Upper Mustang Trek

On your arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, our representative will pick you up and take you to your hotel. Once you settle in, our staff will brief you on the outline for the trek. In the evening, you will be joining the rest of the group for an introductory welcome dinner. The first night is all about bonding and resting up.

Highlights:

• Hassle-free airport pick-up.
• A detailed explanation of the itinerary.
• Bonding welcome dinner with the full group.

While you have your eye on Upper Mustang, you can take this day to soak in all that Kathmandu has to offer. Whether you want to stroll through the historical buildings or visit the many cultural heritages, you are sure to have an eventful day. You can also use this day to prep and purchase any clothing or equipment you may want for this trek.

Highlights:

• Free day to tour Kathmandu.
• Vast options of visiting temples like Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath or historic sites like Durbar Squares, and much more.
• An extra day to shop for any trekking gear you might need.

After a hearty breakfast, we will be arranging your transport and setting off. We will be driving along the Trishuli River, where you can enjoy the rise and fall of the hills as you go. This drive will take about 5-6 hours. 

We will reach your hotel by late afternoon, giving you plenty of time to unwind lakeside. You can grab a drink and enjoy live music, immerse yourself in the nightlife, or take a peaceful walk by the lake. 

Highlights:

• Relaxing 5-hour drive to Pokhara.
• Free evening in the beautiful lakeside city.

We will be catching a flight early morning from Pokhara to Jomsom. The flight will only take 20 minutes, which is bound to feel too short regardless due to the scenic views. Jomsom is a market town. You will find yourself immediately amongst the hustle and bustle of this town.

From here, we will begin our trek along the Kali Gandaki river bed. The soft flowing water will add an excellent soundtrack to your three-hour journey. Once you reach Ekley-Bhatti village, you will stop to get some refreshments. You will then continue to Kagbeni, which will take you about one more hour.

Kagbeni is a delightful village that sits on the bank of two rivers. Kagbeni, known for its walled passages and sweeping landscapes, will be the perfect view for you to recharge too. Once we check in to our hotel/guest house, you have the rest of the day free to roam around this village.

Highlights:

• The scenic 20-minute flight to Jomsom.
• Mingling in the market town with the locals.
• Trekking alongside the Kali Gandaki river.
• Enjoying the narrow passages and stretched landscapes of Kagbeni.

After breakfast, we will set off. You can expect Mount Nilgiri to be waiting with the first rays of daylight as we begin our trek. This area is known to be windy, and the wind not only rustles through the valley but will also help keep you cool as you walk.

Prepare to be awed by a view that quite literally feels out of this world. You will see the red sandstone pillars and rock formations that Mustang is known for. The first village that you will pass will be Tangbe. Here you will see sprawling fields of buckwheat and barley along with lines of whitewashed houses. This area is also known for its apple orchards.

We will be following the western route and walking along the riverbank. As you trek up the valley, you will reach a vertical cliff, where we will cross the Kali Gandaki river. You can expect a great view of the valley and the Nilgiri mountain.

The trail will become steeper and lead you up to Chele. Chele is a small town and offers an excellent view of the Himalayas. This leg of the trek will take you about 6 hours.

Highlights:

• Beautiful views of Mount Nilgiri.
• Red sandstone pillars in stark contrast with the desert landscape.
• Rows and rows of whitewashed houses.
• Walking by fields of buckwheat and barley.

Post breakfast, you will follow a steep trail towards the west. You will be following the path heading towards the opposite of a deep canyon, which will take you to the Ghyakar viewpoint.

The landscape surrounding you stretches to miles flaunting barren and eerie beauty. The canyon ahead shows a vertical drop of over 100 meters. Around you, the scene is so quiet that you will almost feel one with your breathing as you trudge along. After an hour of walking, you will be able to marvel at magnificent snow-capped peaks at a distance.

About two hours after you cross Samar village, you will come across the Rangchyung Chorten. It is a red painted cave monastery that is also one of the most sacred places in Mustang. The highlight of this monastery is that it looks as if it is hanging on to the vertical wall.

The name itself means ‘the chorten that formed itself.’ If you venture inside, you will see lines of prayer flags that decorate the ceiling. Inside, two large stalagmites form a Buddhist shrine.

On this day, you can expect to be trekking for about 6 hours. It does get a little more strenuous as you cross the Taklam La pass (3624m) and the Darjori La pass (3735m). However, the trail takes you past a breathtaking gorge and beautiful greenery, which will help make this trek much smoother.

Highlights:

• A mesmerizing view of the valley from Ghyakar viewpoint.
• One of the most sacred places in Mustang: Rangchyung Chorten monastery
• Crossing two famous passes: Taklam La pass (3624m) and Darjori La pass (3735m).
• Vertical cliffs and barren desert-scapes.

Special Notes:

• Well-paced 6-hour trek with plenty of rests.
• Slow ascent to passes that are above 3500m.
• Gorgeous views of the Himalayas during the rest stops.

This day’s trek will take you through three high passes and about 6 hours of walking. The first one is Yanda La (3850m), which is marked by a distinctive red Chorten that flaunts the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism. This pass is also marked by barley fields and the surrounding small villages. The next pass is Nyi Pass (4010m). 

