Manaslu or Annapurna Circuit? Compared by Pass, Road and Price

Manaslu or Annapurna Circuit: the quiet pass or the big one

The two loops share one place: Dharapani, where the Manaslu Circuit ends and the Annapurna Circuit parks its jeeps. Otherwise they share little. The Annapurna is the older, better-known, more comfortable trek with the higher pass, the road to Manang and a bakery in every village; the Manaslu is the younger, dearer, emptier one with the restricted area, the Tibetan valley and the camp of stone huts before the pass. Here is the comparison by what counts – days, altitude, road, crowds, rules, price – and the plan for both in a row.

Landscape: a gorge and a valley against five climate zones

The Manaslu is a valley: five days in the Budhi Gandaki, first rice terraces and bananas, then a gorge with suspension bridges and cliff trails that Alpine Club of Himalaya calls “not for people with fear of heights”, then from Namrung the Tibetan Nubri with mani walls, monasteries and the eight-thousander at the head of the valley. There is one pass, and after it one day down. The Annapurna is broader: the Marsyangdi valley, Manang with its bakeries and Tilicho Lake as a side trip, the Thorong La as Nepal's highest trekking pass, then the desert of Mustang, Muktinath, the road to Jomsom and, if you want, Tatopani and Poon Hill. If you seek variety you find it on the Annapurna; if you want to get to know one valley completely, on the Manaslu. The mountain itself: Manaslu stands before you from Lho for three days; Annapurna I can hardly be seen from the circuit – but Annapurna II, III, IV, Gangapurna and Dhaulagiri can.

Road and crowds: the reason most people switch

On the Annapurna Circuit the track has reached Manang for years, and from Muktinath the rest to Jomsom is road; the packages therefore board the jeep at Chame or Dharapani and walk six to eight days instead of twenty. Those who walk share the trail with jeeps, dust and motorbikes. On the Manaslu the road ends at Machha Khola or Jagat, and between Jagat and Dharapani there is none – nine days on foot without an engine, only mules. The crowds: in high season several hundred people a day cross the Thorong La and a few dozen the Larke La; the lodges on the Manaslu are smaller, simpler and still full in October because there are so few. Dharmasala before the pass has two stone huts with dormitories and tents; Thorong Phedi has lodges with rooms and a High Camp above. If you want comfort, take the Annapurna; if you see the reason for the trek in the absence of a road, the Manaslu – as long as the road has not reached Jagat, which it will within a few years.

The two loops side by side

	Manaslu Circuit	Annapurna Circuit
Days from Kathmandu	10–19 (standard 12–14); with Tsum 21–25	8–22 (standard 10–14); longer with Tilicho and Poon Hill
Pass	Larke La 5,106 m, one pass day of 9–10 h	Thorong La 5,416 m, one pass day of 8–10 h
Road on the trek	none between Jagat and Dharapani	to Manang and from Muktinath; jeep entries Besisahar, Dharapani, Chame
Getting there	bus 8–10 h to Machha Khola, dirt track	bus 6–8 h to Besisahar, jeep onwards
Permits	RAP USD 100–145 (Sept–Nov), MCAP, ACAP, TIMS ≈ USD 190	ACAP and TIMS ≈ USD 40
Guide	mandatory, only through a registered agency	mandatory since 2023, hiring yourself also possible
Alone	two people mandatory until March 2026; supplement with 25 packages	from 1 person with most packages
Lodges	simple, dormitory or tent at Dharmasala, shower up to Samagaon	good, rooms even at High Camp, bakeries, Wi-Fi
Extras	Tsum Valley, Manaslu base camp, Pungyen Gompa	Tilicho Lake, Poon Hill, Tatopani, Muktinath
List price	USD 750–2,560; full board from 999	USD 590–2,400; full board from 700
Whole bill	≈ USD 1,550–2,200 per person	≈ USD 1,150–1,950 per person
Best time	October–November, March–May	October–November, March–May; pass open longer in winter

Figures from our two comparisons, as of 25 September 2026.

Both in three weeks: the Manaslu as the opener

Geography helps: the Manaslu Circuit ends at Dharapani, and Dharapani is where the Annapurna packages get out of the jeep. If you want both, walk the Manaslu first (you carry the acclimatisation from the Budhi Gandaki valley with you), do not get into the car at Dharapani but continue to Chame, Pisang, Manang, take the rest day or Tilicho Lake there and cross the Thorong La to Muktinath: 18 to 22 days on foot, one set of permits (you have the ACAP for Manaslu anyway), the same agency and the same guide. Viator has combination products for this that we have not compared; simpler is to book the Manaslu with an operator who also sells the Annapurna (Everest Trekking Routes, Trekking Planner, Outfitter Nepal, Great Adventure do) and ask for the connection. The other way round – Annapurna first, then Manaslu – does not work, because you should not walk the Manaslu from Dharapani against the direction.

Questions about the comparison

Which is harder?

The Manaslu, for three reasons: longer days in the gorge with many counter-climbs, simpler lodges and a pass that is 300 m lower than the Thorong La but starts from a colder camp with a steeper, often icy descent. The Thorong La is higher, but better prepared from Thorong Phedi and the High Camp.

Which is more beautiful?

If you want the mountain, take the Manaslu: it stands before you for three days from Lho. If you want variety – valley, desert, lake, pass, temple – take the Annapurna. Most who have walked both call the Manaslu the quieter and the Annapurna the more varied, and neither the more beautiful.

Which for a first time above 5,000 m?

The Annapurna: better lodges, more rest-day options in Manang, a jeep as retreat if it does not work, and a pass with a High Camp. The Manaslu is the step up afterwards – or for people who know altitude and simple huts from the Alps.

Can I shorten the Manaslu like the Annapurna?

Hardly. On the Annapurna you board the jeep at Chame or fly from Jomsom; on the Manaslu there is no road and no airstrip between Jagat and Dharapani. If you have to stop, you walk back or wait for the helicopter – hence the insurance.

Sources and check status

Show 4 sources

trailandpass.com/en/tours/annapurna-circuit/ – Annapurna Circuit: our comparison of the 21 packages (prices, days, road, Tilicho) (accessed 25 September 2026)
trailandpass.com/en/tours/manaslu-circuit/ – Manaslu Circuit: our comparison of the 32 packages (accessed 25 September 2026)
www.viator.com/tours/Kathmandu/Manaslu-Circuit-Trek/d5109-66861P2 – Magical Nepal: “less busy alternative to the classic Annapurna Circuit” (Viator Partner API) (accessed 25 September 2026)
www.viator.com/tours/Kathmandu/Manaslu-Circuit-Trek-19-DAYS/d5109-7063 – Alpine Club of Himalaya: “harder than most other treks”, cliff trails in the Budhi Gandaki valley (Viator Partner API) (accessed 25 September 2026)