Nepal - Manaslu pilgrimage – 17-Day Himalayan Expedition

Overview

Duration: 17 days / 11 days on expedition

Distance: 140 km

Max elevation: 5,200 meters

Starting point: Kathmandu

Group size: Max 16 participants

Languages: English & Spanish

Difficulty: Moderate

Physical condition: (good is required).

You will only carry your daypack

MANASLU AWAITS

"TO WALK IN THESE MOUNTAINS IS TO MOVE TOWARD THE TIMELESS..."

This is not a hike. It is a pilgrimage. An expedition into the primordial memory of this land — revealing and sharing, with all pilgrims willing to walk it, the most pristine and hidden corners of one of the world’s most mystical and magical regions.

Join us for a 17-day expedition across the Himalayas. 138 km. 4,000 meters of elevation. Ritual. Stillness. Sky.

"We walk not to arrive, but to remember..."

Every true journey begins not with the first step, but with a quiet shift inside.

A 17-day expedition into the heart of the Himalayas: 138 kilometers on foot, more than 4,000 meters of elevation gain.

Crossing sacred rivers, forests, glaciers, high passes, and ancestral villages until we arrive in the shadow of Manaslu, the Mountain of the Spirits.

We begin in Kathmandu, where Hinduism and Buddhism share space in harmony. A city alive with symbols, stories, and spirit. A place where the sacred is not hidden, but lived.

From there, we follow a network of ancient pilgrimage trails that once connected India, Nepal, Tibet and China, paths still walked by traders, monks, and seekers.

We will visit hidden temples, remote Buddhist monasteries, and enter the sacred cave of Milarepa, where stillness speaks.

This is one of the most remote regions of the Himalayas, where Indigenous cultures still protect traditions and ways of life that have flourished for millennia.

Each day, we walk through changing ecosystems from subtropical valleys to high-altitude silence.

Each morning begins with Chi Kung or meditation. Each night, a sky full of stars and the sound of rivers flowing below.

We are guided by a sacred circle:

2 Nepali mountain experts.

Norman, a pilgrim of ancient paths, buddhist master and a specialist in mountain hikes; a nature professional photographer, and a team of local sherpas and porters who carry not just our gear, but the living memory of these lands.

This path is not for those who seek escape, but for those who feel the quiet pull of return to the earth, to the sacred, to themselves. Apu Manaslu awaits.

More than a trek, this is a deep immersion into the primordial memory of place, an encounter with the most pristine and mystical corners of one of the world’s most sacred mountains.

TIME WELL SPENT

Our Expeditions are unique itineraries. Designed for like-minded travelers in search for amazing journeys.

Our aim is to share through direct experience a biocentric view of life, our deep respect and love for Mother and Father nature, being fully present nurturing consciousness.

Through the last 15 years, we have learned how to co-create this experience with local communites and local people having an impact not only on a finacial capital but primarily in the quality of life.

This is our way to give to the community the opportunity to continue growing through the best practices of ecotourism.

Always taking care of our natural treasures and becoming aware of its importance in our lives.

Day 1

Arrival in Kathmandu: The City of Gods The journey begins not with our feet, but with our breath as we land in the ancient valley of Kathmandu, cradle of spirit and stone.

Winding through streets rich with incense, prayer flags, and the murmur of bells, we make our way to Boudhanath Stupa .One of the holiest Buddhist sites in the world, it hums with the energy of centuries of devotion.

Pilgrims walk its circle in silence, spinning prayer wheels with each step. Here, we too begin to turn inward.

In the afternoon, we gather for a preparation talk in a hidden, mystical corner of Durbar Square a space where gods once danced with kings, and the sacred still whispers from the bricks. We align our intentions. We learn what to carry and what to leave behind.

The first night closes with rest and anticipation at the Soaltee Crown Plaza. Where comfort meets reflection, and the great mountain waits beyond the horizon.

Tomorrow, we begin to ascend.

Day 2

Today we leave behind the sacred valley of Kathmandu and follow the road into the unknown.

