Nar Phu Valley Trek

01 / THE EXPERIENCE

Discover the journey

Nar Phu Valley only opened in 2003 and is still a little trekked area. It is just off the Annapurna Circuit route which explores Tibetan influenced lifestyle, Buddhist Gompas, forests, mountains and remote villages. In fact, you’ll require a special permit to enter this region. The trek through the Nar and Phu valleys is an amazing walk past interesting rock structures and land formations with diverse topography of the region. The route to Nar Phu Valley goes through Manang and continues over the Thorong La Pass to rejoin the Annapurna Circuit trail at the Hindu pilgrimage town of Muktinath. Passing colorful Tibetan chortens and prayer stones into deep canyons and gorges, you will get the chance to hang out with villagers in Phu while they go about their daily activities, as well as spend a night in the Nar Phedi monastery. These are ideal ways to learn about life deep in the mountains of Nepal. There is also the option to hike up to Himlung Himal Base Camp if you’re feeling up to it.

02 / WHY GO

The memorable moments

Nar Phu Valley Trek will bring you through daring Kang La and Thorong La passes offering dramatic Himalayan Panorama. Explore lost valley of Nar and Phu, Manang, Ngawal village and the old monasteries in Phu village. Hike ancient salt trade routes, ascending the Marshyangdi and trek through the beautiful Manang village and the pilgrimage town of Muktinath. Discover the world’s deepest gorge - the Kaligandaki, and take a scenic mountain flight from Jomsom. Finally enjoy the sunrise lake city of Pokhara at the end of trip.

03 / YOUR ROUTE

Journey at a glance

Day Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu — Upon your arrival, you will be picked from the airport and will be taken to the hotel. You will meet your guide, discuss the trek program, and make final preparations for the trek by acquiring all restricted area permits. If time permits, we will take you for a sightseeing trip in the UNESCO world heritage site in Kathmandu and later, in the evening, you’ll have dinner in the hotel. Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu. Day Day 2: Kathmandu to Koto(2,610 m / 8,563 ft) — Kathmandu - Koto Early departure from Kathmandu and first drive to Besisahar. Change to a four-wheel drive car after lunch to make the trip to Koto. Although the route might be difficult for both drivers and passengers, it is wonderfully scenic. It follows the ancient Annapurna Circuit hike path and passes by breathtaking waterfalls and magnificent canyons. You should get to Koto in time for dinner. Day Day 3: Koto to Meta(3,560 m / 11,680 ft) — Koto - Meta The trek starts early in the morning which passes through beautiful woods, past small cave shelters and pilgrims’ resting places. The trail goes beneath a large waterfall as it emerges from a narrow canyon; after this point, the trees are thinner and the views get wider. As you approach Meta's last stretch, you must ascend a steep hill, from where you can see some of the area's enormous snow-capped peaks in breathtaking detail. Trekking Distance: 14.5 km/9 mi Trekking Time: 6-7 hours Day Day 4: Meta to Phu(4,250 m / 13,944 ft) — Meta - Phu As soon as you begin your walk Tibetan Buddhist chortens start to appear. The great view of Nar Phedi Monastery can be seen. You’ll trek through scenic canyons and gorges and a steep trail up to Phu. Just before crossing the bridge into Phu, a line of wonderful chortens color the landscape. Trekking Distance: 16.5 km/ 10.25mi Trekking Time: 7 hours Day Day 5: Acclimatization Day — It’s necessary to spend an acclimatization day in Phu to make your body familiar with high altitude. You can trek up to the base camp of Himlung Himal or wander around the town's narrow lanes. The town of Phu itself is fascinating, and spending the day there observing the locals as they spin their yak and sheep wool, grind mustard seeds into an oil-making paste, or do other daily tasks is a worthwhile experience. Day Day 6: Phu to Nar(4,110 m / 13,484 ft) — Phu - Nar Retrace the route back down towards Meta, but turn off at Nar Village. As you approach the historic village, you pass a row of chortens that have been beautifully painted and bamboo roofs. Dinner and overnight stay at Nar. Trekking Distance: 20 km/ 12.42 mi Trekking Time: 9-10 hours Day Day 7: Acclimatization Day 3hr — It’s necessary to spend an acclimatization day in Nar to make your body familiar with high altitude. Even though Nar is not far from the main Annapurna trail, it is rarely visited by trekkers. It is a little friendlier and livelier than Phu, you might find the town square bustling with chattering women using back-strap looms to weave wool fabric for rugs and blankets during the day. Exploration of village and interaction with locals help you know better about the place and its livelihood. Relax and enjoy the beautiful village and landscape of Nar. Day Day 8: Nar to Ngawal Via Kang La Pass(3,600 m / 11,811 ft) — Nar - Ngawal via Kang La Pass Today is a long day, so get up before sunrise and head towards the Kang La Pass, which leads back onto the popular Annapurna Circuit. You can enjoy an amazing view over Annapurna II, Gangapurna, and Tilicho Peak on the way. The trail down starts off steep, but if you enjoy scree running you can have some fun and motivate yourself. Ngawal, on the route of the Annapurna Circuit, is certainly very different from the ancient villages just visited. Trekking Distance: 14 km/8.69 mi Trekking Time: 9 hours Day Day 9: Ngawal to Manang (3540m/ 11,614 ft) — It is about a 5-6 hours trek from Ngawal to Manang which will lead to Thorong La Pass. You will walk around 11 km from Ngawal. Lunch will be on the way and dinner as well as overnight stay at Manang. Trekking Distance: 11 km/6.83 mi Trekking Time: 5 hours Day Day 10: Trek from Manang to Yak Kharka (4,110m/ 13,484.25 ft) — After breakfast, you will trek towards Yak Kharka, which is a small village situated at an altitude of 4,110 meters. 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. Trekking Distance: 10 km/6.2 mi Trekking Time: 3 hours Day Day 11: Trek from Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi (4,600m/ 15092 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. Trekking Distance: 8 km/4.9 mi Trekking Time: 4 hours Day Day 12: Trek from Thorong Phedi to Muktinath (3,800m / 12467 ft) via Thorong La Pass (5,416m/ 17769ft) — This is a challenging uphill hike of almost 900m. We start 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. We should reach Muktinath hotel in the early afternoon. Overnight in Muktinath Hotel with nice and warm meal. Trekking Distance: 14 km/ 8.69mi Trekking Time: 9 hours 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. Trekking Distance: 18 km/11.18 mi Trekking Time: 6-7 hours Day Day 14: Jomsom to Pokhara by flight — Jomsom is the district headquarters and administrative center of Mustang. The airport connects to Pokhara by flights. We can terminate our trek in Jomsom and catch a 20 minute flight to Pokhara. 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 Jomsom. It is famous for apples, apple brandy and yak meats. Day Day 15: Fly or Drive to Kathmandu — 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. Alternatively, you can drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu which takes around 6-7 hours. 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

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1Arrival in Kathmandu — Upon your arrival, you will be picked from the airport and will be taken to the hotel. You will meet your guide, discuss the trek program, and make final preparations for the trek by acquiring all restricted area permits. If time permits, we will take you for a sightseeing trip in the UNESCO world heritage site in Kathmandu and later, in the evening, you’ll have dinner in the hotel. Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.+