Tilicho Lake Thorang-la Pass Trek - 17 Days

You will see our airport representatives holding the name card of our company outside the terminal. Hop into the tourist bus or jeep that will transfer you to your hotel. If you arrive early, our guide will hold a short briefing session about the tour. You should visit our office to complete a few formalities. You may spend the remaining day wandering around the Thamel, a small, colorful market on the heart of the capital city. A popular tourist hub has a number of hotels and high-end restaurants. Enjoy your dinner before heading to the room.

We have reserved the second day of the tour for a cultural visit in Kathmandu. The tour starts around 9 am. First, we will drive to Basantapur Durbar Square.

Basantapur Durbar Square: The plaza is merely 15 minutes away from Thamel. Its rich architecture, temples, culture, handicrafts, and wood has earned it a place in the list of UNESCO World Heritage. Embellished by magnificent Nine-Storied palace and Kumari Ghar, reflecting the ancient Newari culture and arts, this plaza was once the abode of royals. Some of the major monuments the complex houses are Jagannath temple, Kal Bhairav, Krishna Octangular Temple, Bhagwati Temple, Shiva Parvati Temple, Mahadev Temple, Maru Ganesh, Gaddi Baithak palace, Basantapur tower, Taleju temple, Kumari Bahal, Narayan temple etc. Receive a blessing from the Living Goddess at the Kumari Ghar before driving to Swaymbhunath.

Swayambhunath: A perfect epitome of ancient architecture, Swayambhunath is a sacred pilgrimage for Buddhist and Tibetan. The beautiful monuments sit on the top of the hill offering an amazing view of Kathmandu city. Adorned by sleeping Buddha, Statue of Buddha, gold plated Vajra and Dewa Dharma Monastery, the plaza is a symbol of peace and harmony. There are multiple entrances, we can either climb 365 stairs or drive to another entrance. It is fondly called Monkey Temple as it houses a large number of monkeys. Spend around an hour absorbing the beauty of the place then head to Pashupatinath.

Pashupatinath: The gigantic temple with a huge religious significance among Hindus throughout the world stands testimony to the history and ancient culture of Nepali people. Every inch of the complex reflects the belief of Hindu. The complex houses multiple temples constructed in distinct designs from Pagoda to Dome, Shikhara etc. The beauty of this complex has been enhanced by the colorful forest and a holy river, Bagmati. Since non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the inner courtyard of the temple, we will enjoy the view from afar and stroll around the outer courtyard before heading to Bouddhanath.

Bouddhanath: Bouddhanath is a perfect blend of religion, architecture, and culture. The peace this place offers in the midst of the busy city is unparallel. We will explore the plaza while doing kora around the world’s largest stupa. The plaza is filled with Nepali and Tibetan souvenir shops, thankas, temples, prayer wheels, prayer flags, monuments, and sculptures. There is a large number of high-end restaurants serving all type of dishes. Have lunch in one of them and drive back to the hotel or we may go for last minute trekking gear shopping if you need any.

Post breakfast, we will catch the tourist bus or jeep heading to Jagat. Leaving the noisy city behind, we will cross Thangkot. As soon as we leave the city behind, nature slowly starts to unravel itself displaying its multiple facets. From Thangkot we will drive for around half an hour on the downhill serpentine road. We will pass through a number of major settlements including Malekhu and Dhanding alongside the raging Trishuli river. Get the glimpse of rustic life in Nepal and enjoy the unparallel beauty in this 7 hours ride. We will take multiple short breaks to stretch our legs and delve into the beauty of this heavenly country. Since the road is dotted with a large number of restaurants, it won’t be a problem to find a lunch spot. From Dumre, we will drive to Beshisahar. The trail from here is unpaved and dusty. Drive for around two hours to reach Jagat.

The first day of the trek is relatively easy. We will start by ascending for around twenty minutes on the rocky trail then walk on the flat land. A few minutes walk from here will take us to a small village named Chamje near the raging river. Cross the village, climb the hill and walk on the zig-zag trail until we reach another beautiful village Tal. Walk on the road stippled with colorful prayer flags until we reach Gyasumdo. Witness the very different culture, lifestyle and see how beautifully subtropical vegetation replaces beautiful junipers and pines trees. Cross Korto then Karte to reach Dharapani. We will stop here to spend a night.

Wake up early in the morning, feed in the delicious breakfast then get ready for today’s trek. A short walk from here leads us to an ACAP checkpoint. After completing the registering process, we will march to Bagarchhap. The landslide in 1995 swept the entire settlement, we will see the remnants of old houses. A brief hike from here leads to another village called Danaque. From Dharapani, it will take us around two hours to reach Danaque. The trail to Timag is steep and tiring. We will walk through beautiful forests and traditional villages. In around an hour we will reach Thanchowk then head to Koto. Treading above the raging Marshyandgdi river we will reach Chame. One of the prominent towns in Manang, Chame sits at an elevation of 2,650 meters. Here, we can find a health post, a bank, internet cafes and a gear-shops.

