Want to experience a mythical landscape? Want to be a part of the human experience that exudes vibes from ancient history?
If your answer is yes, this ultimate Upper Mustang Trek is for you!
Upper Mustang was a restricted demilitarized area until 1992, which implies, this place stayed aloof from the rest of the outside world for the longest period of time. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that, one will experience a unique adventure, which is an amalgamation of distinct geography, well-preserved culture, and warm hospitality.
Our journey starts from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. We spend a day exploring historical sites in the valley after a day of rest and take a flight to the beautiful city of Pokhara. After exploring the city of lakes, we then board a flight to Jomsom, followed by a trek to Kagbeni, trailing the Kaligandaki river.
The trek is not that challenging and we hike for about seven hours passing through Kagbeni and Tangbe villages, till we reach Chuksang (alt. 3250m). After crossing the Kaligandagi river, we hike for another seven hours to reach Syangboche village (alt. 3540m) to call it a day.
For the next couple of days of Upper Mustang Trek, our hike is relatively easy in terms of the distance covered. We hike towards Lo Pass, from that vantage point, we get to view the astounding architecture of the walled city of Lomanthang(3840m), followed by an exploration of the monasteries and museum in this ancient city.
The next day we make sure to visit Chhosar Gumba, Jung Cave (4,030m), and head back to Lo-Manthang for an overnight stay at the lodge. We then hike up to 6-7 hours a day on average for the next couple of days while passing; Charang (3,560m), Jhalte (3,820m) until we reach Kagbeni(2810 m). We then trek back to Jomsom and after an overnight stay, fly back to Pokhara to catch a connecting flight to Kathmandu.
Itinerary
After landing at the Tribhuwan International Airport, we will be greeted by a representative of Trek Venture Nepal, who will drop us off at our hotel. We then check-in at the hotel, freshen up and take a rest. In the evening, a welcome dinner will be hosted by Trek Venture Nepal. Overnight in Kathmandu.
We tour Durbar Square, Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath stupa and Bouddhanath stupa which are all world heritage sites. The Durbar Square reveals the life of the royals in ancient times. Pashupatinath temple is one of the most important places of pilgrimage for all Hindus. Swayambhunath is also known as the Monkey Temple and Baudhanath Stupa is one of the largest stupas in the world.
We have breakfast then leave for Pokhara, also known as The Lake City owing to the large number of lakes in the city. Upon our arrival in Pokhara, we are rewarded with magnificent views of the Himalayas including Dhaulagiri (8,167m/26,794ft), Manaslu (8,156m/26,759ft), Machhapuchhre (6,993m/22,943ft), the five peaks of Annapurna and others. We then check-in to our hotel and take a rest. We enjoy boating in the Fewa Lake and stroll in the city’s quaint streets. Overnight in Pokhara.
Today we will take an early morning flight to Jomsom which is famous for its apples, strong winds and the landscape. We begin our trek on an open trail alongside a beautiful valley. We pass through Eaklibatti village before reaching Kagbeni which is ideally located at the bank of two rivers. The village is beautiful with flat-roofed houses and also has ruins of an old fortress. Overnight in Kagbeni.
We get our permits checked then begin our trek on a trail alongside the Kali Gandaki River. We walk on sand amidst strong winds before ascending on a hill. We reach the Tangbe Village and admire its narrow alleyways, white-washed houses, barley and buckwheat fields, and apple orchards. We continue our walk and pass another village and cross a river on our way. Next, we walk on a ridge before reaching Chele Village. Overnight in Chele.
Our walk today involves crossing two passes, Taklam La pass (3,624m) and Dajori La pass (3,735). On our way, we enjoy great views of Tilicho, Yakawa Kang and Damodar Danda and pass by Ramchung Cave. We descend further and reach Samar Village. From here we walk on a trail above the village and reach a ridge. Next, we descend on a steep trail to a stream and continue our trek to Syanboche. Overnight in Syanboche.
