Manaslu Circuit Best Time: Month by Month, With Rainfall and Larkya La Notes

Last updated 4 October 2026. The rainfall, temperature and sunshine figures on this page are Pokhara averages from the World Meteorological Organization and Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, 1991 to 2020. I have no weather station on the Manaslu Circuit, and I could not find a published record for the Budhi Gandaki valley, so everything I say about the trail itself comes from our guides' experience and not from a measured number. I mark which is which.

The short answer: the best time to trek the Manaslu Circuit is the first three weeks of October, with late March to April the best spring window and the first half of November a good second choice if you accept a colder, snowier pass. Our guides find Larkya La, the 5,160 m pass, easiest in October, harder from November, and we do not run the trek in December to February or in the monsoon. In the Pokhara record, October has 159.2 mm of rain on 8 days and November has 17.2 mm on 1.3 days, but on this trek the pass matters more than the rain: it is the one day of twelve that can stop you. The month-by-month table is below, followed by what each month is really like and what changes the answer for you.

We already have longer pages on the Manaslu Circuit in autumn, in spring and in the monsoon, and a complete trek guide. This page does one job: it helps you pick a month. If you have fixed dates already, skip to that month and I will tell you honestly what to expect.

When is the best time to trek the Manaslu Circuit?

There are two good seasons. Autumn, from late September to the end of November, is the standard choice: the trail is dry from October, the views of Manaslu from Samagaun are at their clearest, and the pass is at its most reliable in October. Spring, from late March to about mid May, is quieter and greener, with rhododendron in the lower forest and a little more cloud as the weeks go on. Our package page lists March to May and September to November as the trekking months. Winter and the monsoon are the two seasons I would steer you away from.

Two things about this route make the month matter more than on most treks. First, Larkya La is crossed on day 10 of our 12-day itinerary, after you have slept at Samdo, 3,875 m, and Dharamsala, 4,480 m. A pass at 5,160 m is the part of the trek that fresh snow or high wind can change, so the month is largely a decision about the pass. Second, this is a restricted area. You need a licensed guide and a permit arranged through an agency, which takes time, so the month you want has to be fixed early. The difficulty guide explains what the pass day involves, and our Larkya La guide takes you through it hour by hour.

What is the weather on the Manaslu Circuit, month by month?

This table is the Pokhara record. Pokhara is at 827 m and is the nearest long published weather record I can cite, so it is a proxy and not the trail. The trek starts at Machha Khola, 890 m, and climbs to 5,160 m, so the trail is far colder, and the upper valley around Samagaun is drier than the lower valley. But the pattern of which months are wet is the same across this part of Nepal, and the table is the best sourced guide to it. Sunshine hours a day are the monthly total divided by the days in the month, rounded, which is my arithmetic. The last column is our guides' view of the trail, not a measurement.

Month	Pokhara high / low (C)	Rain (mm)	Rain days (1 mm or more)	Sun hours a day	On the Manaslu trail, from our guides
January	19.9 / 7.1	21.6	2.4	6.6	Dry but very cold, snow on the high trail, pass not a safe plan, we do not run it
February	22.7 / 9.7	35.1	3.8	7.4	Cold, snow lingers, we do not run it
March	27.1 / 13.1	63.7	6.4	7.4	Late winter above 3,000 m early in the month, clearer and quiet by the end
April	30.0 / 16.1	141.7	10.5	7.3	Spring peak, rhododendron, the pass usually clear of heavy snow
May	30.4 / 18.7	354.7	18.3	5.4	Good early, a gamble late, cloud and leeches in the lower valley
June	30.8 / 21.2	648.2	22.2	3.7	Monsoon, not recommended, we do not run it
July	30.4 / 22.4	941.0	25.6	3.4	Monsoon, wettest month, landslides on the approach, not recommended
August	30.5 / 22.3	839.4	24.3	3.1	Monsoon, not recommended
September	29.9 / 21.1	635.0	19.4	4.4	Rains easing, wet trail, slides still possible, views improving late in the month
October	27.9 / 17.2	159.2	8.0	6.1	Best month for the pass, drying each week, busiest, Dashain
November	24.4 / 12.3	17.2	1.3	7.4	Clear and dry, but cold, fresh snow on the pass more likely from mid month
December	21.0 / 8.3	11.5	1.0	7.1	Clear and cold, pass difficult, we do not recommend it

