A restricted-area trek north of the Annapurna Circuit into the Tibetan-style villages of Phu and Nar, crossing the 5,320 m Kang La to Ngawal in the Manang valley. Nine days from Kathmandu, with a rest day in Phu and road access at both ends.
A restricted-area trek north of the Annapurna Circuit into the Tibetan-style villages of Phu and Nar, crossing the 5,320 m Kang La to Ngawal in the Manang valley. Nine days from Kathmandu, with a rest day in Phu and road access at both ends.
The Nar Phu valley lies north of the Marsyangdi, between the Annapurna Circuit and the Tibetan border. It is a Restricted Area, so you walk with a licensed guide and a special permit. Very few people make the trip compared with the main Circuit, and the two villages at its heart, Phu and Nar, are stone-built, flat-roofed settlements with prayer walls, chortens and old monasteries, farmed by families who move their yaks and sheep between high pastures with the seasons.
We drive from Kathmandu to Besisahar and on by jeep up the Marsyangdi to Koto, next to Chame, where the restricted area begins at the police checkpoint. From there the trail follows the Phu Khola through a deep, forested gorge, past waterfalls and overhanging cliffs, before the valley opens into the dry, high country around Meta, Chyakhu and Kyang. Beyond Kyang the path squeezes through a narrow canyon and a stone gateway into Phu, at about 4,080 m.
The pace is built around a safe gain in height. After two walking days from Koto we spend a full day at Phu, with a hike up the valley towards Himlung Base Camp and a visit to Tashi Lhakhang Gompa above the village. We then drop to the monastery at Nar Phedi, climb to Nar, and use the evening there to rest before the Kang La.
The pass day is the hardest of the trip: an early start, around 1,200 m of climbing on scree and switchbacks to 5,320 m, and a long, steep descent to Ngawal with the Annapurna II, III and IV wall in front of you the whole way down. From Ngawal it is a short walk to Humde on the Manang road, and a jeep takes us down the valley to Besisahar for the night before the drive back to Kathmandu.
Lodges in the valley are simple, family-run and fewer than on the Circuit: shared rooms, shared toilets, and a dining room warmed by a stove. Expect cold nights at Phu and Nar, dry air, dusty trails and very little traffic beyond the occasional mule train.
This trek suits fit walkers who have already done multi-day hikes and are comfortable on rough, steep ground. Most days are five to seven hours, but the Kang La day is eight to nine hours with about 1,200 m of ascent to 5,320 m and a steep, loose descent of more than 1,600 m to Ngawal. Lodges are basic and nights at Phu and Nar are cold. No climbing skills are needed, though in early spring or after a storm there can be snow on the pass, and your guide may fit microspikes for the descent. Start training at least two to three months before you travel: long hill walks with a loaded day pack on consecutive days, plenty of steep descents to prepare your knees, and steady cardio such as running, cycling or stair climbing three to four times a week. If you have a heart or lung condition, or have struggled at altitude before, talk to your doctor before booking.
An early start for the long drive west along the Trishuli and Marsyangdi rivers to Besisahar, where we change to a jeep for the rough road up the Marsyangdi valley through Jagat, Tal and Dharapani. The road climbs into pine forest below Annapurna II and reaches Koto, a small village just before Chame, in the late afternoon. Koto is where the Nar Phu trail leaves the Circuit, and your guide registers the group's permits at the police checkpoint here.
We cross the Marsyangdi and enter the Phu Khola gorge, the start of the restricted area. The trail climbs through pine and fir forest, past caves, small shrines and waterfalls, crossing the river several times on suspension bridges, and passes the old pilgrims' shelter at Dharmashala. Late in the day the forest thins, the valley opens out and we reach Meta, once the winter settlement of Nar, on a broad terrace with views of Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal behind.
A long day up the dry upper valley. We pass the chortens of Chyakhu and the summer farmland of Kyang, a wide pasture with views back to Pisang Peak and Annapurna II, then drop to the river and follow it through a narrow canyon of eroded cliffs. A last climb brings us through the stone gateway of Phu and past old fort ruins into the village, set on a ridge above the river at about 4,080 m.
We stay a second night in Phu to adjust to the height. In the morning we hike up the valley towards Himlung Base Camp, at around 4,800 m, for views of Himlung Himal and the peaks along the Tibetan border, returning to Phu for lunch. In the afternoon we climb to Tashi Lhakhang Gompa on the hill above the village and walk through Phu's lanes, where families thresh barley and dry yak dung for winter fuel.