Once you pass through here, you will find a gradual descent that leads you towards Ghami La pass. Here, you will be trekking alongside a downstream and notice that the landscape has gotten quite rugged. The red cliffs and sand-dunes stretch across the broad valley as you reach Ghami.

Highlights:

• Trekking through three high passes: Yanda La (3850m), Nyi Pass (4010m), Ghami La pass.
• Rugged landscapes and small villages.

Special Notes:

• Only 3-4 hours of walking to prevent altitude sickness.
• Excellent sand-dunes and red cliff views to marvel at as you acclimatize.

As you head off on this day’s trek, you will first have to pass a suspension bridge over the Ghami river. As you trudge on, you will pass gorgeous mani (stone-built) walls full of Tibetan mantra engravings. There are also many shrines, and the color red dominates the architecture. This day’s trek will take you about 4-5 hours.

The trail will lead you upwards to a pass at 3820m. You will see a barren landscape far into the horizon with no plant life or human. It is a powerful scene that is bound to evoke a feeling of extraterrestrial beauty. As you trek on, you will reach Tsarang Chorten. This red stupa stands alone, welcoming you down the trail to the town of Tsarang with only 1000 inhabitants.

Highlights:

• Trekking past historic stone-built mani walls.
• Vast, barren landscape creating a powerful scene.
• Red chorten at Tsarang Chorten.

After days of uphill climbing, this day will be much easier on your feet. We will be taking you over flat terrain. All along the way, you will witness barren landscapes dotted with the occasional shrine or caves.  

Once we drop down into a canyon, we will be crossing a river. Then begins the ascend to the Lo La pass (3950m/12959 ft). At a distance, you will begin to see glimpses of the Lo Manthang village. As you get closer, you will get to marvel at the unique beauty of this historic village. This leg of the trek will take you about 5-6 hours.

The village is walled in and stands in stark contrast to the desert that surrounds it. Around you, the peaks of Nilgiri, Annapurna I, Tilicho, and Bhrikuti Peak cheer you on your arrival. We, too, will be spending two nights here to admire this village and the true beauty of Upper Mustang.

Highlights:

• Crossing the high Lo La pass (3950m)
• Reaching Lo Manthang village and exploring the palace of King Lo.
• Surrounded by views of Nilgiri, Annapurna I, Ticlicho, and more.
• Two-night stay to absorb all this beauty.

With our hearts and camera storage full, we will begin our trek back. This day we will be walking through luscious pastures, and we are sure you will be turning again and again until Lo Manthang disappears behind you. But don’t you worry, the journey ahead promises to be just as stunning.

Our route back will take you through Chorong and reach Lo Gekar. The trail will pick up again as this day’s trek will take you about 4-5 hours of walking. We reach a pass where you will get an excellent view of the valley. This day we will be descending back to Ghami village (3440m).

Highlights:

• Walking by luscious pastures.
• Amazing view of the valley ahead.

This day we will be walking along the western side of Kali Gandaki valley. You will find the Himalayas smiling down on you with all their majestic glory as you navigate through the highest pass, the Lugdi La pass (4200m).

You will have a chance to catch your breath and admire the monastery before we walk down to Tamar. Around you, you will see many cliffs with large drops. After so many days of the desert surrounding you, the splash of red cliffs, green vegetation, and the bright blue sky is sure to be a welcome scene.

Right before you reach Samar village, you will see numerous caves. Some of these have shrines and prayer flags, in case you feel like taking a detour to investigate them. This trek will take you about 5-6 hours.

Highlights:

• Passing the highest point of this trek: Lugdi La pass (4200m).
• Monasteries, vegetation, and red cliffs to greet you.
• Passing by numerous caves with shrines and prayer flags.

Familiar views of Nilgiri above and the long mani wall below greet you on this day’s trek. You will be crossing the passes as we did before and reaching Ja Myung. On this day, we will be taking a small detour to Ghelung, where you can see a small but beautiful monastery as well as two Gompas. It will take you about 4-5 hours of walking to reach Syangboche. 

Highlights:

• Detour to Dhelung, and it’s a beautiful monastery.
• Walking alongside long mani walls with views of Nilgiri up ahead.

This day’s trek is likely to be a little more strenuous because you will be navigating some gorges along the way. However, the path promises to balance the scales by offering unrivaled views of both Tilicho and Nilgiri. 

You can watch the Annapurna range loom closer and closer as you make your way towards civilization. The green begins to dominate as the vegetation grows, and the descent part should feel relatively easy.

We will, however, have plenty of breaks, so you don’t have to worry about overexerting yourself. We will be entering the riverbed of the Kali Gandaki region to head towards Chuksang. Walking these familiar routes, you are bound to feel a gushing sense of accomplishment, much like the river you will be walking next to.

Once you start seeing red and white chortens in the lap of towering red and brown hills, you know you are almost at Tetang. This trek will take you about 5-6 hours. 

Highlights:

• Views of the Annapurna range drawing closer.
• Walking by the Kali Gandaki region.
• Red and white chortens to welcome your return.