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West Himalaya Treks

Limi Valley Trek

Trip Length: 20 Days
Highest Point: 4,950m (Nayu La Pass)
Trek Grade: Moderate
Trek Region: Humla
Accommodation:: Teahouse/Tent
Walking Time: Approx 6 hrs per day
Starting Point: Simikot (Humla)
Ending Point: Simikot (Humla)

Trip Highlights

  • Cross high Himalayan passes offering superlative mountain views
  • Observe Tibetan Buddhism at its purest form
  • Far-flung villages aloof from modernization
  • Visit 11th century Richenling Monastery and several other ancient monasteries
  • Walk through meadows, hot springs, brooks, rocky terrain and arid landscape
  • Wild species like musk deer, Himalayan Tahr, Tibetan wild ass, snow leopard

Overview

Limi Valley Trek, takes you to a remote corner in the country’s north-western border with Tibet, China. Limi Valley is the last remaining wilderness in Nepal in a true sense. It is one of the few places in Nepal where you can find Tibetan Buddhism in its purest form. Limi Valley is located in upper reaches of Humla district that borders Tibet Autonomous Region of China. You pass through lush vegetation and bustling villages in lower areas. In the upper areas, however, the landscape is arid with less vegetation and villages are sparsely populated. Ancient monasteries, hot springs, high passes, rare wildlife species, and friendly and ever smiling locals are the main attractions of this trail. As the number of trekkers is limited, you will feel welcomed wherever you go. The trek begins from Simikot following the magnificent Karnali River which originates from Mansarovar in Tibet, and climbs up to Hilsa. It then enters Limi Valley and joins the main Hilsa trail at Kermi completing the loop.
Trip Inquiry

Trip Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival

Welcome to Nepal. After completing immigration formalities, meet our representative outside the arrival lounge who will transfer you to your hotel. In the evening, meet your guide and attend trek briefing session.

O/N: Hotel
Day 2
Morning trek preparation and fly to Nepalgunj (200m) – Approx 1 hr

After breakfast, do some last minute shopping, if need be, as our flight is in the afternoon. A flight of about an hour will take you to Nepalgunj – the commercial center of mid and far western Nepal. Upon arrival in Nepalgunj, get transferred to your hotel. Remaining time is free for independent activities.

O/N: Hotel
Day 3
Fly to Simikot (2950m) – Approx 40 mins

Take a morning flight to Simikot – the district headquarters of Humla where the Limi Valley is located. The flight takes about 40 minutes. The flight provides you an opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the amazing landscapes of the unexplored western Himalayas. Simikot is a small hilly town that serves as the gateway to Kailash-Mansarovar these days. It is one of the few district headquarters yet to be connected to the country’s road network. This means the STOL airfield is the only means of connectivity with rest of the country for the district. Upon arrival in Simikot, check into your teahouse. After lunch, you will have plenty of time to explore Simikot. In the evening, meet your support staff who will arrange your loads.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 4
Trek to Dharapuri (2300 m) – Approx 4 hrs

The trek to Limi Valley begins today. Take a rocky trail up the airstrip, passing through wheat and barley fields. Gradually, the trail climbs up to a forested ridge about the Simikot town. From there, it makes a descent and after a walk of about an hour, you will reach Majgaon. From here, walk is through pine forest where you can see the locals with their cattle caravan carrying supplies to and from their respective villages. The trail is uneven past Majgaon. After many ascents and descents, you will reach a place with rush vegetation. Dharapuri is nearby.

O/N: Tent
Day 5
Trek to Kermi (2670 m) – Approx 5 hrs

Continue your walk after having breakfast at the camp. The trial makes multiple ascents and descents to Chankhil. Continue your walk to a beautiful waterfall. Follow the trail along the mighty Karnali River. Walk through narrow gorges and high slopes. Continuing your walk further, the trail passes through barley, buckwheat and rice fields, signaling that Kermi village is nearby. You will also pass by an ancient monastery named Lhundrup Chholing Gompa. Kermi is a small Buddhist village. Your camp will be set up near this village. Late in the afternoon, explore the village.

