Karma Trek

A Swotah representative meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfers you to your hotel. The evening includes a welcome dinner and a briefing on the Karma Trek: permits, gear check, schedule and what to expect on the Manaslu section. Overnight in Kathmandu.

A guided day through Kathmandu Valley's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with permit paperwork finalised for the Manaslu Restricted Area Permit, MCAP, ACAP and Upper Mustang Restricted Area Permit. Boudhanath, Pashupatinath and Swayambhunath are typical stops. Overnight in Kathmandu.

An early departure by private jeep heads west on the Prithvi Highway and then north up the Budhi Gandaki road to Sotikhola (720 m), the starting point of the Manaslu Circuit walk. The drive takes 9 to 10 hours over rough mountain road, passing through Arughat. Overnight in Sotikhola.

The walk begins up the Budhi Gandaki gorge, crossing tributary streams on suspension bridges and passing rice and millet terraces through Gurung villages to Machhakhola (930 m). Ganesh Himal appears at the head of the valley. About 5 to 6 hours. Overnight in Machhakhola.

The trail follows the Budhi Gandaki through Khoralbesi to the natural hot spring at Tatopani, good for sore legs before the serious walking begins. The route climbs on to Jagat (1,440 m), where the Manaslu Restricted Area begins and permits are checked. About 6 to 7 hours. Overnight in Jagat.

The gorge narrows and the trail climbs over a ridge at Salleri (1,440 m), where Shringi Himal (7,187 m) appears to the north, before descending to the river and following it to Deng (1,860 m). The forest is dense and the suspension bridges frequent. About 6 to 7 hours. Overnight in Deng.

A steady climb out of the gorge through pine and juniper forest, past several chortens and mani walls, brings the trail into the lower Nupri highlands at Namrung (2,560 m), the first village with a strong Tibetan cultural character. About 5 to 6 hours. Overnight in Namrung.

The valley opens wide as the trail climbs through Lho, where the monastery gives the first direct views of Manaslu (8,163 m), and on to Syala (3,500 m), a small Nupri settlement in an open plain ringed by peaks. The air is noticeably thinner above 3,000 m. About 5 to 6 hours. Overnight in Syala.

A short walk through open plateau country with Manaslu dominant ahead reaches Sama Gaon (3,530 m), the largest village in the Nupri region. The afternoon is free for acclimatisation: an optional walk to Birendra Lake (4,000 m) or toward Manaslu Base Camp improves acclimatisation without overstretching. About 3 to 4 hours walking. Overnight in Sama Gaon.

Above the treeline, the trail climbs gently north with the Tibetan frontier close and Manaslu filling the sky behind. Samdo (3,875 m) is the last permanent village before the Larke La, a cluster of stone houses beside the Budhi Gandaki headwaters. About 3 to 4 hours, kept short to aid acclimatisation. Overnight in Samdo.

A short, steady climb from Samdo follows the valley floor and crosses the river to Dharamsala, also called Larke Phedi (4,460 m): a cluster of basic shelters at the foot of the Larke La. The afternoon is for rest, equipment check and an early night. About 3 hours. Overnight at Dharamsala.

The trail descends through dense rhododendron and pine forest, passing the hamlets of Hompuk and Karche, with Manaslu receding behind and the Marsyangdi valley opening ahead, to Tilje (2,300 m). The Annapurna Conservation Area begins here. About 5 to 6 hours. Overnight in Tilje.

The route follows the Marsyangdi valley downstream to Chame (2,600 m), the district headquarters of Manang and the main ACAP checkpoint. The valley is green and wide after the dry Manaslu high country. About 4 to 5 hours. Overnight in Chame.

The trail leaves Chame and climbs through a deep gorge with walls of pine and birch, passing a large curved rock face before the valley opens to reveal Annapurna II (7,937 m) and the snowy backdrop of the Pisang Peak (6,091 m). Lower Pisang (3,200 m) has good lodges and wide mountain views. About 5 to 6 hours. Overnight in Pisang.

Two route options run from Pisang to Braga: the lower valley trail is easier, and the upper trail through Ghyaru and Ngawal adds altitude with better mountain panoramas, including Tilicho Peak (7,134 m) to the west. Both arrive at Braga (3,400 m), an ancient village with the 600-year-old Braga Gompa stacked against the cliff. About 5 to 6 hours. Overnight in Braga.

A 45-minute walk from Braga reaches Manang (3,500 m), the main acclimatisation stop on the Annapurna Circuit, at the head of the Marsyangdi valley under Annapurna III and Gangapurna. The afternoon is for altitude adjustment: the Himalayan Rescue Association posts daily altitude lectures at the clinic here. About 1 hour of walking. Overnight in Manang.

