11 Day Serang Gompa Trek

Our team meets you at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfers you to your hotel in Kathmandu. Depending on your arrival time, the rest of the day is free to rest after your flight, explore the streets of Thamel, or meet your guide for a short briefing on permits, packing and what to expect on the trail. This is also a good time to sort out any last minute gear, since Kathmandu has plenty of trekking shops within walking distance of most hotels, along with money exchange counters and SIM card vendors if you still need either. If your flight lands early enough, we can arrange a short orientation walk through Kathmandu’s old town, past Durbar Square and the narrow lanes of Thamel, so you arrive at the trailhead already a little acclimatized to Nepal itself, not just the altitude. Dinner is on your own tonight, and our guide will happily point you toward a few good local spots for dal bhat or Newari food before the trek begins in earnest tomorrow.

An early start takes you out of the Kathmandu valley on a long but scenic drive through Gorkha, following increasingly rough roads as you climb into the hills and drop back down toward the Budhi Gandaki river. The drive itself is part of the experience, passing terraced farmland, river gorges and small roadside villages before reaching Machha Khola, your first night on the trail. Expect the road surface to change several times, smooth tarmac near Kathmandu giving way to gravel and, in places, a rougher jeep track once you leave the main highway, so a light day pack with snacks, water and any motion sickness tablets you prefer is worth keeping close. Along the way you will pass the historic town of Gorkha, birthplace of the Shah dynasty, and if time allows we can make a short stop to stretch your legs and see the surrounding hills before continuing on. By the time you reach Machha Khola, a modest riverside village, you will already feel a world away from the city, with the sound of the Budhi Gandaki rushing past your teahouse window as the sun goes down.

Today marks your first real trekking day, following the Budhi Gandaki upstream through a series of small settlements, suspension bridges and waterfalls. The trail passes through Khorlabesi and Tatopani, where a natural hot spring offers a welcome break, before climbing to Jagat, a stone paved village and the checkpoint where your Manaslu Restricted Area Permit is first verified. The path alternates between riverside sections and short, sharp climbs cut into the hillside, crossing several swaying suspension bridges strung high above the water, an early taste of the terrain you will see for much of this trek. Keep an eye out for waterfalls tumbling down the cliffs on the far bank, and for the terraced fields of millet and corn that cling to almost impossibly steep slopes above the trail. Jagat itself is worth a slow arrival, its stone paved streets and traditional houses giving a first real sense of the Tibetan influenced culture you will see more of as you continue deeper into the Manaslu region over the coming days.

Leaving the main Manaslu Circuit trail behind, today’s walk turns toward Bihi, one of the oldest settlements in the region, believed to date back close to a thousand years. The trail climbs steadily through forest and terraced fields, and as you approach the village you will start noticing the shift toward Tibetan style architecture, prayer flags and mani walls that define the culture of this side valley. Many trekking groups receive a traditional Khada welcome scarf from village families on arrival. This is the day the trip genuinely branches away from the more heavily trafficked Manaslu Circuit, and the change is noticeable almost immediately, fewer trekkers on the trail, more locals going about daily life, and a slower, more curious pace to the walk itself. Bihi spreads across a hillside in tiers, with a large monastery of its own, chortens along the approach trail, and views back down the valley you have just climbed up from. Settling into a teahouse here for the night, with wood smoke drifting from the chimney and prayer flags snapping in the evening wind, is a strong first signal of what makes the Serang Gompa side trip so worthwhile.

This is the toughest and most rewarding day of the trip, with a steep, sustained climb of close to a thousand vertical meters from Bihi up to the monastery. The trail passes through the small trailside settlements of Tsak and Kogpa, where simple teahouses offer a chance to rest, and through forest that is home to Himalayan pika, Himalayan marmot and the strikingly colored Himalayan monal. Arriving at Serang Gompa, a three story monastery decorated with prayer flags, thangka paintings and a central golden Buddha statue, is a genuine highlight of the entire trek. Expect the trail to switchback steeply through rhododendron and oak forest for much of the morning, with the gradient easing briefly at Tsak before another push up toward Kogpa. Take this day slowly, your guide will set a steady pace, and there is no shame in frequent short breaks given the altitude gain involved. As the forest begins to thin near the top, your first glimpse of the monastery’s whitewashed walls and fluttering prayer flags against the mountainside is the kind of moment that makes the steep morning worth every step.

