Day 01:Drive from Kathmandu(1400m) to Sangya(1100m)
Duration of time:9 hours
Today is the start of your trek. After breakfast you will drive to Sangya. You will explore a lot of natural beauty on the way to drive. You will be stopping for tea break and lunch break at some of the good places. As you reach Besisahar, you will change bus to Sangya. It is about 8 to 9 hours drive from Kathmandu. You can explore rivers, green hills and terrace fields. You can also be familiar with the diverse cultures between Kathmandu to Sangya.
Overnight at Lodge inSangya
Day 02:Sangya(1100m) to Tal(1700m)
Duration of time:6 hours
Early morning after having breakfast, you will start your trek to Tal. It is a few hundred meters. You are on an ascending trail today. You will see one of the huge and beautiful waterfalls along the way. You will have lunch in front of the waterfall named Chamje. After lunch, you will then cross the long suspension bridge from which your trail will be more steep but you will get much fresh air to breathe and flora and fauna to explore. Tal village welcomes you with a huge gate for travelers from where Manag district starts. Tal village lies on the bank of the Marsyangdi river.
Overnight at Lodge in Tal
Day 03:Tal(1700m) to Timang(2750m)
Duration of time:6 hours
Early in the morning, you will have breakfast with a river view and then you will start the trek to Timang. Today you will often pass through the suspension bridge and massive Annapurna and Manaslu Himalayas. You are going to stop at a few spots for tea and lunch break. You will be having lunch in Danaqu then your trek leads you to Timang after a few hours of climbing. Today you will have a great day as you can see snow capped himalayas in front of you.
Overnight at Lodge in Timang
Day 04:Timang(2750m) to Chame(2600m)
Duration of time:4 hours
After you have breakfast with a perfect mountain view, you will see massive Himalaya from your lodge. You will have enough time to take pictures and then your departure will be a bit late from Timang village. You have a gradual trail to go Chame. Along the way you will walk through the Thanshep village where you will see more of Tibet Gurung culture. You will see Annapurna II and Lamjung himal. Today you are going to have lunch in Chame and check in your hotel. You can choose whether to explore more in Chame village or take rest. Chame is the headquarters of Manang district.
Overnight at Lodge in Chame
Day 05:Chame(2600m) to Pisang(3200m)
Duration of time:6 hours
After breakfast you will cross the suspension bridge then you start to see the Buddhist prayer flag, Mani wall, Chorthens and prayer wheels. You will always follow the clockwise walk around traditional monuments in the respect of Buddhism culture. After that you will follow a gradual trek today and find an Apple farm in Bhardang. Here you can taste fresh apples, apple pie and coffee. After tea break, your trail leads you to a gentle climb up to Dukkur pokhari where you will stop for lunch. You have a perfect himalaya view of Mt. Annapurna II, Mt. Annapurna IV, Mt. Annapurna III, and Mt. Lamjung. You should walk slowly and safely from this spot otherwise you might fall. Here, altitude and oxygen level are slightly lower than that of below level. After lunch you will go to visit a monastery where you can peace your mind. Then the trail leads you downward to lower Pisang where you will be staying tonight.
Overnight at Lodge in Pisang
Day 06:Pisang(3200m) to Manang(3500m)
Duration of time:8 hours
You will have two different options for today: take a high route or a low route? Of course our trek leader is happy to take you along a high route because you can have a 360 degree view and explore much more of Manang La people. You will climb about 500m after your breakfast and then stop for tea or coffee in Gherru. After tea you will have a good day for the trek. Land capped is so dry and there are less trees in this area so oxygen will be thinner. You will need more water and liquid energy for the day as it is going to be a long day till we reach Manang. You will stop for lunch at Nawal(3660m) and from here the trail gradually goes to Brakha where you will find old houses and monasteries. After Brakha, you will reach Manang in about 45 minute.
Overnight at Lodge in Manang
Day 07:Acclimatization in Manang(3500m)
Duration of time:4 hours
Today you have acclimatization day. Your trek leader brings you around the Manang village. You will visit Gangapurna lake and viewpoint of the best mountain view. You can explore Gangapurna lake and then visit the monastery areas in Manang village. You have hiked 500m high and now return back to stay in a guest house.You will be finishing your hike till lunch time. After lunch you can have tea and relax for today. This is the last spot for hot showers. If you find Himalaya rescue associations giving an altitude sickness briefing you can visit close by your guest houses.
