Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake, 14 Days is a 14-day trek over the Annapurna Circuit with the Tilicho Lake side trip for fit trekkers who want Tilicho Lake and Thorong La without a 16-day trip. It reaches 5,416 m (Thorong La) and is graded Strenuous: long days at altitude, a night at 4,900 m and a pass day of 7 to 10 hours. It costs from USD 1,095 per person (Budget, couple). The price per person is the same for a private trip and a group of the same size, and it falls as the group grows.
Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake at a glance
| Duration | 14 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu (11 days on foot from Jagat to Muktinath, including the Tilicho side trip, then 3 days of road and jeep) |
|---|---|
| Maximum altitude | 5,416 m / 17,769 ft (Thorong La). Tilicho Lake 4,919 m. You sleep no higher than 4,900 m at Thorong High Camp |
| Grade | Strenuous. Long days at altitude and a pass day of 7 to 10 hours. No technical skill needed |
| Best months | Mid October to mid November, then late March to April |
| Group size | 1 to 20, always private |
| Starts and ends | Kathmandu. Road to Jagat, jeep from Muktinath to Pokhara, road back to Kathmandu |
| Permits | Annapurna Conservation Area (NPR 3,000) and TIMS (NPR 2,000). Both included |
| Hotels | 1 night in a Pokhara hotel is included. Kathmandu nights are not |
| Start dates | You choose. See the windows for 2027 below |
| From price | USD 1,095 per person, Budget, couple. Standard USD 1,790, Luxury USD 3,040 |
Why I built it this way
People often ask me for Tilicho Lake but do not have sixteen days. This trip keeps the two big things, the lake at 4,919 m and Thorong La at 5,416 m, and shortens the finish. Instead of the long walk down through Tatopani and over Poon Hill, you cross the pass, sleep in Muktinath, and take a jeep to Pokhara in a day. That is fourteen days from Kathmandu to Kathmandu.
It is a hard trip, and I will not dress it up. The Tilicho side is quiet and the path is narrow in places, with rockfall possible under the cliffs. The High Camp night is at 4,900 m, and the pass day is long and cold. You must be fit and used to long days. If you want the Circuit without the lake, read our Annapurna Circuit cost guide. If you want to know what the lake day is like, read Tilicho Lake trek: Your Ultimate Guide to Nepal's Highest Glacial Lake(4,919m), and read How Difficult Is the Annapurna Circuit? An Honest Difficulty Rating before you decide.
The roads here changed the Circuit. Jeeps now run up both valleys, but the Thorong La section is still on foot, and a blocked road is not a blocked trail. Read Is the Annapurna Circuit Open? Road Closures Versus Trail Closures before you decide.
Hotel nights in Kathmandu are not included, so you choose your own (our family homestay is USD 15 per person per night). One Pokhara night is included. Every booking helps pay the teacher's salary at our Nagarjun Learning Center in Saldum. The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
Best time to go, month by month
Rain and temperatures are 1991 to 2020 averages from the national weather stations at Manang (3,401 m) and Pokhara, as set out in our Annapurna Circuit month-by-month guide. Thorong La figures are 2015 to 2024 averages from a weather model, a guide to the cold and not a forecast. There is no station at Tilicho.
| Month | What it is like | My verdict |
|---|---|---|
| January | Coldest month. Manang is 7 C by day and -9 C at night, with 6 mm of rain. Thorong La averages -25 C at night. Snow can block the pass for days. | Only with winter experience and flexible dates |
| February | Manang 9 C by day, -7 C at night, 15.1 mm. Thorong La -23 C at night. Snow can still block the pass. | Only with winter experience and flexible dates |
| March | Spring starts. Manang 11 C by day, -3 C at night, 21.6 mm. Thorong La -19 C at night. Rhododendrons on the lower trail, more cloud on the south side. | Good, with a warm sleeping bag |
| April | Milder. Manang 14 C by day, -1 C at night, 38.5 mm. Thorong La -13 C at night. Pokhara gets 141.7 mm, so the south side is wetter. | Good |
| May | Manang 16 C by day and 3 C at night, 40.4 mm. Thorong La -9 C at night. Pokhara jumps to 354.7 mm, so the lower days are likelier to be wet. | Possible, early May best |
| June | Monsoon. Manang gets 54.7 mm, but the lower trail is on the wet side and cloud hides the peaks. Thorong La -4 C at night. | No |
| July | Monsoon, the wettest month. Manang gets 85 mm and Pokhara 941 mm. | No |
| August | Monsoon. Manang gets 67 mm and Pokhara 839.4 mm. | No |
| September | The monsoon is clearing. Manang gets 59.7 mm and Pokhara 635 mm. Road landslides are still likely. | Late September only, with spare days |
| October | Dry and clear. Manang gets 38.9 mm, with days of 15 C and nights of 1 C. Thorong La -10 C at night. Busy. | Best, from the second half of the month |
| November | The driest month: Manang gets 1.1 mm. Days 12 C, nights -4 C. Thorong La -15 C at night. Clear and cold. | Best, to mid month |
| December | Dry and cold. Manang gets 3.8 mm, with nights of -8 C. Thorong La -20 C at night. Snow can come at any time. | Only with care |
Late October to mid November and late March to April are the best windows. December to February is cold, and snow can block Thorong La for days with no way round the pass on foot. We never promise a crossing on a fixed day. Your guide decides on the morning. Read Thorong La Pass (5,416m): The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Highest Trekking Pass.
