Do I need a special permit for the Limi Valley Trek?

Yes. Humla is a restricted region, so you need a Humla (Simikot) Restricted Area Permit, which costs US$50 per person for the first seven days and US$10 per person per day after that, plus a local area/village development fee and a TIMS card. By law you must trek through a registered agency with a licensed guide and a minimum of two trekkers — solo permits are not issued. We arrange all of this for you.

How hard is the Limi Valley Trek?

It is a strenuous, remote camping expedition rather than a tea-house walk. You trek for around two weeks at altitude, with long days of six to eight hours and two high passes — the Nara La (4,560 m) and the Nyalu La (4,990 m). You need good fitness and previous multi-day trekking experience, but no technical climbing skills are required.

Is the trek tea house or camping?

It is predominantly a full camping trek. Beyond the first villages there are no tourist lodges, so we carry tents and run a complete camp with a cook, kitchen crew and pack animals. You may use a basic tea house or homestay in a couple of the lower villages, but you should expect to camp for most of the trip.

When is the best time to do the Limi Valley Trek?

May to October. Because Limi lies in the Himalayan rain shadow, like Mustang and Dolpo, it is one of the few areas trekkable right through the summer monsoon, when most of Nepal is rained out. May, late September and October offer the clearest conditions; the high passes are snow-blocked in winter.

How high does the trek go and is altitude a concern?

The highest point is the Nyalu La at 4,990 metres, and you also cross the Nara La at 4,560 metres. The itinerary is paced to allow gradual acclimatisation, and your guide carries an oximeter and emergency oxygen. As with any high-altitude trek, hydration, a steady pace and listening to your guide are essential.

How do I get to the start of the trek?

The trek starts from Simikot, the roadless capital of Humla. You fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj on the Terai plains, then take a short STOL mountain flight from Nepalgunj to Simikot. These mountain flights are weather-dependent, which is why we build buffer days into the itinerary.

Trek

Limi Valley Trek — 20 Days

20 days4,990 mFrom Simikot (fly via Nepalgunj)Best: May–Oct (rain-shadow, monsoon-trekkable)

Duration

20 days

From

$3,800/person

Max Altitude

4,990 m

Difficulty

Strenuous

Starts

Simikot (fly via Nepalgunj)

Group Size

2–10 People

Stay

Tea House / Camp

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Best Season

May–Oct (rain-shadow, monsoon-trekkable)

Trip Highlights

Trek into Humla, Nepal's remote far-northwest corner on the Tibetan border near Mount Kailash

Cross the Nyalu La (4,990 m) and the Nara La (4,560 m) on the ancient Kailash salt-trade route

Visit the three timeless Tibetan-Buddhist villages of Til, Halji and Jang in the Limi Valley

Explore the 1,000-year-old Rinchenling Monastery at Halji, the spiritual heart of the valley

Trek the trans-Himalayan rain shadow — walkable even through the summer monsoon

True remote camping expedition with full crew through near-total isolation

Blue-sheep and snow-leopard country, with juniper, gorges and high desert landscapes

Reach Hilsa on the Karnali, the Nepal-Tibet border crossing toward sacred Mount Kailash

A remote 20-day camping expedition through Humla's hidden Limi Valley — ancient Tibetan villages, the Nyalu La (4,990 m) and the old Kailash salt-trade route.

The Gallery

Scenes from the trail

Day-by-Day Itinerary(20 days)

Altitude Profile

Peak: 4,990 m · Day 16

Arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, transfer to your hotel in Thamel. Evening trek briefing, restricted-area permit paperwork and equipment check with your guide.

1,400 m–––Hotel

The Limi Valley Trek is one of Nepal's last true wilderness journeys — a remote camping expedition deep into Humla, the country's far-northwest corner, where the trail brushes the Tibetan border within sight of the routes to sacred Mount Kailash. This is restricted-area trekking in the fullest sense: you fly to roadless Simikot, then walk for two weeks through a trans-Himalayan rain-shadow landscape of gorges, juniper, barley terraces and high desert that sees only a handful of foreign trekkers each year.

