Annapurna Circuit Trek With Tilicho Lake is a popular trekking region in Nepal for adventurous trekkers. The trail passes through country inhabited by diverse ethnic groups, and offers spectacular mountain scenery from the far northern Himalayas to the Tibetan Plateau. Annapurna Circuit Trekking offers a 5416m high pass, Thorung La, and the magical scenery of the White Mountains.

The Annapurna Circuit Trek passes through lowland Brahmin and Chhetri villages to the remote village of Manang and descends the Kali Gandaki Gorge (officially the deepest gorge in the world). The Annapurna Circuit Trek offers one of the highest passes in the world, Thorung La Pass 5416m, which trekkers can summit without climbing a mountain.

The beginning of the trek passes through rice fields, green tropical forests, and the hospitable villages of various ethnic people. Annapurna Circuit Trekking offers the amazing scenery of snowy Mt. Manaslu (8187m), Mt. Annapurna, Mt. Hiunchuli, Mt. Gangapurna, Mt. Nilgiri, Mt. Dhaulagiri, and many more epic peaks. Another attraction of the Annapurna Circuit Trek is the Tibetan village of Manang (3500m) where we can observe Buddhist monks worshiping at one of the magnificent monasteries in the area. A side trip from Manang village offers the icy Gangapurna Lake and the incredible paradise surrounding Gangapurna Glacier. The trail ascends from Manang Village to the Thorung La Pass (5416m), the highest point on the Annapurna Circuit Trek. From the pass trekkers enjoy spectacular views of Mustang Peak, the snow-covered giant Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m), and the amazing lands of Upper Mustang, a restricted area. After crossing Thorung La Pass (5416m) the trail descends to the Hindus Temple of Muktinath, a celebrated Hindus pilgrimage with 108 spring water taps and mysterious natural gas fires. The trail then descends along the edge of the Kali Gandaki River Valley to Jomsom, a major center for the Mustang District. From Jomsom, a 20 minute scenic flight takes you to another picturesque town, Pokhara, which offers many tourist sights.

Trekkers in good health should consider the Annapurna Circuit Trek. Trekkers slowly ascend the trail to allow full acclimatization and optimum enjoyment of the Annapurna Circuit paradise.

Itinerary:

Day 1 Arrive Kathmandu. Meet & transfer to Hotel. Afternoon sightseeing tour of Swoyembhunath. O/N Hotel.

Day 2 Kathmandu to Beshi Sahar (823m) Bhulbhule (840 m). Early morning drive from Kathmandu to Bhulbhule via Besisahar. It takes seven to eight hours to reach Bhulbhule by bus. Overnight at lodge in Bhulbhule.

Day 3 Bhulbhule to Chamje (1430m.) 7/8 hours. After breakfast at Bhulbhule, we begin our trek to Chamje. Lunch will be served halfway to Chamje. En route, we would trek along the steep and slippery trail running through paddy fields; the trail ascends through the rhododendron forest to Chamje. Overnight at Lodge.

Day 4 Chamje to Bagarchhap (2160m). The day begins with a rocky trail following the Marsyandi River progressively uphill to Tal at 1675m, the first village in the Manang district. The trail crosses an extensive, flat valley, then ascends a stone staircase to 1860m. The journey continues to Dharapani at 1890m where we find a stone entrance chorten typical of the Tibetan villages from here northwards. We then visit the Bagarchhap at 2160m where we can view the typical flat-roofed stone houses of local Tibetan design. Overnight at Guest House.

Day 5 Bagarchhap to Chame (2630m). The often rough and rocky trail climbs to Timang at 2360m, then continues through the forest near the river, to Kopar at 2590m. Approaching Chame, the headquarters of the Manang district, we are rewarded with the fine views of Annapurna and two small hot springs by the town. Overnight at Guest House.

Day 6 Chame to Pisang (3300m). We begin our day trekking through a forested steep and narrow valley, then we cross a river on a long bridge at 2910m. We then cross another bridge at 3040m, where a view of the towering Paungda Danda rock face begins to appear. From there, the trail climbs to Pisang, 3200m. Overnight at Guest House.

Day 7 Pisang to Manang (3500m). Today we continue through the upper part of the Manang district, which is cut off from the monsoon rains by the Annapurna Range. People of this region herd yaks and raise crops for part of the year. They also continue to enjoy special trading rights granted to them in 1784. Leaving Pisang, there are alternate trails north and south of the Marsyangdi River which meet up again at Mungji. The southern route by the Hongde airstrip at 3325m involves less climbing than the northern route via Ghyaru, though there are better views on the trail that follows the northern bank of the river. From Mungji, the trail continues past the picturesque but partially hidden village of Bryanga at 3475m to nearby Manang at 3500m. Overnight at Guest House.

