Itinerary Detail

Day 1: Flight Kathmandu-Nepalgunj
We fly to Nepalgunj first to get to Humla.. Nepalgunj is a steaming hot city in South Western Nepal, in the lowlands of Terai, close to the Indian border, which is just 8 km away.  The Bageshowri temple is one of Nepal’s most important Hindu temples. The famous ride is rickshaw or cycle. Culturally the area more resembles India than upland Nepal.  We pass the hustle and bustle of the bazaar and see horse carts full of colorful people.

Day 2 - Flight Nepalgunj-Simikot (2950 m)
It’s a 45 minutes flight to Simikot over steep mountain ridges with beautiful views of snow-capped mountains. Simikot airport is just a gravel airstrip amidst the mountains, which guarantees a spectacular landing. We wil find the different world like as from a hot city in the plains, we arrive in a small mountain village, situated in the midst of the Himalayas, breathing in crispy cold air.
We will be staying in Simikot and wander around the village. Simikot is a small, mostly Hindu village. As Simikot is situated at an altitude of almost 3000 meters, it is wise to get acclimatized slowly and gradually.

Day 3 - Simikot to Dharapuri (2300 m) 4 hrs
The trek starts with a short climb of about an hour to a little pass (approximately 3150m). After the pass it’s a steep decent of about 1 hour to Majgaon, passing through pine forests. Along the way, we can see the people with the traditional dress, or carrying their heavy loads all the way up the steep trail themselves. After Majgoaon, the trail is going down more gradually, we follow the trail of Karnali of right side and it is also called flat. We can the landscape and greenery at the lower altitude. O/n at campsite.

Day 4 - Dharapuri to Kermi (2670 m) 4 hrs
. The trail follows the Karnali River, sometimes high on the slope, with the river far below you and sometimes almost level with it. The river finds its way through narrow gorges with impressive high rocky slopes. We walk through fields with mainly barley, buckwheat, rice and potatoes.
In the afternoon you can relax your muscles in one of the two natural hot springs close to the village. We walk more than 1 hrs passing Kermi village. Kermi is a small agricultural village and is the first completely Buddhist village on the trail. There are two interesting Buddhist monasteries close to Kermi: Laikyo Gompa, a few hundred years old, is about 45 minutes from the campsite and Lhundrup Choeling Gompa, less than half a century old, is about 30 minutes from the campsite. Both are still seldom visited by tourists. o/n at campsite. At night you fall asleep with the sounds of jackals and hyenas in the distance.

Day 5 - Kermi to Yalbang (3020 m) 5 hrs
The trail is flat and slightly uphill, passing alongside fields planted with barley and buckwheat.  After about 2 hours you cross a small pass, after which it is a short steep descend till a big iron suspension bridge over the Sali River. The walk goes through beautiful pine forests now, with below you the emerald green Karnali river.
Once and a while you meet caravans of mules and dzopa´s (a crossbreed of yak and cow). These are mostly villagers from Simikot and the Nyinba Valley, to the east of Simikot. They are going to (or are coming back from) Taklakot, just across the border with Tibet, to buy goods for trading or for personal use.
In and around Yalbang there are so many interesting things to see that it is easy to spend an extra day here.
Above the village there is a beautiful monastery: the Namkha Khyung Dzong Monastery. You notice you are getting near the monastery by a huge stone, with a Tibetan mantra carved on it. The Namkha Khyung Dzong is the biggest monastery in the region, with around 130 monks living there. It belongs to the Nyingmapa lineage, the oldest Buddhist lineage, which is founded by Guru Ringpoche, an important magician of the 7th century. Inside the monastery you can see a big statue of Sakyamuni Buddha and some smaller statues, among which a statue of Guru Rinpoche.
In Yalbang is a Children Hostel, run by the Himalayan Children Society. Children from the surrounding villages go to school in Yalbang. As the school would be too far to walk to each day, without the hostel children from these villages wouldn’t be able to go to school. The owner is happy to show you around.
In Yalbang there is another small clinic, funded and managed by Nepal Trust, which you can visit as well.
At night you fall asleep again with the sound of jackals and hyenas.o/n at campsite.