The heart of the trek is the Limi Valley itself, home to three ancient Tibetan-Buddhist villages — Til, Halji and Jang — that have changed little in a thousand years. At Halji you stand before Rinchenling Gompa, a monastery founded over a millennium ago, still the cultural and spiritual centre of the valley. Between the villages the trail follows the old salt-caravan route that once linked Tibet and the lowlands of Nepal, crossing the Nara La (4,560 m) above Hilsa and the formidable Nyalu La (4,990 m), the trek's high point and finest viewpoint.

A trek for the monsoon and beyond

Because Limi sits in the Himalayan rain shadow, like Mustang and Dolpo, it is one of the few regions in Nepal that is trekkable right through the summer monsoon, when the rest of the country is rained out. The prime windows are May, late September and October, but mid-June to August offers clear, dry trekking when few other trails are open.

Genuine remote wilderness

This is full camping support — tents, a dedicated cook and crew, and pack animals carrying every supply, because there are no tea houses for most of the route. You trek through blue-sheep and snow-leopard country in near-total isolation, with high passes, long days and real remoteness. It is demanding and logistically complex, and it rewards you with an authentic Tibetan frontier that almost no one ever sees.

What's Included

Included

Humla (Simikot) Restricted Area Permit, local area/village fee and TIMS card
All domestic flights: Kathmandu–Nepalgunj–Simikot and return
3 nights hotel in Kathmandu (twin share, with breakfast) plus airport transfers
Licensed, experienced English-speaking trekking guide and full camping crew (cook, kitchen staff)
Porters or pack animals to carry all group equipment and supplies
All camping equipment — two-person tents, dining tent, toilet tent, kitchen gear, mattresses
All meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner) during the trek, freshly prepared by the camp cook
Guide and crew wages, insurance, food, accommodation and equipment
Comprehensive first-aid kit with oximeter and emergency oxygen
Kathmandu city sightseeing tour with a guide
All government taxes, service charges and official paperwork

Not Included

International airfare to and from Kathmandu
Nepal entry visa fee
Travel and high-altitude rescue/evacuation insurance (mandatory)
Lunches and dinners in Kathmandu
Personal trekking gear and clothing (sleeping bag and down jacket can be rented)
Drinks, bottled water, hot showers, battery charging and Wi-Fi on trek
Personal expenses — laundry, telephone, souvenirs
Tips for guide, cook and crew (customary)
Emergency helicopter charter or extra hotel nights due to flight delays
Any costs arising from circumstances beyond our control (weather, flight cancellations, political situation)

Best Time to Go

Spring (Mar–May)

Late spring is one of the prime windows. The high passes clear of snow by May and the lower valleys green up, with stable, dry days and few other trekkers.

Low: -10°C High: 16°C Snow lingers on Nyalu La into early May, clearing by mid–late May.

Summer / Monsoon (Jun–Aug)

A key selling point: Limi sits in the rain shadow and stays largely dry and trekkable through the monsoon when most of Nepal is rained out. Trails are quiet and the high desert is at its most colourful.

Low: 2°C High: 20°C Passes are generally snow-free; occasional afternoon cloud.

Autumn (Sep–Oct)

The most popular window. Crisp, clear post-monsoon skies, excellent mountain views and reliable pass crossings make late September and October ideal.

Low: -8°C High: 15°C Passes typically clear; first dustings of snow possible by late October.

Winter (Nov–Feb)

Not recommended. Heavy snow blocks the Nara La and Nyalu La, Simikot flights are frequently grounded, and the remote villages and high camps are extremely cold.

Low: -20°C High: 5°C High passes snow-blocked; trek effectively closed.

Permits Required

Humla (Simikot) Restricted Area Permit

USD 50 (first 7 days) + USD 10/day

Mandatory for the Humla restricted region; requires a licensed guide and a minimum of two trekkers. Solo permits are not issued. We arrange this for you.

Limi / Humla Local Area Fee

NPR ~1,500–3,000

A local village development and conservation fee for the Limi area, collected en route. Included in your trip cost.

TIMS Card (Trekkers' Information Management System)

USD 20

Standard trekkers' registration card; required for the trek and arranged with your other permits.

All permits are arranged and included in your package price. Nothing to organise yourself.