Annapurna Circuit with Nar Phu Valley Trek - 20 Days

Your 20 days Annapurna Nar Phu Valley trek begins as soon as you land in Kathmandu. When you arrive in Kathmandu by plane on a clear day, the mesmerizing vistas of the snow-capped mountain peaks spread out below you, setting off a chain reaction of unforgettable events that are going to stick with you for a very long time. Our airport representative will meet you at the exit gate of the airport and take you to your hotel in Thamel. After assisting you with checking into the hotel, our representative will give you an overview of your daily schedule or you can visit our office for that. The rest of the day is free for you to rest.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for your sightseeing tour of Kathmandu at approximately 9:00 am. Kathmandu is the historical center of Nepal and has been a well-liked travel destination ever since the country's borders were opened to outsiders. The city offers a fascinating blend of Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, and Western influences in the valley. You will visit the most well-known and significant Hindu shrine, Pashupatinath, the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal, Boudhanath, Swoyambhunath, and Kathmandu Durbar Square—all of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites

After a full day of guided touring, you will head back to your hotel and have some free time to purchase any necessary trekking equipment, since we’ll be leaving for the trek the very next day. While you’re busy touring the city, we prepare all the permits required for the trek.

You will have an early breakfast at your Kathmandu hotel, and our trekking guide will arrive there at around 7 AM to pick you up. From there, we'll drive to Dumre along the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway, then take the paved, narrow road beside the Marsyangdi River to Besisahar and finally to Bhulbhule. On the way, you will be treated by the beautiful scenery of the Nepalese countryside. You'll spend your first night of the journey in Bhulbhule.

We set out for Chamje after eating breakfast at the lodge. The hike will take approximately six hours, with a flat initial section and a sharp ascent before coming to a sheer rock wall that is 200–300 meters above the riverbed. After a while, we descend to the stone settlement of Jagat (1330m), which is perched on a shelf that plunges into the steep Marsyangdi valley. The trail now starts to go through woodlands with a few tiny ups and downs leading to Chamje. We’ll spend the night at a lodge in Chamje.

We begin our hike to Dharapani after eating breakfast at the guest house. We descend to the river and pass another suspension bridge. The initial trail to Sattale is so steep that it appears like one slip will send you crawling into the valley. After hiking for a while on the winding trail up to the top of a hill, Tal's level plain will be visible. Past Tal, the trail becomes steep, tortuous, and in some places hewn directly from the rock as the valley narrows. There is a little bit more cliff walking after the small settlement of Karte, after which the trail descends to the river once more. We cross another suspension bridge to reach Dharapani, which is where we spend today’s night.

Koto is a small village, where the Gurung people make up the majority among several ethnic groups. We begin the day early in the morning after breakfast. From Dharapani, you have to go along the trail that progressively climbs to Koto. With breathtaking views, the trail passes through Bagarchhap hamlet and traces the course of the Marshyangdi River. Along the way, you will see lush forests, Annapurna II, and the Manaslu range in stunning views. Once you reach Koto, you'll check into your room at a guest house.

You will leave the Annapurna hiking trail behind and enter Nar Phu Valley today. Hiking through deep pine forests, rivers, waterfalls, and streams of water will take you through breathtaking natural experiences. We arrive at the Nar Phu Valley after passing the checkpoint and across a bridge that leads there. The forest gets thinner as we cross Dharamshala, and you have to climb steeply to reach Meta, a magical settlement with close-up views of the snow-capped mountains. Meta is where we stay tonight.

We head out for today’s adventure after a warm breakfast at our overnight lodge in Meta. The trail begins with a climb and a descent. You travel for hours over suspension bridges across multiple waterways until you reach Kyang. Here you may see the remnants of the Khampa colony, especially the crumbling forts that once housed and caught the Khampa refugees from Tibet. A rough trail passes the Phu Khola before arriving at Phu Gaon.

It is a rest day in Phu Valley. We have an entertaining trip around the valley planned to liven up the rest day at Phu Valley. We'll take you to Ngoru's Kharka, or summer grazing settlement. It's a three-hour climb up the valley to Kharka after crossing the gompa. The village of Phu itself is a very intriguing place to explore where you can watch the people spinning the wool from their sheep and yaks and have a conversation with them. We come back to our tea house for the night.

Today’s trail descends to a river and retraces the path back to Junam Kharka. You then trek down the old bridge spanning a deep, contoured, and narrow gorge and back up again. You will reach the Nar gate at the top of a hill, and pass by yet another line of wonderfully painted, bamboo-topped chortens and a large tiered chorten before turning the corner and being rewarded with sublime views of Nar. Once you reach Nar, you can check in to your tea house and rest around the fireplace.

