Nar and Phu, two medieval villages behind a gorge most trekkers walk past
A restricted valley off the Annapurna Circuit where the architecture, the language and the Buddhism are essentially Tibetan, and you may not see another trekking group for days.
By the Lakeshore team · 8 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
Almost everyone walking the Annapurna Circuit passes the entrance to the Nar Phu valley at Koto without noticing it. The turning is a slot in the rock with a checkpost, and beyond it the landscape and the culture feel several centuries and one country away.
Nar and Phu are two villages of Tibetan origin, cut off by geography and by restricted-area status, which kept them closed to outsiders until 2003. You'll find fortified houses, chortens, prayer walls and yak herds, and an economy that still runs much the way it always has.
We recommend this trek to people who have already done a couple of the classics and want to know what's left.
The way in
From Koto the trail enters a narrow gorge and follows the Phu Khola up through it. It's a day of bridges, overhangs and river noise, with the walls closing in above you, and in places the path is cut into the rock face.
The gorge opens out bit by bit into high, dry country. Phu village sits at around 4,080 m below an old fort, and it's one of the strangest and most memorable villages we walk to in Nepal, with stacked mud-brick houses on a bluff, prayer flags and almost nothing that would look out of place five hundred years ago.
Nar is a day away across the valley. It sits higher and is greener in summer, and the chortens on the approach photograph better than anything else on the trek.
Kang La, and rejoining the world
The way out from Nar is over the Kang La at about 5,320 m. It's a long, cold, high crossing, and it drops you at Ngawal on the Annapurna Circuit's upper route, right in the middle of the best section of that trek.
This is a serious pass day, and it comes early compared with how much acclimatisation you've had, which is why the schedule matters more here than on the Circuit itself. From the top on a clear morning, Annapurna II and the Chulus fill the southern horizon.
The alternative is to walk back out through the gorge. That's fine and much easier, though most people regret it a little once they hear what the pass looks like.
Why the valley stays quiet
Nar Phu needs a restricted-area permit arranged through an agency, with a minimum group size and a licensed guide. As in Mustang, that's national policy, not an operator's preference, and it keeps the valley quiet.
There are lodges, but they're few and basic, and in the shoulder seasons some are closed. Menus are short and electricity is limited. This is the most remote trek we run, and the facilities show it. In exchange you get days when the only other people on the trail are herders. On the Annapurna Circuit in October you'll see hundreds of trekkers. Here, on the same dates, you might see a dozen.
Who this is for
It suits people who have already trekked at altitude and want culture and empty trails more than a famous name. It isn't a first trek, and we'll say so if you ask us to book it as one.
Nar Phu also works well bolted onto the Annapurna Circuit. You join it over Kang La and carry straight on to Manang and Thorong La, which makes a two-and-a-half week trip with two high passes and the best of both.
It's the wrong trek if you need reliable comfort, varied food or a hot shower most nights. Say so now and we'll send you somewhere you'll enjoy more.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
Can I trek Nar Phu independently?
No. Nar Phu is a restricted area, so permits are issued only through registered agencies like us, with a minimum group and a licensed guide. If someone offers to take you in without that, they're breaking the rules and you carry the consequences at the checkpost.
How hard is Kang La?
A long day at over 5,300 m, with a steep descent to Ngawal. In altitude it's close to Thorong La, and it's arguably harder underfoot, on less-trodden ground. Good acclimatisation at Phu and Nar is what makes it manageable.
Is it worth combining with the Annapurna Circuit?
That's the best way to do it. Do Nar Phu first, cross Kang La to Ngawal, then carry on to Manang and Thorong La. It takes around sixteen to eighteen days and is one of our favourite trips in Nepal.
What is the accommodation like?
Basic teahouses and homestays, short menus, shared facilities, sometimes no electricity. Bring a power bank. A good sleeping bag matters too, and hire is included on our trek. Comfortable enough, but not the Khumbu.
When should I go?
May to early June, and September to October. Kang La holds snow into late spring and closes early in autumn, so the window is narrower than on the Circuit.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates and how much walking you've done, and we'll tell you whether Annapurna Circuit & Thorong La is right for you. If it isn't, we'll say so.
Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Or call the office +977 61-457830