Pokhara receives 3,868 mm of rain in a year, and the table shows where it falls: from June to September, with a sharp drop in October. Wikipedia's page on the Annapurna Conservation Area, in the next range along, shows how much the rain depends on place: it gives 5,032 mm a year on the southern slopes at 2,950 m and 1,099 mm in the rain-shadow areas. Most of the Manaslu route lies in the separate Manaslu Conservation Area, so I cannot apply those numbers to it. I mention them only because they are the reason I do not give you a rainfall figure for Samagaun. I do not have a sourced one.

December, January and February

These are the months our package page warns about, saying snow increases from December and makes Larkya La difficult. The air is dry and often clear, but the nights are severe and the pass can hold deep snow or ice. We do not run the Manaslu Circuit in these months, and I would not want you to hear that anywhere else as a bargain. If winter is the only time you can travel, I would send you to a lower trek, and our December 2026 page says which ones still work.

March

Early March is late winter above 3,000 m: cold nights, occasional snow, and frozen trail in the morning that softens by midday. Our guides say the pass may carry a good deal of snow in early March, and crossing it needs a check with us on the day. The compensation is quiet. By the last week of the month conditions are settling, and our guides rate late March as the start of the spring window. Pokhara gets 63.7 mm of rain on 6.4 days, which is low.

April

This is the spring peak. Rainfall in Pokhara rises to 141.7 mm on 10.5 days, so the weather is starting to turn, but the mornings in the Budhi Gandaki gorge are good and the forest is in flower. Our guides find the pass usually clear of heavy snow, with patches. It is busier than March and quieter than October. If you dislike the cold more than you dislike some cloud in the afternoon, April is the month I would pick in spring.

May

May is where the numbers change: 354.7 mm of rain on 18.3 days in Pokhara, and sunshine down to 5.4 hours a day. Early May on the trail is still good, warm and green. Late May is a gamble: afternoon cloud builds, rain reaches the lower valley, and leeches appear in the lower sections as the humidity rises. The last week is the one that depends on when the monsoon arrives that year. Our note on trekking in May explains the trade-off.

June, July and August

The monsoon. Pokhara sees 648.2 mm in June, 941.0 mm in July and 839.4 mm in August, on 22 to 26 days a month. On this trek the risk is not only wet weather but the approach: the long drive up the valley and the first days along the Budhi Gandaki depend on road and trail sections that landslides cut. Our guides say leeches are active in the forest below about 3,000 m and the views are mostly gone. I do not recommend the trek in these months, and we do not run it. Our monsoon page is honest about why a few people go anyway.

September

September counts as monsoon in practice. Wikipedia's page on the climate of Nepal says the rains diminish in September and generally end by mid-October, and the Pokhara average for September is still 635.0 mm on 19.4 days. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology had not declared the 2026 monsoon withdrawn on 29 September, according to our November status page. September 2026 is also the month of the Namrung flood, covered below. If you want an autumn trek, I would start in the last days of September at the earliest, and later if the forecast is unsettled.

October

October is the turning month and the best month for the pass. Rainfall drops to 159.2 mm on 8 days, sunshine rises to 6.1 hours a day, and each week is clearer than the last. Our guides call October the ideal month for crossing Larkya La, typically clear of heavy snow, though a thin layer can lie on the upper sections. It is also the busiest month and the month of Dashain, which affects transport and permits, covered below. Our October 2026 guide has what is open and running.

November

The Pokhara record for November is 17.2 mm of rain on 1.3 days, with 7.4 hours of sun a day, level with February and March at the top of the year. The sky is clear, but altitude changes the story: our guides say fresh snow is more likely on the pass, and by mid to late November they advise crampons or microspikes. The pass rarely closes completely in November, but in some seasons heavy early snow has made the crossing difficult, and we recommend finishing the crossing before the third week of the month. Our guides carry microspikes as standard from late October onwards. Tihar falls in early November. Our November 2026 guide covers conditions this year.

Is October or November better for the Manaslu Circuit?

