Highlights
- Forbidden kingdom of Nepal
- Ancient caves
- Transhimalayan region
- Tibetan like culture and tradition
- Biggest monastery in the Asia
Overview
Upper Mustang Lo Manthang Trek is one of the most picturesque and photogenic countries in Nepal Himalaya with its eroded high cliffs and canyons of varied colors red-brown with bluish grey that make the landscapes vibrant and interesting.
Upper Mustang located North Far Western Himalaya of Nepal which lies on old Salt trade route of Nepal and Tibet, where some trade still exists through high Karo-la pass beyond Lo-Manthang the former walled kingdom of Upper Mustang.
Upper Mustang, an extension of Southern West of Tibet regarded as world’s highest and largest table-land and a plateau of dry and arid landscapes but beautiful with grand scenery of hills and valley with traditional villages including barley fields and old monasteries of great interest to visit.
Upper Mustang Lo Manthang Trekking begins from scenic Pokhara city and its green verdant valley blessed with natural beauty of Annapurna Himalaya and serene lakes, where a short flight takes you to land at Jomsom the headquarter town of Mustang district and home of Thakali people.
From Jomsom walk leads on wide Kali-Gandaki River valley to enter into Upper Mustang via Kagbeni village and beyond past interesting villages of Chusang-Ghami-Tsarang and crossing scenic high passes to reach into a walled former kingdom at Lo-Manthang.
Within the walled villages with impressive tour around its Tibetan style houses and villages with similar Buddhist culture and traditional life visiting its former palace of Mustang Raja (king) and monasteries and then heading back to Jomsom for scenic short flight to beautiful Pokhara.
After an interesting journey of a lifetime experience where our adventure completes at Pokhara with drive back to Kathmandu with mesmerizing and enjoyable time in Upper Mustang Trekking with Trail Himalaya great service.
Day 01
Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer to the hotel
On arrival at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International airport, received by our guide and staff for transfer to your hotel in heart of Kathmandu city around Thamel, a great interesting areas.
After checking into your hotel rooms then meet our guide / leader and other members of the group for briefing regarding trekking and related information required in Nepal with Trail Himalaya.
Max Altitude: 1300m
Breakfast
3 star hotel in Kathmandu
Day 02
Free day in Kathmandu with half day sightseeing tour and trek preparation.
Allowing you a day in Kathmandu with tour of Kathmandu city where our city guide will show you the wonders of past history of Nepal visiting world heritage sites of great importance and interest, afternoon at leisure preparation for Upper Mustang Trekking.
Max Altitude: 2300m
Breakfast
3 star hotel in Kathmandu
Day 03
Drive to Pokhara 850m (220 km) - 06 hrs journey (30 mins by air).
Morning an exciting overland journey to Nepal Mid West at Pokhara on country's most busy and interesting highway with drive of six hours, on reaching Pokhara transfer to your hotel by Phewa Lake side, with time for short walks around the lakeside full of good restaurants, shops and stores with excellent hotels.
Max Altitude: 850m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
3 star hotel in Pokhara
Day 04
Fly to Jomsom 2,715m 22 mins trek to Kagbeni 2,807m - 04 hrs.
Early morning transfer to Pokhara airport for scenic short flight to Jomsom of less than 30 minutes with grand panorama of Dhaulagiri-Tukuche-Nilgiris with Annapurna and Machhapuchare Himal.
After an exciting views air borne reaching at Jomsom, the headquarter town of Mustang district located around Kaligandaki River valley. Here with time to get organize with refreshment starting our first day walk to Kagbeni towards North West for first overnight at Kagbeni.
An interesting village where you can observe local culture similar to Tibetan traditions way of life, Kagbeni the gateway to Upper Mustang, where all foreign visitors requires special permits to enter in the forbidden kingdom of Upper Mustang.
Max Altitude: 2715m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
Tea house
Day 05
Trek to Chussang (Tsusang) 2,300 m - 06 hrs.
Morning walk leads into high Upper Mustang with slow uphill and into exposed valley enclosed within colorful eroded canyons and high cliff edge dotted with small caves, as our route leads on gradual path with glorious views of Nilgiris-Dhaulagiri and Mustang Himal, with short few rest in between and then reaching at first village of inner Upper Mustang at Chussang often spelled as Tsusang also.
A farm area within few tree lines of Willow-Juniper and Poplars that surrounds the village, the only species that survives in this harsh arid climate, here with time to enjoy and visit of local village.