O/N: Tent
Day 6
Trek to Yalbang (3020 m) 5 hrs

The walk today will be fairly easy. Continue you walk along the Karnali River through beautiful pine forests before you make a descent from Sali Pass (3,113m). From the pass, the trial drops to Chumsa Khola river. From here, it’s a walk of some two hours to Yalbang. Your camp will be set up near a school. After you get freshened up in the camp, visit the Namka Khyung Zong gompa and experience Tibetan Buddhism. Your campsite offers great view of the mountains and upper reaches of Humla.

O/N: Tent
Day 7
Trek to Tumkot (3380 m) – Approx 5-6 hrs

From Yalbang, the trail passes above the Karanli River to the village of Yangar. The trail is very narrow at some places, and at some places widened by using wooden planks. After lot of ups and downs, cross the Karnali River on a suspension bridge and climb up to the beautiful village of Muchu. Your destination at Tumkot village is about an hour’s walk away from here. You can see a Buddhist monastery and the Tumkot village up above in the distance as you walk on the trail through small teashops. Your camp will be set up below the monastery.

O/N: Tent
Day 8
Trek to Yari (3700 m) – Approx 5-6 hrs

Continue your walk after early breakfast at the camp. The trail leaves the Karnali River to the right and makes a climb to a small pass named Nangla Pass (3,310m). After a walk of about an hour from the pass, the trail levels out and you can see road to Hilsa built from the Tibetan side up in the horizon. Very soon you will reach Palbang which is an excellent site for lunch. From here, the trail climbs up to the village of Yari. The landscape looks arid with less vegetation. Most of the walk is on gravel roads coming from Hilsa. Yari used to be the northern-most village in Humla before the Kailash-Mansarovar tourist traffic turned Hilsa into a bustling place.

O/N: Tent
Day 9
Trek to Hilsa (3720m) via Nara La Pass (4,620m) – Approx 7 hrs

Today, you will be trekking to Hilsa – the last settlement before Nepal-China border. The landscape is arid and desert like with less vegetation. You pass through small streams and meadows before you finally reach Sipsip which lies at the foot of the pass. Despite its remoteness, the trail is abuzz with travelers, including local people and traders bringing supplies from Tibet. After a walk of around four hours from your camp, you will reach the Nara La Pass. The pass provides you great views of the Yari village in the south and the Tibetan plateau in the north. After spending some time at the pass, start your descent. A little below from the pass, you can get panoramic view of the Tibetan plateau and Karnali River. There are few buildings in China. About 150 meters below lies the village of Sher village and the Chinese border post.

O/N: Tent
Day 10
Trek to Manepeme (3990m) – Approx 5 hrs

Leave the main trail and walk toward Manepeme today. Cross the Karnali River and climb up for some time. The trail is narrow and challenging and mostly uphill and downhill. But the landscape is amazing. The trail passes eastward along the Karnali River. A walk of around five hours will take you to Manepeme – an excellent place for camping.

O/N: Tent
Day 11
Trek to Til (4000 m) – Approx 6 hrs

Today is going to be an exciting day as you will be entering Limi Valley. Begin the day after breakfast at your camp. The trail climbs up steadily until you reach Lamka Pass (4,300m). At the pass, you will be rewarded with the first views of Limi Valley. From the pass, the trail drops to a tiny steam and continues to descend further. Then climb two rocky ridges and make a short descent until you see two chhortens that signal that you are back into the civilization. After a short walk, you will see the magnificent Til monastery across the valley as you walk through barley and potato fields. Locals of Til practice Tibetan Buddhism and their attire is really beautiful. Your camp will be set up on the confluence of Takchi Chu and Til Chu.

O/N: Tent
Day 12
Trek to Halji (3660 m) – Approx 3-4 hrs

It is going to be an easy day as you will trek to another village in the Limi Valley. Follow the Takchi Chu River. After crossing the river on a wooden bridge, the trail passes through beautiful fields signaling that human settlement is nearby. The trek is mostly even and you can see cattle grazing. Herds of blue sheep will look you from the distant. You can even catch sight of the elusive snow leopard if you are lucky enough. The village of Halji is not far. As the walk is rather short, you will have plenty of time to explore Halji village and its monastery. The main attraction at Halji village is Rijiling Gompa which is believed to be around 1,000 years old. The monastery houses some 30 monks. We set up our camp near the village.

