Our own team on the ground. Dutch certified. The best of both worlds.
Deliberately small groups. And personal attention before, during and after your trip.
By hiring local guides and porters, you help them earn a good income. Close to home, not overseas.
In a nutshell
The Nar Phu Valley is one of the least visited corners of Nepal. Tucked between the Annapurna and Manaslu circuits, this restricted valley sees only a handful of trekkers each year. With the trek to the hidden villages Nar and Phu in the Nar Phu Valley you explore it entirely at your own pace.
The journey starts in Kathmandu with a pre-trip meeting. Then a long jeep ride to Dharapani brings you to the edge of the restricted zone. From here, the trail climbs steadily through forested gorges and alpine meadows, past mani walls and small stone settlements, until the valley opens up and the Tibetan plateau comes into view.
The first major destination is Phu Village at 4,200 m / 13,780 ft, an ancient settlement tucked into the hillside with a 600-year-old monastery above it. The culture here is deeply Tibetan. The language, the dress, the rhythm of daily life. Time moves differently in these villages. It always has. We spend two nights here, with an acclimatisation hike to Himlung Base Camp at 4,900 m / 16,076 ft. Then we cross to Nar Village, the highest village in Nepal, before crossing the Kang La Pass at 5,320 m / 17,454 ft.
On the other side of the pass, the trail descends steeply to Ngawal and continues to Chame, where a jeep takes us back towards Kathmandu. In 14 days, we travel through rugged terrain, ancient Tibetan culture and across one of Nepal’s most dramatic high passes. It is unlike anything else in Nepal.
Note: This is a suggested itinerary. Your trip is custom-made to fit your wishes and experience. Tell us what your preferences are. We’ll draft a personalised day-to-day program.
No. Trekking to Nar Phu Valley is a remote and demanding trek. The trail remains above 3,500 m for most of the route and crosses a pass at 5,320 m / 17,454 ft. Prior high-altitude trekking experience is essential.
Not sure if this is for you? Just get in touch and we will give you an honest answer.
Yes. This trek involves walking at altitude. You should be in good physical condition and comfortable walking 5 to 6 hours a day at altitude.
Not sure if you qualify? Get in touch and we’ll give you an honest answer.
This is how we suggest trekking to Nar Phu Valley. Not how it has to go.
Get in touch and we’ll create a trek that fits your level of fitness and experience.
Yes, we can easily combine this trek with other destinations in Nepal. Just get in touch, and we’ll discuss the options.
Absolutely. Check our Nepal Group Trek to Nar Phu Valley for the departure dates and more details.
💡 Opened to the world in 2002
The Nar Phu Valley was closed to foreign trekkers until 2002, making it one of Nepal's newest trekking destinations despite its ancient history. Today it remains a restricted area, requiring a special permit that can only be obtained through a registered Nepali trekking agency. Fewer than 500 trekkers visit each year. That number is not a marketing claim, it is enforced by daily checkpoint registrations at the valley entrance.
What’s included
The price of this sample trek to Nar Phu Valley is per person, based on two people travelling together and sharing a twin or double room.
Are you travelling solo or with a larger group? We are happy to make you a custom price proposal. Just send us a message and we’ll get back to you with the options.
Included in this trip
- Airport transfer (arrival and departure)
- Comfortable hotel in Thamel, Kathmandu (including breakfast) – 4 nights
- Pre-trip meeting and gear check in Kathmandu
- All required trekking permits
- Licensed, English speaking trekking guide (salary, transport, accommodation, meals, gear and insurance)
- Transport from Kathmandu to the trailhead and back
- Basic teahouse accommodation during the trek – 9 nights
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner during the trek
- 24/7 support from the By Mountain People team throughout your trip
- Booking secured through the Calamity Fund
- Booking secured through VZR Garant
- VAT and tourist service charge
Not included
- Porter (on request)
- Any hot and cold drinks
- Insurance covering rescue and evacuation
- All other expenses not listed under 'Included'
Day-to-day program
This page shows you how this sample Nar Phu Valley Trek is structured, day by day.
Note: walking times are indicative and depend on the walking pace.
