Drive from Kathmandu to Besisahar and on up the Marsyangdi valley to Dharapani, at 1,860 m, a long day of nine to ten hours on winding roads. The valley is steep and green, with waterfalls and terraced villages, and the road continues beyond Besisahar on jeep track. Dharapani has a few lodges beside the river and is the junction with the trail to Manaslu. If you want an easier first day you can begin walking at Besisahar or Bulbule instead. Check your gear, drink plenty of water and get an early night; tomorrow's walk is the first full day on foot.
Tilicho Lake Trek
A 10-day Marsyangdi valley trek from Dharapani to Manang, then the loop to Tilicho Base Camp and the glacial lake at about 4,920 m.
- Days10
- Max altitude4,920 m
- Distance87.8 km
- Ascent5,316 m
- DifficultyHard
- Best monthsMar–May, Oct–Nov
- Permits2
Photo: Prabeshsdev · CC BY-SA 4.0
This itinerary is a draft and hasn't been verified yet. Always confirm stages with your guide.
Written by FindTrekkingPartner teamReviewed by FindTrekkingPartner teamHow we reviewFindTrekkingPartner
Tilicho Lake Trek is a 10-day trek in the Annapurna region of Nepal that climbs to 4,920 m. Foreign trekkers can find a partner for it on FindTrekkingPartner by posting a trip with their dates, budget and pace. Matches stay private until both trekkers agree, and the service is free. At mid-range rates a licensed guide costs about USD 63 per person over 10 days when four trekkers share, against USD 250 for one trekker alone. The best seasons are Mar–May, Oct–Nov. A licensed guide is required in practice here: the Nepal Tourism Board April 2023 rule is reported by 2026 operators to be enforced at checkpoints in national parks and conservation areas, with Langtang the strictest and Annapurna checking too (checked 19 October 2026). Hire a guide through a registered agency and confirm with them. Last verified: October 21, 2026. Sources: Nepal Tourism Board, DNPWC, Department of Immigration.
Sources:Department of Immigration, NepalNepal Tourism BoardDepartment of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation
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Overview
Starts from Kathmandu10 days · max 4,920 m
Best seasons: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · Permits: Annapurna Conservation Area entry permit, TIMS card where required
Tilicho Lake is a glacial lake in Manang District, at about 4,920 m in our route data, reached by a side trip from Manang that has become a trek in its own right. This 10-day plan drives from Kathmandu to Dharapani, walks up the Marsyangdi valley through Chame, Upper Pisang and Ngawal to Manang, rests there for a day, then loops out to Khangsar, Tilicho Base Camp (about 4,140 m) and the lake before returning to Manang, where the trek ends. It is a serious high-altitude trek: the climb from Base Camp to the lake is about 800 m on loose scree, and a landslide zone between Shree Kharka and Base Camp is open but risky, so you cross early and take local advice. It suits fit walkers who have already acclimatised well in Manang and who want a guide for the exposed stretch.
What the trek is like
The first five days follow the same valley as the Annapurna Circuit, from wet forest and waterfalls below Chame to drier, Tibetan-style villages with chortens, mani walls and apple orchards. The high trail through Ghyaru and Ngawal gives long views of Annapurna II, Annapurna III, Gangapurna and Tilicho Peak. Beyond Manang the country turns bare and quiet. Lodges at Khangsar and Shree Kharka are simple and Base Camp is basic, with cold nights, short menus and limited charging, so bring a warm sleeping bag and cash.
How it is built
We model Tilicho as a stand-alone route that shares its approach with the Circuit: it uses the same road-and-trail stages as far as Manang and then adds the loop. Many trekkers instead add the lake as two or three extra days on the Circuit itself; if you want to carry on over Thorong La at 5,416 m afterwards, see the Annapurna Circuit route. Altitudes for Khangsar and Shree Kharka differ by more than 100 m between published itineraries, so treat the figures here as approximate and confirm the stages with your guide in Manang.
Permits, guide and season
You need an Annapurna Conservation Area entry permit and a TIMS card where required. The guide rule as we last checked it is this: a licensed guide through a registered agency is required in restricted areas (Department of Immigration) and, under the Nepal Tourism Board rule of April 2023, in national parks and conservation areas, where 2026 operator reports say checkpoints enforce it in Annapurna and Langtang but not in Khumbu (checked 19 October 2026). Tilicho is inside the conservation area, and the landslide section makes a guide sensible in any case. The best windows are March to May and October to November; snow can block the high sections in early spring and late autumn.
Sharing the trip
A guide and porter for the extra days are shared costs, which is why this route suits a small group. Post your dates, then agree the plan, turnaround time and what happens if someone has symptoms at altitude before you leave Manang.