Day 6 - Yalbang to Muchu (3120 m) 4 hrs or Tumkot (3380 m) 5 hrs
Tthe path goes high above the Karnali River again and passes the little village of Yangar. The path is mostly “Nepali Flat”. At some parts the path is spectacularly carved out of the rocks, and we find walking in a kind of three-sided tunnel.
The environment gets changed as we walked in rockier and the big pine trees make way for smaller bushes. You cross the Karnali River by a big wooden suspension bridge. The path climbs high above the Karnali River and goes along the upper site of a deep gorge. You see the emerald green Karnali River far below you. Along the way you may meet big flocks of sheep carrying salt, an old trade still existing today.
Sometimes we see big, kind of army tents. These are temporary restaurants and shops, which can be a nice place for a tea, noodle soup or just to refill your stock of snacks, like coconut biscuits.
After 3 to 4 hours, we arrive in the charming village of Muchu. If we walk around 1and half hours we get to village of tumkot nearby Karnali River we can fix our campsite for the overnight.
Actually, the main trail doesn’t pass through Tumkot Village, but through some small teahouses and a campsite. The actual village is some 20 minutes south of the trail. Close to the campsite and village lies a very interesting monastery of the Sakya lineage, the Dhungkar Choezom Monastery, one of the most important Sakya monasteries in the Tibetan region.
The monastery lies on a hill, it’s a 20-30 minutes climb to get there. It is the only Sakya Monastery in Humla, and one of the few monasteries of this lineage in Nepal. A caretaker will be explaning the monastery and their valuables.
Close to Tumkot there is a big campsite.

Day 7 - Tumkot to Yari (3700 m) or Thado Dunga (3750 m) 5 hrs
The trail climbs slowly but steadily, with a few steep climbs in between. We will find the changes in landscape and the trail get more dirt road .more rocky and desolate after leaving Tumkot It is still uncertain when and if the road will ever be finished. You cross the small village Pani Palwang, consisting of a couple of teahouses along the road, which makes a nice place for a cup of tea or a lunch break. It’s another 1 ½ hour to Yari or Thado Dunga, we stay o/n at campsite.

Day 8 - Yari to Hilsa (3720 m), crossing the Nara La (4620 m) 6 hrs
A tough day lies ahead of you, as today you cross the Nara La pass at 4620 meter. It’s a long and tiring climb, but the views are more stunningly refreshing. As the trail climbs, the landscape gets more desolate. Trees disappear completely and the landscape looks more and more like Tibet. Sometimes you meet big caravans of mules, dzopa or yaks. The bigger yaks are an especially impressive sight. You pass a few teahouses at Tado Dunga; from here the trail becomes steeper. It’s still 2 hours climbing to the pass, if there happens to be snow it will take a bit longer. At about half an hour from the pass you cross a few big tents (tent hotels, serving foods and drinks). You can see the Nara La pass in the distance, but it’s harder to climb due to altitude.. You recognize the pass by the pile of stones (it brings good luck to add one!) and the strings of Tibetan prayer flags, carrying the prayers far away with the strong wind.
You have breathtaking views ahead into Tibet and back towards Yari far below. At the other side of the pass, it looks like you are in Tibet. You are surrounded by barren mountains in brown, copper, ash and dark yellow colors. From the pass it’s a long descent to Hilsa, close to the border with Tibet. You can choose to take the longer dirt road or a steep shortcut down.overnight at campsites or local guest house.

Day 9 - Hilsa to Manepeme (3990 m) 5 hrs
You leave Hilsa, crossing a big iron bridge. At the other side of the river, a small, slightly difficult trail winds its way over a slope, until it connects with a larger trail high on the slope. This trails follows the Karnali River in eastern direction up till Manepeme. The path climbs gradually with a few steep ups and downs. We walk in a dramatic landscape of bare, steep rocks in amazing colors.while it is connected at the site of water sources so we stay o/n at camp.

