By Uncover Nepal Team · Checked by our Kathmandu travel team · Last checked 29 October 2026
Below the trail the Budhi Gandaki river runs loud, and at Jagat the walking stops for a moment while your papers are checked. Jagat is the main entrance to the Manaslu Conservation Area, with check posts at Jagat and Samagaun. The permits travel with you, in a pocket you can reach.
The Manaslu Circuit trek permit is really three permits: the Manaslu restricted-area permit, USD 100 per person for the first week from September to November and USD 75 from December to August, plus the MCAP and ACAP conservation permits at NPR 3,000 each for foreign nationals. Only a registered trekking agency can apply.
Dates, routes and inclusions are on our Manaslu Circuit trek page. This guide covers the permits, the 2026 solo rule, and what the October flood and storm mean for your dates.
Key facts
- Manaslu restricted-area permit
- USD 100 per person for the first week from September to November, USD 75 from December to August (Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) copy of the Department of Immigration schedule; TAAN. 29 Oct 2026)
- Tsum Valley restricted-area permit
- USD 40 a week from September to November, USD 30 from December to August (NTB copy of the Department of Immigration schedule; TAAN. 29 Oct 2026)
- MCAP and ACAP permits
- NPR 3,000 each for foreign nationals, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals (NTB park-entry fees; NTNC e-permit portal. 29 Oct 2026)
- Who can apply
- Only a registered trekking agency of Nepal (TAAN; The Himalayan Times, 23 Mar 2026. 29 Oct 2026)
- Solo trekkers
- Eligible since 22 Mar 2026, with a licensed guide (The Himalayan Times, 23 Mar 2026. 29 Oct 2026)
- Issuing office
- Department of Immigration, Kalikasthan, Kathmandu; online since February 2024 (NTB trekking-permit page; The Kathmandu Post, 26 Feb 2024. 29 Oct 2026)
In this guide
- Which permits do you need for the Manaslu Circuit?
- How much does the Manaslu Circuit trek permit cost?
- Do you need the Tsum Valley permit as well?
- How is the Manaslu restricted-area permit issued?
- Can you trek solo, and is a Manaslu Circuit trek guide required?
- Is the Manaslu Circuit open after the October 2026 flood?
- What are the most common Manaslu permit mistakes?
- Frequently asked questions
- Which Manaslu trip should you ask us about?
Which permits do you need for the Manaslu Circuit?
You need three: the Manaslu restricted-area permit from the Department of Immigration, the Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP) permit, and the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) permit for the exit side. Add a fourth, the Tsum Valley restricted-area permit, only if you walk into Tsum. The two conservation permits come from NTNC.
A restricted area is a zone where foreigners may trek only with a special permit, and only on the route it names. The conservation permits are entry permits for the two conservation areas, managed by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC).
- Manaslu restricted-area permit. Covers Chumnubri Rural Municipality, wards 1, 2, 3 and 4, in Gorkha district.
- MCAP permit. The entrance board asks trekkers to hold both the conservation-area permit and the restricted-area permit, as our Manaslu Base Camp guide records.
- ACAP permit. The Circuit leaves through Bimthang and Dharapani, inside the Annapurna Conservation Area; our Annapurna Circuit altitude guide covers that valley.
- Tsum Valley permit. Separate, for the side trip into Tsum only.
Our trip pages list these permits as included.
How much does the Manaslu Circuit trek permit cost?
The Manaslu permit cost depends on the season and how long you stay inside the zone. From September to November it is USD 100 per person for the first week and USD 15 for each extra day; from December to August it is USD 75 and USD 10. MCAP and ACAP add NPR 3,000 each for foreign nationals.
| Permit, per person | September to November | December to August |
|---|---|---|
| Manaslu restricted area, first 7 days | USD 100 | USD 75 |
| Manaslu restricted area, each extra day | USD 15 | USD 10 |
| Tsum Valley, first 7 days | USD 40 | USD 30 |
| Tsum Valley, each extra day | USD 7 | USD 7 |
| MCAP, per entry | NPR 3,000 foreign, NPR 1,000 SAARC | Same |
| ACAP, per entry | NPR 3,000 foreign, NPR 1,000 SAARC | Same |
NPR 3,000 is about USD 20 at the Nepal Rastra Bank rate of 28 October 2026. The restricted-area schedule shows one rate for all foreign nationals, Indian nationals included; SAARC (South Asian) nationals pay less only on the conservation permits. The restricted-area fee is set in US dollars per person, but the online system takes payment through Nepali payment channels (The Kathmandu Post, 2024). Ask us how the permit fees appear on your quote.
