Chame

Chame is a mountain village and the administrative headquarters of Manang District on the Annapurna Circuit.

Located along the Marsyangdi River, it is one of the main stops before the trail climbs toward the higher and drier parts of the Manang Valley.

The village is known for its hot springs, mountain views, and relatively well-developed facilities, making it a useful place to rest and stock up before continuing toward Pisang and Manang.

Where Is Chame Located?

Chame is located at an altitude of 2,610 m (8,890 ft) in Manang District of Nepal. It sits on the Marsyangdi River, on the Annapurna Circuit route between Dharapani to the south and Pisang to the north.

Annapurna II (7,937 m / 26,040 ft) rises to the northwest, and Lamjung Himal (6,983 m / 22,910 ft) is visible from several points in and around the village.

On exceptionally clear days, the distant summit of Manaslu (8,163 m / 26,781 ft) is sometimes visible over the lower ridgelines to the east.

Province	Gandaki Province
District	Manang District
Municipality	Chame Rural Municipality
Region	Manang (Annapurna Circuit)
Elevation	2,610 m (8,890 ft)
Latitude	28.550° N
Longitude	84.241° E

How to Reach Chame?

Most trekkers arrive in Chame from Besisahar, the standard starting point for the Annapurna Circuit.

By Road

Kathmandu to Chame via Besisahar

Route: Kathmandu → Besisahar → Chame

From Kathmandu, Besisahar is about 175 km away and takes around 6 to 7 hours by road. From Besisahar, the remaining 65 km to Chame follows a rough mountain road and takes around 4 to 6 hours by local jeep.

Pokhara to Chame via Besisahar

Route: Pokhara → Besisahar → Chame

From Pokhara, Besisahar is around 106 km and takes approximately 4 hours, followed by another 4 to 6 hours by jeep to Chame.

Roads beyond Besisahar are partly unpaved and prone to landslides during monsoon, so build in buffer time regardless of which city you start from.

On Foot

Most trekkers who want the full Annapurna Circuit experience still walk in from Besisahar or Bhulbhule.

Route: Besisahar → Bhulbhule → Jagat → Tal → Dharapani → Bagarchhap → Timang → Koto → Chame

Distance: Approximately 75 to 80 km.

Time: 3 to 4 days.

The trail follows the Marsyangdi River through forested hills and traditional villages before the valley narrows toward Chame. The final leg specifically, from Dharapani to Chame, covers about 15 to 16 kilometres and takes 6 to 7 hours.

Most of the climbing comes early in the day, through pine and fir forest with stone steps and a few river crossings, before the trail eases toward Koto and into Chame.

Why Is Chame an Important Stop on the Annapurna Circuit?

Chame is an important overnight stop on the Annapurna Circuit because it marks the point where the effects of increasing altitude start to become more noticeable.

Uphill sections feel heavier than they did the day before, appetite can dip slightly by evening, and sleep is sometimes lighter than usual. These are normal responses at this elevation, not warning signs, but they're worth paying attention to.

Being the Manang district headquarters also makes Chame more self-contained than the villages before it. It has a health post, a police post, proper shops, and a wider range of lodges, a genuine resupply and recovery point rather than just an overnight stop.

Trekkers who have rushed the earlier stages, or who arrive dehydrated, tend to feel it here first. Chame is where steady pacing and consistent hydration start to matter more than they did lower down the valley.

Things to Do and See in Chame

• The Chame viewpoint hike

A short, gentle climb (roughly 1 km, about 20 to 30 minutes) on a hill behind the main village, no guide needed, with a direct line of sight to Annapurna II.

• A walk along the Marsyangdi River

The river runs glacier-blue past the village, lined with prayer stones and boulders. A short 1 to 2 km stretch along the bank makes for a quiet way to spend an hour without covering much distance.

• The village gompa

Chame's monastery is small but active, with prayer wheels, older murals, and the smell of butter lamps. A small donation is appreciated if the caretaker is present.

• The natural hot springs

Located about 1 km from the main village, the natural hot springs are a simple bathing spot where trekkers can relax in warm mineral-rich water after a day on the trail. The springs are naturally formed and remain relatively undeveloped, offering a quiet and simple experience.

• The village chorten

A Buddhist gateway monument at the edge of Chame, strung with prayer flags, marking the symbolic entrance and exit of the village.

