Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake Trek – 20 days

Greetings from Nepal. Our tour operator will be at the Tribhuvan International Airport to receive you and take you to the hotel in Kathmandu.

Depending on your flight duration, you may have the evening free for rest, or a brief visit in nearby places of your hotel. In the evening, we will show our gratitude by inviting you to a welcome dinner in one of the reputed restaurants in Kathmandu.

We have a free day today, and you can explore the city on your own. Or, we can organize a private tour of the Valley with a private car, driver, and tour guide at additional cost.

After breakfast, you can visit the important sites of the Kathmandu Valley, including 3 UNESCO Heritage sites: Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares.

You can also take a small trip to the Monkey Temple, Boudhanath, and Pashupatinath Temple. In the evening, our guide will meet you and give you a brief introduction to the Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake Trek.

After dinner, retire early for a long drive the next day.

Early in the morning after breakfast, we will depart to Chyamche the destination for today. We will drive in a local bus through the serpentine road passing through numerous small village settlements.

After a long 8 to 10 hours of drive, we will finally reach Chyamche from where our actual trek begins the next day. For tonight, we will rest at one of the lodges of this small village.

Finally, our trek around Annapurna begins from today. After a hearty breakfast at Chyamche, we will walk along the picturesque Marshyangdi River, frequently jumping from one bank to another.

We will climb towards the Tal Valley and traverse through a dense forest of rhododendrons and bamboo. We have now entered the famous Manang area. In the evening, we will arrive at Dharapani, where we will rest for the night.

Dharapani is a typical Nepali village decorated with wooden houses, Mani walls, and colorful prayer lags from where you can enjoy the magical view of Manaslu.

After breakfast, we will begin our day with a gentle ascent towards the Bagarchhap village. The trail offers splendid views of Annapurna II. As we reach the village, the beautifully carved Mani Walls and fluttering prayer flags will welcome us.

We will then walk through a damp, shady forest and cross a suspension bridge, reaching the village of Timang. From the village, we can feast our eyes on the magical views of Manaslu, Annapurna II, and Lamjung Himal.

As we arrive at Thanchok, we will stop for lunch. We will then take a gentle walk and reach Chame, known as the center of Manang. The village has some natural hot springs which you can explore later in the afternoon. We will stay for the night in one of the lodges of this beautiful village.

Today is an easy and short walk of only 4 to 5 hours, so we will have plenty of leisure time in the afternoon. We will walk along a steep, narrow trail passing through a dense forest.

We will arrive at an unusual rock named Paungda Danda Rock Face, rising from the stream to an altitude of 1500 m. at the village of Dhikur Pokhari.

We will stop here for lunch and enjoy the marvelous views of Annapurna II, Pisang Peak, and Chulu far east. After a short hike, we will arrive at Pisang, where we will rest overnight. In the evening, we can visit the old monastery.

We will resume our hike today with a gradual climb toward the village of Geru. We will discover the breathtaking views of the magnanimous glaciers of Annapurna II, III, IV, Pisang Peak, and Tilicho Peak.

We will also have a massive view of Chulu, Gangapurna, and Tarke Gyang. After delighting our eyes with these remarkable views, we will now continue our walk and reach the village of Nagyal. The landscape here changes with massive rock formations and higher mountains.

We will eventually arrive in Nawal, where we will take a short break. Then, we will descend to Braga and arrive at Manang, where we will spend the night.

Today is the day of acclimatization in the gorgeous village of Manang. So, we will spend this at our own leisure. We will have breakfast in the stunning background of Gangapurna Peak.

We will then take a walk to Milarepa cave located at an elevation of 4100 m. According to the legend, this cave is associated with the life of Milarepa, who is known to be a distinct figure in Buddhism.

If you are still feeling fatigued from yesterday’s hike, instead of the cave, we can visit the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) where they provide suggestions for altitude sickness. In the evening, we will return to the lodge and rest overnight for the trek the next day.

Today, we will be leaving the Annapurna route and entering the region from where the source of the Marshyangdi River is located: Lake Tilicho. We will descend to the river and continue our hike. In the afternoon, we will cross the river and trek along its southern bank.

The trail will then enter through the dense pine forest, leading us to the village of Khangsar. We will now climb a gentle slope and arrive at Siri Kharka, where we will take the lodge for the rest overnight.

In the morning, we will begin our hike to Tilicho Base Camp. The route today is quite an easy trail consisting of gentle ascend. If we are fortunate enough, we may spot blue sheep, a symbolic animal of the region. We will also have some exceptional views of Tilicho Peak, Gangapurna, and Khangsar Kang.

We will eventually reach the Tilicho Base Camp and rest at the lodge for a well-deserved rest.

Today is one of the highlights of our Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake Trek. We will visit the highest lake in the world: lake Tilicho. We will ascend some ridges for 2 to 3 hours and reach the watershed. On the other side is situated Lake Tilicho which remains frozen for almost all year.

Therefore, a team of French expeditions led by Emanuel Schmutz named it the Great Barrier Lake. When the Lake water melts, the image of the great Himalayas reflects on its clear blue water.