Highlights
- Tilicho Lake at about 4,920 m
- Ghyaru and Ngawal high trail
- Manang acclimatisation day
- Tilicho Base Camp (about 4,140 m)
- Landslide section crossed at first light
Route map
Route data from OpenStreetMap, not yet checked by our team. Use it for planning, not navigation.
Day by day
You sleep 810 m higher than the night before, above the usual 500 m guideline. Take it slowly, drink plenty and watch for headache or nausea.
Walk up the Marsyangdi valley through Bagarchhap, Danaque and Timang, where Manaslu and Peri Himal appear to the north. The path follows the road in places and keeps to the river in others; the forest of pine and oak thins as you climb. Chame, at 2,670 m, is the headquarters of Manang district and has a bank machine, shops and hot springs a short walk from the village. The air is thinner here, and the first views of Lamjung Himal and Annapurna II appear. Rest and watch the evening light on the peaks.
You sleep 630 m higher than the night before, above the usual 500 m guideline. Take it slowly, drink plenty and watch for headache or nausea.
Continue along the Marsyangdi, crossing to Bhratang and walking through a dry pine forest below the huge curved rock face of Paungda Danda. The valley opens at Dhikur Pokhari, with its views of Annapurna II, and the trail climbs to Upper Pisang, at 3,300 m, a village of stone houses above the road. The village has a small monastery and wide views. The landscape is now Tibetan in character, with chortens, prayer flags and apple orchards. Decide here whether to take the high trail through Ghyaru tomorrow; it is worth the effort.
Take the upper route from Upper Pisang, a steep climb through juniper to Ghyaru, at about 3,700 m, and onward along the ridge to Ngawal at 3,600 m. The path is one of the finest on the circuit: Annapurna II, Annapurna III, Gangapurna and Tilicho Peak fill the view south, and you can see the entire Manang valley below. The villages are old and the houses are stacked up the hillside. The lower route through Humde is faster but less scenic. The altitude gain is modest, but the path is steep, so go slowly and keep your water close.
Descend gently from Ngawal to Braka, pass Mugje, and walk into Manang, at 3,540 m, via the airstrip at Humde. Manang is a Tibetan-influenced village with stone alleys, bakeries and a small cinema, and the view of Gangapurna and Annapurna III from the lodges is spectacular. In the afternoon, visit the Himalayan Rescue Association post, which gives a talk on altitude sickness in the trekking seasons. It is a short day and a chance to rest, wash your clothes and explore. Drink water throughout, and watch for headaches.
Spend a full day in Manang before heading higher. Walk up to the viewpoint above Gangapurna Lake or climb toward Ice Lake (Kicho Tal) at about 4,600 m, then come back down to sleep at 3,540 m. The Tilicho loop takes you above 4,900 m, so treat this as the first half of your preparation, not a spare day. Visit the Himalayan Rescue Association post for its altitude talk, ask lodge owners and your guide how the trail beyond Shree Kharka looks this week, and settle on a turnaround time for the lake. If you had headaches or poor sleep here, stay another night or skip the lake.
Leave Manang for Khangsar, a small village above the Marsyangdi on the trail that branches toward Tilicho. Expect roughly four to six hours depending on whether you stop at Khangsar or press on to Shree Kharka, which sits a little higher; published itineraries give Khangsar at about 3,734 to 3,756 m. The country is drier and barer than the main valley, with long views back to Gangapurna and the Annapurna wall. Keep the day short and sleep low enough that the next climb feels manageable. Pay attention to how you feel, as tomorrow takes you past the landslide section and above 4,100 m.
Today you pass Shree Kharka and reach Tilicho Base Camp at about 4,140 m, a short day by distance but a serious one. Between Shree Kharka and Base Camp the path crosses a landslide zone that operators describe as open but risky, with wind and falling stones building later in the morning. Cross early, keep spacing between walkers, follow your guide and be ready to turn back if it looks worse than reported. Phone signal is patchy here. Base Camp lodging is basic and nights are cold, so arrive with enough time to warm up, eat and drink well and go to bed early.
You sleep 780 m higher than the night before, above the usual 500 m guideline. Take it slowly, drink plenty and watch for headache or nausea.
Start before dawn with a headlamp for the climb of about 800 m on loose scree to Tilicho Lake, listed at about 4,920 m in our route data. Go slowly, drink often and agree a turnaround time with your guide before you leave, because wind builds through the morning and the scree is unpleasant in a gale. At the top you look over a large, cold, blue lake in a bare glacial cirque with snow peaks around it, so plan time for photos and a hot drink if the lodge there is open. Descend carefully and aim to be back at Base Camp for an early-afternoon lunch and a second night at 4,140 m.
