Overview
The Tilicho and Mesokanto variant leaves the Annapurna Circuit at Khangsar, climbs to Tilicho Lake at 4,919 metres — among the highest large lakes anywhere — and crosses to Jomsom by the Mesokanto La at 5,121 m rather than the Thorong.
It is the circuit's back door, and it is walked by a small fraction of the traffic.
Lower pass, harder crossing
The Mesokanto is nearly 300 metres lower than the Thorong La and considerably more serious. The Thorong is a trodden path with a tea hut at the top and lodges both sides. The Mesokanto is trackless in places, unmarked, snow-covered into early summer, and commits you to two nights camping with no shelter between the lake and Thini.
Route-finding in cloud is the genuine hazard here, not altitude.
The landslide
The traverse below Tilicho Base Camp crosses an actively eroding slope of loose scree exposed to rockfall. It is closed after rain and crossed early in the morning. Its reputation is earned.
The easier version
Plenty of people walk up to Tilicho Lake from base camp, return to Khangsar and cross the Thorong La as normal. That gets you the lake — which is the scenic prize — on lodges throughout, without the committing part.
What it costs
USD 900 to 1,800. Only the Annapurna Conservation Area permit and a TIMS card are needed; the extra over a standard circuit is the crew, tents and food for the two nights beyond the lodges.
Day by day
The 16 days itinerary
Distances, walking times, altitudes and accommodation for every stage — stored as structured data, not written into the prose.
- Day 1
Kathmandu to Chame
Kathmandu (1,400 m) → Besisahar (760 m) → Chame (2,710 m)
- Walking
- 9–10 hours by jeep
- Altitude
- 1,400 m → 2,710 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Chame
- Meals
- Dinner
- Day 2
Chame to Upper Pisang
Chame (2,710 m) → Upper Pisang (3,300 m)
- Distance
- 15 km
- Walking
- 6 hours
- Altitude
- 2,710 m → 3,300 m
- Elevation
- +590 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Upper Pisang
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 3
Upper Pisang to Manang by the high route
Upper Pisang (3,300 m) → Ghyaru → Ngawal → Manang (3,540 m)
- Distance
- 17 km
- Walking
- 7 hours
- Altitude
- 3,300 m → 3,540 m
- Elevation
- +700 m / −460 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Manang
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Ghyaru
- Annapurna II and III across the valley
- Day 4
Manang — acclimatisation
Manang (3,540 m) → Ice Lake or Gangapurna viewpoint
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 3,540 m → 3,540 m
- Elevation
- +700 m / −700 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Manang
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 5
Manang to Khangsar
Manang (3,540 m) → Khangsar (3,734 m)
- Distance
- 7 km
- Walking
- 3 hours
- Altitude
- 3,540 m → 3,734 m
- Elevation
- +194 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Khangsar
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
The Tilicho variant leaves the circuit here, turning west up the Khangsar Khola while everyone else carries on north for the Thorong.
- Day 6
Khangsar to Tilicho Base Camp
Khangsar (3,734 m) → Shree Kharka → Tilicho Base Camp (4,150 m)
- Distance
- 9 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 3,734 m → 4,150 m
- Elevation
- +416 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Tilicho Base Camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
The traverse across the eroding slope before base camp is the notorious section — loose scree on a steep face, exposed to rockfall, and closed outright after rain. It is crossed early and quickly.
- The landslide traverse
- Day 7
Tilicho Lake and back
Tilicho Base Camp (4,150 m) → Tilicho Lake (4,919 m) → base camp
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 7 hours
- Altitude
- 4,150 m → 4,150 m
- Elevation
- +769 m / −769 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Tilicho Base Camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Tilicho Lake
- among the highest large lakes in the world
- Day 8
Base camp to Tilicho Lake camp
Tilicho Base Camp (4,150 m) → lakeside camp (4,950 m)
- Distance
- 7 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 4,150 m → 4,950 m
- Elevation
- +800 m
- Sleep
- Tented camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
From here the route leaves all lodges. Everything for the crossing is carried, and there is no shelter until Thini on the far side.
- Day 9
Over the Mesokanto La towards Jomsom
Lakeside camp (4,950 m) → Mesokanto La (5,121 m) → high camp (4,300 m)
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 9 hours
- Altitude
- 4,950 m → 4,300 m
- Elevation
- +171 m / −821 m
- Sleep
- Tented camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
A long day on trackless ground. The pass is unmarked in places, holds snow into early summer, and route-finding in poor visibility is a real problem — this is why the crossing needs a guide who has done it.
- Mesokanto La
- Dhaulagiri filling the western sky
- Day 10
Descent to Jomsom
High camp (4,300 m) → Thini → Jomsom (2,720 m)
- Distance
- 16 km
- Walking
- 7 hours
- Altitude
- 4,300 m → 2,720 m
- Elevation
- −1580 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Jomsom
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 11
Jomsom — rest, or Muktinath
Jomsom (2,720 m), with an optional jeep to Muktinath (3,760 m)
- Altitude
- 2,720 m → 2,720 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Jomsom
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 12
Jomsom to Pokhara
Jomsom (2,720 m) → Pokhara (820 m)
- Walking
- 25 minutes by air, or 8 hours by jeep
- Altitude
- 2,720 m → 820 m
- Sleep
- Hotel, Pokhara
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Day 13
Pokhara to Kathmandu
Pokhara (820 m) → Kathmandu (1,400 m)
- Walking
- 30 minutes by air
- Altitude
- 820 m → 1,400 m
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Day 14
Contingency days
Reserved for weather on the pass and the Jomsom flight
- Altitude
- 1,400 m → 1,400 m
- Meals
- Breakfast
Route map
Where the trail goes
Route line, start and end points, and every overnight stop. Locations are shared entities — the same record powers the destination and itinerary pages.
Frequently asked questions
How does this differ from the standard Annapurna Circuit?
Is the Mesokanto easier than the Thorong?
How bad is the landslide section?
Can you do it without camping?
When should you go?
About the author
Maya Thapa
Senior trekking writer
Maya has walked more than 4,000 kilometres of Nepal's trail network, from the teahouse highways of the Khumbu to the restricted valleys along the Tibetan border. She writes the route guides and day-by-day itineraries, and returns to most trails every second season to re-check lodge availability, water points and trail reroutes after monsoon damage.
Writes about: Nepal trekking · High-altitude routes · Teahouse logistics