Max Altitude: 3000m
Breakfast
Tea house
Day 06
Trek to Samar 3,300 m - 06 hrs.
From this village walk lead to cross a stream past broken and eroded canyons which looks like a ruin castle walls within high surrounding cliffs, as walk lead past Chussang with views of colorful and brilliant red eroded cliffs above mouths of inaccessible caves.
After a steady walk of one hour reaching Chele / Tshele village for short brief stops and observing village old traditional life.
From Chele village walk gets steeper for an hour with a climb to a ridge of above 3,130 m high with grand views of Gyagar across huge canyon. Trek continues with a slow climb on this windswept terrain till small scenic pass is reached at 3,540 m. From here a gradual descent leads to Samar for overnight stop in a nice local lodge or guesthouse.
Max Altitude: 3300m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
Tea house
Day 07
Trek to Ghiling 3,600 m - 06 hrs.
Walk today starts with short climb above Samar village to reach a ridge top, and then downhill heading towards a large gorge past a prayer chhorten of red, black, yellow and white color.
Adventure continues to reach another scenic valley with sparse vegetation of juniper trees, after crossing a stream, walk leads uphill to a ridge at above 3,800 m high, and then climb over to another pass, from here our route descend to Shyangmochen.
This is a small settlement with few small tea shops at above 3,710 m high, after a nice and pleasant break continue with gentle climb over a pass at 3,770 m to enter a huge valley on downhill path towards our overnight stop at Geling with its large fields of barley that surround this pretty village.
Max Altitude: 1300m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
Tea house
Day 08
Trek to Tsarang (Charang) 3,520 m - 05 hrs.
After a wonderful and pleasant overnight in Geling, morning begins with a gradual slow climb past crops fields within the centre of the valley, walk leads below Tama Gung settlements and continue with long climb across the head of a valley above Nyi La pass 3,950m. The top rewards you with stunning panorama of Mustang terrain with white snow capped peaks and this is the highest point of the adventure and the southern boundary of Lo.
From here a gradual downhill brings to a junction; the right path leads direct to Tsarang while the left leads to Ghami village one of the main major of Lo region.
Our route leads below within blue, grey and red cliffs across a valley to cross a steel bridge over Tangmarchu River, path climbs past to a long and magnificent stretch of Mani (prayer) wall, probably the longest series of prayer wall in whole Himalaya region.
From here with last and final climb of the day above 3,600 m high pass, from here a gentle descent leads to Tsarang or Charang for overnight halt, an interesting village with maze of fields, willow trees and a huge five storey high of white colored Dzong and a Monastery known as Gompa situated on the edge of the Kali Gandaki gorge, around Tsarang with its own community electricity system.
Max Altitude: 3520m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
Tea house
Day 09
Trek to Lo Manthang 3,800 m /12,402 ft -05 hrs
Today toward our final and most awaited main highlight destination to Lo Manthang, morning starts with a short downhill to cross Charangchu River, and then with steep climb to a ridge passing Tholung valley.
Here our trail diverts towards north with gradual climb to reach a large chhorten, which marks the boundary between Tsarang and Lo, the climb follows a stream and then reaching a great wide windswept valley.
As the walk finally reach on top 3,850 m high pass offers grand view of walled village of Lo Mananthang, taking a short descend towards a stream that outlines the walled village, form here a short climb leads you to the southern wall of Lo Manthang village.
The one and only entrance to the village from North East corner, so one has to walk around the wall to reach the main entrance gate sometimes.
On entering former forbidden kingdom of Lo Manthang, transfer into a local lodge and guesthouses with time to browse around its alley and narrow streets with shops and stores.
Max Altitude: 3800m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
3 star hotel in Lo-Manthang
Day 10
At Lo Manthang rest day with local excursion.
Rest day at Lo-Manthang, once a capital of Lo (Mustang district), one of the largest village with more than 150 houses includes number of resident for priest, monks and lamas, houses are closely packed with palace and monasteries located in the bottom section around vertical part of L shaped houses. School, health post, police post and several important chhorten are located outside the walls to the north of the gate and east of monastic areas of this large village.
Despite the apparent squalor of Lo Manthang, the village is well-off and maintains strong sense of community. Here people call themselves as Lobas, people from Lo.
Interwoven with strong Tibetan Buddhism practice of culture and economy, before strong trade with Tibet where all salt and wool trade within Kali Gandaki passed through Lo-Manthang and this brought a substantial amount of economy to this great village town.