Day 8 Manang Rest Acclimatization Day. Today we spend a day acclimatizing in Manang. We spend the day sightseeing and viewing the wonderful sights around the village, hiking high and sleeping low as we return to our accommodation and enjoy a night’s rest. Overnight at Guest House.

Day 9 Manang to Siri Kharka (4060m/13,320ft): 4-5 hours. From Manang, we head out through the western gates and follow the path down to the river. We cross the river and continue walking on its southern side through the coniferous forest. After reaching Kangsar Village, we walk further up towards Siri Kharka and pass a monastery on the way. The uphill walk could be tiring but we will have Gungang Himal and Mt. Chulu in the backdrop to keep us company. Overnight in Siri Kharka.

Day 10 Siri Kharka to Tilicho Base Camp (4140m/13,583ft): 5-6 hours. While the path from Siri Kharka to Tilicho Base Camp isn’t very steep or physically strenuous, it could be exhausting as we have to walk on narrow paths in loose scree and landslide area. Our trail goes through the middle of the landslide area whereby we can see impressive rock formations along the trail. Overnight in Tilicho Base Camp.

Day 11 Visit Tilicho Lake (4,949m/16,138 ft) then back to Siri Kharka: 5-6 hours. After the initial tough, steep, switch-backed ascent, our trail continues to hug the side of the mountain in a gradual to steep incline before reaching the watershed. On the way, we enjoy yaks and deer grazing above and below our trail. On the other side is Tilicho Lake, a large spectacularly set lake nestled at the foot of the north face of Tilicho Peak. The lake was referred to by the leader of the French expedition team as ‘The Great Ice Lake’. The Lake also holds an important place for the Hindus as this sacred lake features in one of the holiest texts of the Hindus, The Ramayan. We retrace our step and return to Siri Kharka. Overnight in Siri Kharka.

Day 12 Siri kharka to Yak kharka (4040m/13,020ft): 4-5 hours. We leave Siri Kharka and descend towards Khangsar Village. On the way, we pass Tare Gumba, a thousand-year-old monastery which is very important to the local people. Upon reaching Khangsar Village, we realize that it is uninhabited except for occasional herders during festival times. We follow a rock wall out of Khangsar. We walk further until we reach a seasonal bridge in the Thorang Khola valley. After crossing the river, we ascend for a while to a plateau. Next, walk furthermore until reaching Yak Kharka. Overnight in Yak Kharka.

Day 13 Yak kharka to Thorang Phedi: (4420m/14501ft): 3-4 hours. It is an uphill walk to Thorang Phedi. After walking for some time we cross a suspension bridge and reach Ledar village. We ascend furthermore and pass through towering cliffs before reaching Thorang Phedi, the last village before Thorong La. On this trip, we are rewarded with one of the best views of Mt. Gundang, Mt. Syagang, Thorung Peak, and Mt. Khatungkan. Overnight in Thorang Phedi.

Day 14 Phedi or High Camp to Muktinath (3710m). The journey from Phedi “foot of the hill” at the foot of the 5416m Thorung La pass, starts the day. We make the steep climb that is regularly used and easy to follow. However, a problem may occur due to the altitude and snow which can often make the crossing impossible if the pass is covered by snow. It takes about four hours to climb up to the pass marked by the chortens & prayer flags. As you reach the top, you are rewarded by the magnificent view from the top. Overnight at Guest House.

Day 15 Trek to Jomsom (2713m.) Visit Muktinath temple early in the morning. There is the second biggest Hindu temple as well as a Buddhist temple. Many Hindu pilgrims come to visit Muktinath temple. There are 108 water taps and two small ponds. The Hindu people believe that if you take a bath at 108 taps (108 is a sacred number in Tibetan Buddhism), cast in the shape of cows’ heads, which pour forth sacred water, you will be free from the sin which you committed in your past life. A short walk past a collection of chortens is the Dhola mebar Gompa, or Jwalamai (goddess of fire) temple, where a holy flame of natural gas burns behind a grill just above the spring. After visiting Muktinath Temple, we come back to the lodge for breakfast then start trek to Jomsom via Jharkot village, Kagbeni, Ekle Bhatti, which is the headquarters of Mustang district. It is one of the windiest valleys in Nepal. Every afternoon is guaranteed to be windy in the season. Overnight in Jomsom.

Day 16 Fly back to Pokhara. Today early morning we will go to the airport to fly to Pokhara. I will take about 30 minutes to Pokhara. During the flight, we may see many mountains as well as the trail down to Tatopani / Ghorepani.

Day 17 Drive back to Kathmandu. Drive back to Kathmandu by Bus – about 6-7 hours scenic drive. Evening farewell dinner.

Day 18 Transfer to Airport for your onward for next destinations.

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