Nar Phu Valley & Thorong La Pass Trek

Your day starts early in the morning. Leave Kathmandu at around 7:00 am. You will reach Dharapani via Besishahar after nine to ten hours on the road. The roads are unpaved after Besishahar and the drive can get bumpy. But the scenic views you will see along the way more than compensates for the difficulty.

A one-hour hike through pine and fir forests takes you to Bagarchhap. The trail continues through pine forests to reach Latamarang. Call it a day on reaching Koto, a small village mainly inhabited by the Gurungs who follow Tibetan Buddhism.

Leave Koto behind after breakfast and follow the trail along the banks of Soti Khola. The journey takes you through pine forests, streams and bridges to reach Dharmasala. Your day comes to an end on reaching Meta.

Leave Meta behind after breakfast. Unique and colorful Tibetan Buddhist chortens that Nar and Phu are famous for start appearing as you head up. Get your first peek of highland villages as well as an old dzong (a Tibetan-style fortress).

You have a free day today. Allow your body to acclimatize to the increasing elevation. You can also explore the famous Tashi Lakhang Monastery if you want to. This monastery is supposed to be the last one constructed by Karmapa Rinpoche. Those yearning for more can hike up to the base camp of Himlung Himal. The return trip takes about four to five hours.

Continue your journey down towards Meta and take a turn to the monastery at Nar Phedi. We will spend the night in the monastery today. In fact, the monastery is all that Nar Phedi consists of. See Kanguru and Pisang mountains along the way.

Today is a relatively easy day. Climb out of Nar Phedi and follow a winding path up a hill towards Nar. See a line of painted chortens along the way to the ancient village.

Your day starts early. The Kang La is not a difficult pass, but it could end up being a long day if there is snow on the pass or the elevation take its toll.

The Kang La, located 5,240 metres above sea level, is an absolutely spectacular pass and a great spot from which to enjoy gorgeous views of Annapurna II, Gangapurna and Tilicho mountains. Once you reach the top, the trail downhill is steep at first and then more gradual as you reach the end.

Continue your journey to Manang via Braga. There is an option to hike to the viewpoint at Chhunker, which takes about 90 minutes.

The trail ascends gradually to Yak Khara and passes through Gunsang (3,960 m). Although today's journey is short, the elevation might take its toll. Reach Yak Kharka after hiking for around four hours. Spend the night in Yak Kharka.

The trail moves towards a ridge and descends to the headwaters of the Marsyangdi. Cross a wooden bridge and follow a narrow trail up through an unstable spree slope before descending to Thorong Phedi, where you will reach after around four hours of trek. Spend the night at Thorong Phedi.

A challenging, uphill hike awaits you today as the trail climbs up to the Thorong La Pass. Reach the top of the pass after around four hours of steady climb. Then follow the downhill trail to the Muktinath, a holy Hindu shrine.

Visit the Muktinath Temple early in the morning. Have your breakfast after that and head for Jomsom. Descend to the Kali Gandaki Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world, and pass through Jharkot and Khingar villages. A steep downhill journey takes you to Kagbeni. Your day comes to an end on reaching Jomsom.

Have an early breakfast and head for the runway to catch your flight to Pokhara. The flight will take you through the gorge of Annapurna (8,091m) and Dhaulagiri (8,167m) mountains. Drive to your hotel in Pokhara on landing. You are free for the rest of the day.

The drive back to Kathmandu takes around five hours. You can spend the afternoon shopping for souvenirs in Thamel or just relaxing. Please note that today's accommodation is not included in the tour price.