Overnight at Lodge in Manang
Day 08:Manang(3500m) to Khanshar(3740m)
Duration of time:5 hours
After breakfast, you start your trek to Khanshar. Your trail for today is gentle climbing that leads to Tilicho mountain(7135m). This trail is less crowded than the main Annapurna trail. You will see much more mountains from this area. You will also get to find out mountain blue sheep in this region. You will visit Kanshar monastery where you will feel peace.
Overnight at Lodge in Khanshar
Day 09:Khanshar(3740m) to Tilicho Lake Base Camp(4140m)
Duration of time:5 hours
There is so much peace and being with the entire himalaya region. After having breakfast in this peaceful region, you start your trek to Tilicho lake base camp. Our trail is steep and narrow but we will go slowly and enjoy the trek with the mountain views along with the whole group. You must have enough water and some snacks in your day pack for being healthy and protected as you don’t want to catch altitude sickness. It is so peaceful and quiet to stay between the Himalayas.
Overnight at Lodge in Tilicho Lake Base Camp
Day 10:Tilicho lake base camp(4140m) to Shree kharka(4040m)
Duration of time:5 hours
Early morning as soon as you finish having your breakfast, you will be heading to Tilicho lake which is the world highest lake in the world. Our trail steepens up to go and depending on the season, there might be ice and snow on the way. So you must walk slowly and carefully. You might be challenged by the altitude so being warm and good gear is preferred in this altitude. When you make it to the lake, you can take pictures and enjoy seeing the lake. Then you will be back to Tilicho lake base camp. You will stay at the same guest house Shree kharka.
Overnight at Lodge in Shree Kharka
Day 11:Shree kharka(4040m) to Yak Kharka(4100m)
Duration of time: 5 hours
Today you will get up early. After your breakfast, you will head to yak kharka. It means Yak herders settlement. It is not a village only but also has lots of tourist lodges. Today you will join the main trail to Annapurna circuit trek. You will trek downwards at the beginning and at the end you will climb up to yak kharka where you will be staying overnight.
Overnight at Lodge in Yak Kharka
Day 12:Yak kharka(4100m) to Thorong Phedi(4445m)
Duration of time:4 hours
You are going to Thorong Phedi today. It means Thorong Base Camp. You will be climbing gently from yak kharka. You will cross one suspension bridge then your trail leads you a little uphill. You will be passing the landslide area so you must be much more careful in this landslide section. Then after walking for some time, you reach Thorong phedi. When you reach here, you will have lunch and hot drinks. Then you can have a rest for a while then your trek leaders offer to go hike for acclimatization walk for 1.30 hour. Today’s leader provides early dinner because next morning you will start the trek at 4 am from Thorong phedi.
Overnight at Lodge in Thorong Phedi
Day 13:Thorong Phedi(4445m) to Muktinath(3800m)
Duration of time:8 hours
You are going to trek to the world’s biggest Thorong la pass this morning so be prepared with warm gear and some snacks with packed lunch. You will start early in the morning with lights in the head. You will walk slowly up to Thorong high camp. It will be better if you drink water when you stop at the interval of a few minutes. After high camp you will ascend straight to another 3 hours. When you reach the top, you can click some group pictures then you will descend towards Muktinath. You should be more careful while descending down. On the way, you will see Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri himalayas as you come near mustang valley. When you reach Muktinath, a beautiful Hindu temple and monastery, you can worship in the temple and enjoy the scene. Muktinath means Nirvana god in Hindu. So many pilgrims visit this place.
Overnight at Lodge in Muktinath
Day 14:Muktinath(3800m) to Tatopani(1200m)
Duration of time:8 hours
Yesterday you ascend Thorong La pass(5416m) and descend Muktinath(3800m) which requires a lot of effort. So thinking about your comfort, today you are going to drive from Muktinath to Tatopani by a public vehicle along the dusty road. You can communicate with local passengers and explore their way travelling in local transport. On the way, you find beautiful lands, cafes, rivers, and apple gardens. You will stop for tea and lunch at a beautiful spot. When you reach Tatopani village, you will find hot springs. You can go to the hot spring and take a relaxing bath after you check in to the guest house which you will enjoy very much. It is believed that taking baths with hot water here will aid to heal your muscles.
Overnight at Lodge in Tatopani
Day 15:Drive fromTatopani(1200m) to Pokhara(850m)
Duration of time:6 hours
After breakfast you are going to drive to Pokhara by public. You can explore natural beauty along the way. It takes 6 hours to reach Pokhara from Tatopani. You can wander around the beautiful streets of Pokhara at night. You will be staying overnight at a hotel in Pokhara.