The route climbs above Tengi village and up the Jarsang Khola valley to Yak Kharka (4,000 m), a high pasture where yak herds graze and vegetation thins to dry scrub. An optional afternoon hike toward Chulu West Base Camp aids acclimatisation. About 3 to 4 hours. Overnight in Yak Kharka.

The trail climbs the valley wall via Ledar to Thorong Phedi (4,500 m), the last lodge before the Thorong La. Early arrival leaves time to rest and prepare gear for the 3 am start the next day. Symptoms of AMS (headache, nausea, sleep disruption) must be reported to your guide tonight. About 3 to 4 hours. Overnight at Thorong Phedi.

The Karma Trek enters Upper Mustang today. A jeep drive from Muktinath to Kagbeni (2,800 m) saves a dusty road walk, and from Kagbeni the trail heads north along the Kali Gandaki through Chuksang to Tsele (3,050 m), the first true Lo village with Tibetan-style stone houses and chortens. Upper Mustang permit checks occur at Kagbeni. About 4 to 5 hours of walking. Overnight in Tsele.

The trail climbs out of the Kali Gandaki gorge onto the Mustang plateau, through Samar village and over a pass into a side canyon, then over another ridge to Geling (3,500 m), a traditional village with barley fields and juniper-wood houses. The landscape has shifted from Himalayan green to bare Tibetan plateau: eroded cliffs in ochre, red and white. About 5 to 6 hours. Overnight in Geling.

The route passes through Ghami, notable for the longest mani wall in Mustang at roughly 400 m, a landmark of Buddhist devotion in this high-altitude plateau. The trail continues past eroded red cliffs and descends to Charang (3,565 m), a substantial village with a Dzong (fortress) and a 500-year-old monastery. About 5 to 6 hours. Overnight in Charang.

A 3 to 4 hour walk from Charang reaches Lo Manthang (3,840 m), the walled capital of the ancient Lo kingdom, where whitewashed city walls enclose royal palaces and four active gompas. The afternoon is for exploration: Thubchen Gompa (15th century), Jampa Gompa (14th century), the Raja's palace and the Chosar cave complex, a series of human-carved caves in a canyon outside the walls. Overnight in Lo Manthang.

The return route through Upper Mustang follows a different path south from Lo Manthang. The trail passes near Ghar Gompa, a monastery claimed to be over 1,200 years old carved into the red cliffs, and descends to Dhakmar (3,820 m), a village set against dramatic crimson cliff walls that the Lo people associate with blood from a mythological battle. About 4 to 5 hours. Overnight in Dhakmar.

The trail crosses several passes on the plateau, passing cave dwellings and ancient fortifications at Gharmi, with wide views of the Mustang cliffs and the Annapurna massif to the south, to Syangbochen (3,800 m), a high-plateau pasture settlement. About 5 to 6 hours. Overnight in Syangbochen.

The route descends from the plateau back to Tsele (3,050 m), retracing the final stretch of the approach through the Kali Gandaki gorge. The dramatic change in scenery, from dry plateau to the deep river canyon, is a strong reminder of how distinct Upper Mustang's topography is from the rest of Nepal. About 4 to 5 hours. Overnight in Tsele.

A morning walk returns through Kagbeni to Jomsom (2,785 m), the administrative centre of Mustang district and the site of the airstrip for the Pokhara flight. Jomsom sits in the Kali Gandaki valley, which channels powerful afternoon winds, so morning is the calm and afternoon the windy period. About 3 to 4 hours of walking. Overnight in Jomsom.

A 20-minute morning mountain flight from Jomsom's runway follows the Kali Gandaki canyon south to Pokhara (850 m), with Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I and Machhapuchhre in close view on a clear morning. Weather can delay these flights, and the Jomsom airport typically only operates in the morning before the valley winds build. The afternoon in Pokhara is for rest and lakeside walking. Overnight in Pokhara.

A tourist bus or private vehicle drives the Prithvi Highway from Pokhara to Kathmandu in 6 to 7 hours through the Marsyangdi valley and the Trisuli gorge. The evening in Kathmandu offers a final dinner and a chance to reflect on 31 days crossing three of Nepal's most demanding regions. Overnight in Kathmandu.

A Swotah representative transfers you to Tribhuvan International Airport for your onward flight. Check-in is recommended three hours before departure. If you want to extend your time in Nepal or add a post-trek activity, contact us before or during the trip and we will arrange it.