Group Size
Min. 2 Pax
Trip Grade
Strenuous
Best Season
March, April, May, September, October & November
Accommodation
Hotel/Lodge/Home Stay
Max Elevation
5306m, Kang La
Meals
Full Board
Transportation
Private Vehicle/Car/Jeep/Flight
Trip Route: Jagat - Koto - Phu - Naar -Kang La Pass - Manang - Tilicho Lake - Mesokanto La Pass - Jomsom
Trip Overview
- Hike to the Tilicho Lake (4949m) which is the lake in the highest altitude of the world at
- Outstanding views of Mt. Annapurna, Mt. Dhaulagiri, Mt. Gangapurna and Mt. Tilicho.
- Himalayan lifestyle, culture, tradition learning opportunities throughout the trail.
- Himalayan vegetation and wildlife seeing adventure.
- Lesser traveled trails with unique and differently delightful trekking experience.
- Multiple high passes with amazing views
- Himalayan sunrise and sunsets from most Natural viewpoints in the earth.
- Yak and Chauri products as well as Himalayan cuisine exploring.
- Authentic trekking experience with overnights in Teahouses and homestays.
- Picturesque view and landscape surrounding you throughout the trail.
- Cultural tour of Nar and Phu mountain villages.
- Hymalian monasteries and Mani walls signifying Buddhism.
- Mountain farming and husbandry procedure experiences with the locals.
Nar Phu Valley Trek with Tilicho Lake is the trekking route in the western Himalayas of Nepal with the bliss of untouched and undisturbed culture, tradition and lifestyles of the people in and around Nar-Phu settlements extending up to the lake in the highest elevation of the world, Lake Tilicho.
The Nar Phu Valley Trek is one of the most virgin trails in Nepal with so many local and international tourists adding it to their bucket list. One can expect a scenic and less facilitated trail are moving from the heart of Himalayas with breathtaking sceneries and delightful mountain lifestyle and culture surrounding you. As you head deeper, you will find a lesser influence of modernization in the lifestyle which is more independent settlements in the midst of nature here. Walking through the ridges with mules and locals will make you feel that you are in the next beautiful world. These lively villages of a small population but their culture and tradition of their own welcome you with joy as you mingle with them and share the joy of traveling. From high passes to low pasturelands you will trek through them all as you step further towards the mystical land of fog and clouds. Every now and then you will stop and just gaze at the beautiful landscapes and mountain views around you. In your brief stay at these villages, you will be able to know life in nature far from the claws of science and technology. Walking the Nar-Phu trail, you will expose the hidden treasures of nature in the Himalayas.
You will explore the highest altitude lake in the world- Lake Tilicho at an altitude of 4949m in your next phase of the trek. The trail is mostly assisted with amazing natural sceneries and magnificent landscape making your adventure-packed journey beautiful. You will find much livelier participation of trekkers from before as it merges with multiple other routes. Reaching the lake is an achievement, but the adventure of the way is something you will remember for a long time to come. The trail is an example of adventure within nature as each of the travelers wants to stop the time forever at the tip. The trail of Nar-Phu and Tilicho constitute everything one seeks in a Himalayan trekking destination. The Nar Phu valley trek extending Tilicho Lake experience is best from March to May and from Mid-September to late October. With the aid of our experienced guide from Himalayan Pic Du Midi, you can live the time of your life in these sites. Also compatible for solo traveler one should be assertive on taking this trek. Wake the legend inside you by taking this trek head-on as it will give you the memories of a lifetime.
