Tilicho Lake Trek is remarkable adventure hike in Nepal Himalaya. We at Outfitter Himalaya have designed a 16 day Tilicho Lake Trekking itinerary combined with Thorong La Pass that involves all the wonders of the western Himalayas of Nepal.
On this Tilicho Lake Hike, you will explore beautiful villages, lush forests, alpine lakes, meadows, a high pass, a pilgrimage site, and the deepest gorge in the world, accompanied by a jaw-dropping mountain panorama.
Tilicho Lake Trekking is a unique and challenging adventure in the Himalayas, tailored for experienced trekkers seeking to test their limits. The walking trail leads to the highest pass in Nepal, Thorong La (5,416 m), and the second-highest lake in Nepal, Tilicho Lake (4,919 m). The journey takes you through a completely isolated area, following a snowy and steep path, offers a one-of-a-kind trekking experience.
The holy Muktinath Temple (3,800 m) lets you compose your thoughts and peek into a part of Nepali culture. Tilicho Lake trail walks around the tenth-highest mountain in the world, Mt. Annapurna (8,091 m). As the trail encompasses this mountain, you can witness Mt. Annapurna from almost all corners.
During the Trek, you'll travel through Lamjung, Manang, and Lower Mustang; experience a unique blend of Hinduism and Buddhism. The locals you'll meet on the Tilicho Lake Journey come from diverse ethnic backgrounds and are known for their warm hospitality. This cultural immersion is a unique aspect of the Trek that will surely leave you intrigued and excited.
Tilicho Lake walking holiday begins from Dharapani, which requires 9-10 hours of drive from Kathmandu. The walk starts in Dharapani and ends at Muktinath. Tilicho Lake trek's highest point is Thorong La pass (5,416 m).
Likewise, our itinerary has one acclimatization day in Manang village (3,519 m) and only ascends under 500 meters daily.
There are many attractions during the Tilicho Lake walking journey and we have highlighted some of them below.
Tilicho Lake Voyage presents a wide range of mountain views, including Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Annapurna Range (8,091 m), Manaslu (8,163 m), Nilgiri (7,161 m), Hiunchuli (6,441 m), Gangapurna, Machhapuchhare (6,993 m), Tukuche (6,920 m), Lamjung Himal (6,983 m), and Tilicho Peak (7,134 m).
Similarly, you will witness diverse landscapes, from lush green hills and cascading waterfalls to dry-arid landscapes surrounded by barren hills and snow-capped mountains.
Many points along the Tilicho Lake trail offer stunning scenery. For instance, the tempting blue color of Tilicho Lake, encircled by hills and snow-capped mountains, is out of this world. During your acclimatization in Manang, you hike to Gangapurna Lake (3,540 m), which also presents gorgeous scenery.
The expansive view of the western Himalayan Mountains from Thorong La Pass is to die for.
Tilicho Lake trip passes through numerous beautiful villages. You begin by following the Annapurna trail, which involves villages like, Dharapani, Chame, Pisang, Manang, Yak Kharka, and Muktinath.
Likewise, the latter part of the trail explores Muktipath, Jomsom, Tatopani, Beni, and Pokhara. These villages are home to welcoming locals from different ethnic groups and offer stunning views.
As you have read above, the Tilicho Lake trail is home to people of different communities. The locals are either Hindus or Buddhists. You'll see diverse cultures and norms. Despite all the cultural differences, the locals live in harmony. The Trek offers an authentic mountain lifestyle.
Moreover, Tilicho Lake expedition leads to one of Nepal's most significant pilgrimage sites, Muktinath Temple, located at 3,800 meters. Thousands of devotees visit this temple every year. Muktinath is unique because it is also of enormous importance to Buddhists. Buddhists call it Chumig Gyatsa, which means Hundred Waters.
For Buddhists, Muktinath is the place of their goddess Dakinis (the sky dancer) and one of the 24 Tantric places.
