Nar Phu Valley Trek - 15 Days

Upon your arrival at the arrival terminal exit gate, you will be greeted by one of the Himalayan Trekkers with your nameplate. You will be then escorted to your designated hotel and helped with the check-in formalities. After your rest at the hotel, we will have a short briefing session where you will meet your guide and discuss the trip. Then you can spend the remainder of the day strolling around Thamel and Thahity area before getting back to the hotel for the night.

NOTE: We will collect your original passport and photos to apply for the Nar Phu Valley Special Permit during the briefing session. But if your arrival is late, we will have the discussion session the next day and the passport will be collected at that time.

We will spend today’s half of the day exploring two out of seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Kathmandu Valley. We will probably visit Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhanath Stupa today. 

Pashupatinath Temple is one of the four most important Hindu pilgrimage sites in the world which is situated on the banks of the Bagmati River. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and features intricate architecture, shrines, and cremation ghats. You will get to witness the spiritual rituals, observe the Sadhus (Hindu holy men), and experience the vibrant ambiance during festivals like Maha Shivaratri. 

And, Boudhanath Stupa is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world and an important pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists. This magnificent structure stands as a symbol of enlightenment and peace. The stupa's massive dome, prayer wheels, and the serene atmosphere created by chanting monks are very captivating. The surrounding area is filled with monasteries, shops selling local & Tibetan artifacts, and lovely cafes and restaurants. 

The other five sites are Swoyambhunath Stupa/Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, and Changunarayan Temple. 
After sightseeing, we will return to Thamel where you can do the last-minute shopping for your Nar Phu Valley Trek.

After an early breakfast, we will leave Kathmandu city and embark on a scenic drive to Besisahar in Lamjung. The drive takes approximately 6-7 hours, passing through lush countryside, picturesque villages, and the gorgeous Trishuli River and Marshyangdi River. We will pass by some notable places such as Malekhu, Mugling, and Dumre. Once we reach Besisahar, you can take a rest and stroll around the place before calling it a day.

Today is the third day of our Nar Phu Valley Trek where we will begin our day with an off-road drive from Besisahar to Koto. Our drive passes through the villages such as Jagat, Chamje, Dharapani, Bagarchhap, Timang, and Thanchock. We will get to witness the famous Annapurna I Peak from Bagarchhap and Mount Manaslu and Lamjung Himal on the way from Bagarchhap to Timang Village which is located at 2460 meters. 

Upon our arrival at Koto, the settlement of Gurungs, we will check in and rest. In the evening, we could take a walk in the village and interact with the locals and get to know about their lifestyle.  

Our Nar Phu Valley Trek finally begins today after breakfast. Leaving Koto, we will register our details before entering the restricted area of Nar Phu Valley. Our trail leads us across steep terrain, through beautiful pine forests, suspension bridges, and cascading waterfalls as we travel along the banks of the Soti Khola. After reaching Dharmashala, we will start noticing that the forests getting sparser and the views getting wider. We will also trek past some canyons and caves and keep walking until we reach the Meta Village which offers us an amazing view of Lamjung Himal and Annapurna II.

Following breakfast, the trek ascends the valley along a little picturesque river. There are frequent ascends and descends today. After we cross a suspension bridge, we will reach a place called Chyaku. After a brief rest at Chyaku, we will continue to climb while enjoying the glorious views of Annapurna until we reach our today’s destination, Kyang. Kyang is a small settlement from where we will get beautiful views of Pisang Peak and Annapurna II.

We leave Kyang after breakfast and start our trek to the enchanting village of Phu today. The trail is quite rough with some uphill and downhill climbs. Our trek goes along the Phu Kola and we might get to see distinctive blue sheep as the valley is famous for these unique endangered animals. We will enter Phu Village from Phu gate and take a brief rest at the teahouse. The village offers breathtaking vistas of several Himalayan mountain ranges, including Himlung Himal. We will pay our visit to the ancient monastery named Tashi Lhakhang Monastery and interact with the friendly locals while enjoying panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. 

It is advisable to spend an acclimatization day in Phu because of the high altitude. And to make this day fruitful, we will explore the town's narrow lanes and observe the locals as they engage in their daily routines. We will also visit the monasteries and the cave there and spend the rest of the day with the locals.

NOTE: You could also opt. for the side trip to Himlung Base Camp which takes around 5 hours for the round trip. 

After breakfast, we will retrace our steps back down to Meta but we will detour to the monastery at Nar Phedi. We will pass the villages of Kyang, and Upper Chyako. We will cross a suspension bridge before we climb up to our today’s destination Nar Phedi, a small settlement situated below Nar Village. We will get to enjoy the breathtaking views of Pisang Peak and other surrounding peaks. 

Leaving Nar Phedi, we will proceed up a hill toward Nar, the largest village in the Nar Phu Valley along a winding trail. The trail takes us through high mountain passes, barren landscapes, and yak pastures. As we get near the village, we will pass a row of chortens that have been beautifully painted and bamboo roofs. We will arrive at the Nar Village around noon and we will spend the remainder of the day exploring Nar Village and its surroundings. We will visit the monasteries, interact with the locals, and witness their daily lifestyle. 

We will wake up early today because it will be a long day and make our way to the renowned Annapurna Circuit via the Kang La Pass. Our trail passes through beautiful landscapes, quaint villages, and yak pastures. Today’s walk offers breathtaking views of the west ridge of the Pisang Peak, we ascend from Nar across the lateral moraine of Temdenzon Khola. We will also trek past Jhombu Kharka, also known as Kang La Phedi, which is the base of the Kang La Pass.

We will enjoy the breathtaking vista of Tilicho Peak, Gangapurna, and Annapurna II from the pass, and from the pass, the path is steep but not challenging. And it will take us around three hours to reach Ngawal for our night stay. The village offers stunning views of the Annapurna range and the Manang Valley. 

Following our breakfasts, we will start our trek to reach Chame. The path slowly descends to Gyaru and Pisang Village along the bank of the Marsyangdi River. The views of the Gangapurna, Tilicho Peak, Lamjung Himal, and Annapurna II and III are mesmerizing from the route. After 6-7 hours of trekking, we will reach Chame, the administrative center for the Manang District, and spend the night. 

With the end of our Nar Phu Valley Trek, we will drive from Chame to Besisahar today. Our bumpy drive will go through the villages of Koto, Thanchok, and Timang before reaching Besishar. 

Today is the day to get back to Kathmandu. We will leave Besisahar after breakfast and enjoy the drive to Kathmandu. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, check-in at the hotel and rest. And in the evening, you could take a walk around Thamel and do some souvenir shopping before calling it a day. 

After breakfast and 3 hours prior to your scheduled flight, one of the representatives will transfer you to the airport and bid farewell.