Nar and Phu — two medieval villages behind a gorge nobody walks into

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 Prakash Tamang · 8 min read · Updated 1 August 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 is a landscape and a culture that feel several centuries and one country away.

Nar and Phu are two villages of Tibetan origin, isolated by geography and by a restricted-area designation that kept them closed to outsiders until 2003. Fortified houses, chortens, prayer walls, yak herding, and an economy that still works largely the way it always has.

This is the trek we recommend to people who have already done a couple of the classics and want to know what is left.

The way in

From Koto the trail enters a narrow gorge and follows the Phu Khola through it — a dramatic day of bridges, overhangs and river noise, with the walls closing in above you. There are stretches where the path is cut into the rock face.

It opens out gradually into high, dry country. Phu village sits at around 4,080 m below an old fort, and it is one of the strangest and most memorable settlements in Nepal — 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, higher, greener in summer, with a set of chortens on the approach that photograph better than anything else on the trek.

Kang La, and rejoining the world

The exit from Nar is over the Kang La at about 5,320 m — a long, cold, high crossing that 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 relative to how much acclimatisation you have had, which is why the schedule matters more here than on the Circuit proper. From the top, on a clear morning, Annapurna II and the Chulus fill the southern horizon.

The alternative is walking back out through the gorge, which is fine and much easier, and which most people regret slightly once they hear what the pass looks like.

Restricted area, small groups, real remoteness

Nar Phu needs a restricted-area permit arranged through an agency, with a minimum group size and a licensed guide. Like Mustang, this is national policy rather than an operator's preference, and it keeps the valley quiet.

Lodges exist but they are few and basic, and in shoulder seasons some are closed. Menus are short. Electricity is limited. This is the most remote trek we run and the infrastructure reflects it. In exchange you get days where the only other people on the trail are herders. On the Annapurna Circuit in October you will see hundreds of trekkers. Here, on the same dates, you might see a dozen.

Who this is for

People who have already trekked at altitude and want culture and emptiness rather than a famous name. It is not a first trek and we will say so if you ask us to book it as one.

It works beautifully bolted onto the Annapurna Circuit — in over Kang La, then 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 does not suit anyone who needs reliable comfort, varied food or a hot shower most nights. Say so now and we will send you somewhere you will enjoy more.

Walk it with us

Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.

Nar Phu Valley Trek13 days · 5,320 mRs 239,900 · See dates →Annapurna Circuit & Thorong La12 days · 5,416 mRs 167,400 · See dates →Tilicho Lake Trek13 days · 5,416 mRs 180,800 · See dates →

Questions we get asked

Can I trek Nar Phu independently?

No. Nar Phu is a restricted area — permits are issued only through registered agencies, with a minimum group and a licensed guide. If someone offers to take you in without that, they are 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. Comparable to Thorong La in altitude and arguably harder underfoot, with less-trodden ground. Proper acclimatisation at Phu and Nar is what makes it manageable.

Is it worth combining with the Annapurna Circuit?

That is the best way to do it. Nar Phu first, over Kang La to Ngawal, then Manang and Thorong La. Around sixteen to eighteen days and one of the finest trips in Nepal.

What is the accommodation like?

Basic teahouses and homestays, limited menus, shared facilities, and sometimes no electricity. Bring a good sleeping bag and a power bank. It is comfortable enough; it is 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 for the Circuit.