Nar Phu Valley, Kang La & Mesokanto Pass Trek- 20 Days

Once you have landed in Tribhuvan International Airport, you will be received by a representative of Altitude Quests, who will transport you to the hotel where you will be staying in Kathmandu. You may rest in your hotel or spend some time walking around Thamel, a well-known tourist area in Nepal with its treks, coffee shops, and local handicrafts shops.
In the evening, you will have a meeting with your trekking guide for a short brief about the trip. Your guide will give you information about Nar Phu Valley, Kang La Pass, and Mesokanto Pass Trek while clearing up your queries.

The day will be used to get ready for your adventure in the Himalayas. While our team of Altitude Quests sorts out the permits that are needed for the restricted Nar Phu Valley, you may check your trekking gears and buy any equipment that you might be needing for your trek.

This afternoon will also see you going for a guided tour of Kathmandu's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which includes historic temples, courtyards, and stupa that display the rich culture of Nepal. In the evening, you will come back to your hotel.

On the next morning, you will head westward out of Kathmandu along Nepal’s beautiful Prithvi Highway to Besisahar, which is the starting point of the Annapurna Circuit. While on the road, you will witness the beautiful views of mountains, rivers, picturesque villages, terraced fields, falls, and the surrounding countryside.

The Himalayas will come closer to you with the appearance of snow-capped peaks on the horizon. You will spend the night in a village lodge at Besisahar.

This exciting trip by jeep takes you along the Annapurna circuit trail through beautiful mountain villages like Dharapani and Timang until you reach Koto, which is the starting point for the restricted Nar Phu Valley. During this trip, you will see dramatic gorges, pine forests, waterfalls, and beautiful mountains all around.

At the increasing altitude, you will be able to enjoy the views of the Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II, and other peaks. Driving through the traditional settlements that have the influence of both Gurung and Tibetan culture, you will finally arrive in Koto where your guide will register the last permit before resting for the night.

Moving away from the Annapurna Circuit, today's trek will lead us into the Restricted Nar Phu Valley. Walking along the Nar Khola, we will be walking through picturesque pine forest, deep gorges, wooden bridges, and stunning rock formations. It will soon become clear how untouched this secluded Himalayan valley really is.

Passing several traditional shelters for herders and making a steep climb through the challenging mountain terrain, you will get to the alpine scenery with the first panoramic view of the mountains around. This will be one of the most picturesque places in the whole trek – the small village of Meta situated above the valley is a perfect place to start the acclimatization process.

The landscape will gradually change and you will continue your way to the more secluded Nar Phu Valley. Walking on narrow mountain trails that cut across steep cliffs, we will see the ancient chortens, colorful prayer flags, yak pastures and enjoy stunning views of Pisang Peak, Himlung Himal and barren mountains all around. The more we move towards the east, the stronger Tibetan influence will be felt in the area.

Having crossed many suspension bridges and walked through rough canyons carved by the Phu Khola River, you will eventually reach the remote mountain village of Phu Gaun, one of the oldest and most hidden Himalayan villages in Nepal. Constructed of stacked stones and nestled in tall cliffs, the village retains its distinct Tibetan Buddhist culture and traditions till nowadays. Overnight stay at Phu Gaun in a local teahouse.

Today is going to be an acclimatization day, which allows you to slowly acclimate yourself to the higher altitudes before reaching the more difficult parts of the trekking route. Instead of sitting and doing nothing, you will be spending the day walking around the interesting village of Phu Gaun, visiting its old monastery, stone alleyways, traditional houses, and observing the peculiar way of life of locals who have been living here for centuries.

For those trekkers who feel already acclimatized enough, today is going to be a hiking day to Himlung Base Camp, which gives an amazing chance not only to climb higher but to enjoy spectacular views of Himlung Himal (7,126m), glaciers, and alpine scenery. According to the "climb high, sleep low" principle, you will be returning to Phu Gaun to rest for the night.

After departing from Phu Gaun, you will start retracing portions of the previous day’s trail but take a different route leading towards Nar Phedi. During the descent, expect amazing views of the impressive cliffs, gorges, and valley areas typical of the isolated area of Nar Phu. Along the trail, you will see ancient prayer mani walls, prayer wheels and isolated pastures used by the nomadic herders who graze their yaks.

