Nar Phu Valley Trek 10 Days

Our staff will pick you up at the Tribhuvan International Airport and check you in the designated hotel. On the first day of your trip, you can take your time and stroll around the popular tourist area of Thamel. Checking out the popular cafes, restaurants, and bars, there are also spots to buy souvenirs to remember the memorable journey back home. Your guide will have a meeting in the evening to have a detailed discussion about the trek itineraries.

On the second day of your journey, after breakfast, you will go for a day tour of beautiful Kathmandu city. This tour package will cover the major tourist attraction of the capital including the UNESCO World Heritage sites like Patan Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square and Changu Narayan.

There are also several other attractions to explore like the Garden of Dreams, Hanuman Dhoka Temple, Kumari House, Narayanhiti Palace, Indra Chowk, Asan, National Museum of Nepal, Botanical, and many more.

This day, before you set out, will also be the day for the gear check and trip briefing. If you have to buy or rent the equipment needed for the trek, this will be the day to do it.

On the third of your arrival, your adventure will commence from Kathmandu. After having breakfast early in the morning, you will drive to Besisahar from the capital. After having lunch at Beshisahar, you will switch to a more convenient 4-wheel vehicle for the courses on the off-road path up ahead.

Although the drive can be a little challenging, it is the most scenic route that passes along the old Annapurna Circuit Trek route. The stunning gorges, diverse greenery passing through the paddy fields, lush rhododendron forest, and simply majestic views of Annapurna, Manaslu, and other peaks make this drive a wonderful experience. And, the journey will end at Koto, the Gurung civilization influenced by Tibetan Buddhist culture.

Your adventure will start early on this day, there is a lot of distance to cover. Passing along the river banks and crossing, you will enter the Nar and Phu valleys. Although the towns in the popular Annapurna Circuit are well-developed, so isn’t the case for these valleys. The wonderful pine forest, suspension bridge, small cave shelters, and the pilgrims resting place are in the route of this day’s trekking.

You will pass through a narrow canyon, under the waterfall, and as you move along the trail woods will start to thin out and vistas to spread out throughout the region, like a dramatic revelation of a hidden mystical valley. After a slightly stretched trek uphill you will be able to enjoy the stunning views of mountains in the Annapurna region.

Meta village is situated at an elevation of 3,560m on a large plain area. It will be your resting destination tonight, although the lodges here are simple, they are clean, and the fresh delicious delicacies of the region will replenish your weary body.

After a good rest and a healthy breakfast, you will set out for the expedition to Phu. Along the route, you will come across the Tibetan Buddhist stupas and architecture influenced by the culture that the Nar and Phu valleys are famous for.

Trekking along the ridge you will be able to enjoy the magnificent view of the Nar Phedi Monastery at the base of the hill. If you are lucky, the fog above the hill will give a magnificent angle to capture the beauty of the region. After resting there for a while, you will continue another 90-minute trekking to reach the steep trail of Phu guarded by the monolith.

From there, you will get the first view of the three popular villages in the valley including the Tibetan-influenced castle ‘Dzong’ and the remnant of the two ruined forts.

Colorful Chortens, canyonlands, artistic gorges, and the high Himalayan fauna along the Khaki Hill will make you feel like you have entered some other alluring realm.

The 6th of this fascinating trek will be the rest day, it will be a day for acclimatization and the exploration of the Phu region. You can explore the Tashi Lakhang Monastery, an old significant Buddhist monastery supposed to be the last monastery ever to have been built by Karmapa Rinpoche. The Phu village is a wonder in itself, you could immerse in the local culture, villagers going on with their day-to-day activities from spinning the yak and sheep’s wool, grazing their sheep, goats, and yak on the hills, or beating the mustard seeds into oil paste. The exploration of the high-altitude civilization will certainly amaze you in many ways.

On the 7th day, you will trace your way back to the Phu gate Khyang, Jhunam, and Chyakhu (You will spend the night here), the junction where you will take the trail branching towards Nar Phedi. Passing along the eroded hoodoos, sandy gullies and the breathtaking views of gorges with the picturesque white Himalayas background will make the descent seem like a short trip.

The artistically painted monasteries and the serene environment of the Nar Phedi Monastery will welcome you. There is also a worshipping ritual ‘Puja’ around 5 p.m. in the monastery if you want to catch a glimpse of it.

Today, you will trek out of Chyakhu and head uphill towards the Nar village along a winding path. It is a gentle, very gentle day trekking, you will pass along the artistically painted bamboo chortens to the ancient village of the valley. You will arrive at the beautiful village during lunchtime, it may not be as exquisite as the crowded checkpoint in the Annapurna circuit treks, but the picturesque views and fresh environment of the high-altitude region don’t fall short to impress its guests.

The village is also a lot livelier than Phu and you will find locals going on with their day-to-day lives, but a bit more crowds and laughs. As there are newly built teahouses along the outskirts of the ancient village, you will enjoy the accommodation facilities of comfortable lodges and the extensive delicacies menus.

Today, it is going to be a long trek, you will have an early morning breakfast and head to Kang La Pass before sunrise. Along the route of the popular Annapurna circuit, you will enjoy the magnificent view of massifs like Annapurna II, Tillicho Gangapurna, and several others.

It isn’t a hard-way trek however, it will be a long day trek with snow on the pass, so the high altitude effects will be felt. After the summit of the pass, you will start your descent on the way to Ngawal. You will stop for a lunch break on the plateau, Kang La at an elevation of 5,240m offers an exclusive view of the stunning massifs and airport at Hongde, a memorable lunch forever treasure.

At Ngawal, on the upper-Pisang route of the popular Annapurna circuit trekking, you will find excellent teahouses with comfortable accommodations with extensive technical amenities as well as eatery menus.