We retrace our steps through the Phu gate and back down the valley past Kyang and Chyakhu, losing height steadily along the Phu Khola. Below the junction with the Nar Khola we cross a high bridge over the gorge and reach Nar Phedi, where we stay at the guesthouse of Satek Gompa.
A short but steady climb on zigzags out of the gorge, passing a line of painted chortens below the village. Nar sits on a wide shelf of barley fields at about 4,110 m, with Pisang Peak and Kang Guru above it. The afternoon is free to rest, visit the village monasteries and prepare for the Kang La; your guide runs through the plan and checks everyone's oxygen levels and kit.
We leave Nar before dawn and climb steadily west up a side valley past yak pastures to the high camp area, then up the final steep, rocky slopes to the prayer flags on the Kang La at 5,320 m. The view south takes in Annapurna II, III and IV and Gangapurna across the Manang valley. The descent is long and steep, on scree and loose zigzags, before easing over grassy slopes into Ngawal, a stone village on the upper route of the Annapurna Circuit.
A short walk of under an hour takes us down from Ngawal to Humde, on the floor of the Manang valley beside the airstrip. From here we take a jeep down the Marsyangdi road through Pisang, Chame, Dharapani and Jagat, about five hours of rough driving, to Besisahar and a hotel with hot showers for the night.
After breakfast we drive back down the Marsyangdi and along the Prithvi Highway to Kathmandu, arriving in the afternoon. Your guide drops you at your hotel, and the trek ends there.
Permits we arrange: nar_phu_rap, Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP), TIMS card
Nar Phu is a Restricted Area. You cannot get the permit yourself: a registered trekking agency must apply on your behalf, and a licensed guide must be with you for the whole time you are inside the restricted zone. Until March 2026 permits were only issued to groups of two or more; the Department of Immigration now issues them to solo trekkers as well, as long as they book through an agency and walk with a licensed guide, with no more than seven trekkers per guide. The Department of Immigration fee for the Manang restricted area is US$100 per person for the first week from September to November and US$75 per person for the first week from December to August, plus US$15 per person for each extra day. The restricted zone covers Narpa Bhumi Rural Municipality, from just above Koto to the Kang La, so the fee for this itinerary falls within the first week. You also need an Annapurna Conservation Area entry permit (NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals) and a TIMS card. We need a scan of your passport and a passport-size photo at least a week before the trek starts, and your original passport travels with you so police at Koto and in the valley can check it.
You sleep above 4,000 m on four nights, at Phu and Nar, and cross the Kang La at 5,320 m. The rest day at Phu and the gentle profile from Koto (2,600 m) are there to help your body adjust. Drink three to four litres a day, walk slowly, and tell your guide about any headache, nausea, dizziness or unusual breathlessness. Your guide checks oxygen saturation each evening. If symptoms get worse we descend: from Phu and Nar the quickest way down is back towards Meta and Koto. We do not attempt the pass with anyone showing signs of altitude sickness.
There are no flights on this itinerary. The road from Kathmandu is paved to Besisahar; beyond it the Manang road is a rough, single-lane jeep track that can be blocked by landslides in the monsoon and early autumn. The drive to Koto is a long day. On the way out, shared and private jeeps run from Humde, below Ngawal, down to Besisahar in about five hours. If a landslide closes the road we may need to walk a section or wait, so leave a spare day in Kathmandu before your flight home.
There are no ATMs in the Nar Phu valley. The last reliable cash machines are in Besisahar, and Chame has limited banking. Bring enough Nepali rupees in cash for drinks, snacks, charging, hot showers and tips. Lodges in Phu, Nar and Meta charge devices from solar panels or small hydro, often for a fee, and power can be weak in cloudy weather, so carry a power bank. Mobile signal is patchy to absent between Meta and Nar; your guide carries a phone and checks in whenever there is signal.
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the main seasons. Autumn brings the clearest skies; spring has warmer days but the Kang La can still hold snow into April. The valley sits in the rain shadow of the Annapurnas and gets less monsoon rain than the lower Marsyangdi, but the approach road is often damaged from June to September. In winter, heavy snow can close the Kang La and many families move down from Nar and Phu, so most lodges shut. Night temperatures at Phu and Nar fall below freezing in every season except summer.
Nar and Phu are small, traditional Buddhist communities. Walk clockwise around chortens and mani walls, ask before photographing people or the inside of monasteries, and leave a small donation if you visit a gompa. Dress modestly in the villages. Water is precious: use the lodge's boiled or filtered water to refill your bottle rather than buying plastic bottles, and carry your batteries and other non-burnable waste back out with you.
