Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake

Nepal’s Annapurna region is probably the most enticing and diverse area to do trekking and tour activities. In fact, the region is the face and cornerstone of Nepalese Tourism industry. From famous touristic places to iconic trekking routes, the region is the place of interest to many travelers from across the globe. Therefore, in today’s blog, we are trying to cover the most famous long trekking route of the region the Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake.

Lots of Nepalese people have started to make the Tilicho Lake Trek as their priority trekking destination. This has led increase in the interest of this trekking route. Therefore, we felt obliged to write the authentic blog about the Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake. Our blog can help you plan for the trek and also helps you get answers of some frequently asked questions.

Let’s find out more about the trek:

Annapurna Circuit Trek: Oldest yet Popular Trek route of Nepal

Since 1976, the Annapurna Circuit Trek has been hosting thousands of trekkers from round the globe. The route is known to the world as one of the oldest trekking routes of Nepal. Despite it being the oldest, the trail is still the most popular among several trekking routes of Nepal. In fact, the Annapurna Circuit Trek route is on par with the legendary Everest Base Camp Trek, Langtang Valley Trek, and Annapurna Base Camp Trek. All these four trekking routes are the commercial trekking route of Nepal. From the natural attractions to the cultural grandeur, the Annapurna Circuit Trek is definitely the worthwhile trekking trip to do in Nepal at least once in a lifetime.

Classical Annapurna Circuit Trek Itinerary vs Modern Itinerary

Do you know that the classical Annapurna Circuit Trek Itinerary used to have more than 20 – 21 days? Yes, the journey used to start from Besisahar. The trail used to traverse through Manang, Ledar, Thorong La Pass, Muktinath, Kagbeni, Jomsom, Marpha, Ghasa, Tatopani, Ghorepani, and it used to end in Nayapul via Birethanti. It is the original trekking route of the Annapurna Circuit Trek. Unfortunately, the trekking trail has been curtailed due to the construction of the road. It is boon and curse at the same time. The boon is for the locals as they got accessibility enhancing the chances of mobilizing the local resources. The curse is for the trekking trail which got shorter. In fact, in some sections, trekkers have to walk on the road built for bikes and vehicles.

In order to preserve the trekking authenticity, various leading trekking agencies have knitted the modern trekking itinerary which starts either from Chame or Jagat and ends in Muktinath. You can complete the modern Annapurna Circuit Trek in about 9 – 12 days.

Tilicho Lake: World’s Highest Situated Lake

At an altitude of 4919 m from sea level, the Tilicho Lake stands proudly and beautifully in the lap of the Annapurna Himalayan range in the outskirts of the Annapurna Circuit Trek. Yes, the Tilicho Lake is the world’s highest situated glacial lake. The journey of the Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake becomes iconic because of the addition of the Tilicho Lake itinerary. For years, the lake was not in the limelight. It was known to the hardcore trekkers only. Nowadays, there are proper tea houses in the Tilicho Base Camp and the trail is also well trodden.

Trek to Tilicho Lake from Annapurna Circuit Trek Route

Two days in the journey of the Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake can be termed as the most challenging days of this trip. The first one is when hiking towards the Tilicho Lake (4919 m) and the second one is while crossing the Thorong La Pass (5416 m). Apart from these two days, please note that the Annapurna Circuit Trek is always joyous!

The trek to Tilicho Lake follows the similar itinerary of the Annapurna Circuit Trek in Nepal until the village of Yak Kharka. Therefore, some smart trekkers trekking in the Annapurna Circuit Trek adds the itinerary of the Tilicho Lake Trek. If you add 2 nights in the original Annapurna Round Trek itinerary then you can easily reach the Tilicho Lake and return back to the original trail towards the Thorong La Pass (5416 m).

How to Reach Manang for Thorong La Pass Trek?

Manang is the most popular village on the Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake journey. It is also the last densely populated village on this trekking route where trekkers spend two nights as part of acclimatization. You can reach Manang either by jeep or by trekking. Jeep ride to Manang can be risky due to quick altitude gain. Therefore, this blogger highly recommends the trekking in place of the jeep ride. There are two routes to Manang Village. The upper route is the Upper Pisang – Ngawal route. This route is comparatively harder and has off the beaten trekking trail but offers spectacular scenery of mountains and surrounding valleys. If you prefer easier way to reach Manang then you can use the route of the Humde Village in which you walk on the road for majority of time without any steep uphill and downhill.

Acclimatization in Annapurna Circuit Tilicho Lake Trek

In any high – altitude trekking activities, acclimatization shouldn’t be skipped. It applies in the Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake. Beyond Manang Village (3519 m), trekkers have to spend overnight in the places above 3800 m. This is very risky in terms of altitude sickness. Therefore, trekkers should never skip the acclimatization activities. Moreover, the acclimatization activity on this trekking trip is the hike towards the Gangapurna Lake and View Point. It is truly blissful and scenic. The blue turquoise lake on the lap of the Gangapurna Mountain is the sight to behold from the Gangapurna View Point. The sight of the Manang Village, Mountains, Farmlands Valley, Rivers, and Hills seen during the acclimatization hike prove the popularity of this trekking route.

Crossing Thorong La Pass

To cross the 5416 m mountain pass is never easy. It requires immense physical fitness and mental strength. If you have a strong physical fitness level and good cardio – vascular abilities, then you can easily cross the daunting Thorong La Pass. The journey begins early in the morning before dawn. It takes about 2.5 hours to 3 hours to reach the top from Thorong High Camp but it takes about 3 to 3.5 hours to reach the top from Thorong Phedi. The sight of the mountains and valleys from the top is incomparable. Beyond the pass are the famous valleys of Mustang and Muktinath temple.

Annapurna Circuit Trek during Tihar Festival

The best times to do the Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake are during spring (March – May) and autumn (September – November). The weather is stable and skies are clear during this time of the year. Interestingly, you can choose the months of October for this trekking to experience the iconic festival lights of Nepal the Tihar festival. The date of the Tihar Festival for 2025 is from 19^th October to 23^rd October. It is so fulfilling to do this amazing Himalayan trekking while consuming the vibe of Nepal’s iconic and greatest festival.

So, to all the readers of the blog published in the Everest Trekking Routes Pvt. Ltd. site, please don’t just stay at home rather come and visit Nepal for momentous holiday. The famous sociologist and theorist Mark Twain once said that those who stay at home read only one page of the book called life. Therefore, we should explore to know more.