A worked example, step by step
These are examples only: the days you spend inside the zone depend on your itinerary, so ask us for yours.
- Up to seven days in the zone in autumn: USD 100 per person. From December to August: USD 75.
- Ten days in the zone in October: USD 100 + (3 x USD 15) = USD 145 per person.
- The same ten days from December to August: USD 75 + (3 x USD 10) = USD 105 per person.
- Add the conservation permits: NPR 3,000 (MCAP) + NPR 3,000 (ACAP) = NPR 6,000 per foreign trekker. Up to a week in the zone in autumn therefore comes to USD 100 plus NPR 6,000 in permits.
The rest of the budget is in our Manaslu Circuit trek cost guide.
MCAP and ACAP: buy ahead, not at the check post
NTB says park entry fees can be paid at the Tourist Service Center in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, or at the entry points, but the gate costs more. NTNC's rules:
- Permits issued at a check post cost double.
- Paying online adds a 2.9% payment gateway charge.
- Each permit is valid for a single entry, and permits cannot be transferred or refunded.
- Children below 10 years do not need a permit. This covers the conservation permits only. For children and the restricted-area permit, ask us.
Is there a local municipality fee?
In 2024 Chumnubri Rural Municipality announced its own visitor fee, and the Manaslu Conservation Area Project asked it to drop the plan (Himal Press, 17 September 2024). We found no 2026 official notice either way, so we print no figure. Ask us whether a local fee is being collected on your dates.
Do you need the Tsum Valley permit as well?
Only if you walk into Tsum. The Tsum Valley restricted-area permit is separate from the Manaslu one: USD 40 per person for the first week from September to November and USD 30 from December to August, then USD 7 per extra day in either season. Our Tsum trip page lists all the restricted-area and conservation permits as included.
The schedule names the Tsum area as Sirdibas, Lokpa, Chumling, Chekampar, Nile and Chule. On our Tsum trip, Lokpa is the gateway village to the valley. Reports on the Tsum trail differed in late October: see the flood section below.
How is the Manaslu restricted-area permit issued?
A registered trekking agency in Nepal applies for you to the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu. Since February 2024 the permit has been issued online, and you do not need to visit the office (The Kathmandu Post, 26 February 2024). On our trips we arrange the permits; you send us your documents.
- Send your documents: a copy of your passport and your visa details, and passport photos if the office asks for them.
- Visa details: your Nepal visa number or, since March 2026, the submission ID from your online visa application, which The Himalayan Times reported can be used to apply from your home country. Your visa is your own arrangement; see the Nepal Tourism Board tourist visa page.
- The agency applies online. The official fees are on the NTB trekking permit page and the NTB park entry fees page.
- On the trail, you carry the permits. NTB says the permit must stay with the trekker and be shown to immigration staff or police on request. On our trips, permits are checked at Jagat.
The permit names your route, and the rule on leaving it is strict:
"Trekking in any area or along any route except the specified area of route shall be deemed to be violation of law."
Nepal Tourism Board, Trekking permit page (Department of Immigration schedule), checked 29 October 2026
Can you trek solo, and is a Manaslu Circuit trek guide required?
You can now trek on your own, but not without a guide. Since 22 March 2026 the restricted-area permit can be issued to one trekker through a registered agency, with a licensed guide (The Himalayan Times, 23 March 2026). A licensed guide must walk with you in the restricted area, and the MCAP entrance board says the same.
Until March 2026 the permit went only to groups of two or more. Some older pages still say permits go only to groups; that rule ended in March 2026. The Himalayan Times also reported a limit of seven trekkers per guide, and that the agency is responsible for rescue:
"The concerned agency will bear full responsibility for emergency rescue operations"
The Himalayan Times, "Solo trekkers allowed in restricted areas with new permit rules", 23 March 2026
A licensed guide walks with you on every trek we run. On our trips, a guest on their own pays more, because the vehicle, the guide and the room are not shared. On the Larkya La, your guide, who knows the route, decides when and how to cross, based on snow and the forecast.
Is the Manaslu Circuit open after the October 2026 flood?
As of 25 October 2026 the main Circuit over Larke Pass had reopened after the 11 October flood, and trekkers were walking it again, while reports on the Tsum Valley differed. Then the Department of Immigration stopped issuing permits for restricted areas in the high hills and Himalayan regions for 29 to 31 October, because of the storm forecast.
