Nar Phu Valley Trek

We will leave Kathmandu and utilize mountain scenic highway routes as we set out on our tour. Through the winding course of the Trishuli and Marsyangdi rivers, you will be mesmerized by rolling green landscapes of rice fields, picturesque villages, and teasing initial glimpses at distant snow-crowned peaks. Besisahar, gateway to Annapurna, is a place where we switch to the more rugged gear of a 4×4 drive for today’s bumpy ride.

Hold tight to your handlebars as the road becomes increasingly stunning! We ride across swaying suspension bridges high above foaming Marsyangdi River, along roaring waterfalls, and along old Gurung and Tamang villages where we are welcomed in through waves of warm hand. Most stunning scenery unfolds around us with pine and rhododendron forests opening up to view as we continue to climb higher. By evening, we’re in the picturesque Dharapani, a village situated within the Annapurna Conservation Area – your first overnight at hill altitude and nicely positioned to acclimatize for the beginning of the trek.

Saddle up your trekking boots – the day arrives when your trek begins officially. Saying goodbye to Dharapani in high spirits, trek along the course of the Marsyangdi River in its run through the valley. The trek goes along its gentle gradient through lovely pine, oak, and rhododendron forests with the aroma of nature in every spot where your eyes touch. Sights of Manaslu and Annapurna II enchant through the woods along the trail, their white snow summits glinting in morning sunlight.

We continue to walk through picturesque hill towns like Timang and Bagarchhap, where you get your first glimpse of Tibetan-style culture in brightly painted traditional houses and fluttering prayer flags. Timang (2,750m / 9,022ft) offers a spectacular view – just a breathtaking sweep of the entire Annapurna range! Having absorbed this natural beauty, we walk along the trail as it makes its gentle descent to Koto, a peaceful settlement with good views of Lamjung Himal and our first glimpse of the entrance to secretive Nar Phu Valley.

A day not to forget as we trek on the off-the-beaten trails and into limited Nar Phu Valley with our precious permits. The thrill of entering a world that few visitors ever have the opportunity to experience! The path drops immediately into dense pine and fir forest, down the dramatic narrow gorge of the Soti Khola river. The trail gets rougher as we climb higher, with steep cliffs on either side and the occasional wooden bridge over icy glacier-created streams.

As we climb, notice the desolate landscape transform – wooded land is replaced by rocky wasteland with fascinating rock formations sculpted by water and wind over centuries. We will pass through Chhacha, a small summer village where yak herders drive their yaks up to graze, before the last mile of driving to Meta. Strawled along the western extremity of a high plateau, Meta presents to you your pathway to merely staggering vistas of neighbourly giants, Kang Guru and Pisang Peak. The rolling open expanse stretching out in front of you on the infinite Himalayan horizon is the perfect vista in which to acclimatize and reflect upon the day’s success at trekking.

From Meta, we venture deeper into the untamed core of Nar Phu Valley. The trek continues along ever-more barren but somehow beautiful landscapes, crumbling Tibetan-style chortens and prayer-inscribed mani walls as the unobtrusive guardians of the trail. There are more miracles at every step as we cross over several suspension bridges high above the Phu River, the breathtaking cliffs and breathtaking rock formations plunging down in giant canyons below.

Keep your camera close by as we continue to observe blue sheep grazing serenely over impossible mountain ridges, with golden eagles soaring overhead in the crystal mountain air. The valley gradually opens up as we approach Phu Gaon and offers stunning views of rugged Himlung Himal (7,126m / 23,379ft) sparkling on the horizon. Arriving in Phu Gaon is traveling back in time – this remote Tibetan village with its medieval landscape, rock-hewn houses, and twisted cobblestone streets is hand in glove with the unforgiving mountain landscape. This evening, you’ll be camping in the shadow of the historic Tashi Lhakhang Monastery, one of the area’s holiest religious sites.

We leave medieval village Phu after breakfast, trekking amidst the untouched charm of this remote valley. Dawn light highlights the chiseled cliffs with dramatic shadows as we trek across suspension bridges and boulder pathways. Instead of retracing back to Meta, we’ll take a side trail that will lead us towards Nar, offering fresh vistas of these towering Himalayan giants.
Our path climbs in steep switchbacks up chortens and prayer walls covered with Buddhist mantras. We briefly visit Nar Phedi monastery, where monks welcome trekkers with smiles. As we keep climbing, the views of Pisang Peak, Kang Guru, and other glorious mountains get more glorious.
By late afternoon, we’ll have the final ridge reveal us Nar Village – larger than Phu but equally tradition-filled. Flat stone buildings cluster up in a group to insulate themselves from harsh mountain weather, hemmed in by green meadows where peacefully feeding yaks munch grass. We will be settling in at our lodgings after our challenging yet rewarding day trekking some of the most breathtaking scenery of the Himalayas.

