Annapurna Circuit Trek via Nar Phu valley and Tilicho Lake is one of most desired treks among the explorers as part of this trek goes through the hidden valley that many travelers do not even know. This trek not only takes you into the heart of the high mountains but also takes you to the hidden treasures of Tibetan culture that have been flourished in Nepali mountain. This is definitely a strenuous trek, taking about two weeks to complete, starting from 760m (Beshisahar) and ascending to 5416m (Thorong-La Pass, the highest point of this trek). During the trek you will be able to enjoy: dramatic mountain scenery; alpine deserts; rice terraces, the Tibetan plateau; turbulent rivers with deep gorges; crystal clear lakes; waterfalls and a wide variety of vegetation. In addition, you will be able to observe different cultures and ways of life of people who live in this region, as well as different birds and animals. One of the highlights of this trip is visit of Nar Phu valley; a sacred valley that is hidden in less travelled route and visit of Tilicho Lake, highest lake in the world and climb to the Thorong-La pass certainly will mesmerize you.
You don’t need any previous mountaineering training or technical experience for this trek. However, some vigorous hiking experience and good physical condition is very useful.
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu
Day 02: Visit Swoymbunath & Patan
Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Koto (2600m) via Besisahar
Day 04: Trek Koto to Meta (3560m)
Day 05: Trek Meta to Phu gaun (4080m)
Day 06: Trek Phu gaun to Nar Phedi (3500m)
Day 07: Trek Nar Phedi to Nar (4110m)
Day 08: Trek Nar to Ngawal (3660m) via Kang La (5306m)
Day 09: Trek Ngawal to Manang (3,540m)
Day 10: Rest Day in Manang
Day 11: Trek Manang to Khangsar (3734m)
Day 12: Trek Khangsar to Tilicho base camp (4150m)
Day 13: Trek Tilicho base camp to Tilicho Lake (4,920m) & trek back to Shree kharka (3920m)
Day 14: Trek Shree Kharka to Yak Kharka (4018m)
Day 15: Trek Yak Kharka to Thorang Phedi (4450m)
Day 16: Trek Thorang Phedi to Muktinath (3760m) via Thorang La Pass (5416m)
Day 17: Trek Muktinath to Jomsom (2750m) via Kagbeni (2810m)
Day 18: Flight Jomsom to Pokhara (820m)
Day 19: Drive Pokhara to Kathmandu
Day 20: Free Day in Kathmandu
Day 21: Departure
Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu: You will be transferred to the hotel by one of our representatives. Welcome dinner at one of the traditional Nepali restaurants in Kathmandu.
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m
Day 02: Visit Swoyambunath and Patan: Start our tour visiting Swoyambunath, a magnificent Buddhist stupa located on a high hill which is just 10 minutes drive from Thamel followed by a visit of Patan, a true open air museum with its pagodas, temples, and monasteries.
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m.
Day 03: Drive Kathmandu to Koto (2600m) via Besisahar (760m): Our adventure begins with a road journey from Kathmandu to Besisahar which takes about 5 hours followed by rough road drive to Koto (2600m) for about another 6 hours. The drive from Kathmandu to Besisahar is relatively smooth; then we leave our car in Besisahar and hop onto a local Jeep for a rough drive on a recently built dirt / rough road which take us to Koto.
Overnight: Lodge
Driving Time: 5 + 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 1266 m.
Day 04: Trek Koto to Meta (3560m): After completing our registration of controlled trekking area permit at the check point in Koto, we start our trek following Nar Khola through the pine forest. The lat part of the trail offers great view of the Annapurna and Lamjung Himal.
Overnight: Lodge / Home stay
Walking Time: 7 - 8 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 960m
Day 05: Trek Meta to Phu gaun (4080m): As we continue our trek, we leave the Nar Khola valley behind and start following the Phu Khola valley. The trail goes through the ruins that once were the Khampa settlements and continuing further we walk through the rocky trail to reach Phu gaun.
Overnight: Lodge / Home stay
Walking Time: 7 - 8 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 520m
Day 06: Trek Phu gaun to Nar Phedi (3500m): We retrace our steps back to Nar Phedi today. It is relatively easier walk as trail descends few hundred meters and most trekkers find it easier to descend.
