Tilicho Base Camp: The Night Before Tilicho Lake

Last updated 9 October 2026.

Tilicho Base Camp is a small lodge on a plateau at 4,150 m, the night before the climb to Tilicho Lake. It is the most remote teahouse on our Annapurna Circuit route, and only the trekkers who make the Tilicho detour ever see it. You reach it on day 8 of our Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake, 16 days.

Short answer: Tilicho Base Camp is at 4,150 m (13,615 ft). From Siri Kharka (4,060 m) it is 5 to 6 hours and about 8 km, with only about 90 m of climbing. The next day is the lake at 4,919 m and back to Siri Kharka, 5 to 6 hours and about 15 km, with a climb of nearly 800 m.

Tilicho Base Camp at a glance

Where does Tilicho Base Camp sit on our trek?

Only on the 16-day trek, on day 8. The sequence is Manang (acclimatisation day 6), Siri Kharka on day 7, Tilicho Base Camp on day 8, the lake on day 9 with the night back at Siri Kharka, then Ledar on day 10 and Thorong High Camp on day 11. The 12-day Annapurna Circuit Trek does not include the detour. If you want the lake on its own, read my Tilicho Lake guide.

What is the walk from Siri Kharka to Tilicho Base Camp like?

It is a shorter day designed to manage the altitude gain. The trail follows the Tilicho valley through increasingly barren country, crossing streams fed by glacial melt and passing beneath cliffs where rockfall is possible. Your guide knows the safe line and keeps the group moving through the exposed sections. It is the one part of this route where the trail itself needs attention, not only the altitude.

What is there to see?

Base camp itself is a plateau with views up toward the lake. The point of the place is the position: you are one long morning from one of the highest lakes in the world, and you are in a valley that most Annapurna Circuit trekkers never enter. The next day starts early. The trail from base camp climbs steeply through loose moraine and scree and gains nearly 800 m to the lake. The lake is turquoise, vast, and often partly frozen even in autumn. It lies in a bowl of rock and ice beneath the cliffs of the Great Barrier, and the silence is complete.

What are the lodge, food and facilities like?

The teahouse is remote and serves the small number of trekkers who make the detour. Keep expectations modest. Budget means shared rooms, no meals included and no porter. Standard means private rooms, all trek meals and one porter for every two trekkers. Luxury means a dedicated porter for each trekker and all meals plus fruit and nuts. Nights are cold, and your sleeping bag and down jacket, included with all tiers, are essential.

How do you manage the altitude at Tilicho Base Camp?

The plan is built around it. After the rest day in Manang at 3,540 m, you sleep at Siri Kharka (4,060 m), then at base camp (4,150 m), which is a rise of only about 90 m. The big climb, 769 m to the lake, comes as a day trip, and you sleep lower again that night at Siri Kharka. That is the classic climb-high, sleep-low pattern. Later, the same trip puts you at about 4,900 m twice, once at the lake and once at High Camp, and the detour gives you a real acclimatisation advantage over trekkers who skip it. Drink water, say if you feel unwell and be ready to turn back. Travel insurance must cover up to 6,000 m and helicopter evacuation, bought at home.

What comes before and after?

The next stop after Ledar is Thorong High Camp.

When is the best time to go to Tilicho Base Camp?

October to November is the clearest and most reliable time. March and April are the second season. December to February is very cold. See my Annapurna Circuit best time guide for the detail. The route is strenuous but needs no technical climbing, and if you are weighing it against the standard circuit, read how hard the Annapurna Circuit really is.

Questions people ask

How high is Tilicho Base Camp? Our itinerary gives 4,150 m, which is 13,615 ft.

How far is Tilicho Base Camp from Siri Kharka? About 8 km, a walk of 5 to 6 hours.

How long does it take to go from base camp to Tilicho Lake? The whole lake day, there and back to Siri Kharka, takes 5 to 6 hours and covers about 15 km. The climb is nearly 800 m.

Is the Tilicho Lake trail dangerous? Parts of the valley run beneath cliffs where rockfall is possible. Your guide knows the safe line and keeps the group moving through those sections.

Do you sleep at the lake? No. You sleep at Tilicho Base Camp, climb to the lake the next morning and come back down to Siri Kharka.

Is there a restricted-area permit for Tilicho? Our trek needs the Annapurna Conservation Area permit and a TIMS card, both included. The Nar Phu valley, further east, has its own restricted-area permit; Tilicho does not on our route.

Can I skip the detour? Yes. The 12-day Annapurna Circuit goes straight from Manang to Ledar.

Group size is 2 to 20, and you can also trek solo. The deposit is 10 per cent and it is non-refundable, with no refund if you cancel. You can reschedule free of charge with at least 72 hours notice to any date within one year. The balance is paid on arrival in Kathmandu in USD or EUR, cash or by card. Card carries 3.5 per cent and cash in Kathmandu carries none. We do not take Nepali rupees from foreign clients.

How do you plan this with us?

Message me on WhatsApp on +977 9810351300 with your dates, how many of you there are and how comfortable you are above 4,000 m. I will tell you which tier and which route I would choose, and send you the exact quote.

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday, from a family of three generations of family guides. TAAN Member #1586. WhatsApp +977 9810351300.