Upper Mustang Trek

We take an early morning flight to Jomsom. During the early morning, the weather is the clearest, and you will see spectacular mountain views – including two eight-thousanders mountains – Dhaulagiri and Annapurna. The landscape below is absolutely breathtaking.

We land in Jomsom – the district headquarter of Mustang. The trekking starts from Jomsom. The route follows a pleasant trail up the arid valley of the Kali Gandaki River to the fort of Kagbeni, an ancient trade post with a Buddhist monastery. Kagbeni is just south of the restricted area of the Upper Mustang.

The area above Kagbeni is called Upper Mustang, and you cannot enter the upper Mustang without a permit. There is a check post at the gateway, where we register our documents and trek forward.

We will start our trek early in the morning, along the eastern bank of the Kali Gandaki River to Chuksang, to avoid the heavy Mustang wind in the afternoon. On the way, you will get fantastic views of Mt. Nilgiri glowing orange from the early sun rays. The area beside the river can be windy with dust all over the air, so you will need sunglasses and perhaps a face mask to cover your nose and mouth.

You will then pass by the Mustang’s unique red sandstone pillars and rock formations, formed by thousands of years of erosion, and reach Tangbe Village. Tangbe is a pretty village with red and whitewashed houses, picturesque apple orchards, and barley fields. Then we follow a relatively narrow canyon to Chele, a small town along a ridge. The views from Chele are other-worldly. We are sure you will not get similar views from any other parts of the world.

The day begins with an ascent to another pass – the Yamda La (3,845m/12,655 ft) Pass, through an astonishing desert landscape and a few remote settlements. Again, The trail climbs up to a large valley and then descends to a wide barley field at Gelling. The mud and stone houses at Gelling are painted white and ochre, just like in Mustang.

From Geling, we reach a settlement – Tama Gaun and climb a pass known as the Nyi La (4015 m/13,205ft). We will be descending from this pass and trek ahead to Ghami.

Starting on flat land, we ascend over yet another pass – Lo La Pass, from where you can enjoy the delightful views of the valley below – including Lo Mathang. We descend from Lo La Pass and enter Lo Mathang from the north.

Today will be the day for you to explore the historical Lo Manthang – a walled city with around 150 houses. This ancient city dates back to the 1390s approximately.

Lo Manthang was the walled capital of the Kingdom of Lo since its founding in 1380 by Ame Pal. The village is best known for its tall whitewashed mud-brick walls, gompas, and the royal palace.

This palace is a nine-cornered, five-story structure built around 1400. It is the oldest existing structure with such architecture. This town is also home to four major temples – Jampa Gompa (Jampa Lhakhang), Thubchen Gompa, Chodey Gompa, and Choprang Gompa. Jampa Gompa is the oldest and is also known as God’s house. Similarly, Choprang Gompa is also known as New Gompa. The Nepal government opened Upper Mustang for foreigners in 1992, but, even today, tourism to Upper Mustang remains limited.

We bid goodbye to Mustang and catch an early morning flight over the southern Kali Gandaki Valley to Pokhara. Then you can either fly back to Kathmandu or spend a day exploring Pokhara – a famous tourist hub in Nepal.

We depart on a tourist bus or Private Transport for a return to Kathmandu. It’s a 200 km route that first follows the Marsyangdi River and then the Trishuli River. If you want, you may choose to return by a 25-minute flight (not included in the package).