Overnight: Lodge / Home stay
Walking Time: 5 -6 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 580m
Day 07: Trek Nar Phedi to Nar gaun (4110m): It is comparatively short day as it takes about 2 – 3 hours to trek to Nar village but we will gain significant number of the elevation in this short trek. We start our day climbing steep terrain going through old camp sites and continue our trek walking by several Buddhist stupas, Mani walls.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 2 - 3 hours
Difference in Elevation: +610m
Day 08: Trek Nar gaun to Ngawal (3657m): We start our day really early in the morning as it is a long trekking day and the trail goes through a high pass. The day starts with gradual climb and gets steeper as the trek continues and gets really steep at the final part of the Kang La (5306m). Once we get to the top of Kang la pass, the trail descends steeply down to the Ngawal village.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 8 - 9 hours
Difference in Elevation: +453m
Day 09: Trek Ngwal to Manang (3540m): About 5 hours gentle walk to reach today's destination, Manang (3440m). Manang is a large Trans Himalayan village with rich Tibetan culture and gateway to Thorang-la pass.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 117m
Day 10: Acclimatization day in Manang: Spending two nights allow you to become adjusted to thinning air and lessening pressure for your approach to Thorong-La. We go for day hike towards Gangapurna Lake which helps you to acclimatize more for higher altitude. In the afternoon, we can visit the clinic run by Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) to get more information about high altitude trekking.
Overnight: Lodge
Elevation: 3540m
Day 11: Trek Manang to Khangsar (3734m): Leaving the Annapurna classic trail behind, we follow the Marsyangdi River to its origin, Lake Tilicho; enjoying the view of the Tilicho Peak (7135 m) and the Ganga Purna (7454 m) along with Khangsar River. It is relatively short day so we can explore the area in the afternoon.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 4 -5 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 194m
Day 12: Trek Khangsar to Tilicho Base Camp (4150m): Start our day with a short climb up to 4200m and then gradually descend into the moraine with picturesque views of Tilicho peak, Gangapurna and surroundings. it is about 5 hours trek to Tilicho base camp.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 416m
Day 13: Trek Tilicho Base Camp to Tilicho Lake and trek back to Shree Kharka (3920m) via Tilicho Base Camp: We start our day early in the morning hiking to Tilicho Lake and enjoy the magnificent view of the lake and surroundings then we retrace our steps back to Base camp and continue our trek to Shree Kharka.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5 - 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 130m
Day 14: Trek Shree Kharka to Yak Kharka (4018m): Taking a higher route from Shree Kharka, we trek back to the classic Annapurna route joining in Gunsang and continue our trek to Yak Kharka.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 5 - 6 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 98m
Day 15: Trek Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi (4450m): Our final day of the preparation for Thorang la pass takes us to the base of the Thorang la. It is called Thorang Phedi (4450m). It is about 4 hours trek to Phedi so we get enough time to repeat our acclimatization hike this afternoon as well, to get well acclimatized for the next day.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 3-4 hours
Difference in Elevation +432
Day 16: Trek Thorong Phedi to Muktinath (3760m) via Thorang La pass (5416m): Today is the most strenuous day of this trek because of the altitude and long hours of walking (as we ascend almost 1000m and descend about 1600m). Hence, we set off about 4 or 5 AM in the morning and commence the long climb up to the Thorong-La Pass (5416m). You need to have plenty of water and a warm outfit (down jacket / windproof trousers) with you. The trek Phedi to Thorong- La takes about 4-5 hours, depending on your fitness and acclimatization level. Upon reaching Thorong-La we can see the traditional chorten, cairn and prayer flags. We take a short break here before descending to Muktinath (3760m). The panoramic view from Thorong-La is superb. As we start descending, we get a great view of Dhaulagiri (8167m) and Tukuche (6920m) to the south-west and Mustang valley in North West. The descent is long and tiring (about 4 - 5 hours) but offers a great view of the surrounding peaks and Mustang valley.