In comparison to Phu, Nar has a livelier environment. The hamlet's "square" is packed with women who read the paper, grind mustard seeds for oil, or spin the ubiquitous wool while working on back-strap looms to weave wool fabric for blankets and carpets. Villagers can be seen going about their everyday tasks, such as printing prayer flags, working on carpentry projects, gathering wood from the forest, harvesting crops, caring for yaks, sheep, and goats, and turning the prayer wheels in the town square. You can take a tour of Nar Village and watch the residents at work on their crafts on your day off. You could attempt to pick up some of the skills that are unique to the Nar people.

On this day of the Annapurna Nar Phu Valley Trek, you will cross the first mountain pass. We start our climb towards Kang La Pass in Nar after a substantial breakfast. If there is snow on Kang La Pass, it can be a bit of a challenge to cross on time. From the pass's summit, you may enjoy breathtaking views of Annapurna II, Mt. Gangapurna, Tilicho Peak, and numerous other surrounding peaks. After crossing the pass, you hike down to Ngawal and spend the night in a mountain lodge.

After a delicious Tibetan breakfast in Ngawal, we begin our day hike to Manang. Trekking on a flat path along the bank of Marshyangdi River, you reach Manang. On the way, you pass by lush pine forests and small villages along with terraced farms. You get to see views of the Annapurna range, Tilicho Peak, and beautiful landscapes on the way. Manang is a beautiful village with many things to see. Once you settle into your lodge, you can go out to explore. The village also has an aid post run by the Himalayan Rescue Association [HRA], which is a fun and informative place to visit.

Yak Kharka is going to be today's destination. The trail gradually climbs from Manang to Yak Kharka, passing over the village of Gunsang (3960 m). We will be hiking throughout the day enjoying the amazing views of the surrounding mountains. It may look like a minor ascent, but we will get tired from the altitude. Breathing becomes challenging at Yak Kharka's even higher elevation of 4050 meters. So we move slowly and deliberately. We rest at a tea house after arriving at Yak Kharka, where we also spend the night.

Today’s trail starts with a moderate climb up to a hilltop and then descends to Marsyangdi Headwaters. Next, we go over a secret wooden bridge. After climbing the mountain route on the right side of the Marsyandgi for a time, we eventually descend to Thorung Phedi after navigating a small trail up a dangerous slope. We hike to the base of Thorung La Pass, also called Thorung Phedi, at the end of the day, where we stay in a cozy mountain lodge to refuel for the next day.

Today we will travel across Thorung La Pass, which is 5416 meters high and the highest point on the Annapurna Circuit. We began our strenuous but easy journey to Thorang La Pass early in the morning. Four hours of nonstop rising later, we approach the prayer flags of the popular Thorung La Pass. We are met with stunning views of the brown and purple hills of Mustang and the snow-capped peaks at the top of the Kali Gandaki Valley as soon as we ascend the pass. Standing at the top of Thorung La Pass, you become overwhelmed with pride and a sense of accomplishment by the breathtaking surroundings.

We stop for a short while to take in the breathtaking Himalayas before continuing on our adventure. The breathtaking view of Dhaulagiri makes the agonizing 1600-meter descent to Muktinath enjoyable even though it can induce knee pain. At last, the moraines give way to grassy slopes, and we take a leisurely climb up via Jhong Khola Valley to reach Muktinath.

Today, you will be visiting Muktinath, a sacred Hindu shrine with Buddhist religious importance. There is a belief that bathing in the holy tapes found within the temple premises will cleanse you of your sins. So, in order to receive blessings, we get up early, get dressed, and go to the temple.

After our visit to the temple, we return to our overnight accommodation, have breakfast, gather our luggage, and resume our hike in the direction of Jomsom. One of the most visited tourist spots in Mustang is Jomsom. It's also the starting point of the Upper Mustang Trek. The lovely town of Jomsom is within our grasp in a few hours. Here you can sample the well-known apple wine from the area. 

After having an early breakfast at our overnight stay in Jomsom, we head out to Jomsom Airport and fly to Pokhara. Once you reach Pokhara, you will have an entire day to you. Explore around or relax as per your mood. Pokhara is a beautiful city of lakes full of natural, cultural, and religious wonders. You can easily spend your day going around the places or you can simply relax at a lakeside restaurant with your favorite food and drinks.

At approximately 7 or 8 AM, you will board a luxury tourist bus to Kathmandu. As you travel through various small settlements, you get to see the cascading rivers, terraced farmland, and lush countryside splendor. It will be a fantastic opportunity for you to see the stunning Nepalese landscape throughout the six or seven-hour bus excursion.

You will be dropped off at your Thamel hotel as soon as you get to Kathmandu. Once you've checked into your hotel in Thamel, take some time to relax and shop for mementos to take home for your loved ones. Come to your farewell meal with us on your final night in Kathmandu. 

You can leave the hotel as per your flight departure time. Our airport representative will drop you at the terminal gate and bid you our last goodbye.

If you want to take other tours in Nepal such as Chitwan Jungle Safari, Pokhara Day Tour or Lumbini tour then you can start from today and do let us know if you want to take any tour as we also arrange those tours.