Nar Phu Valley Trek 10 Days

You will be met at the Kathmandu Airport by our staff or representative who will take you to your hotel.

Meanwhile, you can take your time to stroll around Thamel, the heart of the traveler’s hub in Kathmandu with its cafes, bars, shops and restaurants. This is a great place to buy souvenirs or snacks for your trip. In the evening you will meet your guide.

It’s free for sightseeing in Kathmandu today. You may want to visit Durbar Square in the heart of the old town, where the old Royal Palace with its intricate woodcarving is located. The whole area is a labyrinth of temples and images. The narrow alleys that lead away from the square in all directions, full of the most amazing variety of shops and stalls. Some of these landmarks are considered World Heritage Sites, including the historic Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the famous Monkey Temple Swayambhunath and the Buddhist Shrine Buddhanath, one of the largest stupas in the world.

Today, there will also be a trip briefing with gear check. If you need to rent or buy equipment locally, there will be time to do this today.

Drive early in the morning to Besisahar. After lunch, change to a 4WD drive vehicle for an off-road journey to Koto. The road can be challenging for both passengers and drivers, but this is the most scenic route! It travels along the old Annapurna Circuit trek, through stunning gorges and breathtaking waterfalls.

Start the day early, because there is a lot of distance to cover. Cross the river and enter the Nar and Phu valleys. Towns on the nearby Annapurna Circuit are relatively well developed, but this is not the case in these valleys. Today’s hike passes through beautiful forests, past small cave shelters and resting places for pilgrims.

The trail appears from a narrow canyon under a wide waterfall, from which the woods become thinner and the views wider. The last stretch to Meta involves climbing a steep hill from where you can enjoy a wonderful view of some of the giant snowy peaks in the region.

Meta is located on a large open plain and consists of a few simple but clean lodges offering good food.

Hiking out of Meta, some of the unique, colorful Tibetan Buddhist stupas that Nar and Phu are famous for start to appear in sight. The trail passes along the ridge with a good view of the magnificent Nar Phedi Monastery, where you’ll stay in a few days time. After another ninety minutes of hiking through scenic canyons and gorges, you will reach a monolith guarding the steep trail up to Phu.

From here, you can get your first view of the three villages in the area, as well as the old “dzong” (Tibetan-style castle) and the remains of two ruined forts, impressively situated above the flatlands in front of the village. A line of beautiful stupas color the landscape just before crossing the bridge to Phu.

It’s good to spend an acclimatization day in Phu because of the high altitude. Explore the small alleys of the town or hike up to HimlungHimal Base Camp. Phu itself is an interesting village, and a day is spent sitting with the villagers, spinning their yak and sheep’s wool, pounding mustard seeds into oil paste, or doing their other daily tasks.

For an extra challenge, a hike to HimlungHimal Base Camp takes you through the glacial valley. It’s 7125 m. Peak has recently been opened for climbing. On the trail up, you’ll see herds of blue sheep clambering up the steep cliffs. The return journey takes about four hours.

Take the route back down to Meta, but turn off at the monastery off at the Nar Phedi, which will be your overnight accommodation. Actually, the monastery is all that Nar Phedi consists of!

The rooms are clean and tidy and the nuns are very welcoming. Join them in the kitchen and watch them prepare a modest fireplace for dinner. Usually they do a puja (blessing) at 5 p.m., which you are welcome to witness. There is a small donation box in the monastery where you can leave a contribution to the maintenance of this beautiful and friendly place.

It’s a very gentle day today. Climb out of Nar Phedi and follow a winding path up the hill to Nar. Pass a line of beautifully painted bamboo chortens on the way to the ancient village. Arrive in the town around lunch time. Although Nar is not far from the main Annapurna trail, it is rarely visited by hikers and is as picturesque as it is.

Nar is a little more social and livelier than Phu, and during the day you can find the village’s square teeming with chatting women with their backstrap weaving woolen fabrics for rugs and blankets. With a few new teahouses built on the outskirts of Nar, you can stay in a comfortable lodge with an extensive menu.

Today is a long day, so get up before sunrise and head to Kang La Pass, which leads back to the popular Annapurna Circuit. It’s not a difficult pass, but it can be a long day as the effects of altitude will be felt.

Once at the summit of the pass, you can enjoy a wonderful view of Annapurna II, Gangapurna and Tilicho Peak. The trail down starts steep, but if you enjoy scree running, you can have some fun! Stop for lunch on a plateau overlooking the peak, then continue towards Ngawal.

Ngawal, on the upper Pisang route of the Annapurna circuit, is certainly very different from the ancient villages that had just been visited. The lodges are large, the menus are much more comprehensive, and Wifi and phone signals will be available in most lodges.

The weather gets much warmer and the greener scenery as you go down from the pass more than 2000 m. Start the last few hours of hiking early to reach Pisang. The trail is wide and comfortable, passing a lovely lake outside Pisang. Stop for a quick snack in the village and drive back to Kathmandu on a four-wheel drive.

Enjoy the city’s luxuries again! Spend the afternoon shopping in Thamel for souvenirs, or simply relax.

In the evening, we will have a farewell dinner in a typical Nepalese restaurant with culture show.

The time has come to say goodbye to Nepal. A representative will meet you at your hotel and take you to the Airport for your return flight home.