O/N: Tent
Day 13
Trek to Jang (3930 m) – Approx 4 hrs

Today you will trek to another village in the Limi Valley. The trail follows the river initially but climbs steeply to a ridge at 3,850m. After passing by a place called Sunkhani, the trail becomes rockier for some time. However, trail snakes into beautiful barley fields pretty soon. This marks the beginning of Jang village (3,920m). Jang is a beautiful village dominated by a white gompa. Locals of Jang make beautiful wooden bowls from pine, birch and maple trees. You can buy them as souvenirs for your friends and family back home. Your camp will be set up some 45 minutes’ walk away from the village at a beautiful place with hot springs. You can relax and rejuvenate in the hot spring.

O/N: Tent
Day 14
Rest Day in Jang

Take the much-needed rest today. You can spend the day exploring the village or basking in the sun after the warm bath at the hotspring.

O/N: Tent
Day 15
Trek to Talung (4370 m) – Approx 8 hrs

You are fully fit and rejuvenated after a day’s rest. Resume your walk after having breakfast at your camp. The trail today passes mostly through pasturelands, small streams and rocky ridges. However, it is mostly level and offers pleasant walking. After crossing a bridge, head southward to Talung village. On the way, you come across sand dunes that form Tshom Tso lake. Below this lake, you come across an abandoned village named Gumma Yok (4,170m). It was once the most vibrant village in Limi Valey. After crossing a river below Gumma Yok, a climb of about an hour will take you to a beautiful grazing ground at Tulung where the camp will be set up.

O/N: Tent
Day 16
Trek to Shinjungma (3620 m) via Nyalu La (4990m) – Approx 8 hrs

It is going to be a long day. Leave the camp and make a steady climb up to the next valley. After crossing series of meadows, you will come at the foot of the pass where you will see huts of shepherd. You can see Dimochu peak dominating the horizon. Make a climb up to the pass which takes approximately two hours from the base. The pass provides breathtaking views of mountains and the valley below. On a clear day, you can even see Mt Kailash in Tibet. From the pass, head southward along a moraine where you pass by a small lake. Continue your descent and follow the Salie River till your campsite at Shinjuma.

O/N: Tent
Day 17
Trek to Kermi (2670 m) 7 hrs

Today, you will trek to Kermi village. The trail follows the Salie River which meets the Humla Karnali. The trail passes through pine and birch forests. District headquarters Simikot is just a day’s walk from here.

O/N: Tent
Day 18
Trek to Simikot

Last day of your trek. Today, you will trek back to Simikot via Dharapuri village. The walk is easy and mostly downhill. Upon arrival in Simikot, stay in a teahouse. Enjoy the last trekking day of your trip making merry with your support team.

O/N: Teahouse
Day 19
Fly to Nepalgunj, and then to Kathmandu

After breakfast, catch a morning flight to Nepalgunj. You can enjoy Nepal’s amazing topography from the comfort of your aircraft seat. The flight takes around 40 minutes. Upon arrival in Nepalgunj, board a flight to Kathmandu. Back in Kathmandu, check into your hotel. In the evening, we will organize a farewell dinner for you at a typical Nepali restaurant to celebrate the success of your trek.

O/N: Hotel
Day 20
Departure

Your last day in Nepal! Our representative will escort you to the airport for your return flight. You will have sufficient time to reflect on the amazing time that you had during this trip in Nepal. Hope to see you soon.

Trip Map

Need Assistance?

If you want to customize your trips, need any logistics or permits for filming, guidance for climbing and rafting then feel free to contact us directly and start planning your trip to Nepal.

Bhoj Raj Bhat
+977 9851087675
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Bishnu Bhattarai
+977 9851230792
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Limi Valley Trek

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West Himalaya Treks & Expeditions
7 th Floor Shankhamul Tower
Shankhamul Marga
Shankhamul, Kathmandu , Nepal
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+977 1 4782122
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