Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake and Poon Hill  - 20 Days

On arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu, we will be greeted by a representative from Himalayan Glacier who will escort us till our hotel. After checking in, we take rest or visit Himalayan Glacier’s office. We may also stroll on the streets of Thamel, a tourist hub in Kathmandu for some souvenir shopping. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner hosted by Himalayan Glacier. For dinner, you will be served excellent authentic Nepalese cuisine, which will introduce you to the Nepalese food culture. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Today after breakfast we start a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu. Some of these landmarks are considered World Heritage Sites including the historic Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, the famous ‘Monkey Temple’ (Swayambhunath) and Buddhist shrine (Bouddhanath) which is one of the largest stupas in the world. At noon, there will be a pre-trip discussion where we can meet our trek leader and other team members. Himalayan Glacier briefs us regarding our trek as well as provides us an opportunity to ask any questions we may have regarding our upcoming adventure. Overnight in Kathmandu.

After breakfast in the hotel, we begin our drive from Kathmandu to Syange quite early in the morning. En route we get to enjoy Nepal’s countryside filled with green hills, winding rivers, terraced farms, and of course the mighty Himalayas. On reaching our destination, we check in at our lodge and take ample rest for the upcoming days’ hike. Overnight in Syange.

We start our walk after breakfast from Syange entering Manang district after crossing a large bridge near Tal. The trail passes through barley, rice and potato fields; and the waterfalls continue to accompany us all through the way. We also pass through the village of Kodo before reaching Dharapani, which is one of the biggest villages in the Manang valley. Overnight in Dharapani.

We continue our hike today after breakfast. Traversing through a few steep forested ridges and several landslide spots, we will make it up to the village of Chame. We should not forget to look up though, as we will be greeted with remarkable views of Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II, and Annapurna IV (7,525m). We also come across small hot springs which should help us relax for a while. Overnight in Chame.

In the morning after breakfast, we begin our hike by walking through a steep and narrow valley to get the first view of Paungda Danda rock race. it is a dramatic curved rock face rising 1,500m from the river basin. From this point, we get to witness excellent views of Annapurna II to the south, and Pisang Peak to the north east. We then descend slowly to the Manang Valley floor and enjoy the captivating landscapes. Overnight in Pisang.

From Pisang, there are two routes to Manang. We choose the one which passes through Upper Pisang via Ghyaru. This upper route guarantees outstanding views of Mt. Annapurna, Pisang Peak, and others. As we walk near Manang the climate becomes dry and colder. However, a short visit to Barge Monastery, the biggest monastery in the Manang District should cheer us up. Overnight in Manang.

Today is our acclimatization day. To keep fit on the trails that follow, we set out for  a short hike to either Bhojo Gumba or Lake Gangapurna. We can even hike to Vraga Village and visit the Himalayan Rescue Association, which will give us lots of information on Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Overnight in Manang.

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 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 a bit tiring, but we will have Gungang Himal and Mt. Chulu in the backdrop to entertain us. Overnight in Siri Kharka.

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.

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 reffered 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.

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 not inhabited except for occasional herders during festival times. We follow a rock wall out of Khangsar. We walk further more 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.

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.

Crossing Thorong La pass, one of the highest passes in the world will be our ultimate objective today. We will be crossing the pass from east to west (Manang to Muktinath) which is the easiest and safest direction. We get up around three in the morning and walk up the mountain. When we finally make it to the top, we realize that our journey was worth it. We can take a few photos before heading to Muktinath Valley at the foot of the Thorong La pass. Overnight in Muktinath.

In the morning, we visit Muktinath Temple, which is a sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists. In Hinduism, the temple is believed to be a sacred place called Mukti Kshetra, which literally means the “place of liberation or moksha”. After a visit to the sacred place, we drive to Tatopani and spend the night. Overnight in Tatopani.

We leave the Kali Gandaki valley and head up the Ghar Khola valley. The trail leads us through a terraced farmland with mountains all around. We pass through the villages of Shikha and Chitre before reaching a beautiful rhododendron forest. When in bloom the rhododendron trees with its average height of up to 8-10ft. will be covered with pink or red flowers. Walking furthermore, we reach Ghorepani, a beautiful village located at a ridge top. Overnight in Ghorepani.

We begin very early in the morning today to have a spectacular glance of sunrise over the Himalayas from Poon Hill (3,210m/10,529ft.). This hill is indeed the most popular trekking destination in the Annapurna region. It is also a great viewpoint to enjoy the amazing views of Mustang, Pokhara and over 20 of the highest mountains, including the close-up views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. After taking photographs, we return back to Gorepani. After breakfast, we head east and climb a nearby ridge. We descend through rhododendron forests, pass by spectacular waterfalls and reach Tadapani to spend the night. Overnight in Tadapani.

The trek from Tadapani until Ghandruk will be through a thick forest of rhododendron trees. After trekking for a while, we enter the village of Ghandruk, a slope settlement with stone houses mostly inhabited by the Gurung people. From here, we enjoy the towering views of the Fishtail, Annapurna South, and Hiunchuli mountains. From Ghandruk, we board on a private vehicle, that will take us to the city of lakes in about a couple of hours. Overnight in Pokhara.

After breakfast in our hotel, we begin our drive towards Kathmandu. We will have lunch on the way. On reaching Kathmandu, we will go into our hotel rooms and relax for a while. Later, we may set out to do some souvenir shopping or just stroll around Thamel streets. To celebrate the successful completion of our journey, we will enjoy a farewell dinner hosted by Himalayan Glacier. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Our adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! A Himalayan Glacier representative will escort us to the airport approximately 3 hours before our scheduled flight. If you wish to extend your stay in Nepal and make up your mind to partake some other activities, then Himalayan Glacier will be more than happy to make all arrangements for you. Ciao!