Manang Valley Trekking is a wonderful journey through the mixed landscapes of subtropical forest to arid barren landscapes until 4900m, encountering multiple old Buddhist monasteries portraying the cultural aspects of the area and the magnificence of the beautiful Valley and High Himalayas, which are second to none.
The major attraction of Manang Trek is to explore the hidden gems in Manang Valley locale like tranquil lakes formed at high elevation, sweeping mountain glaciers, ancient Gompas offering a great view, local villages etc. Despite following the classical Annapurna Circuit trekking route towards Thorang La Pass (5416m) from Manang, this trip will take you the world highest Tilicho Lake at 4919m passing through the Khangsar village (also known as the last village of Nepal) lying on the west ridge of Valley.
Trekking to Manang is an awesome experience to encounter different ethnic groups in several villages along the route and the mountain sights while passing through beautiful forest and open dry landscapes are just impressive. Manang valley is remote yet one of the beautiful valley offering breathtaking views of Himalayas crowded with several ancient Buddhist heritage, caves, glaciers and lakes and the inhabited people with distinct cultural practices enjoying their exciting festivals.
Following the footsteps of Annapurna circuit route, the trail passes through beautiful waterfalls visible from Ghermu, Tal and Chyamche village and the green lush vegetation until it starts getting dry & barren at Upper Pisang. The majestic view of Lamjung, Manaslu and Annapurna is awesome from the Upper Gompa monastery. Then, we follow the upper route via Ghyaru and Ngawal village enjoying the panorama in front of our eyes to reach Manang valley after a quick visit to Bhrakha monastery.
On reaching Manang, we will rest and stroll around the village just to feel the air. The next day, we shall make a packed lunch day trip to Kicho Lake which calmly rests at 4600m with a good view of surrounding landscapes and mountain and also good for acclimatization. Hike to Bodzo Gompa, located at the northern cliff is best to capture the best photograph of gorgeous Manang Valley dominating by the Mt. Annapurna III and Gangapurna.
Out of several places of interest in Manang valley, our three days excursion to western ridge of Valley will take us to Tilicho Lake – highest lake in the world and also sacred as per Hindu beliefs will allow you to immerse into the wild beauty of nature and leave you speechless. We will retrace our path all the way to Manang and then continue from barren lands towards green forest collecting all memories in our mind and camera leaving only footprints behind.
Day 1Arrival in Kathmandu : Picked Up from the airport and transfer to the HotelDrive: 30 minutes | Accommodation: Hotel | Meals: Welcome Dinner
Day 2Free Day in Kathmandu Optional: Join our free walking tours – starts at 10am – Walk to Monkey Temple – Visit National Museum – Kathmandu Durbar Square – finish before 4pm
Walk: 1.5 hours | Accommodation: Hotel | Meals: Breakfast
Day 3Drive from Kathmandu to Dharapani (1860m / 6102 ft.)Drive: 9 - 10 hrs | Accommodation: Local Teahouse | Meals: B, L, D
Day 4Trek from Dharapani to Chame (2670m / 8760 ft.) Walk: 5 - 6 hrs | Accommodation: Local Teahouse | Meals: B, L, D
Day 5Trek from Chame to Upper Pisang (3200m / 10498 ft.) Walk: 5 - 6 hrs | Accommodation: Local Teahouse | Meals: B, L, D
Day 6Trek from Upper Pisang to Manang (3540m / 11615 ft.) via upper route Walk: 5 – 6 hrs | Accommodation: Local Teahouse | Meals: B, L, D
Day 7Day Trip to Kicho Lake (4600m / 15092 ft.) Walk: 6 – 7 hrs | Accommodation: Local Teahouse | Meals: B, L, D
Day 8Day Trip to Ganagapurna Glacier and Bodzo Gompa (4130m / 13550 ft.) Walk: 5 – 6 hrs | Accommodation: Local Teahouse | Meals: B, L, D
Day 9Trek from Manang to Shree Kharka (3740m / 12270 ft.) Walk: 4 – 5 hrs | Accommodation: Local Teahouse | Meals: B, L, D
Day 10Trek from Shree Kharka to Tilicho Base Camp (4150m / 13615 ft.) Walk: 5 –6 hrs | Accommodation: Local Teahouse | Meals: B, L, D
