Manaslu Circuit Trek Cost: Full Budget Breakdown

What Manaslu Circuit Costs in One Glance

The Manaslu Circuit trek is a restricted-area route, so it must be booked through a registered agency with a licensed guide and a group of at least two. That pushes the price above open teahouse treks, but because access is by road rather than an expensive domestic flight, it stays cheaper than fly-in treks. Most trekkers spend USD 1,000–1,800 per person for a 14–18 day trip.

The figures above are the on-the-ground trek cost. They exclude your international flights to Kathmandu, your Nepal visa, and travel insurance, budget those separately. The restricted-area permit is cheaper per head in a larger group, so price drops as the group grows.

Line-by-Line Cost Breakdown

Here is where every dollar goes on a standard guided Manaslu Circuit trek, using 2026 estimates. Trek prices in Nepal are usually quoted in US dollars but paid in a mix of dollars and Nepali rupees (NPR).

The three permits: a significant fixed cost

• Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (MRAP): around USD 100 per person for the first 7 days plus about USD 15 per extra day in peak season (Sep–Nov), and around USD 75 plus about USD 10 per extra day in the off-season (Dec–Aug).
• Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP): around NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals.
• Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP): around NPR 3,000, required because you exit through the Annapurna region at Dharapani.

See our Manaslu permits guide for the full detail and the mandatory rules.

Guide and porter: USD 25–35 per day

A licensed guide is mandatory in the restricted area. Expect USD 25–35/day for a guide and USD 18–25/day for a porter (who carries up to about 20–25 kg, often shared between two trekkers). In an agency package these are bundled into the per-person price. Tips are extra and customary, especially after the long pass day.

Teahouse rooms: NPR 500–1,500 per night

A twin room in a teahouse is cheap low down, often NPR 500–800, rising toward NPR 1,000–1,500 at high villages like Samagaon, Samdo and the simple lodges at Dharamsala, where everything is portered or mule-hauled in. Lodges keep rooms cheap on the understanding you eat there.

Food and drink: USD 20–35 per day

Prices climb with altitude. A plate of dal bhat is affordable in the lower gorge but markedly dearer at Samdo and Dharamsala. Budget USD 20–25/day low on the trail and USD 25–35/day high up. Hot drinks, boiled water, charging, Wi-Fi and hot showers are all paid extras that add up.

Transport: jeep at both ends

There is no fly-in. A jeep from Kathmandu to the Soti Khola or Machha Khola roadhead and the drive out from Dharapani via Besisahar are long road days, usually bundled into the package price. Privately, the jeep legs can run NPR 8,000–15,000 per vehicle each way, shared across the group.

A Realistic Sample Budget (Per Person)

Here is a realistic itemised budget for one person on a 14-day guided Manaslu Circuit in autumn, in a small group of four sharing guide, porters and transport:

Booking the same trip as an all-inclusive package usually lands at USD 1,200–1,600, the premium buys you fixed logistics, the mandatory registered-agency arrangement, a pre-trek briefing and a single point of accountability if the weather closes the pass.

Hidden Costs People Forget

• Travel insurance with helicopter evacuation cover, non-negotiable on a 5,106 m trek; USD 80–200 for the trip. Confirm it covers trekking to at least 5,500 m.
• Tips. Customary and genuinely expected, roughly USD 8–12/day total for a guide and USD 6–9/day for a porter, pooled and given at the end, with extra after the long Larkya La day.
• Gear you don't own. Renting a down jacket and a warm sleeping bag in Kathmandu is around NPR 100–200/day each, see the packing list.
• Contingency days. The high pass and mountain roads are weather-dependent, so budget for an extra night or two of food and lodging in case you have to wait.
• Cash for the trail. There are no ATMs in the gorge or upper villages, so carry all on-trail spending in Nepali rupees, plus a buffer.
• Nepal visa, USD 30 (15 days) / USD 50 (30 days) on arrival, separate from the trek.

How to Trek Manaslu for Less

• Join a larger group. The Restricted Area Permit and the guide and transport costs are shared, so a group of four to eight cuts the per-head price sharply.
• Trek in the off-season window. Outside autumn the Restricted Area Permit is cheaper, though weather is less settled, see best time to trek Manaslu.
• Eat dal bhat. The big refillable plate of rice, lentils, vegetables and pickle is the best value on any menu and fuels a full day.
• Treat your own water instead of buying bottled, and carry a power bank to cut charging fees.
• Book locally in Kathmandu. Registered Nepali agencies are markedly cheaper than international operators selling the identical trek, and you still get the mandatory guide and permits.

Do not economise on a licensed guide, insurance, or acclimatisation days. On a restricted-area trek with a 5,106 m pass, those are the things that keep you safe, not the place to cut corners.