Tilicho Lake (4,919 m) is the second highest lake in the world, situated in the Manang district of Nepal. From Pokhara, Tilicho Lake is 55 km away.
The lake is in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas and has no aquatic organisms in it. For the Hindus, this lake has religious importance. The Tilicho Lake is believed to be mentioned in the epic Ramayana.
Thorong La Pass (5,416 m) is the highest mountain pass in Nepal. It is part of the Damodar Himal, north of the Annapurna Range. The pass connects Manang village to the east with the Muktinath temple and Ranipauwa village to the west.
Thorong La Pass is the highest point of the Tilicho Lake Odyssey. Trekkers usually cross the pass from east to west (Manang to Muktinath), which is the easiest and safest way.
Crossing the pass from west to east (Muktinath to Manang) is much more complicated and rarely approached.
The Kali Gandaki Gorge is the deepest in the world (if the difference between the river height and the height of the mountains on each side measures the depth).
The gorge separates Dhaulagiri on the west and Annapurna on the east. For centuries, it has been a trade route between India and Tibet. Thakalis are the prominent people living here and are said to have become prosperous thanks to the trans-Himalayan trade.
Our team will welcome you to the airport on your arrival day. We will pick you up and drive you to the hotel in a private vehicle. The drive will be short, and you'll reach the hotel quickly. The team will assist you with your luggage and help you check-in.
Later, you can explore Thamel and return to the hotel for a good night's sleep.
It's going to be an exciting day. You'll meet the tour guide in your hotel lobby. After breakfast, it's time to explore some historical sites in Kathmandu and learn a few legends behind them. The first stop is Swayambhunath. This place is famous as the Monkey Temple.
From here, you will visit Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhnath Stupa. The tours end at Kathmandu Durbar Square, where you can explore the palace, courtyards, shrines, and museums, you will return to hotel after the tour is completed around 3-4 pm. Now it's time to prepare for the Trek, and we do so by finalizing the packing, doing last-minute shopping, and checking all the trekking gear.
The starting point of the journey is quite far from Kathmandu. We begin a long ride to Dharapani, and it is a 9 to 10-hour drive. The ride is comfortable and presents stunning scenery, so you'll not be bored. We reach Besisahar and continue the ride to Dharapani. The road can get bumpy in some sections.
We begin the Trek by walking through lush forests of pine, oak, fir, and maple trees. The trail offers striking views of Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, Lamjung Himal, etc. Walking along the lush foothills, we eventually reach Chame for the night's stay.
The trail follows a steep, narrow valley. Soon, we come across a curved face rock, Paungda Danda rock, rising 1,500 meters from the Marshyangdi River. The views of Annapurna II and Pisang Peak are fantastic. The trail then descends to the Manang Valley floor and goes to Pisang village.
From Pisang, we follow the lower trail to Manang village. One more trail leads to Manang village, which is easy, but the views are better on the upper trail. Leaving Pisang village, we follow the north that passes by Geru. The mountain views are awe-inspiring today.
We reach Mungji and keep walking past Branga (3,475 m). Manang village is located a few minutes’ walk from Branga.
We take an acclimatization day in Manang. At this point, our body needs a break to adjust to the altitude before we move any further. We'll spend the morning hiking to Gangapurna Lake. The hike offers stunning views of Annapurna III, Pisang Peak, and Chulu Peaks.
Following the western gates, we head out of Manang and descend to a river. We cross the river and keep trekking along its southern side. The trail goes through coniferous forests and reaches Kangsar village. From here, it's an uphill walk to Siri Kharka.
On the way, we pass by an old monastery. The final part of the route presents views of Gungang Himal and Mt. Chulu.
The trail to Tilicho Base Camp is relatively easy. However, we'll follow narrow paths in loose screed and pass landslide-prone areas. Expect impressive rocks on the way.
Depending on the weather, the area will likely be entirely covered with thick layers of snow.
