Kathmandu to Machha Khola for the Manaslu Circuit
The road to the Manaslu Circuit and Tsum Valley: 8 to 9 hours by jeep to Machha Khola via Dhading, Arughat and Soti Khola, dated bus and jeep costs, starting points, monsoon landslides and the exit via Besisahar.
The road to the Manaslu Circuit is the first test of the trek. Kathmandu to Machha Khola is about 8 to 9 hours by jeep through Dhading, Arughat and Soti Khola on a rough, dusty road, and the road is often disrupted by landslides in the monsoon. Most trekkers go by private jeep arranged by their agency, a few take a local bus, and some break the journey and start at Soti Khola or Arughat Bazaar. Whatever you choose, plan the first and last days around the road and keep a spare day in the schedule.
This guide covers the same road for the Manaslu Circuit and the Tsum Valley, since both start at Machha Khola. It explains the stages, the dated costs, the options for starting further up the road, what changes in the wet season and how the exit works at the other end. For the permits that make the agency part of this journey, see the Manaslu restricted-area permit guide.
سفرهای باز Manaslu Circuit Trek
سفرهای واقعی که ترکرهای جویای همراه ثبت کردهاند.
The stages of the drive
The Manaslu region page and the route pages describe the same road. You leave Kathmandu and head west to Dhading, continue to Arughat and Soti Khola, and end at Machha Khola, at about 870 m on the circuit's route page (about 850 m on the Tsum page). The road follows the Budhi Gandaki river for the final stretch, and the last part is a narrow track cut into the hillside. The surface is dusty in dry weather, and landslides can cause delays in the monsoon. Machha Khola is a small village of lodges beside the river at the start of the trail.
On a good day the journey is 8 to 9 hours, so you leave early. Many agencies depart around dawn, so you reach Machha Khola with some daylight left to check gear and permits and sort the loads. The first full walking day follows the Budhi Gandaki to Jagat, a village with a checkpoint where your restricted-area permit is inspected. Our Manaslu Circuit itinerary lays out day 1 and day 2.
Options and dated costs
| Option | Details | Cost in our dated data |
|---|---|---|
| Local bus | Slower, stops often | About USD 10 per person, NPR 1,000 to 1,500 |
| Private jeep | Whole vehicle, one-way | USD 180 to 220 per vehicle, NPR 24,000 to 29,500 |
| Start at Soti Khola or Arughat Bazaar | Break the journey, walk or drive less | No separate figure |
These come from the transport line of our Manaslu cost data, as of October 2026. A private jeep is priced per vehicle, so a group of four pays roughly USD 45 to 55 a person each way, and a pair pays USD 90 to 110. The bus is far cheaper but slower and less predictable on a road that landslides can close. A licensed guide through a registered agency is required; since 22 March 2026 one trekker can apply, so there is no longer a two-trekker minimum. Confirm the current rule with your agency.
If you travel with partners, the jeep is one of the clearest shared costs. Our partners costing guide shows how to divide it.
Starting at Soti Khola or Arughat
The region page notes that some trekkers start at Soti Khola or Arughat Bazaar, which shortens the final stage of the drive and begins the trek with a longer walk. This can make sense if the road is bad, if you reach the area late in the day or if you want a gentler first morning. It also changes the permit and checkpoint timing, so ask your agency before you alter the plan, since the permit lists your route and dates.
Why the agency usually arranges it
Manaslu and Tsum are restricted areas, so the permit comes through a registered agency, and in practice the agency also books the vehicle. That fits the logic of the trip: the permit lists your route and dates, the guide meets you in Kathmandu and the jeep takes the whole group together. The sums are easy to follow. A private jeep at NPR 24,000 to 29,500 one way costs NPR 12,000 to 14,750 each for two, and NPR 6,000 to 7,375 each for four. With a bus at NPR 1,000 to 1,500, the saving is large, but the bus is slower, stops often and may not fit a permit schedule built around Jagat on day 2. Ask the agency to show the vehicle as its own line in the quote, so you can see whether it is included and compare it across offers. If you are trekking alone and sharing the agency fee is an issue, finding partners also splits the jeep; see our partner finding guide.
What the road means for your first days
Machha Khola at 870 m is low, which is good for acclimatisation, but it is also hot and humid in many seasons. The first walking day to Jagat (1,340 m on the circuit page) is 6 to 7 hours with ups and downs along the gorge; the Tsum page describes it as about 17 km with 1,300 m of climbing. That is a hard day after an 8 to 9 hour drive. A common mistake is to treat the road day as rest and then be surprised by the walk. Drink water, eat well and sleep early the night before.
The trail then climbs through Deng (1,860 m), Namrung (2,630 m) and Lho (3,170 m) to Samagaun (3,530 m), where the plan puts an acclimatisation day. See rest days where to acclimatise for the principle and the acclimatisation schedule for the maths.
Monsoon and landslides
Both the region page and the route say landslides can disrupt the road in the monsoon. If you are travelling from June to September, build in a spare day at the start and another at the end, and ask your agency the day before about the road. A delay at the start moves every night of the plan and can affect permit dates, so ask in writing what happens in that case. Our September guide and July guide cover the wet-season picture, and the Manaslu best-time guide covers the pass.
The exit and the return
The Manaslu Circuit does not return along the same road. After Larkya La, the plan descends through Bimthang and Tilije to Dharapani at 1,860 m, then takes a jeep down the Marsyangdi valley to Besisahar at 760 m, about three hours on a rough road. The next day is a drive from Besisahar to Kathmandu of six to seven hours on a busy road. The route page says to start early and not to schedule an international flight for the same evening, because the road can be slow.
The cost of the exit leg in our data is the Besisahar to Kathmandu line: bus about USD 10 to 20, NPR 1,300 to 2,700 a person, or a private jeep USD 150 to 220 a vehicle. See Kathmandu to Besisahar for that stretch from the other direction.
The Tsum Valley trek is different: it returns to Machha Khola and drives back to Kathmandu the same way, an out-and-back journey of 8 to 9 hours each time. The Tsum page advises leaving early to reach Kathmandu in the afternoon and keeping a spare day in case landslides block the road.
Your day on the road: a checklist
- Passport and permit copies in your daypack, since you may pass checkpoints. The RAP is checked at Jagat.
- Water and snacks, because stops are limited.
- A scarf or buff for dust on the dry sections.
- Warm and rain layers, as the valley can be wet.
- Motion-sickness remedies if you are prone to them; the road is long and winding.
- Cash for tea and any local fees.
- Your daypack with your valuables and medication, not the duffel on the roof.
Questions to ask your agency
- Is the road transport included, and is it a private jeep?
- Where do we start walking, and what is the plan if the road is blocked?
- What time do we leave Kathmandu, and when do we expect to reach Machha Khola?
- If a landslide delays us, who pays for the extra night and does the permit need changing?
- How is the exit organised, and does the agency book the jeep from Dharapani to Besisahar?
The answers shape the plan more than most trekkers expect. For the trek itself, see the Manaslu Circuit day-by-day, and for the broader picture of access read getting to Nepal's trailheads.