We ascend to the Yamda La pass at 3,850m. On the way, we pass by a few teahouses, chortens and beautiful villages. We trek through poplar forests and barley fields and reach Nyi Pass at 4,010m. From here, we descend to Ghami which is one of the biggest villages in the Lo region. The village is beautiful with fields surrounding the entire village. Overnight in Ghami.
Our trek today begins with a descent through a rough and often slippery trail. We then cross a suspension bridge over the Ghami Khola and begin ascending. The pathway is beautiful with mani walls along the trail. Next, we cross the Tsarang La Pass at 3870m and reach Tsarang village. The village lies atop the Charang Chu canyon with a huge fortress and a red gompa towards its east. Overnight in Tsarang.
We begin our trek by descending to a canyon and cross a river before beginning our uphill trek to Lo La pass which at 3950m. From the top of the pass we can admire the beautiful Lo Manthang village. From the pass we descend to Lo Manthang which is a beautiful walled village. From here the views of the Himalayas including Nilgiri, Tilicho and Annapurna I, Bhrikuti Peak as well as Damodar Kunda (pond) is quite good. Overnight in Lo-Manthang.
Lo Manthang is a walled town of the remote Upper Mustang region of Nepal. We spend the day touring three major gompas of the town namely Jhampa, Thupchen and Chhoeda. All of these gompas have undergone expert restoration over the last two decades. We can also trek to Choser cave which is in a beautiful village located north of Lo-Mangthang. Overnight in Lo Manthang.
We trek on a different route when returning from Lo-Manthang. Our trail passes through Gyakar village which houses a century old Ghar Gompa with beautiful rock paintings. According to a local legend, anyone who makes a wish at the Gompa will have it fulfilled. We explore the Gompa and continue our trek to Drakmar for an overnight stay.
We start our trek early to avoid strong winds and descend for the most part of the trek. Our trail passes through a dry plateau and fields before reaching Ghiling. The walk can be relatively difficult as we are most likely to experience strong winds on our face. Ghiling is mostly dry, but we still get good views of Dhaulagiri and Nilgiri mountains. We can tour the village around the evening. Overnight in Ghiling.
We begin our trek after breakfast. We walk on the same trail as before going up to Lo Manthang. On the way to Chhuksang we can enjoy great views of the Himalayas and small villages we pass en route. Overnight in Chhuksang.
We leave chuksang early morning after breakfast towards the most reknown holly place of both Hindu and Buddhist. The place has 108 tap spring water and temple where the pilgrims takes bath to wash away sins and to attain freedom from trouble. Overnight stay in Muktinath.
As we begin the final day’s hiking, Dhaulagiri glows orange and the yellow in the early morning sun. Today we take a side trip to the Bonpo monastery in Lubra.The settlement of Lubra consists of about 20 houses near a bend in the river and was founded in connection with the establishment of the Bonpo monastery in the 12th century. This is one of the rare Bon monasteries remaining in Nepal. After Lubra, the trail leads to the Kali Gandaki and we will cross the Panda Khola which join the main trail of tourists going to Jomsom. Overnight at lodge.
We take an early morning flight to Pokhara. The airplane passes through a gorge between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountains making the flight itself an amazing experience. After arriving in Pokhara, we can spend the rest of the day in leisure. Overnight in Pokhara.
After breakfast, we say goodbye to the beautiful northern skyline of Pokhara and drive towards Kathmandu. This will be a journey along river banks with wonderful views of terraced hills and the rural Nepalese lifestyle. After reaching Kathmandu, we take a rest or do some souvenir shopping. To celebrate the successful completion of our journey, we will have a farewell dinner in the evening. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Our Upper Mustang Trek in Nepal comes to an end today! A representative from Trek Venture Nepal will take us to the airport approximately three hours before the scheduled flight. On our flight back home, we take with us amazing memories of our Lo Manthang trip and Nepal.
