Overview

Upper Mustang trek makes you a guest of the pristine unexploited Tibetan culture. The hiking route will take you through the beautiful breathtaking villages of the valley with stunning mountainous views of the entire Annapurana Region as well as explore the the unique lifestyle of the locals.

Upper Mustang homes the Kingdom of ‘Lo’ which is a secluded area of Nepal situated in Mustang district of Gandaki province. You witness the Nepalese community living under the rich influence of Tibetan culture and tradition untouched by modernization. You would be exploring a preserved region that is utterly beautiful.

Many of the national or international trekkers aim for Upper Mustang to the centuries-old customs and rituals and cultural practices and also the caves found on the mountain which has been discovered recently.

Upper Mustang was once regarded as a separate kingdom- the Buddhist Kingdom of Nepal. The highest elevation of this trek is 3800 meters.

What to Expect

The topography is quite dry and barren as this place witnesses very little rainfall. Nevertheless, it’s exotic and homes many inscrutable caves. There are many tales related to this cave. The trekking trail will take you through the picturesque scenery of sparking mountains and barren hills.

Other prime attractions of this challenging trek are the monasteries, the Muktinath temple, gompas, mysterious caves, Lo Manthang, Tibet swayed art and architecture and much more.

Due to the spreading grandeur and magnificence of this place, the number of trekkers to this region is hiking up year after year. This will definitely be a life-time experience that will touch your soul.

Where is Upper Mustang ?

Upper Mustang is located north-west of Nepal and is a part of Annapurna National Park. The landscapes of this area are breathtaking and quite different from the vistas of other trekking routes. Also, the culture is quite unique as the region was isolated from rest of Nepal for decades.

There exist 3 routes that will guide you to Upper Mustang. The region is remote completely prohibited until 1992. Till this day, visitors need to have a special permit to pass in to Upper Mustang.

Reaching there

Just like many treks of the Annapurna region, the gateway to Upper Mustang Trek is Pokhara. You can either take a flight to Pokhara or drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara.

Since, Upper Mustang is quite a tourist hub for both domestic and international travelers, the trekking routes and the path to Upper Mustang are quite developed compared to other remote treks of Nepal.

From Pokhara, you will fly to Jomsom (regional airport of Mustang). After this, you trek to reach Mustang.

Difficulty

Upper Mustang doesn’t require any technical climbing skills. As the altitude of this trek is not as high as some other treks in Nepal, this trek can be easily pursued by anyone.

This trek is of a moderate level but choosing the wrong season, inadequate trekking gears, zero trek preparations can escalate things quickly.

The zigzagged and uneven terrains of Upper Mustang Trek are scorched. The path is sandy and the dust can cause problems during windy days up surging the difficulty of the trek.

This trek barely goes above 4000 meters altitude. Altitude sickness might affect as we gain elevation. You can get indulged in some minor exercise beforehand such as walking for 6-7 hours to keep you in form.

Also, have yourself examined by a local doctor before going through this trek.

Best Season

One of the positive thing about Upper Mustang Trek is that it can be undertaken almost any time of the year. As this place witnesses extremely little rainfall, you can go through this trek during Summer/ Monsoon as well.

We highly recommend you to go through the following before deciding as you will need to pack accordingly.

Summer:

One of the most favorable seasons for the Upper mustang trek. Upper Mustang experiences low rainfall and even those rainfalls are generally during the daytime as a result the trails are safe and risk-free.

The views are clear, the fields extra green and impressive. Attractive green arenas, apple orchards, and fauna.

Spring:

Another peak time for undertaking this trek provides breathtaking views of the hills and landscape. The trail will seem gorgeous as a result of the erupting Bright green valley.

Safe and risk-free time of year.

Autumn:

Safe trails making this season one of the favorite seasons for the trek. Mind-blowing vistas and clear sky making the landscapes breathtaking with vivid mountain views and the bluest sky. Windy afternoons might create a wee bit of a problem during the trek.

Winter:

This season can witness extreme weather even below -5 degree Celsius on cold windy days. You can undergo this trek during this season as well, but do pack accordingly.

