Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake Trek - 12 Days

We leave Kathmandu early, the city sounds fading behind us. The road winds beside rivers, past terraced rice fields, waterfalls slipping down rock faces, and villages stitched into hillsides. You’ll feel Nepal shift from urban noise to rural calm as mountains begin to rise taller on the horizon. We spend the night in a guesthouse lodge at Dharapani, where the air is cool, carrying a faint wood-smoke scent from local kitchens.

The trail moves toward Danaque, then to the Tamang villages built from stone and slate. You’ll see stacked homes, carved windows, and trailside mani walls etched with Buddhist prayers. The day often brings the first close mountain views, especially Manaslu and Him Chuli toward the east. We reach Chame by late afternoon, crossing a suspension bridge where the river below runs icy green. 

This morning climb threads into a pine forest where sunlight slices through tall trunks, resin scent lingering in the air. The valley opens wider as you walk, and Pisang Peak rises snow-white ahead. We reach Upper Pisang, a village that feels like the threshold to a higher world. 

We walk toward Braga, passing stone homes built one over another like layered steps. The largest gompa in the Manang region rests here, quiet and painted in deep, spiritual colors. Manang is our acclimatization hub. It’s cold at night but gentle in hospitality. 

Today we hike upward to Khangsar Village, staying active to help the body adjust. You’ll feel the air thin out slightly as we climb, but views expand dramatically. This day supports altitude adjustment while keeping the legs moving.

The trail begins steeper now, rocky and exposed. The air is thinner but views start to feel cinematic Chulu East, Gungang Himal, and Annapurna’s ridges appear sharper, closer, almost unreal. 

This day is gentler but loose with gravel. Walk carefully sections are fragile. Tilicho Base Camp sits cold and frontier-like beneath Tilicho Peak. 

The lake appears still, cobalt blue, reflecting clouds that drift like slow paint strokes across the sky. You may see grazing yaks, deer, or distant shepherds guiding animals along narrow paths. We descend back to Siri Kharka for the night.

We pass Tare Gompa (3,870m), a monastery village hidden along a quiet side path. We follow the Thorong Khola Valley until we reach the abandoned stone cluster of Old Khangsar before settling at Yak Kharka.

The climb stays steady and strong. If we’re lucky, we may see blue sheep or lammergeyer vultures soaring overhead. Local folklore lingers in this region, stories of snow leopards and mythical birds drifting between teahouse conversations.

This is the big one. You’ll feel it in your lungs and thighs as you climb into cold wind and wide Himalayan silence. Thorong La rewards you with overwhelming mountain views, including Annapurna II, III, IV, Gangapurna, Khatungkang, and the gleaming white Dhaulagiri. We descend 1,600 meters into the sacred town of Muktinath.

We descend toward Jomsom, Beni, Tatopani, and finally Pokhara. The trek’s energy softens here. Phewa Lake brings stillness, reflecting the sky’s evening gold and Annapurna’s southern shadow.