Nar Phu Valley Trek

Upon your arrival at Kathmandu airport, a Wind Horse representative will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure until the evening. Later in the evening, there will be a briefing followed by dinner, along with a cultural performance, at a traditional Nepalese restaurant. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Today, you will visit three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa, and Pashupatinath Temple.

At Kathmandu Durbar Square, you will explore the area around the former palace of the kings of Nepal, viewing various temples and monuments.

Following the visit, you will drive to Boudhanath Stupa, the largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal. Here, you will circumambulate with pilgrims and visit the surrounding monasteries.

Later, you will proceed to the holiest Hindu temple in Nepal, Pashupatinath Temple. The evening is free for you to shop for any last supplies or gear needed for your upcoming trek. Overnight in Kathmandu.

The journey from Kathmandu to Koto provides a diverse and scenic experience, passing through numerous villages, showcasing the natural beauty of Nepal’s landscapes. The drive initially follows the Trishuli River along the Kathmandu Pokhara Highway and then takes a diversion at Dumre towards Besisahar.

The change in the scenery as you depart from the main highway to Pokhara at Dumre and proceed towards Besisahar provides a more intimate view of the countryside. From Besi Sahar, the drive goes past the charming villages such as Jagat, Chamje, Dharapani, Bagarchhap, Timang, and Thanchock, with the views of the famous Annapurna I, Mount Manaslu and Lamjung Himal along the way. Overnight in Koto.

This morning your guide will verify your RAP at the check point, and begin your hike. You will cross over the Marshyangdi river, and walk along the banks of Nar Khola. The trail goes through beautiful pine forests, suspension bridges, and waterfalls along the banks of Nar Khola and Soti Khola, past the tea houses of Cheche and arrive at Dharmashala.

After Dharmashala, the vegetation changes, thick forest gives way to sparsely scattered bushes. As you climb higher the landscape becomes broader and more panoramic with views of Pisang peak, Kangri Himal and Lamjung Himal along the way. The final segment of your hike involves a steep uphill climb until Meta, a small village situated on a flat plateau with panoramic views of distant snow-capped peaks. Overnight in Meta.

Starting from the valley along the river, the trail traverses areas with sparse vegetation and scattered grasslands. It passes through the semi-permanent settlement of Chyako, where remnants of the Khampa settlement can be seen. This is one of the most beautiful section of this Nar Phu Valley trek.

Along the journey, the trail undulates with several ascents and descents before reaching Kyang. Kyang is a small settlement offering beautiful vistas of Annapurna II and Pisang Peak. The trail goes alongside the Phu Khola, with the opportunity to spot the distinctive blue sheep for which the valley is renowned. You’ll also come across unique chortens that hold cultural significance, for which Nar and Phu is popular for.

As you approach Phu, you will catch the first glimpse of the charming village. Continuing on a descending path, you will cross the Phu Khola over a rocky trail, and arrive at the Phu gate, which marks the entrance to the village. Overnight in Phu.

It’s recommended to dedicate an acclimatization day in Phu due to the high altitude. To maximize this day, exploring the village will be an excellent option.

During this exploration day, you will get the opportunity to immerse in the local culture. Today, you’ll visit local homes, interact with the locals, and observe their traditions and daily lifestyle, and gain cultural insight.

You also have the option to visit the Tashi Lakhang monastery, one of the oldest monastery in Manang district. The monastery sits high above Phu village, with the view of Phu village and the surrounding area.

Apart from this, you also have the option to hike to Himlung Base Camp. This trail winds through a picturesque valley, offering breathtaking views throughout the journey, it takes 5-6 hours for a round trip. Overnight in Phu village.

This morning you will descend past Kyang and Chyako to Nar Phedi. The trail passes through the settlement of Chyako and the remnants of the Khampa settlement. These ruins provide a fascinating glimpse into the area’s historical past, offering insight into its intriguing history and heritage. You have the option to spend the night at Chyako or continue further for an hour to Nar Phedi.

