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Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake: 14 Days from Kathmandu

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1/6

Duration15d

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · DE +3

Mobile ticketAccepted

The blue lake sits frozen at 4,919 meters, mirroring the peaks around it.

You trek for 14 days from Kathmandu through rhododendron forests and alpine terrain to Tilicho Lake at 4,919 meters, then cross Thorong La Pass at 5,416 meters before descending to Jomsom and returning to Pokhara by bus. Your guide, permits, teahouse lodging, meals, and transport from Kathmandu are all included. Plan for six to seven hours of walking most days, with one acclimatization rest day at Manang, and moderate fitness required for the altitude and steep sections.

15d

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Drive to Bhulbhule and trek to Nagdi

Drive from Kathmandu to Bhulbhule
Hike uphill to Nagdi

Day 2 — Trek from Nagdi to Chamje

Leave Nagdi towards Chamje
Trek through rhododendron forests
Arrive and stay overnight at Chamje

Day 3 — Trek to Dharapani via Manang valley

Breakfast at Nagdi
Trek along Marsyangdi river
Cross suspension bridge
Pass villages Khotro, Karte, Nache
Arrive at Dharapani for overnight stay

Day 4 — Trek to Chame through forests

Check ACAP permits
Walk to Baggarchap through forest
Pass Danaque apple orchards
Zig-zag trail to Chame
Overnight stay at Chame

Day 5 — Trek to Pisang via pine forests

Uphill climb past mani stones
Trek through pine forests
Walk along Paunga Dada ridge
Reach Pisang and stay overnight

Day 6 — Trek to Manang via Ngawal and Braga

Uphill climb past pine trees
Visit Ngawal settlement
Pass Braga monastery
Arrive at Manang for overnight stay

Day 7 — Acclimatization day in Manang

Rest and acclimatize at Manang
Explore Gangapurna Icefall and lake
Optional visit to Khangsur, Kecho lake, Milarepa cave

Day 8 — Trek to Tilicho Base Camp

Descend from Manang
Cross Jharsing Khola suspension bridge
Reach Khangsar village and monasteries
Climb steep trail to crest with prayer flags
Arrive at Tilicho Base Camp

Day 9 — Visit Tilicho Lake and return

Early walk along steep moraines
View surrounding icy peaks
Reach Tilicho Lake
Return to Siri Kharka for overnight

Day 10 — Trek to Lather via Yak Kharka

Descend towards Lather
Climb through alpine shrubs to Yak Kharka
Cross wooden bridge over Jarsang Khola
Arrive at Lather for overnight stay

Day 11 — Trek to Thorong High Camp

Walk to Thorung Khola
Cross river and reach Phedi
Climb steep trail to High Camp
Rest at Thorong High Camp

Day 12 — Cross Thorong La Pass to Muktinath

Early start from High Camp
Climb steep rocky trail to Thorong La Pass
Descend steeply to Muktinath
Visit Muktinath shrine and 108 showers

Day 13 — Trek to Jomsom via Kagbeni

Start trek from Muktinath
Descend dusty hills to Kagbeni
Continue to Jomsom
Overnight stay at Jomsom

Day 14 — Drive from Jomsom to Pokhara

Drive from Jomsom to Pokhara
Pass Tatopani, Beni, Kusma
Arrive and check in Pokhara hotel
Evening at local pubs

Day 15 — Drive back to Kathmandu

Drop off at Pokhara bus stop
Bus ride to Kathmandu

The Experience

The alarm goes off before dawn on day nine. You've been climbing for a week, and your legs know it — the steep moraines between Tilicho Base Camp and the lake demand everything you have left. The trail switchbacks through juniper scrub, altitude thinning the air with each step. Then the water appears: Tilicho Lake, a sheet of ice so clear you see the mountains twice, once above and once below. Most days it stays frozen solid. You stand there longer than you planned, because this is why you came — not for the Instagram moment, but for the quiet shock of being this high, this far from anything, and still able to breathe.

Getting here takes work. The trek starts with a 5-6 hour drive from Kathmandu to Bhulbhule on a local bus, following the Marshyangdi River past scattered settlements and farmland. Then the walking begins: six days of steady uphill through rhododendron forests thick enough to block the sky, past suspension bridges over rushing water, through villages where prayer flags snap in the wind. By day four you're in Chame with views of Annapurna II and IV rising above the valley. By day six you reach Manang at over 3,000 meters, where the air gets noticeably thinner and your body needs a rest day to adjust. The guide — an English speaker with insurance and experience — watches for signs of altitude sickness and sets a pace that works for the group. This isn't a race.

Day nine is the payoff, but day twelve is the test. Thorong La Pass sits at 5,416 meters, and the climb from High Camp starts in darkness. The path is rocky and steep, the wind can be brutal, and your legs will protest. But the pass itself — when you reach it after hours of grinding uphill — delivers a clarity that no amount of preparation quite captures. You've crossed the spine of the range. On the other side, the descent to Muktinath takes 2-3 hours of careful footing, and then you're at the sacred shrine with its 108 showers, where pilgrims have come for centuries. The final days are a wind-down: trekking to Jomsom, then a 6-7 hour drive back to Pokhara, then six hours by bus back to Kathmandu.

The whole Annapurna Circuit trek runs 14 days from start to finish. You sleep in teahouses along the route — simple, clean, with meals included. Your guide handles the ACAP permit and TIMS card. Transportation from Kathmandu is arranged. Food and lodging in Pokhara before and after the trek are part of the package. What you bring is fitness — moderate level minimum — and the willingness to walk six to seven hours most days, with one rest day built in. The altitude is real. The weather can turn. But the lake, the pass, the prayer flags, and the mountains stay with you long after your legs stop aching.

What’s included

Your trek includes private transportation from Kathmandu to Bhulbhule and from Jomsom back to Kathmandu via Pokhara, an English-speaking trekking guide with insurance and experience, all trekking permits (ACAP and TIMS card), teahouse accommodation throughout the trek with meals included, hotel stay in Pokhara with breakfast before and after the trek, and all fees and taxes. Food and lodging are arranged at each stop; you carry a day pack with water and personal items.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Mount Mania Treks Expedition P. Ltd.

Is this one for you?Right for trekkers with moderate fitness who want to reach high altitude and see glacial lakes without arranging permits, guides, or logistics themselves. Expect 14 days away from Kathmandu, six to seven hours of walking most days, and altitude above 4,900 meters — that's what makes the full circuit and Tilicho Lake possible in one trip.