Starting dates for 2027
You choose your start date, because every trip is private. These are the windows I would pick for 2027. Festival dates for 2027 are the expected ones from public calendars, and the government confirms them each year.
| Window in 2027 | What to expect | My advice |
|---|---|---|
| March 2027 (Holi expected 22 to 23 March) | Cold nights, with Thorong La averaging -19 C. Rhododendrons start on the lower trail. Quiet on the Tilicho side. | Possible, with a warm sleeping bag |
| April 2027 | Milder, with Thorong La at -13 C. More cloud on the south side. My pick for spring. | Good |
| Early May 2027 | Warmer, but the south side gets wetter as the monsoon builds. | Only early in the month |
| Late September to early October 2027 (Dashain expected 6 to 10 October, not yet announced) | The rains have only just cleared and landslides on the roads are still likely. Dashain brings crowded buses and some closed teahouses. | Avoid the Dashain days |
| Mid October to mid November 2027 (Tihar expected 29 to 31 October) | The classic window: dry, clear and cold, with Thorong La at -10 C to -15 C at night. The busiest weeks, so book early. | Best |
| Late November to February 2027 | Dry but very cold, with snow able to block Thorong La for days. | Only with winter experience |
Allow one spare day at the end for a delayed road or jeep. The Muktinath to Pokhara road and the Besisahar road are the two places where delays happen. Tell me your dates and I will tell you what I know for that week.
Permits and costs
We apply for every permit and pay for all of them. You send us your passport details early.
| Permit or fee | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annapurna Conservation Area permit | NPR 3,000 | Included |
| TIMS card | NPR 2,000 (NPR 1,000 SAARC) | Included, we issue it through our agency |
| Tilicho Lake | No separate permit | Inside the Conservation Area |
The price per person falls as the group grows, and a child pays the same as an adult. Private or group, the price per person is the same. Here is the full table. These are our 2027 prices. If we have already quoted you a price in writing, we hold it.
| Group size | Budget | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 guest (solo) | USD 1,645 | USD 2,370 | USD 4,880 |
| 2 to 4 guests | USD 1,095 | USD 1,790 | USD 3,040 |
| 5 to 8 guests | USD 1,020 | USD 1,665 | USD 2,910 |
| 9 to 12 guests | USD 965 | USD 1,580 | USD 2,680 |
| 13 to 20 guests | USD 920 | USD 1,505 | USD 2,580 |
Not included: international flights, your Nepal visa (USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, paid in cash on arrival), Kathmandu hotel nights, travel insurance, tips, personal spending and any extra porter (USD 25 per day plus 13% VAT and the 3.5% bank charge). You pay a 10% deposit to book and the balance in Kathmandu. We take US dollars or euros, in cash or by card. We cover the card fee on the deposit. If you pay the balance by card it carries a 3.5% bank charge. Cash in Kathmandu has no fee.