Outline Itinerary
Day 01: Arrival at TIA, Kathmandu & Transfer to Hotel
Day 02: Kathmandu Valley Heritage Tour and Prepration for the Trek
Day 03: Drive from Kathmandu to Jagat (1300m)
Day 04: Jagat to Dharapani (1860m)
Day 05: Dharapani to Koto (2610m)
Day 06: Koto to Meta (3560m)
Day 07: Meta to Kyang (3840m)
Day 08: Kyang to Phu (3900m)
Day 09: Phu to Kyang (3840m)
Day 10: Kyang to Naar (4200m)
Day 11: Naar to Jhombu Kharka (4620m)
Day 12: Jhombu Kharka - Kang La Pass (5306m) to Ngawal (3660m)
Day 13: Ngawal to Khangsar (3735m)
Day 14: Khangsar to Tilicho Base Camp (4150m)
Day 15: Tilicho Base Camp to Tilicho Lake (4990m)
Day 16: Tilicho Lake to Kharka (4940m)
Day 17: Kharka - Mesokanto La Pass (5120m) to Dharmashala (4230m)
Day 18: Dharmashala to Jomsom (2710m)
Day 19: Fly to Pokhara, City sightseeing Tour of Pokhara
Day 20: Pokhara to Kathmandu
Day 21: Cultural Tour of Bhaktapur City
Day 22: Departure
Day to Day Itinerary
Today after your arrival at the Tribhuwan int airport in Kathmandu, our representative will attend you and transfer you to the hotel. After a brief introduction and welcoming, you will get an orientation of the trek. You can talk about the Nar Phu valley trek with Tilicho Lake in detail in our office too in your spare time. In a welcome dinner organized by Himalayan Pic Du Midi, you will meet our staffs and get the information on the guides that will assist you throughout this trek. You can try some authentic Nepali staple today and get to know this nation better. Overnight at Kathmandu.
Today will be a trek preparation day for you as you will spend your spare time visiting the UNESCO heritage sites of Kathmandu. Start your day visiting the Bashantpur/ (Kathmandu) durbar square near to your hotel. Visit the ancient monuments in the square. You can also try some snacks here. The second destination for today lies about 5 km west of Kathmandu, the Swyambhunath Stupa. Visited by both Hindu and Buddhist devotees, Swyambunath is also called "The Monkey Temple". You can have an amazing view of whole Kathmandu Valley from here. In the late afternoon, we’ll head towards the major Hindu Shrine of Pashupatinath. Spend the evening in the Stupa of Boudhanath and experience the delights of Tibetan Buddhism from one of the rooftop restaurants here. Return and rest in your hotel. Overnight at Hotel Kathmandu.
Today after a quick breakfast you will head towards the starting point of your trek, Jagat. You will start your journey from the hotels up and over the hills alongside the Trishuli and then Marsyangdi Rivers simultaneously. You will come across multiple small shops in the way where you can stop and gulp in some local delicacies. Crossing some iconic settlements and hilly views out of the window you will reach the village of Jagat. Prepare for the start of your trek from early morning tomorrow. Overnight at a hotel in Jagat.
You will have a slow walking day due to change in the trails moving up and down the hills. We will start our walk to Chyamje from Jagat which is seemingly flat with occasional short uphill segments. One of the picturesque mountain villages, Chyamje is a display of mountain lifestyle and stone house architecture. You can have a brief time here and also visit the nearby waterfall. On the background is the glorious Annapurna range standing tall and mighty. After a river crossing here you will have to take a steep uphill hike which may be challenging, but our guides will assist you to the top. After a quick descend you will reach the riverside grassland and Tal village. After crossing some more cliffs and forests, you will reach Dharapani. Rest and Overnight at Dharapani.
The trek to Koto leaves the well-facilitated track and heads towards the path less explored of the Annapurna region. An uphill trek through lush forest trail will take you to the beautiful village of Bagarchhap. After a brief visit of the whitewashed monastery of Bagarchap, you will make your way to a steep climb leading Timang. Timang is a lovely settlement on the top of a hill in this trail offering a clear and close view of the Manasalu (8163m) massif. After a quick break here you will continue your trek to Thankchok and small stream and reach Koto. Koto is a small village with a couple of tea houses where you are going to stay for the night.