Everything is yours to bring, except items marked “We provide” or “Rent locally”.
Thermal base layers, top and bottom
Two sets: one for walking, one for sleeping
Fleece or light insulated jacket
Down jacketWe provide
On loan from us; needed at Phu, Nar and on the Kang La
Waterproof and windproof shell jacket and trousers
Trekking trousers and quick-dry shirts
Warm hat, sun hat and buff
The wind on the Kang La is cold and the sun is strong
Insulated gloves and liner gloves
Trekking socks
Four to five pairs of wool or synthetic socks
Broken-in waterproof trekking boots with ankle support
The descent from the Kang La is steep and loose
Camp shoes or sandals
For evenings in the lodge
MicrospikesWe provide
Your guide carries them when there is snow on the pass
Sleeping bag rated to about minus 15°CWe provide
On loan from us
Day pack, 30 to 35 litres, with rain cover
Trekking polesRent locally
Strongly recommended for the Kang La descent; can be rented in Kathmandu
Headtorch with spare batteries
We start the pass day before dawn
Two one-litre water bottles or a bottle and bladder
Insulate one to stop it freezing at Phu and Nar
Water purification tablets or filter
Power bank
Charging in the valley is limited and often paid
Sunglasses with UV protection, category 3 or 4
Sunscreen SPF 50 and lip balm with SPF
Personal first-aid kit and prescription medicines
Include blister plasters, rehydration salts and any altitude medication your doctor advises
Hand sanitiser, wet wipes and toilet paper
Lodges rarely supply toilet paper
Passport with Nepal visa and photocopies
Checked at the Koto police post and inside the restricted area
Two passport-size photos
Travel insurance policy with evacuation cover to 5,500 m
Nepali rupees in cash
No ATMs beyond Besisahar
Snacks such as nuts, chocolate and energy bars
Useful on the long pass day
You cannot trek Nar Phu without a licensed guide. It is a Restricted Area, and the permit is only issued through a registered trekking agency with a licensed guide assigned to you. Since March 2026 the Department of Immigration has issued restricted area permits to solo trekkers, so you no longer need a second person to book, but the guide is still compulsory and must stay with you throughout.
The Restricted Area Permit for Nar Phu costs US$100 per person for the first week from September to November and US$75 per person for the first week from December to August, with US$15 per person per extra day. You also need the Annapurna Conservation Area entry permit (NPR 3,000 for foreign nationals) and a TIMS card. All three are included in this trip and arranged by us.
The Kang La is not technical, but it is a big day. From Nar (4,110 m) you climb about 1,200 m to 5,320 m on a steady trail that gets steeper and looser near the top, then descend more than 1,600 m to Ngawal on steep scree and zigzags. Allow eight to nine hours. In snow it is slower and your guide may fit microspikes. If conditions are unsafe we wait a day at Nar or return the way we came.
There are small family-run lodges at Koto, Meta, Kyang, Phu, Nar and Ngawal, and a simple guesthouse run by the monastery at Nar Phedi. Rooms are basic twin rooms with shared toilets, often outside the main building. Blankets are provided but you need a warm sleeping bag; we lend you one. In Besisahar we stay in a hotel with private bathrooms.
September to November gives the most settled weather and clearest views. March to May is also good, with warmer days, though there can be snow on the Kang La in March and early April. We do not recommend December to February because the pass is often snowbound and many lodges close, and the monsoon months can disrupt the road to Koto.
Yes. The trek finishes at Ngawal, which is on the upper route of the Annapurna Circuit, so instead of driving out from Humde you can continue to Manang, then over the Thorong La to Muktinath, or make the side trip to Tilicho Lake. This adds roughly five to eight days. Your Restricted Area Permit only covers the Nar Phu section; the ACAP permit covers the rest of the Circuit.
This itinerary starts and ends in Kathmandu. If you are already in Pokhara, we can start from there instead: the drive from Pokhara to Besisahar is shorter, and on the way out we can drive from Besisahar to Pokhara.
Menus are shorter than on the main Circuit. Expect dal bhat, noodle soup, fried rice, potatoes, Tibetan bread, eggs and porridge. Dal bhat is the most reliable and comes with refills. Fresh fruit and vegetables are scarce in Phu and Nar, so bring snacks you like.
In October and November, days at Phu and Nar are often sunny and around 10°C, but nights drop to between minus 5°C and minus 10°C, and colder on the Kang La with wind chill. In spring the nights are a little milder. Pack layers and a good hat and gloves.
Nar Phu Valley Trek
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