- Length
- 17 days
- Highest point
- 5,416 m
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Best months
- Oct–Nov, Mar–May
- Starts
- Besisahar / Kathmandu
- Group size
- 2–10 People
- Sleeping
- Tea House
The definitive Annapurna Circuit — 17 days crossing Thorong La at 5,416m, with a dedicated side trip to Tilicho Lake (4,919m), one of the highest lakes on Earth.
- Tilicho Lake (4,919 m) — world's highest lake; one of Nepal's most spectacular detours
- Thorong La Pass (5,416 m) — the most celebrated high-altitude crossing in Nepal
- Muktinath Temple — sacred Hindu and Buddhist shrine in a high-desert valley
- Full Annapurna Circuit plus Tilicho side trip: the most complete version available
- Manang Valley acclimatisation with Annapurna III and Gangapurna glacier views
- Kali Gandaki Gorge — world's deepest canyon between two 8,000 m massifs
- Rain-shadow Mustang zone: ochre desert canyons and Tibetan-heritage villages
- Tatopani hot springs and Marpha apple orchards on the descent to Jomsom
The climb, day by day
Day 1Drive Kathmandu → Besisahar (760 m)760 m
Depart Kathmandu by private vehicle along the Prithvi Highway, following the Trishuli then Marsyangdi river valleys west and north to Besisahar, the traditional circuit starting point. Arrive late afternoon. The 7–8 hour drive is scenic through midhill Nepal.
- Distance
- 185 km
- Walking
- Drive
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 2Besisahar → Bahundanda (1,310 m)1,310 m
Begin trekking north along the Marsyangdi, crossing suspension bridges through rice paddies and passing through Khudi and Bhulbhule. Climb through terraced farmland to reach the Brahmin ridge village of Bahundanda with its first valley panoramas.
- Distance
- 22 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 3Bahundanda → Chamje (1,430 m)1,430 m
Trek north through Syange, descending to the Marsyangdi gorge and crossing into increasingly dramatic terrain. Jagat marks entry to the restricted Manang district. Continue through the narrow gorge to the riverside settlement of Chamje.
- Distance
- 20 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 4Chamje → Dharapani (1,860 m) → Chame (2,670 m)2,670 m
Trek through Tal (the flat lakeside settlement) and Karte, entering the broader Manang valley at Dharapani. Continue upvalley through Bagarchhap and Danaque — where traditional Tibetan-style flat-roofed architecture signals the transition to the high Himalayan cultural zone. Reach Chame, the district HQ, with its hot springs.
- Distance
- 24 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 5Chame → Pisang (3,300 m)3,300 m
Trek past the dramatic 1,500 m curved rock face above Chame through dense pine forest. Reach Lower Pisang with the stunning Pisang Peak (6,091 m) pyramid ahead. Optional climb to Upper Pisang village for sweeping Manang valley views.
- Distance
- 18 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 6Pisang → Manang (3,519 m)3,519 m
Wide open valley walking under the shadow of Annapurna II, III, and Gangapurna. Pass through Humde airstrip, Bhraka, and the ancient walled village of Ngawal before arriving in Manang — the cultural heart of the circuit with its monastery, rescue clinic, and bakeries.
- Distance
- 22 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 7Manang · Acclimatisation Day3,519 m
Full rest day for acclimatisation. Hike to Gangapurna Lake viewpoint or Ice Lake (4,600 m) for acclimatisation. Attend the free altitude lecture at the Himalayan Rescue Association clinic in the afternoon. Essential preparation for both the Tilicho Lake excursion and Thorong La crossing.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- Rest Day
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 8Manang → Tilicho Base Camp (4,150 m)4,150 m
Trek west from Manang through Shree Kharka and across a steep and exposed traverse above the Marsyangdi gorge to reach Tilicho Base Camp. The trail is narrow in places with significant exposure — poles and careful footing essential. Base Camp tea houses are basic but well-positioned for the lake visit.
- Distance
- 11 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 9Tilicho Base Camp → Tilicho Lake (4,919 m) · Return to Manang3,519 m
Early start for the steep 2.5-hour climb to Tilicho Lake (4,919 m) — one of the highest lakes in the world, set in a vast glacial bowl surrounded by the Tilicho Massif and the Great Barrier. Return to base camp, then trek back to Manang via the same traverse. A demanding but extraordinarily rewarding day.
- Distance
- 22 km
- Walking
- 8–9 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 10Manang → Thorong High Camp (4,925 m)4,925 m
Trek through Tenki, Gunsang, and Yak Kharka (4,018 m) to Thorong Phedi (4,450 m) and the final steep climb to Thorong High Camp. The altitude increases significantly; move slowly and drink water frequently.
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 11Thorong High Camp → Thorong La Pass (5,416 m) → Muktinath (3,800 m)3,800 m
Depart 3–4 am for the pre-dawn crossing of Thorong La Pass at 5,416 m — the highest point of the trek. Prayer flags and cairns mark the summit. Panoramic Himalayan views. Steep 4–5 hour descent through scree and yak pasture to the holy temple town of Muktinath, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists alike.
