Tilicho Lake: Height, Location and How to Trek There

I am Shreejan. Tilicho is the name I hear most from people who write to me about the Annapurna Circuit. Below are the plain answers: where it is, how high, how hard, when to go, what the days look like and what it costs. Prices and details are taken from our own trip pages. Updated 12 November 2026.

Where is Tilicho Lake?

Tilicho Lake is in the Manang district, in the Annapurna range of central Nepal. You reach it from the village of Manang (3,540 m) on the Annapurna Circuit, by a side valley that runs north-west from Manang (12 km to Siri Kharka on our route). It sits inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so you need the same two permits as the Circuit. The lake is not on the road. You walk to it.

How high is Tilicho Lake?

4,919 m (16,138 ft). That is the figure on our itineraries, and it is the same one Wikipedia gives for the surface of the lake. Wikipedia also notes that another source lists 4,949 m, so you may see both. The same page gives the lake as about 4 km long and 1.2 km wide.

You never sleep that high. The highest night on our trip is at Tilicho Base Camp, 4,150 m. After the lake you sleep lower again at Siri Kharka, 4,060 m.

Place	Height
Manang	3,540 m / 11,614 ft
Siri Kharka	4,060 m / 13,320 ft
Tilicho Base Camp	4,150 m / 13,615 ft
Tilicho Lake	4,919 m / 16,138 ft

The lake has a place in the Hindu story too. Hindus believe it is the Kak Bhusundi lake of the Ramayana, where the sage first told the story to Garuda.

How hard is the Tilicho Lake trek?

Strenuous, and not technical. It is hard in three ways.

• The lake day. You leave Tilicho Base Camp in the dark and climb nearly 800 m over loose moraine in thin air, then walk about 15 km in total back to Siri Kharka. It takes 5 to 6 hours, depending on how you feel at that height.
• The path. It is narrow in places, passes under cliffs where rockfall is possible, and crosses glacial streams. Your guide knows the safe line, and in the exposed sections you walk one at a time where he tells you. If the weather or the path is not safe, we do not push on, so I cannot promise the lake on a fixed day.
• The cold. The night at Tilicho Base Camp, in a basic lodge, is cold in every month.

You need to be able to walk 5 to 6 hours a day for several days in a row. I would not send a first-time trekker. If you have already done a trek above 4,000 m, you will know how your body behaves.

How do I get to Tilicho Lake? The 11-day route

This is our Tilicho Lake Trek, taken from the package page. It does not cross the Thorong La.

Day	Route	Night at
1	Drive Kathmandu to Dharapani	1,860 m
2	Dharapani to Chame	2,670 m
3	Chame to Upper Pisang	3,300 m
4	Upper Pisang to Manang	3,540 m
5	Rest and acclimatisation day in Manang	3,540 m
6	Manang to Siri Kharka	4,060 m
7	Siri Kharka to Tilicho Base Camp	4,150 m
8	Tilicho Lake (4,919 m) and back to Siri Kharka	4,060 m
9	Siri Kharka back to Manang	3,540 m
10	Jeep from Manang to Besisahar	about 820 m
11	Drive Besisahar to Kathmandu	1,400 m

Day 1 is a long drive of 10 to 11 hours, and I start you at Dharapani and not at Chame on purpose, so your sleeping height gains slowly. Two days (the walk to Upper Pisang and the one to Siri Kharka) are above the 300 to 500 m a day I like to keep to once you are over 3,000 m, which is why the Manang rest day matters. Read about the two nights on the lake side: Siri Kharka and Tilicho Base Camp.

Which Tilicho trek should I choose?

The lake day is the same on all of ours. The longer trips add the Thorong La, and a night at 4,900 m before it. Prices are per person, for 2 to 4 people, from the package pages.

Trip	Thorong La	Budget	Standard	Luxury
Tilicho Lake, 11 days	No	USD 645	USD 1,665	USD 3,145
Circuit with Tilicho, 14 days	Yes	USD 790	USD 1,725	USD 3,065
Circuit with Tilicho, 16 days	Yes	USD 870	USD 1,930	USD 3,345
Annapurna Circuit, 12 days	Yes (no lake)	USD 710	USD 1,525	USD 2,720

If the lake is what you came for and your time is short, take the 11 days. If you want the pass as well, take the 14 days. The 16-day trip adds a finish through Tatopani and Poon Hill. My page on which Annapurna Circuit length to choose sets them side by side. A solo trekker pays more per person, and the exact price for your group size is on each package page.

What is the best time to visit Tilicho Lake?

Mid October to mid November, then late March to April. The temperatures and rain below are the 1991 to 2020 averages for the Manang weather station (Department of Hydrology and Meteorology), as set out in our best time month by month guide. There is no station at the lake, so treat them as a guide to the cold and not a forecast.