Walk back down toward Manang at 3,540 m, crossing the landslide section again, so start early and keep the same discipline as on the way up. Operators vary on how they split the return: some go straight back, others sleep at Shree Kharka or Khangsar. Agree it with your guide the evening before, based on how the group feels and what the trail looks like. In Manang you rejoin the main Circuit trail; from here you can continue toward Yak Kharka and Thorong La if you have the time and are well, or head back down the Marsyangdi valley by road.
Acclimatisation
Sleeping altitude night by night. Bars in red climb more than 500 m from the night before; rest days are marked.
- Sleeping altitude
- Gain over 500 m
- Rest day
What it costs
Estimated all-in cost per person: lodge and food by altitude, transport, permits, and the guide and porters. The more trekkers share a guide and porters, the less each person pays. As of October 2026.
| Style | 1 trekker | 2 trekkers sharing | 4 trekkers sharing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $510–$730* | $400–$580* | $350–$510* |
| Mid-range | $1,000–$1,500* | $680–$980* | $550–$800* |
| Comfort | $1,050–$1,600* | $830–$1,250* | $710–$1,050* |
Share a guide, save money
At mid-range, a solo trekker pays about $1,000–$1,500; four trekkers sharing one guide and two porters pay about $550–$800 each (46% less at the top of the range).
Breakdown for 2 trekkers sharing
| Item | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lodge and food | $250–$350 | $310–$450 | $390–$560 |
| Transport | $10–$50 | $140–$230 | $140–$230 |
| Permits | $30–$40 | $30–$40 | $30–$40 |
| Guide | $100–$150 | $100–$150 | $100–$150 |
| Porters | — | $70–$130 | $150–$260 |
Budget uses public transport and no porter; mid-range shares one porter between two trekkers and a private vehicle; comfort gives each trekker a porter. A guide is included where one is required or the style is mid-range or comfort.
Nightly lodge and food (room and a dal bhat meal)
1 night Below 2,500 m: room $2–$6, dal bhat $4–$7 · 7 nights 2,500 to 3,800 m: room $4–$9, dal bhat $5–$9 · 2 nights Above 3,800 m: room $10–$15, dal bhat $10–$12
Permit fees (official sources)
Not included
No published price found for: Besisahar to Dharapani jeep; Manang to Besisahar jeep. Totals marked * leave these out; ask your agency.
Cost sources
- PriceNepal: Nepal Travel Cost Guide 2026 (2026-05-14)
- Third Rock Adventures: Nepal trek budget planner (2026-05-09)
- Himalayan Partner: Guide and porter price in Nepal 2026 (2026-02-10)
- Shikhar Adventure: Annapurna Circuit trek cost (2026-02-03)
Estimates from operator guides, not quotes. Tips, insurance, gear and Kathmandu hotels are not included; USD at the platform exchange rate.
Photos
Frequently asked questions
About 4,919 m according to Wikipedia, with another source giving 4,949 m; our route data uses about 4,920 m. Tilicho Base Camp is usually given as about 4,140 m.
One section between Shree Kharka and Base Camp crosses a landslide zone that operators describe as open but risky, with wind and rockfall later in the morning. Cross early, follow your guide and check the current condition in Manang.
Our route data lists an Annapurna Conservation Area entry permit and a TIMS card where required, the same as the Annapurna Circuit. Ask your agency whether anything else applies.
Tilicho is inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, where 2026 operator reports say checkpoints enforce the guide rule (checked 19 October 2026). The landslide section makes a guide sensible regardless.
March to May and October to November, the same windows as the Circuit. Snow can block the high sections in early spring and late autumn.
Yes. Many trekkers add it as two or three extra days from Manang and then continue toward Thorong La; this route covers the lake as its own trek.
Sources
Along the trail
Stays, medical help, water and sights on each day of the route.
