Upper Mustang Trek

Upper Mustang Trek, also known as mountain Desert of Nepal, is one of the famous treks among the Tourists. The beautiful landscape and the authentic culture and tradition of the Upper Mustang is what attracts thousands of tourists every year.

Upper Mustang was a restricted area for tourists until 1992 which helped to preserve the place in the world. Here most of the population speak Tebatian and Nepali language. It is not influenced by any western culture and religion. Upper Mustang is a rare privilege where you can experience the true life of mountain people who have very little contact with the rest of the world.

Upper Mustang is located in the Mustang district of Gandaki Pradesh. The highest altitude of the Upper Mustang is 3840m above sea level whereas the overall area is 2020km. Its capital is Lo Manthang. It lies in the rain shadow of the Dhaulagiri creating a majestic view of the colorful and impressive formation of rock. The formation of the rock is what attracts tourists for trekking. The whitewashed houses, prayer flags add a splash of color to this barren landscape.

One can conveniently get to Upper Mustang by a flight from Pokhara to Jomsom and start the trek from there. The flight through the deepest gorge i.e. Kali Gandaki is an adventure in itself. The restricted area of Upper Mustang starts from Kagbeni. However, it’s worthwhile to visit Muktinath, the famous pilgrim before heading north for Upper Mustang. The trek from Kagbeni northward will lead to Lo Manthang on the 4th to 5th days. After crossing 2 passes of around 4,200m you can return partly in different ways via Dhakmar. You can find the oldest Tibetan monastery in the world i.e. Lo Gear Monastery. The monastery was built in the 8th century by the famous Tibetan magician Rinpoche. It’s said that he killed an evil demon and the rocks around Dhakmar is painted by its blood.

Along the whole trekking route, you can find many guest houses. The guest houses are built in Tibetan culture, here you are welcome to sit with owners for dinner. Monsoon is the best time to trek in Upper Mustang as the region in the rain shadow. However, you can trek any season to see the exhilarating views of upper mustang.

While November is still a nice time to trek in Mustang keep in mind that seasonal migration takes place at this time and many residents from Lo Manthang and surrounding areas will move down to lower altitudes for the winter months. This may cause an inconvenience in restaurants and accommodation availability.

Fee and Permit

Some trekking areas of Nepal require a special permit especially if the area is an open border or has a connection with other countries. Similarly, Upper Mustang also needs a special permit before entering the area because Mustang shares the border with China. Talking about the trekking permit for foreign tourists, it’s a bit expensive. Tourist needs two different types of permit i.e. Mustang Restricted permit and Annapurna Conservation Area Permit. The cost is given below:

Mustang restricted permit: USD500 per person for 10 days and USD 50 per additional day.
Annapurna Conservation Area permit: USD 27.

Important Note: Itinerary we can make as per number of holiday in Nepal, nowadays we can jeep drive too so kindly write us your requirement etc.

Trip Highlights of Upper Mustang Trek

Hidden Kingdom of Mustang Lo Manthang
Old and Ancient Monasteries
Gorgeous Caves
Restricted Area
Deepest Gorge Kaligandaki River
Rich with Buddhism
Completely dry surface
Hidden rainfalls
Historical royal place
A glimpse of Tibetian and Nepalese culture
Colorful barren hill, view of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna range

Outline Itinerary:

Day 01: Arrival to Kathmandu
Day 02: Kathmandu to Pokhara
Day 03: Pokhara to Jomsom to Kagbeni
Day 04: Kagbeni to Chele
Day 05: Chele to Syanbochen
Day 06: Syanbochen to Ghami
Day 07: Ghami to Tsarang
Day 08: Tsarang to Lo manthang
Day 09: Lo manthang to Ghar Gompa
Day 10: Ghar Gompa to Gelling
Day 11: Gelling to Chhusang
Day 12: Chhusang to Muktinath
Day 13: Muktinath temple to Jomsom
Day 14: Jomsom to Pokhara
Day 15: Pokhara to Kathmandu
Day 16: Farewell

