Jagat is a compact village on a shelf above the Budhi Gandaki, with lanes paved in large flat stones and houses built of grey rock and timber. It sits at about 1,340 m, so the climate is still mild, with millet and maize fields around the village and bamboo along the river. For trekkers, the main reason to know its name is the checkpoint: this is where the Manaslu Conservation Area office and the restricted area checks begin, and your guide will present your permits.
Most Manaslu itineraries spend their second night here after a 6 to 7 hour walk from Machha Khola through the gorge. Some faster itineraries use the dry-season jeep road to reach Jagat on the first day. The Tsum Nubri rural municipality also collects its local entry fee from foreign trekkers in this area. From here on, the valley gradually changes from Hindu and mixed communities to Buddhist ones, and the first mani walls appear around Sirdibas.
North of Jagat the trail climbs to Salleri, Sirdibas (1,420 m) and the larger Gurung village of Philim (1,570 m), with its school and terraces of millet. An hour or so later you reach Ekle Bhatti, where the path to the Tsum Valley branches east up the Siyar Khola towards Lokpa. Treks combining Manaslu and Tsum use this junction twice, going in and coming back.
What to see and do
- Stone-paved lanes
Jagat's main street is laid with large flagstones polished by mule hooves and centuries of traders carrying salt and grain between Tibet and the middle hills. It is one of the most handsome villages in the lower valley and a pleasant place to stroll after a long day.
- The permit checkpoint
The Manaslu Conservation Area office here checks and stamps your permits, and the restricted area begins just beyond. Your guide handles the paperwork in a few minutes, but keep your passport and permit copies handy.
- Philim's Gurung terraces
Two to three hours north, Philim spreads across terraces of millet and maize above the river. It is a large, well-kept village with a school and lodges, and the view back down the gorge is one of the best in the lower valley.
- Ekle Bhatti and the Tsum fork
Just beyond Philim, at Ekle Bhatti, the Tsum Valley trail climbs east into a forested side valley while the Manaslu trail continues north to Deng. Trekkers on combined Manaslu and Tsum itineraries turn off here for a week.
- First mani walls
Around Sirdibas and Philim you start to see carved mani stones and prayer flags, early signs of the Tibetan Buddhist culture that dominates the upper Budhi Gandaki in Nubri and Tsum.
Experiences in Jagat
How to reach Jagat
On foot
From Machha Khola walk north through the Budhi Gandaki gorge via Khorlabesi, Tatopani and Dobhan to Jagat in 6 to 7 hours, about 22 km with roughly 400 m net gain. The trail is well marked with stone steps and suspension bridges.
Road
In the dry season, usually November to May, some 4WD jeeps continue beyond Machha Khola towards Jagat on a rough track, taking 9 to 10 hours from Kathmandu in total. The track is often cut by landslides after rain, so check current status before you travel.
Where to stay
Jagat has several simple teahouses along the paved main street and around the checkpoint, with twin rooms, shared bathrooms and a dining room serving dal bhat, noodles and pancakes. Rooms are basic but adequate for one night, and hot showers usually run on solar or gas heaters. A few lodges also stand in Philim, an hour and a half to two hours further north, which some itineraries use instead to shorten the next day. Lodge names change often in this lower valley, so we confirm ours each season rather than list them here.
Tips from our trip managers
- Keep your passport, restricted area permit and conservation area permit together; checks happen at Jagat and again at Philim and later posts.
- Carry small rupee notes for the local municipality fee if your agency has not prepaid it.
- Stretch and rest your legs on arrival; the gorge day has more ups and downs than the profile suggests.
- Walk beyond the village at dusk for a view down the valley, but take a headtorch for the flagstones.
- If you are going to Tsum, buy any snacks you need in Jagat or Philim, because shops in the lower Tsum are fewer.