On the 10th day of your trek, as you descend more than 2,000 meters altitude to the lower valley, the starts to get warmer, and the scenery even greener. The trekking downhill will start early, you will trek along the wide and comfortable path passing the beautiful lake outside Pisang.

After arriving at Pisang, you will stop for a delicious lunch break and village and drive back to Besisahar or Kathmandu in a convenient four-wheeler.

After arrival in Kathmandu, you will have enough time to relish the luxuries cities has to offer and sort out the souvenirs for the trip back. On the evening of the 11th day of your expedition, we will host a farewell dinner in a typical Nepali restaurant accompanied by a cultural show.

Best Time To Do Nar Phu Valley Trek

Like most of the trekking routes in the country, the ultimate season for Nar Phu Valley trekking is during Spring which starts in March and ends in May. Similarly, the months of Autumn (late September to October) are perfect months for the Nar Phu Valley trek.

During the spring season, days are long, and temperatures warm to hot, the popular trekking routing lush greenery and occasional rhododendron decorations. It is the best time to set out on the exploration enjoying the peak season of mother nature on the laps of the

Similarly, during autumn, the days are warm with pleasant temperatures, and the clear extended visibility makes it an excellent season to enjoy the magnificent views of the massifs of the Himalayas.

However, it doesn’t mean that trekking isn’t doable in other seasons besides these two. Nar Phu trek is also possible during monsoon (from June to August), but the muddy trail, rainfall, and landslides in the areas could disrupt access or delay the trekking itinerary schedules. Leeches will be sprawling throughout the lower regions and thick foggy clouds covering the mountains and sky, clear skies and warm days will be a lucky break during this season.

Whereas, in the winter months (from December to February), the snow along the trail and cold freezing weather of the upper-Himalayan region can be harsh on expeditions. The temperature drops to its lowest during this season, due to heavy snowfalls some passes in the Annapurna region will be unpassable. Temperature can drop as low as 1°C during the daytime and past -10°C during the night.

Nar Phu Valley Trek Difficulty

The Nar Phu Valley Trek 10-days trek has a moderate difficulty grading and the altitude sickness in this region is relatively low compared to other high-altitude treks in Nepal. Starting the journey from Koto at an elevation of 2,600 meters, the highest point of this trekking is Kang La Pass (5,240 meters).

You will be ascending and descending along the trail for approximately 5-6 hours a day and the longest hiking in a day’s span will be around 8 hours. Even if there is a low probability of altitude sickness in the Nar Phu Valley Trek 10-days trek, we still provide our guests with enough to get used to the acclimation process.

The trick for avoiding altitude sickness is going slow and staying hydrated, that is why our ascent and descent along the trail have been tailored for slow-paced exploration of the upper Himalayan region.

Although the trekking routes are moderately difficult, the elevation and snow on the pass will challenge the expeditioners on the high-Himalayas exploration. It is still a safer option in comparison to the EBC region trekking. Still, we recommend our guests take extra precautions and communicate well with guides and expedition-leader in case of any discomfort or difficulty.

We here at Magical Summits are committed to providing our guests with an immersive-fun experience taking care of any inconveniences. So, even if you are a novice trekker our experienced professional companions will guide you in-depth exploration of the high Himalayan’s hidden and preserved valleys.

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Nar Phu Valley Trek Equipment Checklists

The equipment checklist for the Nar Phu Valley Trek is identical to any other high-altitude trekking in the country. Depending upon the season of your trek, you might have to adjust a few things on your checklist.

We suggest you only pack the essentials. Here is the list of things to consider for your expedition in the Nar Phu Valley:

Face & Head

• Sun hat and knit caps (you will need both for high-altitude ascent and low-valley city explorations)
• Headlight with extra batteries
• Sleep masks (if you need them)
• Sunglasses with UV protection
• Sunscreen (sunburn is a possibility at the high-altitude)
• Face and body wipes/tissue paper

Hands & Body

• Lightweight gloves or heavyweight winter gloves
• Wool thermals, sweaters, and fleece
• Waterproof pants and jackets
• Long sleeve shirt for hiking in warm weather
• Lightweight cotton pants. Trekking shorts and heavyweight pants for high elevation along the trail
• Heavy down jackets which can be rented from Kathmandu

For Hiking

• Backpack/daypack (depending on whether you have a porter or not)
• Hiking boots (break them beforehand to avoid ani swell and discomfort)
• Camp shoes (relaxing pair of sandals after a long journey)
• Wool socks (bring a few extra pairs with different thickness scales suitable for all altitude hikes)
• Sleeping bag (-15° bag is recommended as the best bag for high-altitude trekking)

Personal Supplies and Accessories

• Hand sanitizers and toiletries
• Biodegradable soap and washing liquid
• Lotions, lip balm, etc.
• Quick dry towels
• Dust mask (for the dusty sections of the trail)
• Any personal prescribed medications
• Water purifications (pump or tablets)
• Water bottle to stay hydrated along the trek (Flask thermos to keep the water warm)
• Hiking poles (if you feel like you need it, does lessen the impacts on joints while ascending and descending)
• Camera with extra batteries to capture the magnificent adventure
• Cell phone and watch
• Battery backup (portable charges to keep your devices charged)
• Waterproof/snow gaiters (optional but most do bring them for trekking)
• Money (convert a few extra changes to Nepali currency for snacking or buying any souvenirs)

Extras

• Extra passport-sized photos and photocopies of passport
• Binoculars
• Reading material, journals, and pens
• Small First-Aid kit box
• Small mirror/nail clippers
• Duct tape (pack just in case)