October, for the pass. The Pokhara figures favour November for dry weather: October has 159.2 mm of rain on 8 days and 6.1 hours of sun, November has 17.2 mm on 1.3 days and 7.4 hours. But on the Manaslu Circuit you are not choosing a month for the rain you meet in the valley. You are choosing a month for the day you cross a 5,160 m pass, and on that day our guides want October conditions: the least fresh snow and the warmest air that the season gives.

The case for November is the sky and the quiet. The trail is emptier, the air is at its clearest, and the lower valley is dry. The price is cold, and a higher chance that the pass is under fresh snow. If you can choose, I would aim for a pass crossing between about 8 October and 10 November, which avoids the showery first week of October and the colder, snowier end of November. If you must travel in the second half of November, bring warmer kit and a spare day, and be willing to change the plan.

Is spring or autumn better for the Manaslu Circuit?

It depends on what you want to look at. Autumn gives the clearest mountains and the most predictable pass. Spring gives forest in flower, a quieter trail and a greener valley, with a little less certainty about the view after about mid April and a real chance of cloud and snow on the pass in March. If your priority is to cross Larkya La, choose autumn. If your priority is the walk through the gorge and the villages, with rhododendron and fewer people, choose late March to April. Our spring page and autumn page go through each in more detail.

The restricted-area permit is also cheaper on the spring side, which I cover below. That is a government fee already inside our price, so it does not change what you pay us, but it is one reason spring is the quieter season.

Can you trek the Manaslu Circuit in the monsoon?

Physically, yes. In practice I do not recommend it, and we do not run it. The monsoon months in the table all have more than 600 mm of rain in Pokhara, on 19 to 26 days a month, and sunshine falls to between 3.1 and 4.4 hours a day. The risk on this route is the approach: the road to the start and the trail along the Budhi Gandaki depend on sections that landslides and floods can cut, and the views that make the trek worth it are often hidden. Our guides say leeches are active in the forest between roughly 1,500 and 3,000 m.

If you only have June to August, I would rather talk you into a rain-shadow route than sell you a Manaslu week with no view. Our guide to monsoon trekking lists the routes that make more sense.

Can you trek the Manaslu Circuit in winter?

Not with us. December to February is dry and sometimes brilliantly clear, but the nights are severe, the upper trail carries snow, and Larkya La becomes the kind of day that depends on a single morning's conditions. Our package page says snow increases from December, and our December page says I do not recommend the pass that month, along with the Annapurna Circuit. That is a judgement about safety on a high, remote crossing in a restricted area where help is far away, and I will not soften it for a booking. Our December 2026 page names the treks I would send you on instead.

What about Dashain and Tihar?

Both fall in the best weather window, and neither closes the trail. Dashain 2026 runs from 11 to 25 October, and the government holiday is the week from Saturday 17 to Friday 23 October, with the main day, Vijaya Dashami with the tika, on Wednesday 21 October. Tihar 2026 runs from Saturday 7 November to Wednesday 11 November, with Laxmi Puja, the night of lights, on the evening of Sunday 8 November, and the government holiday from 8 to 12 November. Our pages on Dashain 2026 and Tihar 2026 have the full dates and what closes.

For the Manaslu Circuit this matters more than for most treks, because the restricted-area permit needs at least 48 hours counted in government working days, and the immigration office cannot process one on a public holiday. A permit request that lands just before Dashain can lose a week. Book early, and be flexible on the day you leave Kathmandu. I could not find official 2027 festival dates, so for 2027 I will not guess.

Does the price or permit change by month?

The government permit does. The Manaslu restricted-area permit is US$100 for the first seven days and US$15 a day after that from September to November, and US$75 for the first seven days and US$10 a day after that from December to August. In addition there is the Manaslu Conservation Area Permit at NPR 3,000, the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit at NPR 3,000, which our Manaslu page also lists, and the TIMS card at NPR 2,000, which the Nepal Tourism Board requires through an agency on this route. All of them are inside our price. Our Manaslu Circuit, 12 days, is US$799 per person on Budget, US$1,599 on Standard and US$2,099 on Luxury for one to four people, and I could not find a seasonal supplement on the package row, so the price on our page is the same whichever month you choose.