You land at Tribhuvan International Airport. Your guide waits outside arrivals and takes you directly to the hotel. The drive takes about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic.
Namaste. Welcome to Nepal. 🙏🏽
Hopefully you had a good first night and recovered a bit from the journey to Nepal.
After breakfast, we have our pre-trip meeting. We go through the itinerary together and check our gear. Missing something? Your guide will take you to the outdoor shops nearby to get everything sorted. Got everything you need? Take the rest of the day to recover from the jetlag, explore Thamel at your own pace or venture a little further into the city.
Sightseeing
Want to go for a small walk in the afternoon? Here are some ideas on walking distance from your hotel.
Swoyambhunath Stupa
Also known as the Monkey Temple, Swayambhunath sits on a hilltop about 20 minutes west of Thamel. The climb up the stone staircase is steep, but the reward is a panoramic view over Kathmandu and a stupa surrounded by dozens of resident monkeys. The all-seeing eyes painted on the tower watch over the city from every angle. One of the oldest religious sites in Nepal, revered by both Hindus and Buddhists.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
About 15 minutes on foot from Thamel, Kathmandu Durbar Square is the historic heart of the old city. The square was the seat of the Malla and Shah kings for centuries and is still used today for religious ceremonies, including those of the Kumari, the living goddess whose residence is located within the complex. The temples, courtyards and wooden carvings date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Some structures are still being restored after the 2015 earthquake, but the square remains one of the most compelling places in the city. Walk there from Thamel and take the back streets: the journey is half the experience.
Early morning, we board the jeep and head west towards the Annapurna region. The road winds through hills, river valleys and terraced farmland.
By late afternoon, we reach Dharapani, the gateway to the Nar Phu Valley. The restricted area permit is checked here. From this point on, the trail belongs to us.
Our Nar Phu Trek begins! A shorter walking day to ease into the trek.
We follow the Marsyangdi river upstream through forest and past stone villages until we reach Koto, where the trail into the Nar Phu Valley begins.
We leave the Annapurna Circuit behind and follow the Phu Khola river upstream through a narrow, shaded gorge. Small stone settlements appear along the way, places where the owners cook and eat together in the kitchen and chickens wander past the door. The trail climbs steeply in the final hour before we reach Meta on its high plateau.
We leave the forest behind. The landscape opens up into wide alpine terrain, snow-capped peaks appearing on all sides. We pass through the tiny outposts of Chyaku and Kyang. With yaks on the hillside, a football field, and a handful of teahouses. Then the final climb to Phu Village, tucked dramatically into the hillside at 4,200 m / 13,780 ft. Above the village, a 600-year-old monastery watches over everything.
🧂 Phu and the ancient salt trade
For centuries, Phu Village was a key stop on the ancient salt trading routes between the Tibetan plateau and the lower valleys of Nepal. Traders carried salt, wool and livestock over the high passes, sustaining both economic and cultural exchange between Nepal and Tibet. That trade has largely disappeared, but the routes remain.
Today’s a rest day. But an active one; walk high, sleep low. So we hike up to Himlung Base Camp at 4,900 m / 16,076 ft, with views of the Himlung Himal and the surrounding peaks.
We return to Phu by afternoon, to explore the village, visit the monastery and let the altitude settle.
🙏 Tashi Lhakhang: "the blessed house of gods"
Above Phu Village stands Tashi Lhakhang Monastery, one of the oldest and most sacred monasteries in the Manang region. It is listed among the 108 great Buddhist monasteries of the world and is believed to be the last monastery built by Karmapa Rinpoche. The Dalai Lama has blessed it in person. Inside, monks still perform the same rituals that have been practised here for centuries.
We leave Phu and retrace our steps to Meta, then cross a bridge over the gorge to the other side. The trail climbs to Nar Phedi Monastery, a good place to rest and explore. From here, a shorter climb brings us to Nar Village: stone houses with colourful roofs, horses and dogs roaming the lanes, and a sky that feels enormous. This is the highest village in Nepal.
🐑 "Nar" means "the place of Blue Sheep"
The name Nar comes from the local word for Blue Sheep, the bharal, which still roams the high ridges above the village. The original inhabitants descended from Tibet's ancient Shang Sung Kingdom, arriving in the 8th century. They converted from Bon to Buddhism, and the monasteries they built have been active ever since.
