Nar Phu Valley Trek is an excursion of Nepal’s secret hidden villages up in the mountains. On the outskirts of the Annapurna Circuit Trek trail, the gorgeous and mystical villages Nar & Phu are located above the tree lines in the northern region of Manang district. For many years, the place was unknown to the outer world.
Therefore, few people have only managed to relish the chance to be in these astounding villages. Nepal Government has classed the region as a restricted trekking zone. The ancient lifestyle of the people and the Tibetan traditions that the people of Nar Phu villages follow are meant to be protected. Therefore, trekkers have to take a special permit for trekking in the region.
The journey of Nar Phu Valley Trek takes trekkers beyond countless high passes and narrow canyons. Ancient monasteries and green dense lush forests as well as the picturesque landscape make it the perfect getaway destination. Relish the wilderness and witness the Spartan yet quintessential lifestyle of Nar Phu village people.
Reach the hidden villages of Nar & Phu located nearby Chame on the outskirts of the Annapurna Circuit Trek route. These villages are located near each other and are mainly unhabituated by the Tibetan people who came from Tibet. They are famously known as the Khampas or can also be termed as Tibetan refugees. However, it has been many generations so they are now naturalized, Nepalese citizens. Apart from the magnificence of these villages, trekkers can be blessed by the splendid scenery of mountains, glaciers, natural hot springs, gorges, grassy meadows, and narrow canyons.
Travelers start trekking from Jagat. The road network has shortened the trekking itinerary for the area as travelers can reach Jagat from Kathmandu via road trip in a four-wheeled jeep. The first phase of trekking is in the Annapurna Circuit Route up to Meta. Upon crossing the Marshyangdi River bridge, trekkers will finally head to the valley of Nar and Phu Villages. Most of the time, the trail is in narrow canyons or valleys but after a few days, the trail opens to the large plethora of mountains especially Pisang and Kang Garu. During the trekking, trekkers come across various century-old monasteries, sheep herds, and yaks.
Nar Village is known as the alpine village and Phu is known as the granary village of the region. Most of the people of the Nar are engaged in animal rearing. However, the people of Phu village are involved in farming as well besides animal rearing. The clustered houses show the unity among these people. The style of the roof is also peculiar. You can feel as if you have time-traveled to a different universe. Even in today’s information technology time, the people of Nar & Phu village are relying on traditional measures. This is a spectacular experience for city dwellers. It may provide motivation in life as well.
Upon crossing the Kangma Pass, trekkers reach Ngwala Village from where they will rejoin the Annapurna Circuit Trek route. It leads them to the village of Manang. Trekkers can decide to do the famous Annapurna Circuit Trek by crossing the Thorong La Pass or return back to Kathmandu via Besisahar. The choice is yours. You can always customize the trekking itinerary. The best recommendation is that Nar Phu Valley Trek trekkers have to add the Annapurna Circuit Trek as well in their itinerary.
Among the four seasons of Nepal, the spring season is the best time to do the Nar Phu Valley Trek. However, autumn is also a nice time to do trekking but in these parts of Nepal, during the autumn season, the weather can become tricky. Instead, the spring season is blessed by the blooming flowers and greenery. The weather is good and visibility is clear. People of the region celebrate their local festival during the months of the spring season as well, especially in May. Therefore, if you coincide with the Nar Phu Valley Trek during the months of their festival, you can observe their culture and traditions up close.
Few of the places in Nepal are classed under the restricted region by the government of Nepal. It is to protect the roots of the place. Moreover, these places are sensitive as it borders Tibet the autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China. Ancient traditions and culture of these places are dear to Nepal’s identity. The natural wonders in these places mean a lot for tourism in Nepal. Therefore, Nepal Government only allows a handful of people after lots of permits. In order to get access to these areas of Nepal, trekkers have to fulfill the requirements.
Here is the list of the requirements needed for the restricted region trekking in Nepal:
Book the Nar Phu Valley Trek in Nepal with us. We are specialists in making the momentous trekking holiday. Our itineraries and the cost of trekking in Nepal is flexible. The agency aims to contribute to the sustainable tourism industry in Nepal. Therefore, we follow eco-friendly measures as well as deploy a maximum number of locals in our trekking trips. It is part of our corporate social responsibility program as well.
With us, trekkers can get the maximum yield from their travel investment. Get an authentic travel experience at affordable rates. Nepal High Trek & Expedition would like to request travelers across the globe to trek on the lesser-known Annapurna trekking region of Nepal as well. Relish the chance to experience the untainted natural and cultural beauty of the Nar & Phu villages of Nepal.
The representatives from Nepal High Trek & Expedition Pvt. Ltd. will welcome you at TIA. Then we will take you towards the hotel arranged by our company for the overnight stay. We will have a discussion about trekking with delicious dinner programs.