Detail Itinerary

Day 01 :Arrival to Kathmandu After getting at the flight from your local airport, you will enter into the beautiful and of Nepal viewing the best scene of mountains from the flight. The beautiful scenario will always be there to welcomes you along with the helpful members of the Destination Unlimited Treks and Expeditions. The representative will guides you towards the hotel room of the Kathmandu to spend the mean time in Kathmandu.
Day 02 :Kathmandu to Pokhara From Kathmandu, we will drive towards the Pokhara valley. The scenic drive will takes about 7 to 8 hours for us to reach at Pokhara. The leisure time can be spent in the Pokhara viewing the best scene of the surrounding. We can visit at the lake side and the beautiful caves around the valley. The night will be resting at the Pokhara at one of the best hotels of the city.
Day 03 :Pokhara to Jomsom to Kagbeni Early morning drive to Pokhara airport then flight to Jomsom. We can catch the flight over to the beautiful region of Jomsom from Pokhara. After spending some time at Jomsom, we will trek towards the beautiful region of Kagbeni. Kagbeni is at the altitude of 2800m which offers us glorious view of the surrounding. The night will be at Kagbeni enjoying the sight.
Day 04 :Kagbeni to Chele From Kagbeni, we will walk towards the beautiful region of Chele. We need to have the special permit while trekking at this region. The beautiful scene of the Kaligandaki River will obviously attract us. We will stay the night at Chele at the altitude of 3100m.
Day 05 :Chele to Syanbochen From Chele, we will walk towards the Taklam la at the altitude of 3640m and to the village of samara. We will continue our journey following the main trail to reach at the Syanbochen at the altitude of 3475m above sea level. We need to walk through the main trail for about 5 to 6 hours.
Day 06 :Syanbochen to Ghami From Syanbochen, we will walk toward the beautiful region of Ghami. We have to cross the Nyila pass at the altitude of 4020m viewing the monastery and few lodges of there. The overnight will be fantastic at Ghami at the altitude of 3520m after the trekking of 5 to 6 hours.
Day 07 :Ghami to Tsarang We need to walk shortly to reach at the Tsarang from Ghami. Tsarang is at the altitude of 3560m above sea level. The night will be beautiful at Tsarang. We can visit around the royal palace of the region which will be surely marvelous. The night will be fantastic at Tsarang.
Day 08 :Tsarang to Lo manthang We will trek towards the Lo manthang from the Tsarang which will provide us great view of the surrounding. We can get the magnificent view of the Nilgiri Tilicho Annapurna I and other beautiful peaks of the region during our trek. Walking for about 4 to 5 hours will lead us to the beautiful region of Lo manthang. The night will be spectacular at the Lo manthang at the altitude of 3840m.
Day 09 :Lo manthang to Ghar Gompa From Lo manthang, we will walk towards the Ghar Gompa viewing the great scene of the surrounding. The journey through the beautiful trail will be worth remembering. We need to walk for about 4 to 5 hours through the main trail to reach at the beautiful region of Ghar Gompa. Ghar Gompa is at the altitude of 3920m above sea level. The night will be better at one of the lodges.
Day 10 :Ghar Gompa to Gelling We will retrace our journey back to gelling following the same path. We will make our journey through the beautiful village of Ghami which will continues until we will reach at the gelling at the altitude of 3570 after walking for about 5 to 6 hours through the main trail.
Day 11 :Gelling to Chhusang From Gelling, we will walk towards the Chhusang. The trekking goes for about 5 to 6 hours through the main trail until we will reach at the Chhusang at the altitude of 2980m. The night will be splendidly beautiful at Chhusang enjoying with friends.
Day 12 :Chhusang to Muktinath From Chhusang, we will trek towards the holy region of Muktinath temple. The trail will offer us beautiful scenery of the surrounding. We will make our journey through the Gyu la pass situating at the altitude of 4090m above sea level. From the pass, the trail will begin to slope gently towards the Muktinath to the altitude of 3760m. The night will be at Muktinath temple.
Day 13 :Muktinath temple to Jomsom We will wake up early in the morning and move towards the Muktinath temple. We will worship the god at Muktinath and will walk towards the Jomsom after having the breakfast. We will be at Jomsom after the trekking of about 4 to 5 hours through the main trail. The night will be fantastic at Jomsom enjoying with the friends.
Day 14 :Jomsom to Pokhara From Jomsom, we will take the flight over to Pokhara the flight will takes about 20 minutes to reach at Pokhara. We can spend the whole day at Pokhara or can return back to Kathmandu the same day. But it will be better to stay a night at Pokhara visiting at the beautiful region of Pokhara and resting the full day. The night will be at Pokhara.
Day 15 :Pokhara to Kathmandu From Pokhara, we will catch the vehicle back to Pokhara viewing the best scene of the surrounding. The scenic drive continues for about 7 to 8 hours until we will reach at the Kathmandu. The night will be spectacular at the Kathmandu enjoying with friends in the hotel. We will have a delicious dinner at the hotel of Kathmandu.
Day 16 :Farewell From Kathmandu, after having the early morning breakfast, we will move towards the airport to catch the flight to our respective destination. The arrangement of your departure will be arranged by the company's representative. Destination Unlimited Treks and Expeditions wishes you all the best wishes for your further journey.