Nar Phu Valley Trek 15 Days Itinerary and Cost

You drive along the Kathmandu-Pokhara Highway to Dumre and then follow the narrow, paved road by the Marshyangdi River to Besi Sahar. We begin our journey at early dawn, with a long drive ahead of us. Now, we head-start right after breakfast and leave Kathmandu around 7 in the morning. After 9-10 hours of movement, we reach Dharapani via Besishahar. Drive up to Besishahar will most likely be smooth owing to black-topped roads, whereas after Besishahar, the streets get dusty and coarse, but the scenic view from our windowpane is more than compensating for the bumpy ride.

We begin our trek in the morning towards Bagarchhap, which takes about one hour, passing through pine and fir forests. We can visit the whitewashed monastery in this village. The trail continues through pine forests until Latamarang, which takes about one and a half hours. We will trek through pine and fir forests, monasteries, and villages to Bargarchhap., You can enjoy the spectacular mountain views of Annapurna II, Manaslu, and other peaks along the way. Koto is a small village mainly inhabited by Gurungs who follow Tibetan Buddhism.

We register our restricted area permit in the morning at the Police Check Post. Then we trek through the River bank of Soti Khola again through wonderful pine forests, streams, and suspension and reach Dharmasala. Today’s trekking route passes through beautiful woods, small cave shelters, and pilgrims’ resting places. Emerging from a narrow canyon, the trail passes under a wide waterfall, from where the woods become thinner and the vistas wider.

Trekking out of Meta, some of the unique, colorful Tibetan Buddhist chortens that Nar and Phu are famous for begin to appear in sight. From here, you can get your first view of the three villages in the area as well as the old “dzong” (Tibetan-style fortress) and the remains of two ruined forts, impressively situated atop the flatlands before the village.

Today is the scheduled acclimatization day, whereby we are suggested to rest and adapt to the altitude. It is also the day to explore the Tashi Lakhang Monastery – the old Buddhist Monastery listed out of the 108 world’s great Buddhist Monasteries; it is supposed to be the last monastery constructed by Karmapa Rinpoche.

Phu is an attractive village, and a day is well spent sitting with the villagers as they spin their yak and sheep wool, pound mustard seeds into a paste for oil, or go about their other daily chores.

The hike up to Himlung Himal base camp for an extra challenge takes you through a glacial valley. On the trail up, you will see herds of blue sheep skillfully clambering up the cliffs. The return trip takes about four to five hours.

Retrace the route back down towards Meta, but turn off at the Nar Phedi monastery, which will be your accommodation for the night. The sanctuary is all that Nar Phedi consists of! At 5 pm, they usually do a puja (blessing), which you are welcome to witness. On the way, the peaks of Kang Garu and Pisang Peak will pass by two chortens.

Today is a very gentle day. Climb out of Nar Phedi and follow a winding path up a hill towards Nar. Pass a line of wonderfully painted, bamboo-topped chortens on the way into the ancient village. We walk along the windy path to Nar village. Cross a string of wonderfully painted, bamboo-topped chortens on the way into the old town.

We start our Kang La pass day hikes early morning to avoid the wind. The Kang La is not a difficult pass, but it could be a long day if there is snow on the pass or the altitude is taking its toll. The Kang La, at 5240m, is a spectacular pass looking over Annapurna II, Gangapurna, Tilicho peak, the peaks surrounding Tilicho, and the airport at Hongde. The trail down is steep and gradual as you reach the end.

Today your trail is slightly descending until reaching Braga village. Visit the monastery. It takes 2 and a half hours. Then 30 minutes walk from Braga to Manang. This is the right option for a great view of the Annapurna Range. Afternoon, hike to Chunker view point – Gangapurna Lake & Cave Gompa. You can walk to Chhunker view point, which takes about 1 and half hours. You can see Gangapurna Lake as well, as the Annapurna range like Annapurna I, II, III, IV, Tilicho peak, Pisang peak, Chulo peak, Thorong peak, and so on.

The trail ascends gradually to Yak Kharka, passing through Gunsang (3,960 m). The trail will be scenic and short, but the high altitude will make you tired. The trail ahead leads to an ancient old Mani wall in a pleasant meadow. You will reach Yak Kharka after hiking for 3-4 hours. You stay for the night at Yak Kharka.

The trail gradually moves to a ridge and descends to the headwaters of Marsyangdi. Crossing a wooden bridge, you ascend following a narrow path across an unstable spree slope and descend to Thorung Phedi. Some trekkers hike straight to Hike camp. But we don’t advise you to push yourself in the expedition. You’ll arrive at Thorong Phedi after 3-4 hours’ worth of walking. You will sleep overnight at Thorong Phedi.

The trail moves up to the Thorong La Pass, which the local people have used for hundreds of years. The path is well defined. The gradient then eases, and after around 4 hours of steady climbing, you will reach the top of the pass marked by Chorten & prayer flags. From here, you will descend to Muktinath towards the holy temple of Hindus. His trail is well-maintained. You will continue the steady climb for 4 hours as you pass Chorten and the prayer flags of the pass. The views are majestic from here. You can also view Kali Gandaki valley below.

After visiting the Muktinath temple in the early morning, you will have breakfast and head towards Jomsom. Descend to the Kali Gandaki gorge, the deepest gorge in the world, and pass through Jharkot and Khingar villages with typical Tibetan architecture. Further, following a steep down, you reach Kagbeni and head to Jomsom.

After having an early breakfast, fly to Pokhara. The flight will take you through the gorge of the two tall mountains- Annapurna, 8,091 meters (26,545 ft), and Dhaulagiri, 8,167 meters (26,795 ft). You arrive at Pokhara after 30 mins of flight, after which you will drive back to your Hotel at Pokhara. You rest and freshen up upon your arrival.

The drive back to Kathmandu takes around five hours. Enjoy a hot shower and the luxuries of the city once again! Spend the afternoon shopping for souvenirs in Thamel or just relaxing.