Government-licensed trekking agency · Reg. tourest registation · TAAN member
Popular treks
Annapurna Base Camp Trek11 days · from $850Annapurna Circuit Trek16 days · from $1,150Everest Base Camp Trek14 days · from $1,000Langtang Valley Trek10 days · from $890By style
Quiet, off the beaten pathFewer trekkers, wild valleysTeahouse treksLodges every nightPrivate treksYour group, your dates
Not sure which trek fits you?Tell us your dates and fitness. A local expert suggests the right route.Ask on WhatsApp
EverestUp to 5,545 m
AnnapurnaUp to 5,416 m
ManasluUp to 5,106 m
LangtangUp to 4,984 m
KanchenjungaUp to 5,143 m
Nar PhuUp to 5,320 m
Pikey PeakUp to 4,065 m
Tamang Heritage TrailUp to 3,165 mManang, Nepal
Best: Apr–May, Sep–Nov
Medieval stone villages, Tibetan monasteries and empty canyons in a hidden valley north of the Annapurnas.
About the region
Nar and Phu are two villages at over 4,000 m in a side valley of Manang, opened to foreign trekkers only in 2003. The trail leaves the Annapurna Circuit at Koto, squeezes through a narrow canyon and climbs past caves, chortens and summer herding camps into a landscape that looks like Tibet.
Phu has a fortress-like old village and the Tashi Lhakhang monastery; Nar is a cluster of stone houses below the Kang La (5,320 m). Crossing the pass brings you down to Ngawal on the Annapurna Circuit, where many trekkers continue over Thorong La.
Monasteries, prayer flags and herding families whose way of life has changed little.
A restricted area with a permit and guide rule, so you share the trail with very few groups.
Kang La (5,320 m), with views of Annapurna II and Gangapurna as you come down to Ngawal.
Easy to combine with Thorong La and Muktinath for the full Annapurna journey.
Treks
Hidden valleyFixed dates
Our Nar Phu trek
From Koto through the canyon to the stone villages of Phu and Nar, then over the Kang La (5,320 m) to Ngawal. Permits, homestays and a licensed guide included.
From $1,450 per person
Next door · same trailheadAnnapurna Circuit Trek16 days · Challenging · max 5,416 mContinue over Thorong La after Nar Phu for the full journey.Nearby · remote circuitManaslu Circuit Trek15 days · Challenging · max 5,106 mAnother restricted-area trek, ending a few hours down the valley.Nar Phu with Thorong La, a version with extra days in Phu, or Tilicho Lake. We plan it around your days.
Plan it on WhatsApp →Best time to go
Best
Good from late March to May, once snow has eased on the Kang La. Clear mornings and cold nights in Phu and Nar.
Possible
Nar Phu lies in the rain shadow behind the Annapurnas, so it stays drier than most of Nepal. The road to Koto can be hit by landslides.
Best
The best months: clear, stable weather for the pass and harvest time in the villages. September to November.
Not ideal
Very cold, with snow on the Kang La and many villagers moving down to lower valleys. Not recommended.
Your guides
Senior trek leader, Everest region · 20+ yrs guiding
“We climb slowly and check everyone every evening. The mountain is not going anywhere.”
English, Nepali, Sherpa
Restricted-area trek leader · 17+ yrs guiding
“On the Larkya La we start before dawn and turn back if the weather says so. That is how we come home.”
English, Nepali, Tibetan
Photos
Travel guides
HealthAcclimatisation, the pre-dawn start, clothing and when to turn back on the Circuit's high pass.
PlanningPermits, route, seasons and village life: everything to plan the Nar Phu Valley trek.
Questions
A Nar Phu restricted area permit and the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP). The restricted permit is issued only through a registered agency, with a licensed guide. We arrange everything and confirm the current group rules when you book.
Challenging. You spend several nights above 4,000 m and cross the Kang La (5,320 m). It suits fit walkers, ideally with some trekking experience at altitude.
Yes, and most people do. After the Kang La you reach Ngawal near Manang, then continue over Thorong La to Muktinath. Allow about 16–18 days for both.
In simple lodges and homestays run by village families. Rooms are basic and cold, and meals are mostly dal bhat, noodles and potatoes.
September to November, then April and May. Because the valley is in the rain shadow, summer is also possible, which is rare in Nepal.
A day's drive from Kathmandu to Besisahar, then a jeep up the Marsyangdi valley to Koto, where the Nar Phu trail begins.
Other regions
Tell us your dates and fitness. A local planner replies on WhatsApp within a few hours.