Our first task of the day is to take trekking permit. Then we will visit the main places of Kathmandu valley. Some of them are Pashupatinath, Bauddhanath, and Swayambhunath. Pashupatinath is the oldest and holiest Hindu temple; Bauddhanath Stupa and Swayambhunath Stupa are the oldest Buddhist Stupas. After launch, we will visit Kathmandu durbar square and Patan Durbar square where Kumari temple can be seen, the temple of the Living Goddess.
After talking the morning breakfast, we take a drive to Besishahar from Kathmandu. It’s a distance of 185 kilometers and takes about 7 hours to reach there. Besishahar offers you the beautiful views of snowcapped mountains around with the beautiful scenery. We stay overnight at a guesthouse.
Our real trek starts from Besishahar. We climb to Khudi, which is the first Gurung village of this region. Then we climb to Bhulbhule passing through Lampata. We eventually reach Bahundanda. It offers the wonderful cultural side of Nepal. We stay overnight at a guesthouse.
From Bahundanda, our trail goes steeply to Syange. On the way, we can see a large waterfall. We will cross the suspension bridge over the Marsyangdi River. We follow the river to the stone village of Jagat before climbing through the forests to Chamje. We stay overnight at a guesthouse.
Crossing Marsyangdi River to the east bank we will reach Dharapani. We follow the trail of the river embankment. We will pass through the overhanging rocks, several villages like Tal Beshi and Tal Karte in route. We eventually reach Dharapani where we stay overnight at a guesthouse.
After walking some time we have our breakfast at Bagarchhap. Then we start trekking towards Koto. Our trail goes to mule track through the dense pine and oak forest. During the trek, we will also get to explore the rich culture of Koto. We stay overnight at Koto.
Today, our journey is going to be quite long and somewhat difficult. We need to pass several small caves and pilgrims on the way. And continuously walking for about 7 hours will bring us to Dharmasala where we spend overnight at a guesthouse.
We will have a steep climb up the valley along a small and scenic river. It brings us to high pastures. We will also pass through scenic Meta Kharka a non-permanent winter settlement of Nar. Finally, we reach the village of Kayanag. We will spend overnight at a tented camp.
Today we will spend our full day by visiting all the places in Phu Valley. We get an opportunity to meet the local Phu residents. Through them, we can know about their culture. We will return back to the hotel to spend our night.
We descend to the river back through Phu gate. Then we retrace our steps back to the Junam Khola. In our way, we can see many beautiful things around us. We stay overnight at our campsite.
Today can be also another classic Himalayan trekking day for us. We will descend down to the old bridge spanning a deep and contoured narrow gorge. Then we return back again and reach the Nar gates at the top of the hill. We stay overnight at our campsite.
We take this whole day for the exploration of Nar village. Nar is a bit more social and lively than Phu. In Nar, you will have a close look at the local culture and lifestyle. We stay overnight at a campsite.
From Nar, we head for Ngwal today. Today, we have to cross Kang La pass which is not a difficult pass but it could be a long day if there is snow on the pass. After crossing the spectacular pass of Kang La, we eventually reach Ngwal where we set up our camp for the overnight stay.
From Ngwal, we head for Manang today. We pass through the isolated village of Paugh overlooking the amazing views of Annapurna range. We then move gently uphill to Mungli and then to the main trail of Annapurna Trail at Mungli. We eventually reach Manang, where we set up our camps for an overnight stay.
From Manang, we trek to Letdar today following the ascending trail via several places including Tergi and Yak Kharka. After crossing the Thorong La Pass, we reach Letdar where we set up camps for our overnight stay.
Today, our mountain path leads continuously to climb along the east bank of the JarjungKhola from Letdar. After making a short ascent, we reach ThorongPhedi or Thorong High Camp. We set up a campsite at ThorongPhedi and stay overnight.
Our journey today is going to be quite long today. So we start early in the morning before sunrise to reach the Pass by 9 am. We have to consider the weather conditions that might greatly affect our journey particularly at the Thorung La pass which is at the altitude of 5416m. We have to climb steeply on a regular route which is quite easy to follow.
Today, we head onward after exploring the Muktinath Area and pass through the ancient caves. On the way, we can enjoy the panorama of the impressive White Mountains. On reaching Kagbeni, we check in the hotel and stay overnight.
We follow the same trail back to Kagbeni. And following the trail down to the EkleBhatti, we step towards Jomsom again. We stay overnight at a guesthouse.
From Jomsom, we take a morning flight to Pokhara, which takes about 25 minutes. Upon arrival at Pokhara, we drive to the hotel and in the remaining day, we take our time for the sightseeing of the beautiful city of Pokhara, which is the best tourist destination in Nepal. We explore the number of mysterious caves and temples. We take our time to enjoy boating in Fewa Lake and explore the Seti Gorge, Museum, and Davis Falls. In the remaining time, you can explore around the city. Overnight, we stay at a guesthouse.
We drive back to Kathmandu from Pokhara today. Upon reaching Kathmandu, you can utilize your time for the last minute shopping or you can explore around the city. We celebrate the Farewell Dinner together with the trekking team and spend overnight at the hotel.
Day 24: Final Departure from Kathmandu