This part of the Annapurna Circuit is dominated by a huge chunk of rock. In the initial hours, we will mostly walk alongside the raging Marshyandgi river, cross a few bridges and occasionally come across small hamlets including Bhratang. We will tread up and down through scattered Pinewood forest, cross newly carved wooden bridges and continue beside the giant rock wall. Upon reaching Dhukur Pokhari, we can stop for some tea and lunch since the place has few fine teahouses. From here, we ascend for around an hour to reach Pisang. On the way to Pisang, we will get our first glimpse of majestic Mt. Annapurna II and Pisang Peak. In Pisang, we can see the influence of Tibetan culture in everything from house to custom.

We will start the trek with a gradual climb on the hill above the Marshyangdi River valley. The amazing valley below and the sparkling mountains above, everything just looks awe-inspiring from the top. The trail meanders through the alpine forest leading us to Humde. Tread across Humde airport, walk past woodland and a small valley from where we can have a captivating view of Annapurna III. The route follows the scattered forest and antique villages including Braga. Probably one of the most scenic section of the Annapurna region, Braga sits on the foothill of gigantic snowy alp offering vistas of Gangapurna and Annapurna IV. We will explore an ancient monastery in Braga featuring the Buddhist relics and architectures before treading to Manang. From Braga, Manang can be reached within twenty minutes.

The eighth day of the trek is reserved for acclimatization purpose. Today we will roam around this charismatic village and embark into short hikes. The village houses a few shops, bakeries and small theaters. After an early morning breakfast, we will embark into a short hike up a few hundred meters. We can either hike up to see the sparkling glaciers of mesmerizing lakes. After heading back to Manang, we will stroll around the village and take rest.

Today we will be walking for around three hours only, however, the trek is going to be tiring. Upon reaching Khangsar, we will check into the hotel, have lunch, take rest and soak up the sheer beauty of this place. A delicious dinner is followed by rest.

Ascend until we reach Siri Kharka and walk past the landslide zone to reach Tilicho Base Camp. From Siri Kharka, it will take us around two hours to reach the base camp. The route from Siri Kharkha to Tilicho camp is easy as most of the time, we will be descending down, however, can be a little scary as we will pass through landslide area. Upon reaching the base camp, we will have our lunch then head to witness the sheer beauty of Tilicho Lake. From base camp, it will take us around four hours to reach the Lake. The view from here is breathtaking. Spend a few moments then head back to the base camp.

Leaving the Marshyangdi River valley behind, we will follow the trail piercing alpine vegetation. Walk past the landslide zone then descend to Siri Kharka. From Siri Kharka, it will take us around half an hour to reach Khangsar. Today’s trek will be short and easy. We will spend the remaining day taking rest and strolling around the village, witness the remnants of the house destroyed by landslides then check-in to the hotel.

Post breakfast, start climbing o the steep hill stretching to 400 meters. After reaching the top we will start descending down to the foothill. From here we will ascend until we reach Yak Kharka. The hike to Yak Kharcha provides us with a magnificent view of soaring Himalayan peaks. We will enjoy the vistas of Gangapurna and Annapurna II, IV and III. It is a small settlement housing only 3 or 4 lodges.

We will start our day early in the morning treading on the quite and easy trail enjoying the vistas of glorious mountains. A gradual uphill climb for around half an hour will take us to Churi Ledar. Leaving Churi Ledar behind, We will walk on the flat land with the gigantic Himalayan on the backdrop. Cross the river to reach the other side of the valley and walk on the narrow trail for around four hours to reach Thorong High Camp. However, the trail is not easy as it is filled with small pieces and passes through landslide area. Climb uphill then walk on the mountainside leading to Thorong High Camp. The place has few lodges and bakeries. We will spend a night here.

Today is another major day of this trek. Today we will be walking through the Thorong La Pass that offers the amazing view of soaring mountains. Since it’s going to be a long day, we will start early. From High Camp, Thorong La is merely 5 km away. However, the high altitude and the steep hill make the climb difficult and tiring. We will cross the metal bridge then walk to the ridge. From the ridge, the climb is not as steep as it was before. Upon reaching the top of the pass, we will drink tea, take pictures and delve into the beauty. From here, we will start to descend to Muktinath. After steadily descending for around one and a half hour, we will reach Charabu. From Charabu the trail to Muktinath is steep in the initial hour then flatten as we move forward. As we cross a long suspension bridge, we will get a glimpse of Muktinath. Hike up and down until we reach Muktinath. We will stroll around the village, offer prayers and enjoy the views before calling it a day.

The trek onward is easy and short. Tread to Kaligandaki river valley and take a short break at Ekale Bhatti. Since the weather gets windy after 11 am, we will have to reach Jomsom as early as possible. After walking for around four hours, we will take a rest in Jomsom.

Its time to bid goodbye to this heavenly valley. We will have breakfast early in the morning then walks to Jomsom airport. 15 to 20 minutes flight to Pokhara will leave us thrilled and excited. Since we reach Pokhara quite early, we will have a full day for sightseeing. After all, Nepal trekking is incomplete without visiting the city of tranquil lake and glorious mountains, Pokhara. Wander around the local market, soak up the beauty of Fewa Tal and enjoy the vistas of soaring peaks.

Today, we will drive back to Kathmandu. So, wake up early, have breakfast and pack your belongings. The 6 to 7 hours ride is sure to leave you exhausted so check into your hotel and take rest.

With beautiful memories, today you will head to your homeland. Our airport representative will escort you to the Tribhuvan International Airport three hours before your flight. We hope to see you again. Thank you.