17 Days Upper Mustang Trek

When you arrive at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, your guide will be expecting you at the airport and give you a comfortable ride to your hotel, where you can spend the rest of the day relaxing, or take in the local sights.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu.

In the morning, you will start your tour of the spiritual and historic sites of the Kathmandu Valley, several of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The tour includes the sites of the ancient Durbar Royal Square, in the city itself, as well as the Hindu Pashupatinath Temple, the monkey temple known as Swayambhunath, and the Buddha Nath, the Buddhist shrine that is among the world’s largest stupas.

In the afternoon, you will have a discussion and trek preparation meeting with your trekking guide and the other team members of the support team. After the meeting, the rest of the day is yours to look around the city or get in some shopping.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu.

In the morning you will take the long drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara, which lies around 205 kilometers to the west of the Nepali capital. A pleasant drive of around 5-7 hours, the road passes through lush green mountainsides, and through small hamlets, reaching the lakeside city of Pokhara in the early afternoon. The rest of the day is yours to explore the lakes, tour around the city, or get in some trout fishing or boating on the stunning Lake Phewa.

Stay overnight in Pokhara.

Early in the morning, you will take a flight to Jomsom Airport, which lies at 2,700 meters, and is renowned for its apple harvests. The trek begins once you arrive, and the first part of the trail leads through the beautiful valley and the village of Eaklibatti to Kagbeni Village, on the confluence of two rivers, with its ancient ruined fortress.

Stay overnight in a Kagbeni guesthouse.

At Kagbeni, they will check your trekking permit before you leave, and then you head out alongside the Kali Gandaki River, trekking on the sand of the riverbank until you start the climb up the hill to Tangbe Village. From the village, with its whitewashed houses and narrow alleys, your trek continues through the apple orchards and out onto the plain, crossing the small grasslands and through another small hamlet to cross the river bridge and climb up to the ridge. The walk along the ridge takes around an hour, and you soon arrive in Chele Village.

Stay overnight in a Chele guesthouse.

Today’s trek is one of the harder days, and involves crossing two high passes, Taklam La pass (3,624m) and Dajori La pass (3,735). The route takes you over the passes, which have great views of Tilicho, Yakawa Kang and Damodar Danda, and passes by the Ramchung Hermitage Cave. Descending from the second pass, you drop down to Samar Village, and continue on down along the riverbank to Syanbochen.

Stay overnight in a Syanbochen guesthouse.

After an early start, you will make the steep climb up to the Yamda La pass at 3,850 meters, passing through several villages and trekking past several chortens along the route. On the other side of the pass, you descend slightly, before climbing again through forests of poplars to the Nyi Pass at 4,010 meters. Once over the crest of the pass, the rest of the route is a steady descent to Ghami, one of the largest villages in the Lo region of Upper Mustang.

Stay overnight in a Ghami guesthouse.

The morning trek starts with a slippery descent along a fairly rough trail to the valley sides below, and across a suspension bridge over the Ghami Khola River. Across the bridge, you start to climb again, as the trail takes you past Mani walls and up to the Tsarang La Pass, at 3,870 meters, and Tsarang village. The village is located at the top of a wide canyon, and to the east of the village lays a monastery and a huge ancient fortress.

Stay overnight in a Tsarang guesthouse.

The trek begins with your descent into the canyon, to cross the river at the bottom and heading back up the other side to the Lo La Pass, at 3,950 meters. Cresting the pass, you can see the walled village of Lo Manthang below, and the descent to the village is rough, but easy going, with great views of the Himalayas, including Bhrikuti Peak, named after the 7th century Nepali princess who was sent to Tibet to marry the Tibetan Emperor.

Stay overnight in a Lo Manthang guesthouse.

Today is a rest and acclimatization day, and you can spend the day exploring the monasteries of Jhampa, Thupchen, and Chhoeda. The monasteries have all undergone major restoration over the last twenty years, to restore them to their former glory. There is also an opportunity to make the trek to Tingkhar, a village to the northwest.

Stay overnight in a Lo Manthang guesthouse.

The route back from Lo Manthang takes a different path, heading through Gyakar Village, with its 100-year-old Ghar Monastery, which was built on the site of ancient rock paintings. Legend says that anyone who makes a wish at the monastery will have their wish fulfilled. After exploring the gompa, and making your wish, your trek continues for a few hours to the village of Drakmar.

Stay overnight in a Drakmar guesthouse.

The descent today is hampered by strong winds and takes you across a small dry plateau and down through the fields to the village of Ghiling. The headwinds across the plateau can make the trek arduous, but the area is very dry, so humidity is not an issue.

Stay overnight in a Ghiling guesthouse.

The trek begins with a return along the route towards Lo Manthang, to the small village of Chhuksang. The views of the Himalayas are clear and striking from this altitude, with the mountains seeming to loom above you as you walk. The route heads through several small hamlets, before reaching Chhuksang after lunch. The rest of the day is yours to explore the village.

Stay overnight in a Chhuksang guesthouse.

The last day of the trek is the longest, with a 7-hour trek through the last part of the Mustang Region and into the area of the Annapurna Range. This section of the trek joins the famous Annapurna Circuit route, and takes you back to Kagbeni for lunch. After lunch, the trek continues back to Jomsom, where you will stay for the night.

Stay overnight in a Jomsom guesthouse.

Early in the morning, the flight leaves Jomsom to head back to Pokhara, and the flight takes you through a large gorge that lies between the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Mountain Ranges, which is a unique experience in Nepal. After arriving at Pokhara, the rest of the day is yours.

Stay overnight in Pokhara.

Early in the morning, you will take the long drive back to Kathmandu, passing through the scenic landscape of central Nepal. Once settled back into your hotel, the rest of the day is yours to shop or explore the city, giving you a chance to see some of the sights you may have missed when you arrived.

Stay overnight in Kathmandu.

A few hours before your flight out of Nepal, our staff will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the Tribhuvan Airport, saying goodbye to the guide that has taken care of you for the trip.