A full day to rest and explore. Those who wish can join the monastery’s early morning prayer session, currently held around 5:30, and spend time talking with resident monks and nuns about life in this remote community. Optional short hikes lead to nearby meditation caves and viewpoints with close up views of Manaslu’s northern face, along with the surrounding peaks of the Shringi Himal. The monastery grounds themselves are worth a slow, unhurried exploration, from the main prayer hall with its rows of butter lamps to smaller shrine rooms tucked into the upper floors. If the weather is clear, the short hike to a nearby ridge above the monastery rewards you with an open, uninterrupted view across the valley toward Manaslu, a rare angle that very few trekkers ever get to see in person. This is also a good day to simply sit with a cup of butter tea, offered warmly by the resident community, and take in the quiet rhythm of monastic life before the trek continues.

Retracing yesterday’s climb in reverse, today is a long descent back down through Kogpa and Tsak to Bihi village. The downhill walking is easier on the lungs but harder on the knees, so trekking poles are worth having out for this stage. With the altitude gain behind you and a rest day of acclimatization complete, most trekkers find the pace noticeably quicker heading down, though the steep, loose sections through the forest still call for careful footing. You will pass back through the same rhododendron and oak forest from Day 5, now seen from the opposite direction and often in different light, which has a way of making familiar terrain feel new again. Arriving back in Bihi by mid afternoon leaves time to relax, wash off the trail dust, and reflect on the monastery stay before rejoining the main trail network the following day.

Rejoining the main Manaslu Circuit trail, today’s walk drops back down toward the Budhi Gandaki river and follows it to Deng, a small settlement where the valley narrows and the trail hugs the riverbank closely. The scenery shifts again here, steep gorge walls rising on either side, the river running fast and loud below the trail, and small cantilever bridges carrying you across side streams as you go. Deng itself is little more than a handful of teahouses, but its position deep in the gorge, with forested slopes rising sharply on both sides, gives it a genuinely remote feel that many trekkers mention as a highlight of the return journey.

A long day retracing the lower trail back through Jagat and the villages you passed on the way up, moving faster now that you are well acclimatized and heading downhill for most of the route. The trail conditions are familiar by this point, but seeing them again on the way down, with lower altitude, thicker air and warmer temperatures, gives the walk a noticeably different feel than the climb up. This is often the day trekkers reconnect with mobile signal for the first time in several days once you pass back through Jagat, and a good chance to send word home that you are safe and on schedule. Expect tired legs by the end of the day, this is one of the longer trekking days of the trip, but also a satisfying one, with the finish line of Machha Khola and a hot meal waiting at the end.

Back on the road for the return drive to Kathmandu, arriving in the evening with time to shower, relax and enjoy a proper meal before your final day. The drive retraces the same route from Day 2 in reverse, and having the mountains and villages already familiar from the way out makes it a more relaxed journey than the outbound leg. Many trekkers use the hours in the vehicle to rest, look back through photos from the trek, or simply enjoy watching the landscape shift back from high hills to the busier roads leading into the Kathmandu valley. A hot shower, a comfortable bed and a menu with more variety than teahouse dal bhat are usually the most appreciated parts of arriving back in the city.

Depending on your onward flight time, the morning is free for last minute shopping or sightseeing before our team transfers you to the airport for your departure. Thamel’s shops are a good place to pick up souvenirs, pashmina scarves, singing bowls or trekking gear as a memento of the trip, and our guide or office team is happy to recommend spots based on what you are looking for. If your schedule allows a few extra hours, a short visit to Swayambhunath or Boudhanath stupa is a fitting way to close out a trip that began and ended with two very different, and equally memorable, sides of Nepal’s spiritual life.