Upper Mustang | Mustang Trek | Last Forbidden Kingdom

Upper Mustang Trek “The forbidden kingdom of Lo Manthang” is located in Trans Himalaya of Nepal high up in the arid Kali Gandaki Valley. Lo Manthang is a small medieval kingdom in almost a desert looking valleys of Upper Mustang. The walled city of Lo Manthang, thousands of year old caves, medieval villages and arid valleys makes Upper Mustang Trek a totally different trek than all the other treks in Nepal. Settlements appear every now than as an oasis in barren and almost colorless valleys of Mustang providing a stunning sight for the trekkers. Equally fascinating are the gorges and vividly colorful steep cliff walls seen almost every day on the trek. Old ruins and forts scattered towards the end of the valley with huge monasteries provide another dimension to Upper Mustang Trek.

The trek starts from Jomsom, a big town beside Kali Gandaki River and also the gateway to Mustang. After Kagbeni, small villages lay scattered throughout the valleys. Each village is then followed by a small pass. Dajong La Pass, Syangmochen La Pass, Nyi La Pass, and Muila Bhanjyang pass respectively offers views of next valleys, villages or passes that are ahead of them. Muila Bhanjyang is the last pass before the oldest monastery of the region, Ghare Gomba. After Ghare Gomba, Charang is the next village, lying beneath the ruins of the castle, previously inhabited by the previous Kings of Mustang. The King now seasonally lives in Lo Manthang, the last stop of the trek. There are several other villages beyond Lo Manthang near Tibet border. Namgyal monastery and Chossar caves are the picks of the lotto look around when staying in Lo Manthang. Upper Mustang Trek return route is through the more remote villages of Yara and Gara, before finally getting to Muktinath, and thus connecting with the busy Annapurna Circuit trek. Jomsom is also the ending point of the Upper Mustang Trek.

Now a day’s Jomsom – Upper Mustang (Lo-Manthang) border of Nepal and Tibet (Korala) road excess is connected. These days we can drive along the Jomsom to Lo-Manthang (Mustang) by Jeep. Travelers who willing to visit in upper mustang but they have a short time then now travelers can do jeep ride trips to Mustang. However, still, upper mustang permits cost is $500 for 10 days valid even traveler do jeep ride short trip in Mustang. For biking, travelers can do the trip to Upper Mustang biking tours as well. Challenging and long biking trips can be done over the Annapurna circuit to the Upper Mustang mountain biking tour. Visit Himalaya Treks organizes a biking trip to Annapurna Circuit and Upper Mustang as well. We are more than happy to provide mountain biking trip details upon clients’ requests.

Uppers Mustang Trek’s Shorts Itinerary

Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu. (1338 meters)
Day 02: Sightseeing and Trek Preparation.
Day 03: Drive to Pokhara. (900 meters)
Day 04: Fly to Jomsom and trek to Kagbeni. (2800 meters)
Day 05: Trek to Chele. (3050 meters)
Day 06: Trek to Syangmochen. (3800 meters)
Day 07: Trek to Dhakmar. (3820 meters)
Day 08: Trek to Charang. (3600 meters)
Day 09: Trek to Lo-Manthang. (3720 meters)
Day 10: Explore around Lo-Manthang.
Day 11: Explore around Lo-Manthang.
Day 12: Trek Yara. (3510 meters)
Day 13: Explore around Yara.
Day 14: Trek to Tangge. (3240 meters)
Day 15: Trek to Tetang. (3040 meters)
Day 16: Trek to Muktinath. (3700 meters)
Day 17: Trek to Jomsom. (2720 meters)
Day 18: Fly back to Kathmandu via Pokhara.
Day 19: Free day at Kathmandu.
Day 20: Departure.

Detail Itinenary

Day 01

Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu. (1338 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. (Overnight at Hotel)

Day 02

Day 02: Sightseeing and Trek Preparation.

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

Day 03

Day 03: Drive to Pokhara. (900 meters)

We drive to Pokhara through Prithivi Highway on a private vehicle. Pokhara is the lake city of the country and is less polluted and crowded compared to Kathmandu. Views of Annapurna range and the dominating figure of Machapuchhre (also known as Fishtail) (6997 meters) dominates both the sky and the beautiful Phewa Lake with its reflection in it. The afternoon can be enjoyed by the lake, as the hotel is located near to the lake. (5-6 hours drive) (Overnight at Hotel. Breakfast included).

