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Upper Mustang Trek

Duration

17 Day/s

Max. Elevation

3810 Meter

Group size

Min 2pax-Max 16pax

Level
MODERATE
Transportation
Tourist Bus | Domestic Flight | Private Vehicle
Best Season
Feb - mid-April | Sept - late Nov
Accomodation
Star Hotel | Guest House
Meals
Local meals
Starts at
Kathmandu
Ends at
Kathmandu
Trip Route
KTM - Pokhara - Kagbeni - Lomanthang - Jomsom - Pokhara - KTM

Upper Mustang Trek Highlights

    • Exploring the hidden world of  the ancient Buddhist Kingdom of Mustang
    • Mesmerizingly  tanned red cliffs and the endless variety of grey rolling hills
    • Enchanting  Tibetan-style villages with a well-preserved Tibetan culture
    • Visiting the Mini desert of Nepal, holy caves, ancient Buddhist monasteries and many more
    • Magnificent view of snow-capped mountains
    • The walled city of Lo Manthang
    • You may visit the King’s Palace where you may even get an audience with the current king
    • Friendliness people of mustang 
    • Incredible hospitality of Nepalese people
    • Unique culture and tradition of local people

Upper Mustang Trek can be a unique trek for many tourists. The Upper Mustang Trek will take you close to the hidden world of the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Mustang. The ancient ‘Forbidden Kingdom of Mustang’ has long been covered in mystery. In order to protect its authentic Tibetan culture from outside influences, Mustang remained closed for many years to foreigners. It finally opened its doors in 1992 and trekkers were allowed to visit Upper Mustang since 1994 but still, Upper Mustang is considered a restricted area of Nepal. The district of Mustang was, till 1950, a separate kingdom inside the boundaries of Nepal. The remaining king, the Raja of Mustang, still resides in the historical capital recognized as Lo Manthang. 
The remote and mystical region of Mustang is located in the far north of Nepal, beyond the Himalayas including Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, and extending into the highlands of Tibet. Upper Mustang is an arid river valley that runs north-south off the upper corner of the Annapurna Circuit. Since Mustang is known as the mini desert of Nepal, Upper Mustang Trek is famous for its desert beauty and harsh red cliff-faced landscapes. Upper Mustang is more similar to Tibet than Nepal both culturally and geographically. 
Trek to Upper Mustang begins after taking scenic flights from Pokhara to Jomsom. You can already feel the change in the environment which is more similar to Tibet. From Jomsom, we will take a jeep ride to Kagbeni, which is a very beautiful village and also a gateway to Mustang. For the next six days, we will trek through amazing gorges, cross prayer-flagged passes, and visiting holy caves, and villages with monasteries and fortresses and see the incredible multi-coloured cliff formations. After that, we will be finally in the kingdom of Lo, which is surrounded by snow-capped Himalayan peaks on the east and west side and closed to the North by a range of smaller mountains marking the Tibetan border. At last, we will pass the Choge La Pass, 4,301m/ 14,111ft, and descend to the ‘Plain of Prayers’ where we come to the only square walled city in the Himalayas, Lo Manthang.  To go back we will take a different path to explore the second most essential township, Tsarang, and a string of other charming villages with huge Chortens, flat-topped roofs and white-washed walls. Finally, we finished our trek at Chussang and take the short jeep ride back to Jomsom. Here you can reflect on a stunning cultural and scenic experience, different from any other part of Nepal. 
Open Trail Treks always make sure that visitors or trekkers became happy and comfortable when they travel with us. So, Open Trail Treks arranges this Upper Mustang trek at a reasonable cost as well as we also follow all the safety measures for the trek. We offer our visitors a, license holder, trained, knowledgeable, experienced, helpful and careful guide and the porters or helpers. If you want to do Upper Mustang Trek feel free to contact us.
Open Trail Treks not only arranges the Upper Mustang Trek but also arranges a trek to the lower part of the Mustang without entering the special permit zone. The Muktinath Jomsom Trek is a 14-day trek and the 20-day trek around the Annapurna i.e. The Annapurna Circuit Trek will also lead you through the various parts of Manang and Mustang.

