Thorong La Pass Trek

The Thorong La Pass Trek or Annapurna Mini Circuit is a 12-day route covering the core high-altitude section of the Annapurna Circuit: the approach through Manang, the crossing of Thorong La Pass at 5,416 meters, and the descent to Muktinath on the western side. This itinerary skips the lower eastern approach from Besisahar, starting instead from a higher trailhead to focus on the pass crossing.

The route climbs through Chame (2,670m) and Upper Pisang to Manang (3,519m), where a mandatory rest day allows acclimatization. Optional hikes to Ice Lake (4,620m) or Gangapurna Lake help prepare for the altitude. From Manang, the trail continues to Yak Kharka (4,018m), Thorong Phedi (4,525m), and High Camp (4,850m).

The Thorong La crossing starts at 4 AM from High Camp. The 4 to 5 hour climb to the pass at 5,416m is steady but demanding in bitter cold and thin air. Prayer flags mark the summit with views of Dhaulagiri across the valley. The descent drops 1,600 meters to Muktinath (3,800m) on the western side, one of the steepest sustained descents on any Nepal trek.

Permits: ACAP (NPR 3,000) and TIMS card, both included. Licensed guide mandatory.

For the complete Annapurna loop, the Annapurna Circuit Trek adds the eastern approach from Besisahar and the western descent through the Kali Gandaki in 16 days. To add Tilicho Lake as a side trip from Manang, see the Tilicho Lake Via Annapurna Circuit. For a lower-altitude Muktinath approach, the Jomsom Muktinath Trek reaches the temple from the south in 15 days without crossing the pass.

The 4 AM crossing of Thorong La is the defining moment. Headlamps in single file, the crunch of frozen ground, the slow rhythm of breathing at 5,000 meters. The sunrise hits the prayer flags at the pass and Dhaulagiri's massive wall appears across the Kali Gandaki. This is one of the most iconic pass crossings in world trekking.

Manang (3,519m) is worth the rest day. A Tibetan-influenced trading town with flat-roofed stone houses, a Buddhist gompa, and the Himalayan Rescue Association clinic that gives free altitude lectures. The optional hike to Ice Lake (4,620m) above Manang offers views of the Annapurna range reflected in a frozen alpine tarn.

The descent from Thorong La to Muktinath drops 1,600 meters in a single morning. Your knees feel every meter, but the landscape transformation is extraordinary: from frozen scree to arid desert to the temple gardens of Muktinath with its 108 sacred water spouts.

Thorong La at 5,416m is one of the great pass crossings in world trekking. The 4 AM start, the prayer flags, and the 1,600-meter descent to Muktinath are unforgettable.

The focused 12-day itinerary cuts the lower approach sections and puts you at the high-altitude core faster.

Manang is a genuine Tibetan-influenced mountain town, not a trekking-village. Flat roofs, barley fields, gompas, and yak caravans.

Muktinath temple at the bottom of the descent is a sacred pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists. The 108 water spouts and eternal flame are a spiritual counterpoint to the physical crossing.

Views from the pass include Dhaulagiri, Annapurna I, Gangapurna, and the upper Kali Gandaki valley.