In our 4x4 vehicles, we descend toward the low Himalayan foothills, a slow unraveling of elevation and urgency.
The landscape opens into endless rice terraces, hanging cliffs, and rivers that shine like silver threads.

Above, layers of mist veil the distant peaks.
Below, life moves to the rhythm of farming, prayer, and water.

Along the way, we pause to share a traditional Nepali meal... fresh, simple, rooted in the earth. A first taste of the nourishment that will carry us forward.

After seven hours of winding roads and panoramic views, we arrive in Soti Khola, a quiet village nestled beside a roaring river.

Here, the air feels different, slower, deeper. The trail is near. The mountains loom closer.

We gather with our Himalayan porters, whose calm strength and ancestral knowledge will support the path ahead.

This night is soft. A pause before the climb.
A moment to breathe and feel the call of the trail begin to rise from the stones.

Day 3 - 15

From the moment our boots meet the earth, the journey begins to shift us.

And so we walk about 8 hours a day, through winding trails that feel untouched by time.

Some days are shorter (6 km), others long and vast (up to 22 km), but every step invites us into presence.

We begin in warm, fertile valleys, where rice terraces and banana trees cradle the trail, and children wave from wooden balconies as we pass.

These first days feel like a journey back in time, moving through Indigenous villages where life is still shaped by earth, season, and spirit.

As we ascend, the terrain transforms. Jungles give way to forests of pine and rhododendron.

Then alpine meadows.
Then rock, ice, and snow.
Each shift in the ecosystem marks a shift in us.

Manaslu

We enter the domain of Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain on Earth at 8,163 meters.

Unlike other Himalayan circuits, Manaslu is a sacred and less-traveled region, a protected area far from the noise of mass tourism.

Its trails are ancestral trade routes, still used by pilgrims, shepherds, and monks.
We walk them in silence not to conquer, but to listen.

The air grows thinner. The thoughts slow down.

Each morning opens with Chi Kung or meditation, and each day brings new wonders: glacial rivers, hanging bridges, mani walls, and prayer wheels, carried by wind and devotion.

We pass through sacred villages like Lho, Sho, and Samagaun, where Tamang, Gurung and Nubri cultures keep their rituals alive.

We eat in local kitchens, sleep in high- mountain lodges, and watch the light shift across the world’s most majestic peaks.

Sunrise and sunset igniting the snowcaps with gold and fire. And then, a moment carved in memory:
We arrive at Milarepa’s Cave a place where one of Tibet’s most revered yogis once meditated in solitude.

The cave, tucked into a cliff above the valley, holds a stillness that words cannot reach. Inside, it is said that Milarepa left a footprint in the stone, and his presence lingers like breath in the rock.

Here, we sit in silence.
Not to understand, but to feel.

5,135 m. above sea

Eventually, we ascend to the heart of the trail:
Larke La Pass, at 5,135 meters above sea level. Snow crunches underfoot.

Breath becomes prayer. And in all directions, the Himalayas stretch like waves of frozen time.

From here, we see Annapurna II, Himlung Himal, and the Cheo Himal.
It is a crossing, not only of altitude, but of perception.

As we descend, we carry the mountain within us.

The rivers are louder now. The silence, deeper.
The body more open. The heart, lighter.

And when we return to Kathmandu on Day 15, we are no longer visitors. We are pilgrims. Carriers of something wordless, gathered along ancient paths beneath the gaze of Manaslu.

We walk with only a light daypack, free of weight, free of urgency.

Everything else, gear, sleeping bags, extra clothes is carried by our team of Himalayan porters, whose calm strength and ancestral knowledge support the rhythm of our days.

By the end of the expedition

By the end of the expedition, you'll receive a collection of incredible photographs, Professionally edited and ready to share with family and friends or cherish as keepsakes.

One of your tour leaders is a professional photographer that ensures that your visit is not only educational and immersive but also visually stunning, providing memories you'll treasure forever.