Amazing views and vistas.
Chances of snowfall but it seldom interrupts the trek.
Safe trails, but some of the lodges and teahouses might be closed on the cold and windy winter days.

Note - We recommend the month of May for the Upper Mustang trek as the Tiji festival is celebrated heavily during this month in Upper Mustang.

Outline Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu

Day 02: Drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara: 6/7 hours

Day 03: Fly to Jomsom and trek to Kagbeni (2847 meters) from Jomsom: 3-4 hours trek

Day 04: Trek from Kagbeni to Chele (3050 meters):5-6 hours

Day 05: From Chele to Syanbochen: 6-7 hours

Day 06: From Syanbochen to Ghami: 5-6 hours

Day 07: From Ghami to Tsarang: 5-6 hours

Day 08: Tsarang to Lo-Manthang: 3-4 hours

Day 09: Acclimatization day: Explore Lo Manthang

Day 10: Trek from Lo-Manthang to Drakmar: 6-7 hours

Day 11: Drakmar to Ghiling (3570 meters): 5-6 hours

Day 12: Ghiling to Chhuksang (2950 meters): 5-6 hours

Day 13: Chhuksang to Jomsom (2750 meters): 6-7 hours

Day 14: Fly to Pokhara from Jomsom

Day 15: Drive to Kathmandu

Day 16: Final Departure

Itinerary

Arrival: Kathmandu > Departure: Kathmandu

Arrival in Kathmandu (1350 m)

You will be welcomed by one of the representative of Greater Himalaya. You will then be escorted to your hotel room booked by us. According to your timing of arrival, you may explore the nearby location of interest. You will be served supper during the night facilitated by us.

Accommodation: 3 Star Hotel in Kathmandu
Airport Pick Up in a Private Vehicle

Drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara (5-6 Hrs)

We start the day with early breakfast and then leave for Pokhara - the city of Lake's and also the second biggest city in the country. Following approximately 6 hours’ drive, we would reach Pokhara driving along the Prithvi highway, which welcomes us with the grand views of some of the famous world tops like-

Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters)
Manaslu (8,156 meters)
Machhapuchhre (6,993 meters)

We will enjoy this beautiful city rich with natural possessions. We will enjoy boating at Lake Fewa, a late-night stroll around the city's intriguing boulevards. You will be served lunch and dinner in the hotel. We would be staying overnight in Pokhara.

Accommodation: 3 Star Hotel in Pokhara
Transportation: Tourist Bus

Fly to Jomsom and Trek to Kagbeni from Jomsom (3-4 Hrs)

On the day of our 16 days long trekking journey, we will fly to Jomsom located at 2713 meters. Jomsom is popular for its attractive landscapes, breezes, and apples.

We will have lunch there and continue our journey towards Kagbeni located at the height of 2810 meters. This will take us around anywhere from 3 to 4 hours.

We will trek to our destination of this day i.e. Kagbeni encountering the cold breezes, Kali Gandaki river, and Ekley Bhatti Village amongst many others. Kagbeni is a sandwich between 2 river streams. We would be spending the night in this beautiful location.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge

Trek from Kagbeni to Chele (5-6 Hrs)

After early morning breakfast, we will have our grants checked and start with the trekking for this day close to the Kali Gandaki River. Walking alongside the Tangbe Village, limited back streets, white-painted houses, apple fields, we pass towns and rivers to arrive at Chele village (3050 meters).

On the fourth day of the trek, we will trek for 5 to 6 hours to arrive at Chele which is our destination for this day.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge

From Chele to Syanbochen (6-7 Hrs)

This day is quite a challenge as trekkers have to trek for 6 to 7 hours this day. We will cross 2 passes i.e. Taklam La Pass at 3624 meters and Dajori La Pass at 3735 meters.

Our trek will be graced by implausible Tilicho Yaskawa Kang and Damodar Danda. We continue with our trek and reach Syanbochen at an altitude of 3475 meters.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge

From Syanbochen to Ghami (5-6 Hrs)

Ghami is one of the greatest towns in the Lo area. We trek to Ghami at 3520 meters from Syanbochen. On the sixth day of the trek, we climb to reach Yamada La go (3850 meters).

