Annapurna Circuit and Tilicho Lake

01 / THE EXPERIENCE

Discover the journey

The Annapurna Circuit Trek is a popular and challenging trek that takes you through a variety of landscapes and cultures in the Annapurna region of Nepal. The trek is usually completed in about 11 days, depending on the itinerary and pace of the trekker. It can also be extended for a week to visit Ice Lake at 4600m and Tilicho lake at 4900m. Tilicho lake is the highest altitude freshwater lake in the planet. The trek passes through 5416m Thorang la pass. The Annapurna Circuit Trek offers breathtaking views of some of the highest peaks in the Himalayas, including Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, and Manaslu. You will also have the opportunity to visit ancient monasteries and temples, including the famous Muktinath temple, which is considered a sacred pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists.

03 / YOUR ROUTE

Journey at a glance

Day Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu and Evening Sightseeing — You will be greeted by our representative at the airport and transferred to the hotel. After you are settled, you will go on a guided sightseeing tour of some of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kathmandu, including the historic Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Stupa, and Boudhanath Stupa. In the afternoon, you will meet your trekking guide and check your trekking gear. Guide will brief you about the trip during the dinner. In the event your arrival is late in the afternoon or evening, we will reserve an extra day for the sightseeing. Day Day 2: Drive to Beshisahar (760m/ 2490 ft) and Chame (2700m / 8858 ft) — We will ride in a jeep for 5 hrs to beshisahar and another 4 hours to Chame following the Marshyangdi River. Its about 230 km total ride from Kathmandu through some roller coaster off roads and spine shilling cliffs. You will pass through Bagarchhap, Danakyu, and Timang before reaching Chame, which is the administrative center of Manang. We will rest overnight in Chame. Day Day 3: Trek from Chame to Pisang (3,300m / 10,826.77 ft) — After breakfast, you will trek towards Pisang, passing through dense forests and beautiful apple orchards at a place called Brathang. We will stop at the apple farm for Tea and snacks. Along the way, you will have stunning views of the Annapurna Mountains and Pisang peak. It’s a moderate hikes with a few uphill stretches. Day Day 4: Trek from Pisang to Braka (3,540m/ 11614.17 ft) — Today, you will trek through the beautiful upper Pisang route, which offers stunning views of the Annapurna range. Annapurna 2 looks imposing from the trail. You will pass through the beautiful local villages of Ghyaru and Ngawal. Then the trail descends down to the pine forest and we will reach Braka. Day Day 5: From Braka, trek to Ice lake (4620 m/ 15157 ft ) and back, Trek to Manang (3,519m / 11545 ft) — We will wake up early in the morning to trek to Ice Lake. It is a strenuous uphill trek in which we gain about 1100m altitude. Once we reach the lake, view of Mt. Annapurna II is stunning. We will also see the Manaslu ranges to the south and Mt. tilicho in the North. It takes about 5 hrs to reach the lake and return back to Braka. After lunch in Braka, we will head to Manang. It takes about 1 and half hours from Braka to Reach Manang. After we settle in the hotel, you can stroll around the village in Manang, get to glacial lake Gangapurna and see remnants of the old village. There are nice cafes and bakeries in Manang and you can sip warm tea and coffee in one of the coffee houses. Day Day 6: Optional Rest day in Manang — We can take an extra day in Manag to loosen our muscles and rest before continuing to TIlicho Lake the next day. Visitors can also explore old Manang village and go across the river to Gangapurna lake just below the glacier. You may play games or cards and chat with your trekking partners making it an easy day. Day Day 7: Trek from Manang to Shree Kharka (4,110m/ 13,484.25 ft) — After breakfast, we will start our trek from Manang to the older part of the town and cross the Thorang River. The trek gets steeper after the bridge. First we will reach Khangsar and we will stop for lunch there. Then we will continue to Shreekharka. Along the way, you will have stunning views of the Mt. Gangapurna and Annapurna 2, Annapurna 3, GlacierDome Chulu Mountains and Pisang peaks. Views extend all the way to Mt. Manaslu ranges. Day Day 8: Trek from