1. Kathmandu → Dharapani
- Tribhuvan International Airport · Airports & transport · 1,340 m
2. Dharapani → Chame
- Hayenga Waterfall · Nature · 2,053 m
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 1,840 m
- ACAP Safe Drinking Water Station · Practical · 2,162 m
- Hotel Four Seasons · Stays · 2,676 m
- Moonlight Hotel · Stays · 2,676 m
- Hotel Manasulu View · Stays · 2,678 m
- Trekkers Holiday Holtel · Stays · 2,678 m
Show all 23 places
- Hayenga Waterfall · Nature · 2,053 m
- Manaslu Hotel Restaurant · Stays · 1,820 m
- Hayat Guest House · Stays · 1,818 m
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 1,840 m
- Peaceful Hotel · Stays · 1,876 m
- Gyasumda Hotel & Restaurant · Stays · 1,877 m
- Dafne Hotel · Stays · 1,881 m
- Marsyangdi Lodge · Stays · 2,076 m
- Pasang · Stays · 2,082 m
- Eco Holiday home · Stays · 2,081 m
- Tilicho Hotel · Stays · 2,099 m
- ACAP Safe Drinking Water Station · Practical · 2,162 m
- Hotel Manaslu · Stays · 2,172 m
- Mt Kailash · Stays · 2,200 m
- Potala · Stays · 2,208 m
- Happy Home Cottage · Stays · 2,601 m
- Tibet Lhasa Guest House · Stays · 2,601 m
- Snowland Hotel · Stays · 2,602 m
- Hotel Four Seasons · Stays · 2,676 m
- Moonlight Hotel · Stays · 2,676 m
- Hotel Manasulu View · Stays · 2,678 m
- Trekkers Holiday Holtel · Stays · 2,678 m
- Potala Guest House & Restaurant · Stays · 2,680 m
3. Chame → Upper Pisang
- Chame Hot springs · Nature · 2,697 m
- Manang District Hospital · Medical · 2,732 m
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 2,516 m
- Drinking Water · Practical · 3,801 m
- Hotel Nirvana · Stays · 3,281 m
- Hotel Narbulinka Pisang · Stays · 3,291 m
- Hotel Royal Nyeshang · Stays · 3,290 m
- Hotel Alobar 3300 · Stays · 3,288 m
Show all 24 places
- Hotel Marshyangdi Mandala · Stays · 2,664 m
- Chame Hot springs · Nature · 2,697 m
- Royal Garden Hotel · Stays · 2,670 m
- Manang District Hospital · Medical · 2,732 m
- Sangso Guest House · Stays · 2,673 m
- White Stupa · Stays · 2,690 m
- Happy Guest House · Stays · 2,696 m
- New Mount View · Stays · 2,774 m
- Talekhu · Stays · 2,776 m
- Campsite · Stays · 2,694 m
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 2,516 m
- Drinking Water · Practical · 3,801 m
- Sworgadwari Hotel & Restaurant · Stays · 3,188 m
- Gangapurna · Stays · 3,186 m
- Kamala · Stays · 3,197 m
- Maya Hotel & Restaurant · Stays · 3,186 m
- Hotel Nirvana · Stays · 3,281 m
- Hotel Narbulinka Pisang · Stays · 3,291 m
- Hotel Royal Nyeshang · Stays · 3,290 m
- Hotel Alobar 3300 · Stays · 3,288 m
- Hilltop Hotel Upper Pisang · Stays · 3,298 m
- Happiness Guest house · Stays · 3,303 m
- Royal mountain · Stays · 3,310 m
- Hotel Mountain Bridge · Stays · 3,326 m
4. Upper Pisang → Ngawal
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 3,301 m
- Green lake · Nature · 3,262 m
- Water tap (Disfunctional July 2019) · Practical · 3,449 m
- Drinking Water · Practical · 3,603 m
- Nagwal Cottage · Stays · 3,658 m
- Himalaya Hotel · Stays · 3,657 m
- New Annapurna · Stays · 3,651 m
- Tibet Guest House & Restaurant · Stays · 3,671 m
Show all 18 places
- Campsite · Stays · 3,422 m
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 3,301 m
- Hotel Mringkyo · Stays · 3,266 m
- Green lake · Nature · 3,262 m
- Camping · Stays · 3,271 m
- Water tap (Disfunctional July 2019) · Practical · 3,449 m
- Drinking Water · Practical · 3,603 m
- Pema guest house · Stays · 3,697 m
- Yak Ru Hotel · Stays · 3,702 m
- Gorkhali Hotel · Stays · 3,704 m
- Annapurna Hotel · Stays · 3,716 m
- New Annapurna guest house · Stays · 3,721 m
- Hôtel Mount View · Stays · 3,665 m
- Nagwal Cottage · Stays · 3,658 m
- Himalaya Hotel · Stays · 3,657 m
- New Annapurna · Stays · 3,651 m
- Manang Airport · Airports & transport · 3,353 m
- Tibet Guest House & Restaurant · Stays · 3,671 m
5. Ngawal → Manang