Wake to the gentle dance of prayer flags on the mountain breeze. The day is spent acclimatizing and becoming familiar with this off-the-tourist-track cultural gem. We break our fast and then visit ancient hillside Tashi Lhakhang Monastery after breakfast, with views over the whole valley. Marvel at the colorful Buddhist murals, prayer wheels, and scenery that are little changed today from what they have been for centuries.
We’ll stroll for a while to a nearby observation point from which the breathtaking beauty of the higher Himalayas is revealed. Have your wildlife eyes open – Himalayan griffons are flying overhead, and if we are very fortunate, we can even spot the elusive snow leopard. By staying with friendly Tibetan villagers, you’ll pick up their ways of living and their traditions.
Afternoon is spent exploring this vibrant cultural village and socializing with the villagers. Learn their fascinating way of life, unchanged little for centuries. As evening falls, see the sun set behind the snow-capped mountains, the sky turning pink and gold – the perfect time to acclimatize physically as well as mentally for the high pass that awaits us in the next couple of days.

It’s our most exciting but hardest trekking day! We take an early breakfast, raring to go and ready ahead as we face the stubborn ascent of Kang La Pass. The trail goes up persistently on glacial moraine and desolate ground, step by step to paradise. It is thinner air and back-breaking walking, but your guide’s energy and increasingly stunning views are all the motivation you’ll require to take you through.

Over the top of the Kang La Pass (5,240m / 17,192ft), the reward is one of the finest Himalayan vistas – Annapurna II, Gangapurna, and Tilicho Peak rise above as an ice and snow wall that seems so near you can almost stretch out and touch it. After enjoying the sight of the summit covered with prayer flags, we drop down to Ngawal, a quaint village on the Annapurna Circuit hike. Scenery is marvelous as you come down to more settled areas with better facilities than the remote villages of Phu and Nar. You stay overnight in comfort at Ngawal, basking in your good achievement of having crossed the difficult Kang La Pass.

We come down from Ngawal to greener surroundings. The path passes through beautiful pine and rhododendron groves, a relief from the desolate landscape of highland. You breathe in the mountain air as you walk on paths which have been connecting these hill villages for many centuries. The path is broken by rural villages, infusing the ambiance of rural Himalayan village life as the fields are tended by farmers and children play by the tracks.

The trek continues as we walk over solid suspension bridges across churning streams and along cascading waterfalls spilling down the mountain slope. Below, the Marsyangdi Valley is sheer heaven to the eye, tier upon tier of mountains as a photographer’s paradise backdrop. Late in the afternoon, we reach Chame, Manang’s bustling district headquarters. This cosmopolitan town is a small slice of heaven when compared to rural villages we’ve passed through with hot showers, bakeries, and full-size shops. This evening, spoil yourselves a little with the relative luxury as you mark how far you’ve come, both physically and in experience.

Breakfast, and farewell to the mountains as we send our transport down to civilization. The road winds down the lovely Marsyangdi Valley, and back again by the same road but with a different view this time. Looking out of the windows as the landscape dramatically opens out before us – alpine forest at first, then rolling hills of terraced agriculture, and the hum of civilization. Each bend and turn of the road provide a picture-postcard view of Nepalese scenery.

As we descend, the air grows warmer and thicker as we descend from altitude. We reach Kathmandu in the evening, the journey complete in a circle. To open the door of our hotel room is to open the door to another world from the rugged beauty of Nar Phu. This is the farewell dinner, and memories of the trek are recollected along with new friends made along the way. The smog-filled streets of Kathmandu are far away from the veiled valleys that we have crossed, but the experience will be imprinted in your heart forever.

Unwind over a laid-back breakfast at the hotel, perhaps swapping addresses with some fellow trekkers and old friends on the trek. Time for some final shopping in Thamel or a final wander around Kathmandu’s eccentric streets. Our staff will arrange your airport transfer at the right time for your flight.

As you return home, carry with you the inspiring memories of your Nar Phu Valley trekking – the breathtaking views, traditional ways, and individual accomplishments that have already made this trek so special. The Himalayas are an open home to the returnee, and we eagerly await another great trek across this mysterious rim of the world from you in the future.