The big day! We start early. The climb to Kang La Pass is long and exposed, about six hours to the top at 5,320 m / 17,454 ft. At the top, the entire Annapurna range stretches out in front of us … 👀
Then the descent begins: steep, loose and demanding. Microspikes may be needed in icy conditions. We reach Ngawal by late afternoon. Tired, proud and ready to eat.
A long descent back into the Annapurna Circuit. The air gets thicker and the vegetation greener. We join the trail at Manang and continue down to Chame, where the altitude finally eases and the body sighs with relief.
Congrats! We crossed the Kang La Pass and completed the Nar Phu Valley. That was something special. 🙌
We swap our boots for a seat in the jeep and head down the valley. The road follows the Marsyangdi river downstream through terraced farmland and river gorges. By midday, we reach Besi Sahar.
We board the bus back to Kathmandu. Outside the window, the mountains slowly give way to hills, then valleys, then the familiar chaos of the city.
Back at the hotel: a hot shower, clean clothes and a soft bed. And the satisfaction of knowing what we just completed. 😁
A buffer day in case anything shifted along the way; weather on the pass, a rest day needed, a delayed jeep.
Everything went smoothly? The day is yours. Visit Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple or the ancient streets of Bhaktapur, or simply find a quiet spot to just relax.
Sightseeing in Kathmandu
Kathmandu is an ancient city with many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Want to explore the city today? Here are some ideas.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
About 13 km east of Kathmandu lies Bhaktapur, a medieval city that feels like it has barely changed in centuries. The Durbar Square is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the Palace of 55 Windows, the five-story Nyatapola Temple and the ornate Golden Gate. Behind the square, Pottery Square is still a working craft centre where local artisans shape clay by hand, just as they have done for generations.
Boudhanath Stupa
One of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Boudhanath is the spiritual heart of the Tibetan community in Kathmandu. Walking the kora, the circular path around the stupa, alongside monks, pilgrims and locals is an experience that stays with you. The whitewashed dome, the prayer flags and the steady hum of chanting make this place unlike anywhere else in the city.
Pashupatinath Temple
The holiest Hindu temple in Nepal, dedicated to Lord Shiva in his form as Pashupati, protector of animals. The temple complex sits on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River, about 5 km from Thamel. Non-Hindus cannot enter the main temple, but the surrounding complex is open to all. From the eastern bank of the river, you can watch the cremation ghats and the daily rituals that have taken place here for centuries.
Your international flight departs from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
Goodbye friends! We hope you will cherish the memories we’ve made together forever. And see you on the next adventure! 🙏🏽
Walking & pace
We usually start the day early. Breakfast is at 7 AM, and we leave the teahouse around 8. The morning hours are when the air is freshest and the views are at their clearest.
We stop for lunch towards the end of the morning. Lunch is freshly prepared, warm and unhurried. It can take a while for the food to come out, but that is part of the rhythm. You sit down, drink something, rest your legs and refuel for the afternoon.
In the afternoon, we usually walk a little further to reach the lodge for the night. By around five, we sit down for an early dinner. We order breakfast for the next morning at the same time, so it is ready when we are.
Throughout the day there is plenty of time to drink water, reapply sunscreen, take photos and simply look around. The mountains are not in a hurry, and neither are we.
Route
Altitude
More information
This is a demanding trek through one of Nepal’s most restricted and least visited regions. Over 9 trekking days, you walk an average of 6 hours per day through forested gorges, high alpine terrain and ancient Tibetan villages. The route stays above 3,500 m / 11,483 ft for most of the trek and crosses the Kang La Pass at 5,320 m / 17,454 ft. Prior high-altitude trekking experience is strongly recommended.
Because this is a custom trip, the pace is yours to set. Want an extra acclimatisation day in Phu or Nar? Prefer a slower start? Tell us what works for you and we will build the itinerary around it. The Kang La crossing involves steep, loose terrain and may require microspikes in icy conditions. Your guide will assess on the day.
