Tour overview
Upper Mustang is a traditional valley near the Annapurna Circuit. In the past, the valley was believed to be isolated from the rest of Nepal and was known as the “forbidden kingdom” of Nepal. Because of isolation and the lost valley, it has created its own traditions and culture, which closely resemble Tibetan culture.Upper Mustang has become a popular trekking destination due to its unique desert-like environment, history, and culture. Upper Mustang became approachable for treks and tours in 1992. Mustang was Nepal’s forbidden kingdom, and it was isolated for hundreds of years, creating its own distinct culture and history.
This region is rich in historical and religious sites, and its unusual terrain distinguishes it from other parts of Nepal due to its location in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. Geographically, it is a part of the Tibetan plateau, and its culture resembles that of Tibetans rather than Nepalis.
Upper Mustang is home to old caverns, sacred fossil rocks, arid plains, and slopes. Lo Manthang, the ancient capital of Upper Mustang, is a small town with around 150 houses, a palace, and a monastery called Lhakhang, which is about 200 years old. Mustang is located in the Annapurna region, with additional highlights in the Annapurna Conservation Area. As you travel to Upper Mustang, you will be able to see spectacular views of mountain peaks such as Dhaulagiri (8167m), Manaslu (8,163m) and Annapurna I (8091m). Annapurna I (8091m).
The journey to Upper Mustang is exciting and offers you many learning opportunities while enjoying the views of mountains, traditional villages, terraced fields, and the raging Trishuli and Marsyandi rivers. Pokhara is the tourist capital of Nepal. Here, you can enjoy views of various lakes and Himalayan peaks, including Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, and Lamjung Himal. You can enjoy the reflection of these beautiful mountains in the crystal clear lakes.
The next day, you will fly from Pokhara to Jomsom—the headquarters of Mustang. After landing at Jomsom, you will trek to Kagbeni—the gateway to Upper Mustang. As you fly, you can catch views of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna, both above 8,000m tall. We continue our journey to Chele after spending the night in Kagbeni. We will trek in the early morning to avoid heavy wind in the afternoon. Because the trek sections might be windy and dusty, you should bring sunglasses and a face mask. As you trek forward, you will come across Tangbe village, and a little ahead lies Chele—the destination for this day.
We will travel from Chele to Syangboche by a route that crosses through Eklo Bhatti and Taklam High Pass (3,625m). This trek is challenging as you will gain as much as 800m. You will also pass through a village called Samar, known for its magnificent views of the Nilgiri mountains.
Following that, we will go from Syangboche and travel to Ghami. This time you will pass through Yamada La Pass (3,845m) across the desert landscape, reaching Gelling, Tamagaun, and Ghami.Tsarang is a town of about 1,000 people, which is our next destination for the day. The trek takes place in the driest part of Mustang, but the countryside views are mind-blowing.
From Tsarang, we head to Lo Manthang. As we do so, you will enjoy the views of Nilgiri, Tilicho, Annapurna I, and Brikuti peaks. The trek will ascend until Lo La Pass and then descend to Lo Manthang. We’ll spend the day resting and exploring Lo Manthang. There are numerous places to see in Lo Manthang, including gompas, palaces, and old monasteries.
Our return journey begins after the ninth day, on which we will say goodbye to Lo Manthang and head to our next destination, Ghami. On the way to Darkman, we will visit the famous Ghar Monastery. On the tenth day, we travel to Ghami and trek to Samar. The path mostly descends to Gelling. We continue on, passing through Jaite and Chhukungkah on our way to Samar.
Our trek will take us to Chhusang after Samar. On the route lies a holy site, where people believe that Padmasambhava (a Tantric Buddhist Master) meditated. The next trek destination after Chhusang is Muktinath. Muktinath is a shared holy site for Hindus and Buddhists and hosts 108 bathing spouts. There you can bring your small oil lamp to worship and be able to see an eternal flame burning in the temple. You will cross Gyu La Pass (4,077m) and join the Annapurna circuit trek.
From Muktinath, we head to Jomsom, which marks the trail’s final day. The route leads us via Jahrkot and Khingar before going to Jomsom, which is located at the base of the Kali Gandaki River Valley.
After spending the night in Jomsom, we will catch an early morning flight to Pokhara. You have the option of flying back to Kathmandu the same day or spending a day exploring Pokhara. and it is all up to you. If you want to explore more of Pokhara, then you can stay there for the night. Then you will return to Kathmandu on a tourist bus the next day.
Itinerary
On the first you will arrive to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. our team staff will be present there for you to receive. he/she will drop you to your hotel. on that day you will get plenty of hour to take rest and explore the market at the evening
On the second day we need to take around 6-7 hours of drive to Pokhara by road, so for that you need to wake up early in the morning to work as per schedule.