We will further ascend to Nyi Pass (4010 meters) trekking through woods and grain fields. After this, we trek down to arrive at Ghami after 5 to 6 hours. We will be staying overnight in Ghami.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge

From Ghami to Tsarang (5-6 Hrs)

Seventh-day of our Upper Mustang Trek, we will trek descending and ascending so as to arrive at Tsarang. We will cross Tsarang La Pass positioned at 3870 meters and arrive at Tsarang town after trekking for 6 hours.

We will stay the night in Tsarang.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge

Tsarang to Lo-Manthang (3-4 Hrs)

We begin our trek crossing a waterway. Our trek gets a bit challenging when we are on the verge of Lo La pass at 3950 meters. From this highest point of the pass, we relish the remarkable Lo Manthang town.

We then descend, enjoying the mountain panoramas like Nilgiri, Annapurna I. We also witness Damodar lake. We will stay the night in Lo- Manthang.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge

Acclimatization day: Explore Lo Manthang

We will explore Lo-Manthang while we also acclimatize according to the surrounding climate. We will observe the Mustang Palance soaring over the village. We will explore traditional monasteries and gompas.

Three remarkable gompas we will explore on our acclimatization day are – Jhampa gompa, Thupchen gompa, and chhoeda gompa. North-west of Lo- Mangthang, lays Tingkhar which is a beautiful town. We can trek here as well. We will be resting the night in Lo Manthang.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge

Trek from Lo-Manthang to Drakmar (6-7 Hrs)

While trekking to Drakmar, our trail goes through Gyakar town. We will witness a very old gompa with brilliant shake canvases. After discovering this gompa, we continue with our trek and reach Drakmar at an altitude of 3810 meters.

After a long day of trekking for 6 to 7 hours, we will spend the night in Drakmar.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge

Drakmar to Ghiling (5-6 Hrs)

Following the dry trail and standing the breezes we arrive at Ghiling located at an altitude of 3806 meters. We commence trekking on a time as felicitous as possible so as to avoid the strong winds. For the hardships faced during this day while trekking through a dry route, we will be rewarded by the views of the Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri mountains. We will spend the night in Ghiling.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge

Ghiling to Chhuksang (5-6 Hrs)

Today we will trek over ridges looking at hills to arrive at Tetang. Relishing the exceptional views of the Himalayas, we will return to Chhuksang (2950 meters). We will be staying overnight here.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge

Chhuksang to Jomsom (6-7 Hrs)

Trekking for some time will bring us towards Annapurna Circuit trails. We leave Mustang trails here. On our way, we will pass Jharkot village and visit some landmarks en route like the monastery, Tibetan Herbal Medicine Center, etc.

We will also cross Kali Gandaki Valley and Kagbeni. We will have lunch at Kagbeni and then continue the trek to Jomsom. We will be trekking for 7 hours.

Accommodation: Trekking Lodge

Fly to Pokhara from Jomsom

Taking an early flight, we arrive back in Pokhara. We will be staying the night in Pokhara.

Accommodation: 3 Star Hotel in Pokhara

Drive to Kathmandu

We bid farewell to Pokhara and head towards Kathmandu. We will drive towards Kathmandu enjoying the terraced slopes and the beauty of Nepal. We celebrate our successful trek and have supper/dinner at night. We will stay the night in Kathmandu.

Accommodation: 3 Star Hotel in Kathmandu

Final flight/ Departure

After breakfast, we will drop you to Tribhuvan International Airport or their respective departing locations (which is previously decided).

Meals: Breakfast
Airport Drop Off in a Private Vehicle

Accommodation

As the trek route is quite popular and devleoped, there are several lodges available much of whom are run by family and the main meal they serve is the traditional Dal-Bhat set.

During your stay in Kathmandu and Pokhara, you will be accommodated in a 3 Star Hotel with commendable amenities.

Jomsom is also a tourist-friendly place and the accommodations are pretty well maanged. You can also pick from Nepali and International menu for cuisines.

FAQ'S

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Best Season For Uppermustang