Since 22 March 2026 a single trekker can hold the permit, with a licensed guide, so you no longer need a second person to go. That is explained in our solo permit page, and the cost side is in our cost page. A licensed guide and agency-issued TIMS card are required on most trekking routes under the Nepal Tourism Board rule from 31 March 2023; the Everest (Khumbu) region does not enforce it locally, but we always trek with a licensed guide. Kathmandu hotels are not included in any trek tier, so quote that separately.

Is the Manaslu trail open now?

Open, but with a route check needed before departure. On 6 September 2026 a flash flood at Namrung closed the route, and the Gorkha district administration suspended it. The Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal announced a reopening on 8 September on a community bypass with temporary wooden bridges, which is covered on our Manaslu closure and reopening page. On 26 September a landslide struck above Samagaun, and bad weather grounded rescue helicopters for about four days. The newest report I hold is dated 28 September, and I have not seen a later one, so I cannot tell you today's position without checking again.

That is why I do not promise a date from a table. For every departure I check the trail position with our guides before you pay, and I check again before you set off. If a section is not safe or not reachable, we change the route before we push into it, and the guide has the final say on safety over the itinerary. For the days around your trek, Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology publishes forecasts on its website. Our travel update has the wider position after the late-September rains.

Which month is right for you?

If you want	Choose	The trade-off
The most reliable pass crossing	The first three weeks of October	The busiest month, Dashain, permit and transport delays
The clearest air and a quiet trail	The first half of November	Cold nights, fresh snow more likely on the pass, Tihar
Flowers and a greener valley	Late March to mid April	More cloud, possible snow on the pass in March
Warm days and fewer people	April	Rain days start to rise, afternoon cloud
The lower government permit fee	Spring, March to May	US$75 a week instead of US$100, but it is inside our price either way, and the pass can still hold snow in March
A first high pass, fit but nervous	Early to mid October	Book early, allow a spare day for weather

Who should look elsewhere? If you can only travel between June and early September, or between December and February, the Manaslu Circuit is the wrong trek for those dates, and I would suggest another region. If you have a heart or lung condition you have not cleared with a doctor, no month will fix that. For help with the height, our guides to altitude sickness and to acclimatisation are worth reading before you decide, and the packing list covers what to bring for each season. For the route length and day-by-day figures, see the distance guide, and for the other seasons on the calendar, our spring 2027 page says when to book.

Tell me your dates and group size on WhatsApp, +977 9810351300, or email [email protected]. I will tell you honestly what the pass is likely to be like in your week, check the current trail position, and quote you for your tier. The page to start from is the Manaslu Circuit Trek, 12 days.

Notes and sources

Pokhara climate, 1991 to 2020 (temperature, rainfall, rain days, sunshine, annual total of 3,868 mm): World Meteorological Organization and Nepal Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, via Wikipedia, Pokhara, read 4 October 2026. Rainfall range of 5,032 mm to 1,099 mm in the Annapurna range: Wikipedia, Annapurna Conservation Area, read 4 October 2026. Monsoon easing in September and ending by mid-October: Wikipedia, Climate of Nepal, read 4 October 2026. Spring (March to May) and autumn as the usual trekking seasons: Wikipedia, Manaslu, read 4 October 2026. Pass height of 5,160 m and the day-by-day altitudes: our live package row for the 12-day trek, read 4 October 2026; Wikipedia gives 5,106 m for Larkya La, and I use our itinerary figure. Permit fees: our permit file built from Department of Immigration and Nepal Tourism Board tables. Guide and TIMS rule: Nepal Tourism Board page on TIMS, read 4 October 2026. Dashain and Tihar dates: our Dashain 2026 and Tihar 2026 pages. Trail position of 28 September 2026 and the 6 September flood: our closure page and November 2026 guide. Statements about the trail in each month, the pass in each season, leeches and snow are our guides' general experience and are not measured data. Sunshine hours a day are my arithmetic from the published monthly totals. I could not find a published source for temperatures on the circuit, so I have not given any.

About The Everest Holiday

We are a family company in Kathmandu, three generations of family guides, registered in 2016 and a member of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal, number 1586. When you book with us you deal with the family, not a call centre.

Every booking helps fund our Nagarjun Learning Center. We fully run the centre at Saldum, where 70 children learn with a teacher I pay for personally.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday. TAAN Member #1586.