Annapurna Circuit & Nar Phu Valley Trek

We greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in the centre of Kathmandu, where our Encounters Travel rep welcomes you, helps you settle in, and explains the agenda for the rest of your tour.

The first part of the morning will be dedicated to a pre-trek briefing and introduction to your trekking guide. After this you'll take a relaxed walking tour through the tourist district of Thamel, and on through tiny markets, past local temples and on to the central Durbar Square with its splendid array of Hindu temples, stupas and palaces. The rest of the day is then free to explore yourself and to make any final purchases from one of the many trekking shops.
In the evening you have an opportunity to try out the numerous, restaurants and bars, and soak up the feel of the place that makes Kathmandu a magnet for travellers from all over the world.

Ye leave Kathmandu early today and head West along the main road towards Pokhara. You will travel in a private car/minibus and, once clear of the city’s surrounding hills, you may be rewarded with a wonderful panorama of snowcapped peaks as you wind your way down to the Trisuli River valley. White water rafters can often be glimpsed enjoying the rapids far below. The journey will also give you your first glimpse of Manaslu, far away to the north. After you arrive at Dumre, you head north to Besi-Sahar (823m) where you spend the night. The drive today is approximately 6 hours in total.

After spending last night in Besi Sahar we’ll follow the newly constructed road and start heading up through the Marsyangdi valley to Koto where we’ll begin our trek tomorrow. The classic full Annapurna Circuit trekking route starts from Besi Sahar itself, but since the road has been built we find it a better experience to drive the first section and then to start hiking from further up where we can then spend more time in remote, less visited areas such as the Nar and Phu Valleys, well away from the new road. Our drive will be in a jeep which may be shared with other trekkers. Approx. 4 hours drive in total today.

We’ll be making an early start today as we have a lot of ground to cover on our journey from Koto to Meta. We begin our day hiking along the banks of the Soti Khola, passing through pine and rhododendron Forests and crossing suspension bridges before we make our way to Dharmasala, our mid-way point. We then have a steep ascent towards Meta village where you will be rewarded with views of Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal. Trekking time - 7-8 hours.

The remote Nar and Phu Valleys are famous for their Tibetan culture and that's exactly what you'll experience today. We'll make our way out of Meta this morning and pass by colourful Tibetan Chortens and through interesting villages. We'll also get good views along the way of the Nar Phedi Monastery which we'll visit (and stay at) on day 8. As we get closer to Phu, you'll cross over a bridge and pass by a line of Chortens which greet you on approach to the village. These valleys remain little visited by tourists and the trekking experience here is excellent. Trekking time - approx. 7 hours.

As we increase our altitude the risk of experiencing altitude sickness increases and we have therefore built in an acclimatisation day today in Phu which can be used for an additional hike to Himlung Himal base camp or exploring the local village. Phu village itself is very interesting and a good way to spend today is by exploring the narrow streets of the village, seeing the locals carrying out their day to day tasks such as processing mustard seeds for oil and spinning wool. You should also definitely make time to visit the Tashi Lakhang Monastery, which is thought to have been the last monastery constructed by the revered Karmapa Rinpoche. For those looking to further exert themselves, there is a good day hike from here through a scenic glacial valley to Himlung Himal base camp (trekking time 4-5 hours).

Today we'll begin retracing our route back towards Meta, however we'll divert off route to Nar Phedi Monastery where you'll be spending the night. Rooms are the monastery are modest but clean and comfortable. In the evening you'll be able to join the novice monks for their evening prayer before joining a communal meal. Trekking time - approx. 6 hours.

Despite gaining altitude again, we have an easier day today and should arrive at our destination, Nar village at around lunch time. As we say goodbye to Nar Phedi we'll begin our ascent towards Nar following a winding path, which, if the weather is clear, rewards you with views of the snow-capped peak of Kang Garu in the distance. Every now and then you will come across a traditional chorten lining the route.
Once you arrive in Nar Village, you will notice that it's livelier than Phu, with the village square being where most of the activity takes place. The village is located in a natural bowl and is surrounded by farmland and beautiful mountain views in the distance. Trekking time - approx. 4 hours.

Today will be one of the longest and hardest days you'll have on this trek, so we'll be making an early start, shortly after sunrise. As we leave Nar Village, we'll head towards the Kang La Pass on a pleasant path which takes us through farms and yak grazing lands. Once on top of the Pass you'll want to pause for a moment to appreciate the beautiful views of Annapurna II, Tilicho Peak and Gangapurna. After passing over the Kang La Pass (5320m) we'll have a steep descent to Ngawal which will take us through some sections of scree which will need to be carefully navigated. As Ngawal is back on the main Annapurna Circuit route, you'll see a noticeable difference from the traditional villages you've just visited. The lodges here are larger, with more facilities, some may even have Wifi. Trekking time - approx. 7-8 hours.

We have a relatively easy day today which will firstly see us trekking along the Marsyangdi River for around an hour before entering Braka Village to explore the monasteries here. After time in Braka, we’ll push on and trek the remainder of the distance to Manang. Manang is by no means a large town, however you will find a good selection of guest houses here and even some trekking supply shops.Trekking time – 4 to 5 hours.

On leaving Manang, the trail follows the Jargeng Khola, a tributary of the bigger Marsyangdi Khola. You continue to gain altitude as you travel through small villages eventually arriving at Yak Kharka (3,950m). Excellent views abound, especially of the Glacier Dome. If you're feeling good, you may push on to Churi Lethar today.
Approx. Trekking time – 3.5 to 4.5 hours.