The hike is a gradual downhill through a changing landscape, crossing the Phu Khola, and eventually ascending towards Nar Phedi. Nar Phedi is a small village with breathtaking views of Pisang Peak and other surrounding peaks. Overnight in Nar Phedi

Leaving Nar Phedi, you will ascend uphill towards Nar, the largest village in the Nar Phu Valley. The hike follows a winding trail through two mountain passes standing at 5050m(Nar) and 5400m(Phu) and cross over a suspension bridge.

The trail follows through, barren landscapes, yak pastures, beautifully painted chortens, and Mani walls with the views of Pisang peak and others at the background.

You’ll arrive at Nar Village around noon. Following lunch, the rest of the day will be dedicated to exploring Nar Village and its surroundings, providing an opportunity to interact with locals and gain insight into their lifestyle. Overnight in Nar.

You will start early in the morning to prepare for the potential challenges posed by snow on the pass. The pass itself is not difficult, but the weather conditions can turn the journey into a lengthy and demanding .

The ascent goes through the lateral moraine of the Temdenzon Khola, traversing yak pastures with stunning views of the Pisang peak until you reach Kang la Phedi-the base of the Kang La pass.

From Kang La Phedi, it is a gradual and steady ascent lasting approximately 2 hours until you reach Kang La Pass. The pass presents breathtaking panoramic views of Pisang Peak, Annapurna II, Gangapurna, and Tilicho Peak.

After admiring the beautiful views, and after capturing the beautiful moment, you will then descend through pasturelands and yak herders’ campsite and arrive at Ngawal on the Upper Pisang route of the Annapurna Circuit trek. Overnight in Ngawal.

After a relaxed breakfast, you will continue towards Manang. Today will be the shortest day in this Nar Phu Valley trek. Today you will hike from Ngawal to Manang, the hike goes mostly over dirt road. Along the way, you will stop at Braga.

Braga is popular for Braga monastery, an ancient monastery which holds immense cultural and religious significance in this area. You will explore the Braga Monastery, which is known for its intricate woodworks, exquisite architecture, with a notable collection of religious artifacts.

After the visit, you will continue further to Manang. Manang is situated on a broad valley on the banks of the Marshyangdi river with the spectacular views of the surrounding mountain peaks. Overnight in Manang.

Today is set as a free day to explore around Manang. There are several options for a day’s hike from Manang, each offering unique experiences and breathtaking views.

You can hike to Praken Gompa, this is relatively a short hike compared to other hikes. Praken Gompa situated at 3945 m offers breathtaking views of the valley below and the surrounding mountians such as the Annapurna II, Annapurna IV, and Gangapurna.

There is also the option to hike to Khangsar, a small Tibetan style village on the route to Tilicho lake. Khangsar provides fantastic views of Tilicho Peak. There is also the option to take a short hike and visit the Gangapurna lake, a tourquise blue lake just an hour from Manang. For those who are more adventurous, there is the option to visit Milarepa Cave or Ice Lake for longer high altitude walk.

The hike to Milarepa cave is longer, it will take about 5-6 hours round trip. Milarepa cave is the place where the Tibetan saint and poet Milarepa had meditated. This cave has an immense religious value, thousands of pilgrims from Nepal as well neighbouring Tibet visit this cave every year.

Another longer hike from Manang is the Ice lake hike, this hike is one of the most demanding hike from Manang. The climb is not that difficult but the altitude and the wind may make it difficult. Overnight in Manang.

From here onwards, one can continue on the Annapurna Circuit Trek as per the below itinerary:
Day 12. Trek to Yak Kharka
Day 13. Trek to Thorong Phedi
Day 14. Trek to Muktinath(via the Thorong La pass)
Day 15. Drive to Pokhara
Day 16. Fly to Kathmandu
Day 17. Departure

Today, we will end our Nar Phu Valley Trek adventure and drive back to Besisahar. From Besisahar, you will continue over the same route towards Kathmandu. Since it will be too long a drive from Manang to Kathmandu, therefore you will stop at Kurintar for the night. Kurintar is a small village on the banks of the Trishuli river along the Kathmandu Pokhara highway. Overnight in Kurintar

After breakfast, you will continue your journey towards Kathmandu. You will arrive at Kathmandu before lunch time. On arrival check in to your hotel and the rest of the afternoon is free to rest and relax or go souvenir shopping. Overnight in Kathmandu

Transfer to the airport in time as per your flight schedule to your next destination.