The lake has religious importance as well as it is believed that the first narration of Ramayana took place here. After enjoying some time here, we will descend to our lodge for breakfast.

After breakfast, we will now trek back to Siri Kharka where we will rest overnight.

We will shorten our trek today by not going to Manang but taking a route to the Thorong Khola Valley. We will cross the same trail that will lead us to Khangsar. On the way, we will cross the old Tare Monastery.

As we move onwards, we will pass the abandoned ruined buildings in upper Kharsang. The untouched beauty of this place, along with the dazzling cliff overlooking the Marshyangdi River valley, will leave an unforgettable impression.

We will now cross a bridge, and a walk a little further will take us to Yak Kharka, where we will spend the night.

Today is a short trek to Thorong Phedi, which we will reach after about 3 to 4 hours. We will utilize the remaining afternoon for acclimatizing to the higher altitude as we will be traversing tomorrow to an altitude of more than 5000 m.

Our path will take us through the arid mineral landscape between some rubble and piles of brown rocks. We will then take a short descent and cross the river.

We will then take a short climb and arrive at Thorong Phedi, where we will spend the night in one of its lodges.

Trek today will be quite long and challenging, but the reward will be spectacular. We will rise before dawn, set the headlamp over our heads, and begin our hike to Thorong La Pass. First, we will begin with a steep climb to the base camp. Then, we will have an easy, gentle long climb to the Thorong La Pass.

We are on time to witness the magical sunrise over the massive Annapurna Range, Thorong Peak, Dhaulagiri Range, and Nilgiri. We will also have the greatest view of the Lower Mustang Valley.

After clicking some pictures, we will now descend to Thorong Phedi to have some breakfast. We will now resume our journey to another significant village of Muktinath. We will hike downhill for some hours and notice the change in landscape from barren land to green vegetation as you make your descent.

As we arrive at Muktinath, we will take a room in one of the lodges of this pilgrimage site and spend the night. Muktinath is religiously important for both Hindus and Buddhists of Nepal and India.

After having an early morning breakfast, we will make some time to explore the Muktinath Temple. Here, you can observe and take part in the rituals of devotees. We will also visit the sacred 108 springs of the temple.

We will now make our descent to the small village of Jarkot and continue our hike till we reach Kagbeni, which is the gateway to the Mustang region of Nepal.

After taking some rest here, we will now resume our descending hike towards Jomsom, following the trail along the Kaligandaki River. The landscape here resembles the Tibetan plateaus. The views are also incredible, with magnificent Dhaulagiri, Tukuche Peak, and Nilgiri.

Another short downhill hike, then take us to Marpha, known for its extraordinary apple wine. We will rest in one of the lodges of this beautiful village.

A relatively easy and short day for Tatopani today. We will take a local bus to drive to Tatopani, a small town located in front of Nilgiri. The town has developed numerous infrastructure for promoting tourism. It is now capable of welcoming numerous visitors, both national and international.

Tatopani is known for its natural hot springs with a water temperature above 4o degrees Celsius. Nepali people also believe the natural hot mineral water here can cure many skin diseases.

Tatopani is also a favorite stopover for trekkers moving toward Mustang, Dhaulagiri, and Annapurna. It is also one of the top relaxing spots to unwind before trekking to Ghorepani. We will rest for the night in one of the comfortable lodges of the town.

After a delicious breakfast, we will cross the Kali Gandaki and walk up to the village of Ghara. We will then cross a suspension bridge and get to the other side of Sikha village. From here, the path led steeply up the mountainside till we reached Chitre village.

From here, the path flattens a little but still continues uphill. As we walk along the trail, we can observe people working in their fields and some enjoying the warm sunny days at their home terraces.

We will now pass through an enchanting forest leading us to Ghorepani, where we will rest overnight.

We will utilize this day to ascend to Poonhill and observe the unimaginable views of the mountains. We will rise early at 4 am and continue with our uphill ascend for about an hour or two.

As the sun rises, spreading its orange rays, the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri massifs, along with Kaligandaki, Mustang, and Dolpo valleys, seem painted with their golden hue.

It is the perfect spot to click selfies and souvenir photos. We will then return to Ghorepani, have our breakfast, and resume our journey to civilization.

We have a long descent ahead to Birethani, where our driver will be waiting for us to take us to Pokhara. After about an hour, we will reach the paradise for tourists.

In the evening, you can explore around the city and take part in the charming nightlife of Pokhara. We will stay in a hotel in Pokhara for the night.

A day that ends our remarkable journey to the Annapurna region. After breakfast in Pokhara, we will depart for Kathmandu on a tourist bus. The drive enables us to enjoy the beautiful yellow crop fields and roaring Trishuli River one last time.

We will arrive in Kathmandu probably at 3 or 4 pm. We will drop you at your hotel in the capital; you can take advantage of the remaining time by roaming Thamel or nearby areas.

After breakfast at your hotel, our guide will pick you up and transfer you to the Kathmandu airport for your departure from Nepal. If you wish to extend your trip to Nepal, you can undertake different other trips.

You can ask our guide for recommendations or visit our website for information on various Nepal trips.