Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake

Also known as Annapurna Circuit + Tilicho Lake side trip.

Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake is a difficult 14-18-day teahouse trek in the Annapurna region of Nepal, reaching 5,416 m. It starts at Besisahar (jeep to Chame standard) and ends at Jomsom (fly/drive to Pokhara).

Key facts

Region
Annapurna (Lamjung, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi)
Duration
14-18 days, 5-7 hours walking per day
Distance
155 km
Maximum altitude
5,416 m
Difficulty
Difficult — All the demands of the Annapurna Circuit (Thorong La 5,416m) plus a 3-day side trip to Tilicho Lake at 4,919m that crosses a notorious landslide-prone scree traverse and adds a second high-altitude push before the pass. Longer, higher cumulative exposure than the standard circuit.
Trek type
Teahouse, point-to-point route
Best season
Autumn (Oct-Nov) and late Spring (Apr-May)
Guide
Not mandatory
Restricted area
No
Budget cost
NPR 70,000–105,000
Comfortable cost
NPR 110,000–170,000
Guided cost
NPR 150,000–230,000
Getting there
Kathmandu -> Besisahar (bus, 6-8h) -> Chame (shared jeep, 5-7h) -> trek via Manang, Tilicho Lake side trip, Thorong La -> Jomsom -> Pokhara (flight 20-25min or bus/jeep 8-10h)
Altitude sickness
High: the itinerary sleeps at Tilicho Base Camp (~4,150m) and day-hikes to 4,919m before returning for the 5,416m Thorong La; the double high-altitude push aids acclimatization if paced, but rushing the Tilicho leg is a common cause of AMS.

Weather

Tilicho Lake (4,919m) is typically frozen and the trail snowbound from roughly December to March/early April; the landslide traverse becomes significantly more dangerous when wet, snowy or windy. Thorong La carries the same storm risk as the standard circuit (see 2014 Hudhud disaster). Afternoon winds raise dust on the Tilicho scree slopes - cross in the morning.

Permits

Itinerary

  1. Day 1: Kathmandu to Besisahar, 0 h, 760 m — Highway drive along the Trishuli and Marsyangdi
  2. Day 2: Besisahar to Chame, 0 h, 2,670 m — Gorge road via Tal and Dharapani
  3. Day 3: Chame to Upper Pisang, 5-6 h, 3,300 m — Paungda Danda rock wall, pine forest
  4. Day 4: Upper Pisang to Manang, 6-7 h, 3,540 m — High route via Ghyaru/Ngawal, Braga monastery
  5. Day 5: Manang to Manang (acclimatization), 4-6 h, 3,540 m — Ice Lake or Gangapurna glacier viewpoint hike; HRA lecture
  6. Day 6: Manang to Shree Kharka, 4-5 h, 4,050 m — Leave the circuit at Khangsar (3,760m), old Khangsar village, Tare Gompa
  7. Day 7: Shree Kharka to Tilicho Base Camp, 3-4 h, 4,150 m — The famous landslide traverse - dramatic eroded badlands and scree
  8. Day 8: Tilicho Base Camp to Tilicho Lake and return to Shree Kharka, 7-8 h, 4,050 m — Tilicho Lake 4,919m - one of the world's highest large lakes, beneath Tilicho Peak; sunrise start
  9. Day 9: Shree Kharka to Yak Kharka, 4-5 h, 4,050 m — Direct high trail to Yak Kharka rejoining the circuit (bypasses Manang)
  10. Day 10: Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi, 3-4 h, 4,450 m — Jarsang Khola valley; scree section before Phedi
  11. Day 11: Thorong Phedi to Muktinath via Thorong La, 7-9 h, 3,800 m — Thorong La 5,416m; Muktinath temple
  12. Day 12: Muktinath to Jomsom, 5-6 h, 2,720 m — Lubra village or Kagbeni detour, Kali Gandaki desert
  13. Day 13: Jomsom to Pokhara, 0 h, 822 m — Flight through the Kali Gandaki gorge
  14. Day 14: Pokhara to Kathmandu, 0 h, 1,400 m — Return drive

More Annapurna treks