Day 04

Day 04: Fly to Jomsom and trek to Kagbeni. (2800 meters)

An early morning scenic flight to Jomsom (25 minutes) is followed by a leisurely breakfast at Jomsom. We meet up with our crew and after a brief introduction and a quick sorting of our daypack and the main bags, we start our trek. The trek heads into the Kali Gandaki Valley, following the Kali Gandaki River. Most part of the trekking is on the newly built secondary road. The trail closely follows the river for the whole day, staying on the road and passes through Ekle Bhatti. The day ends at Kagbeni, one of the big settlements of the region. The restricted area starts after the village of Kagbeni. (3 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 04

Day 05: Trek to Chele. (3050 meters)

The trek continues on the road and moves further up in the valley with a good uphill climb and a brief drop near Tangbe Village. The medieval-looking village also marks the trek’s entry into Upper Mustang region. Leaving the village, the trail continues to follow the river and passes through the village of Chhusang. The trek gets off the road and a brief steep ascent at the end of the day ends at Chele. (6 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 06

Day 06: Trek to Syangmochen. (3800 meters)

A short climb starts the day and the trail gradually climbs through a narrow and deep gully. At the end of the gully, the trek gets back on to the road at Dajong La (3660 meters) and an easy walk leads through a small village of Samar. The trail once again leaves the road and drops into a small stream. After the stream, a steep uphill climb continues to the Bhena La (3830 meters) and once again meets the road. The trek continues on the road, passes through small teashops at Bhena, and continues to gradually ascend once again. The ascend ends at Syangmochen La (3850 meters) and the views of the valleys of the whole region open up at the Syangmochen La. A steep drop to Syangmochen is followed with the trek getting back on the road. After a brief climb, the trail again starts to descend. The trail goes in and out of a gully and then reaches the village of Ghiling. (7 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 07

Day 07: Trek to Dhakmar. (3820 meters)

An easy gradual climb slowly starts the day and rejoins the road at the bottom of the Nyi La. A zigzag climb leads to the top of Nyi La (4020 meters). Once again, fantastic views can be enjoyed from the top of the pass. Another descent leads to the Ghami village and the descent continues leaving the road to the bottom of the village. A steep climb followed by a brief downhill ends the day at Dhakmar. (7 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 08

Day 08: Trek to Charang. (3600 meters)

A climb continues the trek and leads to the top of the Muila Bhanjyang (4170 meters) and a downhill leads to the Ghar Gomba, the oldest monastery of the region. The trail now gets off the regular trail and descends down to Marang and then onto the village of Charang. (7 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 09

Day 09: Trek to Lo-Manthang. (3720 meters)

A quick drop to the river is followed by a short climb. At the end of the climb, the trail gets back on the road and continues to be on the road for the most of the day. The trek gets off the road near Lo-Manthang and quickly undulates for a brief period and enters the capital of the Mustang, Lo-Manthang (the walled city). (5 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 10

Day 10: Explore around Lo-Manthang.

The day can be used to explore the interesting nearby villages nearby Lo-Manthang. Chossar, Kimalang, and Thinggar are the most important and significant villages among them. There are centuries old caves at Chossar and similarly old monasteries in the villages of Kimalang and Chossar. The day could also be used to take a jeep ride to the Tibet border that boasts stunning views of the valleys of Mustang. (Overnight at Camp)

Day 11

Day 11: Explore around Lo-Manthang.

The second day is there to explore the other smaller villages near Lo-Manthang. Also, Lo-Manthang boasts several old and important monasteries that can be visited on the day. There are also ruined forts nearby the village. (Overnight at Camp)

Day 12

Day 12: Trek Yara. (3510 meters)

In the morning, the trek continues on the same route taken a few days ago. The trail leaves the road and starts to head into the less traveled valleys towards Yara. A gradual drop leads to the Kali Gandaki River and then undulates by the bank of the river to the village of Dhi. After crossing the river, the trek now enters another narrow valley following Puyung Khola and reaches Yara. (5-6 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 13

Day 13: Explore around Yara.

Following the river in the valley, and then a good climb leads the trail through another old village of Ghara and leads to Luri Gomba. This monastery is also one of the most sacred of the region by the locals. After spending some time in the monastery, we head back to Yara via the same route. (4 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 14

Day 14: Trek to Tangge. (3240 meters)

The trek starts to move down with Kali Gandaki River and crosses the river and other smaller tributaries on the day more than a couple of times. After a while, the trail now slowly starts to go uphill after crossing one of the tributaries. The climb slowly turns into leveled terrain and then starts to drop towards Tangge. (6 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 15

Day 15: Trek to Tetang. (3040 meters)

The trek again gets back on the ascending mode and continues to climb for the whole morning. The climb slowly turns into an easier walk crosses couple of ridges and then starts to go down gradually in the morning. Towards the end of the day, the descent gets steeper and ends at Tetang. (7-8 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 16

Day 16: Trek to Muktinath. (3700 meters)

The trek again continues 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. (7 hours) (Overnight at Camp)

Day 17

Day 17: 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 Camp)

Day 18

Day 18: 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 19

Day 19: Free day at Kathmandu.

A leisure day in Kathmandu which can be used for an early morning mountain flights to Everest or can extend into further more tours to Chitwan, Lumbini etc. Further adventure activities like rock climbing, hiking, biking around the Kathmandu valley with bungee jumping, rafting near the valleys can be done on this free day. (This is also spare day in case of cancellation of flights) (Overnight at Hotel. Breakfast included)

Day 20

Day 20: 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
Digene	Diamox	D-Cold
Vicks	Paracetamol	Medicine for diarrhea
Medicine for a toothache