• October: dry and clear. Manang gets 38.9 mm of rain, with nights around 1 C. The busy month.
• November: the driest, with 1.1 mm of rain at Manang, and nights of about -4 C.
• March and April: milder. Manang nights are about -3 C in March and -1 C in April. Quieter on the Tilicho side, with more cloud on the south side.
• December to February: cold, and snow can cover the path and close some teahouses. Only with winter experience and flexible dates.
• June to September: monsoon. The lower valley is wet, cloud hides the peaks and landslides are likely on the road. I do not recommend it.

What permits do I need, and what does it cost?

Two permits, both inside our price on every tier:

• Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP): NPR 3,000 for a foreign trekker, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals.
• TIMS card: NPR 2,000 for a foreign trekker, NPR 1,000 for SAARC nationals. The Nepal Tourism Board lists Tilicho among the routes that need a licensed guide and an agency-issued TIMS card.

That is NPR 5,000 in total for a foreign trekker, from the Nepal Tourism Board figures I checked in October 2026. There is no restricted-area permit for Tilicho. More in my guide to Annapurna trek permits.

What changes by tier:

• Budget: shared rooms, local shared transport, guide and permits. No porter, so you carry your own bag. Meals are not included. On the trail, plan roughly USD 35 to 45 a day for food and drinks (a meal is about NPR 2,000, more the higher you go).
• Standard: private twin rooms, three meals a day with a cup of tea or coffee at each, fruit at breakfast and 2 litres of hot water a day. One porter for every two trekkers, so 10 kg each. If you book alone, the guide carries up to 10 kg of your bag.
• Luxury: private deluxe rooms, your own porter (up to 20 kg), three meals with fruit and nuts, and tea, coffee, juice and soft drinks carried for you.

Not included on any tier: international flights, your Nepal visa, Kathmandu hotel nights (I quote them separately), travel insurance and tips. Our usual tipping guide is about USD 15 to 20 a day for a guide and USD 10 to 15 for a porter. A 10% deposit confirms your dates and you pay the balance in Kathmandu.

How do I avoid altitude sickness on the way to Tilicho?

The Manang rest day does most of the work. Beyond that:

• Walk high, sleep low. After the lake you sleep lower again at Siri Kharka.
• Drink three to four litres of water a day, and avoid alcohol.
• Know the signs: a headache that will not go, nausea, dizziness, poor appetite or unusual tiredness. Tell your guide at once.
• If symptoms get worse, you go down. The lake will still be there.

Our guides check oxygen levels with a pulse oximeter each day. More in my altitude sickness guide.

What insurance do I need?

Buy it in your own country. For the 11-day Tilicho trip, the highest point is 4,919 m, so ask for cover to 5,000 m with helicopter evacuation. If you add the Thorong La (14 or 16 days), ask for cover to 5,500 m. We arrange rescue if it is needed, and your insurer pays. I do not recommend insurance bought in Nepal.

Tilicho Lake FAQs

How high is Tilicho Lake in feet?

16,138 ft (4,919 m).

Where is Tilicho Lake?

In the Manang district of Nepal, in the Annapurna range. You walk to it from Manang, through Siri Kharka and Tilicho Base Camp.

Is Tilicho Lake the highest lake in the world?

No. It is one of the highest lakes in the world, but I would not call it the highest, and I have not found a source I trust that ranks it first.

How many days does the Tilicho Lake trek take?

Eleven days from Kathmandu to Kathmandu on our shortest version, with seven days of walking and a rest day in Manang. With the Thorong La it is 14 days, and with Tatopani and Poon Hill 16 days.

Can I swim in Tilicho Lake?

I would not. The water is glacial and the air is thin. Wikipedia records a scuba dive there in 2000 by a Russian team, which is not something I would copy.

Can beginners do the Tilicho Lake trek?

I would not send a first-time trekker. It is a strenuous trek with nights above 4,000 m. If you have done Annapurna Base Camp or a similar trek, you are in a better place to start.

Is the Tilicho Lake trek dangerous?

The risk is the narrow path with rockfall under the cliffs on the way to base camp, and the altitude. With a guide who knows the line, and by turning back when it is not safe, it is a well-run trek. I cannot promise the lake on a given day.

Can I visit Tilicho Lake in winter?

It is possible, but snow can cover the path and some teahouses close. I would only go with winter experience and flexible dates.

Plan your Tilicho Lake trek

Tell me your dates and how many days you have, and I will say honestly which of the four is right for you. See the Tilicho Lake Trek (11 days), or read my 2027 guides to the 11-day trek and the 14-day Circuit with Tilicho. Also useful: Manang, Thorong La and what the Annapurna Circuit costs.

WhatsApp +977 9810351300. Email: info@theeverestholiday.com

Written by Shreejan Simkhada, CEO of The Everest Holiday and third-generation Himalayan guide. TAAN Member #1586.