Today, we'll wake up early and walk alongside the mountain. The trail steeply ascends towards the watershed. We can see the beautiful view of yaks and deer grazing on the way. Soon, we can see the jaw-dropping view of Tilicho Lake and spectacular views of the north face of Tilicho Peak.
This lake, also known as the Great Ice Lake, has religious values for Hindus (mentioned in the Ramayana). After spending some time at the lake, we'll return to Siri Kharka for the night.
The trail descends from Siri Kharka to Khangsar village. We pass by Tare Gumpa on the way. It is a thousand-year-old monastery. From Khangsar, we follow a rock wall out of the village and walk until we reach a bridge in the Thorang Khola valley. Cross the river, we ascend toward Yak Kharka.
It's an uphill walk from Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi. Located at the lap of Thorong La, it is the last village before we cross the pass. On the way, we see gorgeous landscapes and mountain views.
We'll rest today and prepare to cross one of the most challenging passes the following day. We may also climb to Thorong high camp, depending in weather condition etc…
The day begins super early. It's the most challenging part of the Trek. From Thorong Phedi, we have to walk from 4 to 5 AM. Pushing ourselves against high altitude and cold air, we reach the top of the pass. Our challenging walk is paid off with a breathtaking mountain panorama.
The trail descends further to Muktinath temple, one of the pilgrimage sites in Nepal. We spend the night there.
Before leaving Muktinath, we will visit the temple and get blessings. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main temple, so explore the premises. After breakfast, we hop on the jeep/bus and begin our bumpy, scenic ride to Pokhara.
We will drive along the Kalli Gandaki gorge and numerous villages, enjoying the views of snowy mountains and green hills.
The drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu is long but very scenic. In Kathmandu, you'll have the remaining day's leisure. Explore local markets and shops. We will meet you in the late evening for a farewell dinner. You can visit many nightclubs and pubs around Thamel.
Our airport team will take care of your airport drop. They'll bid you our last goodbye and best wishes.
We suggest you hire a porter to carry your bag pack while on a trek. Trekking with a light day pack is much easier, and you will enjoy your trekking holidays to the fullest. A trekking porter carries about 20-22 Kg (about 10-11 Kg from each of you), and we suggest hiring a porter between two trekkers.
There are options to upgrade the transport to a private jeep instead of the local bus. A Jeep costs US $290.00, and 6 people can drive in a Jeep.
On Day 15, you can take a flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu instead of a long bus journey, which costs US $120.00 per person.
Are the dates offered unsuitable, or do you want to take a private trip? Check availability for your date.
Tilicho Lake Trek is more complex than you think, regardless of its popularity. This Trek is unsuitable for beginner trekkers or someone with unacceptable physical fitness. The trekking demands long walks on trodden mountainous terrain. The trail often gets steep and isolated. It's a continuous uphill walk that only becomes strenuous as the days pass.
The trail ascends through rural farmlands and subtropical forests to the glacial zone and the top of Thorong La Pass. Crossing Thorong La pass requires not technical climbing but strength and determination. Tilicho walking trail is steep and full of rocks and boulders. Other factors like high altitude, limited facilities, simple meals, and the remote area make the overall journey strenuous.
Tilicho Lake hiking route has numerous ascends and descends through river valleys, narrow foothills, and mountain passes. Hence, the trekkers have to deal with changing weather and trail conditions. You cannot expect similar terrain, weather, altitude, or service throughout the Trek. As the trial progresses, everything gets harsh and scarce. Therefore, your physical and mental fitness is essential.
Trekkers must be well-prepared and packed to prevent any medical risk. Before the Trek begins, you must improve your fitness and stamina. Therefore, make sure to have ample time to train your body.
You can do exercise and cardiovascular activities. Go on short hikes. Likewise, walk 5 to 6 hours regularly to build a habit. Choose a similar mountainous terrain to hike/walk. It's a remote trek far away from modern cities. Therefore, you must also be well-packed and understand all the hurdles the Tilicho Lake trekking holidays.