Pressing on from Yak Kharka, you trek through the tiny cluster of buildings at Churi Lethar. You then cross the Jargeng Khola and it’s just a bit further to Thorung Phedi. This is second fairly short day's walking, but you are gaining altitude still and taking this steadily is sensible, especially as there is a long hard day tomorrow. Trekking time – approx. 3 hours.

You must leave early today as you have a long, slow, and steep ascent ahead and you need to lose considerable altitude again after crossing the high pass before you can rest for the night. Leaving early also helps to ensure better weather as the views are spectacular and you should be travelling slowly enough to fully appreciate them. Your guide will check reports on the weather and snow conditions on the Pass before you set off.
After a tough, steady walk in the high altitude, around late morning you reach the highest point of this trek, the Thorung La Pass at 5,416m, and you cross from the Marsyangdi Khola to the Kali Gandaki river valleys. Not many people ever get the chance to trek at such heights and you really feel the privilege and the altitude.

As you descend it becomes very steep in places, and hard on the knees, but the views and the beautiful Hanging Meadow on the way down are more than enough to compensate. You can rest your legs and be proud of your accomplishment when you arrive in Muktinath (3,802m) having covered over 2,400m in height today. There is an “eternal flame” here as flames burn on water where a spring and natural gas exit the ground together. This is housed just above the town in the temple complex. Muktinath has long been a pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists alike because of this remarkable occurrence.
Trekking time – approx. 7 hours.

After the long hard day crossing the Thorung La yesterday you've a choice today. You can either take the quicker and easier route downhill from Muktinath, following the road along several sections of the route to Kagbeni (2850m), or take a longer more scenic trek avoiding the road. This alternative route takes you through the dramatic village of Jarkot (3500m) and across the Lubra Pass (3772m) before a long descent into the Kali Gandaki Valley and the village of Ekle Bhatti (2740m). You could spend the night here or walk a little further up the valley to Kagbeni, which is a beautiful village in Lower Mustang. Either way you should enjoy great views of Dhaulgiri (8167m) across the valley.

If you get to Kagbeni early, its worth crossing the valley and exploring the traditional villages of Chhyongkhar, Jhong and Purang, which are all culturally part of Mustang.

You could finish the trek today and take a jeep back down towards Pokhara. However, we like to add another couple of days here to make the most of your time high in the mountains, and to see more of how the more barren scenery contrasts with that on the Manang side of the Thorung La. This itinerary's route therefore leaves the main Annapurna Circuit path (and road) again today to head into the hills on the western side of the Kali Gandaki valley. There are several routes to choose from to get from Kagbeni or Elke Bhattia to Dhagarjung village, and you can discuss which to take with your guide, depending on how long you would like to make your day's walk. Trekking time - 3-5 hours.

Your final day's trekking today takes you over one last pass, the 'Windy Pass' of Bhatase Bhanjyang at 3472m before you descend back into the valley floor at Jomsom. There is an airport here and there is an option to fly back from Jomsom to Pokhara if you'd like to shorten the tour. This should ideally be booked in advance, but may be available locally too. Our route crosses the valley again to avoid the road and continues to descend through Thini and on to the welcoming village of Marpha (2680m) which we much prefer as a place to stay than Jomsom. Unlike some villages on the route, Marpha has worked hard to preserve its unique heritage and architecture, with stone built houses nestling against the cliffs.

You’ll be able to give your legs a rest today as we drive the remainder of the journey. Early morning, we'll take a bus or shared jeep further down the Kali Gandaki valley through Kalopani (2530m) and Ghasa (2010m) and on down to Tatopani (1190m). This drive should take around 3 1/2 hours. In the afternoon, the hot springs can provide a welcome relief from the past few weeks walking. Only the good food on offer is enough to drag some out of the steaming pools. The brave can alternate the hot water with quick dips in the ice cold river which rushes alongside.

Your final drive out of the mountains leg takes you the remainder of the way from Tatopani by shared jeep or bus to the lakeside town of Pokhara. The city is enchanting, and dominated by views of the Annapurnas and in particular of Machhapuchhare. The Lakeside area (around Phewa Lake) is delightful and throngs with travellers in the evenings. Alternatively if you would like to extend your time in the Annapurnas we can arrange a trek extension up from Tatopani to Ghorepani to the famous view point of Poon Hill, from where you descend again before returning to Pokhara - please contact us for details and pricing.

You leave Pokhara behind today and make the drive to the Newari hilltop village of Bandipur (approx. 3 hours). The beautiful centre of Bandipur has been lovingly restored and much of the town is now a pedestrian only zone and surrounded by beautiful old buildings. After settling into your hotel you can spend the afternoon relaxing or exploring the town or take a hike to the nearby village of Ramkot. Ramkot is a village inhabited by the Magar community with good views, and gives you the opportunity to see another Nepalese community with their traditional round houses.

If you wish, you could skip Bandipur completely and return all the way to Kathmandu today, shortening the whole tour by a day.

There's more free time this morning to explore Bandipur before driving back to Kathmandu (approx. 4-5 hours, subject to the traffic on arrival in Kathmandu). You can start at a time of your choosing, depending on whether you'd like more time around Bandipur or in Kathmandu. One good option is to spend the morning walking down through the forests from Bandipur to Bimalnagar on the the main Kathmandu road at the bottom of the hill, stopping at the Siddha Gufa cave on the way. This cave is reputedly the largest in Nepal, at over 400m deep and 50m high, full of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as hundreds of bats. Compulsory guides are present if you'd like to enter (approx. NRs200). The cave is unlit, with torches available for hire. The stone steps down from Bandipur can be slippery.

You'll have some free time in Kathmandu today until we transfer you to the airport for departure. Extensions are available if you'd like to do some other trekking, try some white water rafting, or add a visit to one of Nepal's national parks.