The Mustang raja's palace stands an imposing 4 storey building in the centre of the city. It is the home of the former Raja (king), Jigme Parbal Bista, and the Rani (queen), who is from the noble family of Lhasa and Shigatse in Tibet. We have reserved a day for you to relax with tour of famous monasteries Namgyal Gompa, Champa Lakhang (God House), Red Thubchen Gompa, Chyodi Gompa and the great Entrance Hall with special permission to visit palace interior.
Max Altitude: 3800m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
3 star hotel in Lo-Manthang
Day 11
Trek to Ghami 3,440 m - 06 hrs.
With exciting and enjoyable time in Lo-Manthang, depart from this mystical and legendry kingdom starting with descend and few short climb all the way to Ghami. As the morning walk leads outside the walled Lo-Manthang village, our route leads to a steady climb to a pass offering last glimpse of Lo-Manthang, walk from here on is more or less on gradual with downhill slopes most of the way to Ghami village for overnight stop, Ghami another important village of Upper Mustang region.
Max Altitude: 3440m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
Tea house
Day 12
Trek to Samar 3,150 m - 05 hrs.
Trek today follows on same route towards Nyi La, climb to the ridge and then contouring upwards and then reaching the road coming from Tsarang. From the top of the ridge a steep descend to Geling Valley. The trail continues bypassing Geling to a lone teahouse and then a gentle downhill to a small settlement of Tama Gung.
A steep switchbacks trail leads to a stream; the trail climbs to a large painted chhorten and then on straightforward route to our overnight stop at Samar.
Max Altitude: 3250m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
Tea house
Day 14
Trek to Kagbeni -05 hrs and transfer to lodge.
Our route from Samar leads on downhill trail on the same direction for few hour past Chele village to reach at Mustang Khola, from here walk leads on gradual path in between great canyons and eroded high cliffs to reach back at Kagbeni for last overnight within Upper Mustang.
Max Altitude: 3000m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
Tea house
Day 14
Trek to Jomsom 2,715 m - 04 hours.
After Muktinath, rest of the walks is moderate walks with a big drop of 1,200m downhill to Kaligandaki river valley, and to Jomsom headquarter town of Mustang region with a small airstrip above Kaligandaki River. Jomsom located on Kaligandaki River valley home of Thakali people of Buddhist religion been on trade line with Tibet since hundred years back, as this route lies on old Trans-Himalayan Salt Trade Route of Nepal / Tibet.
Here enjoy the afternoon with short walks around Jomsom town, famous for apples and its products.
Max Altitude: 2715m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
Tea house
Day 15
Fly from Jomsom to Pokhara 860 m and transfer to hotel by the Phewa Lake.
Morning transfer to Jomsom airport for sweeping short flight of 22 mins to scenic Pokhara, on flights awesome views of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Himalaya, on reaching at Pokhara transfer to your hotel by the Phewa Lake side with grand views of Annapurna peaks.
Max Altitude: 850m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
Tea house
Day 16
Fly or drive to Kathmandu and transfer to the hotels.
From Pokhara with amazing time on Upper Mustang Trekking with views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Himalaya, morning an exciting drive of six hours leading past beautiful scenery with farm villages and towns and finally reaching at Kathmandu, with afternoon free at leisure for individual activities.
(By air options of 30 minutes scenic flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu)
Max Altitude: 1300m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
3 star hotel in Kathmandu
Day 17
Final departure.
Last day in Nepal and with Trail Himalaya, with your time for international flight back to your respective countries, our staff and guide transfers you to airport after a great experience on Upper Mustang Trekking.
Max Altitude: 1300m
Breakfast/lunch/Dinner
What's included
- Experience English speaking Guide and porter
- 2 Trekkers =1 porter carry 20 kg
- International pickup and drop off
- Trekking permits / Special permits (Upper mustang special permits and Annapurna Conversation permits)
- 3 Hotel Kathmandu 3N/ Pokhara 2 N
- Food and Accommodations during the trek
- Guide and porter insurance, meals and accomodation during trek
- Fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara / Jomsom same ways back fly to Kathmandu
- Medical kits
- Sleeping bag , duffel bag, down jacket and trekking poles [To be returned after trek]
What's not included
- International fly ticket
- Nepal visa fee
- Personal medical / travel insurance
- Guide , porter Driver trips
- Personal Equipment
- Personal bill
- Kathmandu and Pokhara lunch /dinner
- Any personal issue