- Distance
- 20 km
- Walking
- 7–9 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 12Muktinath → Kagbeni (2,810 m)2,810 m
Visit the sacred Muktinath temple complex in the morning — 108 water spouts and the eternal flame are spiritually significant for both faiths. Descend the dramatic Kali Gandaki gorge (the world deepest by some measures) to Kagbeni, a medieval walled village at the entrance to Upper Mustang. The landscape is strikingly arid and Tibetan in character.
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 3–4 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 13Kagbeni → Jomsom (2,720 m)2,720 m
Trek downstream along the Kali Gandaki river through powerful morning headwinds. Jomsom is the administrative centre of Mustang district with an airport, good lodges, and the landmark Thakali architecture that characterises this valley.
- Distance
- 9 km
- Walking
- 3–4 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 14Jomsom → Tatopani (1,190 m)1,190 m
Long descent south through the Kali Gandaki gorge, passing through Marpha (famous for apple orchards and brandy), Tukuche, Larjung, Kokhethanti, and Ghasa. The landscape transforms dramatically from arid Tibetan plateau to subtropical river valley. Tatopani (hot water) is named for its geothermal hot springs — a perfect end to the long descent.
- Distance
- 38 km
- Walking
- 7–8 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 15Tatopani → Ghorepani (2,860 m)2,860 m
Climb steeply from the Kali Gandaki back into rhododendron and oak forest, ascending from subtropical heat to cool highland air. Pass through Shikha and Phalate before reaching Ghorepani on the classic Poon Hill ridge, completing the full loop from the western to the southern Annapurna flanks.
- Distance
- 16 km
- Walking
- 6–7 hours
- Meals
- B, L, D
- Night
- Tea House
Day 16Ghorepani · Poon Hill Sunrise (3,210 m) · Trek to Nayapul · Drive Pokhara827 m
Pre-dawn ascent to Poon Hill (3,210 m) for the defining panorama of the entire circuit — Dhaulagiri, Tukuche, Nilgiri, Annapurna I, Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre all in a single horizon. Return for breakfast then descend through Ulleri and Birethanti to Nayapul. Drive 1.5 hours to Pokhara.
- Distance
- 16 km
- Walking
- 5–6 hours
- Meals
- B
- Night
- Hotel
Day 17Pokhara · Rest and Departure827 m
Free morning at leisure in Pokhara — explore the lakeside, visit the International Mountain Museum or enjoy a final Himalayan view from Sarangkot. Transfer to Pokhara airport or tourist bus station for onward travel to Kathmandu.
- Distance
- –
- Walking
- Rest Day
- Meals
- B
- Night
- Hotel
The price includes
- Government-registered English-speaking guide
- Porter (1 per 2 trekkers)
- ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area) permit
- TIMS card
- Kathmandu–Besisahar bus and local jeep to Jagat
- Jomsom–Pokhara mountain flight and Pokhara–Kathmandu tourist bus
- All teahouse accommodation on trek
- 3 meals per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Altitude illness kit and pulse oximeter
- All government taxes and service charges
You pay separately
- International airfare to/from Kathmandu
- Nepal entry visa fee ($30–$50 on arrival)
- Comprehensive travel insurance with emergency evacuation
- Meals not listed in daily itinerary
- Personal trekking gear and equipment
- Tips for guides and porters
- Beverages, hot showers, and battery charging at teahouses (payable direct)
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Any costs arising from illness, injury, or early departure
The Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake is the definitive version of Nepal's greatest long-distance trek — the classic 14-day circuit extended to 17 days to include the side-trip to Tilicho Lake (4,919 m), the world's highest freshwater lake and one of the most arresting landscapes in the entire Himalaya. The lake sits in a glacially carved bowl below the Tilicho Peak massif; on a clear October morning, the ice-blue water reflects a sky of impossible depth and the surrounding 7,000 m peaks in complete silence.
The main circuit covers the same spectacular ground as the 14-day version — the Marsyangdi river gorge approach to Chame, the pine forests and apple orchards of the Manang Valley, the Thorong La crossing (5,416 m) at dawn, Muktinath's eternal flame and pilgrimage atmosphere, and the Kali Gandaki gorge descent. The Tilicho detour branches from Manang village and involves one exposed high traverse (the Tilicho slope, where a cable has been installed on the most vertiginous section) before reaching the lake shore at 4,919 m — a world-record altitude for a natural freshwater body.
Two nights at Manang (3,519 m) are included — one for the acclimatisation walk to Ice Lake (4,620 m), one for the rest before the Tilicho day — keeping altitude gain conservative before the Thorong La crossing.
Is the Tilicho Extension Worth the Three Extra Days?
For anyone doing the Annapurna Circuit once in their life, yes — unequivocally. Tilicho Lake is the single most spectacular non-pass-summit view on the entire circuit route. The three extra days (Manang to Tilicho Base Camp, lake day, return to Manang) are not physically demanding relative to the rest of the trek, but they require the acclimatisation you've already built. Most trekkers who skip Tilicho say, later, that they wish they hadn't.
Best seasons: October–November and March–May. Tilicho Lake access: Closed in heavy snow (December–February). Max altitude: Tilicho Lake 4,919 m (optional extension to 5,416 m at Thorong La).