Quick facts
- Route type: point-to-point
- Total distance: approximately 88 km / 55 mi (including hike to Himlung Base Camp
- Starting point trek: Koto (2,600 m / 8.530 ft)
- Highest point trek: Kang La Pass (5,320 m / 17,454 ft)
- End point trek: Chame
- Number of trekking days: 9
- Highlights along the way:
Phu Khola gorge-
- Phu Village and 600-year old monastery
- Himlung Base Camp
- Nar Village
- Kang La Pass
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- Highlights along the way:
Practical
Everything you need to know before you go. Below you’ll find answers to the most frequently asked questions about this trek. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Feel free to reach out.
Once your trip is confirmed, you’ll receive all the practical information you need to leave well prepared. This includes visa information, recommended vaccinations and a detailed packing list.
After arriving in Kathmandu, there’s a pre-trip meeting with your guide. We go through the route, the latest weather forecasts and there’s plenty of room for any final questions. We also do a gear check — to make sure you have everything you need for the trip. Missing something, or not sure about your gear? We’ll head out together to sort it. Kathmandu has plenty of good outdoor shops. 😉
The best preparation is simply walking. Preferably several days in a row, with a backpack and elevation gain. In the months before departure, build up to walking days of 5 to 6 hours. Work on your overall fitness with cardio training (running, cycling, swimming) and don’t neglect your legs: squats, lunges and stair training work wonders.
Just as important: break in your hiking boots in time. New boots in Nepal are a guaranteed recipe for blisters. Ideally, start your training 3 months before departure.
Altitude sickness can affect anyone. Regardless of age, fitness or experience. Even the most seasoned mountain walkers can struggle with it.
The best prevention is going up slowly. That’s why our itinerary deliberately includes acclimatisation days where needed. This gives your body time to adjust to the altitude.
Drink plenty of water and listen to your body. Headaches, dizziness or nausea are signals to take seriously. Our guides are trained to recognise symptoms and will adjust the programme if necessary.
And if you do get altitude sickness? Descending is the only right choice. No debate, no hesitation. That’s not failure. That’s wisdom.
For more information, read our blog about altitude sickness.
Possibly.
There may be snow on the Kang La Pass. Depending on conditions, crampons or spikes may be required. Your guide will assess the conditions before the ptr-trip meeting and advise. We can arrange rental gear in Kathmandu, if needed.
During the trek you sleep in teahouses: simple mountain lodges with firm mattresses, pillows and blankets against the cold, and freshly cooked dal bhat in the shared dining room. Dal bhat is the classic Nepali dish of rice, lentils and vegetables. Simple, warm and surprisingly good after a long day on the trail.
Expect a twin room, a shared bathroom and cold water. A hot shower or wifi is sometimes possible, usually for a small extra fee. Charging your electronics is always possible, sometimes for a small fee. And then there is the warm fire in the dining room, friendly hospitality and views no hotel can match. This is the Himalaya.
PS: even though pillows and blankets are provided, we recommend bringing your own warm sleeping bag. The nights at altitude get cold, and your own bag makes a real difference. After booking, you’ll receive a detailed packing list that helps you prepare for both the trek and the nights in the lodges.
Yes, always.
The teahouse menu is plant-based by nature and offers plenty of choice. Three warm meals a day are freshly cooked in the teahouse kitchen. Breakfast options include porridge, pancakes, omelette and local bread. For lunch and dinner, expect dal bhat, curry, lentil soup, noodles, dumplings, spring rolls and pasta.
We strongly advise against eating meat on the trail. Ingredients are often carried in on foot and cannot always be kept properly refrigerated. Vegetarian and vegan options are the safer and more reliable choice.
Yes. The Nar Phu Valley is a restricted area requiring a special permit on top of the standard Annapurna Conservation Area permit. Both are included in the price of the trip. We take care of all the paperwork.
Nepal Trek – Nar Phu Valley, the Hidden Villages
- Trek through one of Nepal's most remote and restricted valleys
- Phu and Nar: two hidden Tibetan villages frozen in time, far from any tourist trail
- Cross the dramatic Kang La Pass at 5,320 m / 17,454 ft between two ancient villages
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