Day 11Excursion Day around Tilicho Lake (4919m / 16138 ft.) Walk: 5 – 6 hrs | Accommodation: Local Teahouse | Meals: B, L, D
Day 12Trek from Tilicho Base Camp to Manang (3540m / 11615 ft.) Walk: 5 – 6 hrs | Accommodation: Local Teahouse | Meals: B, L, D
Day 13Drive from Manang to Besisahar (760m / 2493 ft.) Drive: 6 - 7 hrs | Accommodation: Local Teahouse | Meals: B, L, D
Day 14Drive from Besisahar to Kathmandu Drive: 6 - 7 hrs | Accommodation: Hotel | Meals: B, L, D
Day 15Free Day in Kathmandu (Contingency Day)Accommodation: Hotel | Meals: Breakfast
Day 16Final Departure | Other Travel Plan
FREE WALKING TOUR: This is an optional walking adventure on the outskirts of Thamel area, which will surprisingly take you to popular Buddhist shrine – Monkey Temple (original name Swayambunath Stupa) and Kathmandu Durbar Square (House of Virgin Living Goddess) after a quick peek at the National Museum. It is around 6km walk, takes 1.5 hrs walk starting and ending from/to Thamel. It is a guided tour; however the entrance fees to these heritage sites must be pay by travelers themselves. [Monkey Temple – Rs 200, Kathmandu Durbar Square – Rs 1000, National Museum – Rs 150]. We start at 10am in the morning (after breakfast) and finish before 4pm (time can vary).
SAFETY CONCERN: Your safety is our top concern while organizing outdoor and adventure plans. Our leaders and crew members are experienced professionals who will make sure that the trip is safely in course. We truly understand the need of information flow and risk management to provide the best experience. Our trekking arrangement includes the proper clothing, supplies of equipment and gears, high altitude prevention measures and remedies to provide the carefree adventure in the Himalayas.
STANDARD TRIP: Standard itinerary and route plans are typically designed considering the necessary number of days to complete the trek for average fit travelers and level of altitude gain on the trek (and multiple other factors) which can be modified as per the interest, time, experience and budget plan of travelers. On the given adventure plan, we have included the most important items necessary for the trip and the cost for it and quoted to provide a general idea of the cost of the trip with minimum number of days required to complete the trip.
CUSTOMIZE TRIP: We can organize a trip to every style and provide our service as required by the travelers. There are few items like leader, permits etc, which are mandatory to provide from the agency whereas there are also several alternatives to design the trip as suited. Any customization of the standard itinerary will change the trip price accordingly. We always like to hear what you have to say. We are always happy to assist your valuable travel holidays in your manner with the best information that suits your way of traveling.
ACCOMMODATION IN KATHMANDU
We need to have 4 nights’ accommodation in Kathmandu (before and after the trip) for preparation, rest, and contingency. We provide twin sharing room at Hotel Nepalaya on BB Plan for your trip. If you choose to book your own accommodation in Kathmandu, 60 USD per person is discounted from trip price.
If you prefer to select your own accommodation, then you are free to do so and find a place suitable to your interest. Alternatively, you can suggest a name, and we shall book that place for you.
GROUP SIZE: All of our adventure trips are accompanied by specialized local leaders, guides, porters and assistant guides (as required) who will always ensure your safety and comfort at every part of the journey. We found that the group size of 8 is the optimal size to run these trips, however we can organize a trip plan for any group size upon the request.
Group of More than 8: We also have a good experience of handling big groups of volunteers, employees, students, and able to organize a trip plan upon request. Please kindly submit your group size information, and we will garnish a proper trip plan and price for you.
It is your travel plan; you can choose what you want to do, of course with a lot of information first. Feel free to submit and share your travel ideas, and we shall get back to you with more thoughts in no time.