On 11 October 2026 a flash flood on the Budhi Gandaki swept away the Soti steel road bridge on the approach road. What has been reported since:
| Section | What was reported | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Main trail and Larke Pass | TAAN said the trail reopened after partial repairs and asked trekkers to go carefully | OnlineKhabar and Ratopati, 23 Oct 2026, on TAAN's 21 Oct notice |
| Entry at Jagat | MCAP's information officer said tourists began returning on 16 October; 116 entered through Jagat from 16 to 25 October | The Kathmandu Post, 25 Oct 2026 |
| Road access | TAAN: vehicles reach Machhakhola, with a 10-minute bypass trail at Yaru Bagar. The Kathmandu Post: vehicles reach Khorlabesi, and trekkers go from Jagat through Philim towards the Nubri Valley and the Larkya La | Nepal News; The Kathmandu Post. 25 Oct 2026 |
| Tsum Valley | Reports differ: see below | Nepal News; The Kathmandu Post. Both 25 Oct 2026 |
On 25 October TAAN said the Tsum Valley trail had reopened as far as Chhekampar and Mu Gompa, after local repairs. The same day the Manaslu Conservation Area Project said the Tsum trail would need another eight to 10 days (The Kathmandu Post).
TAAN told trekkers to go carefully and check route conditions with local residents. When we checked on 29 October we found no newer report on the trail itself, only the storm notices in the box above. The 29 to 31 October storm may change conditions near the pass, so check the route with us before you travel.
What are the most common Manaslu permit mistakes?
Most Manaslu trek permit problems come from old information or from leaving things until the trail. Restricted-area permits come only through a registered agency, conservation permits cost double at a check post, and Tsum needs its own permit. Avoid these six:
- Believing you need a group, or that solo means no guide. One trekker can now get the permit, but a licensed guide must walk with you.
- Buying MCAP or ACAP at the gate. Check-post permits cost double.
- Forgetting ACAP or the Tsum permit. The exit is inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, and Tsum is separate.
- Leaving the named route, which NTB's rules treat as a violation of law.
- Using old fee lists. Some older agency pages print out-of-date figures; use the NTB and NTNC pages.
- Treks that run across the end of November. The rate changes between seasons; ask us which rate applies to your dates.
Read next: Manaslu Circuit route guide, Tsum Valley guide, Mount Manaslu guide and Nepal trekking permits guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which permits does the Manaslu Circuit need, what do they cost, and is a minimum group size required?
You need the Manaslu restricted-area permit (USD 100 for the first week from September to November, USD 75 from December to August), plus the MCAP and ACAP permits at NPR 3,000 each for foreign nationals. Tsum adds its own permit. There has been no minimum group size since 22 March 2026 (The Himalayan Times).
Can I trek the Manaslu Circuit solo or without a guide?
You can trek solo, but not without a guide. Since 22 March 2026 one trekker can get the restricted-area permit through a registered agency, with a licensed guide. A licensed guide walks with you on every trek we run. Travelling alone simply means you do not share the trip with other trekkers.
How much does the Manaslu Circuit cost?
The permits are only part of it. Guide wages, transport, teahouses (simple family-run lodges) and food make up the rest, and our Manaslu Circuit trek cost guide sets them out. The official permit fees are in the table above. For a trip with us, send your dates and group size and ask us for a quote.
How difficult is the Manaslu Circuit and the Larkya La pass?
Altitude is the main challenge. Larke Pass, also called the Larkya La, is the highest point of the Manaslu Circuit, at 5,106 m (5,160 m is also published). Altitude sickness is possible from about 2,450 m; above 3,000 m, raise your sleeping height by no more than about 500 m a night, and never go higher with symptoms. See our Larke Pass guide and our altitude sickness guide.
How many days does the Manaslu Circuit take?
Our Manaslu Circuit trip takes 12 days from Kathmandu; with the Tsum Valley it takes 16 days, 14 of them on the trail. On our trip the last night before the pass is at Dharmasala (Larkya Phedi), at around 4,460 m.
Which Manaslu trip should you ask us about?
For the Circuit over the Larkya La, look at our 12-day trip; to add the Tsum Valley, look at the 16-day one. Both trip pages list the restricted-area and conservation permits and a licensed guide as included. Start from our Manaslu Circuit trek page to compare them.
- Manaslu Circuit trek from Kathmandu, 12 days
- Manaslu Circuit and Tsum Valley trek from Kathmandu, 16 days
Unsure if your dates fit the season, the storm or the Tsum status? Ask us on WhatsApp or through the enquiry form, and ask what is open and what your permits will cost.