Upper Mustang Trek Itinerary

Day

1

When you arrive at Tribhuwan International Airport, a representative from Open Trail will be there to meet you and take you to your hotel. After checking in, you can rest or, with the guide, visit Open Trail’s office in Thamel a part of Kathmandu in the tourist district. Here there are many shops and restaurants. The shops are colorful and full of pashminas, slippers, trekking equipment, and felt items. The restaurants serve European as well as Nepalese meals. ATM’s are plentiful should you require them. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner hosted by Open Trail treks where you will be served authentic Nepalese cuisine. This is a great introduction to Nepalese food.

Day

2

We will begin our second day with breakfast before starting a guided tour to some of the historical, religious, and World Heritage sites of Kathmandu. We will visit Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Buddhist Stupa (Buddha Nath), the Hindu secret temple Pashupati Nath and we will end our tour by visiting the Monkey temple – Swayambhunath. There will be a stop for lunch in a very special local restaurant. After we finish the tour we will meet with our trekking guide and leader for a discussion and preparation for our following day's trekking.

Day

3

Today you will be picked up from the hotel by the Tourist Bus.  Our journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara will take roughly 6-7 hours.  Along the route, you will have beautiful views of rivers, towns, and mountains. There will be comfort stops en route and an opportunity to buy food. On arrival at Pokhara, there will be a chance to rest. Later we can take a boat trip to the famous Lake Fewa and a visit to the temple or you can sit and relax in a riverside restaurant.

Day

4

Today begins with a morning flight to Jomsom. This flight is of 30 minutes' duration and it gives us an opportunity to see the beautiful views of mountains. You can see Mt.Annapurna and Mt.Dhaulagiri. Jomsom is the headquarters of the Mustang district. From Jomsom, we start our trek which leads us through the very windy Kaligandagi valley. After 3 hours of walking, we will reach Kagbeni village. Kagbeni is a very attractive town with its medieval houses and monastery. The old Trans-Himalayan salt trade route passed through this village at one time.

Total Trekking Time: 3-4 hours

Day

5

Today we will start our trek after a hearty breakfast. We will need to check our special permit before leaving the village of Kagbeni. The trek will lead us to the riverbank of Kaligandagi and the trail winds up and down before we get to the village of Tangbe. The trail will drop down a bit to the village of Chhusang. Crossing the river and heading upwards will take us to Chele village.

We will have an overnight stay in Chele.

Total Trekking Time: 5- 6 hours

Day

6

We will start our morning, after breakfast, by trekking to the village of Eklo Bhatti. We climb to the Taklam La Pass (3,624m) and explore the view of Tilicho Peak, Yakawa Kang, and Damodar Danda. After the pass, we will descend to the village called Samar. Once in Samar we climb up to the ridge and descend steeply again through the Juniper bushes. A further three and half hour trek will take us to the Syanbopche.

We will spend the night in Syanboche.

Total Trekking Time: 6-7 hours

Day

7

Today we climb uphill passing a few local settlements, tea houses, and stupas to Yamda La. We cross several more passes and the small beautiful fields of barley. Trekking uphill again we reach the Nyi pass and start our downhill trek to one of the biggest settlements of this region called Ghaymi.  After a short rest, we can explore the town

We will spend the night at Ghaymi.

Total Trekking Time: 5-6 hours

Day

8

This morning after breakfast we cross the Ghaymi River and we start to climb, passing beside the long Mani wall to the Charang Village. Charang is a big village surrounded by large fields. The houses and the fields are separated by the stone walls. A red Gumpa dominates the beauty of this village. On arrival at Charang, and after a short rest we can sightsee. We will have an overnight stay at Charang.

Total Trekking Time: 4-5 hours

Day

9

After breakfast, we will trek through Charang village and descend to the river. After crossing the river and we climb steadily to the pass of Lo (3,850m). From here we can see the Lo-Manthang valley,  the walled city and some Tibetan border hills. Here, we can enjoy the majestic view of Annapurna I, Tilicho Peak, and Nilgiri Mountain. We can spend the rest of the day exploring the walled city. Our overnight stay will be at Lo-Manthang.

Total Trekking Time: 5-6 hours

Day

10

Today we can continue our exploration of the walled city and the surrounding area. There are several options that we can choose from today. We can hire horses and ride to various places. Namgyal Gompa can also be one of the options for us. This Gompa is situated at the top of the hill and the monastery is also the local court for the villagers. From the monastery, we can continue our journey until we reach Tingkhar village. Another option for us is a trek to the Chuksar cave which is a three-story cave with lots of rooms. This cave was made thousands of years ago by villagers so they would be protected from their enemies. We will stay overnight at Lo-Manthang.

