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Turquoise Tilicho Lake ringed by bare slopes and snow peaks

Circuit + Tilicho guide

How hard is the Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake?

An honest look at the Annapurna Circuit with the Tilicho Lake side trip, the scree trail, the climb to 4,919 m, Thorong La, and who it suits.

This is a hard trek. It’s the full Annapurna Circuit plus a three-day side trip to Tilicho Lake, with many days at high altitude and two very high days.

The hard parts

  • The Tilicho trail. Between Shree Kharka and Tilicho Base Camp, the path crosses steep scree slopes with rockfall risk. Your guide checks conditions before you go.
  • The lake day. About 790 m of climbing from Tilicho Base Camp (4,130 m) to Tilicho Lake (4,919 m), then back down to Shree Kharka.
  • Thorong La. About 966 m of climbing from Thorong Phedi (4,450 m) to the pass at 5,416 m, starting before dawn, then a long descent to Muktinath.

Altitude

You sleep above 3,000 m on at least nine nights, with a rest day in Manang. The Tilicho detour also gives you extra time high up before Thorong La. Anyone can get altitude sickness: if you feel unwell, tell your guide and don’t go higher.

Who it suits

Fit, experienced walkers with about two weeks, ideally with a previous trek at altitude. If you’d rather skip the lake, see our Annapurna Circuit trek.