We will take the permit to enter the region of the Naar Phu trek here at Koto. After a quick village tour, we will head alongside the Naar Khola and make our way to Dharamsala. In the way, you will cross multiple small streams and waterfalls as well as a couple of suspension bridges. Dharmasala is a place to relax, and you can spend some time here sipping some organic tea and with a view of nearby waterfall under mountains. You will then walk through the ridge in a scene packed background and different natural checkpoints. Towards the end of today's trek, you will have a steep climb towards the village of Meta. This stretch might be a little harsh for some travelers but as soon as you complete it, you will reach the village of Meta. Overnight at Meta.
After an early morning warm-up and tea, we will start our hike to the village of Kyang. From here every village abandoned or with residents have some history and legends about the Tibetan army coming there in the earlier period. You can still observe and witness the ruins of the Khampa styled forts in the villages of Juham and Chyankhu. You will cross the Mruju Khola before hiking further upwards to the plateau of Kyang. You will stumble upon small shrines and chortens alongside the beautiful landscape of the valley below throughout the way. The Mani walls and village gates will symbolize Kyang village. Overnight at Kyang.
After an early tea and a Himalayan breakfast constituting buckwheat beard and honey, you will be heading towards one of the iconic attractions of the trekking- the Phu village. The rocky trail carved in the hills will mark your start today which remains the same until we reach the Phu village. Once you enter there, you can see an entire village in a cliffside where each house is made above another. People are mainly of three different tribes as Ghale, Gurung, and Tamangs in this village sharing their unique language and tradition in Nar and Phu. Once in the village, you will be welcomed locally with greetings and garlands. You can visit the Tashi Lakhang Buddhist Monastery in the village which is a significant force that preserves and develops the unity in Phu village. It is no surprise that you will witness authentic natural art of living here independent of modern world luxuries. You will observe a cultural night with your host villagers in their traditional dress and their singing and dancing programs. Overnight at at Phu Villge.
Visit the village of Phu in the morning and visit the monastery of this village. You can take some warm tea and join the monks for their morning prayers. You will start your hike from here to Kyang for today. The hike will be short and mostly downhill. You can stop, rest and continue your walk enjoying the picturesque landscape surrounding you. In the afternoon you will reach Kyang after crossing a suspension bridge. Overnight at Kyang.
After an early morning view of sunrise after a short hike, you will make a quick village tour before making your way towards the Naar village. Your walk towards the village of Naar starts from reaching the Mahendra Pul from where the trail separates the village of Naar and Phu from the significant trail from Kyang. We continue to walk upwards crossing a suspension bridge. One can enjoy the incredible landscape and wildlife from the path leading Nar. Encountering multiple extends of Mani walls and Chortens in the way you will find yourself standing towards the main stone gate of the Naar village. Being slightly more prominent than Phu, Naar is much livelier, and you will hear a lot of local legends about these villages from the local people here. In the evening climb up to a ridge to view a fantastic sunset falling upon the Pisang Peak (6091m). Alongside Phu, Naar is one of the cultural repositories hidden in the mountains, and you will experience a different tradition, lifestyle and even languages of their own. Overnight at Naar after a local program.
Today will be a brief uphill hike to Jhombhu Kharka. It will be an excellent way to acclimatize as you will take on the Kang-la pass over 5000 meters tomorrow. You can enjoy the majestic view of the mountains, plains, and landscape surrounding you. A brief village tour here will give you a general idea of Himalayan lifestyle and culture. Prepare for the trek coming ahead and rest. Overnight at Jhombu Kharka.
You will start early and make your way to the Kang-La pass. One of the highest pass in this region you have to have a real heart and love of trekking inside you. Once in the top, you will see a patched stone structure congratulating on your ascend decorated by prayer flags all around. As you are at an altitude of 5,306 meters, it's reasonable to feel discomfort due to the height. After some time here start your descend to Ngawal. With a fantastic view of the snow-capped mountains surrounding you and a cool breeze refreshing you, head towards the next village alongside the stream. Take a short break and have your lunch before your descend towards Ngawal. Overnight at Ngawal.