Day 10 - Manepeme to Til (4000 m) 6 hrs
The trail climbs on and winds its way through the high, steep rocks. After about 2 hours, you can choose between a small path which stays level for a while or a larger path going steeper up. The small path passes a meditation cave, Ya Yip Phuk. This cave plays an important role in the history of Buddhism. It was the meditation cave of Lotsawa Rinchen Sangpo (985-1055 A.D.), a famous translator of Buddhist scriptures. His activities were crucial to the revival of cultural exchange between Tibet and India, paving the way to the so-called second dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet.
The trail is suddenly surprisingly green at some parts, with some juniper trees and bushes among the bare rock.
The path climbs very steeply for about half an hour to Lamka La, a pass at 4300 meter. After the pass, it’s a pretty easy walk which is mostly going down to Til (more or less 1 ½ hrs). You can notice you are approaching the village when various chörtens (stupas) start to appear. The first thing you see from Til, are some white buildings attached high to a slope. This is the monastery from Til with some retreat houses next to it. It takes a while before you see the village of Til appearing in the distance, as the houses are built with stones that completely merge with the environment. When you get nearer to Til, you will be surprised to see how the environment gets greener. The village is surrounded by birches and terraced fields with barley, which both are bright yellow in September-October. Two beautiful snow capped mountains with impressive glaciers are towering above the village.
The village of Til is a beautiful authentic Tibetan village, as are all villages in the Limi Valley. You enter the village passing a gate chörten. Most villagers still wear the original Tibetan dress: the men a long thick brown coat, with one sleeve down, the women a long brown or blue dress with a colorful apron made from yak wool. Outside many women have their heads covered with a long colorful cape, something typical for the villages in the Limi Valley. Most women wear beautiful jewellery, with big turquoise stones. The older people spend a big part of the day praying, spinning their prayer wheels around. Most prayer wheels carry the famous mantra “Om mani padme hum”, which means more or less “blessed is the jewel in the lotus”. This is the mantra of Avalokitesvara, the buddhisatva (a future Buddha , who stays on earth to help humanity reach enlightenment) of compassion. After a village sightseeing move a liitle down hill for the camp site.
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Day 11 - Til to Halji (3660 m) 3 hrs
It’s an easy day to Halji, which allows you time to wander around in the villages and visit the monasteries. The path follows the Limi river upstream and it is relatively flat walking.
Along the way, look out for mountain goats and blue sheep! If you are very lucky you might even see a snow leopard from here on. As with Til, it takes a while before you see Halji appearing, as the village is blending completely with the environment. You enter the village passing a gate chörten after which a very big mani wall appears, a low wall with many stones in which holy mantra’s and Buddhist deities are carved. In Halji the monastery, Rinchenling Gompa, is in the village itself. It’s built in the 14th Century and belongs to the Kagyugpa lineage. It’s the main gompa in the Limi Valley and serves as the religious centre of the Valley. It has been beautifully restored (with help of Nepal Trust) and has many interesting parts to visit. The main hall has a beautifully decorated statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. In smaller rooms you can find more beautiful statues, the complete Kenjur (Buddhist scriptures) and masks and costumes used during festivals (entrance is free, you pay 500 rps to make pictures).
Close to the village there is a clinic, a micro hydro power plant and solar plant built by Nepal Trust that you can visit as well.
Accommodation: Close to the village you can find a campsite, run by the youth club of Halji. The youth club consists of young people below 40 years old, who want to contribute to the village. The money they earn with the campsite they use for helping villagers in need. There is a small teashop next to the guesthouse, where a small group may be able to stay as well . Besides, they want to build a community hall, which can be used for meetings. Tourists will be able to stay there as well.

Day 12 - Halji to Jang (3930 m) 4 hrs
It’s an easy 4-hour walk from Halji to Jang, following the Limi Khola. Jang is the third and last village in the Limi Valley and as with the other villages, it’s a magical place to be. It’s very special to be in such a secluded place where the Tibetan culture still continues relatively untouched, as far from the modern day world as you can be. Jang has a beautiful gompa which you can visit (entrance is free, but also here you have to pay 500 rps to make pictures).
Accommodation: There is a campsite close to the village which is run by the youth club of Jang. Besides, there is a campsite 45 min further ahead in a beautiful grassy area, with some hot springs. A real treat!

