Adding Tilicho Lake to an Annapurna Circuit trek costs two extra days and about USD 100 more per person on a group package, or up to USD 600 more for a solo traveller compared with joining a group. What surprises people is the price of a bed at Tilicho Base Camp. The lake sits at 4,919 metres in Nepal's Manang district, a long day's walk across scree and moraine from the Circuit at Manang. For years it was billed as the highest lake in the world. Since 2019, Kajin Sara Lake near Chame, surveyed at around 5,020 metres, has taken that title within Nepal, but Tilicho is far bigger and far more visited.
Below is every cost tied to the Tilicho side trip in 2026. Guided package prices, what going independent costs now that a guide is compulsory, permits, daily teahouse spending, transport, guide and porter wages, and tips. Base Camp gets its own section, because it's the most expensive and most basic night on the whole route.
How does the Tilicho side trip change an Annapurna Circuit budget?
Tilicho isn't a separate trek. It's a detour. It sits inside the Annapurna Circuit, usually on days 6 and 7, after you've acclimatised in Manang (3,540 metres) and before you head for Thorong La (5,416 metres). So it's nearly always sold as an add-on that stretches a 14-day Circuit to 16 days.
Our standard Annapurna Circuit Trek starts at USD 1,190 per person for a large group. The 16-day Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake costs USD 1,290 to 1,790 per person, and group size sets almost all of that range. A solo trekker pays the most, with no one to share the guide, porter and jeep. Groups of eight to twelve pay the least.
Guided package cost for 2026
Here are the four tiers for our 16-day Circuit with Tilicho Lake.
| Group size | Price per person | Tier |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (solo) | USD 1,790 | Solo private |
| 2-3 | USD 1,490 | Small private |
| 4-7 | USD 1,390 | Standard group |
| 8-12 | USD 1,290 | Large group |
Every tier includes a TAAN-certified guide, one porter for every two trekkers, all teahouse rooms and meals, ACAP and TIMS permits, the jeep from Kathmandu to Chame and from Nayapul to Pokhara, emergency oxygen and a duffel bag. The only thing that changes is how many people split the guide's wage, the porter's wage and the jeep. Alone, you carry the lot, which puts a solo trip about 40 percent above the large-group price.
Across Nepali operators in 2026, prices run from about USD 885 for stripped-down 11-day trips to USD 1,600 or more for 16-day versions with private vehicles and better lodges. Length explains most of that spread. A short trip that goes to Tilicho and skips Thorong La will always cost less than the full Circuit plus the lake, because it's a smaller trip. The base Circuit's costs are in our Annapurna Circuit cost guide.
Independent trekking and the mandatory guide rule
Going independent to Tilicho no longer means going alone. Since April 2023, every foreign trekker in Nepal's conservation areas, including the whole Annapurna region, has needed a licensed guide from a registered agency. ACAP checkpoints check the guide's papers, and in 2026 a lone walker risks being sent back.
Independent now means planning your own route, permits and lodges while still paying a guide. Done that way, the 16-day Circuit with Tilicho costs roughly USD 850 to 1,150 per person for permits, a guide (and porter if you want one), basic beds and meals, and local transport, before international flights.
The Tilicho trail is a good reason to want a guide anyway. Above Shree Kharka the path crosses a landslide slope that changes from one season to the next, and a wrong line there can be serious. Our guides ask the lodge owners about that morning's conditions before taking a group across. A downloaded GPS track can't do that. The Thorong La Pass crossing guide covers the trek's other safety-critical day.
Permits: ACAP and TIMS in 2026
Tilicho stays inside the Annapurna Conservation Area, so two permits cover it. ACAP costs NPR 3,000 for foreigners, about USD 23, with VAT already included. Older blogs that add 13 percent on top are out of date.
TIMS is murkier. It's still officially required at NPR 2,000, about USD 15, as a safety registration. Through 2026 several Annapurna checkpoints have checked only the ACAP card and the guide's licence. We still issue TIMS to everyone. It's cheap, and it gives rescuers a record of where you are if something goes wrong.
| Permit | Cost (NPR) | Cost (USD) | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACAP | 3,000 | ~23 | Checked at every entry point |
| TIMS | 2,000 | ~15 | Nominally required, enforcement inconsistent |
| Total | 5,000 | ~38 |
Tilicho needs no restricted-area permit. Upper Mustang and Nar Phu do, at USD 50 a day and USD 75 to 100 a week respectively. The Tilicho detour keeps your paperwork the same as the base Circuit's.
