Upper Mustang Trek

Welcome to Nepal. Coming out of Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, you will see our representative waiting for you outside the arrival lounge carrying your nameplate. After according you warm welcome, our representative will transfer you to your hotel. Relax in the hotel to unwind after your long flight. In the evening, meet your guide and attend trek briefing.

Today, we will take you on a tour of Kathmandu as our staff prepare your permits for the trek. We will begin with a drive to Swoyambhunath Temple -- a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of the important Buddhist monuments in Nepal. The main attraction is the stupa -- a whitewashed topped by a golden pinnacle. Then we move on to Kathmandu Durbar Square. This amazing complex used to be the palace of the rulers of the ancient Kathmandu country. Here, you will get opportunity to catch sight of Kumari -- the living goddess. After that, we will visit Pashupatinath Temple -- an important Hindu shrine in Nepal -- believed to have been built in 5th century. Then we will return to hotel.

Today, we will enjoy a scenic drive to Pokhara. Located some 200 km west of Kathmandu, the city of Pokhara is connected to Kathmandu by a well-maintained highway. Leaving Kathmandu, we drive through beautiful settlements, bustling market areas, forested areas and terraced fields. The drive offers you an insight into the beautiful Nepali countryside which you will be explore over the next fortnight or so. The journey takes around seven hours and lunch will be served on the way. After checking into your hotel, you can step into the tourist district of Lakeside. There are plenty of restaurants and pubs on the banks of the Fewa Lake.

We will take a morning flight to Jomsom as flights are affected by strong winds as the day progresses. They flight is short bus spectacular as it flies above the deepest gorge in the world offering you beautiful mountains in Annapurna and Dhaulagiri range. The Himalayan town of Jomsom is an attraction in itself. The landscape is arid with low vegetation but the stone-pave narrow alleys provides tourists with a new experience. After meeting our support staff and arranging our loads, we hit the trekking trail. We walk along the Kali Gandaki River toward Kagbeni. The trail is inclined as lower areas get heavy windes. You can see mountains smiling all around you on the first day of the trek itself! Kagbeni is a small marketplace situated near the confluence of two rivers.

We resume walk after having breakfast at our lodge. The walk is pleasing and quieter as we detach from the main Annapurna Circuit trail from Kagbeni. The trail is a bit uphill but rewards us with fascinating views. We pass through the settlements of Tangbe and Chhusang. After crossing a river, we make an uphill climb to Chele village. Before Chele, we can see a beautiful apple garden. View from Chele is simply mesmerizing.

The trail to Geling is uphill initially. We first climb to a pass and descend to Samar. From the trail, we can see Annapurna and Nilgiri mountains toward our south. From Samar, it’s another uphill climb to a ridge. The trail drops to Syangbochen before making the final climb and a gentle descent to Geling. We find comfort in a lodge in Geling where we take rest after a long day.

The walk will be relatively shorter today. We walk along the dry and arid landscapes of Upper Mustang region as we approach our destination Lo Manthang. Amazing scenery greets us as we approach Dhakmar.

Today, we will reach Tsarang via Mui La Pass. The walk till is difficult as it is mostly uphill. But view from the top is rewarding as we get to see amazing sceneries all around. After spending some time at the pass, we make a gradual descent toward Tsarang. A visit to Tsarang is like traveling back into time as locals here seemed untouched by modernization. Take time to observe timeless culture, tradition and lifestyle of the local people.

Today, we will reach to our ultimate destination. The initial leg of today’s trek is steep uphill. After a tiring uphill walk, we reach to a ridge which offers breathtaking view of the walled city of Lo Manthang. Lo Manthang is the biggest village in the area and the capital of Upper Mustang. The culture here resembles to that of Tibet. Though ancient culture in Tibet is destroyed, it is still preserved in Lo Manthang. The life and culture seem to be untouched by modernization.

We take an extra day here for excursion of this beautiful walled city. Immerse in the natural, cultural and spiritual beauty of this place. Visit local monastery where the famous Tiji festival is organized. Also, we will visit the palace of the rulers of Lo Manthang. Upper Mustang used to be a separate principality before it was unified into modern Nepal.

Today, we begin our return leg of the trek. We use more the less the same trail to return to Dhakmar. The trail is a mixture of uphill and downhill on dry and arid landscape of Upper Mustang.

We gradually leave Upper Mustang region behind us. We pass through the village of Ghami and down to Syangbochen where we will spend the night. As Lo Mustang now has road access, we will avoid the road and take off-beaten trails.

We resume our walk after breakfast at our lodge. Today, we lose around 900 meters in elevation. The trail passes through beautiful terrains and amazing landscapes. The beautiful village of Chusang can be reached after a walk of some five hours. After checking into the lodge, we will have plenty of time to explore the village.

We descend to the Kagbeni village and start walking along the river bank to Jomsom. The trail is pretty much jeep track. Upon our arrival in Jomsom, we check into our lodge. Later in the evening, we will explore the market to buy souvenirs for our friends and family back home.

We take early morning flight to Pokhara. Upon arrival in Pokhara, we will have plenty of time to take rest. Or you can explore this beautiful city. There are plenty of activities to do here hiking, paragliding, bungee jump, zip line, among others.

We start early in the morning and start our return journey to Kathmandu. The overland journey takes around seven hours, while flight is of about half an hour. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, we will transfer you to your hotel. In the evening, a farewell dinner will be organized for you in restaurant serving typical Nepali meal.

Your last day in Nepal. Our representative will transfer you to the airport for your return flight three hours before your flight time. While returning, you will have plenty of time to prepare your next trip.