Manang Photography Tour

Ancient Annapurnas Photography Adventure from the Streets of Kathmandu to Manang and Lake Tilicho

13 Days in Nepal
Starting November, 2024
Starts and Finishes in Kathmandu
Maximum group size of 8

                     

One of the most adventurous photography tours we’ve ever planned in the Himalayas. Follow the jeep trail deep into the Annapurnas to the ancient village of Manang, photograph some of the highest peaks in the world, and finish with a helicopter landing at Lake Tilicho. Highlights include stunning waterfalls, glacial rivers plus herds of goats and yaks.

We schedule this trip for the early Winter when the air is clear and the mountains are dressed in snow - the best time for photographers.

Manang Itinerary Video

Ancient Annapurnas Photography Trip

Take a peek at this amazing part of the world. Who’s going to be the 8 fortunate travelers heading to Manang and Lake Tilicho in 2024?

Remarkable road trip in the Himalayas with an expert team of photographers and guides.

  • Helicopter flight to Lake Tilicho

  • Jeep trail through the Annapurnas

  • Ancient Gompas and chorten

  • Yak farmers and goat herders

  • Stunning views of Annapurna II, III and IV

  • Capture the peaks of Gangapurna and Tilicho

  • Private jeeps with maximum of 3 passengers each

  • Extra guides to help with bags and camera gear

  • Kathmandu Thamel District

  • Hindu temple and seedy Sadus of Pashupatinath

  • Swayambhu Temple at dawn

  • Tibetan quarter of Kathmandu

  • Kathmandu's best morning market

  • All costs are included in this trip, such as meals, tipping, porters, jeeps, heli charters and permits.

  • Two professional photographic mentors – Trent Lanz & Ewen Bell

Ancient Annapurnas Photography Adventure from the Streets of Kathmandu to Manang and Lake Tilicho


Days 1-2 | Arrival in Kathmandu | 4600’
Our meeting point is Kathmandu, where we get to meet each other and go over final details before heading west into the Annapurna Ranges. Airport transfers are included.

We have a full day together in Kathmandu to talk about photography and share a session on capturing light. We visit a couple of our favorite temples for dawn and dusk, when the light is doing lovely things. If you haven’t been to Nepal before we recommend arriving a day or two early to acclimate to the culture and time zone.

Day 3 | Besisahar | 2493’
Today is a big road trip to get out of Kathmandu Valley. There’s a lovely hotel waiting for us at the other end though – our last chance for a little pampering before hitting the jeep trail. En route we’ll visit one of our favorite truck stops for some local style Nepali cuisine.

Day 4 | Nache | 6562’
This is our first day of slow driving as we climb higher into the mountains. We make plenty of stops for photography however, with some iconic scenes of Lamjung, rice fields and waterfalls. The route takes us from 500m to 2000m in elevation, but very slowly. We also visit a nice family along the way who happen to make some of the best coffee in Nepal!

Day 5 | Chame Bazaar | 8858’
The next section of trail is rich in broadleaf forests, wild rivers and steep mountain terrain. This is where we see some of the most stunning waterfalls in all of Nepal. We have plenty of time to capture them, or to stretch our legs by walking a few sections of the route where the trail isn’t steep. We hope to arrive at our guesthouse before dark and make the most of the solar powered showers.

Days 6-7 | Upper Pisang | 10499’
There are some fascinating villages to photograph along the journey today, and some quirky apple farmers too. Several sections of the route are worth a short walk with the camera, with powerful rivers crossed by suspension bridges. After lunch we drive to the higher elevation of 3200m, and we take the rest of the afternoon nice and slow.

A full day in Pisang offers time to photograph village life, visit the gompa or even head downhill to capture some smaller lakes. Our views of Annapurna II and III from the guesthouse are spectacular.

Days 8-10 | Manang | 12140’
The views just get better and better today. We drive through a high pass into the next section of the Annapurnas where Gangapurna and Tilicho come into view. The drive is full of inspiration with some amazing sections of river and Annapurnas to capture with slow shutters.

After lunch we arrive in Manang itself and get settled into our accommodation. It’s a modest sized town but surrounded by fields, livestock, and mountains. For the next few days our schedule will be to chase the first light at dawn, then breakfast, then a second shoot for late morning and finally lunch. After lunch we rest up, download and get some hot showers.

There are a few nearby villages for those who enjoy a little walking, but for those who want to conserve their energy we have some gorgeous scenes to capture each morning.

Days 11-12 | Kathmandu | 4600’
A big day today. An early start to get going with the helicopters and make the most of our visit to Lake Tilicho. Everyone will get around 30 minutes on the ground by the lake, plus the amazing views of the nearby peaks as you fly in and out. This will be something special.

We gather back in Manang to load the helicopters with our essential luggage and fly direct to Kathmandu. Any excess weight will go back by road with our jeep drivers.

We have a full day in Kathmandu at the end of the trip, which allows for any weather delays for our helicopter flight and gives time for our excess luggage to rejoin us in town. For this extra day we enjoy a photo shoot at the morning market and a visit to Pashupatinath, one of the most sacred of Hindi sites in Nepal.

Day 13 | Departure
Checkout time for the hotel will be 12noon. Regardless of your departing flight time, we will ensure you have a private transfer to the airport.

Please read the PDF brochure for full details on the itinerary, accommodations and inclusions.

Tour Highlights

  • EXPERIENCE

    Let us show you the very best of Nepal as only an expert can. We have made a career in photography, travel and mentoring. Nepal is one of our #happyplaces.

  • PHOTO WALKS

    This is an achievable tour design, with short walks and stunning scenery. We don't do trekking, instead we get you into beautiful places with the best available transport.