• Talking with local farmers

Manangi and Gurung families grow potatoes, buckwheat, and apples at this altitude. A friendly visit to the terraced fields behind the village sometimes turns into an invitation for chya, salted butter tea.

Chame Hot Springs

A natural hot spring sits on the bank of the Marsyangdi River, about a kilometre from the main village, roughly a 20-minute walk.

It is a natural pool fed by mineral-rich warm water, surrounded by pine-covered slopes and the cliffs of the Marsyangdi gorge.

The setting is usually peaceful, with mountain views and fewer visitors than the better-known hot springs at Tatopani and Jhinu. There is no infrastructure, changing room, or entrance fee.

Trekkers use it to soak sore legs after a long day on the trail. The warm water is commonly said to ease muscle fatigue and general aches from the climb up from Dharapani.

Unlike the more developed hot springs at Tatopani and Jhinu, the one near Chame remains a simple and quiet stop along the Annapurna Circuit.

Best Time to Visit Chame

Chame can technically be reached year-round, but spring and autumn are the two seasons that offer the most reliable weather and trail conditions.

Spring (March to May)

Spring brings warmer daytime temperatures to the Marsyangdi Valley as winter fades. March can still feel cool, especially in the mornings, but April and May are generally milder, making both the road journey and the walk in from Dharapani more comfortable.

This is also when the rhododendron forests on the lower approach to Chame, particularly between Bagarchhap and Timang, come into bloom, turning the hillsides shades of red and pink.

Mornings tend to offer the clearest views of Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal, with cloud building up later in the day as the season moves toward May.

Spring is one of the two busiest seasons on the Annapurna Circuit, so Chame sees a steady flow of trekkers passing through or stopping for the night. The season also coincides with Holi in March, which adds a festive atmosphere to villages along the route.

Autumn (September to November)

Autumn is generally considered the best season to pass through Chame. The monsoon clears by mid-September, leaving the trail greener and the air noticeably cleaner heading into October.

By October and November, days are typically dry and stable, with some of the clearest mountain views of the year. This is when Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal are most likely to stay visible for days at a stretch, rather than clouding over by afternoon.

This is also peak trekking season, so expect Chame's teahouses to fill up quickly, especially with trekkers heading toward Manang and Thorong La Pass. Dashain and Tihar, Nepal's two biggest festivals, usually fall during this period too, adding a cultural layer to the village for anyone passing through.

Winter (December to February)

Winter is quiet in Chame, with far fewer trekkers on the trail and a noticeably calmer pace at the teahouses. Mornings and nights turn cold, and some lodges reduce services or close for the season entirely.

Snow can occasionally disrupt the jeep road beyond Besisahar during this period, which limits road access and makes trekking in on foot the more reliable option.

Monsoon (June to August)

Monsoon brings the heaviest rainfall of the year to the Marsyangdi Valley. Days are warm and humid, with periods of heavy rain broken up by occasional clear stretches, and cloud cover regularly hides Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal for days at a time.

The valley turns a deep green during these months, and the forest sections around Chame feel genuinely lush.

Temperature in Chame

Chame experiences noticeable temperature changes throughout the year, with warmer days in the lower seasons and much colder nights in winter.

Season	Daytime	Nighttime
Spring (Mar–May)	10°C to 18°C (50°F to 64°F)	-2°C to 5°C (28°F to 41°F)
Autumn (Sep–Nov)	10°C to 17°C (50°F to 63°F)	-2°C to 5°C (28°F to 41°F)
Winter (Dec–Feb)	-2°C to 8°C (28°F to 46°F)	-10°C to -15°C (14°F to 5°F)
Monsoon (Jun–Aug)	15°C to 22°C (59°F to 72°F)	8°C to 12°C (46°F to 54°F)

Popular Treks and Routes Passing Through Chame

• Annapurna Circuit Trek: The classic 14-day route around the Annapurna massif, passing through Chame on the way to Manang and Thorong La Pass.
• Annapurna Circuit Trek with Tilicho Lake: A longer variant that follows the same route through Chame before detouring to Tilicho Lake, the world's highest lake, beyond Manang.

Where to Stay in Chame?

Chame has more variety in accommodation than most villages before it on the circuit, a direct benefit of being the district headquarters.

Most stays are in family-run teahouses and lodges, with twin-share rooms, simple bedding, and shared or attached bathrooms depending on the property.