Overnight at Lodge in Pokhara
Day 16:Pokhara(850m) to Kathmandu(1400m)
Duration of time:6-7 hours
Today you will be driving from Pokhara to Kathmandu by tourist bus which takes about 7 hours. You will see more terrace and land capped. You can enjoy the beautiful scenes throughout the day. You will get good souvenirs in Kathmandu.After your arrival, you can take rest at your hotel or even explore Kathmandu.
Accommodation
We will be accommodated in star hotel or similar in Kathmandu and Pokhara; and teahouse during the trek. All the accommodation are offered on twin-shared basis. Single accommodation can be provided on request and will cost an additional charge. The charge depends on the hotel you are staying.
Private rooms are readily available in Kathmandu, Pokhara and the trekking region, except in high altitudes where there will be just dormitories. Usually there are no heaters in teahouse; they provide warm blanket. You can bring sleeping bag with extra liner for more comfort and warm. There is normally on electricity connection in the rooms unless the village has hydroelectric powers. The rooms and dining halls are connected with solar lighting. Most teahouses now have source of power to charge small appliances – mobile phones and cameras.
Meals
During Annapurna Tilicho Lake Trek, we get to taste authentic Nepalese cuisine and as well as the more common international cuisine (Tibetan, Continental, Italian, Indian, etc.) but the choice of foods are limited. We provide the “Breakfast & Dinner” from the teahouse or lodge where we will be spending overnight and lunch will be served on the way to next destination.
We also offer welcome and farewell dinner in Kathmandu. All the meals (B, L, D) will be provided during the trek but only the breakfast will be served in Kathmandu and Pokhara (except for welcome and farewell dinner).
Drinking Water
Crown Himalaya Trek offers Chlorine/Iodine treated water during the trek. All the teahouses provide mineral water and boiled water for trekkers on additional charge. We suggest you not to buy mineral water or bottled water while on the trek as plastic bottles are difficult to dispose- off.
What to bring
Firstly, you need to carry some documents to purchase Annapurna conservation permit (ACAP) and TIMS. Passport size phots and valid passport are required for ACAP. For Annapurna Tilicho Lake Trekking, you have to bring hiking boots, trousers, wind and water proof jacket and trousers, down jacket, sun glasses, hat, flash light, water bottle, refillable water and positive attitude. As it is difficult to find the charging port in high mountains, you need to bring back-up for your camera and mobile phones. Crown Himalaya Treks will arrange comprehensive medical kit for the trekkers.
This is very physical trip, meaning you will be walking on rough terrain, so pack as lightly as possible. Crown Himalaya Trek provide an experienced porter on (2 trekkers: 1 porter) basis. Your trekking gear will be carried by the porter in a duffel bag; the maximum of 15 kgs are carried by porters – 30 kgs by 2 porters. You can stock your unnecessary luggage in Kathmandu on absolutely free of cost.
Altitude Sickness
Altitude sickness is the unusual physical condition that occurs at higher elevation (more than 2,000m) due to change in air pressures. The symptoms are nausea, diarrhea, dizziness and loss of appetite that may lead to fatal conditions.
The Annapurna Tilicho Lake Trek itinerary offered by Crown Himalaya Treks offers ample time to acclimatize and rest. We walk on slow pace; taking proper rest which lets your body acclimatize well. We ensure our “trekkers” zero risk of altitude threat.
Physical Condition & Experience Requirements
ABC trek is a moderate trek perfect for passionate hikers with the ability to walk at least 5 – 7 hours on mountain terrain with a light rucksack. With excellent physical condition, positive attitude, self-confidence and strong determination, anyone regardless of size and age can accomplish the trek successfully.
We suggest you to engage on physical training for few weeks prior the trip to boost your strength, stamina and confidence. Cardio, swimming, running and leg exercise are few recommended physical training to prepare yourself for the trek. Previous trekking experience is always an asset but not mandatory. And no technical skills are required as well.
Trekkers with pre-existing medical conditions like heart, lung and blood diseases are suggested to consult their doctor prior the trip.
Best Time to Trek
Annapurna Tilicho Lake Trek is possible to conduct throughout the year but autumn (Sept to Nov) and spring (March – May) are considered as the best time of the year for the trek. If you want to avoid the traffic, you can enjoy the trek during winter (Dec, Jan and Feb). However, the extremely cold temperature and frequent snow-fall might distract the trek. Trekking in summer or Monsoon seasons (June – August) are full of rain; which might invite the risk of landslide and flood. But the rainy season could be paradise for keen botanist.
Route Map
Crown Himalaya Treks will provide the complementary route map and T-shirt for the trekkers.