You will have a brief time viewing the sceneries then carry on the descent to Khangsar. After reaching Manang, you can rest for a while and go for a village tour. Manang is a place carrying the history of the Himalayan region of Nepal. You can find different cultural and traditional monuments and temples in Manang. The stone patched houses and settlement here is also one to be watched from near. We will continue our trek to Khangsar from here, and the latter half of the trail is easy and scenic as well. After reaching Khangsar in the late afternoon, you can rest for the day here. Overnight at Khangsar.
After a quick village tour and tasting some Yak and Chauri products you will start your journey toward the Tilicho base camp. After walking through steep trails, you will reach a small settlement. The trail from here is gradual rising with occasional encountering of small streams. Beside the Marsyangdi River straight from the mountains, you will pass the infamous landslide area trail preceding Shree Jharka. Further hike about an hour from here will take you to the Tilicho Base Camp. From here you can have a clear view of Mt. Tilicho (7134m), Gangapurna Himal (7454m) and the mighty Annapurna range. Overnight at Tilicho Base Camp.
The Tilicho Lake trekking starts from early morning. After a warm tea, you will head towards one of destination you can proudly share for a long time, the highest lake in the world- Tilicho Lake (4949m). The final stretch to the lake is a straight hike for about an hour. You can see the tip of the trail you have to reach after this winding path. Once there you will have a straight walk in an open plateau-like area with the disclosing of Lake Tilicho now in your reach. Frozen or not Lake Tilicho is a delight to anyone's sight after encountering it. The blue water looks stunning with the shades of the Tlicho peak and other sub-mountains surrounding it. Once there you can just sit, relax, and mingle into this majestic creation of nature with hot tea from the only tea house there. The cool and fresh breeze will rinse your mind and opens the inner soul to interact with the views and sceneries of the lake from here. You will set up tents and stay close to the Tilicho Lake for today. Overnight at Tilicho Lake Camp.
The Trek today will be from the base camp of the Tilicho Camp to the north camp in Kharka. You will have a plain walk most of the day followed by a steep ascending to the Kharka camp. From this section of your trail, you can have a pleasing view of the mountains surrounding you. Small lakes and mountain streams will give you picturesque scenery to enjoy in your trek. Crossing some of the steep sections in this trek might be difficult for you. Follow your guide and reach the camp in the afternoon. Overnight at the northern camp of Kharka.
After a beautiful sunrise from Tilicho Lake, we will ascend to Mesokanto La Pass and your gradual descend towards Dharmashala - Kaisang Khara. The scene packed trail from Tilicho is less used as most people return from here to hangar and back. We will have a complete trail as we make our way with a brief stop in some places and carry on. The landscape here is unique as a result of high wind speed in these regions. Crossing different natural landmarks you will reach the scenic village of Dharmashala. Rest, dinner and overnight at Dharmashala.
As a last day of the trek, you will head towards the iconic village of Jomsom. Jomsom is a well-facilitated village surrounded by beautiful rocky hills and snow-capped mountains behind it. You can rest and head for a market tour seeking Saligrams and Himalayan souvenirs. Many people like to take short hikes in nearby hills to view beautiful Himalayan sunset. Jomsom is the right place to party after the completion of this glorious trek. Jomsom is also one of the most picturesque villages of the tour with breathtaking landscape all around the village. Overnight at a hotel in Jomsom.
After a refreshing breakfast, head towards the center of Jomsom village to witness the local lifestyle. From Thangka paintings to Tibetan style architecture in the houses and monasteries, Jomsom tour will give you the taste of all these in a short period. You will head towards the Jomsom airport and from there fly towards the Pokhara airport. You will head towards the hotel and after some refreshment involves into a brief city tour of Pokhara. You may visit the Davis falls, Gupteshwor cave, Seti gorge from Rock Park and many more before ending your day boating in the Lively Phewa lake and viewing a mesmerizing sunset. Try some Thakali cuisine as a treat to your taste buds on your tour here. Overnight at a hotel in Pokhara.
