The Upper Mustang Walk is a fun trek that takes you to the most well-known rain-shadow area in Mustang. Mustang, which shares a northern border with Tibet, shares the same flora, fauna, and cultural traditions as Tibet. Discover the wonderful western trail that runs from Pokhara via the beautiful Annapurna Conservation Area. To get to Lo Manthang, the ancient Mustang kingdom’s capital, you must traverse arid, desert-like mountain landscape, stop at historic monasteries, and explore caverns that have hardly been touched by humans.
The 16-day Mustang journey starts as soon as you get to Kathmandu. A 25-minute flight will take you to Pokhara. You might also take a car and travel via Nepal’s winding highways to get to Pokhara. From Pokhara, you can take a second, quick flight across the Himalayas to Jomsom, which is where the journey begins, on the other side of the Annapurna mountain. To get to Shyangbochen, you must progressively hike through the pristine Kali Gandaki valley and pass through a number of Tibetan-style settlements, including Kagbeni and Chele. Along the trip, you’ll pass a lot of stupas, Buddhist Chortens, and religious graffiti.You can see the man-made sky caves at Shyangbochen, which are almost 160 meters above the earth. You travel through Tsarang from here and arrive in Lo Manthang. You’ll continue your hike to the Niphu and Garphu village, where you can tour it, before turning around and returning to Jomsom. To get to Kagbeni and eventually Jomsom, you will make a few detours and pass via the settlements of Dhakmar, Ghiling, and Samar. You may take in the breathtaking views of Nilgiri (7061m), Dhaulagiri (8167m), and Annapurna I while traveling (8091m).You will take a flight from Jomsom to Pokhara and then on to Kathmandu. Rainfall is a rare occurrence in the entire Mustang because of its distinctive geographic position. The two greatest seasons to go on a Mustang hike are spring (March through May) and fall (September through November). However, this journey is also possible in the rainy season (June-August).
Custom treks throughout Nepal are the focus of Access The Asia Treks. We lead hikes to Upper Mustang and other off-limits areas of Nepal in both private and public settings. You have the option to join our set groups at a fair price and take advantage of all-inclusive trek packages.
Enjoy a trans-Himalayan flight to/from Jomsom, the windy-city
View of Annapurna I (8091m), Nilgiri (7061m), and Dhaulagiri (8167m)
Enjoy trekking in one of the restricted areas of northern Nepal
Visit several ancient monasteries dating back to the 7th century and also the famous man-made sky caves of Mustang
When you arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, our company representative will greet you and take you to your hotel in Kathmandu. You’ll meet your trek guide and go over the itinerary. In the evening, you can go for a walk around the neighborhood.
You’ll board a flight to Pokhara after eating breakfast at the hotel. The flight will be brief and will be about 200 kilometers west of Kathmandu. You might also decide to travel by car to Pokhara. The journey is quite uneventful and passes through highway towns with views of Nepal’s rural and mountainous terrain. There is a lot to discover in Pokhara once you arrive. It is a stunning city with views of Machhapuchhre (6997m) and the Annapurna Range. Phewa Lake can be explored on foot or by boat.
The day starts early with a short flight to Jomsom. You’ll fly across the Annapurna massif to reach the town in Mustang District. You can catch the mesmerizing sights of Annapurna I (8091m), Machhapuchhre (6997m), and the Kali Gandaki Gorge from the flight. From Jomsom, you will make your way to Kagbeni. The first day of the trek will take you along the Kali Gandaki valley to Kagbeni village.
Before continuing, you will have your TIMS/Restricted Area permit examined at Kagbeni. You will set out on a hike through an unusual track to reach Tangbe village after leaving Kagbeni. To get to Chele village, keep walking through the confined spaces and past the white-washed houses. Most of the time, the trip continues along the Kali Gandaki River, passing Chhusang along the route.
You’ll continue your ascent after leaving Chele. You’ll go past the expansive, vibrant rock canyons where about 3,000 years ago, people created sky caves. The sky caves are still a popular Mustang tourist destination. You will pass through fields of red buckwheat, a staple in the region, despite the limited vegetation. While traveling to Shyangbochen, you may see the Nilgiri (7061m), Tilicho Peak (7134m), and Annapurna range in their breathtaking entirety.
To get to Ghami village, you’ll leave Shyangbochen and continue on the trail. From Ghami, a short hike will take you to a location with substantial Mani walls covered in Buddhist graffiti and Tibetan literature. On the route to Tsarang, you might also see a lot of Buddhist chortens. An old monastery and the neighborhood’s white palace, which preserves the village’s history, are located in Tsarang.
