Far Westलिमी उपत्यका
A remote, high valley in northern Humla on the Tibetan border, with three Tibetan Buddhist villages and an 11th-century monastery.
Higher seasonal exposure: other (Jun-Sep), altitude (All year), snow (Nov-Apr), cold (Nov-Mar), road blockages (Jun-Sep).
The Limi valley forms the northernmost part of Humla district in north-western Nepal, a high, dry valley on the border with the Purang area of Tibet. It is drained by the Limi river, a tributary of the Humla Karnali, and has just three permanent villages: Til, Halji and Dzang, lying between about 3,700 and 4,100 m. Fewer than a thousand people live here, farming barley and herding yak, sheep and goats.
Limi is one of the remotest trekking areas in Nepal and is visited by only a small number of trekkers each year. A loop from Simikot, the district headquarters, typically follows the Humla Karnali river upstream to Hilsa on the Tibetan border, climbs east into the valley near Til, continues through Halji and Dzang, and returns over the Nyalu La, a pass of about 4,995 m, and the Talung valley. The loop usually takes around two weeks on foot.
The landscape is stark and spacious: bare mountainsides, high grazing grounds, small lakes and glaciers on the slopes of the Gurla Mandhata massif. Wildlife reported here includes snow leopard, Himalayan wolf, Tibetan gazelle, kiang (Tibetan wild ass), argali, blue sheep and, since 2014, wild yak, once thought lost from Nepal. From the Lapcha La on the border, clear days show Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash in Tibet.
The people of Limi follow the Drikung Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, and each village has its own small gompa. The Rinchenling monastery at Halji is believed to have been founded by the 11th-century translator and scholar Rinchen Zangpo; architectural and textual evidence places its oldest parts in that century, and it is often compared with Tabo monastery in Spiti, India. The valley's culture, dress and economy have always been closely linked with neighbouring Tibet, and trade across the border remains important.
Limi has been affected by climate change: since 2004 glacial lake outburst floods have damaged parts of Halji village and come close to the monastery. A rough road now connects the eastern end of the valley near Dzang with Taklakot (Purang) in Tibet.
Limi valley loop
Simikot to Hilsa, through Til, Halji and Dzang, and back over the Nyalu La, usually about 12-16 days.
Halji monastery
Visit the old Rinchenling gompa; ask permission before entering and photographing.
Lapcha La viewpoint
A side trip to the border pass for distant views of Kailash and Manasarovar on clear days; check current access with your guide.
Forecast for 3,700 m. Conditions change fast in the mountains.
Weather data: MET Norway, licensed CC BY 4.0. A forecast, not a guarantee.
May-Jun, Sep-Oct
There are very few lodges; treks are usually fully supported camping trips, with occasional homestays in the villages.
No partner stays are listed here yet. List a property.
Fly from Nepalgunj to Simikot and walk from there. A road via the Karnali corridor is being built but is rough and incomplete.
Nearest hub: Simikot
Nearest hub: Simikot. Times are typical ranges, not schedules, and vary with roadworks, weather and the season.
By airfrom Nepalgunjabout 0.6-0.9 hSimikotoften delayed or cancelled by weather
Small aircraft serve Simikot at about 2,818 m from Nepalgunj and Birendranagar (Surkhet). It is the main gateway on the Nepal side for Kailash and Manasarovar travel precisely because road access in Humla is weak, and the leg is weather-dependent.
When to set off: Morning flights only; fly Kathmandu to Nepalgunj first and allow spare days at both ends.
By car or jeepfrom Simikot
Sections of road along the Humla Karnali and towards Hilsa are usable in parts of the year, but the Karnali Highway corridor to Hilsa is largely unpaved and incomplete; no sourced hour band was found.
Road: Incomplete, largely unpaved Karnali corridor road; 4WD only, and the usable season changes from year to year.
On footfrom SimikotAbout 4-5 days from Simikot over the Nyalu La (about 4,995 m) by the Salli Khola and Talung valleys, or 5-7 days round by the Humla Karnali and Hilsa.
Limi is walking country: both approaches from Simikot take several days and the shorter one crosses a pass of nearly 5,000 m.
Restricted-area permit
Northern Humla, including Simikot's surroundings and the Limi valley, is a restricted area. A restricted area permit is issued only through a registered trekking agency in Nepal, and a licensed guide must accompany you.
Verify before travel: permit rules and fees change. Checked 2026-10-06 against Department of Immigration, Nepal: restricted areas.
What this place is typically exposed to, and when. These are seasonal patterns, not a report on conditions now.
Otherhigh in a typical yearJun-Sep
The access is the problem, not the rain: Simikot is reached only by small aircraft from Nepalgunj or Surkhet because road access in Humla is weak, and monsoon cloud over the lowlands regularly stops these flights.
Altitudehigh in a typical yearAll year
Halji is about 3,700 m, Dzang about 3,920 m, Til about 4,100 m and the Nyalu La about 4,995 m. Altitude sickness becomes common above roughly 2,500 m. General information, not medical advice: gain height slowly (a common guideline is no more than about 300 m a day in sleeping altitude once high), learn the symptoms, descend if they get worse, see a doctor before travelling, and carry insurance that covers helicopter evacuation.
Snowhigh in a typical yearNov-Apr
The Nyalu La at about 4,995 m is the key crossing into the valley and holds snow from late autumn into spring; in deep winter the passes are not normally crossed.
Coldhigh in a typical yearNov-Mar
Winter in Limi is severe at these altitudes and many villagers move to lower ground, so shelter and supplies thin out from November to March.
Road blockageshigh in a typical yearJun-Sep
A road is being pushed along the Humla Karnali corridor towards Hilsa but it is rough and incomplete, and its usable season changes from year to year.
Landslideslow in a typical yearJun-Sep
Limi lies behind the main range in a rain shadow and is relatively dry in the monsoon, so local landslide exposure is low.
Check current conditions before you travel
Roads, trails, passes and flights change with the weather and with roadworks, and nothing on this page describes conditions today. Before you set off, check the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology for weather and flood warnings, the Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Portal for incidents, and the local authority, police or your licensed operator for road, trail and flight status.
A network of high and mid-hill routes about 1,700 km long that crosses Nepal from Kanchenjunga in the east to Humla and the far west, usually walked in sections, or as a through-trek of about four to five months.
Fly from Nepalgunj to Simikot, then trek about 5-7 days via Hilsa, or 4-5 days over the Nyalu La.
Yes. It is a restricted area, so you need a permit through a registered trekking agency and a licensed guide.
May to June and September to October. Winter snow closes the passes.
On clear days, Kailash and Lake Manasarovar are visible from the Lapcha La on the Tibetan border.
Lake · 2,990 m
Nepal's largest lake, a deep blue sheet of water ringed by pine forest in the remote Karnali hills.
National park or conservation area · 3,000 m
A high, rolling plateau of grassland and forest in Nepal's far west, known for its wildflower meadows and the hermitage of Khaptad Baba.
Valley or region
A remote trans-Himalayan region of Bon and Buddhist villages, high passes and turquoise Phoksundo Lake, behind the Dhaulagiri and Kanjiroba ranges.