Shreekharka to Tilicho Base camp (4144 m / 13596 ft) — This part of the trek is challenging and beautiful beyond imagination. We will leave the treeline behind after an hour from Shreekharka and trek in the rocky trail filled with caverns and then rocks and pebbles taking precaution. We can hear Marshyangdi river flowing below us and the foot of Mt. Gangapurna across the swooshing river. Day Day 9: Trek to Tillicho lake (4919m / 16138 ft) and back to Tilicho base camp — This trek is around 4-5 hours long, so we will have to wake very early to avoid the wind. You can feel the thin air as you hike up the steep winding trail. It is one of the most challenging hikes of this trip but the upper areas are more gradual. The lake view point is at 5100 m / 16732 ft. The lake looks turquoise and the entire view is stunning. The mountains surrounding the lake are Khangsar, Muktinath peak, Nilgiri, and Tilicho. At the other end of the lake, we can see MesoKanto La Pass, which descends down directly to Jomsom. Mesu Kanto la pass is also known as TIlicho Pass and it is located at an altitude of 5340 meters. From here, one can get the views of three 8000ers Mt. Manaslu 8163 m, Mt. Dhaulagiri 816 7m and Mt Annapurna I 8091 m as well as 19 snow capped mountains of Annapurna region. Day Day 10: Trek from Tilicho Base Camp to Yak Kharka (4,110m/ 13,484 ft) — After breakfast, you will trek towards Yak Kharka, which is a small village situated at an altitude of 4,110 meters. We will cover the same path back, through sloppy and steep ways through Khangsar to Yakkharka. Along the way, you will have stunning views of the Mt. Gangapurna and Annapurna II, Annapurna III, GlacierDome, Chulu Mountains and Pisang peaks. Views extend all the way to Mt. Manaslu ranges. Day Day 11: Trek from Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi (4,600m/ 15091.86 ft) — On this day, you will trek towards Thorong Phedi, which is the last village before crossing Thorong La Pass at 5416m. The trek is relatively short, and you will have time to rest and prepare for the uphill strenuous climb the next day. Day Day 12: Trek from Thorong Phedi to Muktinath (3,800m / 12467 ft) via Thorong La Pass (5,416m/ 17769 ft) — On this day, we cover roughly 20 km / 12.5 miles. Initially, it is a challenging uphill hike of almost 900m. We start at 4:00am in the morning and reach Thorang High Camp at 6-7am. We will have tea and breakfast and continue forward to Thorang la pass and spend some time taking photos. We munch on some snacks and continue steep downhill for a 1600m descent to Muktinath. The journey down from Thorong La Pass should be straightforward and is only about eight kilometers. However, in icy conditions and slippery rocks, it can slow-going. We should reach Muktinath hotel in the early afternoon. Overnight in Muktinath Hotel with a nice and warm meal. Day Day 13: Trek from Muktinath to Jomson (2,670m/ 8759.84 ft) — It’s a beautiful trek through Lupra Pass. View of Mt. Dhaulagiri, Mt. Tukuche and Mt. Mana Pathi extends north to Mt. Mustang and the landscape in Mystifying. The descend from Lupra Pass to the village of Lupra, a village of Bonpo followers is strenuous and then the trail is more easy from there to Jomson. We will have something to eat and drink in Lupra before continuing to Jomsom. We will stay in a hotel in Jomsom. Day Day 14: Jomsom to Pokhara by flight the next day or whole day jeep ride the same day — Jomsom is the district headquarters and administrative center of Mustang. The airport connects to Pokhara by flights. We can terminate our trek in Jomson and catch a flight to Pokhara or catch a jeep ride for 10-12 hrs to reach Pokhara by road. The view of Mt. Nilgiri is a sight to behold and is directly south and east of Jomsom. If time permits, we will visit the village of Marpha, an ethnic Thakali Village 9 km south of Jomson. It is famous for apples, apple brandy and yak meats. Day Day 15: Fly to Kathmandu and Afternoon Sightseeing and shopping — It’s a 25 min short flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu. If you are seated on the left window, you will see Mt. Dhaulagiri on west, Annapurna ranges followed by Manaslu, Ganesh and Langtang on north and your flight time will be over before you even notice. We will settle in the hotel and visit the city for sightseeing and souvenir shopping. Day Day 16: Return back home — We will drop you at the airport and bid you a pleasant bye for your return journey home.

YOUR DAY-BY-DAY ROUTE