Nar Phu Teri la Pass Upper Mustang Trek

Nar Phu Teri la Pass Upper Mustang Trek – The Nar Phu Valley and Upper Mustang regions of Nepal are both isolated places that were off-limits to trekkers until quite recently, making this trek an epic adventure. In the Nar Phu Valley, you will pass through villages that are almost completely devoid of development. Mustang is a fascinating ancient kingdom that was semi-independent from Nepal until not long ago. On the Nar Phu Valley and Upper Mustang trek, visit isolated communities, pristine river valleys, cross an amazingly high pass, and learn about the Tibetan Buddhist culture of the local people.

Nar Phu Teri la Pass Upper Mustang Trek Highlights

Explore the mysterious Buddhist Caves in the Sky in Upper Mustang
Visit Phu, an ancient fortified village with panoramic views of glacial valleys and the high Himalaya
Learn about the Tibetan heritage of the Nepalis who live in these isolated valleys in the rain-shadow of the Himalayas
Cross the high Teri La (pass), at 5595 meters, which divides the Nar Phu Valley and Mustang

You’re unlikely to encounter very many other trekkers at all on this route. The Nar Phu Valley is very remote, and while Upper Mustang is becoming more popular, the costly permit required to visit here means that tourist numbers are kept to a minimum.

Nar Phu Teri la Pass Upper Mustang Trek Route
The Nar Phu Valley lies to the east of the Annapurna Circuit but is a world away from that busy route. Start by heading up the remote Nar Khola (river) Valley, which is sparsely populated. The valley gets narrower as you get deeper in.

The trail passes through pine forests and many beautiful waterfalls and towering rock faces as it continues to climb, all the way up to the village of Phu (4080m). Spend an acclimatization day here, where there are stunning views of the valley. Continue on to Nar, the other main village in this area, which is a bit more lively than Phu.

Cross the Teri La, which will definitely be a long and challenging day due to the altitude. But, the sense of accomplishment will be great, and from there you will descend down into Upper Mustang.

Spend the next few days trekking to Lo Manthang, the old capital of Upper Mustang and once the seat of the Mustang kings. It is an incredible town that reminds visitors of old Tibet, with mud-brick walls, prayer flags fluttering everywhere and simple Buddhist chortens. You’ll have plenty of time to explore Lo Manthang—shop for locally made crafts, enjoy a snack and a chat with the local people, and rest up in the sunshine on the town square.

After leaving Lo Manthang, there is only a day of trekking left, because for the final stretch of the route you drive to Jomsom. Thanks to the construction of a road in recent years, the area has become much more accessible. And, after your weeks of trekking, you may enjoy sitting back and letting the scenery go past at a faster speed. Fly from Jomsom back to Pokhara.

Nar Phu Teri la Pass Upper Mustang Trek Accommodation availability.
This is a camping and very basic lodge trek. The Nar Phu Valley is rarely visited, so there is no real infrastructure for tourists. Camping, homestays and monastery stays are necessary for some parts. Upper Mustang is a bit busier, but accommodation is still basic. It’s recommended that you bring your own warm sleeping bag.

Nar Phu Teri la Pass Upper Mustang Trek Itinerary,
Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu. (1335 meters).
Day 02: Sightseeing and Preparation Day.
Day 03: Drive to Dharapani via Besisahar (1960 meters).
Day 04: Trek to Koto (2600 meters).
Day 05: Trek to Dharmasala (3220 meters).
Day 06: Trek to Chaku (3772 meters).
Day 07: Trek to Phu (4050 meters).
Day 08: Acclimatization day at Phu.
Day 09: Trek to Nar (4150 meters).
Day 10: Acclimatization day.
Day 11: Trek to Kharka above Lapse Khola (4400 meters)
Day 12: Trek to Lapse Khola (4900 meters)
Day 13: Trek to High Camp. (5225 meters)
Day 14: Cross Teri La and trek to river camp. (4730 meters)
Day 15: Trek to Yakpa (4250 meters)
Day 16: Trek to Tange (3240 meters)
Day 17: Trek to Yara. (3510 meters)
Day 18: Trek to Lo Manthang (3720 meters)
Day 19: Explore around Lo Manthang
Day 20: Trek to Ghami. (3510 meters).
Day 21: Trek to Samar. (3620 meters).
Day 22: Trek to Chhusang. (2980 meters).
Day 23: Trek to Muktinath. (3700 meters).
Day 24: Trek to Jomsom. (2720 meters).
Day 25: Fly to Pokhara stay overnight at Pokhara.
Day 26: Flight to Kathmandu free day at Kathmandu.
Day 27: Departure.