Arriving at Nar Phedi during the afternoon hours, you will find yourself in a quaint little village famous for its Buddhist monastery located between tall rock faces. You can stop for a brief visit to the monastery if you have enough time; in addition, spending the night in a lower altitude is favorable for acclimatization to the altitude when climbing up to Nar village. Overnight at Nar Phedi.

The hike of today is shorter but involves a steady climb towards Nar village, which is among the highest permanently inhabited villages of the Annapurna region. Climbing through open hillside and alpine pasturelands will provide you with breathtaking views of Kang Guru, Pisang Peak, Chulu East, and the whole range of the Himalayas.

On arrival at Nar Village, you’ll find yet another beautifully preserved Tibetan village with whitewashed stone houses, ancient monasteries, praying flags waving in the mountain wind, and the welcoming local population who have been carrying on their age-old traditions. Thanks to its beautiful mountain surroundings and tranquil setting, Nar Village will make for a perfect place for further acclimatization.

This is another well-planned acclimatization day to help your body cope with the challenges of crossing the Kang La Pass (5,320m), the highest point of the first part of the trek. You can explore the village, visit the nearby monasteries, walk through traditional farming terraces, and enjoy beautiful views from the lookout points.

Those trekkers who would like to keep themselves active during the day could take up another acclimatization trek to the higher points from the village, coming back later in the day to Nar. The team from Altitude Quests will be checking your progress in acclimatization throughout the day to ensure that each one of you is well-prepared for the difficult crossing. 

Today will be one of the most fulfilling and difficult days of the entire expedition while you climb the spectacular Kang La Pass (5,320m). After departing early in the morning, the path begins its gradual ascent above the village of Nar, passing over rocks and glacial valleys. As you get higher, you are surrounded by breathtaking views in every direction including Annapurna II, Gangapurna, Tilicho Peak, Chulu East, Pisang Peak and Kang Guru. Reaching the top of the pass is truly a wonderful accomplishment, providing one of the best panoramic views in the whole Annapurna area.

Following your success and the stunning views, you descend into the Marsyangdi Valley along the legendary Annapurna Circuit Trail. The surroundings become more welcoming as you move down from the barren alpine zone to green pastures and villages. In the afternoon, you reach the pretty village of Ngawal and enjoy comfortable accommodation for the night.

Whereas yesterday was a tough day of crossing the pass, today's trek towards Manang is easier and more relaxing since you walk along the famous Annapurna Circuit. Your hike takes you through traditional villages, juniper forests, old monasteries, farmlands, and you get constant views of Annapurna III, Gangapurna, Tilicho Peak and the surrounding snowy mountains.

You will get to Manang in the early afternoon hours; Manang being one of the biggest and liveliest settlements in the Annapurna area. With its majestic Himalayan peaks that surround it, the village has comfortable lodges, bakeries, cafes, and great mountain view points. You can spend your time exploring the village and the old monasteries within, or simply relax in the amazing alpine environment.

The acclimatization day is intended to prepare you for the altitude climb to Tilicho Lake and Mesokanto Pass. Applying the well-known rule of "climb high, sleep low", your guide will suggest that you go on an optional excursion to Ice Lake (Kicho Tal) or Gangapurna Lake. 

These optional hikes will provide you with amazing views of Annapurna II, Annapurna III, Gangapurna, Tilicho Peak, Chulu East, and many more glaciers. After coming back to Manang, you will have time to rest, drink water, and get ready for the next part of the journey when the path takes you away from the main Annapurna Circuit and moves towards Tilicho.

Today's walk moves off the main Annapurna Circuit and onto a different trail that goes towards the incredible Tilicho Lake in Nepal. You'll hike up the steep mountainside overlooking Marsyangdi Valley in a place filled with alpine grasslands, rocky ridges, and pastures with roaming yaks below the peaks of the Himalayas.

After a few hours of walking uphill, you'll arrive at the peaceful settlement called Shree Kharka, located high above the valley surrounded by dramatic mountains. You will have an afternoon of relaxing time and more acclimatization with the amazing views of Gangapurna, Tilicho Peak, and its ridges around.