You must travel through a difficult landscape to get to Lo Manthang, or the “walled city,” after leaving Tsarang. The route climbs to Lo La Pass (3950 meters) and then descends to Lo Manthang. Mud and stone walls enclose the city on all sides. Three well-known Buddhist monasteries can be found there: Jampa, Thubchen, and Chodey Gompa. Along with this, you will also witness the King of Mustang’s former royal residence from the fourteenth century. The trail descends as it gets nearer Lo Manthang before crossing a brook and leading to the plateau of Lo Manthang.
You’ll tour the city and its surroundings today. You’ll go to the well-known Nyiphu and Garphu monasteries, which are close to the city. The cave monasteries Nyiphu and Garphu were constructed on a cliff of the massive overhanging rock. The 2500-year-old Jhong Sky Cave, which is said to have more than 44 sections, is another experience you’ll have.
You’ll travel back once you’ve left Lo Manthang. You will detour and go through Ghar Gumba, mostly downhill, to reach Dhakmar. The trek’s maximum elevation is at Ghar Gumba or Lo Ghekar (3950m). It is one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in the world and is thought to have been constructed somewhere in the 7th century by the saint Padmasambhava in his incarnation. You then traverse a mountain and descend dramatically to reach Dhakmar settlement.
You will descend to Ghiling village as you leave Dhakmar, following the sparsely populated areas and lonely environment. Mounts Dhaulagiri (8167 meters), Annapurna (8091 meters), and Nilgiri (7061 meters) may all be seen in the distance after a short descent trip. The trail is easy at first, but as you travel further, it becomes difficult and steep.
You will travel from Ghiling to Samar village via Shyangbochen. The hike starts with a quick ascent to Rachung Cave, which contains stalagmites shaped like chortens. Before returning to the route, you can take a brief tour into the cave. From then, it is a constant fall until Samar village.
Reentering the Kali Gandaki valley, you’ll make your way to Kagbeni. The distance traveled today is longer due to the presence of several rock canyon innards. The trail is rather remote and has few villages. You will go by the abandoned village of Chhunpa and Mani La Pass (3800m). You continue down to Kagbeni from the pass. The area you left behind, Upper Mustang, is beautifully seen from Kagbeni.
When you reach Jomsom after the walk, it gives in. The trail directly connects Kagbeni with the windswept city of Jomsom while providing breathtaking views of Mt. Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I. Once at Jomsom, you can enjoy the local apple brandy “Marpha” while exploring the windy city. You’ve reached the end of your arduous journey to Mustang.
You’ll depart Mustang today. You can return to Pokhara from Jomsom by taking a quick trans-Himalayan flight. You’ll take a connecting flight from Pokhara to Kathmandu. You will be met at the airport by one of our employees, who will then drive you to your accommodation. If you’d like, you can go souvenir shopping in Kathmandu’s Thamel neighborhood in the late afternoon.
In Kathmandu, today is a holiday. You can go on your own explorations of Kathmandu’s diverse cultural landscape. We suggest seeing places like Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Swayambhunath, and Kathmandu Durbar Square. You can also decide to head to Thamel, a popular tourist area in Kathmandu, where you can buy and eat at some of the city’s best restaurants.
Your journey and stay in Nepal are now over. You’ll say goodbye to Nepal today. In order for you to catch your trip back home, our company representative will transport you to Tribhuvan International Airport. We trust you had fun, and we’ll see you soon for more adventures in Nepal.
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When you are up in the mountains in Nepal, we would suggest you to be ready for anything. Weather forecasts for Lukla are never correct and different sources will give you different information. If it is a really bad day in terms of weather, the airlines will themselves cancel the flight and you might have to wait till the weather clears. Yes, flying in high altitude is never easy, even on a clear sunny day, the plane might face turbulence because of the wind blowing from the mountains. But overall the flight to Lukla is very exciting and it’s an experience that you will never forget.
When you are up in the mountains in Nepal, we would suggest you to be ready for anything. Weather forecasts for Lukla are never correct and different sources will give you different information. If it is a really bad day in terms of weather, the airlines will themselves cancel the flight and you might have to wait till the weather clears. Yes, flying in high altitude is never easy, even on a clear sunny day, the plane might face turbulence because of the wind blowing from the mountains. But overall the flight to Lukla is very exciting and it’s an experience that you will never forget.
I did the Everest Base Camp trek and returned for the Mera Peak Climbing with Access The Asia. Mountain Guide Arjun was superb! Great organization, local knowledge of the region... read more
robG3276OI
Great Trekking Experience with a Great Team - Mr. Arjun did a great job, He is always fun to be around and very helpful person. He took good care of us and described everything on the way so... read more
rambknows
Expereinced, Thoughtful, Informative uide - Arjun was my guide for a Everest Base Camp. Excellent guiding experience and informative of his country and the areas features as we hiked, He had the trip well planned... read more
cbski13| No. of People | Price per Person |
|---|---|
| 2-5 | $ 2000 |
| 6-10 | $ 1900 |
| 11-15 | $ 1850 |
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