Tilicho Lake Trek, 11 Days is an 11-day trek to Tilicho Lake from the Manang valley for fit trekkers who want Tilicho Lake without the Thorong La crossing. It reaches 4,919 m (Tilicho Lake) and is graded Strenuous: a very long road day, a steep moraine climb on the lake day, and nights at 4,060 m and 4,150 m. It costs from USD 770 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.
Tilicho Lake trek, 11 days at a glance
| Duration | 11 days, Kathmandu to Kathmandu (road to Dharapani, 7 days of walking, jeep and road back) |
|---|---|
| Maximum altitude | 4,919 m / 16,138 ft (Tilicho Lake). You sleep no higher than 4,150 m at Tilicho Base Camp |
| Grade | Strenuous. Days of 5 to 6 hours at altitude, and a steep moraine climb on the lake day. 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 Dharapani, jeep and road back from Manang |
| Permits | Annapurna Conservation Area (NPR 3,000) and TIMS (NPR 2,000). Both included |
| Hotels | 1 night in Besisahar (day 10) is included. Kathmandu nights are not |
| Start dates | You choose. See the windows for 2027 below |
| From price | USD 770 per person, Budget, couple. Standard USD 1,505, Luxury USD 2,465 |
Why I built it this way
Tilicho Lake is the reason a lot of people write to me about the Annapurna Circuit, and many of them do not have fourteen days. This trip is the lake and nothing else, in eleven days. You drive to Dharapani on day 1, walk up the Manang valley, spend a rest day in Manang, and go to Tilicho Lake at 4,919 m, one of the highest lakes in the world. You do not cross Thorong La.
The road now reaches Chame, and I could have started you there to save a day. I did not. A night at Dharapani (1,860 m), then a day's walk to Chame (2,670 m), keeps your sleeping height gaining gently, and the rest of the climb follows the same days as our 14-day Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake, with the Manang rest day. The lake day is still a hard one: a steep moraine climb of nearly 800 m. If you want the pass as well, take the 14-day trip.
The Tilicho path is quiet and narrow in places, with rockfall possible under the cliffs, and the night at Tilicho Base Camp is cold in a basic lodge. You must be fit and used to long days. Read Tilicho Lake trek: Your Ultimate Guide to Nepal's Highest Glacial Lake(4,919m), Tilicho Base Camp: The Night Before Tilicho Lake and Siri Kharka: Where the Tilicho Lake Detour Leaves the Circuit 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 night in Besisahar is. 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 station at Manang (3,401 m), as set out in our Annapurna Circuit month-by-month guide. There is no station at Tilicho, so the lake figures are a guide and not a forecast.
| Month | What it is like | My verdict |
|---|---|---|
| January | Coldest. Manang is 7 C by day and -9 C at night, with 6 mm of rain. Snow can cover the Tilicho path and some teahouses close. | Only with winter experience and flexible dates |
| February | Manang 9 C by day, -7 C at night, 15.1 mm. Cold and dry, with snow still possible on the path. | Only with winter experience and flexible dates |
| March | Spring starts. Manang 11 C by day, -3 C at night, 21.6 mm. Quiet on the Tilicho side, with rhododendrons on the lower trail. | Good, with a warm sleeping bag |
| April | Milder. Manang 14 C by day, -1 C at night, 38.5 mm. More cloud on the south side. | Good |
| May | Manang 16 C by day and 3 C at night, 40.4 mm. Warmer, but the lower road is wetter as the monsoon builds. | Possible, early May best |
| June | Monsoon. Manang gets 54.7 mm, but the lower valley is wet and cloud hides the peaks. Landslides are likely on the road. | No |
| July | Monsoon, the wettest month. Manang gets 85 mm. | No |
| August | Monsoon. Manang gets 67 mm. | No |
| September | The monsoon is clearing. Manang gets 59.7 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. Busy. | Best, from the second half of the month |
| November | The driest month: Manang gets 1.1 mm. Days 12 C, nights -4 C. Clear and cold. | Best, to mid month |
| December | Dry and cold. Manang gets 3.8 mm, with nights of -8 C. Snow can come at any time and the lake freezes over. | 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 cover the lake path. We never promise a lake day on a fixed date. Your guide decides on the morning.
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 and a quiet Tilicho side. Rhododendrons start on the lower trail. | Possible, with a warm sleeping bag |
| April 2027 | Milder, with more cloud on the south side. My pick for spring. | Good |
| Early May 2027 | Warmer, but the lower road 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 road 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. The busiest weeks, so book early. | Best |
| Late November to February 2027 | Dry but very cold, with snow able to cover the lake path. | Only with winter experience |
Allow one spare day at the end for a delayed road or jeep. The Manang to Besisahar road is 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 prices hold for 2027.
| Group size | Budget | Standard | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 guest (solo) | USD 1,345 | USD 1,940 | USD 3,995 |
| 2 to 4 guests | USD 770 | USD 1,505 | USD 2,465 |
| 5 to 8 guests | USD 480 | USD 1,275 | USD 2,300 |
| 9 to 12 guests | USD 465 | USD 1,225 | USD 2,085 |
| 13 to 20 guests | USD 400 | USD 1,205 | USD 2,010 |
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, and card payments carry a 3.5% bank charge.
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 Dharapani, about 10 to 11 hours. On day 10 a 4WD jeep takes you from Manang down to Besisahar (about 8 to 9 hours), and on day 11 you drive to Kathmandu (6 to 7 hours). Budget travels by local bus and a local jeep, Standard by a shared tourist vehicle and a shared jeep, and Luxury by a private vehicle and a private jeep. The Besisahar to Chame road is repaired and open, and cars and jeeps use it again (position as at 14 October 2026). We still 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, but do not rely on it. Draw cash in Kathmandu. Read Besisahar: The Start of the Annapurna Circuit and the Way Out of Manaslu and Nar Phu and Is the Annapurna Circuit Open? Road Closures Versus Trail Closures for the road.
Safety and altitude
You sleep at 1,860 m, 2,670 m, 3,300 m, 3,540 m, 4,060 m and 4,150 m, and you reach 4,919 m at the lake. 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. Day 3 (Chame to Upper Pisang, about 630 m) and day 6 (Manang to Siri Kharka, about 520 m) are at or over the line, which is why the Manang rest day matters. Day 1 gains about 460 m by road, to a night at 1,860 m. 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 5,000 m and helicopter evacuation.
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 steep moraine and the descent
- 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, how you travel on the road 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, 20 kg each in total. 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, 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 |
| Besisahar night | Simple lodge, twin share | 3-star-standard lodge or hotel, private room | Best available hotel, ensuite where there is one |
| Road transport | Local bus and a local jeep | Shared tourist vehicle and a shared jeep | Private luxury vehicle and a 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
- Tilicho Lake trek: Your Ultimate Guide to Nepal's Highest Glacial Lake(4,919m)
- Tilicho Base Camp: The Night Before Tilicho Lake
- Siri Kharka: Where the Tilicho Lake Detour Leaves the Circuit
- Manang Village Guide: Acclimatisation Stop on the Annapurna Circuit
- Chame, Nepal: The Essential Acclimatization Gateway to the Annapurna Circuit (2,670m)
- Annapurna Circuit Best Time: Month by Month, With Rain, Night Lows and Thorong La
- Annapurna Circuit in 12, 14 or 16 Days: Which Length to Choose and What Each Costs
The Everest Holiday is a family company founded in 2016, from three generations of guiding in the Himalayas.
