. Lunch and dinner cost $4 to $8 as per your choice, while dessert is about $3. The cost of food in Manaslu is about $28 to $30 per day, depending on how foodie you are.

Note: Trekking in the mountains is a beautiful chance to do some local food hunting. We suggest you try Tibetan bread, Gundruk Dhindo, butter tea, Thukpa, yak cheese, and Nepali curd. You can ask the tea house owner if they can prepare anything special for you, or you can even learn to make it yourself.

Cost of The Drink in Manaslu Circuit Trek

It would be best to understand that everything you eat during this trek will be carried to a higher altitude by a porter, mule, or helicopter. That makes everything, especially food, quite expensive. Also, the options on the menu might not be as versatile as you would see in urban restaurants. However, the tea house owner tries their best to serve you a great diet.

The cooks might not be very familiar with preparing continental cuisines, so it’s always safe to go for Nepalese food. That’s what they are best at cooking. Throughout the trek, you can get regular milk and coffee, which cost $1 to $3 per cup. There are not many options for coffee. We suggest that you carry your instant coffee and tea.

Also, you can get some stiff drinks; a beer bottle costs about $7. You might also find some energy drinks and juice. However, carrying these canned juices from Kathmandu. Next, we should discuss drinking water—a bottle of water costs about a dollar in Manaslu.

And considering you buy 3–4 bottles daily, that’s a lot of money wasted. It’s cheaper if you could carry a water bottle of your own and then refill it in tea houses or natural taps. Then, you can use purifying tablets to make the water pure and drink it.

Know more about food and water.

Manaslu Trek packing list cost

Manaslu Circuit Trek was a camping trek for a few years. The trail has recently been upgraded to include tea house trekking in Nepal. This implies that the Manaslu trekking region is remote, and you must carry everything essential. A large sum of your expenses goes to clothes and gear for the trek. Here, we have listed a few essentials in short. You can get this stuff either from your home country or Nepal, and the price varies significantly per brand and choice. So, we have not mentioned the price here; add it to your total Manaslu Trek cost.

• Shoes: Trekking shoes (high ankle hiking boots are pretty expensive, but it’s a trek prerequisite); A comfortable slipper and warm shocks
• Down Jacket (air and water-proof); A thermal coat, most likely of cotton; trekking pants and comfortable shorts; T-shirts and a few inner clothes; Windproof gloves, a head cover, and sunglasses
• Health: Water bottles and purifying tablet; First aid kids; Personal care items and toiletries
• Food: chocolate bars, instant coffee, energy drinks (and whatever you love).
• Other: sleeping bag; hiking bag; hang bag; two trekking poles (costing USD 5 each in Nepal); crampons (only in winter); phone, camera, charger, power bank, and whatever electronics you need.

Note: You won’t need climbing ropes, an ice axe, a Gore-Tex jacket, or a sleeping mat for this trek. Also, the packing list is different for each season. It’s better to consult your guide at Himalayan Masters and list things you need before the trek.

You can rent sleeping bags, hiking bags, trekking boots, down jackets, etc., in Thamel for USD 1 to USD 2 per day. If you want to save on buying them, ask your guide where to rent these products. However, buying your stuff is cheaper if you keep trekking quite frequently. Kathmandu has some great places to shop for trekking gear. However, they might not always be of reliable brand and price. So, we suggest that you shop for clothes in your home country.

Manaslu Trek Cost Due To Duration

The ideal Manaslu Circuit trek is 15 to 20 days long. No matter how long you stay, the cost of transportation, the Manaslu/Annapurna Conservation Area permit, and trekking gear are the same. However, it adds the price of a guide or porter, food, accommodation, and a TSUM area permit.

So, the cost depends on your Manaslu Trek itinerary. Sometimes, the unpredicted weather of Manaslu and untold emergencies might extend your trip. So, be prepared for such cases.

Other Manaslu Trek Costs

Donations: During this trek, we will visit many temples, gompas, and monasteries. You might want to donate a few dollars here and there. Add a few dollars for that.

Tips: Nepal is not exactly a country known for generous tips; it’s a trend to tip your guide and porter. Although the amount is your choice, you might want to keep it above USD 50 for them. You can also leave something for tea houses and restaurants. However, it’s just our suggestion; you can make a reasonable decision yourself.

Souvenir: Nepal’s unique handicrafts and artwork are loved around the world. The metal and woodwork of Nepalese women are also extraordinary. These are the kinds of souvenirs tourists spend a lot on. That’s why we want you to be prepared. Add a few dollars to your final Manaslu Trek cost for this stuff.

Manaslu Package Cost vs. Independent Travel Cost

Let’s take the example of the 14-day Manaslu Circuit Trek via Himalayan peaks and draw a conclusion. As independent trekkers ( with a guide and a porter), you will spend about USD 920 per person. And the usual Manaslu Circuit cost is about $1400 with a complete board package.

Some costs, like drinks, donations, tips, etc., will not be included when you take the package. Eventually, both expenses come out to be similar. If you take other routes to Manaslu (Manaslu Base Camp, Tsum Valley, etc.), you can add up the costs and find the total expenses.

Then, compare it to the standard Manaslu package cost listed on the website of a Nepalese travel agency. Boom, you will know which the best option is. Also, remember that getting a well-arranged trek package to Manaslu saves you a lot of hassle and trouble. Everything will be neatly presented to you.

Manaslu Trek Costs For Nepali Citizens

As an internal tourist, you can travel for a lower price. The cost of the Manaslu permit does not apply to Nepalese. Also, you can travel by public bus to reduce transportation costs. However, the cost of food and accommodation is similar for Nepalese and international tourists. The price for Wi-Fi, electricity, and a hot shower is also identical.

Some discounts will be available in the offseason if you have good bargaining skills. Next, you won’t need a guide (however, having a porter is very helpful). So, with a porter, Nepal’s 14-day Manaslu Circuit cost is about NRP 70,000 or lower, depending on your desired luxury.

How Do You Get the Money—Cash or Card?

When you book the Manaslu travel package, you need to pay the amount to the travel agency before departure. You can transfer the payment into their account quickly and only carry the extra dollars you need. You might want to keep about $500 or more with you for drinks and other personal expenses.

The money can be exchanged in Kathmandu. However, you must handle your money wisely without taking a Manaslu travel package. Instead of bringing all the cash from home, you can withdraw it from an ATM in Kathmandu and exchange it here.

There will not be any ATMs, and the card is not accepted in the Manaslu region. You need to pay for accommodation and food in Nepalese rupees. A small tip: don’t keep all your money in one place.

Some helpful tips to lower Manaslu Trek costs. 

• Once you leave Kathmandu, there’s probably no chance you can withdraw the cash, so make sure you have enough.
• Although your Langtang trek package covers all the expenses for the trek, you will have some extra cash in your pocket; $400 to $500 might be a safe amount to keep with you.
• You can pay your guide and porter in advance, so you don’t have to carry a lot.
• Carry fewer clothes and focus on other essentials like power banks, poles, and food to keep your Manaslu Trek cost low.
• Ensure you have a proper relationship with your guide, who will help you with packing, shopping, and other difficulties.

Conclusion,

So, we have listed everything that adds to your Manaslu trek cost. This article can be helpful for all treks in the Manaslu region—even other teahouse treks in Nepal. The Himalayan master’s team is waiting for your visit.

Is there anything else that you are worried about? Then, please leave us an email here.

Our email is [email protected].