License No: 237321
To trek in Upper Mustang is a rare privilege. One can experience the way of life of true mountain people, who were not much in touch with the rest of Nepal for hundreds of years, and even until recent times had an officially recognized king.
Upper Mustang was opened to non-Nepali trekkers only some fifteen years ago and even today, access is still highly restricted. To enter Upper Mustang i.e, to travel further north from Kagbeni, trekkers need special trekking permit and must be accompanied by a government appointed officer.
Upper Mustang, being in the Himalayan rain shadow, is one of the regions in the country suitable for trekking even during monsoons. During this time, the upper Kali Gandaki valley is still quite dry with only occasional rainfall. The settlements are scattered and there is little sign of cultivation between villages. In upper Mustang, little grows without irrigation, thus the region resembles a desert albeit mountainous, nuclear settlements in fertile areas.
Lo Manthang, the old capital, is reached in four days and at least one extra day should be spent here to catch the sights and sound of this unique walled settlement. Ponies are available for hire if you so desire. For the return trip, we can either follow the same route back or as an alternative route, the eastern bank of the Kali Gandaki may be followed.
The major attractions of Mustang trekking are ancient Tibetan villages, rare medieval Buddhist arts, the exotic culture, traditions, languages, architectures, unique beauty of the vast high valley, colorful stratified rock formation and the himalayan desert with himalayan and cultural experiences.
Half century ago upper Mustang was an independent country until it was united into Nepal. The kingdom of Mustang lies in the rain shadow formed by the Annapurna & Nilgiri Himalayas and thus gets very little rain, which fortunately, makes the area ideal for trekking even in the mid monsoon.
The Trek to this mystery kingdom, which requires a special permit that costs US$ 500 per person for 10 Days and after US$ 50 per day, begins at the airstrip of Jomsom after flying up early from Pokhara. The trek is rather easy as most of the route goes along the bank of Kali Gandaki River and eventually leads you to Lo Manthang, the capital of Mustang at 3800 m, which is the highest point on this trip.
The panoramic views of great Himalayas like Annapurna, Gangapurna, Machhapuchhre, Dhaulagiri and others peaks, Mustang has culturally and historically, picturesque villages, monasteries, unique landscapes with easy access. This is among the very few adventure trips in Nepal, which can be done all over the year.
Arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport. Our Staff member meets you and transfers you to the hotel.
Overnight at Hotel.
Morning wake-up and breakfast in hotel.
Our guide will meet you in your hotel and brief you about the upcoming trekking. He will guide you through all the formalities and necessary paper-works required for the trekking.
After that, we then do a Sightseeing in Kathmandu valley of famous UNESCO world heritage sites like Boudhanath, one of the largest Stupas in the world; Swayambhunath, a famous monkey temple and Pashupatinath, a sacred Hindu temple complex. Apart from Sightseeing, we also get TIMS card and permits for our trekking on this day. In the evening, we do initial preparation for the trekking.
Overnight at Hotel.
It takes seven hours’ drive by bus to Pokhara. The road is completely a busy highway. Pokhara is a natural city of Nepal. Beautiful lakes and laps of Annapurna range can be seen from your hotel. We enjoy the blissful evening around Lakeside area in Pokhara
Stay overnight at a hotel.
Alternative: You can also take a domestic flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara. The duration of the flight is about 30 Minutes. One way flight costs around 125 USD per Person. We can make a reservation for you. Please let us know.
To start our journey, we take our breakfast and head towards Tatopani in a Motorbike. We ride on a paved road until we reach Beni. It takes about three hours for us to reach Beni. After Beni, our non-paved road journey starts. We can enjoy the Kali Gandaki river and many small and large Waterfalls during our ride. Upon arrival at Tatopani, we can enjoy a natural hot spring bath, which has many health benefits.
Overnight at a guest house.
After breakfast, we start our second day of bike ride. We ride on a rough road at the bank of Kali Gandaki river with scenic view of mighty Himalayas like Annapurna, Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri. Kagbeni offers many interesting places to visit, therefore, we take a walking tour in the evening.
Overnight at a local tea house.
Today is quite an exciting day as we reach our ultimate destination of the tour, Lo Manthang. We cross several Mani walls and a big village called Charang. The beautiful panoramic view of the mountains from different angles will always keep us energized and happy. We also see the wall covered village from a distance. Once we arrive our local tea house lodge, we take our day off and rest, in order to acclimatize properly in the new environment.
Overnight at a local tea house.
Today, we explore around Lo Manthang by foot. Namgyal Gumpa, situated on the hilltop of a valley is an important place for the local peoples. Our tour continues to Tingkhar village. Tingkhar village is the last but the most important village of Lo Manthang. If time permits, we visit another attraction of the four stories of King Palace with panoramic Himalayan view surroundings.
Overnight at a local tea house.
Today we ride to the Nepal – Tibet border, Kora La. It is located at a distance of about 20 km from Lomanthang. Beautiful panoramic view of the Himalayas and various landscapes keep us entertained and enthusiastic all the time. We explore the surrounding for a while and head back to Lo Mantang for an overnight stay.
Overnight at a local tea house.
Early morning after breakfast we explore the beautiful Chusang valley. We hike to an old monastery and a salt mine. Thereafter, we then ride back to Jomsome, another beautiful location of the area. We end our day at Jomsome.
Overnight at a Guesthouse.
Today we wake up early morning and head to Jomsome airport for our departure to Pokhara. The flight from Jomsome to Pokhara takes about 25 Minutes. We can enjoy the panoramic view of the Himalayas during our short flight. Upon arrival at Pokhara, transfer to the hotel.
Overnight at Hotel.
After breakfast in hotel, we explore some famous tourist areas in Pokhara like Peace Stupa, Gupteshwor Mahadev, Talbarahi, Davis Fall and mountain Museum. In the evening, free time for leisure and shopping in Pokhara.
Overnight at Hotel.
After breakfast we end our stay at Pokhara and drive back to Kathmandu in a tourist coach. We take our lunch on our way. Upon arrival at Kathmandu, we take some rest time for leisure activities and do final preparation for the departure back home.
Overnight at Hotel.
Alternative: You can also take a domestic flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu. The duration of the flight is about 30 Minutes. One way flight costs around 125 USD per Person. We can make a reservation for you. Please let us know.
Note: After finishing your trek, if you have more time to stay in Nepal and want to do other activities, such as white-water rafting, short tours of National parks, Bungee, mountain biking, hiking, etc., we can customize the itineraries according to your interest. That means, we can design short or long itineraries according to your request. Total cost of the trek depends on trekking trails and the itinerary choices. Please inform us in prior about your plans, so that we can organize them for you.
Important note:
This note represents the most current information for this itinerary and may supersede any information in the current brochure, including but not limited to the itinerary and price. The itinerary should be seen as a guide only. This itinerary may change at any time due to inclement weather, forces of nature and other circumstances beyond our control. We do our best to provide you the best available services but at the same time ask for your understanding to be flexible, in case of unpredictable conditions.
Please do not forget to carry the following items with you:
