Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake Trek Comprehensive Guide
The Tilicho Base Camp Trek has it all: the Annapurna Range in its entirety, the journey through Manang and Mustang, the crossing of the highest pass (5416m) as well as the highest lake in the world, Tilicho Lake (5019m).
The Annapurna and Tilicho Lake Trek takes you along the famous Annapurna Region to Tilicho Lake (4950m), one of the world's highest lakes. The trail crosses through different elevations and climates, from semi-tropical and desert to sub-tropical and alpine forest to snowy barren. It also passes the stunning Thorongla Mountain Pass at an altitude of 5416 meters. Visits to cultural heritage sites in Kathmandu begin the trip. The trek begins in Dharapani. Next, drive to Chamje. After the 17-day Annapurna Trek with Tilicho Lake, you'll fly to Pokhara and another flight to Kathmandu.
Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake Trek takes you above the tree lines into snow-laden terrain where breath-taking windows open up to show you massive silver-grey peaks and a lovely river that's the highest of its kind in the world ethnic communities and mountain culture coupled with lifestyles and old-world traditions make this trek notebook true stories for the generations to come.
The Annapurna Circuit - Tilicho Lake – with Thorung La Pass Trek is renowned for being one of the universe's most fabulous and integrated treks. It's the kind of trek from 1000 meters onwards that takes you into lush green valleys with opportunities to explore the length and breadth of the Himalayas from different perspectives. Throughout your hikes in the area, the eco-environment of the surroundings never fails to amaze you in every nook and cranny of the adventure. This trek is a redesigned version that's an extension of the regular Annapurna Circuit Trek. Tilicho Lake is said to be the world's highest lake. Its clear cold water is thought to get its source from the glacial meltdown of the northern slopes of Annapurna and Thorung Peak. At Tilicho Lake, your heart skips as you view the surrounding silver-grey peaks reflected in the clear shimmering water.
The trek takes off from the distinctive midlands of Marshyangdi valley at the bustling town of Besisahar, reaches the remote Manang and Tilicho regions through pleasant areas, and then crosses the snow-covered Thorung-La at 5146m, and reaches the pilgrimage mountain temple of Muktinath, a well-known holy Himalayan landmark for Hindu and Buddhist devotees.
We go off the routine trail in the Annapurna Circuit and take the more direct route via Khangsar Village to reach Tilicho Lake. After 2 day hike up to the base camp of Tilicho Lake, we reached the lake at 5200m to enjoy its natural beauty for several hours before heading down to base camp for our second night. We descend to Yak Kharka and Thorung La at 5146 before making a beeline for Muktinath and then onto Jomsom.
In Kathmandu, we stay in a hotel with warm, pleasant surroundings of your choice, while on the trails in the wild, we crash out in pretty comfortable lodges or "teahouses" and don't be surprised by the apple pies after supper…even at such remote outposts.
This trek takes 16 days and is great for walking around the Annapurna Circle Trail and seeing the peaceful Tilicho Lake. If you want a shorter trek along the same path, the 14-day Annapurna Circle Short Trek is a good choice. But if you want to go around the Annapurna mountains, the 17-day Annapurna Circular Trek is the best option
Annapurna Circuit With Tilicho Lake Trek: The Start
The Annapurna Circuit Trekking begins in Dharapani and follows the Marshyangdi River with spectacular views of Manaslu to the east. This wonderful Tilicho Lake Trekking takes you to a fine village inhabited by people of different ethnicities and offers spectacular views of the Himalayas. This route is a customized version of the Annapurna Circuit. Instead of going north through the valley to Tanki Manang or Yak Kharka, we take the main valley west, pass through Khanshar Village (The Last Village of Nepal), and trek to Tilicho Lake. We then travel to Yak Kharka and Thorung La, at 5416 meters. The treks from the Thorung-La Pass lead to Muktinath, then Jomsom, where scenic flights of 25 minutes take you to Pokhara.
When is the Best Time for Annapurna Circuit Tilicho Lake Trek?
The best time for Annapurna Circuit Trek is Spring and Autumn in Nepal. Spring/pre-monsoon weather is dry and moderate during February, March, April, and May. The Annapurna region is best suited for trekking during spring when the mountains are visible, and the scenery is beautiful. The temperature can range from 18-23 degrees Celsius during the day and drop to -8/12 degrees Celsius overnight.
The Autumn (post-monsoon) season is also a great time to adventure along the Annapurna circuit route. This season occurs in September, October, November and December. The temperatures in Autumn range between 12-20 degrees Celsius during the day and -5/10 degrees Celsius at night. It is cooler and a good time to go trekking.
Accommodation during the Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake Trek
The accommodation on the Annapurna Circuit is in Teahouses and trekking Guesthouses. Rooms are neat and clean, with a double occupancy capacity; the beds are made of wood and soft mattresses, pillows, and warm blankets. Some rooms have attached bathrooms (not everywhere). You will enjoy a comfortable and relaxing sleep in cozy rooms. Single rooms are available for female solo travelers (except Himalaya and ABC). But it might be hard to get one during the busy times when many tourists are around. During your trek, you will be accommodated in the best tea house with a great view of the mountains and scenery.
Meals during the Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake Trek
The Annapurna Trek with Tilicho Lake takes place in high altitudes, near some of the highest peaks on Earth. You will, therefore, need to eat nutritious food. You will receive a nutritious and hygienic meal throughout your journey. The options for meals are more limited than in cities. We will provide 16 breakfasts 15 lunches, and 14 dinners during the trek.
We choose lodges with fresh, nutritious, hygienic, and tasty food. As we move up, the menu becomes shorter. Try the famous Nepali food, including Dal (lentils), Bhat(rice), Tarkari(curry), Momo(dumplings), and Chow Mein noodles. We recommend plenty of fresh vegetables, green tea, lemon and ginger teas, garlic soup, and hot lemon and ginger tea at high altitudes. We do not recommend non-vegetarian items, even though they are available in trek areas.
Drinking- Water during the Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake Trek
Adventure Club provides all the meals on the trek but needs to provide water. The best option is to treat the local water with chlorine/iodine tablets or a steripen. The tea houses will give you good quality free water and, you can also get along the trail but, you will need to treat it. If you use the tablets, make sure they dissolve completely (about 30 mins). On most treks, you can buy mineral water along the trail. A liter of mineral water at lower-elevation tea houses costs around USD 1. However, higher elevations can cost up to $4, so the cost can add up.
Electricity, WIFI, And Battery Recharge
During the trek, electricity is available at all the teahouses where you will spend the night. You can recharge your phones, laptops, or iPads from micro-hydropower and solar panels by paying a nominal charge. Regarding Wi-Fi, there are no free hotspots along the trekking trail, so we do not encourage carrying your laptop. Some teahouses offer paid Wi-Fi services hourly but don’t expect high-speed connectivity on the remote trails.
