Manaslu Circuit Trek from Singapore: Flights, Visas, Permits, Route

Singapore Airlines flies nonstop from Changi to Kathmandu almost every day, which puts the Manaslu Circuit Trek from Singapore within easier reach than most Southeast Asian travelers realize!

Many Singaporean hikers already know Everest Base Camp or the Annapurna Circuit from earlier trips. Manaslu sits a step beyond that.

It loops around the eighth-highest mountain on earth through the Nubri and Tsum valleys, a region the government only opened to foreign trekkers in 1991.

Fewer trekkers share the trail here. The permit system is stricter too, and that changes how you plan the whole trip!

Getting to Kathmandu: Flights and Visa Requirements

The direct flight from Singapore to Kathmandu takes around 4 hours and 55 minutes on Singapore Airlines, departing late morning and landing in the afternoon.

That single nonstop route is a real advantage. Trekkers flying in from Taiwan, Hong Kong or Australia usually connect through Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur first.

Singaporean passport holders can get a Nepal visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, or apply for the eVisa beforehand.

The fee is USD 30 for 15 days, USD 50 for 30 days, or USD 125 for 90 days, paid in cash if you choose on arrival. But don’t forget to bring a passport valid for at least six months and one passport photo.

Because a full Manaslu itinerary with Kathmandu prep days and a weather buffer often stretches past two weeks, most trekkers from Singapore choose the 30 day option rather than the 15 day one.

Permits You Need Before You Leave Changi

Manaslu is a restricted area, unlike Everest Base Camp or Annapurna Base Camp, both of which allow independent trekking without a guide.

You will need four separate permits to do this trek:

1. Manaslu Restricted Area Permit (RAP)
2. Manaslu Conservation Area Permit (MCAP)
3. Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) for the section after Dharapani
4. Chhumnubri municipality fee.

A licensed guide is mandatory for the entire trek. Checkpoints at Jagat confirm this before anyone continues north!

Permit costs shift by season. The RAP costs USD 100 for the first seven days from September to November, or USD 75 for the first week outside that window, with a daily add-on after day seven.

MCAP and ACAP each run about NPR 3,000, roughly USD 22 to 30, and the municipality fee adds another NPR 1,000.

Your agency (like Everest Trekking Routes) processes all four, so budget at least two working days in Kathmandu before departure, since Nepal’s permit offices close on weekends.

Solo Trekker? Here’s What Changed in 2026

For years, the RAP required two foreign trekkers on one application. Solo travelers from Singapore often had to find a stranger online just to satisfy the paperwork.

That rule ended on March 22, 2026, when Nepal’s Department of Immigration removed the two person minimum across all restricted trekking districts, Manaslu included.

Solo trekkers can now apply individually. But the guide requirement has not changed at all, so a solo Manaslu trek still means you and a licensed guide, not a fully independent hike!

The Manaslu Route: What a Typical Itinerary Looks Like

Most trips start with a drive from Kathmandu to Machha Khola or Soti Khola. From there, the trail follows the Budhi Gandaki river through a narrow gorge toward Lho, Samagaon and Samdo, villages with strong Tibetan Buddhist influence.

Samagaon is where most groups spend an acclimatization day. Many use it for a side walk toward Manaslu’s own base camp before heading higher.

The Larkya La Pass, at 5,106 m, is the hardest single day of the trek. Crews usually cross it early, before the wind builds.

The trail then drops to Bhimthang and continues out through Dharapani, overlapping briefly with the Annapurna Circuit before the drive back to the capital.

Note that a complete itinerary, Kathmandu buffer days included, typically runs 13 to 17 days.

Best Season, and How It Lines Up With Singapore’s Calendar

Autumn, from September through November, gives the clearest mountain views.

It also overlaps with school holiday windows many Singaporean families use for longer trips, though permit fees and lodge demand both climb during that stretch.

Spring, March to May, brings rhododendron blooms through the lower valleys.

However, winter regularly closes the Larkya La, so most agencies sometimes skip scheduling departures then. Even in our case, our team at Everest Trekking Routes assesses the situation and inform you what to do!

Altitude and Fitness: What Flat Terrain Doesn’t Prepare You For

Singapore has no real elevation to train on, so hill training here mostly means stairs, treadmills at an incline, or weekend trips to Malaysia’s Genting Highlands or Cameron Highlands.

None of that still fully replicates trekking above 5,000 m for six or more hours in thin air.

Build your fitness base with cardio and weighted stair climbs at least eight weeks out. Talk to a travel doctor about altitude sickness medication before you go, since Samagaon and Samdo sit well above 3,000 m.

Phone signal and data thin out fast above Samagaon, so tell your family to expect a few quiet days near the pass.

Furthermore, ATMs disappear after the lower villages,  so you have to carry enough Nepali rupees in cash for the full trek.

Travel Insurance: The Gap Most Singaporean Trekkers Miss

Many travelers already hold annual travel insurance through a Singapore bank or credit card. Most of those policies stop covering activity above 3,000 m, and almost none include helicopter evacuation.

Larkya La sits above 5,000 m. A policy that only mentions “hiking” or “adventure travel” in general terms usually will not pay out near the pass.

Confirm your policy names high altitude trekking specifically and includes helicopter rescue, since a rescue from Samagaon or Samdo depends on weather and helicopter availability that day.

Buy this before leaving Singapore, not in Kathmandu, because gaps are harder to fix once you are already on the trail.

Booking Your Manaslu Circuit Trek with ETR!

At Everest Trekking Routes, we handle the RAP, MCAP and ACAP paperwork directly, pair solo trekkers under the 2026 rule where they want company, and build the Samagaon acclimatization day into every itinerary before the Larkya La crossing.

Our local guides work the Nubri route regularly, which matters most on pass day and in villages where lodge space changes fast.

If you are mapping this against a return flight from Changi, reach out to our sales team at ETR and we will build the itinerary around your actual travel dates!