Day 13 - Jang to Talung (4370 m) 8 hrs
In the coming days there won’t be any more villages until Kermi and you will be walking through impressive, completely desolate landscapes. The trail is not always easy to find, and you have to cross a few small rivers.  The trail goes up slowly but steadily, up to Talang, where there is a place to camp.
Accommodation: campsite in the middle of nowhere.

Day 14 - Talung to Shinjungma (3620 m), crossing the Nyalu La (4940 m) 8 hrs
The second spectacular pass day of this trek! It’s a very tough, but rewarding climb to the highest point of the trek, the Nyalu La, at 4940 meters. There can be snow and ice, which makes the climb more challenging. From the pass you have breathtaking 360 degrees views into Humla and Tibet. On very clear days you can even see the holy Mount Kailash (6714 m) in the distance. Besides you can see Mount Saipal (7031 m) and many more snowcapped mountains which are stretching out before you.
From the pass it is a steep downward slope to Lake Selma Tso at 4630 meter. The trail continues going down, following the Sali River, to the campsite at Shinjungma. Getting lower, the nature changes dramatically and suddenly you see trees! You have many beautiful views steep slopes full with trees, with at the horizon Mount Saipal. Accommodation: campsite in a green pasture for yaks.

Day 15 - Shinjungma to Kermi (2670 m) 7 hrs
We get back down decent about 1000metres and we reach to kermi which we have already passed before. The trail we pass through is rocky, interesting landscape and beautiful turning of Karnali River. We stay o/n at kermi.

Day 16 - Kermi to Simikot (2950 m) 6 hrs
We pass through the same way and o/n at local guest house or tented camp.

Day 17 - Flight Simikot-Nepalgunj-Kathmandu
Early morning flight back to Kathmandu, via Nepalgunj.

Cost Includes

Cost Excludes

Essential Information

When trekking in Nepal Himalayas "Altitude related Problems" are the important factors to be considered because there is always a real danger of mild to serious problems related to altitude and it is important that trekkers understand that they will be affected to a greater or lesser extent when they ascend to altitudes over about 3000 meters. Altitude sickness, often known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and it means the effect of altitude on those who ascend too rapidly to elevation above 3000 meters. The victim can develop severe symptoms very rapidly if the mild effects are ignored.

We advise our clientsto remember the following suggestion when you are on trekking in thehigh altitude areas above 3000 meters. The following are the basicsymptoms of the altitude sickness and to avoid such sickness we recommend few important points.

1. Basic Symptoms:

• Loss of appetite
• Sleep disturbance
• Difficult to pass urine

2. Medium Symptoms:

• Headache which is bad
• Irregular breathing
• Nausea
• Mild weakness

3. Serious Symptoms:

• Slight swelling of hands and face
• Cannot stand upright without swaying while eyes are closed.
• Can hear gurgling sound in the chest.
• Zero energy.

What to do about Altitude Sickness?
Altitude illness can be prevented by acclimatization; that is, by a graduate rate of ascent (not more than 400 – 500 meters), allowing sufficient rest at various intermediate altitudes. The dry air of the mountains tends to dehydrate you so an increased fluid intake is necessary. Try todrink at least four liters of water a day. On the trail you can drinkhot garlic soup that will help you to some extent. When we reach to our destination it is better to make some hiking up to a bit higher point and come down to the camp or hotel. This is a really good way to get acclimatization. You may take Diamox 250mg tablets the night before flying / going to altitude. Sometimes the symptoms often disappear and the trek can be resumed.

If you feel obviously suffering from the serious symptoms of AMS then descent should not be delayed even if it means going down in dark. In such case, should an emergency situation arise, horse, or porter will be arranged; or we carry you and run to lower (descend) altitudes. There is communication facility at Namche Bazaar; Doctors at Khunde hospital in the Everest Area and HRA Clinics and in some trekking areas also have the Gamow Bag. The hospital or theclinic will take fees or charges for such services. We can arrange forimmediate evacuation, by horse or helicopter, depending on the severity of the case.