- Hotel Manang · Stays · 3,533 m
- Hotel Mountain Lake · Stays · 3,537 m
- Hotel Nilgiri · Stays · 3,539 m
- HRA Manang Aid Post · Medical · 3,540 m
- Hotel Yeti · Stays · 3,537 m
- Safe Drinking Water Station · Practical · 3,550 m
- ACAP Safe Drinking Water Station · Practical · 3,550 m
- Manang Health Post · Medical · 3,558 m
Show all 25 places
- Buddha Kitchen Hotel · Stays · 3,658 m
- Royal Nyeshyang · Stays · 3,655 m
- Ngawal · Stays · 3,673 m
- Shanti Hotel · Stays · 3,675 m
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 3,632 m
- Namaste trekkers homestay · Stays · 3,485 m
- Hotel Manang · Stays · 3,533 m
- Hotel Mountain Lake · Stays · 3,537 m
- Hotel Nilgiri · Stays · 3,539 m
- HRA Manang Aid Post · Medical · 3,540 m
- Hotel Yeti · Stays · 3,537 m
- Tilicho Hotel & Restaurant · Stays · 3,538 m
- Safe Drinking Water Station · Practical · 3,550 m
- Hotel Marsyangdi · Stays · 3,545 m
- Hotel Royal Manang · Stays · 3,552 m
- Moon Light Hotel & Restaurant · Stays · 3,550 m
- Yak Hotel · Stays · 3,544 m
- ACAP Safe Drinking Water Station · Practical · 3,550 m
- Moon Light hotel · Stays · 3,550 m
- Alpine home · Stays · 3,544 m
- Hotel North Pole · Stays · 3,550 m
- Gangapurna Hotel Lodge · Stays · 3,543 m
- Manang Health Post · Medical · 3,558 m
- Ghyalchan & Sister · Stays · 3,543 m
- Ghale guest house · Stays · 3,544 m
6. Manang
Nothing mapped for this day yet.Nothing mapped for this day yet.7. Manang → Khangsar
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 3,594 m
- Path Manang - Khangsar · Viewpoints · 3,663 m
- Khangsar health post · Medical · 3,753 m
- Norbu Ling Hotel · Stays · 3,747 m
- Maya Hotel · Stays · 3,745 m
- Soni homestay · Stays · 3,753 m
- Khangsar Home · Stays · 3,754 m
Show all 9 places
- Thorong La · Stays · 3,549 m
- Manaslu · Stays · 3,554 m
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 3,594 m
- Path Manang - Khangsar · Viewpoints · 3,663 m
- Khangsar health post · Medical · 3,753 m
- Norbu Ling Hotel · Stays · 3,747 m
- Maya Hotel · Stays · 3,745 m
- Soni homestay · Stays · 3,753 m
- Khangsar Home · Stays · 3,754 m
8. Khangsar → Tilicho Base Camp
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 3,905 m
- Mountain eco cottage · Stays · 4,066 m
- Hotel mountain view · Stays · 4,130 m
- New Zambala · Stays · 4,135 m
- Sweet Home · Stays · 4,139 m
Show all 7 places
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 3,905 m
- Mountain eco cottage · Stays · 4,066 m
- Himalayan Hotel · Stays · 4,067 m
- possible Campsite · Stays · 4,222 m
- Hotel mountain view · Stays · 4,130 m
- New Zambala · Stays · 4,135 m
- Sweet Home · Stays · 4,139 m
9. Tilicho Base Camp
- Hotel Khangsar Kang · Stays · 4,136 m
- New Hotel Moon Lake · Stays · 4,137 m
- Khangsar health post · Medical · 4,148 m
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 4,423 m
10. Tilicho Base Camp → Manang
- Hotel New Himalayan · Stays · 4,137 m
- Hotel Himalayan · Stays · 4,139 m
- Hotel Basecamp Inn · Stays · 4,136 m
- Stream · Practical · 4,231 m
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 3,946 m
- Drinking Water · Practical · 3,743 m
- Xchongla Homestay · Stays · 3,547 m
Show all 15 places
- Hotel New Himalayan · Stays · 4,137 m
- Hotel Himalayan · Stays · 4,139 m
- Hotel Basecamp Inn · Stays · 4,136 m
- New Norbu Ling Hotel · Stays · 4,131 m
- New Tilicho Lake Base Camp Hotel · Stays · 4,137 m
- Stream · Practical · 4,231 m
- Blue Sheep · Stays · 4,178 m
- Hotel Tilicho Peak and Restaurant · Stays · 4,070 m
- Viewpoint · Viewpoints · 3,946 m
- Laxmi Guest House · Stays · 3,751 m
- Himalchuli Laxmi Hotel · Stays · 3,747 m
- Drinking Water · Practical · 3,743 m
- Hotel Mountain Yak · Stays · 3,741 m
- Potala · Stays · 3,741 m
- Xchongla Homestay · Stays · 3,547 m
Last verified on Oct 21, 2026Report outdated info