You probably have heard of Tilicho, also known as World’s Highest Lake. Tilicho lake is a must-visit place in Nepal providing you with the most thrilling yet magical experience of your lifetime.
Here’s all you need to know about Tilicho Lake, the itineraries, cost, weather, and all the related facts.
Situated at an altitude of 4,919m from the sea level, in the Manang district of Nepal, Tilicho lake is 4km long and 1.2km wide with an average depth of 85m. Tilicho Lake Trekking, one of Nepal’s most beautiful trekking destinations, lies under Annapurna circuit trekking. One of the best trekking routes in Nepal, with the highlight of the trek being Tilicho Lake itself. You will experience incredible views from the breath-taking Himalayas, vast meadows, and lush green hills to traditional villages of the Buddhist community. Moreover, Tilicho Lake Trekking is an ideal trekking destination for nature lovers who seek peace in the lap of the Himalayas but do not mind a tough little walk.
Tilicho Lake Trekking route attached with the Annapurna circuit route consists of many landscapes. The best attractions of Tilicho Lake are the eye-catching views from Annapurna & Dhaulagiri ranges and other white Himalayas above 5,415m. The trek provides majestic panoramic views of Mt. Manaslu, Mt. Dhaulagiri, Mt. HimalChuli, Mt. Machhapuchhre, Mt. Annapurna, and many more.
The trek to Tilicho Lake is the best and perfect package to experience the natural scenery and learn about the unique culture & hospitality of local peoples in this region. Tilicho lake and its surroundings give you the best aesthetic views. Mountains over the lake make a perfect picture. The lake itself is beyond one’s imagination. The best season to visit Tilicho is from February to May and September to November.
Itinerary
There are multiple routes to reach Tilicho Lake. The shortest may take 5-7 days, while the longest may take 12-17 days. It’s up to you to decide which route you take, keeping in mind all your circumstances.
Shorte Tilicho Lake Trek Itinerary Route Plan
- Day 1: Drive to Besisahar from Kathmandu
- Day 2: Drive from Besisahar to Manang
- Day 3: Acclimatization at Manang
- Day 4: Trek from Manang to Tilicho Base Camp
- Day 5: Trek to Tilicho Lake and back
- Day 6: Early morning trek from Tilicho base camp to Manang, drive back to Besisahar
- Day 7: Drive back to Kathmandu
Medium length Tilicho Lake Trek Itinerary
- Day 1: Drive from Kathmandu to Bhulbhule
- Day 2: Drive from Bhulbhule to Pisang
- Day 3: Trek from Bhulbhule to Manang
- Day 4: Trek from Manang to Shreekharka
- day 5: Trek from Shreekharka to Tilicho Base Camp
- Day 6: Early morning hike from Tiilicho Base Camp to Tilicho Lake and back to Shrekharka
- Day 7: Trek from Shreekharka to Manang
- day 8: Trek from Manang to Pisang, drive to Bhulbhule
- Day 9: Drive back to Kathmandu
Long Trek Itinerary
- Day 1: Drive from Kathmandu to Bhulbhule
- Day 2: Trek from Bhulbhule to Dharapani
- Day 3: Trek from Dharapani to Chame
- Day 4: Trek from Chame to Pisang
- Day 5: Trek from Pisang to Manang
- Day 6: Acclimatization day at Manang
- Day 7: Trek from Manang to Khangsar
- Day 8: Trek from Khangsar to Tilicho Base Camp
- Day 9: Trek to Tilicho Lake and then back
- Day 10: Trek from Tilicho Base Camp to Yak Kharka
- Day 11: Trek from Yak Kharka to Thorong High Camp
- day 12: Trek from Thorong High Camp to Muktinath through Thorong La Pass
- Day 13: Trek from Muktinath to Jomsom
- Day 14: Air Travel Jomsom to Pokhara
- Day 15: Drive from Pokhara to Kathmandu
Side note* if you would like to spend more time on the road, you can alternatively take a drive from Jomsom to Pokhara on the fourteenth day. While this will extend the time from twenty minutes to eight hours, it is worth every second you spend.
Cost
Nepalese
It wouldn’t cost you more than 10-20k NPR ($78 – 156) depending upon the length of your trek, how much you spend, and how big your group is because the more the people in your group less the expenditures will be. However, travelling by private jeep instead of a public bus will cost you a little more.
Foreigners
For foreigners, it will cost you around $350 as you need to buy TIMS and ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) permit from Nepal Tourism Board which costs you about NRP 1000-2000 and NRP 3000, respectively. However, for SAARC countries residents TIMS card will cost NRP 300-600, while the ACAP permit will cost NRP 1000.
Best Season for Tilicho Trek
As with all other base camp treks, including Everest base camp, Annapurna Base Camp and Annapurna Circuit trekking, the best season to visit Tilicho is March to May and late September to early December. In other words, the best time to visit this trekking region is during spring and fall. This is because you will find the road more traversable and have the opportunity to witness the full colour of the forests along the route.
If you are more of a snow lover, you can naturally visit Tilicho during spring as well. However, you will find the route significantly more difficult.
As a side note, this logic and principle apply to all major trekking routes located around mountains, such as Annapurna Circuit Trek, Everest Base Camp Trek, and Annapurna Base Camp Trekking.
Conclusion
Tilicho lake trek is undoubtedly one of the best trekking routes in Nepal. However, if you are not satisfied with this, we recommend Annapurna Circuit Trek and Annapurna Base Camp Treks. Both Tilicho and Annapurna treks share a lot of similarities, but each has its unique aesthetic differences. This is one of our best recommendations because the Tilicho trek lies in the Annapurna region. Therefore, you can visit both Tilicho and Annapurna Circuit Trekking regions with the same legal documents, i.e. permits.
If you are wondering about the permits, they are TIMS and ACAO that you need to make at Nepal Tourism Board. The overall cost for these legal documents is somewhat variable, but they generally cost around $50 for both. But if you want more of a challenge, you can take on many of the Peak Climbs. Nepal is the land of trekking after all, so there is no shortage of Peak Climbs as well!
We hope you found this helpful and interesting. And as always, thank you for reading till the end!