The route for today takes us to another of Nepal’s greatest natural attractions: Tilicho Lake, which is among the highest lakes in the world. The path follows steep mountainside terrain, rock formations that cut through the cliff face, and glacier territory until reaching the stunning turquoise waters of the lake. Along the way, the impressive mountains that loom over us form a breathtaking scenery that gets even more impressive as we ascend.

Once at Tilicho Lake, you will be able to enjoy the spectacular views and tranquility of the place. Situated at the base of towering snow-capped mountains and cliffs, the lake is revered by both Hindu and Buddhist traditions and continues to be one of the greatest attractions on the Himalayas. Having spent time in such an enchanting place, tonight you will stay at Tilicho Base Camp in preparation for tomorrow’s climb over Mesokanto Pass.

Another memorable day of your expedition will come today as you make your way through the relatively unknown Mesokanto Pass (5,120m), which happens to be one of the lesser-explored high mountain passes in Nepal. You need to make an early start today as you leave Tilicho Lake behind to climb through rock-filled moraines, glacial and alpine areas up to the pass. Though exhausting, each step is worth it with incredible views of Tilicho Peak, Nilgiri, Dhaulagiri, and the entire majestic Himalayan range visible up to western Nepal.

Once you reach the top of Mesokanto Pass, you will be treated to amazing scenery before descending into an extremely isolated wilderness that is infrequently explored by trekkers. Since there are no permanent inhabitants of the area, you will travel further down to the Nama Phung Caves, which will become your overnight camp spot during the evening. Camping amidst steep cliffs and pristine mountain scenery will surely provide a sense of adventure in one of the more isolated parts of the Annapurna region. Overnight in camp.

Moving away from the campsite, the trekking path for today is a steep descent into rugged valleys and bare mountain scenery leading down to the valley of Kali Gandaki. As you descend, the landscape will slowly change from alpine wilderness to arid and windswept landscape typical of Nepal's Mustang. You will travel on old trading routes that were once used by the traders who traveled from Nepal to Tibet.

You will reach Jomsom, the administrative headquarters of Lower Mustang, by late afternoon. After several days in the mountains, you will have a comfortable place to spend the night with good amenities as you celebrate your accomplishment of crossing Kang La and Mesokanto Pass successfully. Overnight in Jomsom.

Based on the weather conditions and the chosen route for today, you would either do the stunning mountain flight or drive from Jomsom to the lakeside city of Pokhara. If opting for a flight, you will get to view stunning views of Kali Gandaki Gorge, Dhaulagiri, Nilgiri, Annapurna I, and other peaks in the Himalayan range from above. The travelers who opt to go for road transport will enjoy the scenic mountain journey through Nepal.

After reaching Pokhara, you will find that the climate is more pleasant and laid back compared to the high Himalayas that you have been walking in for several weeks now. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax near Phewa Lake or walk around the lakeside market places and cafes. Night in Pokhara.

Following breakfast, you will be taken back to Kathmandu through a domestic flight or tourist vehicle based on your mode of transportation. The route presents another chance to observe the varied landscape of Nepal, including its mountain ranges, valleys, hills, and rich lands.

On reaching Kathmandu, you will be transferred to your hotel for relaxation. Alternatively, you can indulge yourself in shopping, exploring markets of Kathmandu, visiting important cultural places of the city and so forth. It is time for you to relax as you have completed one of the best high altitude treks in Nepal. You can also celebrate with your guide and group mates regarding the success of the Nar Phu Valley, Kang La & Mesokanto Pass Trek. Overnight in Kathmandu.

And now it’s time to say goodbye to your unforgettable Nar Phu Valley, Kang La & Mesokanto Pass Trek with Altitude Quests. In accordance with your flight schedule at Tribhuvan International Airport, our representative will be there to drop you off.

With you, Nepal says goodbye, but you’ll always keep those precious memories of hidden Himalayan valleys, historic Tibetan settlements, Tilicho Lake with its clear water, and the feat of conquering the Kang La Pass (5,320m) and Mesokanto Pass (5,120m). From wild and pristine nature to unique culture and stunning landscapes of the Himalayas, this trek provides you with the genuine Himalayan experience which most of the trekkers dream of but can rarely get. We hope to see you again on the other adventures with Altitude Quests.