License No: 237321
Trekking to Upper Mustang is a rare privilege. Here you will experience a way of life of true mountain people, who for hundreds of years, had very little contact with the rest of Nepal and retained their rich cultural heritage. Until recent times their king was officially recognized by the Government of Nepal.
In many ways, a trek into Upper Mustang is similar to trekking in Tibet, as geographically it is a part of the Tibetan plateau. The district of Mustang was, until 1950, a separate kingdom within the boundaries of Nepal. The last king, the Raja of Mustang, still has his home in the ancient capital known as Lo Manthang. Mustang’s last official king Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista’s palace in Lo Manthan, Upper Mustang.
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, that is to travel further north of Kagbeni, trekkers need a special trekking permit and must be accompanied by a government appointed official.
Upper Mustang, being in the Himalayan rain shadow, is one of the regions in the country suitable for trekking even during the monsoons. During this time, the upper Kali Gandaki valley is still quite dry with only occasional rainfall. The Mustang trek is not particularly difficult, the highest point reached being only 3,800 meters, but the conditions at times can be arduous. Mustang is cold in winter and is always windy and dusty through the year. Winter treks are best avoided due to harsh weather.
There are few accommodation facilities available above Kagbeni, so groups must be fully self-sufficient, especially in fuel. While porters are available in Jomsom it is preferable to use mules to carry the loads up to Mustang. These pack animals are available locally and are more economical, and certainly more environmentally friendly than porters. A trekker to Mustang gestures his experience amidst the backdrop of Himalayan peaks.
Lo Manthang, the old capital, is reached in four days and at least one extra day should be spent here to soak in the sights and sounds of this unique walled settlement. Ponies are available for hire if you so desire. The return trip can either follow the same route as the one you took to enter or take an alternative route along the eastern bank of the Kali Gandaki.
This region is isolated and back warded area in terms of development and a lost place surrounded by the mountains, 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.
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 upper Mustang 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.
To start our trekking, we wake up early in the morning, take our breakfast in hotel and drive to Pokhara in a tourist coach. We take our lunch for the day on the way at Palpa Resort. Upon arrival at Pokhara transfer to the hotel. In the evening, we do some leisure activities around Phewa Lake and do final preparation for the trekking. Overnight at 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.
Today’s trek will be relatively easier. The trail gently goes up by crossing the interesting passes, steel bridge at Tangmar River, grey and red cliffs and Mani walls. Now, we will have to walk downhill to reach the Tsarang village by crossing the pass at 3600 m. Tsarang houses five huge stories of Dzong and Red Gompa and collection of Statues and Thankas as well. Overnight at teahouse lodge.
We will spend the part of the morning exploring the interesting village of Tsarang and its large monastery, before setting out for Lo Manthang. To reach Lo-Manthang, first we will have to climb gently above the valley to a large isolated Chorten that marks the boundary between Tsarang and Lo-Manthang. The highland route offers dramatic views of Lo Manthang and the Tsarang Valley amidst the snow-clad peaks in the background. Overnight at teahouse lodge.
Today we spend our entire day resting for acclimatizing at this altitude, contemplating and planning for upcoming trips and getting habituated to the trekking destinations. Optionally, we can hike around Lo-Manthang. Overnight at teahouse lodge.
This day will be very interesting, as we will explore the surrounding areas of Lo- Manthang village. Firstly, we visit Namgyal Gompa. Namgyal Gompa, situated on a hilltop, serves as an important monastery for the local community and also as a local court. After visiting Namgyal Gompa, we will continue the tour to Tingkhar, the last main village to the northwest of Lo-Mangthang. We may also visit the Tall Champa Lakhang – “God House”, the red Thugchen Gompa, Chyodi Gompa and the Entrance Hall which are some other major attractions of this small town. To enhance the architectural beauty of the place, there is a magnificent four – storey King’s palace as well. Overnight at teahouse lodge.
Today we will descend from Lo Manthang and make headway to the village of Ghami as a last destination for the day. It is a lovely village with lots of barley farmland and white washed houses. Overnight at teahouse lodge.
Leaving Ghami, we follow a narrow winding path crossing a small stream until you reach Samar via Geling. On the route, we enjoy beautiful view of Nilgiri mountain, deserted landscapes, Tibetan style villages, their life style, terraced farming and natural vegetation. We end our day in a small village named Samar. Overnight at teahouse lodge.
From Samar to Kagbeni, we walk about seven hours. We first follow a descending path and then cross a suspension bridge over Kali-Gandaki River to reach Chhuksang. Continuing the trek, we walk along the bank of the Kali-Gandaki River with amidst natural vegetation and apple orchards. Overnight at teahouse lodge.
Today we will trek to Jomsom, which generally takes about three hours. The trail first passes through the bank of the Kali-Gandaki River and then through Eklebhatti. The trail is windy in the early afternoons. From there, we head towards Jomsome – headquarters of Mustang, where we can have access the Internet and banking facilities. Overnight at hotel.
We wake up early in the morning and visit to Tal Barahi Temple in Phewa Lake. We will then return to our hotel and have our breakfast. After that we will do the Sightseeing of Bindyabasini Temple, Mahendra Cave, Bard Cave, K. I Singh Bridge (Seti gorge), British Gorkha Museum. After our lunch, we will continue our sightseeing of International Mountain Museum, Davis falls and Gupteswor Mahadev Cave. Overnight at Hotel.
After breakfast we end our beautiful trek and drive back to Kathmandu in a tourist coach. We arrive at
Kathmandu in the evening, where we have some time for leisure.
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 flght reservation for
you. Please let us know.
After breakfast a staff member will pick you up from the hotel and transfers you to the airport for the final departure. We wish you a pleasant and safe flight back home and hope to see you soon again.
What’s Included:
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