The destination for the day is Jomsom, our team will be waiting for you at airport where you will take flight to Jomsom which might takes 30 minutes to reach there.
but there is another option for you where you can travel by road in jeep/van which might takes around 7 hours to reach.
The distance to Kagbeni demands at least 5 hours of walk from Jomsom. therefore will start to trek from the early moring after having some light breakfast. at the end of the day we manage to sty at teahouse/lodge.
The trial would be pretty tough for the trekkerss because on the 5th day the have to prepare themselves for around 6 hors of walk.
while trekking we will stop for lunch and snacks(tea and other protein food).
This day's hike will be really difficult because we will be climbing roughly 800 meters. We climb a steep spur from Chele and then continue up a steep canyon to Eklo Bhatti before ascending to the Taklam La (3,625 m/11,940 ft), a high pass. To get to Samar, we have to cross the Taklam La pass.
Samar provides stunning views of Mount Nilgiri. This is also a popular rest station for horse and mule caravans. We descend from Samar to a wide gorge via Rangchyung Chorten, which is painted red, black, yellow, and white, and trek ahead to arrive
The day begins with a climb to another pass, the Yamda La (3,845m/12,655 ft), via an incredible desert landscape and a few lonely communities. Again, the trail ascends to a vast valley before descending to a large barley field at Gelling. Gelling's mud and stone buildings, like those in Mustang, are painted white and ochre.
From Geling, we travel to Tama Gaun and ascend the Nyi La pass (4015 m/13,205 ft). We will descend from this pass and continue on to Ghami.
This day's hike takes you into Mustang's driest region. However, the breathtaking view of the countryside compensates for the laborious ascent. Finally, we arrive in Tsarang, a large town with a population of around 1000 people.
Today will be your day to explore the old Lo Manthang - a walled city with approximately 150 dwellings. This old city goes back to around the 1390s.
Lo Manthang was the walled capital of the Kingdom of Lo after Ame Pal founded it in 1380. The hamlet is most famous for its whitewashed mud-brick buildings, gompas, and royal palace.
This palace is a five-story, nine-cornered edifice built circa 1400. It is the oldest edifice still standing with such architecture. There are four prominent temples in this town: Jampa Gompa (Jampa Lhakhang), Thubchen Gompa, Chodey Gompa, and Choprang Gompa. Jampa Gompa, commonly known as God's House, is the oldest. Choprang Gompa is sometimes referred as as New Gompa. The Nepalese government opened Upper Mustang to foreign visitors in 1992, but tourism to Upper Mustang remains limited even now.
On day 10 of our tour, we'll take a joyous trip to Garphu Village, which is located close the Tibetan border to the north of Lo Manthang. You can take horses or a vehicle, but a 2 hour hike to this gorgeous spot is also appealing. We'll finally get to see Nyiphu and Garphu monasteries after the hike. These caves are cut deep into a hill, with breathtaking views of the far-northern mountains as backdrops. Witness the gorgeous environment and incredible antique architecture of these weathered structures. Once inside, you'll find a maze of tight tunnels and a steep stairway leading to several stories. Aside from it, go around and gaze at the wall frescos, scrolls, artifacts, and Buddhist prayer altars. At the end of the day, we'll return to Lo Manthang.
We travel south from Lo Manthang to Kagbeni. We will not, however, use the same road we took to go to Lo Manthang. As we travel through Drakmar, we will stop at the famed Ghar Monastery, which is ornamented with stunning wall paint. Our journey continues till we arrive in Ghami.
We make our way carefully across the desolate and parched environment, taking in the breathtaking scenery all around us. You will rise to the Chemi La and Yiy La passes before descending steeply to Geling. The drop eases after Geling as you reach Syangboche, but our target is still further away at Samar. Samar is a traditional Tibetan town with mani walls, a monastery, and terraced farmland.
We join the regular trekking track to Chhusang from Samar. The pathways go to the bed of the Kali Gandaki River. We cross the river through a rock tunnel and continue on our journey to Chhusang.
On our final hiking day, we'll continue our descent and pass via Ekle Bhatti (2,740m). We must begin our journey early in the morning because the high winds make walking difficult at other times of the day. We'll eventually get to Jomsom thanks to an easy track and a lovely journey (2,750m).
We'll pack our belongings and board a flight to Pokhara today. Once in Pokhara, you can either relax in your hotel room or explore the city's gorgeous sites.
Then on the next day we'll board another plane and make our way to Kathmandu. In Kathmandu, you can tour lesser-known landmarks while shopping for souvenirs
We hope to see you again when you return to Nepal for your next adventure! After saying your goodbyes, you'll be guided to Kathmandu Airport by one of our staff members three hours before your planned departure so that you don't run into any minor issues during your final moments in Nepal. Have a safe return flight to your native country. Cheers!!
