Best Time for Manaslu Circuit Trek: Weather And Season Guide

09/Sep/2026

Picking the best time for Manaslu Circuit Trek changes almost everything about how the walk feels. This route runs through a narrow river gorge before climbing past 5,000 metres at Larkya La, and the weather window narrows fast once you leave Kathmandu.

A warm afternoon can turn the lower gorge into a mudslide risk within an hour. A winter storm can shut the pass for a week!

We put together this season-by-season breakdown so you can match your travel dates to the conditions you actually want, whether that means rhododendron blooms, quiet trails, or the clearest mountain views of the year.

Spring on the Manaslu Circuit (March to May)

Spring opens the Manaslu season once the coldest months pass. March starts cool and a little unpredictable, but by April the lower valleys warm up noticeably.

Daytime temperatures around Soti Khola and Jagat typically sit between 10°C and 20°C, and nights stay mild enough for comfortable sleeping. Higher up, near Samagaon and the approach to Larkya La, daytime highs hover close to freezing and drop well below at night.

Winter snow is still melting off the pass through April. This usually means packed, manageable conditions rather than fresh powder underfoot.

Rhododendron forests bloom through the middle sections of the trail, and the lower villages turn genuinely colourful. Trails stay mostly dry, though afternoon cloud builds as May arrives and pre-monsoon heat sets in.

Summer and the Monsoon (June to August)

Early June still carries some of spring’s stability before the monsoon fully arrives mid-month.

Once the rains set in, the lower Budhi Gandaki gorge takes the worst of it. Expect frequent afternoon and overnight downpours, slippery stone steps, and leeches in the forested stretches below Jagat.

Landslide risk rises sharply along the trail cut into the gorge walls. River crossings become less predictable as water levels surge.

Higher up, past Samagaon, the terrain sits in a partial rain shadow, so conditions stay drier and colder than the lower valley suggests. Visibility suffers everywhere, though, with cloud regularly hiding the peaks for days at a time.

Very few trekkers attempt a full Larkya La crossing at the height of monsoon!

Manaslu Trek in Summer

Autumn on the Manaslu Circuit (September to November)

Autumn is where the region earns its reputation. Once the monsoon clears, usually by late September, the air turns dry and the skies stay open for weeks.

Daytime temperatures in the lower villages settle around 12°C to 22°C, while Samagaon and Samdo see daytime highs close to freezing and nights well below it.

Snow on Larkya La stays minimal through October and early November in a normal year, which keeps the crossing straightforward.

October is the busiest month on the trail, partly because it overlaps with Dashain and Tihar, Nepal’s two biggest festivals. Teahouses fill up fast in peak weeks, so book ahead if your dates fall in October.

Winter on the Manaslu Circuit (December to February)

Winter brings the coldest, quietest version of the trek. Lower valley daytime temperatures can still sit in a workable range, but nights regularly drop below -8°C, and conditions at Samagaon and Samdo turn genuinely harsh.

Larkya La accumulates deep snow through January and February, and the pass frequently becomes impassable or too risky to cross.

Early December is usually the exception. Teahouses are still fully open, the trail stays largely snow-free below the high camps, and mountain views are about as sharp as they get all year.

Past mid-December, expect shorter daylight hours, closed lodges in the highest villages, and a real chance the pass stays shut altogether.

Manaslu Circuit Trek Weather at a Glance

Season	Months	Lower Valley (Day)	Samagaon / Larkya La	Trail & Snow Conditions	Crowd Level
Spring	March–May	10–20°C	-2 to 5°C day, down to -10°C night	Melting snow, manageable pass, blooms	Moderate
Monsoon	June–Mid September	15–25°C, heavy rain	5–10°C, wetter but rain-shadowed	Muddy gorge, landslide risk, poor visibility	Low
Autumn	Late September–November	12–22°C	-5 to 10°C day, below freezing at night	Dry trail, minimal snow on pass, best views	High
Winter	December–February	Cold, workable in early Dec	Below -8°C, deep snow at pass	Pass often closed Jan–Feb, quiet lower trail	Very low

Climate Change, Melting Glaciers, and a Shifting Manaslu Season

The seasons above describe a normal year. However, that pattern is becoming less reliable.

Research on the Manaslu region’s glaciers shows the parent glacier feeding Birendra Lake, near Samagaon, shrank from roughly 25.8 to 21.6 square kilometres between 1988 and 2024, while the glacial lake itself grew!

Scientists studying the wider central Nepal Himalaya have documented a similar pattern of glacier retreat and expanding glacial lakes across the region. As a result, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and flash floods triggered by intense monsoon rainfall are becoming a more regular hazard, not a rare event.

That risk turned real in early September 2026. Flash floods from the Budhi Gandaki and Therang rivers swept away bridges near Namrung, and the District Administration Office in Gorkha, together with the Manaslu Conservation Area Project, suspended travel on the Manaslu Circuit and the Larke Pass until the trail could be inspected.

If you are planning a trip this year, do not book departures before September while that notice remains active. Once the monsoon ends, we expect the route to reopen for the autumn season as usual, though we may route parts of the trek through alternative sections while damaged bridges are repaired.

So, When Is the Best Time for Manaslu Circuit Trek?

Weighing all four seasons together, three windows stand out:

April and early May give you the best balance of mild temperatures, manageable snow on Larkya La, and rhododendrons in bloom, without the peak-season crowds of autumn.
Early June still works well for trekkers who want spring-like conditions before the monsoon fully closes in, provided you keep an eye on the forecast and finish before mid-month.
October and November remain the strongest overall choice, thanks to dry trails, stable weather, and the clearest mountain views of the entire year.

Permits and Booking Ahead With Everest Trekking Routes

The Manaslu Circuit requires the Manaslu Restricted Area Permit, the Manaslu Conservation Area Permit, Chumnubri Rural Municipality Fee, and the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit, since the trail exits into Annapurna territory near Dharapani.

Restricted area fees run higher in autumn than in the quieter months, while the conservation permits stay fixed year-round!

Our team at Everest Trekking Routes handle all three as part of every package, and we build in a guide, since local knowledge matters most when trail conditions shift on short notice. Reach out to us and we will match your itinerary to the season, and the current trail status, before you book your flights!