Day

11

Lo-Manthang is the final destination of our trek. We can take a different trail to get back from here. We pass through Dhakmar and Ghar Gompa, which is more than 1100 years old. The Gump's main figure is Guru Rinpoche. A myth linked with this Gompa is that if you make a wish at the Gompa, your wish will be fulfilled. As we arrive at Dhaka Mar we can spend some time exploring the town.

Overnight at Drakmar.

Total Trekking Time: 6-7 hours

Day

12

The trekking trail for today weaves up and down. We can explore the area around Dhakar and Ghiling and enjoy the wonderful scenery of the high Himalayan desert with the snow-capped mountains. It will be dusty and windy during the afternoon, so it is a much better idea to begin our trek early in the morning.

Overnight at Ghiling.

Total Trekking Time: 5-6 hours

Day

13

During our trek from Ghiling to Chhuksang, we will be rewarded with the magnificent views of Annapurna, Nilgiri andTukuche. We ascend and descend several times today. During the trek, we can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the landscape of the high Himalayan desert. As we arrive at Chhuksang we can take a walk around the village. Our overnight stay is at Chhuksar village.

Total Trekking Time: 5-6 hours

Day

14

This is our last day of the trip on foot. We trek steadily uphill at the beginning and later make an easy descent downhill to the settlement of Kagbeni.  We then follow the dusty, windy trail through the sandy banks of Kaligandgi River to Jomsom. Overnight at Jomsom.

Total Trekking Time: 6-7 hours

Day

15

We will arrive back in Pokhara in the early morning. The flight offers beautiful views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Massif. As we arrived at the Pokhara, we will check into our hotel and take a nap. Later we can explore the beautiful lakes, caves, and temple of Pokhara. We have an overnight stay in Pokhara

Day

16

Today we will return to Kathmandu. The drive will be six to seven hours by the side of Trisuli and Marsangdi River. This drive will offer an amazing view of the rice terraces, villages, and the landscape of Nepal. Alternatively, you can fly back and this journey will only take half an hour. If you want to fly an extra cost will be added as Open Trail has only allowed for Transport by Tourist Bus. In the evening, Open Trail will host a farewell dinner where we will analyze your experience of the overall trek and our services.

Day

17

Today is the last day of your adventure. If you would like we can have breakfast together and afterwards, if you have time, you can shop for your last-minute souvenirs or do a bit more sightseeing. If you would like to go sightseeing please inform us a day earlier so that we can arrange the necessary transport for you. A representative from Open Trail Treks will take you to the airport 3 hours before your flight.

Upper Mustang Trek Cost Detail

    • Airport transfers by Private Vehicles.
    • Standard twin- sharing accommodation in a three starts hotel in Kathmandu & Pokhara, With BB plan. (5 Nights).
    • Twin sharing accommodation during the trek. (11 Nights)
    • One day tour in ktm (including Guide, private transportation, entrance fees)
    • Kathmandu-Pokhara-Kathmandu two way Tourist bus
    • Pokhara - Jomsom - Pokhara two way domestic Flight ticket
    • Three daily meals with tea/coffee (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) during the trek.
    • TIMS Fee- Trekkers' Information Management System & Annapurna Conservation area permit (Please bring 2 passport size photos)
    • Upper Mustang special permit
    • One highly experienced, helpful, and friendly guide. Porters (1 porter for 2 people) and their food, accommodation, salary, and equipment. Accident insurance for all staff
    • Farewell dinner in a traditional Nepali restaurant with cultural performances.
    • Personal care & attention.
    • Local and government taxes.
    • All kind of beverage including mineral water, Phone calls, laundry, hot shower during Trek
    • Travel and Rescue Insurance
    • Tipping to the crew.
    • Personal mountaineering gears
    • Optional trips and sightseeing if extended 
    • International airfare and airport departure tax
    • Visa fee, you obtain a visa easily upon your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport Kathmandu
    • Do not mention the services apart from the services mentioned in "Cost Included services"

Complimentary

    • Down jacket and four seasonal sleeping bag (to be returned after completion of the trip).
    • Open trail treks duffle bag and a trekking map.
    • A self-sufficient medical first aid kits containing vital medications.
    • Company branded water purification tablets
    • Warm woolen hat
    • Oximeter

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