Daily costs on the trail
On the lower and middle Circuit, a basic twin room costs NPR 300 to 2,000 (USD 2 to 15) a night, and it's often cheap or free if you eat dinner and breakfast in the same lodge. Dal bhat costs NPR 600 to 1,000 in Manang and similar villages, with free refills that you'll want after a five to seven-hour day. Budget USD 25 to 40 a day for food, a bed and hot drinks.
Tilicho Base Camp: the priciest, most basic beds on the route
Tilicho Base Camp, at about 4,150 metres, has just a handful of lodges and no competition to speak of. Every sack of food, can of fuel and sheet of roofing comes up the same trail you walked. A bed costs NPR 1,500 to 2,500 (USD 12 to 19), more than twice the rate lower down, for a colder, plainer room that's less likely to have a working shower than anything in Manang. Meals too. Dal bhat costs NPR 900 to 1,300, and a bucket of hot water for washing can be NPR 400 to 600 on its own.
That's the cost of carrying everything up by mule and porter, not a scam. In October the lodges fill by early afternoon, and anyone arriving after 2 p.m. may end up on a mattress in the dining room. In October and November, book the Base Camp night ahead through your agency, or arrive early if you're on your own.
Transport costs to reach the trailhead
Reaching the start costs USD 6 to 55, depending on how much of the lower valley you drive. A public bus from Kathmandu to Besisahar costs NPR 800 to 1,200 (USD 6 to 9). A private jeep straight to Chame costs NPR 4,000 to 7,000 (USD 30 to 55) and saves two or three days on the least interesting stretch.
Then the exit. The 20-minute flight to Pokhara costs USD 120 to 160, or you can spend a long day on a rough jeep road for much less. Most packages, ours included, fold the Kathmandu to Chame and Nayapul to Pokhara legs into the price, so this mostly matters if you're arranging things yourself.
Guide and porter rates, and tipping
Hired directly, a licensed guide costs USD 25 to 35 a day and a porter USD 20 to 25. Both rates include the staff member's own food, bed and insurance. Over 16 days that's USD 400 to 560 for a guide and USD 320 to 400 for a porter, unless they're already inside a package price.
Tips come on top. Always. The usual rate is about USD 15 to 20 a day for the guide and USD 8 to 12 a day for each porter, shared by the group and handed over on the last night in Pokhara. Over 16 days that's roughly USD 240 to 320 for the guide and USD 130 to 190 per porter, for the whole party. Our tipping guide explains how to split it.
What a guided package includes, and what it does not
Our 16-day Circuit with Tilicho Lake includes all teahouse rooms and meals, a TAAN-certified lead guide, one porter for every two trekkers, ACAP and TIMS permits, the jeeps from Kathmandu to Chame and Nayapul to Pokhara, emergency oxygen, a first-aid kit and a duffel bag.
It leaves out international flights, the Nepal visa, travel insurance with helicopter evacuation, personal drinks, tips and rental of a sleeping bag or down jacket. Treat the insurance as essential. Thorong La is 5,416 metres and Tilicho Base Camp 4,150 metres, and a policy without helicopter rescue at those heights is a real gap.
Total cost summary for 2026
| Budget scenario | Cost per person (16 days) |
|---|---|
| Guided package, group of 8-12 | From USD 1,290 |
| Guided package, group of 4-7 | From USD 1,390 |
| Guided package, solo | USD 1,790 |
| Independent, with hired guide | USD 850-1,150 |
| Permits (ACAP + TIMS) | ~USD 38 (included in packages) |
| Tipping (guide + porter, pooled) | USD 370-510 per party |
Group size moves the total far more than season or lodge choice. A solo trekker pays close to 40 percent more per head than someone who joins a group, because the guide, porter and jeep are split fewer ways. If your dates can move, join a scheduled departure. It's the surest way to pay less without cutting anything.
Frequently asked questions
How high is Tilicho Lake?
4,919 metres, which makes it one of the highest lakes of its size anywhere. The approach from Shree Kharka crosses exposed, landslide-prone scree, best walked early in the morning.
How many days is the Tilicho Lake trek?
Our Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake runs 16 days, two more than the standard Circuit. One extra night is at Tilicho Base Camp and the other gets you back to the main trail.
How much does adding Tilicho Lake cost?
About USD 100 per person on any group tier, so USD 1,390 instead of USD 1,290 for four to seven people. Everything else follows the standard Annapurna Circuit costs.
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Founder & Lead Guide, Annapurna Trekking
AJ founded Annapurna Trekking in 2016 and has personally guided treks across Nepal ever since. More about our team →
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