The Upper Mustang trek is the ultimate gateway to the mysterious world of the old Buddhist kingdom of Mustang, also called Lo. Once forbidden and isolated from the rest of the world for decades, the area was able to evolve within its own distinctive culture and rich traditions closely tied to Tibet. This moderate, lesser-known trek passes through one of the driest regions of Nepal and provides spectacular mountain scenery.
Land at the airport, where one of our team members will pick you up and take you to the hotel. After welcome dinner, spend some time strolling in the vibrant streets of Thamel before returning to the hotel.
Today, you will go on a guided sightseeing tour after having breakfast. In the late afternoon, you will meet with the trek guide and prepare for the trip.
A beautiful drive along the countryside will take you to the city of lakes, Pokhara. Either way, the views will be phenomenal. The rest of the day in Pokhara is free for you. You can visit nearby tourist sites or relax near the tranquil Fewa Lake.
This morning we get up even earlier to check-in to catch the short flight from Pokhara to Jomson. Sightseeing by plane! This amazing short flight takes through the mountains to the interesting market town for the Mustang area.
Set off through the town, over a small bridge then hit the trail proper to take an easy yet interesting hike to Kagbeni.
After breakfast, we set off to enter Upper Mustang! The trail takes us along the Kali Gandaki River where the wind will challenge us as it whistles up the valley gorge. At Tangbe Village we notice how the houses are white-washed, set among fields of buckwheat and barley. Apple orchards also dot the landscape. Following a ridge, we reach the village of Chele.
Today the hiking becomes a bit harder as we cross the Taklam La pass (3,624m) and the Darjori La pass (3,735m). But there are amazing mountain views and intriguing caves along the way to keep our minds off our hard-working legs. The trail descends into Samar Village from where we walk to a ridge and down another steep trail on to syanbochen.
Today there is another big pass, the Yamada La, to cross (3,850m) as well as chortens and interesting villages with their barley fields to peek at. Trekking through forests we then have another pass to cross. Nyi Pass is 4,010m but from here we descend down to Ghami where we spend the night. Ghami is a large village for this area and is beautifully located and surrounded by fields.
Today’s trek starts off over rough and sometimes slippery ground as we descend to a suspension bridge over the Ghami Khola. The trail takes us passed mani walls (stone-built walls with Tibetan mantras carved into the stones) and over the Charang La Pass (3,870m).At the top of the Charang Chu canyon lies the village of Charang. This village also has a fortress and red gompa to the east of it. There is plenty of time to explore after lunch!
Dropping down into a canyon we cross a river and ascend to the Lo La pass (3,950m). From the pass we get our first look at the historic and beautiful village of Lo Manthang.
This walled village is the traditional home to the King of Lo and is still the scene of many interesting and colourful Buddhist festivals. The surrounding mountains – Nilgiri, Tilicho, Annapurna I and Bhrikuti Peak at to the atmosphere of the place.
On this day, we will acclimatize and explore Lo-Manthang, the central point of the region. It remains located around 50 kilometers away from the Tibetan border. It was the central trading hub of salt and clothing between Nepal and Tibet. Mules are still used to bring goods and other stuff from Tibet.
The 6-meter wall is a prominent attractive feature of this beautiful settlement. The enclosed walled city has beautiful towers in all corners of this city of Lo-Manthang. This walled city also includes various landmarks of cultural and religious significance.
Hike to the flat land and descend from there to The Khola and across the ridge downhill to reach Tange.
After breakfast ,Early trekking for the long day. Cross the suspension bridge to reach the flat. Ascend further to Cacho La Pass then descend to reach Tetang village.
Muktinath is a Vishnu temple, sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. It is located in Muktinath Valley at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass in Mustang, Nepal. It is one of the world's highest temples (altitude 3,800 m). Within Hinduism, it is one of the 108 Divya Desams, and is the only Divya Desam located outside India.
Today is the last day of our trek and it is a long one. After trekking for a while, we come to an end of our Mustang trails and join the trails of the Annapurna circuit. We stop for lunch at Kagbeni. After lunch, we continue our trek to Jomsom for an overnight stay.
We take an early morning flight to Pokhara. The airplane passes through a gorge between Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountains making the flight itself an amazing experience. After arriving in Pokhara, we can spend the rest of the day in leisure. Overnight in Pokhara.
The trek has ended. Our team will drop you at the international airport.