20-Day Annapurna Circuit Trek in Nepal with Tilicho Lake and Poon Hill

Arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu and head to your hotel.

• After breakfast, start a guided tour to several of the most historical and spiritual attractions in Kathmandu.

• Visit the historic Durbar Square, the sacred Hindu temple of Pashupatinath, the famous "Monkey Temple" (Swayambhunath), and the Buddhist shrine of Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world.

• At noon, head out for a pre-trip discussion where you can meet your trek leader and other team members.

• Spend the night in Kathmandu.

• Begin your long drive to Syange early in the morning.

• En route, enjoy the countryside of Nepal with its green hills, winding rivers, terraced farms, and of course the mighty Himalayas.

• Stay the night in Syange.

• Enter Manang district after crossing a large bridge near Tal.

• Marvel as the trail passes through barley, rice, and potato fields, while waterfalls continue to accompany you.

• Pass through the village of Kodo before reaching Dharapani, one of the biggest villages in the Manang Valley.

• Stay the night in Dharapani.

• Negotiate a few steep forested ridges along with several landslides on the route to Chame.

• Do not forget to look up, though, as you will be greeted with remarkable views of Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II, and Annapurna IV (7,525 m).

• Take a dip in the small hot springs that you come across.

• Spend the night in Chame.

• Walk through a steep and narrow valley to have your first view of Paungda Danda rock face, a dramatic curved wall of rock rising 1,500 m from the river.

• From here, savour the views of Annapurna II to the south and Pisang Peak to the northeast.

• Descend to the Manang Valley floor while enjoying the captivating landscape.

• Spend the night in Pisang.

• While there are two routes to Manang, choose the one that passes through Upper Pisang via Geru.

• Get outstanding views of Mt. Annapurna, Pisang Peak, and others.

• A short visit to Barge Monastery, the biggest monastery in the Manang District, should cheer you up.

• Spend the night in Manang.

• Utilize the day to acclimatize for the gruelling trek ahead.

• Take a short hike to either Bhojo Gumba or Gangapurna Lake.

• If you have the energy, hike to Vraga Village, where you can visit the Himalayan Rescue Association to get some idea about Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).

• Spend the night in Manang.

• From Manang, head out through the western gates and follow the path down to the river.

• Cross the river and continue walking on its southern side through coniferous forest.

• After reaching Kangsar Village, walk further up towards Siri Kharka and pass a monastery on the way.

• Let the presence of Gungang Himal and Mt. Chulu in the backdrop keep you company.

• Spend the night in Siri Kharka.

• Take note that while the path from Siri Kharka to Tilicho Base Camp is not very steep or physically strenuous, it can still be exhausting.

• Walk on narrow paths through loose scree and landslide areas.

• Marvel at the impressive rock formations as your trail goes through the middle of the landslide area.

• Spend the night in Tilicho Base Camp.

• Note that after the initial tough, steep, switchback ascent, your trail continues to hug the side of the mountain in a gradual to steep incline before reaching the watershed.

• On the way, enjoy seeing yaks and deer grazing above and below your trail.

• Visit Tilicho Lake, a large spectacularly set lake nestled at the foot of the north face of Tilicho Peak. The lake was referred to by the leader of the French expedition team as "The Great Ice Lake." The lake also holds an important place for Hindus, as this sacred lake features in one of their holiest texts, the Ramayan.

• Retrace your steps and return to Siri Kharka for an overnight stay.

• Leave Siri Kharka and descend towards Khangsar Village.

• On the way, pass Tare Gumba, a thousand-year-old monastery that is very important to the local people.

• Upon reaching Khangsar Village, notice that it is uninhabited except for occasional herders during festival times.

• Follow a rock wall out of Khangsar and walk further until you reach a seasonal bridge in the Thorang Khola valley.

• After crossing the river, ascend for a while to a plateau.

• Continue walking until reaching Yak Kharka for the night.

• Make an uphill walk to Thorong Phedi.

• After walking for some time, cross a suspension bridge and reach Ledar village.

• Ascend further and pass through towering cliffs before reaching Thorong Phedi, the last village before Thorong La.

• Feel rewarded with one of the best views of Mt. Gundang, Mt. Syagang, Thorung Peak, and Mt. Khatungkan.

• Stay the night in Thorong Phedi.

• Crossing Thorong La Pass, one of the highest passes in the world, will be your ultimate objective today.

• Get up around three in the morning and walk up the mountain as you cross the pass from east to west (Manang to Muktinath), which is the easiest and safest direction.

• Reach the top and take a few photos before heading down to Muktinath Valley at the foot of the Thorong La Pass.

• Spend the night in Muktinath.

• Visit Muktinath Temple, a sacred place for both Hindus and Buddhists.

• After the visit, drive to Tatopani and spend the night there.

• Leave the Kali Gandaki and head up the Ghar Khola valley. The trail leads you through terraced farmland with mountains all around.

• Pass through the villages of Shikha and Chitre before reaching a beautiful rhododendron forest.

• Continue walking to reach Ghorepani, a beautiful village located on a ridge top.

• Spend the night in Ghorepani.

• To catch the sunrise over the Himalayas, make an early morning climb along the steep trail to the viewpoint of Poon Hill (3,210 m / 10,529 ft), the most popular trekking destination of the Annapurna region.

• Savour the moment as you reach Poon Hill viewpoint and enjoy amazing views of Mustang, Pokhara, and more than 20 of the highest mountains, including close-up views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges.

• Get spellbound as the snowy peaks of the high mountains loom above and around you, glowing in the morning light.

• After taking photographs, return to Ghorepani.

• After breakfast, head east and climb a nearby ridge.

• Descend through rhododendron forests, passing spectacular waterfalls, and reach Tadapani to spend the night.

• Note that the trek from Tadapani to Ghandruk passes through a thick forest of rhododendron trees.

• After trekking for a while, enter the village of Ghandruk, a slope settlement with stone houses mostly inhabited by the Gurung people.

• From here, enjoy the towering views of the Fishtail, Annapurna South, and Hiunchuli mountains.

• Trek further to Naya Pul, then drive to Pokhara.

• Spend the night in Pokhara.

• After breakfast, drive towards Kathmandu.

• After reaching Kathmandu, take the rest of the day off to rest or do some souvenir shopping.

• To celebrate the successful completion of the journey, head out for a farewell dinner in the evening.

Head to the airport and fly back.