Detail Itinenary

Day 01

Arrive in Kathmandu. (1335 meters).

A representative from Visit Himalaya Treks with the company’s display board will greet you outside the arrival terminal and transfer you to your Hotel. The trek leader will meet the group for a meeting and provide a detailed briefing on the trek. All the required information regarding the trek would be provided. (Overnight at Hotel)

Day 02

Sightseeing and Preparation Day.

A half day guided tour to several of historical and spiritual attractions enlisted under the World Heritage Sites. (Overnight at Hotel. Breakfast included)

Day 03

Drive to Dharapani via Besisahar (1960 meters).

After breakfast, a private vehicle (car/bus) will pick you at your hotel. We drive to Besisahar via the Prithvi Highway, following Trishuli River for most part of the drive. The road at times passes through the settlements of the old Annapurna Circuit. It keeps following the Marshyangdi River for the whole day. (About 9 hours drive Overnight at Camp)

Day 04

Trek to Koto (2600 meters) .

The trek starts on the secondary road and does so for the most part of trek until the trek reaches Manang. The road passes the villages of Bagarchap and Danaque. The trail gets briefly off the road and starts to climb through the woods to Temang. Stunning view of Manaslu (8163 meters) opens up at Temang. The trek returns back to the road and goes through the small villages of Thanchok and then finally reaches Koto. (6 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 05

Trek to Dharmasala (3220 meters) .

The trail leaves the road, enters a narrow valley, leaving crowded settlements behind, and heads for sparsely inhabited Nar Phu Valley. The trek crosses and leaves Marshyangdi River and starts to follow Phu River gradually climbing into the valley. The valley gets narrower and goes through pristine forests, as the valley grows wider with views starting to open up. The long day of climb finally ends at Dharmasala. (6-7 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 06

Trek to Chaku (3772 meters) .

Trek to Chaku is an interesting day as the trek passes through stunning waterfalls and towering rock faces. The day starts with a steep climb passes the village of Meta. The terrain is leveled all the way up to Junam and continues to be similar until the lower village of Chaku. The day ends with a final steep climb ending at the higher village of Chaku. (6 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 07

Trek to Phu (4050 meters) .

A steep drop kicks off the day and leads to the river. The trail stays on the riverbed for a while and then slowly starts to climb off the river. Another climb ends another long day at Phu. (6-7 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 08

Acclimatization day at Phu .

A short hike up to the village offers stunning views of the valley. Although a long and exhausting walk to Himlung Base Camp also remains a good alternative. (Overnight at Camp)

Day 09

Trek to Nar (4150 meters) .

The trek retraces back to Chaku and passes the village. After crossing the bridge, the trail once again starts to climb and does so for the rest of the day. This is also one of the longer days of the trek. (7-8 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 10

Acclimatization day.

Day 11

Trek to Kharka above Lapse Khola (4400 meters)

The trek now moves away from the civilization for the next week. A steep ascent starts the day and quickly starts dropping down to cross the Lapse Khola. Now, the trail follows the valley upwards and stays with the main river, ascending and traversing for the rest of day. The trail does climb steeply but once again drops down to the river after gaining a good couple of hundred of meters. Once at the river, there are few flat areas good for campsites.

Day 12

Trek to Lapse Khola (4900 meters)

The trail keeps along the river in the first half of the day. At around the 4 hour mark the trail reaches a confluence and the tributary joining into Lapsi khola needs to be crossed. Once across the river, the trail steeply climbs through a moraine into a flat space where camp can be made.

Day 13

Trek to High Camp. (5225 meters)

The trail now gradually and continuously climbs traversing the ridges towards the high camp. It is short day and high camp can be reached in less than 4 hours.

Day 14

Cross Teri La and trek to river camp. (4730 meters)

The traverse continues and the trail also starts getting steeper and passes through a narrow gully. The pass is marked by some cairns and prayer flags. The descent from the pass also goes through a narrow gully for a while, before opening into a wider valley. The steeper descent also turns into a more comfortable to reach a small rover. Continuing with the valley, it briefly gains some height to traverse a ridge and again steeply drops into the valley. After a good descent of an hour, the trail arrives to a small area beside the river that can be used as the campsite.

Day 15

Trek to Yakpa (4250 meters)

The trek descends with the valley and keeps descending for most of the morning. It drops to the bottom of the valley and reaches a confluence to cross the river. Once across the river, a gradual ascending traverse of couple of ridges follows. After traversing couple of ridges, the trail now heads towards a pass from where it takes a steep descent to river and across the river lies Yakpa.

