Tilicho Lake Trek Without Thorong La

Our representative meets our team at Tribhuvan International Airport and transfers us to our hotel. We spend the remainder of the day resting and reviewing our upcoming route.

We depart Kathmandu early by road, following the Prithvi Highway before heading north toward Besisahar and on to Jagat at 1,100 m. The drive winds along river corridors and terraced hillsides.

We begin our trek along the Marsyangdi River, climbing steadily past Chyamje and across suspension bridges into oak forests. We continue through Kodo before arriving at Dharapani at 1,960 m.

Our trail leads us through dense fir and pine woodlands alongside rushing river gorges. As we approach Chame at 2,630 m, the valley widens to reveal our first close-up views of the high peaks.

We follow the narrow river valley through deep pine forests, climbing steadily as the north face of Annapurna II and Pisang Peak come into clear view above us at Pisang (3,300 m).

We take the upper scenic route climbing toward Ghyaru, navigating stone staircases and ancient agricultural terraces with panoramic views of Lamjung Himal, before settling in Ngawal at 3,660 m.

We descend gently through pine woods and dry valleys past Munchi and Braka, where ancient monasteries cling to the cliffs, before reaching Manang at 3,540 m.

We spend today resting and allowing our bodies to adjust to 3,540 m. We take a short walk to Gangapurna Lake and visit the Himalayan Rescue Association aid post for an altitude briefing.

We leave the main trail, following the southern bank of the Thorong Khola past Khangsar. We ascend through arid, rocky hillsides to reach our overnight stop at Siri Kharka (4,060 m).

We traverse steep scree slopes and landslide-prone trails carved into high cliffs. After approximately 5 hours of careful walking, we arrive at Tilicho Base Camp at 4,140 m.

We start our pre-dawn ascent over moraine ridges to reach the shores of Tilicho Lake at 4,919 m. After spending time by the water, we retrace our steps down the steep trail to Siri Kharka (4,060 m).

We descend further down the valley, passing through Khangsar and rejoining the main trail system back into the wider Manang valley for our final night in the village at 3,540 m.

We board a local jeep for a long, bumpy return drive down the rugged mountain tracks, following the Marsyangdi River gorge back down to Besisahar.

We complete our return journey to Kathmandu by vehicle along the Prithvi Highway, checking back into our hotel for a final evening.

Our team transfers us to Tribhuwan International Airport for our return international flights home.