  • PHOTO LOVE

    Ewen & I want you to go home with some incredible photos and we’ll do our best to get you to the right places and offer the right advice. We have 15 years experience at this and each year we try to go one better.

  • EXPERIENCES

    Nepal is one of the most rewarding places in the world for photographers. It's a place we truly love and we want to share what makes it special with you.

  • NEPAL TEAM

    One of the reasons this is such a great tour is because we have a great team behind us in Nepal. It takes more than just photographers to make a great photo tour, it takes a travel team who cares about your journey.

  • HIMALAYAS

    This itinerary gets you into the Annapurnas the gentle way, making sure you have time to acclimate to the modest altitudes while enjoying photography of magnificent snow capped peaks.

What Makes this Photo Tour so Unique?

An uncommon advantage of our photography tours, is that you will be accompanied by two professional photographers at all times, ready to help in any way you need. The most unique aspect of this style of travel is the emphasis on taking the travel slowly, to have time in fewer places and have more meaningful experiences in those places. We travel by jeeps into the mountains, free to stop and take photos when something presents itself. This is not a package tour designed for the masses, it’s a photographic journey designed for photographers, by photographers.

Trent Lanz & Ewen Bell

Photography Guides

Hello.
My name is Trent.

First of all, let me start out by saying, I love photography! Especially the moments in time I have captured in some incredible places in this amazing world we live in. Come along with me and my great friend, Ewen Bell (he's also an award winning photographer) to explore Nepal, Bhutan & India. Yep, two photographers at your disposal at any time you need any assistance. Nobody cares more about your experience than we do. For over a decade we've been designing ground-breaking tours and workshops. You want the best... and now you've found it.

Meet Ewen Bell

This is Ewen Bell, the gentle soul who designs these tours so you can come home with great photos and experience a marvelous adventure. His work is published all over the world in travel brochures, the travel media and photography magazines including National Geographic in the USA and Food & Travel in the UK. His depth of experience with leading tours is impressive, with over 50 tours and workshops completed in recent decades across Asia, the Himalayas, Australia, Antarctica and Scandinavia. He is a master in photography and how to teach anyone from a beginner to an expert about photography. Perhaps most importantly, he cares about making sure YOU go home with fantastic photos.

  • "The scenes of mountains and valleys, the villages, the people, the food, the mountain roads and the transport, all tinged with a little daring-do, are unique and honestly too good to be missed. "

    Timothy M. - Nepal 2019

  • "Anyone considering a photo journey to Nepal really need look no further."

    Richard C. - Nepal 2016

  • "This was a trip of a lifetime and I loved every day with the combination of scenery, people and Nepalese customs."

    Marty B. - Nepal 2018

  • "The itinerary took us from the color and chaos of Kathmandu via the genteel charm Bhaktapur and Bandipur to the majestic Annapurna mountains providing us with a variety of people, places and landscapes to get the creative juices flowing."

    Richard C. - Nepal 2016

  • "The results speak for themselves and I can even claim to be smugly proud of more than a few remarkable shots."

    Martin Z. - Nepal 2010

  • "Someone on the trip said that her friend suggested that travelling to Nepal was the journey of a lifetime, and for all of us, I think it was."

    Elizabeth G. - Nepal 2010

Book Your Tour Today!

Ancient Annapurnas Photography Adventure from the Streets of Kathmandu to Manang and Lake Tilicho

13 Days in Nepal
Starting November, 2024
Priced at USD $11,880
Starts and Finishes in Kathmandu
Maximum group size of 8

Only 4 Spots Remain

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Only 4 Spots Remain 〰️

If you have a few questions and want to chat with me, just click the button below and email your questions. When you're ready to book just use the booking button below. Once you've paid the deposit of $2,800 your place on the tour is confirmed. Single room is the default for this trip but there is a discount for couples and friends.

FAQ’s About Manang

  • It's been ten plus years since we first started guiding trips to Nepal. Our favorite season is winter when the air is cool and dry in the mountains, giving clear views of snow-capped mountains.

  • Not much at all. All meals, permits and ground transport are covered already. If you're not buying much in the way of souvenirs then $20 for a sim card and maybe another $50 for drinks should cover the basics. We also provide a more detailed "Pre-Departure Pack" when you book in the tour.

  • No, most of the walking is very very easy. There are a few steep bits that are very short, but we also have the added impact of a little altitude in the mix. So we do everything gentle, and every walk is optional.

  • The terrain in Nepal is always uneven, which means solid walking boots with high ankle support is recommended. We don't do heavy walks on our photography tours, but we do expect to traverse dusty and rocky trails.

  • Very cold. We travel on the edges of winter and the night air can drop to zero degrees. Guesthouses are energy poor and offer no heating, so we supply sleeping bags for additional warmth where necessary. Some people feel the cold more than others, while some people get too warm inside the sleeping bags. Please note that not all our itineraries travel to higher elevations or use trekkers guesthouses.

  • Yes. Everywhere we travel is good for electricity, although the supply can drop out for hours at a time. Charging camera batteries or a laptop each day is never a problem.

  • Yes there are mobile networks at every place we stay on the tour. The networks do vary so roaming connections may vary also. We recommend a local sim-card for cheap internet access as hotel internet is often slow.

  • We supply all travelers with a detailed Pre-Departure Pack when they book for a tour, which includes how to apply for "Visa on Arrival" and a lot of other information such as help with packing. For more general information we recommend you read through the PDF brochures.

  • Masks are a part of daily life in Nepal and will be suggested in many public settings. We ask that all travelers obey all local public health regulations during the trip. Will keep you updated as these requirements have loosened for 2023.