Day 16

Trek to Tange (3240 meters)

The morning starts with another steep climb and passes through an old abandoned village. The trail here is loose and exposed but doesn’t last more than an hour. After this quick ascent, the valley opens up for a while and views of Dhaulagiri can be seen in the distant horizon. After a while, few traverses around the ridges follows and opens into a valley from where Tange can be seen. This is the first village after the Nar and this camp also marks the treks re-entry into civilization

Day 17

Trek to Yara. (3510 meters)

Now the trail is more comfortable and more comfortable. A quick ascent starts the day and a comfortable descent leads to the river. The rivers are bigger now and crossing can be tricky and caution needs to be taken. After crossing the river, the trail once again climbs up only to climb down to get into another valley. Yara is located at the bottom of the valley and would be the final camp before connecting back with Mustang at Lo Manthang.

Day 18

Trek to Lo Manthang (3720 meters)

As usual, the trek keep following the valley to get to its end and here it reaches and connects with Kali Gandaki River. It follows the river, passes through Dhi and climbs steeply to cross another mini pass and follows down to reach Lo Manthang

Day 19

Explore around Lo Manthang

Day 20

Trek to Ghami. (3510 meters).

The trek now connect with a newly built road and passes through Charang village and crosses the Charang La. At the bottom of the Charang La, the trek heads into a different route and gradually descends passing the longest Mani Wall (555 meters) of the country. The downhill becomes a bit steeper as the trail drops into the river and again climbs up to the village of Ghami. (7 hours)

Day 21

Trek to Samar. (3620 meters).

The trek briefly gets away from the road and climbs steeply to get on the top a pass and then traverses around to connect back to the road. Now the trail continues to stay on the road climbs and drops through few more passes to go across the villages of Ghuling, Syangmochen and finally reaches Samar.

Day 22

Trek to Chhusang. (2980 meters).

The trek now briefly gets away from the raod and starts to drop down to Chaile and then again steeply drops down to meet the Kali Gandaki River. Once again, after crossing the river, the trail connects with the road and then stays on it to reach Chussang.

Day 23

Trek to Muktinath. (3700 meters).

The trek leaves the road and starts to ascend to Gyu La (4077 meters). The top of Gyu La offers stunning views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Ranges. The trail drops to the village of Chyanggur and gradually continues to go downhill to Muktinath. Muktinath is one of the most sacred sites to the Hindu people and attracts thousands of people each year.

Day 24

Trek to Jomsom. (2720 meters).

The trek again gets back on the road and slowly continues to go downhill. The road keeps losing height and meets the previously trekked route at Ekle Bhatti. Another easy walk finally ends the trek at Jomsom. (5 hours) (Overnight at Tea House) June 08 - 2019: Fly back to Kathmandu via Pokhara. An early morning flight to Pokhara is followed by another flight to Kathmandu and a whole day to explore the capital. (Overnight at Hotel. Breakfast included)

Day 25

Fly to Pokhara stay overnight at Pokhara.

We will take short mountain flight to Pokhara from Jomsom. Afternoon free sightseeing Pokhara City stay overnight at Hotel Pokhara.

Day 26

Flight to Kathmandu free day at Kathmandu.

Day 27

Departure.

A representative from Visit Himalaya Treks Pvt. Ltd. will check your flight tickets and transfer you to the airport before two hours from your flight with a hope of seeing you again in the future. (Breakfast included)

Gear List

Visit Himalaya Treks has always been keen on safety on the journey. We have prepared Trekking Equipment List which the trekkers will need during their trek in Nepal. The following list should help you with your packing. Generally, you should always try to keep the weight of your equipment to a minimum. The weight of your trek bag while trekking should be no more than 15 KG. You must bring the following items:

Fleece jacket or warm jumper	Thermal shirts/underwear	Nightwear thermals
Fleece/sweatpants	Day-wear shirt/rain pants	Trekking pants
Wind pants	Warm hat/balaclava	Neck gaiter
Sunhat	Warm hat	Sunglasses
Mittens/gloves	Water bottle	Torch / Flashlight
Quick drier Towel	Sunscreen and lip balm with sunscreen 35++
Water purification	A set of Earplugs	Trekking Poles
Hiking Boots	Socks	First aid kit
Antiseptics	Camera and video camera

Medical

Betadine / Dettol.	Hand-plaster	Bandage
Eye drop.	Eardrop	Sinex.
Gauge	Cotton	Move / Spray
Design	Diamox	D-Cold
Vicks	Paracetamol	Medicine for diarrhea
Medicine for a toothache

Trip Facts