Getting there and getting back
On day 1 you travel from Kathmandu along the Prithvi Highway to Dumre, then up the Marsyangdi valley through Besisahar to Jagat, about ten hours in good conditions. After the pass, a 4WD jeep takes you from Muktinath through Jomsom to Pokhara (8 to 9 hours), and the next day you drive to Kathmandu (7 to 8 hours). Budget travels by local bus and a shared local jeep, Standard by a shared tourist vehicle and a shared jeep, and Luxury by a private vehicle and a private jeep, the same split as our 16-day trip. The Besisahar to Chame road lost about 200 m at Kharkhere Bhir on 27 September 2026, and a flood hit Chame the same day. The Beni to Jomsom road was damaged at 46 points in late September 2026. As of 14 October 2026 the Besisahar–Chame road and the Beni–Jomsom road are repaired and open to vehicles again. We check the road and the trail 48 hours before departure. If a road is not open, we move your dates free of charge.
Visa on arrival is USD 30 for 15 days or USD 50 for 30 days, and your passport must be valid for at least six months. There is an ATM in Besisahar and sometimes in Jomsom, but do not rely on them. Draw cash in Kathmandu.
Safety and altitude
You sleep at 4,060 m, 4,150 m, 4,250 m and 4,900 m on the Tilicho and pass days, and you reach 4,919 m at the lake and 5,416 m at the pass. Walk slowly, drink three to four litres of water a day and tell your guide at once about a headache, nausea or poor sleep. Your guide checks everyone's oxygen level every day with a pulse oximeter. If a reading is low or symptoms appear, we do not go higher, and if they worsen we go down. The Himalayan Rescue Association post in Manang gives a free talk on altitude sickness every afternoon.
Our own guideline is not to raise your sleeping height by more than 300 to 500 m a day above 3,000 m, with a rest day for every 1,000 m gained. This route follows it with the Manang rest day, but the climb from Ledar to High Camp (650 m) is above the guideline. That is why it is a short walk and why we take it slowly. The Tilicho path is narrow in places with rockfall possible, so you walk where your guide tells you, one at a time through the exposed sections. Buy travel insurance at home that covers trekking to 5,500 m and helicopter evacuation. A helicopter cannot land on the Thorong La itself; rescues are made from lower ground on either side.
What to pack
- Broken-in trekking boots, with spare laces, and sandals for the lodge
- A warm sleeping bag rated to about -15 C, or ask us to lend one
- A down jacket, a fleece, thermal base layers and a windproof shell
- Warm gloves plus a thin pair, a warm hat, a buff and sunglasses with side shields
- Sun cream SPF 50 and lip balm
- A head torch and spare batteries (cold drains them)
- Trekking poles for the long descent from Thorong La
- Two one-litre water bottles and purification tablets
- A daypack of about 30 litres. Your duffel goes with the porter
- Personal medicines, blister care and rehydration salts
- Our full list is in What to Pack for the Annapurna Circuit: The Trek That Crosses Two Climates in Twelve Days
Budget, Standard or Luxury
All three tiers walk the same route on the same days. What changes is how you sleep, what you eat, who carries your bag and how many guides walk with you.
| Budget | Standard | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms | Shared rooms in simple teahouses | Private twin rooms, attached bathroom where the lodge has one | Private deluxe rooms, ensuite where the lodge has one |
| Porter | None. You carry your own pack. An extra porter is USD 25 per day plus 13% VAT and the 3.5% bank charge | One porter for every two trekkers, each porter carrying 20 kg in total, so 10 kg each. A solo guest has no porter: the guide carries up to 10 kg | One dedicated porter for every trekker |
| Meals | Not included on the trail. Breakfast at the Pokhara hotel | Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, tea or coffee and seasonal fruit once a day | All meals, fruit and nuts, tea, coffee, soft drinks, juice and water whenever you want |
| Pokhara hotel | Simple hotel, twin share | 3-star hotel, private room | Deluxe hotel, ensuite |
| Road transport | Local bus and shared local jeep | Shared tourist vehicle and shared jeep | Private luxury vehicle and private 4WD jeep |
| Guide | 1 guide, an assistant at 8 or more | 1 guide for up to 6 trekkers, an assistant at 7 or more | 1 guide for every 2 trekkers |
Read before you book
- Annapurna Circuit Best Time: Month by Month, With Rain, Night Lows and Thorong La
- Tilicho Lake trek: Your Ultimate Guide to Nepal's Highest Glacial Lake(4,919m)
- Thorong La Pass (5,416m): The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Highest Trekking Pass
- How Difficult Is the Annapurna Circuit? An Honest Difficulty Rating
- Is the Annapurna Circuit Open? Road Closures Versus Trail Closures
- How Much Does the Annapurna Circuit Cost? The Numbers Nobody Else Publishes
The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
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