Annapurna Circuit and Tilicho Lake Trek - 17 Days

Your arrival at the airport marks the first day of the journey. One of Peregrine Treks’ representatives will greet you and will explain the program further to you. Transferred to your hotel with no further planned activities for the day, you may relax for the remainder of the time. Accommodation: Hotel Thamel Park, Hotel Arts Kathmandu, or a similar hotel

We will drive to Beshisahar by sharing Hiace; then, we will take a jeep from Beshisahar to Jagat. This drive gives you insight into the rural people's lifestyle and culture. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

Today's day begins with a walk on the rocky trail following the Marshyangdi River and progressively traveling uphill to Tal, at 1675 meters. This is the first village in the Manang district. The trail crosses an extensive flat valley, then ascends along a stone staircase at 1860 meters. Continuing the journey, you would be trekking to Dharapani at 1890 meters, where you can find stone chortens- a typical character of religious beliefs of the Tibetan villages from here northwards. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

Today, we will be moving along beautiful trails to the village of Chame. The often rough and rocky trail climbs to Timang first, at 2360 meters, and continues through lush forests near the river to Kopar, which lies at an elevation of 2590 meters. Approaching Chame- the headquarters of the Manang district, we will be rewarded with amazing views of Annapurna and two small hot springs by the town. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

Today, we will begin trekking through a forested, steep, narrow valley. Crossing a river on a long bridge at 2910 meters, we can see the towering Paungda Danda rock face beginning to appear. From there, the trail climbs to Pisang. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

We will continue through the upper part of the Manang district. The terrain of this part resembles a dry and heaving landscape as it is cut off from the monsoon rains by the Annapurna Range. People of this region herd yaks and raise crops for certain parts of the year. They also continued to enjoy special trading rights granted to them in 1784. Leaving Pisang, alternate trails north and south of the Marshyangdi River meet again at Mungji. The southern route by the Hongde airstrip at 3325 meters 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 3475 meters to nearby Manang at 3500 meters. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

Today, we will spend a day acclimatizing in Manang. We can spend the day sightseeing, viewing the beautiful sights around the village, and hiking along the landscape as we return to our accommodation and enjoy a night's rest. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

From Manang, we will head out through the western gates and follow the path down to the river. Crossing the river, we will continue walking on its southern side through coniferous forests. After reaching the Kangsar Village, we will walk towards Siri Kharka and pass a monastery. The uphill walk could be tiring, but we will have the Gungang Himal and Mount Chulu in the backdrop to keep us company. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

While the path from Siri Kharka to Tilicho Base Camp isn't very steep or physically strenuous, it could be exhausting as we will have to walk on narrow paths in a loose scree and landslide-prone area. Our trail goes through the middle of the landslide area, where we can see impressive rock formations along the trail. Overnight stay at the Tilicho Base Camp. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

After the initial challenging ascent, our trail continues to pester along the side of the mountain in a gradual steep incline before reaching the watershed. We can enjoy yaks and deer grazing along our trail on the way. On the other side is Tilicho Lake, a large spectacular lake 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 is featured in one of the holiest texts of the Hindus, The Ramayana. After spending some time at the Lake, we will retrace our steps and return to Siri Kharka. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

We will leave Siri Kharka and descend towards the Khangsar Village today. We will pass Tare Gumba- a thousand-year-old monastery significant to the locals. Upon reaching the Khangsar Village, we can see it is unhabituated except for occasional herders during festival times. Following a rock wall out of Khangsar, we will walk further until we reach a seasonal bridge in the Thorang Khola valley. After crossing the river, we will ascend to a plateau. Next, we will be walking until we reach Yak Kharka. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

Today, the trail descends to cross the river at 4310 meters, then ascends to Phedi at 4420 meters. Some good guesthouses have been built at High Camp (4600 meters). Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

Phedi's literal translation is "foot of the hill." The journey from Phedi to the Thorong La Pass starts today. We will do a steep climb along a regularly used trail and easy to follow. However, problems may occur due to the altitude and snow, making the crossing impossible if the pass is covered by snow. It takes about four hours to climb to the pass marked by chortens and prayer flags. You will be rewarded with a magnificent view of the entire terrain as you reach the top. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

You will visit the Muktinath temple early in the morning. Muktinath temple is the second most significant Hindu temple sacred to Buddhists. Many Hindu pilgrims come to visit the Muktinath temple. One hundred eight water taps were constructed in the shape of a cow's head and two small pounds. The Hindu people believe that if you bathe under all 108 taps (108 is a sacred number in Tibetan Buddhism), you will free yourself from the sin you committed in your past life. A short walk past a collection of chortens in the Dhola Mebar Gompa, or the Jwalamai (goddess of fire) temple, where a holy flame of natural gas burns behind a grill just above the spring at all times. After visiting Muktinath, we will return to the guesthouse for breakfast and trek to Jomsom via the Jharkot village. It is one of the windiest valleys in Nepal. Every afternoon, you can be sure of solid winds sweeping across the terrain in all seasons. Overnight at Guesthouse – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

We shall fly to Pokhara and then transfer to the hotel for breakfast.

Drive back to Kathmandu, 6-7 hours. Overnight at the hotel, breakfast included.

Approximately 3 hours before the scheduled flight, a representative from Peregrine Treks will take you to the airport from where you will depart.