How the Manaslu Circuit start has changed now the road reaches Machha Khola

Trail & Weather The jeep road now runs deep into the Manaslu approach, Machha Khola is the practical trailhead and 4G has reached Samagaon. What it means for your… By Anjali Shrestha · Jun 14, 2026 Read the full story

The Manaslu Circuit has long been sold as the wilder, quieter alternative to the Annapurna Circuit — and it still is. But the way you reach it has been changing steadily — the Benighat–Arughat–Larke Bhanjyang road corridor has been pushing up the Budhi… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Where the road ends now

For years, trekkers started walking from Soti Khola. That section is now largely a jeep track. As of 2026, the road from Kathmandu via Arughat is concrete and smooth to Arughat, then continues to Machha Khola, which most operators now use as the practical… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The trade-off

This is the eternal Himalayan bargain. The road shortens the hot, low-altitude slog through the first day or two, which many trekkers happily skip — you start higher and spend your energy on the spectacular upper valley. But it also chips away at the sense of… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Connected, even up high

One genuinely useful change: 4G coverage has reached Samagaon and other iconic villages. For trekkers that means easier check-ins home, live weather checks before the Larkya La, and — most importantly — faster communication in an emergency. It is a small… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The verdict for 2026

Manaslu in 2026 is a trek in transition: easier to reach, better connected, but still crowned by one of the most magnificent high passes in Nepal. Get there before the road climbs any higher. Source: The Himalayan Times trail report; Travel Himalaya Nepal… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Manaslu Circuit Trek — 14 Days

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