Upper Mustang Trek – 16 Days

You will explore Durbar Square, Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath stupa and Bouddhanath stupa which are all world heritage sites. Durbar Square reveals the life of the royals in ancient times. Pashupatinath temple is one of the most significant places of pilgrimage for all Hindus. Swayambhunath, also known as the Monkey Temple and Baudhanath Stupa is one of the largest stupas in the world. At noon, you are introduced to our fellow participants and discuss our trip to our office. Overnight in Kathmandu.

After having breakfast in the morning and you will leave for Pokhara. Pokhara is also known as The Lake City owing to a large number of lakes in the city. Here you will be rewarded with majestic panoramas of the Himalayas including Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Manaslu (8,156 m), Machhapuchhre (6,993 m), Annapurna ranges and others peaks as well. You can take a rest for a while and then enjoy boating in the Fewa Lake and stroll in the city’s quaint streets. Overnight in Pokhara.

You will be taking an early morning flight to Jomsom which is famous for its delicious apples, strong winds, and the landscape. You will begin your trek on an open path alongside a beautiful valley. You will pass through Eaklibatti village before reaching Jomsom which is ideally located at the bank of two rivers. The village is stunning with flat-roofed houses and also holds ruins of an old fortress. Overnight in Kagbeni.

You will receive your permits checked then begin our trek on a trail alongside the Kali Gandaki River. You will be walking on sand amidst strong winds before ascending on a hill. You will then reach the Tangbe Village and will admire its narrow alleyways, white-washed houses, barley and buckwheat fields, and apple orchards. You will continue your walk and pass another village and cross a river on our way. Next, you will be walking on a ridge before reaching Chele Village. Overnight in Chele.

We have an early start leaving behind the Kali Gandaki (river) and head up through a deep canyon to Chele La (pass) (3,600 m) with a beautiful view of the village of Gyakar (3,562 m). We then ascend slowly to the village of Samar (3,600 m) and then climb to the Bhena La (pass) (3,830 m) before arriving at the village of Bhena, which presents us with a beautiful view of the Damodhar Himal. We then climb to Yamda La (3,870 m) before ascending to the village of Syangmochen (3,800 m). Then, we begin a long ascent to the village of Geling, dominated by a fort, a palace and two ancient monasteries. You will have a wonderful spectacle during the journey with a Himalayan view. Enjoy your trip and overnight at tea-house.

You will begin your trek from Geling to Charang which will take about 5 hrs. You will pass through Ghami (3490 m) via Ghami La (3520 m) and reach your next stop. Overnight at Charang.

You will begin your trek by descending to a canyon and cross a river before beginning your uphill trek to Lo La pass which at 3950 m. You can admire the beautiful Lo Manthang village from the top of the pass. From the pass, you will descend to Lo Manthang which is a beautiful walled village. The views of the Himalayas including Nilgiri, Tilicho, and Annapurna I, Bhrikuti Peak as well as Damodar Kunda (pond) is quite good from the village. Overnight in Lo-Manthang.

Today, you are free to explore the charming city of Lo Manthang. Lo Manthang is a village in the restricted region of Upper Mustang that used to be the capital of the Kingdom of Lo. The place is rich in culture and tradition most of them are similar to that of Tibetans. The city comprises about 150 houses, as well as habitations for its many lamas. There are four major temples within the city. One of the temples, Champa Lhakang, contains a huge clay statue of Buddha as well as embellishes mandalas painted on the walls. It is possible to hire horses to visit these valleys with some extra costs. You can try some delicious local cuisines too. If you travel in May, you will get an opportunity to celebrate the Tiji festival.

We trek on another trail when returning from Lo-Manthang. You will be following a trail to climb to the highest pass on our trek, Chogo La (4325 m) before descending to Lo Gekar monastery (also called Ghar Gompa) with beautiful rock paintings which, dating back to the 8th Century. It is thought to be one of the oldest Gompas in Nepal which is still active. From Lo Gekar we ascend to a moraine before descending to a beautiful valley where the village of Dhakmar is settled at 3820 m. Overnight at the local lodge.

The trek now moves from the valley and ascends steeply up a rocky trail to the village of Chele. You can witness the ferocious Tibetan mastiffs which are chained to many of the houses. The day is not very tiring so you can take frequent breaks to interact with the villagers and take pictures. Villages become more scattered as you enter deeper into the region, life becomes more basic and the landscape too. You will continue to descend along the side of a spectacular steep canyon to a pass. Beyond the pass, you will descend on a pleasant path to Samar, resided in a grove of Poplar trees. This is the main spot for horse and mule caravans.

You wake up early in the morning to trek back to Kagbeni. You go towards Mustang Khola and later walk over its gorge which drives you to Chele. It takes approximately about 5-6 hours to trek back to Kagbeni from Samar. You reach Kali Gandaki River once again and backtrack your trail along the riverbed to reach the apple trees welcoming you to the familiar village of Kagbeni. Overnight stay at Camp.

From Kagbeni, you trek back to Jomsom following the trails of the Kali Gandaki River. It is a short trek from Kagbeni to Jomsom, so you will have an abundance of time to explore the beautiful town. Just watch out for the strong winds that sweep around this mountain town. Overnight in Jomsom.

The days of tiring treks end here. Today, you will sit back in your airplane seat and enjoy the beautiful vista of the Himalayas passing by as your plane takes you from Jomsom to Pokhara. You can spend your time in Pokhara by visiting some of the prominent places of the city like Davis Falls, Mahendra Cave, Begnas Lake, and so on. Overnight at a hotel in Pokhara.

To return to Kathmandu, you can take either take a 30-minute flight to Kathmandu or a 7-8 hour bus long drive. You will witness amazing landscapes either way. Upon reaching Kathmandu, feel free to stroll around the places of Kathmandu. Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.

Our representatives will drop you at the airport 3 hours before the scheduled time of your flight.