Muktinath is a fascinating village with sacred temples for Hindu and Buddhist. You may see lot of pilgrims bathing in the holy water flowing from the 108 spouts carved in the shape of cow's heads surrounding the Vishnu Temple. The temple is built in Tibetan style and contains huge brass idols of Shiva, Vishnu, Kali and Brahma.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 8-10 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 690m
Day 17: Trek Muktinath to Jomsom (2750m) via Kagbeni: Continuing our descend enjoying the view of Mustang valley; we walk towards Jharkot, which is another traditional village with flat roofed houses (Tibetan style) and lot of green fields. The trail continues descending to Kagbeni for about two and half hours. Kagbeni (2800m), located near the Kali Gandaki river, is a very fascinating medieval village with stone houses, narrow alleys, green fields and view of the high mountains. Kagbeni is gateway of legendary Mustang and Lo Monthang.
NOTE: Upper Mustang is a controlled trekking region; a special permit is required to travel in upper part of the Mustang.
Then we continue our trek following the Kali Gandaki River down to Ekle Bhatti (2730m), where we join the alternative and more direct route from Muktinath. From here it is an easy walk to Jomsom; the administrative headquarter of the region, at 2750m. This is our trekking ending point so in the evening; we celebrate the completion of our epic journey.
Overnight: Lodge
Walking Time: 6-7 hours
Difference in Elevation: - 1010m
Day 18: Flight Jomsom to Pokhara (820m): With our trek successfully completed, today our flight takes us from Jomsom to Pokhara (20 minutes).
Overnight: Hotel
Flight Time: 20 mins
Difference in Elevation: -1930
Day 19: Drive Pokhara to Kathmandu (1334m): A scenic drive for about 7 hours to Kathmandu by our private vehicle.
Overnight: Hotel
Driving Time: 6 -7 hours
Difference in Elevation: + 514m
Day 20: Free day in Kathmandu: Free day in Kathmandu to explore or simply relax after this strenuous trek.
Overnight: Hotel
Elevation: 1334m
Day 21: Transfer to the airport and departure.
NOTE: The price of the tour will be adjusted according to the group size.
| Srl. |
Description |
Qty. |
Remarks |
|
| 01 | Day back-pack |
1 |
||
| 02 | Gore-Tex Jacket |
1 |
||
| 03 | Down Jacket |
1 |
||
| 04 | Fleece Jacket |
1 |
||
| 05 | Micro Fleece |
1 |
||
| 06 | Trekking pants(Trousers) |
2 - 3 |
||
| 07 | Hiking shoes (Boots) |
1 |
||
| 08 | Runners (sport shoes) |
1 |
||
| 09 | Trekking Socks |
3 |
||
| 10 | Rain poncho |
1 |
||
| 11 | Sun-glasses |
1 |
||
| 12 | Water bottles |
2 |
||
| 13 | Thermal underwear(long) |
1-2 |
||
| 14 | T- shirts |
2-3 |
||
| 15 | Sunscreen/lotion |
1 |
||
| 16 | Flip flop (sandal) |
1 |
||
| 17 | Towel |
1 |
||
| 18 | Hat(Baseball cap) |
1 |
||
| 19 | Pristine drops (Water purifier) |
1 |
||
| 20 | Head light/flash light |
1 |
||
| 21 | Sleeping Bag |
1 |
||
| 22 | Gloves |
1 |
||
| 23 | Wind Proof Trouser (s) |
1 |
||
| 24 | Personal medical kid |
1 |
||
| 25 | Toiletries |
1 |
||
Climate:
From the eternal snow of the high peaks to the extensive tropical lowlands, Nepal has a wide variety of climates.
Spring: March to late May: In this season, Kathmandu is in full bloom, lots of different types of flowers can be seen at this time of the year. Temperature is mild, end of the cold winter and approaching warm and hot summer. Temperatures vary between 10 ° C to 28 ° C but can rise up to 30 ° C. Between 2000 and 3000m, temperature rarely drop below 0 ° C. However, few frosts or snowfalls are possible in March above 4000 m.
The summer/monsoon period: It interrupts the majority of trekking from late June to late August. Some of the trekking regions "trans-Himalayan", Dolpo and Mustang, however, remain protected from monsoon prevailing rest of the country. They are the only channels available in Nepal in the summer.
Autumn: mid September – mid December - Perfect temperature and weather for trekking. Brings cooler days, but clear skies. Above 3000 m altitude, temperatures can drop to -10 ° C at night.
In winter: mid-December - mid-February - Nights are generally cold, dry climate, Above 3000m, temperature drop down to 0 ° C to - 15 ° C at night, the days are often sunny.
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