Nar Phu Valley Trek - 12 Days Days

You arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, where a company representative meets you and transfers you to your hotel in Thamel.

After check-in, you have free time to explore the area or relax. In the evening, your guide will brief you about the trek, altitude plan, permits, and what to expect in Nar Phu Valley.

Tip: Check your gear, permits, and insurance tonight. Carry enough Nepali rupees, as there are no ATMs beyond Besisahar.

While your agency prepares the restricted area permit for Nar Phu Valley, you’ll spend the day exploring the Kathmandu Valley.

Visit Boudhanath Stupa, where you can walk around the stupa with locals and pilgrims. Continue to Pashupatinath Temple, an important Hindu site along the Bagmati River, and then head to Swayambhunath for city views. If time permits, you can also explore Patan or Bhaktapur.

Return to your hotel in the evening; your permits will be ready for the trek starting tomorrow.

Note: The restricted area permit must be arranged through a registered trekking agency. It cannot be obtained individually or at checkpoints, and a minimum of 2 people is required.

You leave Kathmandu early and drive along the Prithvi Highway to Besisahar, the starting point of the Annapurna region. From here, you switch to a 4WD jeep and continue on a rough mountain road following the Marsyangdi River.

Along the way, you pass places like Syange and Tal, with views of waterfalls and river valleys. By late afternoon, you reach Koto, the entry point to the Nar Phu Valley.

Check your permits at the checkpoint in the evening, as they will be required again the next day.

From Koto, you leave the main trail and head north into the narrow Soti Khola gorge. The path follows the Phu Khola, crossing several suspension bridges and wooden walkways.

Along the way, you pass the Chhongche caves, once used by traders as resting spots on the old route to Tibet. The trail climbs gradually through forest, with waterfalls and occasional mountain views.

After a lunch stop at Dharmasala, you continue uphill to reach Meta, a small settlement on an open plateau. This is where the landscape and culture begin to feel more Tibetan.

Watch for: The Chhongche caves along the trail, carved into the cliffs and used historically as shelters.

From Meta, the trail climbs above the treeline into a dry, open landscape. You walk through wide valleys, cross sections of the Phu Khola, and pass old stone shelters once used by herders.

The route is quiet and remote, with views of peaks like Pisang Peak and Kang Guru in the distance. By afternoon, you reach Kyang, a small and peaceful settlement with wide mountain views.

Acclimatization: You are gaining altitude, so drink plenty of water, eat well, and inform your guide if you feel headache or nausea. Walk at a steady pace.

Today is a shorter walk, leading to one of the most unique villages in the region. From Kyang, the trail continues through a dry landscape with chortens and mani walls along the way. Keep an eye out for bharal on the hillsides.

After a gradual climb, you arrive at Phu Gaun, a remote village built in stone terraces above the valley. It is one of the most isolated settlements in Nepal, with strong Tibetan cultural influence.

Visit Tashi Lhakhang Monastery, an important monastery in the village. Spend the afternoon exploring the narrow lanes and observing daily life, with views of Himlung Himal, Kang Guru, and nearby peaks.

Cultural note: Remove your shoes before entering the monastery and ask for permission before taking photos inside.

Leaving Phu Gaun, you descend to cross the Phu Khola on a suspension bridge, then follow the trail back past Kyang. From here, the route climbs toward Upper Chyako, a seasonal herders’ settlement.

The landscape is dry and open, with views of Pisang Peak to the southeast. By afternoon, you reach Nar Phedi, a small stop near a monastery.

Evening: If possible, you can visit the monastery and observe the monks’ evening prayers with your guide’s permission.

The walk from Nar Phedi to Nar Village is steady and gradual, passing yak pastures, chortens, and open hills. The altitude increases as you climb. Nar is a larger and more active village than Phu, with wider paths and a stronger community feel. It is surrounded by views of Kang Guru and Pisang Peak.

In the afternoon, you can visit the main monasteries in the village and observe local life and prayer sessions if they are open.

Tomorrow is a challenging trekking day, so prepare your gear and rest well tonight.

This is the hardest and most important day of the trek. You leave Nar Village very early in the morning and climb steadily through the Temdenzon Khola valley, following moraine ridges above the glacier.

After several hours, you reach Jhombu Kharka, a common high camp before the pass. From here, the trail becomes steep, rocky, and exposed as you approach Kang La Pass.

At the top, prayer flags mark the summit, with wide views of peaks like Annapurna II, Gangapurna, and Lamjung Himal. After a short rest, you begin a long 1,600m descent to Ngawal.

Ngawal is a comfortable village with good facilities, and nearby you can visit the cave linked to Guru Rinpoche, a respected spiritual site.

From Ngawal, you descend along the Annapurna Circuit trail, passing through several villages including Ghyaru, Braga, Dhikur Pokhari, and Lower Pisang.

The landscape changes quickly as you lose altitude — from dry highlands to forests, farmland, and villages. The Marsyangdi River reappears far below in the valley.

By late afternoon, you reach Chame, the district headquarters with good facilities and hot springs nearby. It’s a comfortable place to rest and celebrate completing Kang La Pass.

You leave Chame by local jeep and drive down to Besisahar (about 4–5 hours on mountain roads). From there, you continue by highway vehicle back to Kathmandu.

The road follows the Marsyangdi River valley, gradually moving from mountains to lower hills and busy towns. It’s a long drive, so you can relax, look through photos, or rest.

By evening, you arrive in Kathmandu for a farewell dinner to mark the end of the trek.

The last morning. Depending on your flight time, Thamel's streets offer one final window for souvenirs — Tibetan singing bowls, hand-woven yak-wool shawls, butter lamp holders, or a bag of high-altitude Himalayan coffee. Your representative ensures a timely airport transfer. At the departure gate, you carry something that no luggage tag covers: the memory of stone villages that the modern world barely knows exist, a pass at 5,306 metres where the wind stole your breath and the mountains handed it back, and the faces of people living extraordinary lives in ordinary quietude. The Nar Phu valley is one of the few places on earth that genuinely delivers on the word "remote." Go well.