Manaslu Circuit

Permits

MCAP, ACAP, and a Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (MRAP) — plus a local community fee of around NPR 1,000, paid in Jagat

Guide

Yes — required. Previously you needed a minimum of two trekkers as well, but new rules now allow solo trekkers with a guide

Time

10–12 days

Local dog aggression

Low

Other dangers

Altitude, cattle, horses

Can combine with

Tsum Valley · Annapurna Base Camp

Overview

Manaslu Circuit feels like what Annapurna Circuit was ten years ago. For the wider background on the mountain itself, Wikipedia's Manaslu page is worth a look; this page sticks to what matters if you're bringing a dog along.

It's a bit more expensive overall, and you'll need a guide and a fuller set of permits than most other treks — but it's absolutely worth it if you're after something less developed while still being a genuinely good trek.

Good to know

My favourite thing about this trek is the marmots, which the dogs loved chasing. Worth a word of caution though if you've got a fast, hunting-minded dog: they might actually catch one, or simply run off after one and not come back easily. Keep that in mind before letting your dog off the lead around open ground.

If you're going in low season

One thing worth planning for: if you go in low season, Dharamshala — the high camp before the pass — might be closed. When we ran into this, my guide Deepak contacted the Holiday Inn in Samagaun, and they were able to send someone up to cook and open things up for us. It didn't cost much, but do leave a good tip for whoever hikes up from Samagaun carrying food for you — if you're not sure how much, I'd suggest around NPR 5,000 per person. Otherwise, without Dharamshala open, it's a very long day to get across the pass.

Photos from the trek

Dog-friendly tea houses on this route

We haven't logged specific tea houses for this route yet — check the Tea Houses page as we add them, or get in touch if you know one that's happy to take dogs.