Some lodges offer better insulation and more comfortable rooms than the smaller villages lower down the trail.

Wi-Fi and device charging are available in most lodges, usually for an extra fee, though speed and reliability vary and can drop out entirely during bad weather.

During peak season, the more comfortable rooms fill up first, so arriving with time in hand, or booking ahead through a trekking operator, is worth doing.

What Permits Are Required for Chame?

One permit is required for the standard route through Chame on the Annapurna Circuit.

Permit	Cost
Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP)	NPR 3,000

Culture and Lifestyle in Chame

Chame sits within Manang District, home to the Manangi people (also called Nyishangba or Nyeshang), a community with a genuinely distinctive history among Nepal's mountain populations.

For centuries, Manangi traders ran caravans across the Himalayas, moving salt, wool, and grain between Tibet and the Indian plains. In the early 1960s, King Mahendra granted Manangi traders duty-free import and export privileges, and many went on to build trading businesses as far afield as Southeast Asia.

That trading identity still shapes the district's reputation today, even though the special customs exemption ended once Manang opened to tourism in the late 1970s.

Alongside the Manangi, Gurung families also live in and around Chame. Tibetan Buddhist tradition runs through daily life here, visible in the chortens, prayer wheels, and small monasteries scattered along the village.

Farming still matters too. Potatoes, buckwheat, and apples are grown on terraced fields at an altitude where few crops survive, a mark of how adapted local life is to this environment.

Flora and Fauna Around Chame

The forest around Chame is still substantial, pine and fir mixed with rhododendron on the lower approach from Dharapani.

This is one of the last real forest sections before the Annapurna Circuit turns drier and more alpine heading toward Pisang and Manang. Above the village, tree cover thins quickly into scrub and open hillside.

Wildlife in the area includes musk deer and Himalayan tahr on the surrounding slopes, along with blue sheep at higher elevations further up the valley.

Birdlife is rich in this mid-altitude zone. Along the river and in the forests you may see white-capped water redstarts, laughingthrushes, treepies, and Nepal’s only endemic bird, the Spiny Babbler.

In the open sky and on the cliffs above, griffon vultures, eagles, and lammergeiers often circle, while pheasants such as the Himalayan monal and kalij can appear at the forest edge.

What Should You Pack for Chame?

• Layered clothing: A base layer, an insulating fleece or down mid-layer, and a windproof outer shell. Temperatures shift quickly between the forested approach and the cooler air around the village itself.
• Sturdy, broken-in hiking boots: The trail includes stone steps, forest paths, and river crossings, so ankle support and grip matter.
• Warm hat and gloves: Nights get cold even outside of winter, and mornings in the shadowed gorge can be sharp.
• Headlamp with spare batteries: Useful for early starts and evenings without reliable lodge lighting.
• Trekking poles: Help with the steady climbs and descents on the approach from Dharapani.
• Cash in Nepali rupees: There's no ATM in Chame, so carry enough from Besisahar or Kathmandu for the rest of the trek.
• Basic first-aid kit: Including any altitude medication prescribed in advance by a doctor.

Is Chame Worth Visiting?

Yes, Chame is worth visiting, particularly for anyone trekking the Annapurna Circuit, since there is no way around passing through it. But Chame is more than a logistical stop.

The mountains become much more prominent here, with Annapurna II rising behind the village and the hot springs offering a relaxing stop after a long day on the trail.

It won't offer the same experience as Thorong La Pass or the wide-open views of Manang, and it isn't trying to. What Chame offers is stability: a well-equipped village to rest, hydrate, and let your body adjust before the trail becomes more demanding.

Trekkers who take time to rest in Chame, rather than rushing through it, may find the higher sections that follow more manageable.

FAQs

What is the altitude of Chame?

Chame sits at 2,610 metres (8,890 feet) above sea level.

How far is Chame from Dharapani?

Chame is approximately 15 to 16 kilometres from Dharapani, following the Marsyangdi River valley through Bagarchhap and Timang.

How long does it take to trek from Dharapani to Chame?

Most trekkers take 6 to 7 hours to walk from Dharapani to Chame, with the main climbing effort coming in the first half of the day.

Can you reach Chame by road?

Yes. A jeep road connects Besisahar to Chame, covering roughly 65 kilometres in 4 to 6 hours depending on conditions. The road is rough and partly unpaved, and can close during monsoon due to landslides.