After an organic honey tea and breakfast to freshen up, stroll around the streets of Pokhara and visit some of the iconic city attractions here. Either Leave early for a scenic drive to Kathmandu, or you have options to fly there too. You will head towards the Pokhara airport in the afternoon and fly towards Kathmandu. After you reach your hotel rest and go on for souvenir hunting in the streets of Thamel. You can find beautiful pictures, garments, ornaments, and handicrafts to take back as a memorandum to your home. You can also enjoy the partying Nightlife in the city by entering some pub and bars here.
After your breakfast today, we will drive to the city of Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur is only about 45 minutes’ drive from your hotel. The first site of today will be the Historical Bhaktapur durbar (palace) square. The Palace was the ruling palace of Malla Kings before Kathmandu city. The golden gate temple, Palace of Fifty-five windows, and the Nyatapola temple square are some of the major attractions in and around the Palace. You can visit the painting schools here, view the Thangkas, and artforms around this fantastic city. You can taste the local Newari cuisine and the famous king curd (Juju Dhau) in Bhaktapur. Return to your hotel and stroll around Thamel in your evening today. Overnight at Kathmandu.
Your last day in Nepal will be full of joy and happiness as you look back to the achievements of your Nar-Phu Valley and Tilicho circle trek in Nepal. After a parting breakfast with Our Company staffs and guides, we will collect your experiences and feedbacks before taking you to the airport for departure. We will follow up with your suggestions and push forward for even better services.
What's Included/Excluded
Accommodation
- Four-nightsHotel in Kathmandu and one night hotel in Pokhara with B/B basis
- Teahouse/Camping Accommodation while on the trek
Meals
- Welcome and farewell dinner at Nepali Kitchen
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea/coffee) while on the trek
Transportation
- Airport pickups and drops in a private vehicle
- All ground transportation on a comfortable private vehicle as per the itinerary
- Jomsom - Pokhara by Domestic Flight Tickets.
Extras
- Full day sightseeing in Kathmandu and Pokhara/entrance fee
- All necessary paperwork and Special Naar/Phu Restricted Area/Annapurna Conservation Area Project/TIMS
- Professional & government licensed holder English Speaking Trekking Guide, Trekking Cook, Acc. Guide, Kitchen staff
- Camping Equipment’s Guest Tents, Dining tent, Kitchen Tent, Toilet Tent, Chairs and Table, Mattresses during the camping Trek
- Porter service (2 trekkers: 1 porter)
- Staff costs including their salary, insurance, equipment, food, transportation, and accommodation
- Warm clothing and other required trekking gear for staff including porters woolen hat, gloves, shocks, shoes & sunglasses etc…
- Entrance fee of all Monastery & Museums while on the Trek
- Trekking Map
- Medicine Box for Guide/Porters
- All government and local taxes
Not Included
- International Airfare and Nepal Visa fee
- Travel & Health Insurance
- Emergency Helicopter Rescue Insurance
- Lunch & Dinner in Kathmandu and Pokhara
- Any Alcoholic Drinks, Water and deserts in Trek
- Hot Shower, Battery Charges, International call, WIFI & internet on Trek
- Unforeseen Cost such as Flight Cancellation
- Tips for guides and porters
Notes
- Your big Luggage should be 12 kg each without your Carry bag (small bag). You have to carry 4/5 kg with a small bag during you walking on the Trekking. Your small bag should be over 30 to 40L.
- You have to bring personal medicine box for the mountain. You have to good physical condition is necessary to travel in Nepal. It is recommended to go to doctor for a checkup before coming to Nepal.